## Featured in This Morning’s Edition

- Pirates Vanquish Tailenders 3-2
- Reflections of a Happy Day at Forbes Field
- Champtown Chatter
- The Post — Most News — Keep Post-Ed

Pirates Vanquish Tailenders 3-2 and Ascend to Sixth Position

Swat by Meadows Decides Own Game and Beats Braves

Bespectacled Hurler Holds Tail-Enders to Five Hits and Buccaneers Are Boosted to Sixth Place in National League Pennant Scramble.

HAZEN CUYLER KNOCKS HOMER; BANCROFT BANISHED BY UMPS

By EDWARD F. BALINGER - Pittsburgh Post May 6, 1926

Hazen Cuyler's home run drive, Hal Rhyne's three-bagger and a pair of singles knocked by Stuffy Meadows and Mike Melnis, were four blows which had a whole lot to do with the winning by and world's champions yesterday of their first struggle of the year against an Eastern rival. They defeated the Boston Braves 3 to 2 and Meadows not only pitched a five-hit affair, but likewise decided his own contest with a most timely swat.

Manager Dave Bancroft and his tribesmen lived up to their reputation of fighting hard against the Pirates, but with beautiful fielding to block their attack, they were forced to bite alfalfa.

Their popular pilot became so enthusiastic with a kick over a decision, that he was ordered off the playing field early in the fracas. This penalization offered an opportunity for Edward J. Taylor, a recruit from Albany, to demonstrate that he knows quite a bit about shortstopping.

Jack Smith, formerly of St. Louis, was responsible for the banishment of Banny. The fleet outfielder had been accommodated with a base on balls in the third inning and when he took a daring lead off the bag, Meadows caught him napping. The bespectacled hurler whirled around and found Smith headed for second. Lee induced him to pause and then a quick shot to Melnis enabled the latter to race forward and tag the runner. This retired the side and aroused the ire of the Boston skipper.

WANTED BALK CALLED.

Bancroft insisted that a balk should be called on Meadows, but the umpires all seemed to agree that Specs had violated no pitching rule. Banny took occasion to grumble just once too often to suit Bill McCormick, chief official in the ball game, and the result was an order for the leader of the Braves to vacate the diamond. Sir David remained in view a trifle longer than was thought necessary and a second notice of eviction was served, whereupon he departed for the showers.

Eddie Taylor, who had started the game at third base, was shifted to the short field and James H. Johnston, formerly of Brooklyn, served as substitute at the hot cushion. Johnston handled a couple of chances while Taylor took care of four and most of them were decidedly difficult. All the Braves, in fact, acquitted themselves handsomely in defending their positions, thereby aiding materially in holding the Corsairs to nine safe swats.

Mr. Robert E. Smith, reformed infielder, was on the firing line. His left-handed offerings have proven steady poison for the Pirates on many occasions since this Georgian citizen turned his attention to the slabbing art, but yesterday he encountered an outfit which has just slipped out of a batting slump, and had it not been for perfect fielding behind him, Bobby might have fared worse than he did.

Rhyne launched the champions on their road to victory on his initial visit to the plate. He opened the home half of the first chapter with a solid smash through left center to the fence in the immediate neighborhood of the flagstaff. Hasty handling of the ball limited this wallop to a three-sacker, but Hal completed his journey a moment later when Captain Max Carey cracked a sacrifice fly to Jack Smith.

KIKI'S CIRCUIT SLAM.

The next tally of the afternoon was registered by Cuyler after two Pirates had flied out in the fifth frame. Kiki permitted a strike to be called. Then Bobby attempted to fool the batter with one of those slow ones. To his amazement, Hazen delivered a quick, bruising swing and away went the old artichoke for parts unknown. Eddie Brown, ex-Baron outfielder, sprinted back and looked longingly toward the sky. Then he stopped and watched the sphere sail majestically out of the lot in an easterly direction. It disappeared over the wall about midway between the end of the left foul line and the pennant pole. Kiki sped around the circuit and the score was 2-0 in favor of the Buccos.

The Pirates had bunched two blows in the second inning and three more in the fourth, but all these were wasted. Then came Cuyler's spectacular smack in the fifth with the bases empty. In the sixth, they ripped off another pair with excellent results. Melnis slapped one into center, Earl Smith was at bat when Stuffy suddenly dug for second base, but Earl had no opportunity to aid the batter by hitting, for the pitch was a bad one. Jimmy Taylor took the ball, but the batter had moved as he followed its course, and this prevented a throw from being made. Consequently, Stuffy arrived safely on the keystone station.

The Braves raised a squawk, claiming Earl had interfered and Melnis should have been back to first, but again the protest was not allowed and a stolen base was recorded. Our Banny then swung hard but chopped the pill to the box and was thrown out by Bob. This advanced Stuffy to third and now it was up to Melnis. To the keen delight of the spectators, Lee slammed a single to left and Melnis romped home from second base with what proved to be the winning point. That was the last hit allowed by Robert Smith.

LOOKS LIKE TROUBLE.

The Braves endeavored to become truculent in the eighth and while they started something they were stopped before they could finish the job. Eddie Taylor led off with a free ticket, only to be forced by Jimmy Taylor. Bob Smith was eager to show Meadows that Boston also has a hitting hurler, so he whaled the ball along the left foul mark. Traynor tried to sprint far enough to reach the sphere but it whistled just over the bag and had to be fished out of grass by Barnhart, who halted Taylor at third. The swat was a two-bagger. Carey fumbled Jack Smith's single, both runners scoring on the hit and Jack racing to second on the error. Jim Johnston went to bat. He is regarded as a dangerous slugger and has broken up many a ball game. Meadows stabbed his bounder, threw him out and held Smithy on the Keystone bag. Jimmy Welsh took a sock at the apple, but Rhyne stopped it and heaved him out. The deadlocking tally thus was averted.

Dick Burrus was safe in the ninth when Wright booted his jumper and Bernie Neis, another former Brooklynite, was sent to run for him. Brown thumped a skipper to short. Wright atoned for his error by scooping up the ball and chucking it to Rhyne in time to force the fast-stepping Neis. Hal made a lightning shot to Melnis and two were benched at one stroke. It was the fourth double play of the day and all of them were pulled by the champions. Meadows ended his own game by pegging out Andy High and the home fellows were not required to play their half of the final round.

Champtown Chatter

By EDWARD F. BALINGER - Pittsburgh Post May 6, 1926

FAMILY REUNION

“Hooray for Smith!” the fans all shout;
“Just jot it down forthwith;
“Some day we'll see how Smith went out
“From Smith to Smith to Smith.”

Three members of the illustrious Smith family were represented in yesterday's fracas at Forbes Field. Jack W. Smith, Chicago native occupied the lead-off position in the batting order of the Braves while Robert E. Smith, of Atlanta, pitched for the same team and his name adorned the bottom of the list. Each of them was credited with a hit. Our Earl from Arkansas, worked behind the bat for the world's champs and he was responsible for two smashes. On two other occasions he was tossed out by Robert. Two Taylors likewise appeared in the Boston lineup. James William Taylor whose birthplace is Yulu, Fla., did the catching. He is known on the diamond as Zachary. Edward J. Taylor who started on third base, but was switched to short, hails from Illinois. Both Taylors are right-handed batters as also is Bob Smith, but Jack Smith is a left-handed thrower and like Earl, he swings from the port shoulder.

Wright, Rhyne and Melnis executed four double plays in yesterday's game and all were clicked off with great speed and precision. Two of them were started by Glenn and the others were engineered by Hal. Maurice Lennon Burrus whose nickname is Dick, was one of the victims on two occasions and Zach Taylor also was caught a similar number of times. Just before one of these dual killings was pulled, a fan yelled for a double play, and he saw just what he called for.

Johnny Morrison probably will be sent against the Braves this afternoon. Emil Yde would have been the selection, but the southpaw was kept in the bull-pen so long yesterday that it is doubtful if he will be asked to work so soon. Larry Benton is expected to be Manager Bancroft's choice. This clever right-hander won the last game he twirled and he is reported in prime condition.

Tulsa's delegation of boosters turned out in a body at yesterday's ball game and rooted for the Pirates. The Oklahomans carried their own band which played some catchy music before the contest. Photographers snapped the visitors in numerous poses. One of these pictures included the world's champions and another took in the Braves. Those Pirates who formerly played in the Western league, were given the glad hand by these guests from Tulsa.

Meadows gave two bases on balls in the third, yet just three batters faced him in that inning. He walked Jim Taylor, but Bob Smith immediately smote into a two-ply killing. Jack Smith then drew a pass only to be caught napping by the alert Pirate pitcher. High started the fifth with a single, but he was forced by Eddie Taylor, after which Jimmy Taylor hit into a double play. Burrus landed on an error in the ninth, but another get-two stunt and an infield out once more retired the side with nobody left on the runways. The Braves did not get on the paths in the first and sixth, making five innings in which but three batsmen faced Specs.

Hazen Cuyler's home run wallop yesterday chased his consecutive slugging up to 12 games in which he has not failed to negotiate at least one safe drive. It was his first round-tripper of the year.

Stuffy Melnis looked after 16 chances at first base and Hal Rhyne played a whale of a game at second, where he handled 10 assists and three putouts. The young Californian is performing in sensational fashion as a fielder and he is batting consistently. Glenn Wright, as usual, did his share at short and while he slipped up on one grounder, he more than made up for this harmless error by his brilliant plays.

Cuyler was cheered by a crowd of about 5,000 when he plastered that four-sacker out of the yard yesterday for the fifth Pirate homer of the season. Six circuit swats have been seen on Forbes Field, getting two in one game. Traynor making one, Hornsby of the Cards knocking one and Hafey of the same club producing another. Blades delivered one in St. Louis. Two others were socked off Pittsburgh pitchers, Bottomley performing the feat during the series at St. Louis and Grimm turning the trick at Chicago.

The Post — Most News — Keep Post-Ed

THE BRAVES LOOK BETTER

The Braves look better than they did last year and they likely will be a threat to any team in the league. The acquisition of Jimmie Johnston, Eddie Brown and Zack Taylor in exchange for Felix, O'Neil and Jess Barnes seems to have added a lot of zip to their work. They hustled about their jobs yesterday and Bancroft apparently has instilled in them a portion of his fighting spirit. Burrus is as sweet a hitting first baseman as any team would want, and he shows a great improvement in his fielding. The Braves potentially are a near .300 hit club and they will make a lot of trouble for the opponent.

BANCROFT WAS CHASED

at the close of the third inning when he got into a stew with the umps. Jack Smith was on first base by virtue of a walk and Beauty was in the batters' box. The Jack Rabbit took a healthy lead off the bag and Meadows caught him napping. As the Brave outfielder seesawed back and forth trying to draw a throw from McInnis to Rhyne, Banny bawled out Umpire McCormick for not calling a balk on Lee. Charley Rigler detected a naughty word on the bench and he chased Davey to the showers. Dick Rudolph was acting manager the remainder of the game.

BERNIE NEIS CAN RUN

but he was up against a deadlocking combination in the ninth inning when he tried to make second on Brown's roller to Wright. Glenn picked up the bounder on the run, tossed over to Rhyne and Hal shot the ball to McInnis for a double play. Incidentally the Pirates rang up four twin play killings during the afternoon and missed a fifth by a fraction of a second. The new combination around second is showing up better every day. Rhyne seems to fit in perfectly with Wright's system and they work together nicely. Hal is still new to the second base job, but he shows an adeptness at going to either side without gumming up the works.

GAUTREAU IS PAINFULLY SPIKED

and may not get into the series with the Pirates. The diminutive second baseman of Braves was not in uniform yesterday and he watched the game from a seat in the stand behind the visitors' dugout. The former Holy Cross boy was cut down by Jacques Fournier Tuesday when the burly Robin crashed into him to avoid being tagged out. Gautreau's ankle was lacerated by Fournier's spikes and when the wound did not respond to treatment Tuesday night and yesterday morning, Bancroft ordered him to take a rest. Andy High worked in Gautreau's place and gave a good account of himself.

PICKLE FANS

roared their disgust when Cuyler took a healthy swing at the first ball in the fifth inning and missed a wide outcurve by three or four city blocks. But when Ki cocked his bat and sent the next pitch sailing over the left field wall, four panels from the scoreboard, the same fans were in the front line of the reception committee as Kiki paid off at the home plate. Cuyler ditched his red bat yesterday and went back to his world series clubs.

McINNIS' STEAL OF SECOND

in the sixth inning was made sure by Earl Smith's smart work at the bat. The hit and run play was on and as Stuffy dashed for second, Bob Smith uncorked an inside ball. Oil fell back a step, then fell forward directly in front of Taylor. The Braves' catcher was unable to make a throw and he set up a loud yell. McCormick ruled that Earl was within his rights in getting out of the road of the ball even if he had to do a double fall to accomplish it. The Pirate catcher danced around laughing at Taylor, then laced a grasser to Bob Smith on which he was thrown out as Stuffy lumbered to third. A moment later McInnis scored on Meadows' bingle through the box.

The laundryman staked the Pirates to a clean set of uniforms yesterday.

Pie Traynor broke his in ankle by sliding headlong after a grounder.

Carey isn't right as yet. His fumble was due to overanxiousness.

McInnis saved Wright a couple of errors with wild throws by grabbing on the run and picking up short throws.

Eddie Brown looks like a hitter in middle field despite his mediocre whip.

Bancroft will do the Braves good whether the Braves look different if he were out?

Rhyne was a bear for yesterday, fielding 13 chances faultlessly. And he hit .333.

Tex Moore could look nice in left field until Barnhart gets out of his slump.

Scrutlin' Pete McLaughlin didn't have a chance to call a play. Too bad.

Earl Smith says the only reason a ball hunts him is a sense of humor. It became 17's a gift.

Cooney may get in against the Bucs today. Remember, boys, he's a southpaw.

Let's keep it up.