Evening star., 1959-12-09
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAV By FRANCIS sTANN
RommeL of the Old As
By FRANCIS STANN

MOST OF THE NEWS stories did we'll by Ed Rommel
and Bill Summers, the veteran American League umpires
turned out to pasture Rommes prowess pitcher was
pointed up His rare feat of winning 27 games for the
seventhpace Philadelphia AS of 1922 was recalled So
was the 10 classic he lost in Is innings to Walter johnson
on opening day Of 1926.
But with men of such rich baseball backgrounds not
all episodes could be covered including game in which
Romme allowed 29 hits-and was the winning pitcher
There was little that plausible the afternoon
OF July TO- 1882 In the first place. the Cleveland Indians
were making an Eastern trip but the Wild 1917 game won
by the AS was played in Cleveland fact was the first
time big eaguers had sayed away from old League Park
in favor of Municipal Stadium.
This came about because it was Sunday and Phila-
dephia had its blue law outawing baseball the Sab
bath Thus 1t became the custom for the AS to play one
game stand in the visiting teams park
SINCE MONEY WAS TIGHT in 1882 and since he
never had much of anyway Connie Mack land for that
matter the InanS) took only skeleton teams to Cleve
land The AS for instance left Mickey Cochrane in Phia
depha among Others Connie took only two pitchers the
unremembered Lew Kausse and Romme IS years old and
relief pitcher with tired arm
The Tribe clobbered Krausse in the first inning and
Mack had alternative but call in Rommel who had
pitched four innings in relief Friday more on Sat-
urday and batting practice before Sundays asco Nobody
had any idea the big knuckebaer would be required
work II innings although for manager of second place
club Mack short of foresight we'll as cash in carry
ing only Krausse and Rommel
The two teams made So hits 35 runs in an 8-nning
nightmare CnaC laSCeo houS and minutes. In the
enth inning alone the AS and Indians 13 times The
late Jimmy Burnett Cleveland intielder set record with
nine hits in II times at bat Jimmy Foxx of the hit
three home double and singles for total of
16 bases.
Yet in the ninth inning kept the Indians from
winning and freak bounce in the 18th won for Phadel-
pha over Wes Ferre last of the Tribes three pitchers
WHEN HE REMINISCES, Romme is apt to speak more
of the freaksh chapters in his than of the many
fine performances that helped toward his winning III
major league games For instance:
II was pitching for Newark in 1919 and winning %
games that season. not long after learned to throw the
knucker Connie Mack sent Perkins, the catcher to look
at me- Cy must have turned in pretty good report because
Mr.. Mack, himself, came to Newark to watch me-
II wasn't exactly sensation was knocked out in the
first inning The next time started Mr. Mack was in the
stands again. lasted less than two innings
That's all Connie of in the minors vet he
bought me- Later. 1 asked him why he did Edwin he
replied they were hitting because your ball was
hanging inside. other things liked liked your
attitude and your delivery Edwin"
EDWIN AMERICUS RONTNEL was fading when Mack
came up with his great Athletics clubs of 192930-31 He
was 80 and 12-year veteran when he first pitched in
World Series the in 29 against the Chicago Cubs The
aging master of the knucker worked only one inning
taking with the AS trailing to O. and yet was the
winning pitcher here, too.
That was the historic fourth game when the Cubs
belabored Jack Quinn and Rube Walberg Thinking the
cause hopeless Mack called Rommel and Ed was on the
spot at precisely the right time The AS tearing into four
Chicago pitchers scored 10 Hurriedy Mack warmed
up Lefty Grove to pitch the last innings which he did
to preserve 1913 victory but Rommels victory in
the record book
With % years of umpirng top of such experiences
you might say that Ed Romme seen Just about every
thing in baseball.