Giving Babe Ruth a fast, straight ball, letter high and exactly over the plate is not a mite more dangerous than tickling the roof of a man-eating tiger's mouth with your little finger. George Tyler, star lefthander of the Chicago Cubs, will subscribe to this sentiment, for there were two out and Red Sox on first and second in the fourth inning of the fourth world series game yesterday afternoon at Fenway Park, when with the count three balls and two strikes, the Colossus swung his big black bat, hammered a fast "groove" ball over Right Fielder Max Flack's head, rattling it off the right field fence for a tremendous triple and scoring two runs, giving the Hubmen enough capital to enable them to eventually win, 3 to 2. One more vic-tory and they will be champions of the world.
Before the game was over the Colossus of Clouters was re-moved from the box and transferred to left field, but all of that is neither here nor anywhere. Last night, Babe was around with a grin as wide as the ocean, for he was satisfied that, at least, he had caught ahold of one right. In addition to showing the world that he could step out and hit in a world series as well as during the regular season, the Baltimore Behemoth pitched very well, but showed an increasing and dangerous tendency to wildness, due to an injured finger on his throwing hand. This at length compelled Manager Ed Barrow, in the ninth, with two on and none out, to take Babe out of the box and send him to left field in the place of George Whiteman.
Bullet Joe Bush stepped to the rubber. Only one run was needed to tie, and both the tying and the winning runs were on base. A remarkable gathering in by Stuffy McInnis of a short bunt for a force play to third base retired the first man. The stage was still set for a Cubs rally, but the curtain never went up. Turner Barber, pinch-hitting for Bill Killefer, smashed into a lightning double play, Scott to Shea, to McInnis, ending the affair.
Cubs Need Three in Row
It may be that Chicago still can win the series and the double crown of the baseball world which goes as the reward of getting four victories in this war-time series. But the score of games is 3 to 1 in favor of the Sox. To win now, Chicago must take three straight from the Bostonians, and all of the games must be played on Fenway Park - truly, a seemingly impossible task for the N.L. titlists.
Tyler won for Chicago Friday and Mitchell and the Cubs thought Ty could repeat. But at the very start the Cubs' hopes were rudely jarred by the strategy involved in the Red Sox using Babe Ruth in the box. It is not so generally believed, but George Tyler is a mightily dangerous left hand batter and does inhumane things to right handed pitchers.
It was Ty's single to center in the Friday game which scored two runs, giving the Cubs just their margin of victory in the 3 to 1 contest of that afternoon.