World Series

The world championship won by the New York Giants from the Washington Senators last week was their first since 1922 when they beat the New York Yankees. Attendance was smallest in 15 years. From a total gate of $679,000 the players on both teams got $284,000, divided 60-40 between winners and losers. Each Giant player collected about $4,600, each Senator about $3.400. Manager William ("Memphis Bill") Terry got a five-year contract as player-manager at a rumored salary of $40,000 a year.

First Game. Betting odds for the series were 10-to-7 against the Giants, but odds for the opening game shifted to 4-to-3 pro-Giant when the bookies learned that lanky Carl Hubbell would pitch. Hubbell's tricky "screwball" was considered the Giants' prime defense against the American League's hard-hitting Senators. It began to work right at the start when Hubbell struck out the first three men on the Washington list--a feat for which sport writers could find no world series precedent. The Senators' long-jawed Manager Joe Cronin kept his starting pitcher secret until the last minute. "It all makes for a lot of good fun," he explained. Then he sent in Walter Stewart, like Hubbell a lefthander. It made good fun, but not for Pitcher Stewart. The first man to face him made first base on an error. Mel Ott, short, boyish rightfielder. stepped to bat for his first time in a World Series and bashed a home-run into the right-field stand. Again in the third, Ott (who was to make four hits in four chances) drove in a run, and drove Stewart out of the box. The Giants, whom sports writers had called "the hitless wonders" of the National League, were ahead 4-to-0.

A run was squeezed in by Washington in the fourth but not one Senator had yet hit one of Hubbell's pitches squarely by the seventh inning when a few confident Giant fans started home. By so doing they spared themselves the risk of apoplexy in the eighth and ninth. Hubbell walked two men. Myer knocked a hot grounder to Shortstop "Blondy" Ryan. Ryan juggled it and then, without waiting to get hold of the ball, batted it three yards with the flat of his hand to Critz at second base, nailing the runner from first. Next up was old "Goose" Goslin. He whacked the ball against the right-field fence. It was foul by a few feet. He whacked a liner over first base but it streaked smack into Giant-Manager Bill Terry's glove. The tension thus lifted returned redoubled in the ninth. The Senators filled the bases. A sacrifice pushed one runner across the plate. One square hit could tie up the game. But Hubbell pulled himself together. He fanned Bluege, his tenth strikeout of the game; and the next man, Sewell, grounded out. New York 4, Washington 2.

Second Game was unexciting until the sixth inning, which turned into the sort of thing that makes baseball conversation for years to come. Washington led 1-to-0 by reason of "Goose" Goslin's terrific clout into the upper grandstand tier in the third. Except for that, Pitcher Hal Schumacher, 22-year-old graduate of St. Lawrence University, had allowed only one hit in five innings. The Giants had knocked only two singles from Washington's veteran righthander, "General" Crowder. Then the Senators went to bat in the sixth. They did everything toward scoring more runs--except to reach the home plate. Goslin singled, Manush was walked, and both men gained bases when Schumacher pitched a wild one. Schulte knocked a hard grounder to third base and Goslin was run down on his way home. Schumacher walked another man, filling the bases again. Then Schumacher, a youngster in his first regular season, showed the same recuperative powers as Hubbell had. He struck out Ossie Bluege.

The second half of that inning was a half-hour uproar. Critz was on first with one out when Bill Terry lashed a two-bagger into left field, putting Critz on third. Crowder prudently gave Ott a base on balls, to the noisy disgust of the bleachers. Then to the plate shambled a tall, stooped figure--"Lefty" O'Doul. An oldtime hero of the Pacific Coast League, in 1932 O'Doul was No. i batsman of the National League, but a 1933 slump had put him on the bench, to be brought forth only in a pinch like this. Twice O'Doul swung and fouled. Third-Baseman Jackson, waiting his turn at bat, called out: "Take it easy, Lefty. You don't need to hit it out of the park. A single will do." O'Doul cracked the next ball into centre field for a single, scoring Critz and Terry, putting the Giants ahead. Another single by Jackson sent Ott home. A bunt by Mancuso, the Giants' slow-waddling catcher, utterly demoralized the infield. When they came to their senses, O'Doul was in with another run. Crowder managed to fan Ryan. Pitcher Schumacher singled to left and Jackson slid home. By that time the entire Giant team had batted during the inning. Moore led off again, smacked the first ball into centre field, letting Mancuso truck home with the sixth run. Manager Cronin was then convinced that a change of pitchers might help. He sent in Al Thomas who, although the bases were promptly filled again, allowed no hits for the rest of the game. New York 6, Washington 1.

Third Game-At Washington's Griffith Stadium, President Roosevelt & party occupied a box behind the first base line. When President, officials, players, band and photographers were set for the ball- throwing ceremony, the President asked, "Where's the ball?" White-crowned Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis slapped his pockets, looked hopefully at Clark Griffith, owner of the Senators, who looked helplessly at John J. McGraw, vice president of the Giants, who frantically signalled a policeman. The policeman ran for a ball, tossed it to the President. Right arm upraised, President Roosevelt grinned for photographers, then sang out: "All right, here goes!" He tossed the ball among the Washington players who scrambled madly, big Heinie Manush leaping high to grab it.

As Joe Moore, Giant lead-off man, strolled from the dugout toward the plate to start the game, a grey pigeon fluttered down on the field and strutted gravely to the pitcher's box. Umpires shooed it away but it refused to go far. Throughout the game it fluttered and padded around the park. The pigeon's first position, the pitcher's box, was occupied for Washington by a good-looking left-hander from Iowa named Earl Whitehill. For two days the Giants had had their way with six Washington pitchers. Whitehill put a stop to that. His fast ball and wicked curve, shrewdly mixed, kept the Giants down to five hits. Three times a Giant got as far as third base, never farther. Fred Fitzsimmons, a knuckle-ball expert, was in the box for the Giants and he had an unhappy time. Buddy Myer, first Senator at bat, cracked a single. He got to third while Ott was trying to field Goslin's drive off the right field fence. Manager Cronin knocked a ball toward the pitcher's mound and in fielding it Fitzsimmons slipped on the wet turf. Myer scored. A moment later Fred Schulte drove Goslin home.

Buddy Myer, who had made three miserable errors at second base in the opening game, was working hard to square himself. In the second inning he shot a two-bagger screaming past Bill Terry, scoring Bluege for the Senators' third run. Again in the seventh Myer came to bat, ; with Catcher Sewell on second. He shot ; another single into right field and Sewell trotted home. Washington 4, New York 0. Fourth Game, Against the centre field fence of the Washington park Owner Griffith had erected a temporary stand of 800 bleacher seats for $1 customers. At the crack of Bill Terry's bat in the fourth inning, Washington's Centre Fielder Schulte,raced back toward the fence. The ball shone white in the sky, a perfect fly for Schulte. But it plunked into the $1 bleachers and Terry got a home run, first score of the game. Immediately afterward the Giants filled the bases, but Monte Weaver, pitching for the Senators, steadied down and struck out his man. In the same inning Carl Hubbell, who was again pitching superb ball, permitted the first Senator hit of the game, but there was no further excitement until the sixth when Heinic Manush knocked one past Terry at first base. In a flash Second Baseman Critz fielded it, Hubbell rushing over to take the throw at first. Umpire Moran called Manush out. Livid with rage, Manush poked the umpire, was banished from the field. In the seventh Hubbell joggled the game back into the fire again when he fumbled an easy grounder from Kuhel. A bunt advanced Kuhel to second and a sharp single by Catcher S:well drove him home, tied the score. Through eighth, ninth, tenth innings neither pitcher gave ground. In the eleventh little Travis Jackson, whose knee injury would have kept him out of the series but for Johnny Vergez' appendicitis, laid a bunt down the third-base line, beat it out. Mancuso sacrificed him to second. Up to the plate stepped ''Blondy" Ryan, the onetime Holy Cross quarterback who made sport-page headlines last summer by quitting a hospital to rejoin the Giants, heralding his approach with the telegram "THEY CANNOT BEAT US, EN ROUTE." Ryan sent a hot single into left field, saw the winning run go home on Jackson's wobbly legs.

But the game was not yet out of danger. In their last half, Washington filled the bases with one out and Pinch-hitter Cliff Bolton went to bat. Out from the Giants' bench raced Charley Dressen. a substitute third baseman who had not had his hands on the ball throughout the series. He waylaid Manager Terry. "Play back. Bill," he begged. "I know this guy Bolton from the minors. He hits hard but he's the slowest man in the league. Play him for a double play!" Astonished, Terry obeyed, ordered his infielders back. True to Dressen's word. Bolton burned a drive to shortstop, lumbered toward first. Ryan was well prepared. He scooped it up, flipped it to Critz at second, who shot it to Terry in time for a clean double play. Thus ended Carl Hubbell's 20th inning of pitching without an earned run against him. New York 2. Washington 1.

Fifth Game. Adolfo ("Pop") Luque. a 43-year-old Cuban who has been kicking around in professional baseball for 20 years, squinted with grave concern from the Giants' bench at what the Senators were doing to Pitcher Hal Schumacher in the sixth. Up to that point matters had gone nicely for the Giants. They had walloped "General" Crowder for two runs in the second, Hal Schumacher himself lashing out the single that scored Jackson and Mancuso. In the sixth they had routed Crowder when Mancuso's double sent Davis in with the third run. In all that time only three Senators hit Schumacher, and none passed third base. Now, in the last half of the sixth, with two out, young Schumacher blew up. Manush singled, went to third when Cronin repeated. Schulte lifted the first pitch into the left field bleachers and the score was tied, 3-to-3. After Kuhel and Bluege both got on base, Manager Terry nodded to "Pop"' Luque. No trace of dismay showed on Luque's wrinkled face as he trudged to the mound on short, bowed legs. Fie fed Sewell a curve which went for an easy grounder, and the inning was over.

"Pop" Luque struck out the next three men to face him. held the Senators to one hit in the eighth & ninth. It took one more inning to break up the ball game, end the series. There were two out and two-&-two on little Mel Ott. As the next ball came he swung with everything in his compact body and crack! the ball sailed away high for centre field. Centre Fielder Schulte raced for the fence. He reached as far into the $1 bleacher seats as he could. The falling ball ticked his glove, glanced away into the stand with Schulte sprawling after it. One of the umpires wanted to call it only a two-bagger but Mel Ott trotted around all four bases with the Giants' fourth run. ending the series as he began it, the perfect Hero.

Again Washington made a valiant last stand. With two out. Manager Cronin singled, went to second when Schulte drew a base on balls. Kuhel stepped to bat. A single would tie the score again. A stiffer blow could win the game. Manager Bill Terry walked over to "Pop" Luque with a worried frown. Luque scarcely noticed him. "I get heem," he promised, and turned toward the batter. Plump!-- Strike one. Plump!--Strike two. Plump!

It was over.

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