Evening star., 1947-10-04
Lavagetto' S Pinch Hi
Supplies Punch for :
Story-Book Game
By Burton Hawkins
Stcr Stoff CORRESPONDENT

| BROOKLYN, Oct. 4-One Slash
ing stroke Of veteran Cookie Lava
getto's now hallowed bat has trans
formed what threatened to become
miserable World Series into an
amazing. dramatic affair. pumping
intensified interest into an event
badly in need of TRANSMISSION.
| Lavagetto reached out and res
cued the series and Brooklyn's S
Dodgers as they were going down
for the third time and If any more
fantastic finish ever Is written the
script will be scrawled by fugitive
from an insane asylum. Cookie was
the hero of 80 Brooklyn victory
over the New York Yankees yester-
day before 80, ,443 fans and in achiev-
ing that status he made Frank Mer-
riwell, the Rover Boys and Tom
Swift resemble timid souls by COM
parison.
Brooklyn was the proper setting
for the hysteria which was touched
off with two men out in the ninth,
two Dodgers on base, Brooklyn trail
ing, IL, and without hit off Floyd
(BilD Bevens. Lavagetto stepped to
the plate in pinch hitting role and
evened the series with a smashing
double off of the right field wall,
scoring both runners.
Cruel, Crushing Tragedy.
For Bevens that blow was cruel,
crushing tragedy. Never in the A.
year history of the World Series had
a pitcher unleashed a no-hit game,
yet the 29-year-old Salem, Greg,
righthander was close enough to 1t
to taste its sweetness, only to have
bitter, revolving Cookie jammed
down his throat.
Those who saw 1t are content in
the knowledge they have witnessed
the ultimate in sports thrills, for it
was moment packed with all the
dramatics which could be dreamed
by Hollywood writer's. Disaster, which
had been flirting with Bevens all
afternoon in the guise of bases on
balls, finally caught up With him
when Lavagetto, a PSI hitter during
the regular season, lashed his first
hit of the series.
It was game which will be talked
about as long as baseball is played,
for 1t was jammed with spectacular
catches to back Bevens' brilliance,
shoot-the-works stolen base by
Al Gionfriddo with two out in the
ninth, and a backfring decision by
Manager Bucky Harris OF the
Yankees to pass lame Pete Reiser,
purposely placing the potential win
ming run on base, after the count
had reached three balls and one
strike on Pistol Pete.
Harris Move Backfires.
Most fans feel Harris order to
walk Reiser- was a move born of
stupidity, for Reiser was hobbling
on an injured foot damaged in a
collision with New York's Shortstop
Phil Rizzuto on Thursday. Here was
fellow who had fashioned only
five home runs during the regular
season, batting $50 in the series
with brace of singles, being walked
into potential winning run status.
Lavagetto removed the potential
with an affirmative and for the
duration of his life Harris will cen
slider the wisdom of that move.
Harris may rue, too, his decision
to catch Yogi Berra, a gnome like
figure who waves a menacing bat
but who remains unacquainted with
the skill of throwing. He has had
five bases stolen under his stable
nose and the fifth one was excruciat-
ingly painful.
In a sense. Gionfriddo was the
games unsung hero, but let's set
the stage. Bevens entered the ninth
inning with a no-hit game and a
81 lead. Left Fielder Johnny Lin
dell backed against the left field
barrier for Bruce Edwards smash
for the first out.
FuriIlo Coaxed Walk.
Carl Furillo coaxed a walk from
Bevens and Johnny Jorgensen then
lifted a foul to first baseman George
McQuinn for the second out. In a
move of sheer, If belated, inspira-
ton, Manager Burt Shotton then
dispatched Gionfriddo to run for
Furillo and with the count of 81
on pinch-hitter he whisked into
second base under the high peg of
Berra.
Reiser then was walked, and Eddie
Miksis ran for him. At that point
Shotton sent Lavagetto into action
as batter for Ed Stanky. Cookie
missed one, then he hit the next.
beautiful blow (Rrooklyn version)
which scored Gionfriddo and Miksis.
Right fielder Tommy Heinrich OF
the Yankees, pursuing the ball that
took a weird hop off the fence,
finally caught up with 1t and fired
to the plate but it was late.
Series Records Set.
There were records set. In issu-
ing 10 walks, Bevens surpassed the
nine granted by Jack Combs in 1910.
Bevens was the third pitcher to toss
a 1-hitter and the first to lose l.
hitter. He was the first pitcher in
series history to 60 beyond 711s in
nings without yielding hit.
Virtually forgotten Is the huge
Hugh Casey, who also became the
first pitcher to win two games in
two days In series action. He pitched
one ball in the ninth inning at a
time when the bases were filled and
one out, got Heinrich on the tail
end of double-play and qualified
for the No. 8 hero role behind Lava
eetto and Gionfriddo,