The 1924 Washington Nationals

[welch]

Back from STL, where I saw a young guy with a Browns hat.

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408140.shtml

On August 14, Harris started George Mogridge, who shut out the Undians on two hits, 1 - 0. Close game on the scoreboard, a tie until the Nats scored in the bottom of the 6th, but Washington got 9 hits off of Cleveland's 18-game winner (already), Joe Shaute. Lets see why it was so close.

In the second, Cleveland's George Burns got a bloop single to right-center, but the rally died with a cou0ple of ground-outs. In the 4th, Tris Speaker doubled to left-center, but was stuck at second. In the bottom of the 4th, Goslin singled and Joe Judge doubled, but there were already two outs. Ossie Bluege grounded out. So it went: Cleveland three up, three down.

In the bottom of the 6th, Bucky Harris led off with a single. Sam Rice, of course, bunted slowly down the 3B line. It was fielded by Shaute, who threw out Rice, but Bucky advanced to third. Goose Goslin grounded out between SS and 3B, but Harris scored the game's first run. And its last...

Washington got a cou0ple of singles in the 7th, but left the ducks on the pond (to quote Arch McDonald). Mogridge gave nothing to Cleveland.

The Griffmen are now two games behind the Yankees and a game behind Detroit, as the Browns beat the Yankees 8-6 and the A's throttled the Tigers 11-5.

1. NYY: 64-49
2. DET: 62-49, 1 GB
3. WSH: 62-51, 2 GB

The Saint Louis Browns have falled 4 1/2 games behind New York, so I will forget them for a while.

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408160.shtml
Detroit came to town on Saturday, August 16, 1924, for a weekend showdown with the upstart Griffs, and 15,000 hopeful Washington fans turned out to see. By the way, that was nearly a full house at Griffith Stadium...the great old ballpark held a maximum of about 25,000, with some seats so far away that it felt like the bleachers were out in Maryland. But fans had hope. You've gotta have hope, mustn't sit around and mope!



Unfortunately, Ty Cobb's Tigers, only a game behind the Yankees, intended to force Washingtonians to give up hope for anything but a first division finish. Cobb picked an ace, Earl Whitehill, to start. Bucky Harris tried Firpo Marberry, relief pitcher and spot starter. Firpo gave up four runs in his five innings, while Griffith's men got noth8ing much in reply.

The lineups:

1   Bob Jones   3B
2   Frank O'Rourke   2B
3   Ty Cobb   CF
4   Harry Heilmann   RF
5   Al Wingo   LF
6   Del Pratt   1B
7   Topper Rigney   SS
8   Johnny Bassler   C
9       Earl Whitehill    P

And your Washington Nationals, as Bob Wolff used to say:

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      Firpo Marberry    P

Note that Marberry's name was "Fred", but the Baseball Ref play-by-play always calls him "Firpo"

In the third, Johnny Bassler led off with a double and scored on Bob Jones's double, so it was 1-0, Detroit.

The Nats tied the score in the fourth on Earl McNeely's lead-off triple to left, and Harris's run-scoring ground-out.

The score remained tied until the top of the 6th, when Firpo faltered. And how! Jones led off with a double to Sam Rice in right. Of course, the next batter, Frank O'Rourke, bunted Jones to third. Ty Cobb, the greatest player of all time, then singled, making it 2-1 Detroit. Harry Heilmann, the future Hall of Famer who batted behind Cobb, singled to center and Cobb took third. pause to consider: Cobb went first to third on a single to center that was fielded by McNeely, who was no shrub. Heilmann stole second while Cobb scored on Muddy Ruel's throw to second. 3-1, Tigers. The batter, Al Wingo walked. Next batter, Del Pratt, tried to advance the runners on a sac bunt, but popped it up to Bucky Harris, covering first. Bucky dropped the ball, so Heilmann scored. 4-1 Detroit. Even though Topper Rigney lined into a double play, Harris to Roger Peckinpaugh, Bucky decided that Marberry had pitched himself out.

In the bottom half, Bucky sent Mule Shirley to pinch-hit for Firpo, and Shirley led off with a single. McNeely singled, advancing Shirley to second. Harris singled, scoring Shirley and pushing McNeely to second. With runners on first and second, nobody out, down 4-2, the accepted strategy called for a sacrifice bunt. And so Sam Rice bunted on toward 1B, but Del Pratt threw across the diamond to get McNeely at third. Ouch. And more painful when Good Goslin hit a popfly caught by SS Topper Rigney who threw to O'Rourke for a double play.

Detroit picked up a fifth run in the 8th, of off Allen Russell, the legal spit-baller, but it didn't matter much because the Senators could not hit Whithill. Maybe the Detroit run is interesting, because it came from a triple by the great one, himself, Ty Cobb. An infield hit drove him in.

Detroit wins.

In other action, the Browns swept a double-header from Boston, and New York beat the White Sox behind Wait Hoyt.

1. NYY: 65-49
2. DET: 64-49 (1/2 GB)
3. WSH: 62-52 (3 GB)
4. SLB: 60-52 (4 GB, and only 1 GB the Griffs. The "Never say die" Brownies have not given up. A series against the Yankees and the Tigers, and then...)

[alanmiley]

Marberry got the name from an Argentinean boxer, Luis Angel Firpo, who fought Dempsey in 1923.  He got the name because of a supposed physical resemblance.  Reportedly, Marberry hated the name but it stuck with him in the baseball history site.

At least his 1933 Goudey baseball card (#104), calls him "Fred."

[welch]

That Sunday, August 17, the Griffs started Walter Johnson. Another loss, especially to Detroit or the Yankees, would hurt, and 16,000 fans came to cheer.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408170.shtml

Johnson responds as The Big Train. Johnson is 36 years old with more than 5,000 MLB innings on his arm and his legs, so, of course he pitched a 4-hitter against a Detroit team with two of the all-time best hitters. Consider Harry Heilmann, who finished with a lifetime averages of .342, an OPS of .930, and an OPS+ of 148. In retro stats, Heilmann finished with a liferime WAR of 72.2. Yet people often forget Heilmann unless they have read "The Glory of Their Times".  In CF was the player-manager Ty Cobb, wiyh 151.5 WAR, an all-time best BA of .366, .944 OPS, and 168 OPS+.

Detrit Lineup:

1   Bob Jones   3B
2   Frank O'Rourke   2B
3   Ty Cobb   CF
4   Harry Heilmann   RF
5   Al Wingo   LF
6   Del Pratt   1B
7   Topper Rigney   SS
8   Johnny Bassler   C
9   Ed Wells    P    (4-5)

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   (14-6)

The Nationals took a 2-0 lead in the first inning -- a good way to start after their frustration yesterday. Earl McNeely led off with a single and took second on Harris's groundout. After Sam Rice flied out, Goose Goslin crushed a triple to right-center, scoring McNeely. Joe Judge drove in Goose with a single, althopugh Judge was caught trying to steal second.

In the top of the second, Heilmann singled, but was erased on a strike-out / pickoff double play. In the home half, Washington picked up more runs. Ossie Bluege singled, advanced to second on Muddy Ruel's groundout to Del Pratt at 1B, took third on Roger Peckinpaugh's single. Walter Johnson doubled to left-center, scoring Bluege and moving Peck to third. Peckinpaugh and Johnson scored on Earl McNeely's single, 5-0. However, Goose Goslin grounded into a SS-2BN-1B double play.

Johnson mowed down the Tigers each inning, although Heilmann did get a hit in the 5th.

In the bottom of the 8th, Griff's men got three more runs. Ossie Bluege singled and went to third on Muddy Ruel's single.The BPB says that Ruel was through out at first, RF-1B, so maybe Muddy tried to take second and was caught trying to get back to first. It did not help Detroit much, because Peckinpaugh doubled to left, scoring Bluege. Then Walter Johnson singled to score Peckinpasugh. Earl McNeely singled, and Bucky Harris scored Johnson on a single to center: 8-0 Washington.

Detroit picked up a run in the 9th.

Final: 8-1, Washington

The Yankees' Herb Pennock out-dueled Hollis Thurston, 2-1, so the Nationals gained no ground on New York.

1. NYY: 66-49
2. DET: 64-50 (1 1/2 GB)
3. WSH: 63-52 (3 GB)

 

[welch]

Monday, August 18, and the Senator took on the Tigers again, with Washington's Paul Zahniser starting against Detroit's Dutch Leonard.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408180.shtml

Tigers

1   Bob Jones   3B
2   Frank O'Rourke   2B
3   Ty Cobb   CF
4   Harry Heilmann   RF
5   Al Wingo   LF
6   Del Pratt   1B
7   Topper Rigney   SS
8   Johnny Bassler   C
9   Dutch Leonard    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   Paul Zahniser   P

In the third, Topper Rigney walked and Johnny Bassler singled to RF; Rigney took third on the play. Then Dutch Leonard grounded into a double-play, Harris to Peckinpaugh to Judge at first, as Rigney scored. Two outs against Detroit, but they were not done. Bob Jones doubled to left and Frank O'Rourke doubled to right, and Detroit had a second run. Ty Cobb singled on a ball fielded by Bucky Harris, and O'Rourke scored from second. That's another play I would like to have seen. Detroit took a 3-0 lead. Firpo Marberry replaced Zahniser, and got out of the inning when Cobb was thrown out at home after Harris's error.

The pesky Nationals got two runs back in their half of the inning. McNeely walked, and Sam Rice doubled to left-center with two outs. Goslin walked, but Joe Judge, reliable Joe Judge, singled to right,scoring McNeely and Rice. Now Detroit 3, Washington 2, and the slabster Marberry settled.

The Tigers picked up a single and a double in the 4th, but Marberry struck out Bob Jones to leave Rigney and Bassler, the ducks, still on the pond. Washington then tied the score. Muddy Ruel hit a Texas Leaguer to Cobb in CF, but was out trying to stretch his single to a double. Strange base-running by Ruel today. Roger Peckinpaugh doubled to left and took third on Al Wingo's error, and scored on Earl McNeely's single.

Dutch Leonard and Fred Marberry battled until the bottom of the 8th. Then, Joe Judge doubled to right, his second double of the day. Ossie Bluege doubled to left-center, scoring Judge and breaking the tie: 4-3 Washington. Muddy Ruel walked, and Cobb replaced Dutch Leonard with Ken Holloway. And Holloway walked Roger Peckinpaugh to load the bases with one out. Nemo Leibold pinch-hit for Firpo, and Leibold singled to center, scoring Bluege and Ruel. Note that Ruel did not try anything silly. Griffs lead, 6-3.

Allen Russell pitched the 9th, and his spit-ball must have been working just fine. He retired the side in order.

Nats win, 6-3

The Yankees beat the White Sox, 2-0, while the Red Sox beat the Browns, 3-2.

1. NYY: 67-49
2. DET: 64-51 (2 1/2 GB)
3. WSH: 64-52 (still 3 GB...just can't pick up ground on the Yankees)

[welch]

A note on the name of the team from Washington:

- Clark Griffith had named his team the Nationals

- I called them the Senators growing up, because that's what my dad called them. Many Washingtonians called then the Senators, as well. Even the Topps card company couldn't decide, calling our team "Nationals" one year and "Senators" another. Shirley Povich found that fans began calling the (several) teams of the 1880s the Senators, but Povich could not learn why. And he had talked with at least one Washinton baseball pioneer, and with other Washington Post sportswriters.

- Newspapermen in the 1920s often call them "the Griff Men" or "Griff's Men" or, I think, "the Griffs"

- In the 1950s, we always called them "the Nats", short for "Nationals". We continued even when Clark died and his son, Calvin, re-named the team "Senators". That was in 1956.

- I call our team any of these.

By the way, I've read in Hank Thomas's biography of his grandfather, Walter Johnson, that reporters often called pitchers "slabmen" or "slabsters". Sometimes I will, too.

Occasionally, I will mention the lifetime WAR of a significant ballplayer. This is anachronistic, since no one had invented "WAR" in the 1920s. Similar for a pitcher's "game score", which I ignore.

[welch]

Nats need to take the next one. And they did...as George Mogridge pitched a six-hitter that held except for a slip in the later innings. The Griffs win, 4-3.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408191.shtml

Lineups:

Tigers
1   Fred Haney   3B
2   Frank O'Rourke   2B
3   Ty Cobb   CF
4   Harry Heilmann   RF
5   Del Pratt   1B
6   Topper Rigney   SS
7   Al Wingo   LF
8   Johnny Bassler   C
9   Syl Johnson   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   George Mogridge   P

The Nats took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Goose Goslin's inside-the-park home run to left, scoring Earl McNeely. After that, Mogridge continued to cruise through the Detroit lineup, while the Senators threatened but did not score. That changed in the 6th, when Ty Cobb, the great, doubled home Fred Haney and Frank O'Rourke. In the next inning, Topper Rigney doubled to left-center, scoring Del Pratt, and giving Detroit a 3-2 lead.

Looking grim for Washington, but not impossible. And the Griffs tied the score in the 8th on a walk to Joe Judge, a single to CF by Ossie Bluege, Judge taking third. Muddy Ruel singled, driving in Judge. Of all things, George Mogridge led off with a single, Earl McNeely bunted Mogridge to second. Next up, Bucky Harris doubled, scoring Mogridge to win it.

[Five Banners]

Looking grim for Washington, but not impossible.

It’s early

[welch]

It’s early

And they won it! Those scrappy Nats, right? But that was the first game of a double-header, a make-up game for a rain-out on July 8. Now for the regularly scheduled game...

[welch]

Second game of the double-header, August 19, 1924, Nationals against the Tigers.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408192.shtml

Yes, the Griffmen swept the double-header, taking the night-cap 5-3. Southpaw Tom Zachary started for Washington, and went five innings, giving way to relief specialist Allen Russell, one of the remaining spitballers.

Starting Lineups

Tigers

1   Fred Haney   3B
2   Frank O'Rourke   2B
3   Ty Cobb   CF
4   Harry Heilmann   RF
5   Del Pratt   1B
6   Topper Rigney   SS
7   Al Wingo   LF
8   Larry Woodall   C
9   Rip Collins   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

This has become the typical starting lineup for Washington, as McNeely has hit well enough to start in CF, and as Clark Griffith has traded away Doc Prothro, a good hitter but shaky fielder, with Ossie Bluege taking over third.

In the second, Muddy Ruel got the Nationals started with a line-drive triple to CF. Yes, center field was deep at Griffith Stadium.  Roger Peckinpaugh walked: runners at first and third with two outs. But Al Wingo could not handle Tom Zachary's opposite field line-drive to left,  so Muddy scored the game's first run as Peck took third. McNeely singled to Wingo in left, scoring Peckinpaugh, although Zachary was out at home.

Detroit tied the game in the fifth, on Del Pratt's triple to left, an infield hit, and a groundout that scored Pratt. inch-hitter Clyde Manion singled to right, scoring Topper Rigney. 2-2.

In the fifth, Washington got the lead again. Zachary walked, and, of course, McNeely bunted him to second. Bucky Harris singled to Harry Heilmann in right, advancing Zachary to third. First and third, one out. Sam Rice pulled an infield single that was fielded by Frank O'Rourke at second, scoring Zachary. Rice stole second, and Earl Whitehill hit Goose Goslin with a pitch. Reliable Joe Judge singled, scoring Harris. Washington 4, Detroit 2.

In the 6th, Ty Cobb walked and Harry Heilmann triplped, cutting Washington's lead to 4-3. Harris immediately lifted Zachary for Allen Russell, and the old spitballer retired the side.

In the seventh, still leading 4-3, Bucky Harris led off with a single to Wingo in left. Of course, the next batter, Sam Rice bunted Bucky to second. Goose Goslin popped to Rigney at SS, for two outs. Joe Judge singled to Rigney, with Harris taking third...another play I wish I could see because Bucky ran right past Rigney. Then, as Ossie Bluege was at bat, Bucky Harris stole home and Joe Judge stole second. Detroit's pitcher, Earl Whitehill was so flummoxed that he threw the ball awy trying to get Judge, so Joe took third. Unfortunately, Bluege grounded out.

Washington 5, Detroit 3.

Heilmann doubled in the 8th, but Russell got Al Wingo to end the Tiger threat.

1. NYY: 67-49 (did not play)
2. WSH: 66-52 (2 GB)
3. DET: 64-53 (3 1/2 GB)

The Nationals have gotten past Detroit!

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408210.shtml

Clark Griffith's men welcomed the Chicago White Sox to Griffith Stadium on Thursday, August 21. Bucky Harris selected Walter Johnson, hitting .279 with a .699 OPS to hit 9th and, also, to pitch. About 6,000 Washingtonians got to The Stadium.

The Nationals got a run in the second, as Joe Judge walked, was bunted to second, of course, and game home on Roger Peckinpaugh's single to CF. The Chisox got a couple of hits in the 4th, and of course, Eddie Collins, future Hall of Famer with a .333 lifetime average, 124 WAR, .853 OPS, and OPS+ of 142, that Eddie Collins, decided to sacrifice himself on a bunt. Johnson walked Bibb Falk intentionally, and then got Willie Kamm to line to Goose Goslin in left.

Johnson tightened down, giving uo nothing much. And the Griffs got another run in the 7th on Ossie Bluege's single to center and Muddy Ruel's single to left that moved Bluege to second. Then Roger Peckinpaugh singled, driving in Bluege...Old Roger's second RBI of the game.

For reason's not mentioned in the Play-by-play, Harris brought in Firpo Marberry to replace Johnson. Firpo gave up a run in the 9th on a hit-batter, an error, and a sac fly, but that was all. Buck Crouse lined to Joe Judge, who stepped on first for a game-ending double-play.

Joe Judge for Hall of Fame! And, at the very least, for a spot in the Nats Park Ring of Honor.

1. NYY: 67-49 (.578)
2. WSH: 67-52 (.563...1 1/2 GB)
3. DET: 64-53 (.547, 3 1/2 GB)

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408230.shtml

Next game, same score. A big crowd of 12,000 came out for a game on Saturday, August 23, 1924, to see George Mograidge take the slab and hold the White Sox to five hits over nine strong innings.

Starting Lineups

White Sox

1   Johnny Mostil   CF
2   Roy Elsh   RF
3   Eddie Collins   2B
4   Earl Sheely   1B
5   Bibb Falk   LF
6   Willie Kamm   3B
7   Bill Barrett   SS
8   Ray Schalk   C
9   Hollis Thurston   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   George Mogridge   P

Washington took a lead in the first. Earl McNeely led off with an infield hit that SS Bill Barrett threw away, allowing McNeely to take second. Bucky Harris tried to sacrifice on a bunt down the third-base line, but Willie Kamm was having none of it. Kamm threw the ball away on his throw to Earl Sheely at first. Nats lead 1-0. But Chicago got the run right back. In the top of the second, Kamm walked and Barrett doubled to left-center scoring Kamm: 1-1.

In the fifth, McNeely doubled to short CF, and Sam Rice drove him in with a single to right. That was all the scoring, as Mogridge and Chicago's Hollis Thurston pitched well.

1. NYY: 68-50 (.576; Yankees beat the Tiger 8-1)
2. WSH: 68-52 (.567; 1 GB. Somehow the Senators gained a half-game on NYY as they both won?)
3. DET: 65-54 (.556, 3 1/ GB)
4. SLB: 7 GB and falling out of the race

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408210.shtml

 And the Griffs got another run in the 7th on Ossie Bluege's single to center and Muddy Ruel's single to left that moved Bluege to second. Then Roger Peckinpaugh singled, driving in Bluege...Old Roger's second RBI of the game.

If we ever change the name of WNFF to copy Sons of Sam Horn, I suggest "Ossie Can You See Baseball In DC"

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408240.shtml

Washington takes another, behind lefty Tom Zachary, 4-1, scoring runs in the 5th and 6th innings.

Lineups

White Sox

1   Johnny Mostil   CF
2   Roy Elsh   RF
3   Eddie Collins   2B
4   Earl Sheely   1B
5   Bibb Falk   LF
6   Willie Kamm   3B
7   Bill Barrett   SS
8   Ray Schalk   C
9   Charlie Robertson   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

The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Bill Barrett singled and, of course, Ray Schalk sac-bunted Barrett to second. Charlie Robertson singled to left, scoring Barrett.

That was all, although Chicago eventually collected ten hits.

In the bottom of the 5th, Earl McNeely led off with a double to left, and, of course, Bucky Harris tried to sacrifice McNeely to third. Bucky beat out the bunt. Sam Rice walked, loading the basis with no outs. Goose Goslin grounded to Eddie Collins at 2B, and Collins must have tried for a double play. Unfortunately for Collins, Bill Barrett dropped the ball so everyone moved up, including McNeely. He moved up to score. Chicago brought in Ted Lyons to pitch. Joe Judge hit another fieldwer's choice, but Barrett committed another error. This one allowed Harris and Rice to score.

In the 6th, leading 3-1, Washington picked up another run. Roger Peckinpaugh singled, so Zachary tried a sacrifice bunt toward third. Willie Kamm picked up the ball and threw to Eddie Collins at second in time to force Peckinpaugh. McNeely struck outleaving Zachary at first with two out. However, Harris singled and Sam Rice walked, loading the bases. Then Goose Goslin walked, forcing home Zachary with the Nats' 4th run. 4-1, Washington.

In the 7th, Collins and Sheely walked, but Zachary got Willie Kamm to ground into a double play, Ossie Bluege to Bucky Harris to Joe Judge. Then with two outs in the 8th, Chicago got three singles, but Washington threw out Ted Lyons at home, Goslin to Peckinpaugh to Muddy Ruel.

Final score, 4-1, Washington.

1. NYY: 58-51 (.571. Tigers walloped the Yankees, 7-2)
2. WSH: 69-52 (.570, 1 point behind...tie!)
3. DET: 66-54 (.550, 2 1/2 GB)

[welch]

If we ever change the name of WNFF to copy Sons of Sam Horn, I suggest "Ossie Can You See Baseball In DC"

Or "Bucky's Followers". Bucky Harris was managing the Nationals when I went to my first game. That was his third time.

Bluege was added to the RFK Stadium Ring of Stars in 1985, says Wikipedia. Is his name there at Nats Park? Appaently not: https://www.mlb.com/news/nationals-ring-of-honor

[welch]

Having swept the Chicago White Sox, the Nationals, and 7,000 fans, now welcomed the St. Louis Browns to Griffith Stadium. Bucky Harris chose Walter Johnson to extend the welcome, and Johnson shut out the Browns on no hits in seven innings on Monday, August 25, 1924.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408250.shtml

Just a reminder: Griffith Stadium was something like this:

http://www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/GriffithStadium.html#Diag

Lineups:

Browns
1   Jack Tobin   RF
2   Gene Robertson   3B
3   George Sisler   1B
4   Ken Williams   LF
5   Marty McManus   2B
6   Baby Doll Jacobson   CF
7   Hank Severeid   C
8   Wally Gerber   SS
9   Dixie Davis

Note that Baby Doll Jacobson has been dropped to bat sixth.

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

Bucky Harris has settled on his best lineup...McNeely has won the starting CF job; Bluege, Ruel, and Peckinpaugh settled at the bottom of the order.

Start Time Weather: Overcast, Drizzle. The game would be called after seven innings, so the drizzle probably turned into a down-pour.

The Griffs threaten in the second, when Joe Judge doubled to left and, with two outs, Roger Peckinpaugh singled to left. Judge was out at home. But Washington broke through next inning, when Johnson beat out an infield hit that was fielded by 3B Gene Robertson, but not in time to get Walter. Earl McNeely tried to bunt Johnson to second, but popped it up to catcher Hank Severeid. One out. However, Severeid could not handle a pitch to Bucky Harris, and the passed ball allowed Johnson to take second. Harris then struck out. Sam Rice then singled on a ground ball to the SS-3B hole, allowing Johnson to take third. Two outs, Walter Johnson on third and Sam Rice at first. That's two future Hall of Famers on base for future Hall of Famer Goose Goslin at the plate...and Browns pitcher Dixie Davis walked Goslin. Davis then walked Joe Judge, bringing Johnson home. 1-0, Washington.

Washington kept getting hits, but no runs. Johnson, as I mentioned at the top, was pitching a no-hitter. In the seventh, Earl McNeely led off with a single, and, of course, Bucky Harris bunted hiim to second. McNeely scored on Goose Goslin's triple.

And then it rained.

Despite threatening skies, the scheduled twin bill on a Monday afternoon in the nation’s capital drew 7,000 patrons to Griffith Stadium. Johnson had tossed 103 career shutouts, easily the most in big-league history, and came out blazing his famous fastball and his dropping his knee-buckling curveball. Though his control was not what it was in his halcyon days more than a decade earlier, the robust 6-foot-1 hurler from Kansas still had enough heat to lead the AL in punchouts in 1923 for the 11th time in his career. After issuing a one-out free pass to Gene Robertson in the first, the Big Train dispatched the next 19 consecutive batters, though only two by strikeout, before walking dangerous cleanup slugger Ken Williams with two outs in the seventh.

Davis was shaky from the start, but didn’t break. In the second Joe Judge led off by clubbing a double off the right-field wall, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Two batters later, Muddy Ruel blooped a Texas Leaguer to shallow center that might have led to the first run had not Baby Doll Jacobson raced in and slid to make a nifty catch. Roger Peckinpaugh followed with a line-drive single to left-field, but Williams fielded it cleanly and hurled a strike to nail a sliding Judge at home plate.

Johnson helped his own cause in the third by leading off with a single. (Adept with the bat his entire career, Johnson batted .235 and knocked in 255 runs in his career, including 20 twice.) He advanced a station on a passed ball by catcher Hank Severeid and then to third on Sam Rice’s two-out single. Davis’s bugaboo was his control; he had led the AL in walks in 1920 (149) and 1921 (123), and his wildness bit him in this situation. He walked Goose Goslin to load the bases, then walked Judge to push Johnson home, before Ossie Bluege’s grounder forced Judge to end the frame.

Save for Judge’s two-out double in the fifth, there was little action until the fateful seventh. McNeely led off with a single and moved up on Harris’s sacrifice. Rain began falling as Goslin stepped to the plate, but the eventual 1924 American League RBI champion shrugged off the weather and laced a triple down the right-field line to drive in McNeely with the second run of the game.

With the rain still coming down hard as the Browns prepared to bat in the eighth, home-plate umpire Dick Nallin sent both teams off the field. After a 30-minute wait, he called the game, giving the Senators a 2-0 victory in 1 hour and 25 minutes. The second game was also postponed and was rescheduled for the next day as part of a double-header.

SABR: https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-25-1924-the-big-train-tosses-rain-shortened-no-no/

The Yankees beat the Indians, 8-3, so New York continues to lead Washington by .01.

1. NYY: 69-51 (.575)
2. WSH: 70-52 (.574)
3. DET: 66-55 (lost to Boston, 4-3 in 11 innings. Now 3 1/2 GB)

Next for the Nationals: a double header to make up the second game of this expected double header)

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408261.shtml

You can't win them all, even though Washinton has won so many games during this long home-stand. But you will hardly win anything if you only get fives hits, as the Nationals did against Urban Shocker in the first game of the re-scheduled double-header on Tuesday, August 26, 1924. Especially if you have run through you three reliable starting pitchers, they being Walter Johnson, Tom Zachary, and George Mogridge. Forced to start Paul Zahniser, Bucky Harris could only wait until the second game.

Gorgeous George Sisler started this lineup:

Browns

1   Jack Tobin   RF
2   Gene Robertson   3B
3   George Sisler   1B
4   Ken Williams   LF
5   Marty McManus   2B
6   Baby Doll Jacobson   CF
7   Hank Severeid   C
8   Wally Gerber   SS
9   Urban Shocker   P

Harris started his regulars:

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   Paul Zahniser   P

In the first, George Sisler singled, an infield hit, to Peckinpaugh. Then Ken Williams doubled to right, scoring Sisler. The Brownies picked up another run in the second: Baby Doll Jacobson led off with a fly ball to CF Earl McNeely that McNeely missed, allowing Jacobson to reach second. Hank Severeid punched an infield single to the left-side, and Wally Gerber hit a sac fly to Sam Rice, in RF, driving in Jacobson. 2-0, Browns.

It got much worse in the 5th. Jack Tobin doubled and Gene Robertson walked. Ken Williams singled to center, scoring Tobin and moving Robertson to second. With that, Harris had seen enough to pull Zahniser, replacing him with Allen Russell, the old spit-balling relief man. Marty McManus bunted down the first-base line, just as strategy demanded, moving Robertson to third and Williams to second. Then, the Browns pulled off a golden double-steal, as Robertson stole home and Williams moved on to third. Then Jacobson doubled, scoring Ken Williams, making it 5-0, Browns.

The Browns picked up two more runs, this time off of Byron Speece, before the game ended.

The Griffmen prepared for the second game, when Bucky Harris chose to start young Curly Ogden. Going way back to early season, Ogden had pitched for the Athletics against Washington. On May 23, Clark Griffith picked Ogden off of waivers. Now he would start, with Washinigton hoping for the best.

[Natsinpwc]

Beginning to think this could be their year.

[imref]

Beginning to think this could be their year.

i’m convinced the 1924 team today could beat the present day White Sox.

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408262.shtml

Fans filled Griffith Stadium -- at least 22,000 by the beginning of the second game of the double-header. Given that the Stadium only held about 25,000 for baseball, and that many of the seats were behind pillars or more than 400 feet away in the bleachers, they must have had heart, miles and miles and miles of heart.

Starting Lineups:

Browns

1   Jack Tobin   RF
2   Gene Robertson   3B
3   George Sisler   1B
4   Ken Williams   LF
5   Marty McManus   2B
6   Baby Doll Jacobson   CF
7   Hank Severeid   C
8   Wally Gerber   SS
9   Dave Danforth   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   Curly Ogden

The Browns did not get their first hit until the 4th, but could not score. In the home half, Ossie Bluege walked and Muddy Ruel doubled, moving Bluege to third. With no outs, Roger Peckinpaugh hit a fly ball to deep LF -- and remember, it was about 405 down the LF line -- which scored Bluege. Nationals have the lead, 1- 0. In the fifth, Jack Tobin singled and, with two outs, George Sisler doubled to Sam Rice in RF. Ogden walked Ken Williams intentionally, and Marty McManus grounded to Ossie Bluege, who stepped on third for the third out.

St. Louis pitcher Dave Danforth loaded the bases in the fifth, with a walk, a double, and another walk. With one out, Danforth walked in Sam Rice: 2-0 Washington. Muddy Ruel, however, lined to Robertson at 3B for a double play.

In the sixth, Washington scored four runs, to puty the game out of reach. Peckinpaugh walked and Ogden grounded weakly to Marty McManus; Ogden was safe with an infield hit. Earl McNeely bunted, of course, advancing Peckinpaugh and Ogden to third and second, and getting to first, himself, on the play. Bases loaded, nobody out. Bucky Harris popped out to catcher Hank Severeid, but the Griffs were not done. Sam Rice, hitting .321, singled to center, scoring Peckinpaugh and Ogden, Still one out, with McNeely on third and Rice on first, with Goose Goslin at bat. Goose doubled to right, scoring McNeely and advancing Rice to third. Judge bunted, scoring Rice, and the Nats led 6-0.

St. Louis scored two runs in the 7th, but that was not nearly enough.

After the double-header:

1. NYY 69-51 (did not play; .575)
2. WSH: 71-53 (tied)
3. DET: 66-55 (.545, 3 1/2 GB)

There is a chance. And what a chance for Walter Johnson!

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192408270.shtml

St. Louis will not go easily. The Browns won, 8-6, on Wednesday, August 27, reminding the 6,000 fans who attended that the Browns clobbered Griff's men in St. Louis just before this homestand.

Lineups

Browns

1   Jack Tobin   RF
2   Norm McMillan   3B
3   George Sisler   1B
4   Ken Williams   LF
5   Marty McManus   2B
6   Baby Doll Jacobson   CF
7   Wally Gerber   SS
8   Tony Rego      C
9   Elam Vangilder  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   George Mogridge   P

Mogridge was Washington's number 2 or 3 in the rotation. He should have been a good choice and started OK. But in the 5th, Ken Williams and Marty McManus led off with singles. Baby Doll Jacobson hit a long fly that Sam Rice caught near the RF wall for the first out, although Williams took third after the catch. McManus stole second, but Mogridge walked Wally Gerber. Bases loaded, one out. Tony Rego, filling in for Hank Severeid, doubled to Goslin in left, scoring Williams and McManus. Next, Elam Vangilder, the Browns' starting pitcher, singled up the middle, scoring Gerber and Rego. 4-0, Browns.  An ugly start by the Nationals and by Mogridge.

The Senators got a run back in the bottom of the 5th. Ossie Bluege singled, and Muddy Rueled grounded to McManus at second. McManus took the out at first, allowing Bluege to take second. After Peckinpaugh popped out to Norm McMillan at third, Bucky Harris sent up Bennie Tate, the backup catcher, to pinch-hit for Mogridge. Tage came though with a run-scoring single to Jack Tobin in right. 4-1, St. Louis.

Allen Russell took over for Mogridge and Nemo Leibold replaced Goose Goslin in left. Russell gave up a single to George Sisler and then a double to right, but Sisler was out at home: Sam Rice to Roger Peckinpaugh to Muddy Ruel. In the 6th, Rice and Leibold singled, and Bluege singled to score Rice: 4-2 St. Louis.

However, the Browns got two more runs in the seventh when Russell loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. Then Russell walked a run home, the Browns 5th run, and Sisler hit a long fly that scored another run. 6-2 St. Louis

In the bottom of the 8th, after two outs, Bluege and Ruel singled, and Peckinpaugh walked. With the bases loaded, Harris tapped Pinky Hargrave to pinch-hit for Oyster Joe Martina, who had relieved Russell in the top of the inning. Pinky came through with a triple, plating Bluege, Ruel, and Peckinpaugh. The Browns replaced Vangilder with Urban Shocker, and Earl McNeely greated Shocker with a double that scored Hargrave. Score tied at 6.

Dixie Davis replaced Shicker, and Firpo Marberry replaced Martina as the game went to extra innings.

In the top of the 11th, Marberry gave up two runs on a two-out bases loaded single by McManus. There it ended.

The Indians and Yankees split a double header.

1. NYY: 70-52 (.574)
2. WSH: 71-54 (.568, 1/2 GB)
3. DET: 67-56 (.545, 3 1/2 GB)

Next: showdown with the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

[Slateman]

Welp, they're doing fireworks and a bobblehead

[welch]

Welp, they're doing fireworks and a bobblehead

Giving away candy bars named in honor of Babe Ruth, himself. The Babe is currently hitting .408.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA192408280.shtml

The Senators took the train to New York after the loss to the Browns. The Yankees are in reach. Gary Sarnoff, in Team of Destiny, writes that a Washington sportswriter sat beside Bucky Harris on the train. The younger players were excited and confident; older players like Nemo Leibold said something like, "Well be ready". Harris said, "Take away Ruth, and we have a better team. With Ruth, the teams are evenly matched".

Here is Yankee Stadium, from Andy Clem's Baseball:

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


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

Yankees

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


The Yankees got a lead in the second when Wally Pipp (yes, there really was a Wally Pipp) tripled to center and Wally Schang drove him in with a sacrifice fly. In the second inning, Bucky Harris and Sam Rice singled, with Harris going first to third. Goose Goslin singled to Ruth in RF. (And let's remember that Ruth had a strong arm. He came up as a pitcher, billed as "the left-handed Walter Johnson").

In the 4th, Ruth and Bob Meusel hit back-to-back home runs: Ruth to right and Meusel to left. By the way, Bob Meusel has a brother named Emil Frederick Meusel, better known as Irish Meusel, playing across the Harlem River at the Polo Grounds for John McGraw and the Giants. After Wallie Schang and Aaron Ward singled, Bucky Harris put in Allen Russell to put out the fire. Schang promtly tried to steal home...and was thrown out.

In the 5th, Sam Rice singled and Goose Goslin, Washington's own slugger, hit an inside-the-park home run to deep center. That was 490 feet away in 1924 Yankee Stadium. Score tied at 3.

Back and forth. Next inning, Herb Pennock led off with a walk and scored on a sac fly by Meusel. 4-3, New York. The Yankees tacked on two more runs in the 8th, when 3B Joe Dugan singled and Babe Ruth hit his second home run of the game, 6-3 New York.

But then, in the top of the 8th, heading toward "5 O'clock Lightning", it was the Senators who thundered. Ossie Bluegwe led off with a blook single to shot right-center. When Muddy Ruel doubled to right, Miller Huggins replaced Pennock with Milt Gaston. Peckinpaugh grounded out, but Bluege scored. 6-4, New York. Nemo Leibold pinch-hit for Russell, and walked. Then Earl McNeely singled to right, loading the bases with one out. Bucky Harris reached on an error by 3B Joe Dugan, 6-5, NYY. After Sam Rice grounded into a fielder's choice force out at home, Goose Goslin came through again. Goslin tripled on a line drive to deep CF, scoring McNeely, Harris, and Rice. It was 8-6 Washington until Je Judge, next man up singled to right and scored Goslin to make it 9-6. But the Griffs were not done: Bluege and Ruel singled, loading the bases again, so Roger Peckinpaugh singled to left, driving in Judge and Bluege, and making it 11-6, Griffmen.

Firpo Marberry finished the game:

1. WSH: 72-54 (.571)
2. NYY: 70-53 (.569, 1/2 GB)
3. DET: 67-56 (.545, 3 1/2 GB)

[welch]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA192408290.shtml

Next year, Washington lost Game 7 of the World Series with Pittsburgh, as Walter Johnson faltered in the late innings as he pitched with a pulled hamstring during a heavy rainstrom. Johnson had pulled his leg muscle running out a double. AL President Ban Johnson told Bucky Harris, furiously, You were an idiot to start Johnson in a big game when he was hurt. Bucky wrote back, "Ban, if it is Game Seven and you have Walter Johnson, you start Walter Johnson."

This is a big game. Harris started Walter Johnson against the Yankees. Nationals won it, 5-1 in front of 25,000 frustrated fans.

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   Walter Johnson    P

Yankees

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

In the first, Babe Ruth struck out looking. The Griffs demonstrated some hitting themselves, including some power: Goose Goslin singled and Joe Judge tripled to the wall in left-center. about 460 feet from home plate. After Ossie Bluege struck out, Muddy Ruel showed some finesse, rather than raw power, when he bunted up the first base line. Bullet Joe Bush, the Yankee starter, field the bunt and threw to 2B Aaron Ward covering first. They got Muddy, but Judge scored: 2-0, Washington.

But who was Aaron Ward?

With Aaron Ward at second base, the New York Yankees won three consecutive American League pennants from 1921 to 1923. He was a capable hitter, but he drew comparisons with Nap Lajoie, Eddie Collins, and Frankie Frisch for his splendid fielding. “Next to Babe Ruth,” Ward “is the most valuable man” on our team, said Yankees shortstop Everett Scott in 1923.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Aaron-Ward/

Walter Johnson struck out Bob Meusel and Ward the next inning. The Yankees got a couple of singles in the third, one of them to Babe Ruth, but Johnson struck out Meusel again, struck him out looking, to end the inning.

The Yankees loaded the bases with no one out in the fourth, on a pair of walks and a bunt single by Ward. But then, Walter Johnson got Everett Scott of a short fly to LF, as we can imagine Goose Goslin, covering that huge left field and sprinting in to catch the fly and hold Wally Pipp on third. One out. Then Johnson struck out Bullet Joe Bush, who would hit .339 that year, with an OPS of .858. Two out. Then Whitey Witt lined out to Sam Rice in deep RF.

Next inning, Johnson hit Babe Ruth with a pitch, but that was the only excitement. No runs, no hits.

In the 6th, Goose Goslin demonstrated his own power with a home run deep down the RF line, as Ruth could only watch. Making it 3-0, Washington.

In the 7th, Bucky Harris waved Sam Rice over to CF, to swicth Earl McNeely. He had done that before, so there must have beem=n some strategy behind the swap. (Will try to look it up in Gary Sarnoff's book). Again, the Big Train struck out Bob Meusel, looking, to end the inning. Maybe home plate umpire Dick Nallin disliked Meusel, or, more likely, Johnson leaned back to fire the fastball he threw when he was younger.

In the top of the 8th, the Senators piled on two more runs with a two-out rally. Sam Rice pulled a double to right. Goose Goslin drove him in with a single to right, and took second on Babe Ruth's throw home. Ruth added to that by dropping Joe Judge's flyball, allowing Goslin to score: 5-0, Washington.

In the 8th, the Yankees finally got a run as Pipp walked and took second on Wally Pipp's groundout back to Johnson. Johnson took the grounder off of his pitching hand and threw to Judge at first, but then dropped to his knees. Gary writes that players from both teams gathered around Johnson. Harris decided to replace Walter Johnson with Firpo Marberry, and the entire Yankee Stadium crowd rose their feet: a standing ovation for the Big Train. Ernie Johnson, pinch-hitting for Bush, singled. And that was it. The Yankees went three up, three down in the 9th.

1. WSH: 73-54 (.575)
2. NYY: 70-54 (.565, and 1 1/2 GB)
3. DET: 67-58 (.535 and 5 GB)