Yanks Clinch Season Against Red Sox!

Late surge makes 1936 Champs victorious once again.

The 1936 Yankees won the AL pennant by 19 1/2 games. THe 1915 Red Sox managed to split the first 68 games of the schedule, and were able to climb to within four as late as the 140th game. So the 1915 World Champions should take some pride and some solace in what they have accomplished.

"We let them get away from us in mid-season," Manager Bill 'Rough' Carrigan. "They adapted well to the 'dead-ball' 1915 style baseball we played back then. They adapted way better than I thought they would. I thought all those long fly-ball outs they were hitting might frustrated them. They were able to change their game plan on the fly... against the finest pitching staff - ours - I've ever seen. I give them a lot of credit. And of course, I am proud of our boys as well."

Indeed, Bill Carrigan's assessment is spot on. Only one Yankee cracked double figures in home runs... Lou Gehrig with 13. Only two drove in 100... Gehrig (114) and DiMaggio (105) against the 1915 Sox, while five had done so against the American League in 1936. And Carrigan was justifiably proud of 'his boys'. Duffy Lewis managed to hang onto his overall RBI title, edging the great Gehrig with 115 RBI. Tris Speaker led all the Boston regulars with a .326 average against an underrated Yankee pitching staff. We say 'regulars' because Speaker's .326 average trails the .333 compiled by the rookie wonderkind from Baltimore, George Herman Ruth, Jr.

"Beaten out by a rookie pitcher!" Tris grins. It is pointed out that Ruth wouldn't be eligible for any batting titles because of his limited plate appearances. "Yeah, but he also led us in home runs (Ruth had five, with 19 RBI)! Heck, he'd be third on the Yankees! And those boys can hit some long ones!"

"You talking about that big sonofagun again?"
"Hello Lefty!" Speaker and Lefty Gomez shake hands. "It hurts like hell, Lefty. But congratulations. And yeah, we were talking about that kid Ruth... although Carrigan is right. He ain't a kid no more. He grew up a lot in 1915. And he showed it plenty here."
"Sure did, Tex! He may act kinda goofy once in a while... but he's got fire. He wants to win, and he's got the goods to do something about it."

Finally the young southpaw everyone is talking about happens by.
"Babe!" yells Lefty Gomez. "Get over here!" George Ruth turns and approaches. "Helluva year, Babe!" The two lefties shake hands.
"My sentiments exactly..." agrees Tris Speaker. "You're a heckuva pitcher and a heckuva hitter, young fellow! You're gonna leave a mark in this game."
"Yeah... black-and-blue marks!" pipes Lefty Gomez. "All over American League pitchers. Can you play the outfield?" Ruth shrugs.
"I guess I could play anywhere. Except center when Tris is around."
"You can play the outfield with me any time, Babe. I'd rather watch your drives from the dugout than chase them!" The Babe, still disappointed with the way the season ends, manages a grin.
"Thanks, Tris. One thing I like about pitching with the Sox is looking around and seeing you backing me up in the outfield. Always feel like I got a shot at winning when I see you in center... and Lewis and Hooper on either side."
"I'm getting that way with DiMaggio," nods Lefty Gomez.
"He's a heck of a rookie." Speaker agrees. "Doesn't play like one. Not scared one bit."
"Hard to pitch to." adds young George Ruth. "But fun to pitch to. I like pitching to the tough ones... the ones that swing like they wan to kill you."
"You handled us really good, Babe!" says Lefty. You got nothing to hang your head about."
"Thanks, Lefty. I wouldn't mind doing it again."
Me too, son. Like I said all year long, you're a good pitcher. And you're only gonna get better. But I gotta warn you. If you play us again, some of our guys will get better too."
"Like Joe?"
"Like Joe." nods Lefty.
154 Games. 1936 New York Yankees - 82-72. 1915 Boston Red Sox - 72-82.

New York:
George Selkirk - 8 HR 82 RBI .250 BA, .327 SA
Lou Gehrig - 13 HR 114 RBI .296 BA, .428 SA
Joe DiMaggio - 7 HR 105 RBI .312 BA, .426 SA
Bill Dickey - 8 HR 94 RBI .339 BA, .441 SA

Boston:
Tris Speaker - 24 2B 83 RBI .327 BA, .399 SA
Babe Ruth - 5 HR 19 RBI .333 BA, .639 SA
Babe Ruth - 15-12, 2.81 ERA, 221 innings.
Duffy Lewis 114 RBI.

Gehrig's Slam beats Ruth's Sox! (Game 23)

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.

1915 Red Sox vs 1936 Yankees (Game 3)

Boston's Fenway Park, 1915.
Lefty Gomez squares off against lefty rookie Ruth.

Yankee starter Vernon 'Lefty' Gomez walks out onto the field. Both squads are casually loosening up... tossing baseballs here, smacking fungoes there... guys cracking jokes in the midday New England springtime sun. It's Lefty's 7th season with the big club. He knows his routine before a start... knows how to pace himself. He intends to go nine. And he intends to win. He stretches and limbers up slowly and looks around. He says to no one in particular...
"I know this is Fenway. But it don't look like any Fenway I've ever seen!"
"I'm thinking the same thing..." Lefty turns to his right and sees the tall youngster from San Francisco, rookie Joe DiMaggio.
"Don't be sneaking up on me like that!" Gomez retorts.
"Sorry." Young Joe grins. So does Lefty. "But seriously Lefty, look at that left field! It's banked. And look at centerfield. It's enormous. Huge."
"Just about five hundred to the deepest part!" Comes another voice with a Texas drawl.
"Hello, Tristam!" Barks Gomez. "Tristam. Want you to meet my newest project... Joseph P. DiMaggio. He runs down all of my mistakes, and hits everybody elses!"
Joe extends a hand and Tris Speaker shakes it.
"Glad to meet you son." Tris nods. "Like the way you stand up there at the plate. All business. No bull."
"Thanks, Mr. Speaker." Answers Joe quietly.
"Tris! Call me Tris." Joe nods respectfully. Tris continues. "How you feelin' today Lefty? Gonna go nine?"
"Well, Tris... with these fences being so deep and all..." Lefty looks around. "I might stand a chance."
"We're starting a southpaw today too... big kid from Baltimore. George Ruth."
"Heard about him." Nods Gomez.
"He's some piece of work." Continues Speaker. "Swings his bat harder than he throws his fastball. And he has a real good fastball. Gets wild sometimes. Better stay loose." Gomez glares at Speaker with mock suspicion.
"Saaaaay, Tristam! Are you trying to coach us, or scare us." Speaker winks and grins. He shrugs his shoulders.
"He's big as a water buffalo, about as strong... and he's only twenty. I guess I'm coaching you." Tris grins again. "So stay loose!"

The Red Sox and Yanks have split the first two games of the brand new season. Now, with Game three about to begin, the Red Sox rookie southpaw George "Babe" Ruth indeed walks out and takes the mound and the ball. He begins to toss warm-ups to catcher Forrest Cady. After only five he signals to Cady he's ready. Cady whips the ball to third baseman Larry Gardner, who sends it around the infield... Everett Scott... Jack Barry... Dick Hoblitzell. Rookie Ruth walks around the mound and looks at his outfielders... Duffy Lewis, Tris Speaker and Harry Hooper... considered by many the best defensive outfield yet to take the field. Ruth takes a deep breath as Hoblitzell tosses him the ball. Ruth snags it, rubs it up, and walks up the mound. Umpire Bill Klem dusts off the plate one final time as Frankie Crosetti, the Yankee shortstop, gets ready to dig in.

Ruth peers in for the signal from Cady. Crosetti sets himself in the right-hand batters' box. Ruth grins, then wheels and fires. It's a high hard one... very high. It sails over Cady's mitt... over the right shoulder of umpire Klem, and clear to the backstop, where it clangs against a support beam. Ball One! The ball rebounds near Cady, who picks it up and fires it back to Ruth. Ruth walks back up and toes the rubber. He nods, winds, and a fires another high, hard one. Crosetti's eyes widen as the ball nears his neck... and he quickly bails out. The ball sails inside and Cady leaps up again to snag it.

"SETTLE DOWN!" Yells Cady as he flips the ball back to Ruth. But then he winks. Ruth turns to face the outfield and rubs up the ball. Crosetti and Klem cannot see him grin. Ruth turns back around, slams the ball into his glove in mock anger, and toes the rubber. Two-and-oh. Ruth winds and 'fires' a dandy of a change-up. Crosetti swings. And audible crack is heard around the park as Crosetti's bat shatters. Jack Barry scoops up the easy grounder and tosses it to first in plenty of time to get Crosetti at first. And the game is underway.

In the Yankee dugout Lefty Gomez quietly muses. "Well I'll be damned..."

Top of the fifth. No score. Rookie Ruth winds and fires a fastball. "Stee-rike!" bellows Bill Klem. Rookie DiMaggio, in the righty batters' box, doesn't move. Ruth takes the ball back, wheels, and fires again... a dandy of a curve ball, breaking sharply down and in. Until rookie DiMaggio swings and connects. The ball sails like a rocket, far past the centerfielder Tris Speaker. He gives chase as DiMaggio lopes around the Fenway basepaths, gliding into third standing up before the ball is finally retrieved from the deepest caverns of centerfield. Rookie George Ruth, backing up behind third base, takes the ball from Larry Gardner. As he passes rookie DiMaggio, he says "Nice hit, Kid!" DiMaggio, a bit surprised, stammers. "Thanks..."
Ruth toes the rubber and faces another challenge. No rookire this time, but instead the great Lou Gehrig. Like DiMaggio, Gehrig squares himself in the batters' box with little fanfare or fuss. Only Lou, of course, swings from the left side. And he swings at rookie Ruth's first offering, a shoulder high fastball thAt might be a strike... might be a ball. Gehrig connects, and there is no doubt about the fate of Ruth's pitch -KER-RACK! The ball rockets toward deepest right-center. Speaker and right-fielder Harry Hooper give chase. But they quickly see the futility in doing so. It's well over 400 to the right-center field fence, but the ball quickly sails far over it and into the crowded bleachers. Gehrig circles the bases as Ruth kicks at the ground with his spikes. He calls for a new ball from umpire Bill Klem, just as Gehrig dents the plate with spikes of his own. New York draws first blood, 2-0.

Bottom of the fifth. One on. No one out. Lefty Gomez is in control. Up to the plate comes rookie George 'Babe' Ruth. The Babe has already struck out. With batterymate Forrset Cady on first, Ruth might bunt him over and let the top of the order try to bring him in.
"You buntin', kid?" Gomez yells from the mound. Ruth, standing in the lefty batters' box, flashes a slightly startled grin. Lefty stretches, and fires. Ruth squares, but doesn't offer. "BALL ONE!" bellows Bill Klem. Gomez retrieves the ball from catcher Bill Dickey. He stretches and fires again. The ball is high and away... tough to bunt. But Ruth isn't bunting.
KER-RACK! The ball soars far past rookie Yankee centerfielder Joe DiMaggio, who like his counterpart Tris Speaker, gives chase. Ruth rounds first and heads for second. DiMaggio picks up the ball in deepest center and fires a strong strike to Crosetti at deep short. Ruth cruises into second as Cady crosses the plate. Yankees 2, Sox 1. Two outs later, Tris Speaker himself comes to the plate. He picks out a pitch from Gomez and lines a single past Gehrig into right field. Rookie Ruth round third and scores easily. And just like that, he is back even, 2-2.

Seventh inning. The game is still knotted 2-2. Larry Gardner is on first. Two out. And up comes the rookie Ruth again. This time the question isn't whether Ruth is bunting, but whether he is hitting at all. Eyes look to the Boston dugout. But Bill "Rough" Carrigan is poker faced. He makes no move of any sort. And the kid from Baltimore digs in.

"You buntin' kid?" Gomez again hollers from the mound. Ruth grins again. From the Yankee dugout booms manager Marsh Joe McCarthy. "Quit kiddin' Lefty, dammit!" Lefty yells back. "Who's kidding? Don't you want him to bunt, too?" McCarthy shakes his head. Gomez goes into his stretch and fires a fastball. STEEE-RRRIIIKE!" Lefty gets the ball back. Now he quips with the umpire, Bill Klem. "You sure about that, Bill?" Even Klem finds it hard to suppress a grin. Catcher Dickey shakes his head. "No, Bill!" Yells Gomez. "YOU give the signs! I shake 'em off!" Dickey shrugs and puts down a sign. Gomez nods and fires. A dandy of a slow curve. Rookie Ruth hitches, waits, and swings. KERR-ACKK! "Dammit!" snaps Gomez. DiMaggio takes a couple steps toward right-center field, but slows quickly and puts his hands on his hips. Right fielder George Selkirk takes a few more steps, but he also quickly sizes things up. The ball flies over the fence, over the fans, and over the bleachers. Gardner and Ruth trot around the bases and homeward, giving Boston a 4-2 lead.

And it's a lead the lefty from Baltimore does not relinquish. The young kid, nicknamed 'Dunnie's Babe' as a protege of Baltimore Oriole skipper Jack Dunn in 1914, singles in the eighth and scores ahead of Tris Speaker for the second time. The final score: Boston 6, New York 2. Dunnie's Babe wins his first game of the season, goes three-for-four with a double, a homer, and three RBI. Not a bad opener against a powerful New York line-up.