- MATTY OUTPITCHES SALLEE BUT LOSES TO “DOTS” MILLER!
- Timely Single and a Wonderful Fielding Play by Cards’ First Sacker Helps Locals Beat Giants.
May 24, 1914 Age 23
By W. J. O’Connor. St Louis Post Dispatch
Old Ironsides Mathewson, daddy of ’em all, yielded after a bitter struggle, to Harry Sallee, 4-3, in the third game of the current series between the Giants and Cardinals at Robison Field, yesterday afternoon.
It was a free-hitting battle with two of the most erudite athletes of the noble profession opposing each other on the hurling hill. They do say, those ballyard gossips, that Old Ironsides has arms like Venus de Milo. He pitches with his head, ’tis said, since his right-arm withered away.
If this is true, if it is a fact that Matty “thinks” his way to victory, we earnestly suggest that the arms of every Cardinal pitcher forthwith be cut off and an operation performed on their beans.
Matty had lots of stuff yesterday, a fast ball and a fadeaway and control that was almost uncanny. Indeed, he outpitched Sallee, 8 hits to 11, one pass to three, and one strikeout against one. But Matty didn’t get the support that the Cards afforded their “Old Master” so he bit the dust for the second time this season. He had won five in a row.
Vying with Sallee for honors in the local camp was Jack Miller, who speared Stock’s liner on the wing in the eighth inning and completed, unassisted, a double play that effaced a Giant rally. Jack also prodded a single in the early rounds that consigned a run to the plate and that run could be taken as the one which represented the Cardinal margin of victory at the close.
The breaks were with the Cardinals. But to the credit of Hug’s men it must be said that they fought hard and punished Matty unmercifully when they had him on the ropes.
Hug’s men concentrated their attack in the early rounds and it was well that they did. After the third inning, Matty yielded only two hits and only two men reached third base. But in the second and third innings there was a break in the Giant defense and the Cardinals pounded away until they had amassed enough runs to carry them through the periods when Sallee tottered and almost fell.
Stock Out at Plate.
A double by Merkle, a bounder that cleared Dolan’s bean and rolled off into foul territory, developed into a Giant run in the second inning. Cruise’s return to the infield was fumbled by Beck and Merkle rested on third. Doyle’s sacrifice fly to Magee brought him home. A subsequent double by Stock and his steal of third was wasted when Sallee cut him down at the plate on an attempted steal. The Cardinals went after Matty in their half of the second. Miller gone, Wilson singled sharply to right. Cruise raised to Bescher for the second out, whereupon Wilson made a clean steal of second. Wingo, who supplanted Snyder, injured In this inning, then broke off what appeared to be a line single to center. Bescher started late, tripped and fell and the ball went to the fence for a home run. Wilson scored ahead of Wingo.
Cards Work Double Steal.
In the next round the Cardinal rallied after two were out and tacked on two more runs. Sallee and Hug died easily before Magee salted a single in center. Dolan caught the hit-and-run sign and delivered a single to right, Magee high-tailing for third. A double steal went through, Doyle muffing Meyers’ short throw, Magee scoring. Dolan rested at second until Jack Miller whipped a single lo center, letting Cozy come home.
Sallee went along swimmingly until the sixth. Burns bounced a triple off the right field fence to start this inning and scored on Doyle’s out, Beck to Miller. Merkle mauled a triple to center and scored on Snodgrass’ single. Wingo then flagged Snodgrass on a steal just before Stock singled. Meyers rang down the curtain with a strike-out.
Ivy Wingo Flags runners at Crucial Periods; His Homer Nets Two Runs
IVEY WINGO, the Titian-haired tenor from Norcross, S. C, broke into the score box in the second inning after Frank Snyder was spiked in the knee by Milton Stock, and proved a militant factor in bringing home the Cardinal bacon.
His home-run drive in the second netted two runs, but his defensive work was more praiseworthy. He flagged Larry Doyle on an attempted steal in the fourth. A minute later Snodgrass singled. Doyle, had he made second, would have scored on the drive.
In the sixth, after the Giants had scored two runs, Wingo turned Snodgrass back on an attempted steal. Then Stock singled. It would have scored Snodgrass from the keystone station.
The Cardinals were more fortunate on the tow-paths, stealing three bases, two of which came in a double-headed theft, netting a run. Chief Meyers is said to be notoriously weak on blocking the two-play steal but it was not altogether his fault. Doyle dropped a short throw making it possible for Magee to score standing up.
Grandstand managers questioned Mathewson’s judgment in letting Wingo hit in the second inning. With two out and Beck next up, they thought it better policy to pass the Cardinal catcher. It was in this inning that Ivey delivered a home run. Beck didn’t get a hit off Big Six.
With Stock on first in the sixth inning, Meyers up and Dyer next, Sallee got himself In the hole, three balls and one strike. Then he curved one over the outside corner for a called strike. Meyers looked to the bench and evidently got the “office” from McGraw to hit the next ball. He swung at a wide one and missed. McGraw probably figured Meyers to be his best hitter and wanted him to die swinging.
There were two sensational plays in the eighth that saved Sallee’s neck. Beck, from deep short, whipped out Merkle with the greatest throw of the game. Then Snodgrass singled, his third successive blow. Stock’s shot at Miller had all the earmarks of a triple, but Jack jumped and speared the ball with his gloved fin. Snodgrass was rounding second and a double play was easy. The crowd cheered for a full minute.
It’s getting to be a habit for the Cardinals to conquer a star pitcher on Saturday. A week ago Willie Doak subjugated Alexander and the hard-hitting Phils, 1-0. Yesterday Mathewson fell, 4-3. Pretty soft for Sky Britton. Big crowds on Sunday.
Anybody who thinks Jim Thorpe can’t run is ready for the squirrels. Jim appeared in lieu of Grant in the ninth and wheeled a single over second. He went to first In “nothing flat.” Murray, hitting for Matty, popped to Magee while Bescher forced Thorpe. Lovely billiards!
For the final with the Giants, Hug will use John Henry Robinson, a southpaw. McGraw may use Tesreau, the Ozark Bear, in hope of getting an even break. Today’s game at 3 o’clock.
Frank Snyder’s injury isn’t serious, physicians say, but he will be out for probably a week. He suffered a three-inch cut just above his knee.