Evening star., 1947-09-04
Perfect Game Missed
ByA'sHurIer When,
First Sacker Errs
By Burton Howkins

The Mats will trot on Griffith Sta
dium's turf tonight as a history.
creating club, permanent fixtures in
baseballs record book as the result
of being the first Washington team
in 80 years to fall victim to no-hit
game. 1t happened yesterday at
Philadelphia when the Athletics
sturdy Bill McCahan narrowly
missed becoming the major leagues
first perfect game pitcher in Is
years.
Not since Ernie Shore of the Bos-
ton Red Sox relieved Babe Ruth,
who had walked the Mats first bat
ter, and proceeded to battle Wash
ington for the remainder of the
game on June %, 1917, had the Mats
succumbed to a no-hit game.
McCahan struck out two and
walked none. The only Nat to reach
base against him was Stan Spence,
who grounded to First Baseman
Ferris Fain with one out in the Sec
ond inning and continued to second
when Fain threw wild past Nc
Cahan, covering first base, into
Washington's dugout. McCahan, 25-
year-old right-hander from Lang
horne, Pa, then retired the next
% Mats in order.
Stops Pinch -Hitters in 9Th.
An Army test pilot during the war,
the former Duke University student
was put to the severest test the Mats
could muster against him in the
ninth inning when Manager Ossie
Bluege poured three pinch-hitters
into the game in an effort to avert
a 80 defeat.
McCahan disposed Of them easily.
He got Early Wynn on a pop fly to
Shortstop Eddie Joost Second
Baseman Pete Suder took Joe
Graces Sharp grounder and threw
him out and McCahan f1ttingly
finished his brilliant effort by fam
ming Cecil Travis, who batted for
Eddie Yost.
A small ladies' day crowd of 4.572
saw McCahan become the third
major league pitcher to hurl no
hit game this season, following in
the spike impressions of Cincin-
nati's Ewell Blackwell and Cleve-
lands Don Black.
McCahan, a rookie, who won IL
games and lost 7 with Toronto of
the International League last season,
also became the third pitcher to
register a 9-inning no-hitter against
Washington since the organization
of the American League. James
Scott of the Chicago White Sox
pitched a no-hit game against the
Mats for nine innings on May IA,
1914, but Washington scored in the
10th and beat him, 10.
Victim In Early No Hitter.
1t was the second time this season
that McCanan had been involved in
a no-hit game, having been the
losing pitcher when Black BANKED
the Athletics, 80, on July g. He
captured his ninth victory OF the
year against four defeats.
The last time Washington was IN
the midst of no-hitter was 16
years ago when Bobby Burke, slim
southpaw, unleashed a pitchers
dream against Boston on August 8,
1881, and beat the Red Sox, SO.
McCahan professed he wasn't
aware he had q no-hit game in his
grasp until the ninth inning ana
his effectiveness to fast
ball which was breaking away from
the Mats left-handed hitters.
The only difficult chance presented
the AS fielders was in the seventh
inning with two out when Mickey
Vernon slammed 375-foot liner
into right center. Elmer Valo con-
tributed a neat running catch OF
that smash, however, to preserve
opportunity.
Secretary Edward B. Eynon OF
the Mats paid a pregame tribute to
McCahan when informed he was
to hurl against washington. Il
think he's the best pitcher the AS
have" said Eynon, whose opinion
remains undisturbed.
Scarborough Beaten Early.
The AS nicked Scarborough for a
run in the second inning when Sam
Chapman looped single to right
with two out after Fain and Hank
Majeski had walked. Philadelphia
obtained it's other two runs in the
seventh when Valo doubled of the
fence with the bases
loaded, scoring McCahan and Bar
ney McCoskey, both of whom had
singled.
McCahan f1irted with the first
perfect game in the major leagues
since Charley Robertson of the
Chicago White Sox beat Detroit,
n