"Pinch hit for by Babe Ruth in The Bambino's first World Series game. Later relieved Ruth and pitched a no-hitter."
That would be Ernie Shore. The Babe wasn't the only pitching star in his early Boston years. The Red Sox had a team good enough to win without Ruth on the team in 1912. Shore actually go into a game in the regular season that year, for Giants. It was Boston over New York in the Fall Classic of '12.
Two seasons later, Ruth arrived in Boston. It was a tough team to make if you were a pitcher. The starting rotation consisted of Ray Collins, Dutch Leonard, Rube Foster, and Smokey Joe Wood. Wood, with his arm injury in 1913, was able to pitch only pitch in only 18 games. He was still good enough to win 10 games.
However, the Red Sox debuted two more pitchers that year, both with some talent. Shore joined the rotation and won 10 games himself despite pitching in just 20 games (16 starts). His ERA was 2.00. Ruth made it to the bigs in July of that year. Pitching in only 4 games (3 starts) he was 2-1.
Boston did not make it to the World Series that year. But the next year, Ruth and Shore contributed more. Shore won 19 games to go along with an ERA of 1.64. The Babe went 18-8. And he hit four home runs to lead the team. He also batted .315. Was there anything this guy couldn't do?
Wood also recovered enough to win 15 games and post an league-leading ERA of 1.49. It was back to the Fall Classic for the Red Sox. Pull up your socks, Red Sox.
Indeed, Boston won. But would you believe it, Ruth didn't get to pitch! So much for that impressive rookie year.
But Shore lost game one of the Fall Classic to the Philadelphia Phillies. He gave up only five hits and three runs over eight innings. But the great Grover Cleveland Alexander limited Boston to just one run, going to distance. With one on and one out in the top of the ninth, Ruth batted for Shore. But all The Babe could do is ground to first.
Shore won game four, however, putting Boston up 3-1 in the best-of-seven affair. A 5-4 win by the Red Sox in game five gave Ruth and Shore their first World Series rings. They'd win it all again the next season. Ruth lead the American League in ERA, 1.75.
Ruth sort of lost his cool as he was ejected from a game in 1917. Here's where it was Shore to the rescue.
It was June 23rd of that season. Boston was facing the Washington Senators at home. Walter Johnson did not pitch the first game of a double-header, but Ruth sure did. To just one batter. After walking the leadoff hitter (And very first batter of the game), Ruth got so mad, he slugged umpire Brick Owens. That got him a nice ejection.
Shore took over. The man on first was Ray Morgan. Foolishly, he decided to test the arm of new catcher Sam Agnew, who'd come in as Shore did. Agnew fired a perfect throw to get him.
Shore took over from there. Looking every bit as good as lefties like Warren Spahn, Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson and now Clayton Kershaw, he motored through the lineup. 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3 went Washington as Shore just hummed along. By the time retired pinch hitter Mike Menosky to end the game, Boston had scored four runs on nine hits.
Ernie had needed only the Red Sox tally in the bottom of the second. He'd retired all 26 men that faced him after Morgan was a dead duck at second back in the first. The Babe nearly had a no-hitter of his own on July 11th after returning. Washington (With Walter Johnson throwing a fine 7-hit shutout and picking up 3 RBIs himself) actually beat The Bambino on the last day of the season, but Ruth finished 24-13 for another masterful season on the mound.
The Red Sox finished behind the other Sox that year. The Chicago White Sox (Themselves twice a no-hit victim that year. But not by Ruth) would win the pennant and World Series. Boston won it all in 1918, although Shore was not there.
Babe Ruth and Ernie Shore finished as teammates in 1920 on the New York Yankees. The 1917 season was not only their last season together in Boston, but Shore's last good year (13-10, 2.22 ERA). However, the two hold a special place together in two memorable moments in baseball history.
References
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.
Retrosheet. Web. 10 Mar. 2016. <www.retrosheet.org>
That would be Ernie Shore. The Babe wasn't the only pitching star in his early Boston years. The Red Sox had a team good enough to win without Ruth on the team in 1912. Shore actually go into a game in the regular season that year, for Giants. It was Boston over New York in the Fall Classic of '12.
Two seasons later, Ruth arrived in Boston. It was a tough team to make if you were a pitcher. The starting rotation consisted of Ray Collins, Dutch Leonard, Rube Foster, and Smokey Joe Wood. Wood, with his arm injury in 1913, was able to pitch only pitch in only 18 games. He was still good enough to win 10 games.
However, the Red Sox debuted two more pitchers that year, both with some talent. Shore joined the rotation and won 10 games himself despite pitching in just 20 games (16 starts). His ERA was 2.00. Ruth made it to the bigs in July of that year. Pitching in only 4 games (3 starts) he was 2-1.
Boston did not make it to the World Series that year. But the next year, Ruth and Shore contributed more. Shore won 19 games to go along with an ERA of 1.64. The Babe went 18-8. And he hit four home runs to lead the team. He also batted .315. Was there anything this guy couldn't do?
Wood also recovered enough to win 15 games and post an league-leading ERA of 1.49. It was back to the Fall Classic for the Red Sox. Pull up your socks, Red Sox.
Indeed, Boston won. But would you believe it, Ruth didn't get to pitch! So much for that impressive rookie year.
But Shore lost game one of the Fall Classic to the Philadelphia Phillies. He gave up only five hits and three runs over eight innings. But the great Grover Cleveland Alexander limited Boston to just one run, going to distance. With one on and one out in the top of the ninth, Ruth batted for Shore. But all The Babe could do is ground to first.
Shore won game four, however, putting Boston up 3-1 in the best-of-seven affair. A 5-4 win by the Red Sox in game five gave Ruth and Shore their first World Series rings. They'd win it all again the next season. Ruth lead the American League in ERA, 1.75.
Ruth sort of lost his cool as he was ejected from a game in 1917. Here's where it was Shore to the rescue.
It was June 23rd of that season. Boston was facing the Washington Senators at home. Walter Johnson did not pitch the first game of a double-header, but Ruth sure did. To just one batter. After walking the leadoff hitter (And very first batter of the game), Ruth got so mad, he slugged umpire Brick Owens. That got him a nice ejection.
Shore took over. The man on first was Ray Morgan. Foolishly, he decided to test the arm of new catcher Sam Agnew, who'd come in as Shore did. Agnew fired a perfect throw to get him.
Shore took over from there. Looking every bit as good as lefties like Warren Spahn, Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson and now Clayton Kershaw, he motored through the lineup. 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3 went Washington as Shore just hummed along. By the time retired pinch hitter Mike Menosky to end the game, Boston had scored four runs on nine hits.
Ernie had needed only the Red Sox tally in the bottom of the second. He'd retired all 26 men that faced him after Morgan was a dead duck at second back in the first. The Babe nearly had a no-hitter of his own on July 11th after returning. Washington (With Walter Johnson throwing a fine 7-hit shutout and picking up 3 RBIs himself) actually beat The Bambino on the last day of the season, but Ruth finished 24-13 for another masterful season on the mound.
The Red Sox finished behind the other Sox that year. The Chicago White Sox (Themselves twice a no-hit victim that year. But not by Ruth) would win the pennant and World Series. Boston won it all in 1918, although Shore was not there.
Babe Ruth and Ernie Shore finished as teammates in 1920 on the New York Yankees. The 1917 season was not only their last season together in Boston, but Shore's last good year (13-10, 2.22 ERA). However, the two hold a special place together in two memorable moments in baseball history.
References
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.
Retrosheet. Web. 10 Mar. 2016. <www.retrosheet.org>
No comments:
Post a Comment