GAME 2
PLAGUE WIN A SLUGFEST 12-10; EVEN SERIES
HARLEM, NY (AP): In arguably the most exciting game in DBS World Series history, the St. Louis Bubonic Plague
defeated the Harlem Knights in a 10-inning slugfest, 12-10. St. Louis' Al Simmons tied a DBS record by blasting
three home runs in the game, and both teams combined to hit fourteen home runs, more in one game than what was hit
in the entire 1929 Series. The Plague's extra-inning victory evened the Series at one game apiece as the teams now
travel to St. Louis for Game 3 on Friday.
The fireworks were not exclusive to the game itself. Two spectators at the game, Jack Kriendler and Charlie
Berns, caused an unusual amount of attention among the Harlem faithful. Kriendler and Berns, the proprietors of
Jack & Charlie's 21 Club are enormously popular in the Harlem area for the alleged speakeasy. The local authorities
have not been able to stop the flow at the 21, since the owners apparently store their illicit liquor behind secret
walls and send the bottles down a chute to be destroyed when agents pay a visit. It is also alleged that the popular
owners are being subsidized by the Rockerfeller family, a claim denied by the families attorneys.
After Kreindlet, Berns and the Harlem crowd took their seats, they were treated to a wonderful rendition of
the Star Spangled Banner by actress Greta Garbo, who earlier
this year starred in her first talkie �Anna Christie.� Shortly thereafter, the ceremonial first pitch was delivered
by former President of the United States Calvin Coolidge. The President's appearance illicited a positive reaction
from the crowd, apparently longing for a more prosperous age. Coolidge could not be reached for comment.
It was the Knights who spoke very loudly in the first inning, picking up where they left off in Game One.
Unlike the opener, a strong wind was blowing out to left field and it was to the home teams' early advantage. Buddy
Myer led off the game with a single and Joe Cronin homered to give the Knights an early 2-0 lead. Rattled, Plague
starter George Pipgras walked Babe Ruth and gave up another homer to Chuck Klein, making the score 4-0. Pipgras left
the game without retiring a batter, and the Knights were seemingly on their way to a rout.
With Dolf Luque relieving for St. Louis, seven straight Knight batters were retired before the strong winds
worked against him. Luque proceeded to give up back-to-back-to-back home runs to Babe Ruth, Chuck Klein and Lefty
O'Doul in the third inning. The drives by Ruth and O'Doul would probably have been outs in yesterday's game, but
today they helped give Harlem a 7-1 lead. St. Louis' lone run came on a homer by Al Simmons in the third inning.
The Plague came roaring back in the top of the fourth, scoring six times and hitting four home runs. The big
blow of the inning came when Earl Combs blasted a three-run shot. Simmons homered for the second time in two innings
and when the dust settled, the score was tied at 7-7.
The Bambino untied the game by leading of the fifth with his second home run of the game, but Simmons countered
by hitting his third of the contest in the bottom of the sixth. Both home runs were solo shots, and as the game
entered the bottom of the eighth tied, 8 to 8.
With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Lefty O'Doul singled in the infield and moved to second when Bill
Dickey walked. After Don Hurst moved them both up a base with a ground ball to first, pinch-hitter Carl Reynolds
singled to break the tie and give Harlem a 9-8 lead.
Bill Walker entered the ninth entrusted with preserving the Knight's narrow lead and taking them to St. Louis
up 2 games to 0. However, the Plague cashed in a favor with the baseball gods. Dick Porter singled with one out
and with Tony Lazzeri at bat, the Plague employed a hit and run play. As Harlem's Buddy Myer broke to the bag to
cover second, Lazzeri placed a drive to Myer's left. Although he was able to smother the ball, Myer hastily threw
from his knees in an attempt to throw out the slow Lazzeri. His throw was wild and went into the Knight dugout.
Porter moved to third on the play and Lazzeri took second.
The Knights seemingly got a reprieve when Jimmie Wilson bounced a high hopper to third baseman Joe Stripp,
who came into the game as a defensive replacement. Porter streaked home, but Stripp made a perfect throw that nailed
him at the plate for the second out. The next batter, Charlie Gelbert singled to load the bases and brought up
pinch-hitter Joe Judge. Harlem closer Danny MacFayden relieved Walker. With the count full and drama at a peak,
Judge grounded sharply to Myer for what should have been the final out of the game. The ball went straight through
Myer's legs, scoring a pair of runs and giving the Plague a inexplicable 10 to 9 lead.
However, the Plague did not have a monopoly on miracles. In the bottom of the ninth, Joe Cronin walked and
was replaced by speedy Bernie Friberg brought in to pinch-run. Babe Ruth laced a double to right-center, and Friberg
scampered home to tie the game at 10.
It remained that way until the top of the tenth when a pair of solo blasts by Jimmie Foxx and Dick Porter
gave the Plague a 12-10 advantage. Hi Bell made the lead hold up by retiring the Knights in the bottom of the tenth
to tie the Series at one game apiece.
In all, there were 14 home runs hit in the game, 11 of them solo shots. Al Simmons of St. Louis hit three of
them, while Harlem's Babe Ruth and Chuck Klein blasted a pair. The winning pitcher was St. Louis' Hi Bell who closed
out the Plague win and the losing pitcher was MacFayden, who allowed the extra-inning blasts to Foxx and Porter.
In what is shaping up as the most exciting Series in DBS history, the teams now move to St. Louis for the
pivotal Game Three. Freddie Fitzsimmons of Harlem will oppose the Plague Sam Jones.
| ST LOUIS | AB | R |
H | RBI |
HARLEM | AB | R |
H | RBI |
|---|
| Combs, cf | 6 | 1 |
1 | 3 |
Myer, 2b | 5 | 1 |
1 | 0 |
| Hodapp, 2b | 5 | 0 |
1 | 0 |
Cronin, ss | 4 | 1 |
1 | 2 |
| Simmons, lf | 6 | 3 |
3 | 3 |
Friberg, pr | 0 | 1 |
0 | 0 |
| Foxx, 1b | 6 | 2 |
3 | 2 |
Maranville, ss | 0 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| Porter, rf | 6 | 1 |
3 | 1 |
Ruth, rf | 3 | 3 |
3 | 3 |
| Lazzeri, 3b | 6 | 2 |
2 | 1 |
Klein, cf | 5 | 2 |
2 | 3 |
| Wilson, c | 4 | 2 |
0 | 0 |
O'Doul, lf | 5 | 2 |
2 | 1 |
| Gelbert, ss | 4 | 0 |
3 | 0 |
Dickey, c | 4 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| Pipgras, p | 0 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
Hurst, 1b | 5 | 0 |
1 | 0 |
| Luque, p | 2 | 1 |
0 | 0 |
O'Rourke, 3b | 3 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| Liska, p | 1 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
Reynolds, ph | 1 | 0 |
1 | 1 |
| Judge, ph | 1 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
Stripp, 3b | 1 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| Bell, p | 0 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
Crowder, p | 1 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| | |
| |
Clark, p | 2 | 0 |
1 | 0 |
| | |
| |
Kelly, ph | 0 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| | |
| |
Walker, p | 0 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| | |
| |
MacFayden, p | 4 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| | |
| |
McCurdy, ph | 1 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| | | | |
| | |
| |
| TOTAL | 47 | 12 |
16 | 10 |
TOTAL | 33 | 7 |
9 | 7 |
| ST LOUIS | 001 | 601 | 002 | 2 |
- | 12 16 0 |
| HARLEM | 403 | 001 | 011 | 0 |
- | 10 14 2 |
E: Myer 2, (2). DP: St. Louis, 1; Harlem, 1. LOB: St. Louis, 9; Harlem, 5.
2B: Gelbert 2, (2); Ruth, (2). HR: Combs, (1); Simmons 3, (3); Foxx 2, (2); Porter, (1); Lazzeri, (1);
Cronin, (1); Ruth 2, (2); Klein 2, (2); O'Doul, (1). SB: Reynolds, (1). CS: Hodapp, (1); Ruth, (1).'
| ST LOUIS | IP | H |
R | ER |
BB | SO |
HARLEM | IP | H |
R | ER |
BB | SO |
|---|
| Pipgras | 0 | 3 |
4 | 4 |
1 | 0 |
Crowder | 3.2 | 9 |
7 | 7 |
3 | 1 |
| Luque | 2.2 | 4 |
3 | 3 |
0 | 0 |
Clark | 4.1 | 3 |
1 | 1 |
1 | 4 |
| Liska | 5.1 | 4 |
2 | 2 |
3 | 2 |
Walker | .2 | 2 |
2 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
| Bell (W 1-0) | 2 | 1 |
1 | 1 |
1 | 1 |
MacFayden (L0-1) | 1.1 | 2 |
2 | 2 |
0 | 0 |
Umpires: Home, Wilson;
1b, Nallin; 2b; McGowan; 3b; Owens; lf; McCormick; rf; Klem
T: 3:34 A: 33,624
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