The 1915 Boston Red Sox and the 1936 New York Yankees have split the first twenty games of this mythical championship season.
The Bronx Bombers have not enjoyed their usual offensive success. But then again, they are facing a pitching staff so stellar, that rookie Babe Ruth, an 18-8 pitcher that year, was not given a start in the actual 1915 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
But here in 1915-1936, Bill Carrigan is making good use of his strong left-hander. Coming into game number 23, the Baltimore Babe is 3-1, with a 2.70 ERA. Moreover, he's hitting .500 and slugging 1.000, with one homer and 4 RBI. Left-fielder Duffy Lewis is expertly patrolling that 'banked' left field (which came to be known as Duffy's Cliff), and leading both teams with 17 RBI. Tris Speaker is off to a good start, enjoying life in the .330's. His 13 RBI are second on the Red Sox and tied with Twinkletoes George Selkirk, who leads the Yanks.
With the two teams knotted at 10 wins, they open a 5-game set at Fenway, which in 1915 is opening its fourth year of operation. Yankee rookie Joe DiMaggio's three hits and four ribbies pace the Yanks and ace right-hander Red Ruffing to a 5-2 win. The Yanks take the next one too, with Bill Dickey going 4-4 and knocking in two. Dickey is hitting well over .400, wisely using the entire field instead of trying to overpower a 440 foot fenway power alley.
Game 23 pits the two southpaws Ruth and Gomez... rookie and veteran, a rematch of game three where the youngster homered and prevailed. This time the outcome is different though. Lefty Gomez has something special working for him today... or rather, someone special, in the form of one Henry Louis Gehrig.
Gehrig is off to a slow start, stuck in the .260s with only 10 RBI. But in game 23, Columbia Lou cracks two tremendous drives that shrink even the enormous Fenway park of 1915... both Home Runs clear the 488 foot center field barrier at a height of 20-30 feet. The second shot, a grand slam in the 7th frame, wins the game for the Bombers, 6-4. Grand slams are a Gehrig specialty, of course. More than 80 years after Gehrig's retirement, his 23 bases-loaded bombs are still the all-time record. Lou's 5 RBI are half of his season total for the first 22 games!
The fatal 7th frame starts well for Boston's young, strong southpaw. He fans Red Rolfe and Lefty Gomez. Frank Crosetti then breaks a bat on a tailing fastball, looping a single into short right. Jake Powell then hits a room service grounder to SS Everett Scott. Everett scoops up the ball but then tosses it wildly to first, allowing Powell to reach on the error. Ruth should be out of the inning with a 4-2 lead. Instead, a groundball single to left from George Selkirk brings up Gehrig. With the bases loaded, Ruth challenges the Iron Horse, who drives a shoulder-high fastball so far and so high to center that Tris Speaker does not turn around to look. The score is suddenly 6-4 in favor of New York, and that's how it remains.
"Tough inning, Babe. You pitched well."
"Not well enough."
"Four unearned runs..."
"Nah... don't put that on the Deacon," said the young hurler. "I gave up three hits. Two came after the error. That's me, not Ev. Ev is who I want behind me at short."
"That's might magnanimous of you, Babe." Babe grins for the first time.
"Thanks... whatever that means."
"It means nice."
"Oh! I just say 'nice'. But anyway, Scott never bitches when I walk the bases loaded. So I can't complain if he throws one wild."
"Believe it or not, Babe, you did strike out the side!"
(Editors note: after Gehrig's grand slam, the Babe struck out Yankees rookie Joe DiMaggio.)
"Yeah... goes to show you strikeouts are overrated. I will say this... that damned Dutchman can hit! He hit two off of me that must be going. You gotta be strong to hit it out of this place... especially in centerfield!"
"You're taking the loss well."
"Look. I hate losing. But you can't let it eat your guts out. Those New York boys look pretty good. But we're good too. We'll be back tomorrow."
Editor's footnote: By 1936 Lou Gehrig had long since become baseball's all time Iron Man when he played in his record 1308th consecutive game. The man whose record 1307 games Gehrig surpassed was shortstop Everett 'Deacon' Scott, who won several pennants with both the Red Sox and the Yankees.
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