Tuesday, January 10, 2017

World Series: Did You Know?

Roger Peckinpaugh made an error in the eighth game of 1921. And he made some more costly ones in game seven four years later.

Peckinpaugh, looking to help the New York Yankees win their first ever World Series in '21 against the New York Giants, had Babe Ruth and another slugger, Home Run Baker. But after game five in this best-of-nine affair, the Babe wasn't in the starting lineup. He had some knee problems, and an infected arm on top of that. The Yankees led 3-2, but dropped game six 8-5, and game seven 2-1.

Not that the Yankees were any pushovers. They were the designated home team in this Fall Classic, which took place exclusively at the Polo Grounds. Waite Hoyt, 2-0, was on the hill for the American League team. Ruth would make an appearance, later.

So could they send it to a ninth and deciding contest?

The Giants got two on with two outs in the top of the first, and then disaster struck as High Pockets Kelly sent one to short, Peckinpaugh's spot. The ball got through him for an error, and Dave Bancroft scored.

How about Peckinpaugh at the dish? He walked in the bottom of the frame, and the home team soon had runners on second and third with just one out, Roger 90 feet away from crossing the dish. That didn't happen as Bob Meusel popped out and Wally Pipp.

Peckinpaugh gunned out a runner at home in the second, keeping it 1-0. The Yankees played well the rest of the way, and Roger's error was the only one they'd commit. Hoyt pitched well, but so did Giant Art Neft.

The Yankees loaded the bases against him in the last of the fourth on two singles and a walk. All this happened with two outs. But again, no one scored. Peckinpaugh drew a two-out walk the next inning, but was also stranded.

Hoyt retired the last nine man to face him in the game, but the Yankees came to bat in the bottom of the ninth down 1-0. Babe Ruth made a dramatic appearance, batting for Pipp, but grounded out to first. The next batter, Aaron Ward, coaxed a walk from Art Neft. Home Run Baker could win the game with a home run. He hit it well to second basemen Johnny Rawlings. Rawlings made an excellent play, throwing out Baker at first. Ward kept running, and ended up out at third. The Giants won, 1-0, and were the World Series winners in 1921.

Peckinpaugh's team looked like they were going to win four years later. His Washington Senators had won in 1924, and were up three games to one. Back-to-back for Washington? No. The Pittsburgh Pirates, the National League pennant winners that year, won game five at Griffith Stadium, 6-3. Then, at home in Forbes Field, they eked out a 3-2 win. It all came down to game seven.

Washington, with Walter Johnson on the hill, started out fast. They crossed home four times in the top of the first, Roger Peckinpaugh himself with an RBI when he hit into a force. That out, however, was taken away as catcher Earl Smith interfered Roger as he was on his way to first.

Peckinpaugh then got a hit taken away via a great catch by Kiki Cuyler in the top of the third. The Pirates made their move in the bottom of the frame, scoring three times to cut it to 4-3. But only temporarily was it a one-run game. Joe Harris knocked home two runs in the top of the fourth for the Senators with a double, and it was 6-3. And with The Big Train on the hill, it was looking all over!

The Pirates got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on two doubles. Peckinpaugh made a critical error in the seventh, and the Pirates scored two more to tie it. Pie Traynor was nailed at the dish to keep it that way.

Roger hit a home run in the top of the eighth to give Washington the lead again, and Walter Johnson needed just six more outs. Soon, Pittsburgh was down to four outs. Johnson got the first two batters out in the bottom of the frame, and then the wheels came off the chariot.

Earl Smith doubled, Carson Bigbee then was sent up to hit for Earl Smith. Smith doubled and the game was tied, 7-7. A walk brought Max Carey to the plate. Carey sent a ball to short, where Peckinpaugh tried for the inning-ending force. The throw was bad, and all hands were safe. Cuyler hit a ground-rule double to right, and Pittsburgh got two more runs. Washington went down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth.

The two errors by Roger Peckinpaugh were too many. He'd made six in the previous six games, and the Pirates were World Series champions. At bat, he'd hit just .250 after hitting .417 in the 1924 World Series (Roger hit poorly in 1921, just .179). He'd have to shoulder at least some of the blame for his teams losing in 1921 and 1925.


References


Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.

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