player:George Kelly

George Kelly’s Two Homers Lift Giants as Rain Washes Out New York and Brooklyn

George Kelly slugged two home runs and drove in five runs as the Giants defeated Philadelphia, while rain halted both the Yankees and Robins and Ebbets Field prepared for a massive outdoor boxing card.

Coverage from the NY Daily News - June 2, 1926

In This Edition

George Kelly Hits Two Home Runs and Giants Win, 7–6
Dodgers–Braves Again Halted by Rain
Uncle Robbie Picks Sully to Show Up Morgan
Fixing Up Ebbets Field for Scraps Is Some Job!
Yankees and Senators Again Halted by Rain
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KELLY HITS TWO HOME RUNS AND GIANTS WIN, 7–6

By WILL MURPHY

Philadelphia, June 1.—George Kelly’s amazing versatility was never better shown than in the 7 to 6 victory which the Giants accomplished at the expense of the Phillies this afternoon. With his two homers, big George knocked in five of the New York runs. With his two errors, he opened the gate for four of the Philadelphia tallies. Mr. Kelly, in short, played almost the whole ball game. That is, if anything about the Kelly lad can be short.

Alt Text: George Kelly and pitcher Jimmy Ring in newspaper portrait photos after New York's 7–6 win over the Phillies on June 1, 1926. — George Kelly and Jimmy Ring celebrate the Giants’ 7–6 victory over Philadelphia on June 1, 1926. Kelly blasted two home runs and drove in five runs, while Ring went the distance on the mound.

Jimmy Ring pitched all the way in this, the Giants’ second victory in rapid succession over James’s former teammates. With proper support, James would have held the Fletcherizers to one run.

Like Old Times

Kelly’s adventures began when he had to move over to second base in the second inning, Frankie Frisch having hurt his left ankle in putting Cy Williams out at second on a force play. The Quaker fielder was out in a two-fold sense, for he kicked so hard on the decision that Umpire Wilson told him he was through for the afternoon.

That play brought Bill Terry in as a first baseman, and the Giant team of last year was lined up for the first time this season.

Alt Text: Newspaper portraits of Frankie Frisch and Bill Terry during the Giants' June 1, 1926 victory over Philadelphia. — An injury to Frankie Frisch forced a defensive shuffle, bringing Bill Terry into the lineup as the Giants briefly fielded their familiar 1925 infield alignment.

Both sides had scored in the second and Clarence Mitchell was left-handing along nicely for the Phils. But in the fifth, Freddie Lindstrom doubled and Irish Meusel walked. Followed the first Kelly homer, a lift over the right-center wall. George kicked his first grounder in the Phils’ half, letting in a run just to show that versatility.

Number 2

Mr. Kelly was calm and collected until the seventh. Ross Youngs’ bunt, an infield out on which Mitchell should have had a double play, and Meusel’s scratch single had already fashioned one run when Kelly came to bat. This time the homer dropped in the more remote left seats, and the Giants were apparently well fixed.

Alt Text: Box score and game summary from the New York Giants' 7–6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on June 1, 1926, highlighted by George Kelly's two home runs. — Box score from the Giants’ 7–6 win over the Phillies at Philadelphia on June 1, 1926. George Kelly homered twice, drove in five runs, and Jimmy Ring earned the complete-game victory.

Dodgers - Braves Again Halted by Rain

Uncle Robbie's Brooklyn athletes and the Boston Braves again were forced to remain idle yesterday on account of rain. However, if the weather man is good, the two teams will clash in a doubleheader today. The postponement gives Dazzy Vance another day of rest and it is probable that the big pitcher will start and attempt to finish one of the games today. Jess Petty will fling his left-handed slants against Dave Bancroft's men in the other game.

Uncle Robbie Picks Sully To Show Up Morgan.

Portrait of Brooklyn Robins manager Wilbert Robinson from a 1926 newspaper photograph. — Wilbert Robinson, manager of the Brooklyn Robins, whose colorful personality and strong opinions made him one of baseball’s most quoted figures during the 1926 season.

What ho, the new fight expert! Who? Your stout Uncle Wilbert Robinson. What makes him an expert? Why, the fact that the Jack Fugazy Holy Family bouts are being held at Ebbets Field, where Uncle Robbie’s ball team plays when at home. Of the Steve Kid Sullivan–Tod Morgan bout, Herr Wilbert says the following, and he doesn’t care who prints it:

“Sullivan is a knockout puncher and I’m with the Brooklyn lad, first, and all the time.”

And that, dagnabbit, is that!

FIXING UP EBBETS FIELD FOR SCRAPS IS SOME JOB!

100 Men Start Work Today After Ball Game

By JACK FARRELL

If the sun shines on Ebbets Field today and the Robins play two games with the Braves, as per schedule, Dave Driscoll and Humbert Fugazy, the two hustling promoters who are banking on giving Brooklyn fight fans their first open-air show since 1922, tomorrow night will have to resort to some slight-of-hand methods in order to transform the ball park into a modern open-air fight arena within about twenty-four hours.

Portrait of boxing promoter Humbert Fugazy from a 1926 newspaper feature about staging fights at Ebbets Field. — Fight promoter Humbert Fugazy, one of the key organizers behind the ambitious boxing card scheduled for Ebbets Field, where crews worked around the clock to transform the ballpark into an outdoor arena.

Of course, if the weather man goes on another of his much too frequent sprees and keeps the ball players indoors it will be a great break for David and Hubert, inasmuch as it will give them so many more hours in which to prepare for the big fistic treat.

Messrs. Driscoll and Fugazy will tell you that, while the business of converting a major league ball park into a boxing arena overnight is a Herculean task, it can be accomplished through the simple process of putting a gang of men to work who know their business and set about their task without the usual hubbub of volunteer firemen at a four-alarm blaze.

Newspaper portraits of Dave Driscoll and Frank Bartley, organizers responsible for preparing Ebbets Field for a major outdoor boxing event in 1926. — Promoter Dave Driscoll and ring builder Frank Bartley, whose crews were tasked with converting Ebbets Field from a baseball park into a fully equipped boxing venue in less than a day.

Just as soon as the last game is over, if two games are played, one hundred scene shifters will begin the job of putting 10,000 field chairs in order according to blueprint specifications, about fifty more will erect a boxing ring in the immediate vicinity of second base under the expert supervision of Frank Bartley, and a corps of electricians will bust themselves installing one of the finest lighting systems ever installed in a ball park.

All the seats in the grandstand have been newly numbered. Messrs. Driscoll and Fugazy have instructed Johnny Haines and his corps of 500 ushers to see that every ticket holder gets the same seat that his ticket calls for so there will be no trouble or confusion from that source. The ringside reservations will also be numbered with black-and-white pasters and huge printed signs will mark off the various sections. Ushers will be stationed at every aisle and at every entrance to direct the ticket holders to their seats.

YANKEES AND SENATORS AGAIN HALTED BY RAIN

Teams Will Attempt to Play Two Today

By MARSHALL HUNT

Many thousands who were apprised by hand bills and the public intelligences that there not only would be one baseball game yesterday afternoon in the Yankee Stadium, but TWO, all for a very nominal sum, and therefore neglected their businesses for the single purpose of attending same, received a grand and glorious stinging when they arrived at the doorsteps of the arena to discover a soothing sun illuminating an extensive "NO GAME" placard suspended from the balcony of the massive inclosure.

The facial expression of a faithful customer as he observes a "NO GAME" sign when the sun is shining is worth going miles to see; the pan of the potential customer registers incredulity, shock, dismay, and is attended by protracted murmurings.

Newspaper portraits of Walter Johnson and Sam Jones, the probable starting pitchers for a Yankees-Senators doubleheader in June 1926. — Hall of Famer Walter Johnson and Yankee right-hander Sam Jones were the expected starters as Washington and New York prepared to make up a rain-postponed series with a twin bill at Yankee Stadium.

There were many such pans at about 1:30 o'clock yesterday, you may believe your commissioner.

He would not be so mean as to even imply that Cousin Ed Barrow, business manager of the Yankees, suspended the placard to study expression and psychological reactions, but the suspicion persists that Mr. Barrow got a kick out of it, at that.

He explained that the lushness of the ambient earlier in the day had been inimical to the best interests of the Yankees, the pasturage in the Stadium having attained a high degree of sogginess, and that the New York Yankees and Washington Senators will strive to play two games this afternoon, the first of which will start at 1:30 o'clock.

Walter Johnson for the Senators; Waite Hoyt, Urban Shocker or Sam Jones for the Yankees.

There is a possibility that Joe Dugan will be back in the Yankee lineup in one or perhaps both of today's games. Jumping Joseph has been on the inactive list for more than a week with a split finger. His duties were inherited by Mike Gazella, who carried on in acceptable fashion and whose stick work was commendable. But, truthfully, Master Gazella is not another Mr. Dugan at third base.