Compiled by J.J. McCoy
Washington Post Staff Writer
Game 114: at Washington The Nats' three-game roll stalls against Cleveland's "grandfathered" spitballer and future Hall of Famer Stan Coveleski (season 15-16, 4.04 ERA). Along with the Nationals' Allan Russell (currently 3-0), Coveleski had been among a group of nine American Leaguers (and eight National Leaguers) officially listed as spitball pitchers in 1920, when the pitch was otherwise officially outlawed, and allowed to use the wet one for the rest of their careers. In '24 such American Leaguers still include future Hall of Famer Red Faber of the White Sox (9-11, 3.85 ERA) , Dutch Leonard of the Tigers (3-2 with a save, 4.56 ERA), Jack Quinn of the Red Sox (12-13 with seven saves, 3.27 ERA) and Urban Shocker of the Browns (16-13 with a save, 4.20 ERA). "According to the Nationals, that 'long lane which has no turning,' which is so often referred to, is the road to Pennantville in the Ban Johnson race at least, that's how the latter looks to them," suggests the Post's Frank H. Young. "Ever since they started on their Western trip last month, just when they have turned in a victory or so and begun getting hopeful, they have come to a bend in the road only to find a barred gate just beyond. They ran into another of these snags yesterday in the person of the veteran spitballer, [future Hall of Famer] Stan Coveleski (season 15-16, 4.04 ERA), and his little playmates from Cleveland, being unable to hit the Big Pole at all and dropping their second battle of the series to the Indians -- 5 to 1. "This defeat proved to be rather costly, especially when the doings of the Yankees and Tigers, the two teams ahead of the Nats, are taken into consideration. By taking a twin bill from the Browns, Ruth & Co. increased its lead to three full games over the Bucks, while the Cobbmen increased their margin over the Harris hopefuls by splitting even in a bargain bill with the Mackmen. "Coveleski appeared to have just the kind of offerings which the Nats did not like, and all but two of the eight local hits scored were registered in different frames when they did no good. As a matter of fact, with any luck at all, the Indians would have shut the home boys out, as the lone local tally of the afternoon was a gift pure and simple. "It came in round three, which [Nemo] Leibold (2 for 3 with a triple; .306) opened with a nifty bunt down third-base way. [Rube] Lutzke had no chance to catch the flying Nemo, but figured there was no harm in trying, and did so with such zest that the ball went past [1B George] Burns and all the way to right. Nemo, of course, kept on going, stopping momentarily at second and then starting again for third, which he easily reached when [RF Homer] Summa toyed with the ball after finally running it down. [Bucky] Harris (1 for 3; .265) then rolled one to Burns, the agate hopping over the first-sacker's head just as he was set to make the catch, and allowing Leibold to score. "For five frames the battle was close, with the visitors leading by a single run as a result of a pair hung up in the opening stanza. [Tom] Jezebel Tecumseh Zachary (L, 8-8) was given the Washington mound assignment, and he got away badly, finally being withdrawn in the Nats' seventh to allow Pinch-hitter [Pinky] Hargrave (0 for 1; .130) to strike out for him, Byron Speece (1-0) taking up where Zachary left off. All of the alien hits and runs were coined while Tom was working." In other headlines: "Forty-one thousand criminal cases, involving violation of the national prohibition act, were instituted and 35,000 convictions obtained in the first 10 months of the fiscal year just ended, according to figures made public by Commissioner Haynes. Fines for 10 months totaled $7,000,000 [2004 equivalent: $76.8 million], an increase of nearly $2,000,000 [2004 equivalent: $21.9 million] (or 28.6 percent) over the entire previous year, and jail sentences imposed aggregated 3,148 years, as compared with 2,003 years the whole preceding year. Mr. Haynes said he expected additional reports covering the other two months of the year to swell the number of convictions to more than 50,000." "Arbitrary restrictions upon the number of patients a physician may treat is contained in the provision of the national prohibition act which limits liquor prescriptions to 100-pint prescriptions to each physician each 90 days, Dr. William E. Philes, 602 11th St. NW, contends. By refusing to issue in excess of this amount of prescriptions, Dr. Philes, through his attorneys, contends the defendants are 'depriving him of property without due process of law.' . . . He asserts he now has certain patients who for proper treatment should use internally more than one pint of intoxicants in 10 days." "The Prohibition enforcement unit deliberately waited until Congress adjourned before making 'raids' on prominent Washington restaurants and arresting patrons for drinking in public, it was charged yesterday by Capt. W.H. Stayton, founder and executive head of the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment: 'These same restaurants were open throughout the winter months, and Commissioner Haynes and Harry M. Luckett, head of the enforcement of the Prohibition law in the District, no doubt will admit that if there are persons drinking in public in these places now, there also was drinking in public in the winter and spring, yet the federal Prohibition agents then visited none of the prominent restaurants where they are now arresting persons with half-pint flasks on their hips. Is it possible that they were afraid that such a 'raid' would result in the arrest of 'dry' congressmen or senators who don't vote as they drink?'" "In a telegram from South Sudbury, Mass., which was verified late [yesterday] by Charles Deland, secretary of state, Henry Ford withdrew his name from the Republican senatorial primary race in Michigan. . . . Ford said his name had been placed on the ballot by parties unknown to him, and that while he failed to understand their motive he believed that it could not 'be a good one.' He said he was in no sense a candidate for any office." In Toronto at the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1908 Nobel Prize laureate Sir Ernest Rutherford of Cambridge University asserts "in the field of powerful electrical forces acting at extremely minute distances in the interior of the atom, other principles may prevail than those of ordinary mechanics." Before people spoke of global warming, "snow fell at the University of Iowa golf links for a few minutes [yesterday]. It melted quickly." In New York, "one of the most drastic orders ever directed against a mother-in-law was filed . . . through his counsel, Ferdinand Hoffman of Mount Vernon has alleged that his mother-in-law's interference has caused the difficulties between his wife and himself, that she resorts to every conceivable means to prevent him from seeing his children and has traveled about Mount Vernon 'spluttering her mother-in-law spite.' [She] is restrained in the order from crossing the street from her residence to the homes of sisters of Hoffman, and talking to them and their neighbors."
This Day in Washington Baseball History:
1897: Pitching for the Chicago Colts of the National League, Clark Griffith pitches his first MLB shutout, beating the Cincinnati Reds, 2-0. He considers doing so bad luck; another time, he'll reportedly instruct a rookie catcher to intentionally drop a pop fly to allow a runner to score.
1932: Yankees pitcher Red Ruffing homers in the 10th inning to beat the Senators' Al Thomas, 1-0. Washington's Tom Hughes, 26 years earlier, was the last MLB pitcher to hit an extra-inning, game-winning HR.
1961: For a third-straight day at Griffith Stadium, Roger Maris homers (his 44th). One inning later, Mickey Mantle adds his 45th; the Senators nevertheless win the first game of the doubleheader, 12-2. In the first inning of the nightcap -- and fourth-straight game -- Maris homers again (45) as the Yanks win, 9-4.
1965: The Senators' Ken McMullen ties the single-game record for most double plays (four) involving a third baseman.
1968: Washington pitcher Jim Hannan whiffs for the 13th-straight time (since July 24) and takes the loss as Minnesota's Tom Hall earns his first MLB win, 8-4.
Number of days since the Washington Senators last played: 12,004
Estimated attendance at the Montreal/San Juan/Monterrey Expos' last home game: 7,147 (July 27, 2004)
Compiled from various sources, including The Washington Post, "The Baseball Timeline" and BaseballLibrary.com