The 1924 Washington Nationals

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'd say Pipp is pretty good, but they could use an upgrade at first.

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA192408300.shtml

On Saturday, August 30, Bucky Harris sent young Curly Ogden against the Yankees' Waite Hoyt, another future Hall of Famer. Ogden, held his own, and more, but the Yankees won in the 9th for 40,000 fans. Ogden gave up five hits while Hoyt gave up eleven.

Starting Lineups

Nationals

1   Earl McNeely   CF
2   Bucky Harris   2B
3   Sam Rice   RF
4   Goose Goslin   LF
5   Joe Judge   1B
6   Ossie Bluege   3B
7   Muddy Ruel   C
8   Roger Peckinpaugh   SS
9   Curly Ogden   P

Yankees

1   Whitey Witt   CF
2   Joe Dugan   3B
3   Babe Ruth   RF
4   Wally Pipp   1B
5   Wally Schang   C
6   Bob Meusel   LF
7   Aaron Ward   2B
8   Everett Scott   SS
9   Waite Hoyt   P

Babe Ruth led off the fourth with a ground ball to Ossie Bluege at third, but Bluege made a bad throw to Joe Judge at first. The Bronx Bombers followed orthodoc strategy: Wally Pipp laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved Ruth to second. Wally Schang grounded down the first-base line so Judge stepped on first for the second out. Ruth took third, however. Meusel singled and the Yankees had a 1-0 lead.

The Senators got a run back in the 6th. Sam Rice got an infield hit with one out. Goose Goslin singled to right and the speedy Rice took third. Joe Judge grounded out, scoring Rice. Bluege got another infield hit, a grounder to Everett Scott at SS, as Goose Goslin took third. Then Goslin took it a little too far: he was caught trying to steal home.

The Griffs got two hits in the 7th and two more in the 8th, but failed to score.

In the bottom of the 9th, Wally Pipp led off with a single to left-center. Of course, Wally Schang sacrificed Pipp to second. Bob Meusel doubled to left, scoring Pipp. Walkoff. Game over.

1. WSH: 73-55 (.570)
2. NYY: 71-54 (.568...1/2 GB)
3. DET: 68-58 (.540; 4 GB)

 

[welch]

I'd say Pipp is pretty good, but they could use an upgrade at first.

Gary Sarnoff, in "Teams of Destiny", says that the Yankees just brought up a 1B named Lou Gehrig. Let's see if he gets a chance to pinch-hit, at least, against the Nationals. Bucky Harris says that Washington has the best pitching staff in the league. The Yankees have the best hitting, but only because of Babe Ruth.

[alanmiley]

Washington, along with all other teams did not make a waiver claim when Gehrig was sent down in the spring.  (Although to be fair, it is likely that he would have been pulled back if someone had claimed.)

[imref]

1924 celebration weekend details:

https://www.mlb.com/nationals/tickets/specials/1924

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Washington, along with all other teams did not make a waiver claim when Gehrig was sent down in the spring.  (Although to be fair, it is likely that he would have been pulled back if someone had claimed.)

there's a story, somewhat apocryphal, that the Yankees offered him to the Red Sox in part to make up for the Ruth deal but Frazee turned it down (I think it was still Frazee).

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA192408310.shtml

Sunday, August 31, and 45,000 went to Yankee Stadium to see the Senators battle the Yankees. And it was a battle: the Griffs win in 10 innings, 4-2. Bucky Harris started one of his three aces, George Mogridge, while Miller Huggins went with Sad Sam Jones, and then Bullet Joe Bush.

Starting Lineups

Nationals

1   Nemo Leibold   CF
2   Bucky Harris   2B
3   Sam Rice   RF
4   Goose Goslin   LF
5   Joe Judge   1B
6   Ossie Bluege   3B
7   Muddy Ruel   C
8   Roger Peckinpaugh   SS
9   George Mogridge   P


Yankees

1   Whitey Witt   CF
2   Joe Dugan   3B
3   Babe Ruth   RF
4   Wally Pipp   1B
5   Wally Schang   C
6   Bob Meusel   LF
7   Aaron Ward   2B
8   Everett Scott   SS
9   Sad Sam Jones   P

Home plate umpire was Ducky Holmes, who hated Bucky Harris.

Goose Goslin led off with a single, but was erased on a double-play. The Senators broke through for a run in the 4th, as Nemo Leibold walked and Harris got an infield single down the 3B line. Sam Rice bunted, of course, so Leibold and Harris moved up to third and second, with one out. Goslin drove a fly ball to CF, scoring Leibold.

Mogridge mowed down the Yankees, who still had only one hit by the top of the 7th, when Joe Judge lined into the RF stands. Washington leads, 2-0. Perhaps Mogridge tired or perhaps the Yankees woke up, because in the bottom of the 7th, the Yankees tied two hits together. Schang singled to left, and Meusel singled to center. Everett Scott grounded to Harris at 2B, but BUcky fumbled the ball and Schang scored. Washington 2, NYY 1.

Bullet Joe Bush took over for Sad Sam Jones to begin the 8th. The Nationals went 3-up, 3-down. In the bottom half, Yankee fans took heart, and the many Washington fans -- they had taken the train up with the team -- went to the edge of their seats. The Yankees scored again. Joe Dugan singled and Mogridge walked Ruth. With that, Harris replaced Mogridge with Firpo Marberry. Pipp popped out, but Schang drew a walk to load the bases. Marberry then walked Bob Meusel, pushing Dugan across the plate. 2-2. Marberry then struck out Ernie Johnson to end the inning.

Ralph Miller had replaced Harris at 2B, and, in the 9th Miller led off with a single. Goslin singled, but the ducks died on the pond as Joe Judge and Ossie Bluege failed to move them. In the bottom half, the Yankees got a couple of singles, and Firpo intentionally walked Babe Ruth to load the bases. With two out, Wally Pipp popped out.

Muddy Ruel single to open the top of the 10th, but Peckinpaugh hit a flyball to Ruth in right. This time, Babe held onto the ball. Firpo Marberry advanced Ruel on a sac bunt. Bush intentinallywalked Neo Leibold (pronounced "lye-bold") to pitch to Ralph Miller, the raely used backup 2B who was batting .180 at the time. Miller drew a walk. Baes loaded, two outs, with Sam Rice coming to the plate. Sam doubled to left, scoring Ruel and Leibold. The play-by-play must be jumbled, because it says that Rice was out at home, Meusel to Scott to Schang. Must have been Miller trying to score from first. And, of course, Yankee Stadium had a huge left-field, so the ball might have rolled a long way. Washington 4, NYY 2.

In the bottom of the 10th, Schang grounded out, but Meusel singled. Pulling out everything, Miller Huggins sent up Lou Gehrig to pinch-hit. Firpo struck him out. When Scott popped out to Muddy Ruel, the Nationals had taken the do-or-die series from New York.

1. WSH: 74-55 (.574)
2. NYY: 71-55 (.563; 1 1/2 GB)
3. DET: 68-59 (.535; 5 GB, and pretty much out of the race. Lost 14-4 to the Browns this day)

The Griffs took the train back to Washington, along with many of their celebrating fans.
 

[alanmiley]

Home plate umpire was Ducky Holmes, who hated Bucky Harris.

Harris was suspended earlier in the season for calling Holmes a "fathead." 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Harris was suspended earlier in the season for calling Holmes a "fathead." 

little did Holmes realize that 90 years later that would be a compliment meaning kids would have a giant poster of him stuck on their walls.

[welch]

Harris was suspended earlier in the season for calling Holmes a "fathead." 

I try to avoid using Gary Sarnoff's "Team of Destiny" until after I have dug through and summarized the play by play. I'll look to see if Holmes made some bad calls against the Griffs in this game.

Incidentally, fans and baseball reporters often called the Nationals ("Senators" to many fans) often called Clark Griffith's team "the Griffs" or "the Griffmen".

Now that the Yankee series is over, I can use Gary's background about all the Washington fans who took the train to NYC, and those in town who stopped to watch the plays that were shown outside the newspaper buildings.

[welch]

1924 celebration weekend details:

https://www.mlb.com/nationals/tickets/specials/1924

Great news!

[varoadking]

Great news!

That's the way ALL bobbleheads used to look...

[alanmiley]

I try to avoid using Gary Sarnoff's "Team of Destiny" until after I have dug through and summarized the play by play. I'll look to see if Holmes made some bad calls against the Griffs in this game.

You don't have to use Gary's book -- this was well documented in the Washington Times.  Even made it to the op-ed page.

[welch]

Washington fans traveled with the players back home for a game the next day, Monday, September 1. Gary Sarnoff reports that fans celebrated with the team, and stay-at-home fans were wild with enthusiasm and hope. At Griffith Stadium, 18,000 cheered for the Senators as they beat the Philadelphia Athletics 5-3 in a game that was not close until the A's scored three times in the 9th. On the attendance, in 1960 Shirley Povich mentioned that there were only about 15,000 good seats at the stadium, so this crowd must have been leaning around steel posts or sitting far out in the bleachers.

  https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192409011.shtml

First game of a double-header.

Starting Lineups

Athletics

1   Sammy Hale   3B
2   Bill Lamar   CF
3   Bing Miller   RF
4   Joe Hauser   1B
5   Al Simmons   LF
6   Jimmy Dykes   2B
7   John Chapman   SS
8   Cy Perkins   C
9   Stan Baumgartner   P


Nationals

1   Earl McNeely   CF
2   Bucky Harris   2B
3   Sam Rice   RF
4   Goose Goslin   LF
5   Joe Judge   1B
6   Ossie Bluege   3B
7   Muddy Ruel   C
8   Roger Peckinpaugh   SS
9   Tom Zachary   P

Zachary was the lefty out of the Griffs' top three starters. After Walter Johnson, George Mogridge, and Zachary, Bucky Harris had to scramble the staff to find a fourth or fifth starting pitcher. Curly Ogden was the most effective and Paul Zahniser the least. Fred "Firpo" Marberry was the top relief pitcher, followed by Allen Russell, one of the last of the legal spit-ballers, and by Byron Speece. Oyster Joe Martina was still with the team, but had been used less and less as the season went on.

Washington picked up a run with a two-out rally in the first. Bucky Harris had reached on an error by 2B Jimmy Dykes, who became famous as a manager from 1934 through 1961 -- including 13 years as manager of the Chicago White Sox. Harris was picked off of first, except that A's starter Stan Baumgartner threw the ball away. Harris took second. Then Goose Goslin singled to right, and the Griffmen led 1-0. Joe Judge, batting next, doubled to RF, be he and Goslin were stranded. They got another in the second, when Muddy Ruel walked, Roger Peckinpaugh singled, and Tom Zachary, of course, moved them up with a sacrifice bunt. Earl McNeely hit a sac fly to center, so Washington led 2-0.

Philadelphia got a single in the fourth, but that was their first hit. The Senators got a second run in the home half, when Muddy Ruel led off with a double, and Harris brought him home on a single. Washington leads, 3-0.

In the fifth, Joe Judge tripled but was out at home when Ossie Bluege grounded down the 3B line, Sammy Hale to Cy Perkins.

And Zachary continued to pitch well.

In the bottom of the seventh, a tiring Baumgartner gave up a single to Sam Rice, and Joe Judge doubled to right-center. Rice scored and Judge took third on the throw. Ossie Bluege singled to left and Judge scored: 5-0 in favor of the Nationals.

Philadelphia picked up three runs in the 9th on four consecutive singles and a fielders choice, but the Zachary shut the door.

Final: Washington 5, Philadelphia 3

The teams took a break, and then played the second game.

 

[welch]

On to the second game. The scoreboard showed that the Yankees had won the first game of their own double-header, 3-0 over the Red Sox. The Nationals had to win this second game and hope that Boston did better in the night-cap.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192409012.shtml

Running short of pitchers, Bucky Harris picked "Oyster" Joe Martina to battle Ed Rommel.

Starting Lineups

Athletics

1   Sammy Hale   3B
2   Bill Lamar   CF
3   Bing Miller   RF
4   Joe Hauser   1B
5   Al Simmons   LF
6   Jimmy Dykes   2B
7   John Chapman   SS
8   Frank Bruggy   C
9   Eddie Rommel   P (future AL umpire)

Nationals

1   Nemo Leibold   CF
2   Bucky Harris   2B
3   Sam Rice   RF
4   Goose Goslin   LF
5   Joe Judge   1B
6   Ossie Bluege   3B
7   Muddy Ruel   C
8   Roger Peckinpaugh   SS
9   Joe Martina   P

The Nationals scored first, as Nemo Leibold led off with a fkyball to left that Al Simmons booted. Bucky Harris tried to lay down the standard-strategy of a bunt, but it was foul. K for Bucky. Sam Rice came through with a single to Bill Lamar in center, and Leibold scored: 1-0, Washington.

In the third, Ossie Bluege's error and Eddie Rommel's single put runners on first and second. Sammy Hale bunted, of course, pushing Frank Bruggy to third and Rommel to second. Bill Lamar singled, scoring them both. Philadelphia 2, Washington 1. Martina was pitching decently, though.

Unfortunately, Bill Lamar tripled to right-center with one out in the 5th. Bucky Harris must have been unhappy, because he got Nemo Leibold out of the game, replacing him with Earl McNeely. The next batter, Bing Miller, hit a sac fly to left that scored Lamar for a 3-1 Philadelphia lead.

In the bottom of the 6th, Bennie Tate pinch-hit for Martina and singled. McNeely singled to left, and, of course, Bucky Harris bunted. Eddie Rommel grabbed the bunt, and fired to 3B Sammy Hale, forcing Tate. Sam Rice flied out to deep CF and then Goslin flight to right, and so the inning ended. Allen Russel pitched the seventh.

In the Washington half of the seventh, Joe Judge doubled and Ossie Bluege singled to center, scoring Judge. Philadelpia 3, Washington 2. Harris called on Firpo Marberry to replace Russell. Marberry put the A's down in the 8th, thanks to a double play started by Joe Judge, who threw to Roger Peckinpaugh covering second, who threw back to Judge at first. Still Philadelpia 3, Washington 2.

I am imagining a 1B like Joe Judge on the 2024 Nats: a great fielder who was hitting .318 with an OPS of .839. Not as many home runs as the great Joey Gallo, but plenty of doubles and triples.

It came down to the 9th.

Marberry walked John Chapman but then picked him off. Frank Bruggy singled, but Eddie Rommel grounded into a double-play, Harris to Peckinpaugh to Judge, who led off the bottom half with a single. Bluege tried to advance Judge with a bunt, but the A's forced Judge at second. Muddy Ruel flied to Bing Miller in right, and the Griffs were down to their final out. But Peckinpaugh reached on an error by Chapman at short, and the Nationals lived for another batter. Bluege at second and Peckinpaugh at first. Still two outs. Mule Shirley pinch hot for Marberry; Shirley singled to Al Simmons in left, scoring Bluege. Tie game, two outs, and Peckinpaugh at third with Shirley on first. Earl McNeely singled to left, scoring Peckinpaugh, and the Senators had won, 4-3.

The Yankees clobbered the Red Sox, 12-2, so the Senators could look at the RF scoreboard and know they were under pressure,

1. WSH: 76-55 (.580)
2. NYY: 73-55 (.570, 1 1/2 GB)
3. DET: 69-60 (.535, 6 GB)

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192409040.shtml

Last time out a scorcher hit Walter Johnson on his pitching hand. Bucky Harris had Johnson waiting for Boston when the Red Sox got to Griffith Stadium on September 4, 1924, and 12,000 Nationals fanatcics were waiting, too. Boston picked up 9 hits from Johnson, but there was nothing wrong with Johnson's hitting. He went 3-for-4, raising his average to .295 with a .727 OPS on his 8th double of the year. The Griffmen won it, 12-5, as Clark Griffith, the Old Fox, might have said, "We had them all the way".

Starting Lineups

Red Sox

1   Ira Flagstead   CF
2   Bill Wambsganss   2B
3   Ike Boone   RF
4   Joe Harris   1B
5   Bobby Veach   LF
6   Danny Clark   3B
7   Homer Ezzell   SS
8   Val Picinich   C
9   Curt Fullerton   P

Nationals

1   Earl McNeely   CF
2   Bucky Harris   2B
3   Sam Rice   RF
4   Goose Goslin   LF
5   Joe Judge   1B
6   Ossie Bluege   3B
7   Muddy Ruel   C
8   Roger Peckinpaugh   SS
9   Walter Johnson   P
 
The Baseball Reference Win Probability Chart thinks the gane was over in the bottom of the 3rd. Let's see.

Barney struck out the first two batters he faced, and r=the third, Ike Boone, erased himself by trying to stretch a single into a double, Sam Rice threw him out at second.

It is important to remember that tghe 34 year old Rice had been a pitcher until 1917, and that he went inot the USN and did not get a real start in the OF until 1919. Griffith had bought his contract from a team in Virginia in 1915. Legend says that the wiley Griff, truly The Old Fox, asked for Rice as a throw in to pay off a loan je had given to a team down near Norfolk, as in, "Just to make up the difference, send along somebody else, like this guy, Rice". Legend also says that, in 1917, Rice gave up a couple of hits in relief. He came back to the dugout, took a screw-driver, and pryed off the toe-plate on his right shoe, saying, "I'm no pitcher". He became Washington's starting CF and RF in 1919, when he hit .321 after appearing in 141 games.

Sam Rice broke into the major leagues in August of 1915 as a 25-year-old pitcher with the Washington Nationals. After moving to the outfield midway through the following season, he became one of the leading hitters in the American League. Over the course of a 20-year career, most of which he spent in Washington, Rice achieved a .322 lifetime batting average and fell just 13 shy of 3000 total base hits. He missed the .300 mark in batting only five times (and only twice during his 15 seasons as an everyday regular), and never by more than seven points. He stroked 200 or more hits in a season six times, including 207 in 1930, when, at the age of 40, he posted an average of .349, a single point shy of his career best.

 

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Sam-Rice/

In the third, Walter Johnson doubled to center. Earl McNeely gounded out, but Bucky Harris walked. Sam Rice singled to left, scoring Johnson and sending Harris to third. Goose Goslin walked, loading the bases with two outs. Joe Judge singled to center, scoring Harris and Rice, and getting Goslin to third. Finally, Ossie Bluege singled to right, scoring Goslin. Washington took the lead 4-0.

In the 4th, Bobby Veach walked and Ike Boone tripled, narrowing Washington's lead, 4 - 1. The three run lead grew back to four when Walter Johnson singled deep to SS Homer Ezzell, Earl McNeely singled, and Sam Rice's singled drove in Johnson. 5-1, Washington.

Boston picked up another run in the 5th on a pair of singles, a wild pitch, and a groundout, making it 5-2, Washington.

The Big Train picked on Boston for two more Ks in the 6th, before the Senators scored three runs on five hits to crush the BoSox. Earl McNeely led off with a triple and scored on a Bucky Harris single. Goose Goslin singled, moving Harris to second, and both moved ahead on a passed ball by Val Picinich. Judge hit a popfly to foul territory in right, caught by Ike Boone, but allowing Harris to tage up and score. Goslin scored on a shot down the 3B line, knocked down by Danny Clark, but Clark could not make the play for an out. 9-2, Washington.

Boston scored a run in the 7th, but the game was far out of hand, 9-3. The Griffmen picked up another three runs in the bottom of the 7th, as Walter JOhnson singled , and both McNeely and Harris bunted, trying to make the standard scrifice bunt but Boston could not get the out on either. Sam Rice doubled to right, scoring Johnson and McNeely. Now, if you haven't already, go read the SABR biography of Rice, and especially about his hitting. Harris scored on a Tommy Taylor single, making it Washington 12, Boston 3.

Allen Russell replaced Walter Johnson in the 8th, and gave up a couple of meaningless runs in the 9th.

Final: Washinton 12-5

Unfortunately Joe Judge hurt his ankle. Mule Shirley would replce Judge for a few games.

Standings

1. WSH: 77-55
2. NYY: 75-57 (2 GB. Lost to the A's)

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Bill Wambsganss. Checked the wiki - he has the only unassisted triple play in the World Series. Was with Cleveland in 1920

from his wiki:

In game five of the 1920 World Series played at League Park, Wambsganss caught a fifth-inning line drive batted by Clarence Mitchell, stepped on second base to retire Pete Kilduff, and tagged Otto Miller coming from first base, to complete the only unassisted triple play in World Series history.

.

Was traded to Boston after 1923.

[welch]

1   Ira Flagstead   CF
2   Bill Wambsganss   2B
3   Ike Boone   RF
4   Joe Harris   1B
5   Bobby Veach   LF
6   Danny Clark   3B
7   Homer Ezzell   SS
8   Val Picinich   C
9   Curt Fullerton   P


Bill Wambsganss. Checked the wiki - he has the only unassisted triple play in the World Series. Was with Cleveland in 1920

from his wiki:.

Was traded to Boston after 1923.

There cannot have been many unassisted triple plays in baseball history. I think Nats SS Ron Hanson had one about 1966, but triple plays are pretty rare. I know that the Old Senators had the first, and last, all-Cuban triple play, about 1959 or '60. Otherwise, I don't remember other triple plays by any of the three Washington teams.

Wikipedia says:

In MLB, a total of fifteen players have fielded an unassisted triple play,[3] making this feat rarer than a perfect game.[4] Of these fifteen players, eight were shortstops, five were second basemen and two were first basemen. The Cleveland Naps / Cleveland Indians / Cleveland Guardians are the only franchise to have three players achieve the feat while on their roster: Neal Ball, Bill Wambsganss and Asdrúbal Cabrera

.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unassisted_triple_play

We all remember Asdrubal, of course.

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192409060.shtml

The Nationals crushed the RedSox again on September 6, 8-2. (Where did the games go this week?)

Bucky Harris started his right-hander, and number two or three starter, George Mogridge, against Boston's ace, Howard Ehmke.

Starting Lineups

Red Sox

1   Ira Flagstead   CF
2   Bill Wambsganss   2B
3   Ike Boone   RF
4   Joe Harris   1B
5   Bobby Veach   LF
6   Howie Shanks   3B
7   Homer Ezzell   SS
8   Steve O'Neill   C
9   Howard Ehmke   P

Nationals

1   Earl McNeely   CF
2   Bucky Harris   2B
3   Sam Rice   RF
4   Goose Goslin   LF
5   Muddy Ruel   C
6   Ossie Bluege   3B
7   Roger Peckinpaugh   SS
8   Mule Shirley   1B
9   George Mogridge   P

The only change to Washington's regular lineup: Joe Judge got the day off, so Mule Shirley played first and batted 8th.

Baseball Reference, in Win Probability, considers the game to have been over in the bottom of the first. It looks that way, as the Nationals scored four times. McNeely led off with an infield hit to Homer Ezzell at short. Bucky Harris then tripled to CF, scoring McNeely. Center was deep at Griffith Stadium. Sam Rice singled to left, scoring Harris. As the SABR bio says, Rice hit well to any field. Goslin walked, moving Rice to second, so, of course, Muddy Ruel bunted. Howie Shanks fielded the bunt and threw to first, so Rice took third and Goslin got to second. Shanks probably charged the bunt and had no chance to get the force. The standard p[lay worked, as Ossie Bluege singled to CF, scoring both Rice and Goslin. Washiongton 4, Boston 0.

Boston got a couple of singles in the second, but then Steve O'Neill grounded out to Peckinpaugh and Ehmke flied out to Goslin. The game went along quietly, as Mogridge scattered lone singles over a few innings, and Boston mounted no threats. Meanwhile, Ehmke settled down, too.

In the 5th, Goslin, Ruel, and Bluege singled, scoring Goose for the Griffs fifth run: 5-0

In the bottom of the 6th, Mule Shirley reached on an error by Ezzell. Next up was Mogridge, who laid down a bunt that advanced Shirley to second. Earl McNeely reached on another error -- a bad throw -- by Ezzell. With Shirley on third and McNeely at first, Bucky Harris unleashed a triple to right, scoring both runners. We see that a triple is nearly as good as a homer. Sam Rice hit a sac fly to Ike Boone in right, scoring Harris, so it was 8-0, Washington.

In the top of the 7th, Valpicinich hit into a double play, Mogridge to Harris to Shirley at first that scored Homer Ezzell, closing the score to 8 - 1. Boston would pick up another run in the 8th,

Final: Washington 8 and Boston 2.

Standings

1. WSH: 78-55 (.586)
2. NYY: 76-57 (.571, 2 GB. Yankees beat the Athletics 10-7)

[welch]

A few notes, thanks to Gary Sarnoff's "Team of Destiny":

- Two hundred Senators fans booked roomks at the hotel where the team stayed during the magnificent series in New York

- Joe Judge's father, Joseph Patrick Judge, took the train from Yorkville to see the games. Joseph Ignatius, our hero, had a great series fielding and hitting. Joseph Patrick annoyed some Yankee fans with his cheering. He replied, "That's Joe, my boy!"

- About a thousand fans waited for them outside their clubhouse after the last game

- Many rode the same train back to Washington. That train had a club car for players and fans to celebrate, and they did.

- Eight thousand fans met them at Union Station.

After the Labor Day morning-evening double header against Philadelphia, the Senators had a scheduled two day break. Harris let them have a day off, but scheduled hitting and fielding practice for the day after. The gates were open, and many fans went out to The Stadium just to watch.

40,000 fans have ordered World Series tickets.

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192409070.shtml

On Sunday, September 7, 30,000 fans squeezed into Griffith Stadium and saw the Senators drop a 6-2 game to Boston. Curly Ogden had been pitching well over the last month, but had nothuing today. In fact, Curly did not get an out.

Starting Lineups

Red Sox

1   Ira Flagstead   CF
2   Bill Wambsganss   2B
3   Ike Boone   RF
4   Joe Harris   1B
5   Bobby Veach   LF
6   Danny Clark   3B
7   Homer Ezzell   SS
8   Steve O'Neill   C
9   Alex Ferguson   P

Nationals

1   Earl McNeely   CF
2   Bucky Harris   2B
3   Sam Rice   RF
4   Goose Goslin   LF
5   Muddy Ruel   C
6   Ossie Bluege   3B
7   Roger Peckinpaugh   SS
8   Mule Shirley   1B
9   Curly Ogden   P

Ira Flagstead reached on a throwing error by Ossie Bluege. Flagstead then sole second, and Wambsganss walked. Ike Boone grounded to Mule Shirley, who could not handle it. Flagstead scored and Wambsganss  took third. Joe Harris doubled to CF, scoring Wambganss and Boone reach third. When Bobby Veach singled to center, scoring Boone, Bucky Harris decided to replace Ogden with Allen Russell.

In the bottom half, Harris singled and Sam Rice doubled to left. Goose Goslin drove in Harris with a sac fly, but that was all the Griffs got, as Nuddy Ruel grounded out, 3-1, Boston.

The Red Sox picked up two more runs in the 4th on three singles and a double. Boston 5, Washington 1. In the bottom of the 4th, Mule Shirley singled, Allen Russell walked, and Earl MNcNeely singled to "plate" Shirley. %-2, Boston.

Standings

1. WSH: 78-56 (.582)
2. NYY: 76-58 (.567, 2 GB. Philadelphia's Eddie Romel beat the Yankees 2-1)

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/index.fcgi?year=1924&month=09&day=07

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https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA192409080.shtml

The Griffs took the train to Philadelphia, where the Athlerucs waited. On Monday, September 8, 8,000 fans were to watch Walter Johnson duel Stan Baumgartner.

As a reminder, here is Shibe Park, about 1924: a little over 330 feet down the left and right field lines, and 471 feet to straight-away CF.

http://www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/ShibePark.html#diag


Starting Lineups

Nationals

1   Earl McNeely   CF
2   Bucky Harris   2B
3   Sam Rice   RF
4   Goose Goslin   LF
5   Muddy Ruel   C
6   Ossie Bluege   3B
7   Roger Peckinpaugh   SS
8   Mule Shirley   1B
9   Walter Johnson   P

Athletics

1   Sammy Hale   3B
2   Bill Lamar   LF
3   Bing Miller   RF
4   Joe Hauser   1B
5   Al Simmons   CF
6   Jimmy Dykes   2B
7   Chick Galloway   SS
8   Cy Perkins   C
9   Stan Baumgartner   P

The Nationals took an immediate lead when EarlMcNeely led off with a triple to right. Bucky Harris hit a sac fly for the 1-0 lead. The Griffmen scored three more times in the second, when Ossie Bluege walked and Mule Shirley tripled. Johnson then singled, to score Shirley. 2-0. McNeely singled pushing Johnson to second. Harris singled, scoring Johnson, but Sam Rice grounded into a double play to end the inning. 4-0 in favor of Washington. Philadelphia got a run back in the bottom of the second, on a single by Al Simmons, future Hall of Famer, and a double by Jimmy Dykes, future long-time manager.

In the fourth, Walter Johnson singled and moved up on Earl McNeely's single. Then Harris singled, scoring Johnson and McNeely, who scored on an error by Baumgartner, the pitcher that, also, allowed Harris to reach third. Goslin singled, to score Harris, but was then caught trying to steal second (!). Washington 7, Philadelphia 1.

The Athletics changed pitchers twice, but it did not help, as the Nationals got another run in the top of the 5th. Muddy Ruel reached on a bunt single. After Bluege flied out, Peckinpaugh advanced him on a sac bunt, and Mule Shirley singled: 8-1 Senators.

Philadelphia got a run in the 5th, and then Joe Hauser homered to right to make it 8-3, Washington. Bing Miller got Philadelphia's fourth and final run in the 8th, when Bing Miller homered.

Standings

1. WSH: 79-56 (.585)
2. NYY: 77-58 (.570, 2 GB) The Yankees beat the Red Sox, 2-0, as Bullet Joe Bush won his 14th game.

There are 19 games left.
 

[welch]

The game on Tuesday, September 9, was rained out. It was played on the next day.

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA192409101.shtml

As Bucky Harris said, "We won't win them all". This was a close one, but the Nationals lost 2-1, on Wednesday, September 10, to the Philadelphia Athletics. It was the first game of a double-header.

Starting Lineups

Nationals

1   Earl McNeely   CF
2   Bucky Harris   2B
3   Sam Rice   RF
4   Goose Goslin   LF
5   Joe Judge   1B
6   Muddy Ruel   C
7   Ossie Bluege   3B
8   Roger Peckinpaugh   SS
9   Tom Zachary   P

Athletics

1   Sammy Hale   3B
2   Bill Lamar   LF
3   Bing Miller   RF
4   Joe Hauser   1B
5   Al Simmons   CF
6   Jimmy Dykes   2B
7   Chick Galloway   SS
8   Cy Perkins   C
9   Sam Gray   P

The Griffs scored first, when, in the top of the third, Philadelphia starter Gray walked Goose Goslin with the bases loaded. Tom Zachary had walked, Bucky Harris singled, and Sam Rice walked before Goslin was up. In the bottom of the third, and with two out, Bill Lamar and Bing Miller singled, moving Lamar to second. Joe Mauer doubled to Goslin in left, so the Athletics led, 2-1.

That was all the scoring.

In the 6th, Nemo Leibold pinch-hit for McNelly, and replaced him in CF. In the 8th, Joe Judge walked and Tommy Taylor ran for him. Mule Shirley would then take over 1B.

The Nats mounted something like a rally in the 9th, when Bennie Tate singled for Zachary and Leibold bunted Tate to second. However, Bucky Harris popped out and Sam Rice hit a fly ball to deep RF that was caught by Miller.

[welch]

In the second game, Washington edged Philadelphia 6-5.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA192409102.shtml

Washington scored all their runs in the second and third, and then coasted until the 9th, when Philadelphia scored two runs against George Mogridge. Bucky Harris then brought in Firpo Marberry to close out the win. Seven thousand dedicated fans attended -- Phila delphia is in 6th place, just ahead of Boston and Chicago.

Incidentally, the teams played the game with only two umpires. George Hildebrand called balls and strikes, and covered third. Tommy Conolly covered first and second.

In the top of the second, Washington took a 5-0 lead. Ossie Bluege led off with a single. The Peckinpaugh doubled to deep LF, pushing Bluege to third. Mule Shirley singled to left, scoring. George Mogridge struck out and McNeely tripled, scoring Shirley. The A's took out starter Fred Heimbach, replacing him with Roy Meeker. Bucky Harris doubled, scoring McNeely. Sam Rice singled to center scoring Harris. Washington 5, Philadelphia 0.

Chick Galloway singled in a Philadelphia run. Washington 5-1.

In the third, the Griffmen knocked out three consecutive singles to score a sixth run.

In the sixth, Philadelphia scored two more runs on a single, a triple, and a groundout. Washington 6, Philadelphia 3.

Then in the 9th, the Athletics scored two more runs on three consecutive singles. Harris picked Firpo Marberry to finished the game, and he did.

Final: Washington 6, Philadelphia 5.


Standings:

1. WSH: 80-57 (.584)
2. NYY: 78-58 (.574; 1 1/2 GB)