The Original Curse Part 5

Still, the 1918 World Series was going forward, despite reduced fan interest, despite limited projected revenue, and despite the fact that, on the day of the postponement of the first game of the Series, a vicious bomb ripped a hole in Chicago's Federal Building, killing four people (and a horse), putting all of the downtown Loop on alert, and setting off a manhunt for IWW members suspected of planting the bomb. The city was shocked and outraged. In this one moment, in this one explosion, Chicagoans saw the actualization of all those fears they had been carrying since the start of the war-fear of festering radicalism, fear of deteriorating morality, fear of violence, fear of terrorism, fear of death, fear of dissension, fear of disloyalty. Is it any wonder that, when umpire Hank O'Day called "Play ball!" "Play ball!" on September 5, no one seemed to care? on September 5, no one seemed to care?

The Red Sox may have been the underdog heading into the World Series, but they had some things going for them. They were mostly healthy. Harry Hooper was battling hay fever, and second baseman Dave Shean suffered a minor finger injury in practice, but both would play. The Red Sox were delighted when they arrived in Chicago to find Fred Thomas awaiting them at the Metropole, in full naval regalia. Thomas had gotten the OK to don his other uniform-that of the Red Sox-for the next two weeks, having been granted a furlough from the Great Lakes Naval Station. This was great news for Barrow. After the departure of Thomas, Barrow said, "By the time we had trained Thomas so that he was an effective third baseman, the draft took him.... Third base has been the position where we have been hit harder than anywhere else."14 With the venue moved to the AL's Comiskey Park, the Red Sox had an advantage in their familiarity with the grounds, which was important-baseball's pitching mounds were not set as uniformly as they are now, giving Red Sox pitchers an advantage, and with games starting in late afternoon it helped to know how the sun would affect outfielders. The Red Sox also had far more experience, having won champions.h.i.+ps in 1912, '15, and '16, while Cubs players were thin on World Series appearances. With the venue moved to the AL's Comiskey Park, the Red Sox had an advantage in their familiarity with the grounds, which was important-baseball's pitching mounds were not set as uniformly as they are now, giving Red Sox pitchers an advantage, and with games starting in late afternoon it helped to know how the sun would affect outfielders. The Red Sox also had far more experience, having won champions.h.i.+ps in 1912, '15, and '16, while Cubs players were thin on World Series appearances.

And Boston had Babe Ruth, who had just wrapped up one of the great offensive seasons in memory. He batted.300, led the league with 11 home runs, was third with 66 RBIs, and finished second in on-base percentage-despite playing just 95 games. Ruth had done pretty well as a pitcher too. He had some tough-luck losses but was 137, second in the AL in winning percentage, and posted an ERA of just 2.22. Ruth wasn't necessarily Barrow's best pitcher, but he was the most consistent and the only left-hander. Whether on the mound or at bat, it was certain that Ruth would have an impact on this World Series. Mitch.e.l.l was blunt in a.s.sessing Ruth's importance. "The Sox are a one-man team," he said, "and his name is Ruth."15 Ruth, for his part, seemed more excited for baseball than at any other time in 1918. Long forgotten were the hand injuries he concocted to keep himself off the mound, as well as the early July mutiny and s.h.i.+pyard d.i.c.kering. In part greased by Frazee's checkbook, the Ruth-Barrow relations.h.i.+p had been going smoothly, and Ruth was ready to do whatever Barrow needed. "Why, I'd pitch the whole series, every game if they'd let me," Ruth said. "I hope I don't have to sit on the bench a single inning of the series."16 Of course, that did not stop Ruth from his usual slate of evening pursuits. Gene Fowler was a cub reporter for the New York American New York American in 1918. In his book in 1918. In his book Skyline Skyline, Fowler recalled looking for his friend and fellow sports reporter Harry Hochstadter on the evening before Game 1. Fowler found Hochstadter, drunk, with wine agent "Doc" Krone, whose room was populated by "sports writers, gamblers and other students of human nature." Ruth was there and lifted Hochstadter to a couch, telling him he should switch to beer. Fowler remarked that Ruth seemed "fresh as a cornflower, although he had taken aboard many helpings of the sauce." Fowler asked Ruth if, given his condition, he would be ready to pitch the following afternoon: "The hale young man gave me a bone-rattling slap on the back. 'I'll pitch 'em all if they say the word!' The Babe then announced that he was leaving us to keep a date with someone who wore skirts. On his way out he urged that Mr. Hochstadter be given a Christian burial."17 Most thought the Cubs had the Red Sox overmatched in the World Series, but one figure loomed large for Boston: Babe Ruth. (SPORTING N NEWS) The morning of September 5 seemed to blow in from the north-cold wind and gray skies had some wondering whether Game 1 would be postponed again. This would not have been taken as bad news, because it would force the first three games to be played on Friday, Sat.u.r.day, and Sunday, and the weekend dates figured to fatten up the coffers. But though the weather threatened, it never broke. When the gates of Comiskey Park opened at 10:30 A.M A.M., hundreds of fans rushed into the bleachers and pavilion to claim the best seats, a World Series custom. But this was not a customary World Series. As the hours leading up to the 2:30 start time neared, with the sky darkening, thousands of seats remained vacant. There was one benefit to arriving early, though-batting practice. After limbering up some, Babe Ruth stepped to the plate, facing batting practice pitcher Walt Kinney, and smacked the first pitch he saw into the right-field bleachers, drawing a big ovation. As would be the case throughout Ruth's career, neither sauce nor skirts affected him. Fowler wrote, "The all-night escapade at Doc Krone's left me somewhat less effective than the Babe the next afternoon."

Though those who mingled at Krone's might have known that Ruth would be the starting pitcher, for most it was still a mystery. Barrow was devious. He announced his starting lineup-which was printed in several papers on the day of the game-with Ruth in left field, batting fourth, and either Joe Bush or Carl Mays as his Game 1 starter. Mitch.e.l.l, too, was coy about his pitching selection, but the consensus was that the Cubs were going with Hippo Vaughn. Just before game time, Barrow had both Ruth and Bush warming up and pulled a surprise by tabbing Ruth for the start. And another surprise: he took pressure off Ruth as a hitter by batting him ninth against Vaughn. This freed Ruth to focus on pitching. Barrow gambled by inserting light-hitting 35-year-old George Whiteman in the cleanup spot.

Barrow, it turned out, played his hand perfectly. On the mound, Ruth was shaky in the first inning, getting two outs before allowing singles to Les Mann and Dode Paskert. He walked Fred Merkle to load the bases, but Charley Pick lifted a harmless fly ball to Whiteman in left field, and the Cubs were stifled. In the third inning, Ruth got some help from the Red Sox's defense, which was the best in baseball with a .971 fielding mark. After Max Flack singled, Charley Hollocher poked a bunt toward third, and Thomas was late to react. He hurried his throw to Stuffy McInnis, who reached around Hollocher to grab the throw for the out. It was a great play, which was no surprise-McInnis was the best first baseman in the AL and was a pioneer of using the oversize "claw" glove that all first bas.e.m.e.n now wear. "Two out of three first bas.e.m.e.n would have let that ball go and chased it to the stands," Hugh Fullerton wrote. "But McInnis made the play perfectly and upset the game."18 Fullerton noticed something else about Game 1: Chicago shortstop Hollocher "was in the wrong position for almost every batter; allowed three b.a.l.l.s to skim past him, which a shortstop who knew the habits of the batters probably would have grabbed."19 That would prove costly in the fourth inning, with the game still scoreless. Dave Shean walked, and, with one out, Whiteman lined a single to left field. That put Shean on second, and to make matters worse, Hollocher and Charley Pick failed to keep Shean from taking a large lead at second base. McInnis. .h.i.t a hard, one-hop single to Mann in left field, and Shean broke for home without stopping, sliding in just ahead of Mann's throw. "Without his lead," I. E. Sanborn reported in the That would prove costly in the fourth inning, with the game still scoreless. Dave Shean walked, and, with one out, Whiteman lined a single to left field. That put Shean on second, and to make matters worse, Hollocher and Charley Pick failed to keep Shean from taking a large lead at second base. McInnis. .h.i.t a hard, one-hop single to Mann in left field, and Shean broke for home without stopping, sliding in just ahead of Mann's throw. "Without his lead," I. E. Sanborn reported in the Tribune Tribune, "Dave could not have counted."20 Ruth tottered on occasion, but he was able to focus in key situations-no matter how the Cubs tried to rattle him. Every time the Cubs were at bat, first-base coach Otto Knabe bombarded Ruth with insults and epithets (Red Sox coach Heinie Wagner did the same to Vaughn). Ruth seemed impervious to Knabe's verbal jousts, though not because he was mentally tough, but because his hearing was fuzzy. According to the Boston Post Boston Post, "Knabe picked Babe Ruth as his mark. In Game 1, he 'rode' the Boston southpaw through the full nine innings. Babe could not hear him. Teammates told him after the game, so Babe got dressed and went looking for Knabe, who had left."21 The Red Sox led, 10, though Ruth was having an awful day at the plate, going 0-for-3 with two mighty strikeouts. Still, the Cubs were very cautious with Ruth's power. In the outfield, "The first time Ruth came to bat Max Flack simply turned about and marched about forty paces toward the right wall."22 (Note Flack's willingness to move far back with Ruth at the plate-that willingness would later change, with significant consequences.) On the mound, Ruth sailed through the rest of the game, allowing just six hits and holding on for the 10 win. Some reporters counted the tight pitching duel as the pinnacle of baseball excellence, but most noticed that the crowd seemed, overall, bored. Biplanes from the nearby war expo circled overhead, distracting attention from the game. The loudest cheer came during the traditional stretch in the seventh inning, when the band began to play "The Star-Spangled Banner." "The yawn was checked and heads were bared as the ball players turned quickly about and faced the music," the (Note Flack's willingness to move far back with Ruth at the plate-that willingness would later change, with significant consequences.) On the mound, Ruth sailed through the rest of the game, allowing just six hits and holding on for the 10 win. Some reporters counted the tight pitching duel as the pinnacle of baseball excellence, but most noticed that the crowd seemed, overall, bored. Biplanes from the nearby war expo circled overhead, distracting attention from the game. The loudest cheer came during the traditional stretch in the seventh inning, when the band began to play "The Star-Spangled Banner." "The yawn was checked and heads were bared as the ball players turned quickly about and faced the music," the New York Times New York Times reported. "First the song was taken up by a few, then others joined, and when the final notes came, a great volume of melody rolled across the field. It was at the very end that the onlookers exploded into thunderous applause and rent the air with a cheer that marked the highest point of the day's enthusiasm." reported. "First the song was taken up by a few, then others joined, and when the final notes came, a great volume of melody rolled across the field. It was at the very end that the onlookers exploded into thunderous applause and rent the air with a cheer that marked the highest point of the day's enthusiasm."23 If the crowd was mostly quiet, it might have been because it was so spa.r.s.e. Far from the hoped-for sellout crowd of 32,000 fans, the official attendance was just 19,274. Combined with the reduction in ticket prices, gate receipts were just $30,349, and the players' share was $16,387.92-the gate had been $73,152 for the first game of the 1917 World Series, and the players' share $39,502.08. There was no way this Series would reach Herrmann's predicted $250,000 intake. No one quite noticed yet, but the checks for the players were shaping up to be much thinner than expected.

FIFTEEN.

World Series, Games 2 and 3, Chicago SEPTEMBER 67, 1918 67, 1918 Just across Michigan Avenue from the Congress Hotel, headquarters for press covering the World Series, the expansive fields of Chicago's Grant Park had been transformed into replicas of the battlefields in Flanders, Verdun, and Cambrai. The previous month, a crew of soldiers back from the war had helped re-create battle sites as they would actually look at the front-complete with no-man's-land, barbed wire, war planes, and miles of trenches. There was a display of war relics brought back from the Americans' big victory at Chateau Thierry. There were concerts, parades, and speakers-exsecretary of state William Jennings Bryan was among those who dropped in to give a speech. The big attraction, put on daily, was a battle reenactment done in a large amphitheater, showing soldiers going "over the top," behind heavy fire; showing an advancing tank wiping out Germans; showing hand-to-hand combat and bayoneting; and showing the Red Cross picking up the bodies afterward. Thousands gathered in the amphitheater grandstand two hours before the shows started to watch the horrors of war play out by the lakefront.1 On Friday, September 6, the show drew 96,000 visitors. On Friday, September 6, the show drew 96,000 visitors.

On that same afternoon, at Weeghman Park on the North Side, Medill McCormick-an Illinois congressman whose family owned the Tribune Tribune-was giving a speech. Five days later he would face Chicago mayor William Hale Thompson in the Illinois Republican Party's senatorial primary election. Unlike Thompson, McCormick was decidedly pro war. "Like the other democracies engaged in the battle for freedom, we face a foreign foe," he said in his speech, "and like them ... we face at home the faint-hearted, the pacifists, the defeatists, the I.W.W. and the Copperheads, the American Bolshevik, who, if they had their own way, would make of America what they have made of Russia."2 McCormick's speech packed the stadium, drawing 20,000 loyal GOPers. (He would win the Senate seat but committed suicide when he wasn't renominated in 1924.) McCormick's speech packed the stadium, drawing 20,000 loyal GOPers. (He would win the Senate seat but committed suicide when he wasn't renominated in 1924.) As if the paltry gate receipts for Game 1 of the World Series weren't bad enough, the large crowds that were gathering around Chicago provided yet another round of insult-and-injury for the Cubs and baseball in general. While the teams took batting practice before Game 2, it was clear that, despite pleasant 65-degree temperatures, the crowd was shaping up to be virtually the same as it had been the previous day-and, indeed, it would be 20,040. Baseball's peak event, its big national showcase, was being outdrawn nearly five to one by a war reenactment. The Cubs had abandoned Weeghman Park for Comiskey's bigger seating capacity, but, ironically, the North Side field was packed and raucous for a political speech, while the stands for the World Series remained more than one-third empty.

Those who did show up at Comiskey were, at least, livelier from the outset of Game 2. There was no question who would be taking the mound for the Cubs: Lefty Tyler, who figured to be tough on the Red Sox. Boston had struggled with left-handers all season, but it was the crafty, soft-tossing type that really seemed to puzzle them. Vaughn was a left-hander with a great curveball, but he leaned on his fastball, and the Red Sox were better at handling fastb.a.l.l.s (though there could be no complaints about how Vaughn pitched in the 10 Game 1 loss). Tyler, too, had a pretty good fastball, but his other pitches were his strengths. "Tyler has the 'soft stuff,' by that is meant the slow ball, the tantalizing curves, the change of pace," Bill Bailey wrote. "He has speed, but isn't compelled to rely on it.... The Red Sox are murder on speed, but they certainly do have their troubles with soft stuff."3 Tyler had some extra incentive to cop a World Series victory. Though he had been a member of the 1914 champion Boston Braves, he had not gotten a win in the Series, having come out in the 11th inning of Game 3, which the Braves won in the 12th. Tyler had some extra incentive to cop a World Series victory. Though he had been a member of the 1914 champion Boston Braves, he had not gotten a win in the Series, having come out in the 11th inning of Game 3, which the Braves won in the 12th.

Opposing Tyler, fittingly, was "Bullet Joe" Bush, who also had some 1914 World Series demons to exorcise. Bush was with the Philadelphia A's in '14 and actually started Game 3 against Tyler in that Series. It was Bush's own error on a throw to first that lost the game in the 12th inning-Cubs outfielder Les Mann, then with the Braves, scored the winning run from second base. The 1918 season was the best of Bush's career, as he greatly improved his control and cut down on his walks after the trade out of Philadelphia. He struggled late in the season and finished 1515. Still, some felt that, with six years of experience behind him (the most on the Red Sox's young staff), Bush was Barrow's ace, and he got the Game 2 call. One player who did not get such a call, though, was Ruth. With Tyler on the mound, and with the right-handed Whiteman having fared well in Game 1, Barrow opted to give Whiteman another crack in left field.

Tyler looked nervous in the game's early going. Harry Hooper led off, and Tyler missed the corner of the plate on three straight pitches before throwing a strike. But Hooper took the next pitch for a ball and went to first base with a walk. Tyler got two strikes on the next batter, Dave Shean, and Hooper called for a hit-and-run. Shean struck out, though, leaving Hooper scurrying toward second base with the strong arm of Cubs catcher Bill Killefer ready to throw him out. So Shean leaned out over the plate after his strikeout to block Killefer. Shean and Killefer tussled, and Killefer's throw sailed over second base. Hooper was called out because of interference, while Shean and Killefer had some dirty looks for each other. The tone of the game was set. It was going to get physical.

That incident, combined with the goat getting of coaches Heinie Wagner and Otto Knabe that marked Game 1, had everyone agitated. The Red Sox, though, were further aggravated by the events of the second inning. Boston got the first two runners on against Tyler but failed to score. The Cubs, though, got a walk from Fred Merkle, a bunt hit from Charley Pick, and a double from Killefer to score Merkle and give the Cubs a 10 lead. Tyler followed Killefer and rocketed a single over second base, scoring Pick and Killefer and staking the Cubs to a three-run lead.

When Wagner trotted to the third-base coaching box between the second and third innings, Knabe apparently let fly with a zinger that finally did get Wagner's goat. Wagner approached the Cubs dugout, where Knabe suggested they could go under the grandstand to settle the matter. "Wagner not only went," the Chicago Herald Examiner Chicago Herald Examiner's Charles Dryden reported. "He grabbed Otto by the arm and dragged him along through the dugout." This was an unwise decision for Wagner. Knabe had not played at all that season and, out of shape, was thicker than usual. "A guy might as well try to wrestle a depth bomb," Dryden cracked.4 The fight took place out of public view, and the details are contested (Wagner would later claim that he was punched by multiple Cubs, who said they merely tried to break up the scuffle), but some of the Red Sox charged across the field to the Cubs dugout. By the time they got there, though, the umpires had taken notice and the fracas had been defused. "Report has it that it was a Cubs' day all around and that Wagner got only second money in the sc.r.a.p," according to The fight took place out of public view, and the details are contested (Wagner would later claim that he was punched by multiple Cubs, who said they merely tried to break up the scuffle), but some of the Red Sox charged across the field to the Cubs dugout. By the time they got there, though, the umpires had taken notice and the fracas had been defused. "Report has it that it was a Cubs' day all around and that Wagner got only second money in the sc.r.a.p," according to The Sporting News The Sporting News. "At any rate, he emerged from the dugout with his uniform torn and plastered with mud, indicating he had been the under dog in a rough and tumble."5 Thereafter, a policeman was stationed outside the dugouts. Thereafter, a policeman was stationed outside the dugouts.

Given a lead, Tyler settled in. He allowed a walk to start the third but gave up just one hit in the next four innings. He got into a jam in the eighth after Wally Schang singled off Hollocher's glove. With one out, Hooper hit a line drive to right field, and Schang took the turn at second base, heading for third. But Flack got there quickly, and, "throwing on a line with deadly accuracy, caught [Schang] far away from the base. It was a disheartening out for Boston."6 It was typical of Flack, though, who was one of the better right fielders in the National League. The Red Sox rallied anyway, starting the ninth inning by rattling Tyler with back-to-back triples from Amos Strunk and Whiteman (yes, him again). But Tyler got Stuffy McInnis to hit a harmless grounder back to the mound, and Barrow followed with an odd choice-rather than Ruth, he sent pitcher Jean Dubuc, who was one for six at bat all season, to pinch-hit. Barrow was waiting to use Ruth in the pitcher's spot, but that was two batters away. Sure enough, Dubuc worked Tyler with a series of foul b.a.l.l.s but struck out on a very wide curveball. Schang then popped out, while Ruth stood watching from the on-deck circle. The Cubs won, 31, and evened the Series. It was typical of Flack, though, who was one of the better right fielders in the National League. The Red Sox rallied anyway, starting the ninth inning by rattling Tyler with back-to-back triples from Amos Strunk and Whiteman (yes, him again). But Tyler got Stuffy McInnis to hit a harmless grounder back to the mound, and Barrow followed with an odd choice-rather than Ruth, he sent pitcher Jean Dubuc, who was one for six at bat all season, to pinch-hit. Barrow was waiting to use Ruth in the pitcher's spot, but that was two batters away. Sure enough, Dubuc worked Tyler with a series of foul b.a.l.l.s but struck out on a very wide curveball. Schang then popped out, while Ruth stood watching from the on-deck circle. The Cubs won, 31, and evened the Series.

The Cubs and Red Sox put up just five runs in the first two games of the World Series, and if the trend toward low scoring kept up, managerial decisions were going to be important. Two decisions by Barrow had already played a big role-his decision to use Whiteman in the cleanup spot helped win Game 1, and his decision to hold off on using Ruth as pinch hitter helped lose Game 2. Mitch.e.l.l, for his part, also had made a big decision, though it had nothing to do with the World Series. He was 40 years old, owned an apple orchard in Stow, Ma.s.sachusetts, and had a three-year-old daughter with his young wife, Mabel. In less than a week, on September 12, the War Department would expand the draft registration requirement to ages 18 to 45, but given his status as a father and a farmer, Mitch.e.l.l was virtually a.s.sured of being exempt from war service. Still, he announced after Game 2 that he'd signed up to join the army's quartermaster corps in Chicago and would take the exam immediately after the World Series.

Cubs manager Fred Mitch.e.l.l's diligent adherence to "percentage" baseball put him well ahead of his time. (CHICAGO H HISTORY M MUSEUM) But before then, Mitch.e.l.l had another big decision to make. He had to pick a pitcher for Game 3, and though he played his choice close to the vest, it's likely he knew what he'd do all along. Most of the "dope artists"-that cla.s.s of reporter, led by Hugh Fullerton, who a.n.a.lyzed players and statistics scientifically to predict the Series-pegged 20-game winner Claude Hendrix as the Game 3 starter. But Mitch.e.l.l was different, ahead of his time. Of course, Mitch.e.l.l could not know this back in September 1918, but, in 2003, a book called Moneyball Moneyball would revolutionize the way fans, media, and executives saw baseball. would revolutionize the way fans, media, and executives saw baseball. Moneyball Moneyball described the strict adherence of one team, the Oakland A's, to well-defined statistical principles applied to all aspects of the game, big and small. Baseball decisions-from scouting and drafting players to deciding when to steal and how to arrange the defense for a specific batter-had mostly been left to the gut feelings and biases of old-timers. But the A's a.n.a.lyzed all decisions mathematically. This, too, was Mitch.e.l.l's approach. His methods were more rudimentary, but still, he was the described the strict adherence of one team, the Oakland A's, to well-defined statistical principles applied to all aspects of the game, big and small. Baseball decisions-from scouting and drafting players to deciding when to steal and how to arrange the defense for a specific batter-had mostly been left to the gut feelings and biases of old-timers. But the A's a.n.a.lyzed all decisions mathematically. This, too, was Mitch.e.l.l's approach. His methods were more rudimentary, but still, he was the Moneyball Moneyball manager of his era. manager of his era.

"[Mitch.e.l.l] has employed a system of percentages in his attack and defense, and indications are he has installed the system well into the mind of each one of his players," James Crusinberry wrote in the Tribune Tribune. "There are managers in baseball who play 'hunches' and there are others who yield to sentiment and some who play favorites and perhaps some who simply trust to luck or main force, but Fred Mitch.e.l.l sticks to the system of percentages, no matter what happens.... Mitch.e.l.l will always know whether the percentages favor success in doing a thing one way or whether they favor his doing it some other way."7 The percentages were undoubtedly in favor of surprising everyone and bringing back Hippo Vaughn for Game 3, even on one day's rest, rather than using either of his right-handers. Spitballer Phil Douglas had a good ERA (2.13), but after an 82 start, he had lost seven of his most recent nine decisions. Hendrix, at 207, had a very good season, leading the league in winning percentage, but Mitch.e.l.l could see Hendrix's numbers for what they were: the product of luck. Hendrix's 2.78 ERA was slightly higher than the league average. He allowed 229 hits in 233 innings, an average of 0.98 hits per inning. The league average was 0.93. Hendrix was just an average pitcher who was lucky enough to play for the team that led the league in runs and won him some games he should have lost. There also was a report that "Claude complained of a sore arm yesterday, and unless the wing had entirely recovered in the just-before-the-battle warmup, Shuffling Phil Douglas was to hurl."8 Even if his arm was strong, putting Hendrix on the mound meant Barrow would insert the left-handed Ruth in left field, and Mitch.e.l.l did not need to look at the percentages to know that Boston was much more difficult to handle with Ruth in the batting order. A fatigued ace left-hander-like Vaughn-with no Ruth was a better choice than a well-rested, average right-hander like Hendrix facing a lineup anch.o.r.ed by Ruth. Mitch.e.l.l might have been overly cautious with Ruth, who had not homered since July and hit just .259 over the last five weeks of the season. But Mitch.e.l.l had seen batting practice. He was not afraid to announce that he had no intention of messing with the Babe. "A right hander would have had Ruth coming up to hit," Mitch.e.l.l said, "and if he got hold of one, good night. He is a wonderful natural ballplayer, and n.o.body I've seen takes the cut at a ball he does. He is liable to knock any kind of pitch anywhere."9 As the 2:30 start time for Game 3 approached on September 7, temperatures were comfortable, but the sky was overcast. Still, things at Comiskey Park were looking generally brighter. A flock of "dipper girls" strolled the stands collecting donations for the soldiers' tobacco fund, "to keep our boys in smokes over there."10 The girls likely took in a good amount, because for the first time in the Series the ticket business was brisk. It helped that it was a Sat.u.r.day, the only weekend game on the World Series schedule-and it was on the schedule only because of the Game 1 postponement. Many questioned why the National Commission did not juggle the schedule to ensure that both a Sat.u.r.day and a Sunday game, always the biggest draws, could be played in Chicago. (Boston's blue laws did not permit baseball on Sundays.) It also helped that the Cubs had shown some life and evened the Series, bolstering the enthusiasm of the locals. The 20,040 fans at Game 2 had been a slight improvement on Game 1, but the pool of money generated by that crowd actually The girls likely took in a good amount, because for the first time in the Series the ticket business was brisk. It helped that it was a Sat.u.r.day, the only weekend game on the World Series schedule-and it was on the schedule only because of the Game 1 postponement. Many questioned why the National Commission did not juggle the schedule to ensure that both a Sat.u.r.day and a Sunday game, always the biggest draws, could be played in Chicago. (Boston's blue laws did not permit baseball on Sundays.) It also helped that the Cubs had shown some life and evened the Series, bolstering the enthusiasm of the locals. The 20,040 fans at Game 2 had been a slight improvement on Game 1, but the pool of money generated by that crowd actually decreased decreased (the players' pool was $16,198.38), as fans pa.s.sed on the more expensive boxes to sit in the cheap seats. But the crowd filing in for Game 3 looked more like a World Series crowd, with 27,054 fans showing up. (the players' pool was $16,198.38), as fans pa.s.sed on the more expensive boxes to sit in the cheap seats. But the crowd filing in for Game 3 looked more like a World Series crowd, with 27,054 fans showing up.

Carl Mays was penciled in as the Boston starter, and there had been enough rumors suggesting Vaughn would start Game 3 for the Cubs that, as the Red Sox took outfield practice, both Ruth and Whiteman manned left field. When Vaughn was announced as the starter, Whiteman remained and Ruth-who had, earlier in the week, stated that he hoped he would not have to sit out an inning-again went back to the bench, dejected. Vaughn was given a loud ovation by the home fans as he loped to the mound.

Vaughn didn't disappoint. He allowed a cheap hit to Hooper in the first inning and a single to Whiteman in the second but in both cases was able to pitch out of trouble with ease. After a three-up, three-out third inning, the Red Sox got to Vaughn in the fourth. Vaughn tossed a curveball inside to Whiteman, who leaned in and was. .h.i.t by the pitch. Stuffy McInnis and Wally Schang followed with singles, scoring Whiteman and setting up a first-and-third situation with one out. Everett Scott attempted a suicide squeeze, and when Vaughn reached the ball, all he could do was hold it-Merkle had charged the bunt too, and no one was covering first base. McInnis scored on the play, and the Red Sox had a 20 lead.

Fred Mitch.e.l.l's percentage system hadn't figured on two things, starting with Whiteman. His run scored in the fourth inning meant that he now had figured in the scoring for three consecutive games. There was no way Mitch.e.l.l could have guessed that Whiteman, a 35-year-old journeyman who had 86 games of big-league experience and had been purchased from the minors for just $750, would hit. 400 in the first three games of the World Series off the best one-two punch in the National League. Nor could the percentages have possibly shown that the Cubs would have such b.u.m luck against Carl Mays. Certainly Mays was well rested-he had not pitched since tossing the back-to-back games of the doubleheader against Philadelphia on August 30-and it hurt the Cubs that no one in the National League pitched submarine style like Mays. But Mays managed to hold the Cubs to just one run, coming on an RBI single in the fifth by Killefer. The Cubs had chances, moving a man into scoring position against Mays in five of the last six innings, but were consistently frustrated in clutch situations.

The frustration climaxed in the ninth inning, when, with two out, Charley Pick beat out a ground ball to Shean and stole second. Pick broke for third when one of Mays's pitches got away from Schang and, as Pick slid, he raised his spikes, ready to inflict some pain should third baseman Fred Thomas try to tag him. Pick got tangled up with Thomas as the throw from Schang arrived, and the ball trickled away from Thomas's glove. Immediately, Mitch.e.l.l-coaching third-yelled to Pick, telling him to score. Pick got up, hesitated, and emerged from the cloud of dirt toward home. But the ball had not gotten very far into foul territory. Thomas recovered and zipped a perfect throw to Schang. Pick, again with his cleats up, "slid home with a running broad jump."11 Schang grabbed the throw from Thomas and slapped a tag on Pick, whose spikes did not find Schang's calf as planned but, rather, tore into the right s.h.i.+n of Bill Klem, the umpire. Klem called Pick out, sealing one of the most thrilling game-winning outs in World Series history. Schang grabbed the throw from Thomas and slapped a tag on Pick, whose spikes did not find Schang's calf as planned but, rather, tore into the right s.h.i.+n of Bill Klem, the umpire. Klem called Pick out, sealing one of the most thrilling game-winning outs in World Series history.

Pick's failed dash put the Red Sox up, two games to one, with the rest of the Series to be played in Boston. The game ended at 4:30, giving the teams three and a half hours to clean up, have a bite to eat, and board the Michigan Central at the LaSalle Street Station in Chicago's Loop. The train was scheduled to leave at 8:00 P.M P.M. on Sat.u.r.day and arrive in Boston at 10:50 P.M P.M. on Sunday. The usual frills of World Series travel were gone. The Red Sox booked two cars, while the Cubs, the newspaper writers, and the National Commission booked one each. Through the night, players, writers, and team officials stayed up playing whist, poker, and c.r.a.ps, smoking all the while. Between the noise and the smoke, sleep was impossible. Charles Dryden wrote of the train, "Our combination World's Series and Monte Carlo special ... entered the home stretch for Boston, leaving a pale blue haze of cigarette and cigar smoke along the right of way."12 It wasn't all gambling and tobacco. There still was the lingering possibility of fisticuffs. After bad blood developed over the thras.h.i.+ng that Wagner took under the stands in Game 2, concern was raised about putting ticked-off players together on a train for 27 hours. "There was an unconfirmed rumor last night that F. Otto Knabe was to be blasted apart or something in revenge for spilling Heinie Wagner on his back during the second game," the Herald Examiner Herald Examiner noted. "President Weeghman said he heard threats to that effect, but could not state who uttered them." noted. "President Weeghman said he heard threats to that effect, but could not state who uttered them."13 Aboard the train, though, a more important topic of conversation spread. A group of players from both teams put aside on-field antagonism and poker games to discuss the jarring reality that was settling in with the players after the first three games in Chicago: the gate receipts were terrible. Aboard the train, though, a more important topic of conversation spread. A group of players from both teams put aside on-field antagonism and poker games to discuss the jarring reality that was settling in with the players after the first three games in Chicago: the gate receipts were terrible.

This was especially troubling when taken in combination with the action of the National Commission the previous January. At the time, Ban Johnson, Garry Herrmann, and John Tener (replaced by John Heydler after Tener's August resignation) altered the rules for the division of money generated not only by the World Series but by all postseason series-in cities with two clubs, like Chicago, Boston, St. Louis, New York, and Philadelphia, the American League team would play the National League team in a postseason, crosstown series that usually drew healthy crowds and good payouts for the teams and players. In changing the split, the Commission's goal was to allow more players to share in postseason money. The players' World Series pool was to remain the same, 60 percent of the gate receipts for the first four games. But the payouts would be capped at $2,000 for each player on the World Series winner and $1,400 for the losers. At 25 players per team, that figured to be $78,000 total for the two teams-$50,000 for the winners and $28,000 for the losers. Whatever money was left in the players' pool beyond $78,000 would be divided by the teams finis.h.i.+ng in second, third, and fourth place in each league. That way, half the league shared in the big World Series payouts.

But there was some fine print to consider. For one thing, the new rules had been based on the receipts of the incredibly expensive and well-attended 1917 World Series. The players hadn't stopped to consider what would happen if the receipts didn't match those of '17. There was also the provision in the new rule that allocated a share of the gate receipts from all crosstown postseason series to the World Series pool. When the A's played the Phillies in Philadelphia, for example, half the player money was to be added to the World Series money, bolstering the payout World Series players would get. With the work-or-fight order in effect, though, there were no crosstown postseason series. Players partic.i.p.ating in the World Series were giving up part of their winnings to teams that had finished second through fourth, but they weren't getting anything in return.

Aboard the train, players figured out what was happening. The gate receipts for the three Chicago games were terrible. It wasn't so much the spa.r.s.e crowds that were draining the pool. It was the reduced ticket prices. Even the sizable crowd at the third game had generated total receipts of only $40,118. But 10 percent of the pool had been promised to war charities, lowering the Game 3 receipts to $36,106.20. The players would get 60 percent of that, or $21,663.72. The three-game players' pool total was just $54,230.02. Even if Game 4 in Boston was a sellout, it was obvious that this Series would not come close to matching 1917's $152,000 player pool. With the commission still planning on giving payouts to teams that finished second, third, and fourth, stark reality sank in for the Cubs and the Red Sox: the winners were not going to get $2,000, and the losers would not get $1,400. On the train, the players were told that the winners' share would be just $1,200 and the loser's share $800. Even those numbers, it turned out, were optimistic.

The players were angry. Some wanted to abandon the Series then and there-hollow chatter, because that would ensure no one got any money. But not long before, the Red Sox had used a strike threat successfully, demanding that Harry Frazee pay their usual salaries for the first two weeks of September. "It is pitiful to read that the Boston Red Sox, preliminary to entering the World's Series, organized a strike for their salaries through September 15," The Sporting News The Sporting News reported. "They told Owner Harry Frazee that if they did not get the half a month's salary they would not play the series. It is to be regretted that Frazee was not in a position to take them at their words and call off the whole show." reported. "They told Owner Harry Frazee that if they did not get the half a month's salary they would not play the series. It is to be regretted that Frazee was not in a position to take them at their words and call off the whole show."14 Frazee had given in. Now the Red Sox were threatening to strike again. Frazee had given in. Now the Red Sox were threatening to strike again.

It was decided that a committee of players would approach the National Commission with a demand for full shares, and if that did not work, a willingness to compromise at $1,500 for the winners and $1,000 for the losers. Hooper, along with Shean, would represent the Red Sox. Mann and Killefer would represent the Cubs. When Hooper told Herrmann the players wanted to meet Sunday afternoon, he was told that Ban Johnson had taken a later train and the players would have to come back and meet with the commission at the Copley Plaza Hotel in downtown Boston on Monday morning, before Game 4.

Not everyone was worked up about the payout fuss. Ruth, for one, didn't much seem to care. Not that he didn't like money; he just didn't worry about it-money, it seemed, was always there when he wanted it. As Fred Thomas would later explain, "Babe was an irresponsible guy. I'd never go out with him. He'd spend money all right, but he'd spend your money. He made more money than anybody but he never had any."15 Instead, Ruth spent the afternoon moving up and down the aisles, plucking straw hats off pa.s.sengers and punching out the tops. It was past Labor Day, after all, and a straw hat after Labor Day was a fas.h.i.+on faux pas. As part of his horseplay, Babe got tangled up in some roughhousing with pitcher Walt Kinney and wound up smacking the middle finger of his left hand. It swelled up and would need to be treated with iodine. Barrow was not pleased, because Ruth was his Game 4 starter. Instead, Ruth spent the afternoon moving up and down the aisles, plucking straw hats off pa.s.sengers and punching out the tops. It was past Labor Day, after all, and a straw hat after Labor Day was a fas.h.i.+on faux pas. As part of his horseplay, Babe got tangled up in some roughhousing with pitcher Walt Kinney and wound up smacking the middle finger of his left hand. It swelled up and would need to be treated with iodine. Barrow was not pleased, because Ruth was his Game 4 starter.

But now there was some doubt as to whether there would be a Game 4 at all.

THE O ORIGINAL C CURSE: HIPPO V VAUGHN.

Luck was not smiling on Hippo Vaughn in his first two appearances in the 1918 World Series-he'd allowed three runs in 18 innings and had two losses to show for it. Three years later, more bad luck would end his career prematurely.

From 1914 to 1920, Vaughn was among the best starters in the National League, posting 143 wins in seven seasons. But in 1921, at age 33, things went sour. On July 9, Vaughn had a terrible outing in New York, dropping his record to 311. He'd given up the first career home run to his old teammate, pitcher Phil Douglas, walked off the mound, and, according to the Tribune Tribune, "Big Jim hasn't been seen since.... He failed to come to the hotel where the Cubs are stopping and hadn't been located tonight."16 Vaughn, it turns out, was as unhappy with Johnny Evers (then the Cubs manager) in 1921 as Red Sox players had been in the spring of '18. "I could have hung on for a few more years, I guess, but my arm was hurting and Manager Johnny Evers told the newspapers the trouble was, 'in my head,'" Vaughn later explained. "Kind of made me mad." Vaughn, it turns out, was as unhappy with Johnny Evers (then the Cubs manager) in 1921 as Red Sox players had been in the spring of '18. "I could have hung on for a few more years, I guess, but my arm was hurting and Manager Johnny Evers told the newspapers the trouble was, 'in my head,'" Vaughn later explained. "Kind of made me mad."17 Vaughn was suspended by Evers and turned up back in Chicago with a semipro outfit. Evers was fired shortly thereafter and replaced by Bill Killefer, prompting Vaughn to report back to the team. The Cubs attempted to reinstate him. Vaughn was suspended by Evers and turned up back in Chicago with a semipro outfit. Evers was fired shortly thereafter and replaced by Bill Killefer, prompting Vaughn to report back to the team. The Cubs attempted to reinstate him.

Not so fast. In the view of Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Vaughn had jumped his contract by signing with the semipro team. Landis ruled that Vaughn could not play for the remainder of the season. Even after the season, the Tribune Tribune reported that Vaughn's semipro team, the Beloit Fairies, agreed to tear up Vaughn's contract to allow him to return to the Cubs, but, "semi-pro men, however, claim Vaughn's case was taken before Landis and turned down. 'Hippo' then went back to Beloit and signed another contract." reported that Vaughn's semipro team, the Beloit Fairies, agreed to tear up Vaughn's contract to allow him to return to the Cubs, but, "semi-pro men, however, claim Vaughn's case was taken before Landis and turned down. 'Hippo' then went back to Beloit and signed another contract."18 Vaughn may have had a sore arm, but it certainly got better. He pitched semipro ball around Chicago until he quit at 47 years old-and even then, he insisted, it was his legs that gave out, not his arm. Landis's excessively tough ruling brought a premature and ignominious end to what had been a brilliant career. Vaughn may have had a sore arm, but it certainly got better. He pitched semipro ball around Chicago until he quit at 47 years old-and even then, he insisted, it was his legs that gave out, not his arm. Landis's excessively tough ruling brought a premature and ignominious end to what had been a brilliant career.

SIXTEEN.

World Series, Games 4 and 5, Boston SEPTEMBER 910, 1918 910, 1918 As the Red Sox and Cubs were speeding across the Midwest toward Boston aboard the Michigan Central on Sunday afternoon, a Hamburg-American liner pulled into the city's navy yard. On the s.h.i.+p were 195 soldiers who had been "invalided" by the war. Among that group were 52 stretcher cases, those who were so badly wounded that they could not get out of bed. They were sent to Boston City Hospital. There were 13 cases of sh.e.l.l shock taken to the Boston Psychopathic Hospital. The other soldiers went to various naval hospitals around the area. Their arrival was heralded by newspapers across the country. Even in Chicago, a picture of one of the wounded-a forlorn, one-armed young soldier sitting with a smiling nurse-appeared in the Herald Examiner Herald Examiner. In Boston, executives at the Globe Globe contacted the hospitals and offered to buy tickets to the upcoming World Series games for all the injured men who were fit enough to attend. contacted the hospitals and offered to buy tickets to the upcoming World Series games for all the injured men who were fit enough to attend.

At the same time, it was decided that another group of debilitated soldiers-200 sailors at Commonwealth Pier in East Boston-had to be transported too. But they had not yet been to war. They were sick, far too sick to be put into a hospital. They had contracted Spanish influenza, a particularly virulent form of the flu that led to lethal pneumonia. It had been pa.s.sed around on the battlefields of the front, but between the usual high death tolls of the war and military censors who did not want the enemy to know about the illness, the flu had not been reported widely. (Spain had remained neutral in the war, and because the press there reported on the epidemic, it became known as "Spanish flu.") It had shown up in pockets around the United States in 1918, but not until men began returning from the front were concerns raised about an outbreak here. When the illness of the sailors on Commonwealth Pier became known, they were quickly quarantined. While preparations were being made for Game 4 at Fenway, state guardsmen went to the top of Corey Hill in Brookline, one of the highest points around Boston, and built a tent camp. By that evening, the 200 flu-stricken soldiers were transported into the tents.

Where World Series talk in Chicago had been trumped by talk of the war and the Federal Building bomb, World Series talk in Boston was overshadowed by news of the invalided battlefield heroes and simmering rumors of a fast-spreading fatal flu virus. For ballplayers, as the end of the season-and, quite possibly, the end of baseball and the good living the game provided-drew near, there was an increased need to squeeze out every dollar before the shutdown hit. Many of the players figured to be inducted into the army themselves soon. Helping to hammer home that reality was the presence of erstwhile Red Sox lefty Dutch Leonard, who joined the team in the Fenway dugout for Game 4. Leonard and several other players who dodged the draft by joining the s.h.i.+pyard league had been nabbed by the War Department and forced into the army. Now Leonard was simply waiting for his draft call. The sight of Leonard was a stark reminder for ballplayers that, from now on, there would be no more collecting a good salary while hiding from the war. It wasn't a stretch for them to look at pictures of the invalided soldiers, to hear stories about the sailors sick with Spanish flu, to see someone like Leonard being kicked into the army, and to imagine their future selves. How were they supposed to provide for themselves and their families? What about mortgages and car payments and kids? What if they they were invalided? were invalided?

Little wonder that money remained first on the minds of the players and that, just a few miles from the site of the tent camp at Corey Hill, Garry Herrmann received a phone call from Cubs outfielder Les Mann. The player representatives wanted to talk about World Series shares. They were not about to let this issue go. They felt they'd been promised $2,000 for the winners and $1,400 for the losers, and "their stand is that the other clubs should be left out of the proposition until the stipulated sums are paid, or that the commission should come up with the deficit."1 If they could not be guaranteed that money, they would not play Game 4. Herrmann informed Mann, however, that Ban Johnson still had not arrived-his train would get him into Boston shortly before game time. If the players wanted to meet, Mann was told, they would have to wait until after Game 4. Not that it would matter. The commission, Herrmann claimed, did not have the authority to change the rule without a vote from all 16 team owners. Otherwise, some owners could sue on behalf of their players. "We could end the series at this point," Herrmann threatened, "and divide the money that's coming to the players equally among the club owners." If they could not be guaranteed that money, they would not play Game 4. Herrmann informed Mann, however, that Ban Johnson still had not arrived-his train would get him into Boston shortly before game time. If the players wanted to meet, Mann was told, they would have to wait until after Game 4. Not that it would matter. The commission, Herrmann claimed, did not have the authority to change the rule without a vote from all 16 team owners. Otherwise, some owners could sue on behalf of their players. "We could end the series at this point," Herrmann threatened, "and divide the money that's coming to the players equally among the club owners."2 Les Mann was a speedy, reliable outfielder for the Cubs, but he was also a key figure in the players' battle for a better share of the World Series receipts. (CHICAGO H HISTORY M MUSEUM) No one really wanted to end the Series, and what neither side wanted to acknowledge was that their arguments had gaping flaws. The players had not really been promised $2,000 and $1,400-if they had read the new rule for World Series shares closely, they would have seen that the commission was merely giving the players what had already been agreed on. They were ent.i.tled, after the war charities donation, to 55.5 percent of the receipts for the first four games, minus the money that would go to the second-, third-, and fourth-place teams. That was what the commission was authorized to pay them. On the other hand, the commission was leaning on the notion that it could do nothing to change the rule without a full vote of both leagues. This was utter bunk. When the rule changes originally were pa.s.sed the previous winter, there had been no league-wide vote. In fact, the rule explicitly said that the commission was using "plenary power to revise the rules and regulations governing contests for the World's Series ... pertaining to the players' share of the receipts."3 That is, the change was enacted on the authority of the National Commission alone. The National Commission had every right to change the rule further as it saw fit.

What's unclear, though, is why the commission wouldn't do the logical thing and at least eliminate the shares slated to go to other teams. It wasn't a matter of greed. This issue was one of dividing the players' shares, but the owners' shares and the National Commission's share would not be affected. The commission was not being stubborn because it was trying to keep more money for itself or the teams. Why not just allocate all the money in the player pool to the World Series partic.i.p.ants? The answer, most likely, was hubris. To change the rule at the behest of the players would make the commission look weak. In hindsight, it had been a mistake to change the Series ticket pricing without making a corresponding change in how the player pool was handled. But look at how the commission handled other issues in baseball, like the use of freak pitching deliveries or the growing gambling problem. Over the brief course of the game's history, baseball's overseers never never admitted mistakes. They were not about to start now. admitted mistakes. They were not about to start now.

Still, Mann and the players agreed to go forward with Game 4 only with the understanding that they would meet with the commission later (some reports had the meeting scheduled for that night, while others put it at 10:00 A.M A.M. the following day). This was a happy turn of events for Boston fans-around the city, interest in the World Series had slowly perked up. "A revival of some of the oldtime World Series enthusiasm was seen in Boston in the increased crowds that gathered about the bulletin boards in newspaper row to cheer the news of the Red Sox's victory in Chicago," the Tribune Tribune reported. reported.4 They figured to have quality entertainment. The World Series games had been very well played, if not well attended. The pitching was brilliant, the strategy decisive, the fielding consistent, and the baserunning heads-up. When there were mistakes, such as Charley Pick's attempt to take home at the end of Game 3, they were mistakes of overaggressiveness, not nonchalance or failure of focus. They figured to have quality entertainment. The World Series games had been very well played, if not well attended. The pitching was brilliant, the strategy decisive, the fielding consistent, and the baserunning heads-up. When there were mistakes, such as Charley Pick's attempt to take home at the end of Game 3, they were mistakes of overaggressiveness, not nonchalance or failure of focus.

But after the long train ride from Chicago, after the players figured out they were going to be paid only half the money they thought they'd get, the level of play sank. The final games of the Series were defined by strange and crucial blunders. This, quite possibly, was not a coincidence. The players knew they were coming up short on money and had plenty of time and opportunity to consort with each other on the issue. They were in Boston, the capital of baseball betting, where less than two months earlier two Reds players had sauntered into a poolroom and easily arranged to fix a game. They were playing in a Series in which the betting had been unusual, and stories began to appear about the players' anger over the revised player pool split. The setting was perfect for the enterprising bettor. There was no easier target for gamblers hoping to fix ball games than a group of players dissatisfied with their pay.

At about 2:00 P.M P.M. on Monday, 30 minutes before Game 4, 54 wounded soldiers gathered at Boston City Hospital and piled into automobiles provided by the Red Cross. They got to Fenway Park just before game time and, as they slowly made their way to grandstand seats-some with heads wrapped to cover skull wounds, some hobbling with badly mangled, or even missing, limbs-the other soldiers in attendance stood and saluted. The crowd cheered, and throughout the game lines of people approached the soldiers to shake their hands. The soldiers, of course, just wanted to watch the game and cheer on the Red Sox. (Well, not Private Harry Hansen, who had lost his arm at Chateau Thierry. He hailed from Percy, Illinois, and backed the Cubs.)5 There was excitement around the soldiers, and Boston was expecting the return of old-time World Series enthusiasm, but again the weather did not cooperate. A drenching rain the previous day kept attendance low, as only 22,183 showed for Game 4, well below the packed-house crowd of 34,000 the Red Sox were predicting. Boston held a 21 lead in the Series, but still, the betting lines were tight-the Red Sox were only five-to-four favorites. Babe Ruth, his swollen finger stained yellow with iodine, was able to take the mound for the Red Sox. For the Cubs, rumors spread that Mitch.e.l.l would start one of his right-handed spitballers, Claude Hendrix or Phil Douglas. But in the end Mitch.e.l.l did not stray from his strategy. Lefty Tyler again would be his starting pitcher.

When Ruth took the mound, fans finally diverted their attention away from the injured soldiers and gave Babe a big ovation. Max Flack stepped in against Ruth and stroked a single to right field, and almost immediately Game 4 began to look funny. Charley Hollocher lined out to shortstop, and, with Les Mann at the plate, Flack took a big lead at first and just seemed to stop paying attention. Red Sox catcher Sam Agnew took a pitch from Ruth and threw down to McInnis at first base, picking off Flack for the second out and stopping any notion of a Cubs rally. Considering the circ.u.mstances, and how tight the first three games had been, this had to be maddening for Mitch.e.l.l to witness. It would get more maddening, though. In the third inning, Flack reached on a force out and was sacrificed to second base by Hollocher. With two out, Flack again took a big lead and again again seemed to fall asleep on the bases, idly kicking the dirt and "giving the brown study stuff a play around the sacks." seemed to fall asleep on the bases, idly kicking the dirt and "giving the brown study stuff a play around the sacks."6 Ruth turned and threw to second base, and, for the second time in the game, Flack was picked off. It's difficult to get picked off during a game at all, but to be picked off twice in the most important game of the season is a head scratcher. There have been 104 World Series in baseball history, but Flack remains the only player to be picked off twice in the same Series game. Ruth turned and threw to second base, and, for the second time in the game, Flack was picked off. It's difficult to get picked off during a game at all, but to be picked off twice in the most important game of the season is a head scratcher. There have been 104 World Series in baseball history, but Flack remains the only player to be picked off twice in the same Series game.

Shoddy play from the Cubs-from Flack, specifically-continued in the fourth inning, with Tyler facing Ruth and two men on base. Tyler was careful with his first three offerings, throwing three consecutive b.a.l.l.s. With a full count, Tyler stepped off the mound, looked out to right field, and wondered why Flack was playing so shallow against the best left-handed batter in the game, especially after, in Game 1, Flack had just automatically moved into deep right field. "Flack was in too close," the Herald Examiner Herald Examiner reported. "Tyler waved him back. Flack did not pay attention to the command. Once again Tyler motioned him, but Max was obstinate." reported. "Tyler waved him back. Flack did not pay attention to the command. Once again Tyler motioned him, but Max was obstinate."7 The result was predictable. Tyler gave Ruth a strike, and Ruth crushed it into right. Flack, already playing shallow, inexplicably took a step in before turning to chase after Ruth's. .h.i.t. The ball landed well over Flack's head and rolled easily to the fence. Ruth had a triple. Two runs scored. The result was predictable. Tyler gave Ruth a strike, and Ruth crushed it into right. Flack, already playing shallow, inexplicably took a step in before turning to chase after Ruth's. .h.i.t. The ball landed well over Flack's head and rolled easily to the fence. Ruth had a triple. Two runs scored.

For the first seven innings, the Cubs failed to score. Ruth was wild-his finger was sore, and he walked six batters in the game-but it wasn't until the eighth inning that the Cubs finally rallied, almost in spite of themselves. Ruth walked Bill Killefer to start the inning, and Mitch.e.l.l sent up Hendrix (a very good hitter) in place of Tyler. Hendrix singled, bringing up Flack. Ruth started by unleas.h.i.+ng a wild pitch, allowing Killefer and Hendrix to move up. But Hendrix took such a wide lead at second base that he was nearly picked off, and Mitch.e.l.l, having seen enough bad Cubs baserunning on that afternoon, pulled Hendrix and inserted pinch runner Bill McCabe. With two men on, no outs, and Ruth clearly tiring, "Here was a fine chance for Max Flack to redeem himself," the New York Times New York Times commented. However, "Flack again fell down, sending an easy grounder right into the hands of [first baseman] Stuffy McInnis." commented. However, "Flack again fell down, sending an easy grounder right into the hands of [first baseman] Stuffy McInnis."8 Hollocher grounded out, scoring Killefer, and Mann followed with a single that scored McCabe, tying the game. Hollocher grounded out, scoring Killefer, and Mann followed with a single that scored McCabe, tying the game.

After pinch-hitting for Tyler and having to pinch-run for Hendrix because of his knuckleheaded baserunning, Mitch.e.l.l had only one choice for the bottom of the eighth inning-Phil Douglas, who had warmed up in the bullpen every game but was finally making his first World Series appearance. It did not go well. Douglas was a big guy and a spitballer, to boot, but throughout his career he had never been particularly error-p.r.o.ne or wild. Still, he started the inning by allowing a single to Wally Schang. He then threw wildly past Killefer (the pitch was counted as a pa.s.sed ball), allowing Schang to move to second base. When Hooper attempted a sacrifice bunt, Douglas came shufflin' off the mound, picked up the ball, and threw it well over Merkle's head into right field, allowing Schang to score and giving the Red Sox a 32 win. Boston now held a three-games-to-one lead.

This was not at all a typical performance for the 1918 Cubs. One player, Flack, was picked off twice. The same player ignored the explicit command of his pitcher, who implored him to play deeper with the heaviest hitter in the game at bat, and followed that by failing miserably in a clutch situation. There also was the pitcher, Hendrix, who ran the bases so badly the manager had to pull him, though he was scheduled to take the mound the next inning. Another pitcher, Douglas, let up a hit and a pa.s.sed ball and threw the game away with a wild heave to first base on a bunt. In the Globe Globe, Ed Martin summed it up best: "The Cubs did not look like a whale of a team."9 The Cubs did not dwell long on their Game 4 misfortune. Almost as the game ended, the attention of the players turned back to money. They still wanted $2,000 and $1,400 but would be willing to compromise at $1,500 and $1,00