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TED WILLIAMS |
BOSTON RED SOX ...
THE
CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 3
A
DREAM SUBWAY SERIES DISAPPEARS ...
Ted Williams'
(.417 BA) big afternoon in Chicago
June 23, 1948 ... Game
postponed
June 24, 1948 ... Coming
from behind to pull out the second game of a doubleheader by an 8 to
6 score, on the back of two home runs by Ted Williams and fine relief
pitching of Earl Johnson, the Red Sox split the afternoon at Comiskey
Park.
For the first time in seven games the Red Sox lost a game in the opener, by a
3 to 1 score. Ellis Kinder had one bad inning for Boston in the opening game,
granting all the White Sox runs and five of the six hits that he gave up. Boston
batters had nothing before the overpowering pitching of left Bill Wight. The one
good chance the Red Sox had, was in the first inning when Wight struggled with
his control and walked both Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky, who both died on
base. Successive hits by Sam Mele and Jake Jones, and Matt Batt's single after a
doubleplay, prevented the Red Sox from being shutout in the seventh inning.
Down by a score of 5 to 1 in the second inning, the Red Sox, paced by Ted
Williams' 14th home run of the season and DiMaggio's fifth, along with a
pinch-hit single by Wally Moses took a 6 to 5 lead. Ted hit his 15th home run in
the eighth with Pesky aboard.
In the second game, the White Sox got to starter Jack Kramer with two runs in
the very first inning. They then scored three more in the fourth inning. Then
the Red Sox started their comeback. DiMaggio homered over the left centerfield
wall above the scoreboard in the fifth. Pesky beat out a bunt down to Luke
Appling and scored ahead of Ted Williams home run, making it 5 to 4.
Opening the sixth inning, really Goodman doubled to right-center. Ray
Caldwell came in to pitch for Chicago and walked the next batter, Matt Batts.
Wally Moses came up as a pinch-hitter and singled to right, scoring Goodman.
Batts scored on DiMaggio's sacrifice fly. The Red Sox now led 6 to 5. Then Earl
Johnson came in for the Red Sox and stopped the White Sox in their tracks. In
the eighth-inning Williams came up again and with one away, and Pesky on first,
blasted his second round tripper the afternoon into the upper right-field
stands.
When the afternoon was done, Ted's batting average sat at in unbelievable
.417, with two homers, a double and four base on balls. In addition Ted's RBI
total was sent up to 65 to lead the American League. |
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