By Ron Griffitts
Contributing columnist
In fall 1924, the New York Giants (93-60-1) managed by John McGraw and Hughie Jennings met the Washington Senators (92-62-2) managed by player/manager Bucky Harris in the World Series.
The Giants were led on offense by George Kelly (.324 BA, 21 HR, 136 RBI, 91 R), Frank Snyder (.302 BA), Frankie Frisch (.328 BA, 121 R, 198 H, 15 3b), Travis Jackson (.302 BA), Hack Wilson (.298 BA, 12 3b), Ross Youngs (.356 BA, 112 R, 12 3b) and Irish Meusel (.310 BA, 102 RBI).
Their pitching staff was headed by Virgil Barnes (16-10), Jack Bentley (16-5), Hugh McQuillan (14-8, 2.69 ERA), Art Neff (14-4) and Mule Watson (7-4).
The Senators were led on offense by Joe Judge (.324 BA), Goose Goslin (.344 BA, 129 RBI, 100 R, 199 H, 17 3b) and Sam Rice (.334 BA, 106 R, 216 H, 14 3b).
The Washington pitching staff was led by future Hall of Famer Walter Johnson (23-7, 2.72 ERA), George Mogridge (16-11), Tom Zachary (15-9, 2.75 ERA) and Curly Ogden (9-5).
Game one was in Griffith Stadium in Washington D. C. with Walter Johnson starting for the Senators and Art Neff for the Giants. Both pitchers pitched all twelve innings for their respective teams as with the help of solo home runs by George Kelly and Bill Terry, the score was tied 2-2 after nine innings.
In the top of the twelfth, Ross Youngs singled in a run as did George Kelly on a sacrifice fly. The Senators got one run in the bottom of the inning but came up short 4-3 as the Giants took a 1-0 lead in the series.
In game two, the Senators took a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning. But in the top of the inning, RBI singles by George Kelly and Hack Wilson tied the score. Washington answered with an RBI double by Roger Peckinpaugh and they won the game 4-3 and tied the series 1-1.
For game three, the teams moved to the Polo Grounds in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The Giants took an early 3-0 advantage on their way to a 6-4 win helped by a home run by Giant pitcher Rosy Ryan. The Giants led the series 2-1.
In game four, the big hit was a three-run Goose Goslin home run that powered the Senators to a 7-4 win to tie the series at 2-2.
In game five, Walter Johnson was back but did not have better luck than in game one as the Giants,with help of a two-run Jack Bentley home run, won the game 6-2 to take a 3-2 lead in the series.
Back in Washington D. C., the Senators faced elimination and got a great performance from their lefthander Tom Zachary. He held the Giants to just one run in a 2-1 Washington win to again tie the series, this time at 3-3 and force a seventh game.
Game seven, like game one, went twelve innings. The Senators took an early lead but the Giants scored three runs in the sixth inning and after eight innings, the game was tied at 3-3.
Washington manager Bucky Harris decided to give Walter Johnson another chance to pitch and brought him in in relief. He pitched four scoreless innings for a victory as Jack Bentley doubled in Muddy Ruel in the bottom of the twelfth for a 4-3 Senators’ win in the game and the World Series.
Washington was back the next year in the Fall Classic while the Giants returned in 1933.
Walter Johnson went on to pitch 21 years in the major leagues, winning 30 games two times, 25 or more seven times and 20 games 12 times. He finished with a lifetime record of 417-279 and a 2.17 ERA. In 1936 together with Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson and Honus Wagner he was admitted in the inaugural class to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Statistics for this article were from baseball-reference.com.
