1905 replay update: Indians victory forces game 7

by Scott Fennessy

New York, NY
10/18/1905

The World Series returns to New York as the Indians find themselves on the brink of elimination. The Giants have had to deal with many more close calls than ever this year, but manager John McGraw was confident this would be the day they hoisted the trophy. Today sees a bit of controversy as manager Napoleon Lajoie elects to send Otto Hess to the mound in place of regular starter Robert Rhoades. Rhoades took a bit of a pounding in game 3 in Cleveland and with the season on the line is taking no chances.

Both teams are held in check through one inning, but the Indians score first as Elmer Flick strokes a single to center field. Lajoie sends the runner and Jim Jackson gets an opposite field single to put runners on the corners. George Stovall then hits a fly to deep center field where George Browne waits. The throw home is cut off to prevent Jackson from advancing, but the tribe gets their first run of the day. Jay Clarke walks to put runners on first and second with just one out, but George Wiltse works out of trouble to keep the visitors lead to just one run.

The Giants bounce right back however as Mike Bowerman drills a towering homer to dead center field that has the crowd roaring in delight. People assume that the dead ball era meant there was no power, and by today’s standard that may be true, but compared to the rest of the majors they dominated in this category. That is the standard Giant formula. Wear a pitcher down with a bunch of hit and run singles and when the pitcher is fading someone blasts one out of the park. Hess gets the next two hitters, but the game is once again tied at 1-1.

The momentum shifts immediately back to Cleveland in the top of the third as Cotton Turner hits a liner that splits the gap in left center and rolls to the wall. Sam Mertes gets to it but Turner has a one out double. One out later Elmer Flick sends a floater just over Sammy Strang’s head and Turner scores the lead run. Wiltse gets out of the inning with no further damage, but the Indians have reclaimed the lead 3-2. And that is how the game finished. Hess was in total control and the Giants had no answer. Wiltse pitched great as well, but the Indians had just enough to get the win.

Going into tomorrow’s game seven four of the six games have been won by one run, and John McGraw may be considering playing the next game in Cleveland, as the home team has lost every game so far. Tomorrow’s game promises an incredible amount of drama as Addie Joss and Christy Mathewson lock horns one more time.

[photo credit]