The Pittsburgh Pirates were the first team to come back from a 3 games to 1 deficit (in a best of seven format) to win the World Series. It was 1925, and the Washington Senators were looking for a repeat! And their side-arming righty was awesome here!
Long before the days of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Sidney Crosby breaking Washington's hearts again and again in the NHL playoffs, the Sens took a 3-1 lead in the 1925 Fall Classic. Walter Johnson looked unhittable. In winning his first two starts (game 4 was a shutout gem) he certainly added to his status as one of the game's all-time greats! But baseball was about to repeat what I saw in hockey from 1992 on between Washington and Pittsburgh: Pitt on the brink, and coming back to win!
In game 5, it was back-and-forth, with each team touching home twice after 6 innings. In the top of the 7th, the Bucs finally broke through with a lead of more than a run when they scored twice. But Sam Rice's single in the bottom of the frame brought Washington back to within a single run, 4-3.
The Pirates were not to be denied, however. Stuffy McInnis singled home a run in the top of the 8th to restore the two-run lead. Another run in the top of the 9th meant this thing was heading back to Steeltown for game 6. And maybe, game 7!
Game 6 was a great pitcher's duel, and Washington looked ready to win it. They scored a run in the top of the 1st and the top of the 2nd. The way unheralded Alex Ferguson was pitching, it looked like curtains for the Pirates. Fergie had beaten Pittsburgh 4-3 in game 3, as the Senators must have had a lot of faith in him. Why not? It was a fine 6-hitter over 7 innings there. Here, the Pirates couldn't touch him in the first 2 innings.
But in the bottom of the 3rd, the Pirates tied it. Pie Traynor drove home the second run with a single. Fergie bore down after than, and Pitt got just one more run on a solo home run by Eddie Moore in the 5th. That made it 3-2 for the Bucs. Alex finished the game going 7 strong innings. He allowed 7 hits, but just 3 runs and 2 walks. He fanned 6. Win Ballou came in for Washington and easily retired the Pirates in the bottom of the 8th. Washington had gotten the pitching they needed to win this game.
But what the Senators didn't have was the hitting. Ray Kremer did not allow another run after the second inning. He finished the game by going all 9 innings. Washington managed just 6 hits, 2 runs and 1 walk. Ray fanned only 3 but also faced just 33 batters in the game. This thing was going the distance.
With Walter Johnson on the hill for the Nats, game 7 should have been a cinch for the Sens. But it was not to be.
The game never should have been played. It was raining hard. There was fog. But the game was played, anyway. Everyone might as well been blind!
The Senators lost 9-7 despite having leads of 4-0, 6-3 and even 7-6 in after 7 1/2. Johnson went the distance, gave up 15 hits, but only 5 of the runs were earned. He walked only 1, but could fan only 3.
Ray Kremer won this game too, but it was in relief. No one really pitched well, but given then conditions, it would be a tall order to do that. No one could see anything, including the umpires.
I guess you could point the finger at the Senators' Roger Peckinpaugh. He made 2 errors on the day and 8 overall in the Series. He did, however, hit a home run to give the Sens a 7-6 lead. That was Washington's last lead of the game. In the first inning, Roger reached first on a rare occurrence: catcher's interference! That, too, led to a run. As you can see, no one could see what was going on out there!
But my favourite Walter Johnson story (ever) is The Big Train, having watched some real tragedy unfold in the bottom of the 8th (with the Senators but 4 outs away from winning the 1925 Fall Classic), show such great character. With two outs, the Pirates tied it. Peckinpaugh's second error (Roger's first was in the 7th, and Pittsburgh scored twice that inning to pull within a run, 6-5) allowed the Bucs to score twice more and conclude the scoring. The Big Train waited for Peckinpaugh, and in one of the game's most touching moments, put his arms around him. Can you imagine doing that for someone who sort of cost you the game and the Fall Classic with his fielding?
The Senators were retired 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th. The Pirates had come back all the way from 3-1 down!
Long before the days of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Sidney Crosby breaking Washington's hearts again and again in the NHL playoffs, the Sens took a 3-1 lead in the 1925 Fall Classic. Walter Johnson looked unhittable. In winning his first two starts (game 4 was a shutout gem) he certainly added to his status as one of the game's all-time greats! But baseball was about to repeat what I saw in hockey from 1992 on between Washington and Pittsburgh: Pitt on the brink, and coming back to win!
In game 5, it was back-and-forth, with each team touching home twice after 6 innings. In the top of the 7th, the Bucs finally broke through with a lead of more than a run when they scored twice. But Sam Rice's single in the bottom of the frame brought Washington back to within a single run, 4-3.
The Pirates were not to be denied, however. Stuffy McInnis singled home a run in the top of the 8th to restore the two-run lead. Another run in the top of the 9th meant this thing was heading back to Steeltown for game 6. And maybe, game 7!
Game 6 was a great pitcher's duel, and Washington looked ready to win it. They scored a run in the top of the 1st and the top of the 2nd. The way unheralded Alex Ferguson was pitching, it looked like curtains for the Pirates. Fergie had beaten Pittsburgh 4-3 in game 3, as the Senators must have had a lot of faith in him. Why not? It was a fine 6-hitter over 7 innings there. Here, the Pirates couldn't touch him in the first 2 innings.
But in the bottom of the 3rd, the Pirates tied it. Pie Traynor drove home the second run with a single. Fergie bore down after than, and Pitt got just one more run on a solo home run by Eddie Moore in the 5th. That made it 3-2 for the Bucs. Alex finished the game going 7 strong innings. He allowed 7 hits, but just 3 runs and 2 walks. He fanned 6. Win Ballou came in for Washington and easily retired the Pirates in the bottom of the 8th. Washington had gotten the pitching they needed to win this game.
But what the Senators didn't have was the hitting. Ray Kremer did not allow another run after the second inning. He finished the game by going all 9 innings. Washington managed just 6 hits, 2 runs and 1 walk. Ray fanned only 3 but also faced just 33 batters in the game. This thing was going the distance.
With Walter Johnson on the hill for the Nats, game 7 should have been a cinch for the Sens. But it was not to be.
The game never should have been played. It was raining hard. There was fog. But the game was played, anyway. Everyone might as well been blind!
The Senators lost 9-7 despite having leads of 4-0, 6-3 and even 7-6 in after 7 1/2. Johnson went the distance, gave up 15 hits, but only 5 of the runs were earned. He walked only 1, but could fan only 3.
Ray Kremer won this game too, but it was in relief. No one really pitched well, but given then conditions, it would be a tall order to do that. No one could see anything, including the umpires.
I guess you could point the finger at the Senators' Roger Peckinpaugh. He made 2 errors on the day and 8 overall in the Series. He did, however, hit a home run to give the Sens a 7-6 lead. That was Washington's last lead of the game. In the first inning, Roger reached first on a rare occurrence: catcher's interference! That, too, led to a run. As you can see, no one could see what was going on out there!
But my favourite Walter Johnson story (ever) is The Big Train, having watched some real tragedy unfold in the bottom of the 8th (with the Senators but 4 outs away from winning the 1925 Fall Classic), show such great character. With two outs, the Pirates tied it. Peckinpaugh's second error (Roger's first was in the 7th, and Pittsburgh scored twice that inning to pull within a run, 6-5) allowed the Bucs to score twice more and conclude the scoring. The Big Train waited for Peckinpaugh, and in one of the game's most touching moments, put his arms around him. Can you imagine doing that for someone who sort of cost you the game and the Fall Classic with his fielding?
The Senators were retired 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th. The Pirates had come back all the way from 3-1 down!
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