St. Louis Clubs Split: Browns Top Tigers, While Cubs Edge Cardinals

St. Louis Clubs Split: Browns Top Tigers, While Cubs Edge Cardinals

Globe-Democrat Local Reports — April 30, 1926

Bennett’s Clubbing Brings Victory for Browns Over Tigers, 3 to 2

Herschel Scores First Run and Drives in the Other Two with Single

Outfielder Also Shines in Field by Throwing Out Runner at Plate—Switched Lineup for Sislerites Proves Effective.

By MARTIN J. HALEY

The rearranged Browns did not win solely on their own merits yesterday, but they won and that suffices. The scheme of play doesn’t matter. They checked their losing streak of three straight games. They won a close ball game, 3 to 2, from Detroit. They did so by uncovering a hitherto latent asset. They took advantage of the enemy’s blunders to fashion the one-run margin of conquest.

Credit the fifth victory of the season to the changed lineup in general and to Herschel Bennett in particular. It was Bennett’s day. He represented one of more than a half dozen shifts in Sisler’s ball club. He was sent to right field in place of the slumping Harry Rice. He was given the lead-off position. He was the outstanding star of the day.

Bennett Shines at Bat

The three runs scored by the Browns are traced to the effort of Bennett. In the third inning he singled cleanly to right field and scored on George Sisler’s triple against the right pavilion wall. Up again in the fourth inning with two out, Bennett cracked another clean single to right field and drove home Wally Schang and Charlie Gerber, who were perched on third and second.

That was the ball game, and Bennett’s effort was not a smash striking even though Manager Cobb placed those runners in position to score by making a two-base muff of Gerber’s fly ball after Schang had pitched safely.

Had Cobb handled the ball, the Browns would have been retired without a run in that inning. Cobb missed. It isn’t often that he misses and that’s why Bennett deserves all credit possible. He had the ability to take advantage of a rare break. But Bennett did not quit for the afternoon on the strength of that wallop. Not a bit of it.

There came a trying moment in the eighth inning. The Browns were at that stage one run ahead. Detroit had a man on second base, with two gone. Whipple, a dangerous batter, was about to swing for Gehringer. He swung and his effort resulted in a line single to right field. At the crack of the ash against leather Mullen, the man on second, came on home. Simultaneously Bennett came tearing in for the ball to take it on the first hop. He got it that way, then uncovered his arm right-hand throw. The ball came in the air; it had gone out on a line and on the hop. It shot in straight and true to Catcher Schang, and Mullen was out. He couldn’t be anything else, for he slid right into Schang’s waiting gauntlet.

Checked in that series, the Tigers were through. They had another inning to go, but Zachary was at his best in that final frame. No further danger disturbed his third victory of the season, amidst new surroundings.

Browns’ Lineup Switched

No new star was unearthed yesterday that the fourth inning play didn’t reveal. The Browns’ infield was changed. Frankie Meilillo was at third base, Mullen on second and Gerber back at short, Lamotte being benched for the time. Jacobson was back in center field against the southpaw pitching of Whitehill, and Williams was dropped from fourth place to sixth. McManus was up in fourth from fifth and Jacobson up in fifth from his old sixth position.

Meilillo, in addition to showing place with McManus on the infield, also traded places in the batting order with the shortstop. The littler Italian was advanced from eighth place to second. Gerber being inserted in the ninth berth position.

No half-way measures with Sisler on those shifts. George decided the time ripe for a wholesale rearrangement of the club and the result was one of four to the Indians and eleven out of their first fifteen games of the season. That isn’t all. With the more transfers when right hander works for the opposition, as in this event, Sisler plus sending Durst’s left-hand punch to center, Bennett’s work makes an additional change for the radical changes yesterday, but there was additional fruit harvested in their two roles.

The Browns played their first errorless baseball since they returned home. In the eight games prior to yesterday, the Browns misused twenty-six times, so their spotless defense of yesterday was quite a pleasant contrast.

The fielding, brilliant in spots, meant an eight always checked Tiger advance in a number of times in the first. McManus, although new at third base, turned a lightning double play which erased passes to Mullen. Meilillo, on the pivot of that twin killing at second, worked like lightning.

Defense Halts Cobbmen

The fourth inning saw the Browns again halt the Tigers with a crack defense. With Cobb on second, Heilmann on first and the count 3 to 2 on Gehringer, Zachary slipped over a third strike on the batter and Schang whipped the ball to McManus, who tagged Cobb trying to steal third base. Cobb “beefed” to Umpire Hildebrand. Then, in Cobb’s characteristic way, he tried calling Gehringer out on strikes, but to no avail.

Came the fifth inning. Tavener and Whitehill had singled. There was one gone. Neun smashed a grounder far to Meilillo’s left. Now Meilillo has not forgotten the tricks he learned while setting up a second-base fielding record in the American Association last season, so Neun’s smash was converted into a glove-hand stop. Not only that, but although Meilillo had to make a complete turn and a lightning throw from a bad angle, he did both and forced Whitehill at second base. Tavener scored on the play, but that mattered not. Meilillo had starred, nevertheless.

Detroit’s other run was the direct result of Ty Cobb’s bat. Ty still can hit them. Yesterday he crashed the leather off the pavilion roof into Grand Boulevard. This brings to mind Cobb’s opening here last season, when he poled five home runs in two days, getting three in one game and two in the next.

Shortly after the 1926 training season opened, Cobb underwent an eye operation in Baltimore. He missed his club’s inaugural games of the season, but he’s back now and still can sock them.

Box Score

St. Louis Browns

• Bennett, rf — 4 AB, 1 R, 3 H
• Meilillo, 2b — 4 AB, 0 R, 2 H
• Sisler, 1b — 4 AB, 0 R, 3 H
• McManus, 3b — 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H
• Jacobson, cf — 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H
• Williams, lf — 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H
• Schang, c — 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H
• Gerber, ss — 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H
• Zachary, p — 3 AB, 0 R, 0 H

Detroit Tigers

• Neun, 1b — 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H
• Mullen, 3b — 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H
• Fothergill, rf — 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H
• Cobb, cf — 3 AB, 1 R, 2 H
• Heilmann, lf — 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H
• Gehringer, 2b — 3 AB, 0 R, 0 H
• Burke, 2b — 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H
• Tavener, ss — 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H
• Manion, c — 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H
• Whitehill, p — 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H

Score by Innings
Detroit — 000 100 100 — 2
St. Louis — 001 200 00x — 3

Notes: Two-base hit—Jacobson. Three-base hit—Sisler. Home run—Cobb. Double plays—McManus to Meilillo to Sisler; Schang to McManus. Time of game—1:51. Umpires—Hildebrand and Rowland.

Game Sidelights

Will not attempt to pick today’s hurlers. It would be a mere guess.

Those two double plays yesterday give the Browns eighteen in nine games.

Neun, ex-St. Paul star, is at first for Detroit because Lu Blue has a touch of the “flu.” Blue was a grandstand spectator yesterday.

Second Baseman O’Rourke of the Tigers is in Detroit. He has the measles.

At second base yesterday, Meilillo had eight chances, four assists and four putouts, all handled cleanly.

McManus had five chances, three of them assists, at third base.

Gerber, back at short, had rather an idle fielding day, but he hit the fly ball that Cobb missed and he also got a single. The run Wally scored was the winning one.

Whitehill is a left-hand pitcher and Bennett a left-hand batter, but the Springfield Mo. boy singled twice and bunted safely once.

Sisler’s triple was a hot shot against the pavilion wall. A few more inches and it would have been a homer. George also singled.

Meilillo, McManus and Zachary were the only hitless Brownies, but they contributed their share on defense.

Mullen, at third for Cobb, is a St. Louis boy and a former Brownie. Southpaw Johnson of the Tigers also is a St. Louisan.

Errors by Mails and Thevenow Permit Cubs to Beat Cardinals, 6–5

Shortstop Boots Over a Run in 7th and Duster Throws in One in 8th

Knot Holers Also Benefit Two Runs’ Worth When Sparky Adams Bobbles in 7th—Bottomley, Munson and Wilson Hit Homers.

Special Dispatch to the Globe-Democrat
CHICAGO, Ill., April 29.— Sparky Adams’ reputation as a steady, upstanding North Side citizen was almost ruined today. For no apparent reason he bobbled at a critical moment and presented the hard-hitting Cardinals with two runs that looked big enough to swing a victory. The Cards, however, working on the theory that it is more righteous to give than to receive, handed the tallies right back and the Cubs accepted them gratefully, thereby copping the series opener by 6 to 5.

This streak of generosity developed late in the game after some fine, healthy hitting. Sparky made his formal presentation in the seventh and put the hostiles ahead by 5 to 4. The lead was short lived because a boot by Walter Thevenow in the home half returned one of the runs, and in the eighth the illustrious Duster Mails, whose advertisement slogan is “The great Walter Mails,” let loose an error that helped the winning run across. The great Walter wasn’t in there long, but it was long enough for him to be charged with the trimming.

Adams’ misstep made a close battle out of what otherwise would have been more or less of a romp for Charlie Root, the ex-coast leaguer. With his customary speed ball, Root kept the Cards in check practically all the time. The first two runs scored on him were the result of somewhat lucky doubles, but the third was legitimate, because Jim Bottomley shoved the ball into the right-field seats. The rookie right-hander got his revenge for the fluke hits, however, by retiring eight batters.

Cubs Open Early

The Cubs themselves were guilty of some powerful hitting in the first half of the battle. Among other items were homers into right and left by Jimmie Munson and Hack Wilson. These two smashes accounted for three runs and, incidentally, made it a tough day for Sylvester Johnson, the former Tiger hurler. Sylvester served good-by for Hack’s four-bagger in the fifth, and three other sluggers had a chance to show themselves before the party was concluded.

McCarthy’s men made their first impression on the scoreboard in the first inning, when Munson drove his homer into the right-field four-bitters. The Cards evened it with a run in the second on a pass to Bob O’Farrell, his steal and a pop double behind first base by Thevenow. This merely stirred the Cubs up again and they resumed their one-run advantage in the home half on a two-bagger by Gonzales, followed by Adams’ single to left.

Blades and Mueller Star

With the aid of a high wind, Hank Blades hit a two-bagger in the fifth and scored on a clean double by Mule Mueller. Evidently the deadlock irked Wilson, because he stepped up in the home half, after Heathcote had walked, and sent the ball singing on a line into the left center field seats. Then the two-run lead was shaved down a bit because of Bottomley’s homer to right in the sixth.

Things were going along splendidly for Root in the seventh until Blades slashed a single to center. Mueller followed with an easy bounder to Adams and it should have been the third out, but Sparky fumbled. Hornsby hadn’t made a hit all afternoon, so was overdue. He proved it by cracking the right-field screen for two bases, Blades and Mueller scoring. That put the Cards out in front.

How It Was Lost

The Cub seventh opened with Thevenow obliging the home folks by booting Adams’ roller. Mails was southpawing in this inning, so Scott batted for Heathcote and sacrificed. Brooks, batting for Munson, fanned. Wilson made good in the pinch by lifting a single to center and putting Adams over the plate.

Cooney started the eighth with a single. Gonzales bunted and Mails threw to nobody at second, but the ball went wild. Mails was promptly yanked in favor of Haines. Root tried to sacrifice, but forced Cooney at third. Then Adams redeemed himself for his error by poking a hit to center and scoring Gonzales with the winning tally.

Box Score

St. Louis Cardinals

• Blades, lf — 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H
• Mueller, cf — 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H
• Hornsby, 2b — 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H
• Bottomley, 1b — 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H
• Hafey, rf — 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H
• L. Bell, 3b — 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H
• O’Farrell, c — 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H
• Thevenow, ss — 3 AB, 0 R, 1 H
• Johnson, p — 2 AB, 0 R, 0 H
• Mails, p — 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H
• Haines, p — 0 AB

Chicago Cubs

• Adams, 2b — 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H
• Heathcote, lf — 2 AB, 0 R, 0 H
• Scott, lf — 0 AB
• Munson, rf — 3 AB, 1 R, 1 H
• Brooks, rf — 1 AB, 0 R, 0 H
• Wilson, cf — 4 AB, 1 R, 2 H
• Grigsby, 3b — 3 AB, 0 R, 2 H
• Grimm, 1b — 4 AB, 0 R, 0 H
• Cooney, ss — 4 AB, 1 R, 1 H
• Gonzales, c — 3 AB, 2 R, 1 H
• Root, p — 3 AB, 0 R, 0 H

Score by Innings
St. Louis — 010 011 000 — 5
Chicago — 110 002 11x — 6

Notes: Two-base hits—Thevenow, Gonzales, Blades, Mueller, Hornsby. Home runs—Munson, Wilson, Bottomley. Stolen base—Mueller. Double plays—L. Bell to Bottomley; Thevenow to Hornsby to Bottomley. Left on base—St. Louis 6, Chicago 9. Time of game—2:05. Umpires—Moran and Sweeney.

Notes of the Game

Allan Sothoron, survivor of the vanishing race of spitball hurlers, probably will try his luck against the Cubs tomorrow. Percy Lee Jones, who beat the Pirates Sunday, is due for the Cubs.

Manager Hornsby turned loose three pinch hitters and none produced. Cooper batted for Heathcote in the seventh. Flower batted for Thevenow and Holm for Haines. Root fanned both.

The Cubs have signed an Eastern semipro named Fred Partridge. He’s an infielder and scouts say he’s a bird. Instead of being brought here he will be farmed to a minor league team in the East.

The chances for bum decisions were cut down by one-third. Only Umps Moran and Sweeney performed, Quigley having disappeared during the night.

A high wind blew straight from the west and aided Munson’s and Bottomley’s homers considerably. However, Wilson’s four-base blow to left center was of the kind that didn’t require assistance.

Blades had a funny record. He fanned the first time up and then hit safely four times in a row. He died on base in the third, when Hornsby struck out and Bottomley flied to Heathcote. He scored in the fifth and seventh. He was on again in the ninth after two were gone, and the game ended with Adams throwing out Mueller.

Root didn’t bother much with the resin bag. A little dirt on the hands three or four times gave him all the grip he wanted.

Root has quite a proud record for a rookie. He has beaten the Reds twice and the Cards once, and hasn’t a defeat charged against him.