Harry Greb "runs the gauntlet" - part two

With Greb rounding into form, he moves on to face some legendary middleweight champions from the first half of the twentieth century . . .

Harry Greb "runs the gauntlet" - part one

“Red” Mason was probably engaged in grandstanding for the sake of selling tickets, but the manager’s optimism when the papers were first signed for his fighter to “Run The Gauntlet” against the lineal Middleweight champions of the world was unbridled. “Harry [Greb] is the best that ever tied on the gloves at this weight, and there’s not a one of these chumps that can stand up to him inside the ropes,” Mason opined at the pre-series presser. “There wasn’t anything like him then, and there ain’t anything close now, and you’ll see that in the ring.”

Suffice it to say that, shameless shilling or not, neither Mason nor Greb himself would have anticipated how things played out as the series got underway . . .

1919 AL - Ruth's chase for the all-time home-run record

Player	Year	Team	GP	HR
Williamson, Ed	1884	Chicago NL	107	27
Freeman, Buck	1899	Washington NL	155	25
Pfeffer, Fred	1884	Chicago NL	112	25
Cravath, Gavvy	1915	Philadelphia NL	150	24
Ruth, Babe	1919	Boston AL	94	23
Dalrymple, Abner	1884	Chicago NL	111	22
Anson, Cap	1884	Chicago NL	112	21
Schulte, Frank	1911	Chicago NL	154	21
Thompson, Sam	1889	Philadelphia NL	128	20

1919 AL - Games of Tuesday, 19 August

Yankees 7, Indians 5: A 7th-inning fielding error by Bill Wambsganss was the key play as the Yankees rallied to win in the late innings in Cleveland. A four-run Indian 3rd inning that featured doubles from Elmer Smith and Ray Chapman and a triple from Tris Speaker had been cancelled out by single NY runs in each of the 2nd through 5th innings, but the home team had taken the lead once again when Smith hit his 8th home run of the year to lead off the 6th. In the Yankees' next at-bat they got two singles, but also two outs, when Wally Pipp knocked one to Wambsganss that kicked off the heel of the secondbaseman's glove to load the bases. Del Pratt (three hits, three RBI) then made the miscue count when he lined a single to right field that scored two runs and put New York in front. Jack Quinn (15-10), who had settled down nicely after the early four-spot, shut the Indians down on one hit over the final three innings and retired the last five men in order. [box]

1919 AL - Games of Monday, 18 August

Indians 10, Yankees 2: Ray Chapman and Tris Speaker each drove home three runs as Cleveland used a five-run 4th inning outburst to run away from New York in The Forest City. The teams each scored twice in the 3rd, with Sammy Vick and Frank Baker knocking RBI extra-base hits for NY and Speaker singled home a pair with two outs for CLE. In the following inning, however, it went pear-shaped in a big way for Yankees starter Carl Mays (1-3); he plunked Jack Graney to load the bases with two outs and Chapman then drilled one over the head of Ping Bodie and to the CF wall for a three-run three-bagger, and Speaker and Gardner (three hits) followed with RBI hits that chased the surly right-hander from the game. Jim Bagby (12-12) was in complete control from that point, retiring sixteen of seventeen at one stretch and then setting down the final four Yanks while his teammates were piling on in the late innings. [box]

1919 AL Players of the Week - 17 August

The Batter and Pitcher of the Week in the American League for the week of 11-17 August are (* denotes a League-leading total) . . .

1919 AL - Games of Sunday, 17 August

White Sox 11, Athletics 3: Buck Weaver hit a three-run homer, in addition to a pair of singles, as Chicago ran the accounting into double figures against Philadelphia at Comiskey Park. The Sox already led 5-1 when Weaver followed Eddie Collins' two-run base hit with a drive into the left-field seats, his second four-bagger of the year, to cap a five-run 5th inning. Grover Lowdermilk (5-4) was the beneficiary of all of this Chicago clouting, holding the A's to one run on five hits before wilting a bit in the 9th inning on a warm Midwest afternoon. Collins had four RBI and Nemo Leibold scored three times, while Cy Perkins had two hits and two RBI for the visitors. [box]

1919 AL - Games of Saturday, 16 August

Red Sox 8, White Sox 2: Boston scored five times in the late innings to distance themselves from Chicago at Comiskey Park. Leading only 3-2 after the first four inning, the Red Sox got singletons in the next three frames and then a pair in the 8th to put the game away. Wally Schang had two walks and a single in the last five innings, and Everett Scott collected three of his four hits while scoring one run and driving home another. Sam Jones (8-13) pitched shutout ball other than a two-run 3rd helped along by his only two free passes of the day, and he set down the final twelve South Siders with only two balls leaving the infield. [box]

1919 AL - Statistical Leaders through 15 August

 Statistical Leaders in the American League at the at the midpoint of August . . .

1919 AL - Games of Friday, 15 August

White Sox 3, Red Sox 0: Lefty Williams allowed only four Boston batters to reach base, and became the circuit's first twenty-game winner in fine style with a complete-game shutout. Chicago scored twice in the 5th when the top three men in the order went double-triple-double against Waite Hoyt (5-2), and that was more than enough for Lefty. He had a no-hitter through the first six innings, retiring fifteen in a row at one stretch, and struck out Babe Ruth for the final out of the contest. Nemo Leibold and Eddie Collins had three hits apiece for the winners. [box]