Extra Innings
Tigers at Naps, April 27, 1908
Extra Innings
Sorry guys, no fancy title today. Instead, we’ve got a great game for you.
The Tigers and Naps are at the bottom of the American League at the moment. Yeah, it’s early, but it’s also a bit worrisome. Then again, we’ve had so much parity in the American League that they might as well be fighting for the top. The last-place Nats are only 3 games out, after all.
Now, I unfortunately don’t have access to any 1908 newspapers from Cleveland. I do know, though, that the 1908 Tigers were worried about competing for the pennant at this stage of the season:
As you can tell from this article, the Tigers lost:
But, of course, replays are not the same as real life.
Pulling One Out Of The Fire
Detroit scored a run in the simulation version of this game in the top of the 2nd. The Tigers then started cruising on the arm of starter Ed Summers.
Summers faced George Stovall to lead off the bottom of the 9th, still holding on to a thin one-run advantage:
That brought up catcher Jay Clarke:
Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that it’s time to pull Summers, right? His grade was now a “D,” and he was clearly suffering.
If you were thinking that, you just don’t know how I roll. I’m not going to take him out while he’s pitching a shutout.
Up next came Bill Bradley. I decided to keep Clarke on at first instead of running the hit and run due to his lack of an 11. But then this happened:
The play result was a 39, but that unusual play randomizer changed it to a 36, which allowed Clarke to steal second anyway.
And, well, I figured we might as well look for the double play. We walked Bradley:
You’re probably thinking that this game is going to end here. Remember, however, that we’re in 1908. Weak hitter George Perring was up next:
The game was now tied, 1-1, with the winning run on third base. That set the stage for Joe Birmingham to potentially be a hero:
This one was probably my fault. I thought it would be a good idea to hit and run with Bradley, who is a fast runner. Those 33s and 34s really punish you if you hit and run, sadly.
And on we went to extra innings.
Cleveland Gets A Chance
Cleveland had another chance in the bottom of the 10th.
Right fielder Bill Hinchman started things off:
Blame that error on Germany Schaefer.
Up next came the pitcher, Addie Joss. If you think I’m taking him out, you’re really crazy.
The bunt worked well, setting things up for the top of the Cleveland lineup. However, Josh Clarke quietly made an out, leaving it up to Napoleon Lajoie with one on and two out:
Summers needed to come out after that wild pitch, but I thought I would give him just one more chance:
And my faith was rewarded.
Detroit Gets A Chance
Schaefer was eager to make up for his fielding miscue. He came up in the top of the 11th with one out and nobody on:
Up next came Matty McIntyre, who really scared me:
The Tigers ought to thank their lucky stars that Schaefer had that “F” rating. That brought up Ty Cobb with a golden opportunity to win the game:
The error went over to Perring this time. That set it up for catcher Boss Schmidt:
Even the hit and run couldn’t save the Tigers there.
The End
Cleveland went down quietly in the bottom of the 11th, giving the Tigers another shot at it.
First baseman Claude Rossman came up with one out in the top of the 12th:
Up next was Bill Coughlin, who can’t hit worth a lick. It was time to bunt:
The score was now 2-1 after Joss’ unfortunate error. And the Tigers weren’t done yet. Up came Red Downs:
Downs got the unexpected clutch hit, but a good throw from Birmingham nailed Coughlin at the plate. And that was it for the Tigers.
Perring led things off in the bottom of the 12th for Cleveland:
Chalk that error up to new relief pitcher Herm Malloy, who made an awful play.
Birmingham came back up there. I decided to bunt with him:
That “9” result would have probably been a popout had we not bunted, so I think this worked in Cleveland’s favor.
There was now one out, and it was time for Hinchman:
The “22” play result was changed to a “15” by the automatic error modification system. That wound up being a fly ball that McIntyre in left field simply dropped.
There were two on with only one out now, and the pitcher’s spot was due up. Joss had already pitched 12 innings, and it was time to take him out. Up came pinch hitter Terry Turner:
Turner’s failure brought up Josh Clarke, who has hit extremely well so far this season:
Malloy lost him. That meant that Malloy and the Tigers now had to face Napoleon Lajoie, arguably the best player in the American League:
And that was it: a simply ground ball to second base.
That ended a wild afternoon of baseball, and a very long video.
The strangest thing about this game was the 9 errors made by both teams combined. The Tigers had 6 errors, and yet still managed to win by a run.
It wasn’t pretty, but it worked just the same.