Cardinals Storm Back as Hornsby Sparks Triple Play and Reds Collapse

Content Featured from the Thursday May 27, 1926 St. Louis Globe-Democrat

In This Edition

• Rogers Hornsby Leads Triple Play as Cardinals Rally Past Reds, 8–5
  • Task Appeared Hopeless
  • Up Steps Mueller
  • Birds Execute Triple Play
• Cards Play 2 Games in Cincinnati Today
• Browns and Cleveland Here Today
• Ernie Nevers Back with Browns; Wife Put Foot Down on Tulsa
• St. Louis Stars Beat Cuban Stars, 5 to 4, in Ten Innings
• Big League Figures
  • Yesterday’s Results
  • Standing of the Clubs
  • Today’s Schedule
• Around the League
  • Jack Quinn Bests Joe Bush, Macks Winning, 3–1
  • Tigers Rally to Win From Indians, 7 to 6
  • Giants Win Again From Robins, 5–3
  • Phils Take Slugfest From Braves, 13–7
  • Yanks Run String Up to Sixteen
• Advertisements

Rogers Hornsby Leads Triple Play as Cardinals Rally Past Reds, 8–5

Knot Holers, Who Are Now in Fourth Place, Execute Triple Play in Second Inning, Hornsby to Thevenow to Bottomley.

By MARTIN J. HALEY.

A ball club that's winning can do just what the Cardinals did yesterday and get away with it. A handicap means nothing to a team in the ascendency. Yesterday, the Cards opened their final game at home by doing everything wrong. They couldn't do anything right. Then, at the close of the contest, the tables were reversed. Old Lady Luck had changed sides. She likes a winner just like any and everybody else, and the Cardinals of the eighth inning couldn't do anything wrong, so Cincinnati's league leaders were whipped for the third straight time and the Cardinals were hoisted to fourth place. The bad news for Porkville's fans was 8 to 5.

To clinch the game, the Cardinals had to overcome tremendous odds, but they proved that they are repeaters by duplicating their feat of Monday. On that day, the Cards beat the Reds after the Reds had assumed a 6 to 0 lead for five innings. Yesterday, at the conclusion of their seventh inning, the Rhinelanders were riding serenely on a 5 to 0 margin in back of a little red headed pitcher named Red Lucas, who had permitted but four hits for six innings.

Task Appeared Hopeless.

Certainly, the task appeared a hopeless one to the 5200 onlookers, but they saw a ray of hope when Bob O'Farrell hit with the wind and planted a homer in the pavilion in the seventh. That punch proved that Lucas was not invincible, and the Cards made the proof positive in the eighth, when they scored seven runs, not only by hammering Lucas into the club house but by continuing their success against Jake May.

'Twas strange, indeed, how those breaks turned so abruptly from one extreme to the other. After donating three runs to the Reds in the first by playing four ground balls poorly and by muffing a pop fly, and after having their hardest hit balls snared by Cincy meadow men for the greater part of the afternoon, the Cardinals suddenly found themselves in "right" with the fates in round eight.

The inning opened with Hornsby hitting what seemed a harmless ground ball to Shortstop Babe Pinelli. Fifty to one that Rog would be thrown out at first, but wait a minute; Pinelli juggled. No, the Babe had the ball again and was lifting his arm to throw, but the ball slipped in his fingers. He had to take another grip and then had to hurry his throw, which was low. Hornsby was safe.

Jim Bottomley up. There was a groan from the galleries. "You're a bum," somebody yelled; must have been aiming at Bottomley, 'cause Jim had just lifted a lazy fly to right center. Another easy out, so it seemed, until you looked for Edd Roush and Curt Walker. They were back near the walls and all their great speed couldn't bring them to shallow right center in time to prevent that same fan from changing his chant to "atta boy, Jim, nice hit." It wasn't a nice hit, but it looks as good as the best now and it moved Hornsby to second.

Up Steps Mueller.

Up at the plate now is Heinie Mueller. There are those who say that Heinie doesn't overwork his thinking apparatus, but they see the Flying Dutchman only at the surface. Heinie, up there at the plate, took a squint at the flag at the top of the staff in deep center. The Stars and Stripes were stretched straight in a gale blowing across the field to the boulevard. Came the first ball from Lucas, Heinie hit under it with determination. Heinie wanted that ball up in the air to ride the breezes, and that's where Heinie hit the ball, which kept soaring and soaring and blowing and blowing until it had spent its last wind-blown energy and fell into the pavilion.

That was the real turning point of the struggle. The Reds now had the inferiority complex. The Cards were only one run behind, Mueller's homer having changed the count from 5 to 1 to 5 to 4. The Reds were through. It was only a matter of time and the Cards promptly stepped out to clinch.

Lester Bell followed Mueller's homer with a single and Lucas gave way to May. The idea now was to work for one run, The Cards had to tie before they could win, so O'Farrell immolated Bell to second. In another moment Bell came racing in with the five-all marker, for Tommy Thevenow had singled to center. Now to get Thevenow around. Eddie Dyer laid down a bunt to May and beat it out. May not only had trouble fielding the ball, but threw past Wally Pipp, Thevenow reaching third.

It was up to Ray Blades. Bango! A clean single to center, Thevenow scoring. Then Taylor Douthit bounced to Hughie Critz and the ball took a hop over Hughie's head for a single, Dyer scoring, Blades reaching third. The final run went across on a double steal, Blades scoring after Douthit had drawn a throw to second on his clean steal of the midway.

Birds Execute Triple Play.

What a shout from the galleries now, more deafening, of course, than those shouts in the second inning, when the Cardinals stopped an incipient rally by executing a triple play. Nothing different, a three-ply killing, Hornsby to Thevenow to Bottomley.

The play came about after Flint Rhem had walked the first two batters in the second—Lucas and Leo Dressen. At this point Walker hit a screeching liner towards right, but the ball never got past the infield. Hornsby leaped high and pulled it in with his glove, then doubled Lucas off second by throwing to Thevenow, who rifled to Bottomley before Dressen had a chance to retrace safely to first base.

Great work! How different from the Cardinals' amateur efforts of the first inning. Rhem opened this inning by passing Dressen. Walker bounced to Bottomley, who appeared to tag the batter on the first-base line. Rigler said he didn't. Rigler was umpiring, so the Reds had two base runners. Roush then hit into a double play, Dressen going to third. Rube Bressler bounced to the right of the mound. Thevenow was coming in to eat the play up, but Rhem deflected the ball with his bare hand, Dressen scoring and Bressler getting a hit.

The inning continued. Pipp grounded to Bottomley and Jim booted. Then Critz beat out a slow roller to Thevenow, filling the bases. Bubbles Hargrave popped up a few feet in back of third. The end of that spasm, sure. But no; Thevenow crashed into Bell and the latter dropped the puny popup. What could be more worth cussing about, especially seein' as how both Bressler and Pipp scored on the play? Three runs, and not a ball past the infield.

That was tough on Rhem, who was out trying to win his eighth game in nine starts. It looked worse for Flint in the fifth, when Dressen's double and Bressler's single resulted in another run, and in the seventh, when Roush singled behind Dressen's pop fly two-bagger to score Cincy's fifth run, but Flint's black cloud had a silver lining. It was the game's inconsistency.

Rhem didn't get credit for the victory, as Dyer was in there at the time of the storm, but Rhem's four straight victory record and his seven out of eight record still stand unmarred.

The Cardinals are in Cincinnati today for a double-header.

Cards Play 2 Games in Cincinnati Today

The Cardinals departed for Cincinnati last night and play two games there today, in order to make up for the Cardinal game rained out in Porkville back in April. Jesse Haines and Bill Sherdel are Rogers Hornsby's likely starters.

In addition to the twin bill at Cincy this afternoon, the Cards play in the Queen City tomorrow and again Saturday. Then they travel to Chicago for five games, including the Memorial Day battles next Monday. Quitting Chicago, the Cards go to Philadelphia for four games, to New York for four, to Brooklyn for three, to Boston for four, back to Brooklyn for a Sabbath game and then back home.

In their twenty-two games at home during the month of May, the Cardinals won thirteen and lost nine. They have won their last three, six of their last seven and nine of their last eleven.

The Knot Holers now are only four games out of first place, three behind second and a half game to the rear of third money. They are in the first division for the first time in a month. They have advanced from seventh place in a little over two weeks, as on the morning of May 10 they were seventh, only a game out of last place. Today, they are eight and a half games out of the cellar.

The present spurt started against New York, May 10, after the Cards had lost five out of seven to Cincy and Brooklyn. The Cincinnati Reds opened the home stay by taking two out of three. The Brooklyn Robins annexed three out of four. The Cards then split even with the New York Giants, won three out of three from Boston, three out of five from the Phils and three straight from the Reds.

Yesterday's triple play recalls the unassisted triple play pulled by Glenn Wright of the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Cards on May 7, 1925.

BROWNS AND CLEVELAND HERE TODAY

Phil Ball Entry Is 20 Games Under .500 Mark and as Far in Back of Leading Yankees.

The Browns returned to the city yesterday and got a breathing spell before opening their long home stand today. They will be here for twenty-four games and meet every club in the league. Their first series will be against Cleveland Indians. Next come the Detroit Tigers for three games, including Monday's Decoration Day contests. Chicago White Sox follow Detroit for two games.

Philadelphia Athletics, first of the Eastern A. L. clubs to show here this season, comes in for three games, starting June 5. The Boston Red Sox follow for four, after which the New York Yankees are here for four and the Washington Senators for four more.

There isn't much enthusiasm in this yarn for the simple reason that the Browns are in last place, twenty and a half games distant from first place and twenty games below the .500 level. The Browns are so far down in the running that they are eleven games behind the White Sox who are in sixth place.

The Browns got this way by losing sixteen of the nineteen games played on the trip which ended in Cleveland Tuesday. Opening that ill-fated journey, the Browns lost two out of three in Cleveland. Then they dropped four in Philadelphia, three out of four in Washington, the lone game played in Boston, four in New York, the lone game played at Detroit and one out of the last two at Cleveland.

This shows that only one game was won from the four Eastern clubs. Leaving Cleveland, May 5, the Browns won only one game in the next eighteen days. On the two road trips so far this season, the Browns have won only four games in twenty-six played.

Ernie Nevers Back with Browns; Wife Put Foot Down on Tulsa

Ernie Nevers is a full-fledged member of the Browns again. He rejoined them yesterday upon their return from their cataclysmic road trip. It will be recalled that Nevers refused to accompany the Browns on that trip when the Browns refused to permit him to take along Mrs. Nevers. The Browns, you know, have a rule which prohibits players' wives from making the baseball trips during the regular season.

The fact that Nevers is back in active harness again brings to light that the gilt-edged contract Ernie signed last winter contains a clause which makes it impossible for the Browns to send him to a minor league this season unless he agrees to the deal. Business Manager Bill Friel of the Browns yesterday admitted that Nevers' contract contained such a clause.

Friel had endeavored to send Nevers to Tulsa Oilers of the Western League a couple of weeks ago, and, according to Friel, Nevers was willing to go, but the transfer fell through when Mrs. Nevers said no.

Nevers was signed by the Browns early this year and was married a week or two before he joined the club in training at Tarpon Springs, Fla. It is said that his contract cost the Browns approximately $8500 in bonus and salary, which parallels the contract signed by the Browns' young left-hander, Chester Falk, a year ago last winter.

St. Louis Stars Beat Cuban Stars, 5 to 4, in Ten Innings

The St. Louis Stars defeated the Cuban Stars, 5 to 4, in ten innings in a National Negro League game at Star's Park yesterday. The victory gave the local team four games out of five. Successive singles by Mule Suttles, Redus and Wells, after two men were out in the tenth brought the victory. Dink Mothell Creacy batted out two home runs and Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe Hensley also hit for the circuit. Arrango connected for a homer for the Cubans. Cool Papa Bell contributed the fielding feature when he raced to deep center for Arrango's drive in the eighth inning.

Score:

ST. L. STARS.

Totals — 39 5 15 30 11 0

*Batted for Hensley in ninth inning.

CUBAN STARS.

Totals — 39 4 12 29 15 0

*Two out when winning run scored.

Two-base hits—Wells, Alfonso, Lopez.
Three-base hits—Arrango, Pedrosa, Williams.
Home runs—Creacy (2), Hensley, Arrango.
Sacrifice hits—J. Russell, Williams, Sierra.
Stolen bases—Sierra, Alfonso, Bell (2), J. Russell, Suttles.
Double plays—Pedrosa to Correa; Lopez to Correa to Alfonso to Sierra to Pedrosa; Wells to J. Russell to Williams.
Base on balls—Off Hensley, 2; off Gomez, 3.
Struck out—By Hensley, 4; by Gomez, 4; by Brown, 1.
Pitching record—Off Hensley, 12 hits, 4 runs in 9 innings.
Left on bases—Cuban Stars, 7; St. Louis Stars, 10.
Time of game—2:07:00.
Umpires—Gholston and Donaldson.

Big League Figures

Yesterday’s Results

National League

• St. Louis 8, Cincinnati 5
• New York 5, Brooklyn 3
• Philadelphia 13, Boston 7
• Pittsburgh at Chicago, rain

American League

• Philadelphia 3, Washington 1
• Detroit 7, Cleveland 6
• New York 9, Boston 8
• Open date for St. Louis and Chicago

Standing of the Clubs

National League

American League

Today’s Schedule

American League

• Cleveland at St. Louis
• Detroit at Chicago
• Philadelphia at Washington
• New York and Boston, open date

National League

• St. Louis at Cincinnati
• Chicago at Pittsburgh
• New York at Boston
• Brooklyn at Philadelphia

Around the League

Red Sox Get Outfielder

By Associated Press.

WICHITA FALLS, TEX., May 26.—Howard Fitzgerald, star outfielder of the Wichita Falls club of the Texas League, has been traded to the Boston Red Sox for Joe Kiefer, right-handed pitcher; Ross, a left-hander, and Jenkins, an outfielder. Fitzgerald will leave immediately for Washington, where he will join the Red Sox.

Jack Quinn Bests Joe Bush, Macks Winning, 3–1

Senators Fill Bases After Scoring Once in Eighth, but Double Play Ends Rally—Al Simmons Pounds Ball.

By Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, May 26.—(American)—Jack Quinn had the better of Joe Bush in a pitching duel today and Philadelphia Athletics made it three out of four over Washington, winning 3 to 1. Simmons of the Athletics bagged three hits in five times at bat and knocked in two of his team's runs.

After scoring one run in the eighth the Senators filled the bases, but a double play ended the rally.

Tigers Rally to Win From Indians, 7 to 6

Detroit Sluggers Pound Karr to Overcome Four-Run Lead Held by Cleveland.

By Associated Press.

CLEVELAND, OHIO, May 26.—(American)—After enjoying a lead of four runs, Pitcher Ray Karr weakened and allowed Detroit Tigers to tie the score, the Tigers then proceeding to win, 7 to 6, from George Levsen, his successor.

Cleveland could do but little with Earl Whitehill after the third inning until the eighth, when he was replaced by Hooks Dauss with the bases full and one out. Dauss pitched one ball and a double play resulted.

Catcher Bassler of Detroit injured his ankle in sliding to a base and had to be assisted off the field.

Giants Win Again From Robins, 5–3

Home Run by Florence, Rookie Catcher, Decides Contest—Brooklyn Fails in Pinch.

By Associated Press.

NEW YORK, May 26.—(National)—A home run in the sixth by the Giants' rookie catcher, Paul Florence, carried the New York Giants to its third straight victory over the Brooklyn Robins today, 5 to 3. One runner was aboard when Florence delivered the circuit smash. Brooklyn filled the bases without being able to score in the ninth.

Phils Take Slugfest From Braves, 13–7

Quakers Pound 4 Pitchers for Total of Eighteen Hits.

By Associated Press.

PHILADELPHIA, PA., May 26.—(National)—The Philadelphia Phillies took a one-game series from the Boston Braves today by a score of 13 to 7. The locals pounded four Braves' pitchers for a total of eighteen hits, Jimmy Wilson leading the attack with five hits in five times at bat, including a double and homer.

Yanks Run String Up to Sixteen

New Yorkers Hit Five Red Sox Pitchers for 9-8 Victory—Gazella's Single Drives in Winning Run.

By Associated Press.

BOSTON, MASS., May 27.—(American)—Stopping a late rally by the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees hammered five Boston pitchers for their sixteenth consecutive victory today, 9 to 8. Mike Gazella's single in the seventh drove Babe Ruth in with what proved the winning run.

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