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Show Jim Lavender Outpitched Rube Marquard in 1912 It was Jimmy Lavender, whose name conjures up memories of lavender laven-der and old lace, of flowery dells and gentle zephyrs, who stopped Rube Marquard in his remarkable run of consecutive victories back in 1912. Frank Chance, manager of the Chicago Chi-cago Cubs, selected Lavender to put the quietus on the rambling Rube, because be-cause the recruit had been going like wildfire for two weeks previous. Not a run had been' scored off Lavender's pitching in 30 consecutive innings. The struggle took place at Chicago on July S, 1912, and was fast and furious furi-ous for three innings. The break came In the fourth when the Cubs added two runs to their score, making it 4 to 1. Marquard wavered, broke and sprinted for the showers. The big southpaw seemingly took the defeat calmly, but underneath a smile was a badly dented heart, for that game would have given him the absolute title. . Lavender, the victor, who had struggled long to make good, suddenly found himself famous. Strange to relate, both these celebrities fell from their lofty pedestal, the victor vic-tor and vanquished fell flat and failed to do anything astonishing during the remainder of that season. On July 27 these two limelighters again met in battle array ; both were knocked out. ' After the game they shook hands and Lavender remarked that the peculiar angles of baseball were beyond all understanding. |