The Washington times., 1933-12-27
BY GARRY SCHUMACHER

BY GARRY SCHUMACHER
Happily, the baseball people
don't always play their drama
straight.
Occasionally the clowns are able
to assume and hold the center of
the stage, and with a laugh pro-
voking performance tighten and
relieve the heavier diamond his,
trionics that so often follow a
melodramatic pattern.
They're remembered, too, those
comedy interludes, longer than
many more exciting episodes. The
thrill Of victory, the sting of de.
feat can be forgotten, but a laugh,
once enjoyed, can always be re-
called.
There's that 1917 world series,
for instance. Few people, unless
they check the records, know that
the White Sox won and the Giants
lost in six games. But everybody
remembers that utterly ridiculous;
absurd play perpetrated by der
Heinie of the Bronx, his footrace
with Eddie Collins.
Play Decides Series
They laughed then, as they
watched Zimmerman chase the
White Sox captain across the plate
with q world series championship,
and they laugh now whenever it is
recalled to their attention.
Naturally, it was much funnier
in the watching. The early by
play, Collins standing stock still
on the base paths, directing the
traffic at the other bases while
Zimmerman and Rariden threw
the ball back and forth, and then
the picture of Zim, leaning far
forward, reaching desperately for
Collins as he churned up the dust
in the race for the plate. It was
q silly play, and how silly zim
looked as he made it.
The series had been a thriller
until Heinie threw it into an up
roar. The Sox, led by Clarence
Rowland, and already a well de-
veloped skeleton Of the club that
probably ranks as the greatest OF
all times, the "Black Sox' Of 1919,
won the first two games at Chi
cago, but superfine pitching by
Rube Benton and Ferdie Schupp
evened the series at New York.
The left-handers pitched two sue
cessive shutouts, and New York
began to visualize a worlds cham
pionship.
Ace Pitchers Left
Back again in Chicago, the SoX
won 8 to 5, but that didn't disturb
the Giant adherentS. The series
was to close in New York, and Nc
Graw had Benton and Schupp to
throw at the Sox again.
Benton, a stoutiSh, moon-faced
chap, who, incidentally, is still
doing his share of pitching in the
American Association, got the
first call, and he drew Urban
"Red" Faber as his opponent. The
carrot-topped spitballer had al
ready won two games, and the SoX
admittedly were in a nice spot.
The Giants simply had to win
that one, it was miss and out for
them. Yet they were confident.
Benton had pitched Shutout and
they were sure he could do 1t
again.
And the box score reveals that
he did-that none Of the White
Sox runs was earned. Zimmerman,
first with an error and then with
his Keystone comedy pursuit race,
presented the Sox with the three
runs that eventually enabled them
to win by 4 to 2 count.
"Riding" Takes Toll
It was in the fourth inning
that Zim stepped into character,
the character incidentally the
White Sox players insisted he
would play. All through the series
the smart, trigger-witted Sox had
kidded Zim, goaded him. Un-
questionably 1t worked on his
mind. He didn't hit, and the
riding" lured him into that foot
race.
Collins was the first hitter in
the fourth and he bounced one
down at Heine. A simple play,
and Zirn was a graceful, talented
player. But this time he was a
wee bit too nonchalant. His
throw was wide of the bag, and
the awkward Holke couldn't scoop
1t up. The ball got past him for
q two-baSe error.
The play went louder and fun
nier Immediately. Jackson lifted
a fly into short right. Davey
Robertson did Leon Enrol under
the ball and then muffed it.
That gave Jackson a life and
Collins Scooted for third.
Life was still serious for Ben
ton out there on the mound,
though. After all it was a World
Series game and he hoped to
win it.
Collins Is Trapped
30 he pitched to Happy FelSch
with special care. He dipped up
q curve, and FelSch was duped
by 1t. He topped the pitch and
it bounced to Benton on one hop.
Collins had started for the
plate, and Benton threw the ball
to Zimmerman. That was the
start of the play that grew more
ridiculous as it developed. First.
Zim and Rariden, the catcher, en-
gagged in a game of catch. Col
Inns was between them. and, ap-
parently, more concerned with the