- Faced 10 batters in front of 15,000 fans
- 2 innings, 4 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO. No Decision.
September 2, 1912 Age 21
By Jack Ryder The Cincinnati Enquirer
It was the first time this year that the team has been able to get through a double bill without losing at least one game. Hence, great rejoicing among the 15,000 bugs who observed the show.
Manager Hank O’Day, hard up for slabbers, tried out both Doak and Donalds, but finally had to fall back on the faithful Rube Benton to cinch the contest. The Pirates knocked the two Red youngsters out of the box in short order, but their support was so clever that only a comparatively few runs were scored and Rube came to the rescue in plenty of time to save the day. Out of 17 hits for a total of 21 bases, the Pirates got only six runs, owing to the good control of the recruits and the brilliant fielding behind them. The score of this contest was 11 to 6.
Clarke’s Open-Air Dressing-Room
Injected into the pastime was a bit of comedy which kept the fans laughing for many moments. They were feeling pretty good, anyway, for the Reds had one game sewed up and the second well-stitched, when Hans (Honus) Wagner, who overlooks nothing, insisted that Tom Clarke was not properly dressed to take part in the pastime. It was in the sixth inning of the second game. Johnny Bates had just driven in two runs with a hard single past first, advancing Long Larry to second. In order to get more speed on the bases, Manager O’Day ordered Jimmy Esmond to take Bates’ place at first and Tom Clarke to go to second in place of Larry. These -changes were made when the observant Wagner discovered that Tom Clarke had on a plain white shirt, without the letter “C” on the sleeves. Minus this letter it was not a uniform shirt, as the rules state that all players must wear suits alike. It was just a private shirt, well-fitted to display the manly form of Mr. Clarke, but not suited for a man engaged in conflict with the with the dressy Pirates. So as soon as Tom had relieved Larry at second and the big fellow had walked off the bag, Hans called for the ball and touched Larry with it, as he was walking off the field. The Dutchman claimed a put-out on the grounds that Larry had not been properly relieved at second base, since Clarke was not in regular uniform and was therefore ineligible to play in the game. Hans said it was the same as if the grounds-keeper had gone down to second and tried to run for Larry. The umpires refused to allow this claim, but Manager O’Day, who is some dresser himself and was much pained to think that the sartorial style of his team should be attacked by a man like Wagner, who never had his trousers pressed in his life, at once sent a player out with Clarke’s uniform shirt. In order that there might be no further argument, Tom hastily donned the garment over his other shirt. It was a novelty to Tom to be dressing in the presence of 15,000 folks, many of them of the tender sex, and he displayed none of the awkwardness and embarrassment in getting into the new rigging, but did so without accident and the game went on. Wagner still claimed that Clarke had no right out there, and wandered from one umpire to another for a long time, urging his case, but without effect. Clarke eventually scored his run, carrying his uniform shirt over the plate with an air of modest pride. Wagner said it was illegal and continued his claim to the finish, but could get no sympathy from any others than the Pirates themselves, many of whom did not know what the row was all about.
The Second Game of the Double-Header
Here was a different affair. Hank presented Pitcher Doak, who arrived, in the morning from Akron. Clarke depended on King Cole, whose appearance is no longer regal. Cole lasted the entire game just because Fred let him do so. Doak was run out in two innings and Donalds, the Portsmouth recruit, who succeeded him, lasted only four. Wagner’s hitting was a feature, as was his fielding.
The Pirates out-hit the Reds, but good support of the kid pitchers kept them from scoring frequently enough to cop.
Doak opened by passing Byrne, who stole and scored on a hit by Hofman, who had a big day at the bat.
Doak’s 1st inning:
- Byrne, 3b – base on balls, stolen base
- Donlin, lf – out
- Hofman, cf – base hit, RBI
- Hendrix, cf – out
- Honus Wagner, ss – out
Doak’s 2nd inning:
- Miller, 1b – single
- Wilson, rf – single
- Butler, 2b – out
- Simon, c – single, RBI
- Cole, p – out
- Byrne, 3b – out
Doak relieved by Donalds, who got the win
Cincinnati was 26 games behind the Giants with a month to play.
Doak’s First Major League Box Score
