OCR Text |
Show vCMimAHD ' AlfHAT was the best ball game ' ever pitched, when you consider con-sider the combined quality of pitch-lng pitch-lng on both sides? This query came I up recently when we were wishing I good luck to such war-zone travelers as Carl Hubbell, Mel Ott, Ducky Medwick. Dixie Walker. Paul Wa-ner Wa-ner and Paul Derringer. None of them went back far enough to offer . any complete check f", ; "VI on the intricate sit- 1 uation. The only V"MH cand'te for the W onor Pscnt was ?: I Carl Hubbell, one iSyjj.J of the great pitch-1' pitch-1' . cr of timt who l yWf- Innocently became l.s5 involved in the Vf x 1 urure It, xl"v' there were three Carl Hubbell such games that belong be-long In one compact and select group. The first took place In 1908 when Addle Joss of Cleveland beat Ed Walsh of the Chi-cago Chi-cago White Sox 1 to I. In this game Iran and lanky Joss, a great pitcher badly overlooked, pitched one of the few perfect games In baseball. Not a White Sox reached first base. Against this flawless exhibition Ed Walsh struck out 15 Cleveland hitters hit-ters and allowed only two hits. And in those now forgotten days Cleveland Cleve-land had a mighty slugging team headed by Nap Lajole. No-Hit Game This was a pitching thriller that none who saw it will ever forget. I was talking about this game recently re-cently with Charley Hughes of the Detroit Athletic club who also covered the big-arm contest. I "That game is my pick," Char-ley Char-ley said. "Except for one wild throw, neither team would have scored against Joss and Walsh before be-fore nightfall. There is no greater thrill than to see a perfect game pitched no one to reach first especially espe-cially when the other pitcher Is allowing al-lowing only two hits and fanning 15 men." The next all-star double pitching pitch-ing entry we recall was the meeting meet-ing between Fred Toney of Cincin-natl Cincin-natl and big Vaughn of the Cubs on May 2, 1917. In that game these two pitchers turned in a double exhibition ex-hibition that has never been equalled. At the end of nine innings in-nings neither had allowed a hit. A double no-hit game In one afternoon after-noon was something for the record. rec-ord. No-hit nine Inning games are rare enough and when you get two pitchers offering the same fare on a single occasion, you get close to the limit. "What about the game," Mel asked, that Carl Hubbell pitched against the hard-hitting Cardinals July 2. 1933?" Hurling 18 Innings Hubbell promptly blushed. I'll teU you about It," Ott said. Carl beat the Cardinals one to nothing after 18 innings. Tex Carle-ton Carle-ton worked the first 15 innings for the Cardinals and Jess Haines the last 3. They also pitched great ball. You have to, allowing only one run In 18 innings. 'Rut that Isn't all of It. If you pitched perfect ball through 18 Innings, In-nings, only 54 men would come to bat. Well, as I recall It, only 57 men came to bat against Carl that day. Maybe only 56. Now It's great to pitch 9 fine Innings. But think what It means to pitch 18 great Innings." "How about it, Carl?" I asked. Carl changed the subject slightly. slight-ly. "The best game I ever pitched was against the Dodgers," he said. 'That was Memorial day, 1940 They got one hit. but that day I had most of my stuff working." "Better than your 18 Inning game and your no-hitter?" I asked. "I think so," he said. "But that 18 Inning thing was a long afternoon." after-noon." "Here's a funny angle," Mel Ott said again. "Later on we beat Dlz-ly Dlz-ly Dean and the Cardinals one to nothing in the second game thnt same day 27 runless lnn'ngs for the Cardinals." Anyway, we have offered you three of the greatest pitching contests con-tests of all time, slipping on bark a mere matter of 30 years. There they stsnd on their own records The Jess-Walsh gem of 1908. The Toncy-Vaughn Jewel of 1917. The llubbrll-Carlrton-llalnes masterpiece mas-terpiece of 1933, 18 Innings. It would be Interesting to get a vote from those who follow bs if hi II as to which was the top masterpiece master-piece of the three. All Around Fighters How many know that In addition to football ability this navy team has set a new record In the way of fighting or boxing tslent? Here they are Cap t Ben Chase, guard, was the regimental heavy-weight heavy-weight champion in 1943 and the runner-up In 1944. Leo Bramlrtt, crack end. Is heavyweight champion of the academy. Clyde Scott, from Arkansss. won the middleweight chsmpionship of the Plebe summer tournament j i |