Playoff of Dreams

[8/3/18] Baseball season to end at Labor Day

BY JOHN JOHNSON / Grand National Tribune

CLEVELAND (Saturday, Aug. 3, 1918) — The 1918 baseball season has been pared back from nine more weeks to four after the joint meeting of American and National League owners here today. The decision to halt the season at the close of play on Labor Day, September 2, follows the “work or fight” order handed down from the Department of War in July.

As a result of the trimming, the season will consist of an average of 126 games per club, down from the original 154.

The tables below give the standings in each division at the close of play today, along with the number of games back for each club and the number of games remaining. These figures will be used to determine the clinching and elimination scenarios for the 1918 Playoff of Dreams.

National League East

Club	Record	Percent	Back	Remaining
New York	58-39	.598	0	27
Philadelphia	43-51	.457	13.5	29
Brooklyn	43-51	.457	13.5	32
Boston	42-55	.433	16	27

National League West

Club	Record	Percent	Back	Remaining
Chicago	63-33	.656	0	33
Pittsburgh	50-44	.532	12	31
Cincinnati	42-51	.452	19.5	35
St. Louis	42-59	.416	23.5	28

American League East

Club	Record	Percent	Back	Remaining
Boston	60-39	.606	0	27
Washington	54-44	.551	5.5	30
New York	48-47	.505	10	28
Philadelphia	39-57	.406	19.5	32

American League West

Club	Record	Percent	Back	Remaining
Cleveland	57-43	.570	0	27
Chicago	45-51	.469	10	28
St. Louis	43-53	.448	12	26
Detroit	43-55	.439	13	28

No clubs have been eliminated, though all of them outside the division leaders have moved closer. The New York Giants sport the largest division lead and the Cardinals have the smallest margin of error.

Plans call for the league pennant playoffs to commence on Wednesday, Sept. 4, in the western cities, with Friday reserved for travel. The series would likely proceed on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday in the eastern cities, unless Washington wins the American League eastern loop in which case Sunday would be used.

While the National League team will host four games if the World Series goes the distance, the exact schedule is subject to change depending on the distances between the clubs involved. The slated first game would be Thursday, Sept. 12.

[10/18/17] Fletcher’s base hit makes Giants of New York

BY JOHN JOHNSON / Grand National Tribune

NEW YORK (Thursday, Oct. 18, 1917) — The New York Giants scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to send the fifth game of the World Series into extra innings before Walter Holke scored the winning run in the bottom of the thirteenth to top the Boston Red Sox 6-5 and win the Playoff of Dreams title today at Brush Stadium.

Heinie Zimmerman recorded four hits, including a double, for the victors, who hit safely no fewer than twenty-three times. George Burns had the lone triple and was one of four players with three hits, joining Benny Kauff, Bill Rariden and Pol Perritt. Dave Robertson, Walter Holke and Art Fletcher all singled twice.

All eight Boston position players had a hit, but none had more than the two of Harry Hooper, Duffy Lewis, Larry Gardner and Pinch Thomas, the last of whom drove in three runs. Dick Hoblitzell doubled and Everett Scott scored twice. Harry Hooper drove in two runs.

Each starter pitched all of regulation. Boston’s Dutch Leonard threw one hundred and seventy-one pitches, including one hundred and six strikes, but allowed twenty hits and a walk for good measure in ten innings. Pol Perritt of New York allowed ten hits and four runs in nine innings.

Jeff Tesreau got the win for New York in relief of Fred Anderson. Carl Mays lost for Boston after taking over for Ernie Shore.

New York broke the ice with two hits in a five-pitch span in the first inning as Burns tripled and scored on a Zimmerman hit. Singles from Robertson, Zimmerman and Rariden doubled the lead in the third. After Boston scored in the top of the fifth, Kauff’s bases-loaded single doubled the lead to end the fifth.

Thomas doubled with an out in the fifth to score Scott and get the visitors on the board. Two innings later, his single was the third in a four-batter span to score Gardner and close the deficit to 4-2. Hooper added a two-run single to put the Rouge Hose up 4-3 at stretch time.

Boston added an insurance run of the unearned variety in the ninth when Scott reached on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly. They needed more insurance, though, because New York started the bottom of the inning with four straight singles. The last of those, by Rariden, drove in Burns and Zimmerman to tie the game.

Art Fletcher was hit by a 1-2 pitch to load the bases with no outs, putting the Giants’ winning run at third with no outs. After a fielder’s choice, Jim Thorpe pinch-hit and struck out before Kauff hit into a force play to send the game to extra innings.

Boston squandered a chance in the twelfth, when Thomas drew a leadoff walk and took third on a single. After Hoblitzell flied out for the second out, Thomas tried to score and was thrown out at the plate.

New York’s chance came in the thirteenth inning, when Holke hit the first pitch to left of center and moved to second on a bunt. After Fletcher took a strike, he singled through the left side and the hosts wrote their name in the books of the annals of baseball.

The game took two hours and twenty-six minutes, ending at thirty-four minutes after four o’clock with about half an hour left until sunset.

The anointment of the Giants ends the 1917 Playoff of Dreams. The 1918 edition will begin in due course.

[10/17/17] Giant rally in middle innings has New York on verge of parade

BY JOHN JOHNSON / Grand National Tribune

NEW YORK (Wednesday, Oct. 17, 1917) — Dave Robertson’s fourth home run of the World Series quintupled the New York Giant lead this afternoon and the National League champions are nine innings away from a ticker-tape parade after a 5-2 win over the Boston Red Sox in the fourth game of the series at John T. Brush Stadium. The Red Sox must win all three remaining games in the best of seven series.

Walter Holke scored twice and Art Fletcher and Benny Kauff had a pair of hits, but the seven singles with which the Giants complemented the Robertson dinger were sufficient. Boston hit three doubles and none of them were involved in the scoring.

Tillie Walker hit a double and a two-run single to lead the Boston offense, which got seven hits but had the misfortune of placing them in six different innings off six different bats.

Ferdie Schupp leveled his record at one game apiece in the series, going the distance on one hundred thirty-eight deliveries on ninety-one strikes. He struck out eight and allowed no runs until the eighth inning.

Rube Foster scattered seven hits and seven walks in seven innings. He threw fifty-nine balls and sixty-eight strikes before yielding to Carl Mays who induced three groundouts and a single. Foster had all four Boston strikeouts.

Neither team scored through four innings, combining for four singles and Walker’s double, before Boston threatened in the fifth inning. Barry led off with a walk and moved to third on Thomas’ double, putting two men in scoring position with no outs. But Foster flied into a double play, erasing Barry at the plate for the second out, and Schupp got a strikeout to end the inning.

New York made the Red Sox pay in the bottom of the inning, but in reverse order with the outs before the attack. Holke worked a two-out walk and took second on Robertson’s single before Kauff singled to left to break the ice.

In the sixth, Dick Hoblitzell led off the Boston half with a double before three straight outs. The Giants started with a flyout before a Fletcher single, two walks and Robertson’s wallop.

Boston got both of its runs in the eighth on a Jimmy Walsh hit, a Harry Hooper walk and a grounder to move both men into position. Walker singled, but that was the last gasp of Boston offense before four consecutive outs ended the day.

The fifth game is slated for Thursday afternoon at the same time in the same place. New York’s Pol Perritt and Boston’s Dutch Leonard are the scheduled mound combatants.

[10/16/17] New York plays longball to break Series tie

BY JOHN JOHNSON / Grand National Tribune

NEW YORK (Tuesday, Oct. 16, 1917) — Dave Robertson hit a two-run home run in the third inning to cap a three-run rally and George Burns hit one in the eighth inning to end all doubt as the New York Giants topped the Boston Red Sox 5-2 today at John T. Brush Stadium in the third game of the World Series. New York leads two games to one, with the trophy going to the best of seven.

Robertson drove in two runs and scored twice while Rube Benton hit a triple and struck out three men in victory on the mound. Five of New York’s seven hits came in the two innings in which they scored.

All seven Boston hits were singles with Jack Barry and Pinch Thomas having two each. Duffy Lewis and Everett Scott scored the runs. Babe Ruth took the loss, allowing five runs with two strikeouts in a complete game.

Benton threw one hundred twenty-four pitches in victory, allowing two runs on the same number of hits his offense posted. Each pitcher issued one pass to first base.

Each team had one single through the first two and a half innings before New York broke the ice in the bottom of the third. Benton tripled to center before Benny Kauff knocked him in with a hit to right. Robertson laced the next pitch three hundred ninety-six feet to right for a 3-0 lead.

Boston’s rally in the fourth came to a gradual boil and an abrupt end. Lewis led off with a walk, but the next two men made out before Scott singled and a Barry base hit scored the first run. Thomas singled, scoring one run and leaving the tying run at third and go-ahead run at first. At this point he was picked off to end the inning.

Through the next three innings the teams combined for two hits.

Boston finished the scoring in the eighth with a Robertson walk and a Burns jack.

New York left men on base in the sixth, eighth and ninth inning after singles.

Game four is set for Wednesday on the same ground. In a rematch of the opener, Ferdie Schupp will throw the first ball for New York at two o’clock while Rube Foster counters for Boston.

[10/15/17] Red Sox score in bunches, level World Series

BY JOHN JOHNSON / Grand National Tribune

BOSTON (Monday, Oct. 15, 1917) — The Boston Red Sox took the lead before making an out and never gave it up Monday afternoon, leveling the World Series with a 9-4 win over the New York Giants on Braves Field along the Charles River.

Six Boston hitters laced two or three hits, including the pitcher. Tillie Walkerdoubled twice and Larry Gardner poked a triple. Duffy Lewis and Everett Scott drove in two men each while Dick Hoblitzell, Lewis and Gardner all scored twice.

Dutch Leonard threw ninety-seven strikes in one hundred fifty-eight pitches, taking the win even as he allowed eleven baserunners and four scores. He struck out six.

The Giants gave the ball to Pol Perritt, who allowed fifteen hits and eight runs along with an unearned ace on one hundred forty-six pitches. Ad Swigler made the last sixteen deliveries and got two outs around a walk and a single.

For the New York offense, Benny Kauff and Bill Rariden each added two hits with Kauff and George Burns contributing doubles. Dave Robertson scored twice.

New York opened the scoring in the top of the first when Burns’ double scored Robertson. Boston countered with four straight hits, peaking on Lewis’ two-run double and ending on a Walker two-bagger to make it 3-1.

There were baserunners in the middle of the game, but never two in an inning before Boston added on in the seventh. Lewis, Walker and Gardner cracked one-out singles to load the bases before Scott hit into a force play for the second out. Three more men kept the line moving on a Jack Barry infield single, a Pinch Thomas walk and a Leonard grounder that forced an error. At no point that inning did a man advance more than ninety feet but Boston pushed the lead to 6-1.

New York tried to counter in the eighth, loading the bases on two hits and a walk with one out. Walter Holke hit into a force to score one run and Rariden added an infield single to bring up Art Fletcher as the tying run. He grounded out, though, leaving the deficit 6-3.

Boston added insult to injury with another two-out rally in the eighth, getting a Hoblitzell single and Lewis double before Gardner was bypassed to load the bases. Scott knocked in two with a hit and Leonard singled to run the lead to 9-3.

New York’s last run came after a pinch-hit triple from Jim Thorpe in the ninth. Kauff’s fly ball to center scored the run, but at that point the team was down to its final out and Robertson also hit a fly.

The series shifts to Brush Stadium in New York for games three through five beginning tomorrow. New York’s Rube Benton opposes Boston’s Babe Ruth at two o’clock.

[10/13/17] Giants break three ties for early Fall Classic lead

BY JOHN JOHNSON / Grand National Tribune

BOSTON (Saturday, Oct. 13, 1917) — Dave Robertson’s third-inning homer gave the New York Giants a lead and Bill Rariden’s base hit an inning later put the National Leaguers ahead for good today in the opening game of the 1917 World Series, which the Giants won 4-3 over the Boston Red Sox.

Heinie Zimmerman had a single and a double and George Burns added a single and triple for the Gotham nine, which collected eleven hits off Boston starter Rube Foster. Robertson and Rariden were the other two men to reach safely twice and Rariden also worked the game’s lone walk.

Dick Hoblitzell singled and doubled for Boston as the only man to hit safely twice against Ferdie Schupp. The triple set up the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. The single moved Harry Hooper into the final station as he tied the score in the third, but the hosts would not score again until the ninth.

Schupp took the win and Foster the loss after each man threw one hundred twenty-five pitches. Schupp conceded two runs on seven hits and Foster allowed four on eleven despite striking out six. Boston added a run by way of an error that was not charged to Schupp’s earned run average.

New York tied the game in the second inning when a Burns hit and a Zimmerman seeing-eye single left men on the corners with no outs. Rariden drove in the run but was erased on a fielder’s choice before Buck Herzog flied into an inning-ending double play.

Robertson’s jack put New York up 2-1 in the third before Duffy Lewis drove in Hooper with a groundout in the bottom of the third.

A Zimmerman double and three base hits put the Giants up for good in the fourth before Boston left a man on third in the sixth. Tillie Walker led off the bottom of the ninth with a double and scored on Everett Scott’s hit two batters later, but the game ended with Scott as the tying run at first base.

The series will resume Monday after the obligatory day of rest with game two on Braves Field. Dutch Leonard of Boston will oppose Pol Perritt of New York on the rubber slab

[10/11/17] Red Sox strike early and claim American League crown

BY JOHN JOHNSON / Grand National Tribune

BOSTON (Thursday, Oct. 11, 1917) — Larry Gardner and Everett Scott hit safely twice each and the Boston Red Sox are set for the World Series after never trailing the Chicago White Sox in a 3-2 victory at Braves Field today in the fifth and final game of the American League pennant playoff.

Duffy Lewis knocked in the go-ahead run in the third inning, Gardner extended the score on a passed ball in the fourth and winning pitcher Babe Ruth plated an insurance ace in the seventh while allowing a single earned run on the mound.

Chicago also got offensive help from the pitcher as Reb Russell tripled to bring the margin back within 2-1 in the top of the fifth inning. Chick Gandil scored a second run in the eighth when he tripled before coming home on a passed ball.

Russell pitched well, allowing two earned runs and three total in eight innings, but struck out only one man in eight innings on one hundred eleven pitches and seventy-four strikes. It was the sort of start that might someday have a name that indicates its quality while still falling short of a win.

Ruth pitched even better, allowing six hits and two runs with three men retired on strikes. He allowed two hits to Gandil and only Gandil,

After pulling within a run in the top of the eighth, Chicago put the tying run on base with two down in the ninth as Ray Schalk walked. It was not enough, though, as Fred McMullin grounded out to send the pennant to the Rouge Hose just before half past three o’clock.

The victory set Boston up to host the first two games of the World Series on Saturday and Monday at Braves Field. New York will represent the senior circuit in the best-of-seven series with all games beginning at two o’clock.

[10/10/17] Felsch makes visiting rooters Happy and sends A.L. series the distance

BY JOHN JOHNSON / Grand National Tribune

BOSTON (Wednesday, Oct. 10, 1917) — Happy Felsch tripled with two outs in the top of the thirteenth inning to drive in Shoeless Joe Jackson and Eddie Cicotte got out of the bottom of the inning after allowing two hits as the Chicago White Sox kept their World Series hopes alive with a 1-0 win over the Boston Red Sox in the fourth game of the American League pennant playoff today at Braves Field.

Cicotte went the distance on the pitching mound, throwing one hundred forty-five pitches on the day and earning one hundred one strikes. He struck out seven men on the day, as many as he allowed hits, and walked two. Ten of the White Sox’ eleven hits came from the top five men in the order, each of whom hit safely twice.

Jack Barry and Larry Gardner each had two hits for Boston. Dutch Leonard started and threw twelve and two-thirds innings, conceding one run on ten hits in one hundred seventy-five pitches. He struck out five and walked one before yielding the ball to Ernie Shore. Shore allowed the game-winning hit but the run was charged to Leonard.

Chicago threatened first in the game, getting singles from Shano Collins and Chick Gandil to leave men on the corners with two outs in the top of the third. Boston did the same with Tillie Walker and Gardner in the fourth.

Ray Schalk led off the visiting half of the seventh with a triple before getting thrown out at the plate on a Cicotte grounder two batters later. In the eighth, Chicago got Jackson to third on a one-out Felsch hit before Buck Weaver hit into an inning-ending double play.

The White Sox also stranded a runner on second base in the eleventh inning two batters after a thirty-minute rain delay. The final ball was pitched at nineteen minutes to five o’clock.

The decisive game for the pennant will be played at the same facility Thursday afternoon with first ball set to be pitched at two o’clock. Babe Ruth is expected to pitch for the Red Sox against the White Sox’ Reb Russell.

[10/9/17] Red Sox come back in eighth to take second game

BY JOHN JOHNSON / Grand National Tribune

BOSTON (Tuesday, Oct. 9, 1917) — Buck Weaver laced three of the Chicago White Sox’ five hits, including the go-ahead single in the top of the sixth inning, as the visitors kept their American League pennant hopes alive with a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the third game of the American League pennant playoff today at Braves Field.

Chicago’s five singles outdid a Boston offense that had five singles and two doubles, even as the first two-bagger plated the go-ahead run off Duffy Lewis’ bat in the bottom of the fifth. Harry Hooper scored the Boston run. Dick Hoblitzell added two hits.

Joe Benz took the win for the White Sox, allowing a run on seven hits despite six walks because of five strikeouts in eight innings. He threw one hundred and forty pitches before yielding to Dave Danforth for a perfect ninth inning.

Rube Foster started for Boston and allowed one run on four hits in eight innings. He struck out two men and walked three and took the loss, allowing an unearned run as well. Ernie Shore finished the game after Foster was lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.

The first two White Sox hitters reached base on a walk and a single in the first inning and the team loaded the bases in the second. Neither opportunity came to be. Boston stranded two men in the second and two more in the third.

Boston broke the ice in the bottom of the fifth when Hooper worked a walk and Hoblitzell bunted him to second. Lewis doubled to right, leaving two on with no outs, but two groundouts to the left side ended the inning with no additional runs.

Chicago answered in the sixth after Chick Gandil started a rally by reaching on an error. A Joe Jackson single put men on the corners and a wild pitch tied the score. Two pitches later Weaver singled in the eventual winning run.

Boston loaded the bases with one out in the eighth and could not score before a leadoff single in the ninth.

The fourth game of the series will give Boston another chance to win Wednesday at 2 o’clock on these grounds. Boston’s Dutch Leonard is set to oppose Chicago’s Eddie Cicotte.

[10/9/17] Zimmerman wallops New York into World Series

BY PETE PETERS / Grand National Tribune

NEW YORK (Tuesday, Oct. 9, 1917) — The Giants win the pennant.

Benny Kauff hit a two-run homer to cap a three-run eighth inning and send the game to extra innings before Heinie Zimmerman hit a Lee Meadows pitch into the left-field stands with one out in the 10th and John McGraw’s New York team stopped the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 at Brush Stadium today in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.

Jeff Tesreau got the win in extra innings and Pop Snyder led St. Louis with three hits, reaching base five times as the Cardinals’ season came to a close.

St. Louis held the early lead, pushing across two unearned runs in the third inning after Meadows started the frame by reaching on an error. Jack Smith singled him to second and Mike Gonzalez left runners on the corners with a force play before hits from Rogers Hornsby and Tom Long drove in the runs.

Singles from Snyder and Smith bookended a Meadows bunt to add to the lead in the fourth.

New York left four men on in the first seven innings before tying the game in the eighth. Buck Herzog led off with an infield single and a wild pitch moved him to second; two batters later, Dave Robertson doubled in the first run before scoring on Kauff’s game-tying homer.

The Cardinals left Gonzalez on first after a two-out single in the ninth, when the Giants nearly ended the game. Art Fletcher hit a one-out single and moved to second on an error before Jim Thorpe’s infield pinch hit loaded the bases. Walter Holke fouled out to first, though, and Robertson flied to right to leave the sacks packed.

Two two-out walks stranded two men for St. Louis in the top of the 10th before Kauff worked a walk off Meadows to start the bottom of the inning. George Burns hit into a force play for the first out before Zimmerman swept the series.

Snyder had two singles and a double while Hornsby added two singles for St. Louis, which accounted for five of the team’s 11 hits. Meadows allowed 5 runs on 9 hits in 9 1/3 innings, throwing 139 pitches.

New York got a single and a double from Robertson and a single and a homer from Zimmerman. Kauff and Zimmerman drove in two men each.

Rube Benton started for New York and allowed 10 hits in 8 innings, though he was charged with just 1 earned run and did not walk a batter. Fred Anderson struck out 2 and allowed a hit in the ninth after Benton was hit for.

The win pushes New York into the World Series, although the Giants’ opponent will not be known until the Red Sox and White Sox finish their series. The American League opener will host the Fall Classic opener on Saturday.