GAME 1
GROVE 4-HITS PLAGUE, HARLEM DRAWS FIRST BLOOD 7-0
HARLEM, NY (AP): The St. Louis Bubonic Plague and Harlem Knights renewed their budding rivalry, this time on the
DBS' biggest stage, the 1930 World Series. Harlem starter Lefty Grove dominated the Plague in the opening game,
leading the Knights to a 7-0 victory. Grove scattered four hits in the complete game shutout giving Harlem the
early series advantage 1-0.
The pre-game festivities were awash with pomp and circumstance, unseen in Harlem since the start of
Prohibition. Although the country is currently in a Depression resulting from last October's stock market crash,
depression was nowhere to be found in Harlem.
The rambunctious crowd was a virtual �who-who� in the DBS, as sighted at the game were Montgomery's Waner
brothers, (Lloyd & Paul), Sahara's Sam Rice and Hershey's Charlie Gehringer. Also introduced especially for
the World Series by Harlem vendors were something called Hostess Twinkies.�
Made by the Continental Baking Company, the little sponge cakes were initially used for strawberry shortcakes;
they are now filled with sugary cream. According to CEO, James A. Dewar, a sign in St. Louis advertising �Twinkle
Toes Shoes� inspired him to call the cakes Twinkies. Early unconfirmed reports had Babe Ruth buying a case of
Twinkies for the Series.
Also in Harlem to deliver the National Anthem was singer Hoagy Carmichael, who currently has the #1 hit in the
country with �Georgia on My Mind.� Mr. Carmichael was joined at the pitcher's mound by New York governor Franklin
D. Roosevlet, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
With the festivities concluded, Grove and St. Louis starter Bill Hallahan proceeded to shut down opposing batters
with impressive fastball pitching. However, Grove was more accurate than his counterpart, as Hallahan walked four
batters over the first three innings.
Hallahan's strong heater allowed him to escape major damage early. Harlem leadoff batter Buddy Myer walked to lead
off the game, and moved to third when Babe Ruth doubled with one out. MVP candidate Chuck Klein then grounded to St.
Louis first baseman Jimmie Foxx who spotted Myer streaking home on the play. Foxx alertly fired to catcher Jimmie
Wilson who tagged the sliding Myer for the second out of the inning. Carl Reynolds then bounced a harmless grounder
to short to end the inning.
However, Hallahan earned his �Wild Bill� monicker. In the bottom of the third inning, two walks and a single loaded
the bases with one out. Again, Klein came up looking to do some major damage. Klein walked on a close 3-2 pitch that
drew complaints from the St. Louis dugout. Hallahan then retired the next two batters and the Knights lead 1-0.
St. Louis' best scoring opportunity came just an inning later. With two out in the top of the fourth, Jimmie
Foxx singled and moved to second on a walk to Al Simmons. Grove then induced Dick Porter to ground to second baseman
Buddy Myer who ended the threat with an easy throw to first.
Tensions between the two squads remained in check until the bottom of the fifth. With Babe Ruth leading off
the inning, Hallahan threw an inside pitch to Babe Ruth that plunked the Bambino on the right shoulder. Visions of
the Al Simmons' incident in early-September flashed through the minds of both teams as Ruth had some words for
Hallahan as he walked to first. Several players on both teams made it to the top steps of their respective dugouts,
but cooler heads prevailed. Hallahan and both dugouts were warned by the umpiring crew, and from that point on,
there were no further incidents.
The incident seemed to inspire the Knights an inning later. Hallahan loaded the bases again with a pair of
walks after George Kelly led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. At this point, rookie pitcher Sloppy
Thurston, coming off an excellent 1930, relieved Hallahan. Thurston promptly gave up singles to Joe Cronin and Babe
Ruth scoring a pair of runs and raising the Knight lead to 3-0.
In the bottom of the eighth, Thurston tired, and the Knights capitalized. Myer, who walked four times in the
game, led off the inning with a free pass and was followed on the bases by Joe Cronin, who also walked. Babe Ruth
infuriated the St. Louis dugout by bunting both runners over. Apparently, the Plague didn't appreciate the maneuver,
and it seemed to rattle Thurston especially. Chuck Klein followed with a two-run double and Carl Reynolds blasted a
home run to dead center to close the scoring at 7-0.
Grove, meanwhile, was magnificent. He only allowed five Plague baserunners, and only twice did St. Louis
manage to move them into scoring position. He struck out six anxious Plague hitters, but was helped by the elements.
The wind was blowing in at Harlem Field, which allowed several drives to die at the warning track.
With tensions running at an all-time high between two teams that simply do not like each other, the DBS world
anxiously awaits Game Two.
| ST LOUIS | AB | R |
H | RBI |
HARLEM | AB | R |
H | RBI |
|---|
| Combs, cf | 4 | 0 |
1 | 0 |
Myer, 2b | 1 | 2 |
1 | 0 |
| Hodapp, 2b | 4 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
Cronin, ss | 4 | 1 |
2 | 1 |
| Simmons, lf | 4 | 0 |
1 | 0 |
Ruth, rf | 3 | 0 |
2 | 1 |
| Foxx, 1b | 3 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
Klein, cf | 4 | 1 |
1 | 3 |
| Porter, rf | 3 | 0 |
1 | 0 |
Reynolds, lf | 5 | 1 |
1 | 2 |
| Lazzeri, 3b | 3 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
Dickey, c | 5 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| Wilson, c | 3 | 0 |
1 | 0 |
Kelly, 1b | 4 | 1 |
1 | 0 |
| Gelbert, ss | 3 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
Stripp, 3b | 3 | 1 |
1 | 0 |
| Hallahan, p | 2 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
Grove, p | 4 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| Thurston, p | 1 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| | |
| |
| Liska | 0 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| | |
| |
| | | | |
| | |
| |
| TOTAL | 30 | 0 |
4 | 0 |
TOTAL | 33 | 7 |
9 | 7 |
| ST LOUIS | 000 | 000 | 000 |
- | 0 4 0 |
| HARLEM | 001 | 002 | 04X |
- | 7 9 0 |
DP: St. Louis, 0; Harlem, 1. LOB: St. Louis, 4; Harlem, 12.
2B: J. Wilson, (1); Ruth. (1); Klein, (1). HR: Reynolds, (1).
| ST LOUIS | IP | H |
R | ER |
BB | SO |
HARLEM | IP | H |
R | ER |
BB | SO |
|---|
| Hallahan (L 0-1) | 5.1 | 4 |
3 | 3 |
7 | 6 |
Grove (W 1-0) | 9 | 4 |
0 | 0 |
1 | 6 |
| Thurston | 2 | 5 |
4 | 4 |
2 | 0 |
| | |
| |
| |
| Liska | .2 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| | |
| |
| |
Umpires: Home, Wilson;
1b, Nallin; 2b; McGowan; 3b; Owens; lf; McCormick; rf; Klem
T: 2:35 A: 43,801
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