My first World Series experience was the 1956 Fall Classic when my beloved Brooklyn Dodgers fell to the hated New York Yankees in seven games. Three of the next four series also went seven games, culminating with the 1960 Yankees – Pirates series, decided by one of the greatest games of all time. Based on that experience, I grew up assuming a long series full of dramatic moments was the norm. Only much later did I realize that like the early Super Bowls, there wasn’t much drama in the first 20 World Series. Through 1923, only two went seven games with the 1909 Pirates-Tigers series ending with an anti-climactic 8-0 Pittsburgh triumph. The sole exception, and it was a big exception, was the 1912 Giants – Red Sox series where Boston won an epic seventh game with a come-from-behind rally in the bottom of the 10th.
The long drought of World Series excitement ended in 1924 with the first of three consecutive seven-game series each with a dramatic, tension-filled final game. The 1924 series stands out because like the 1960 version it ended with one of the greatest games ever played. Incredibly, a Kinogram video of highlights from that game survives in the Library of Congress. The 1924 contenders couldn’t have been more different. Representing the senior circuit were John McGraw's New York Giants appearing in the World Series for the fourth straight time and ninth overall. On the American League side, not only were the Washington Senators in their first World Series, only two of their players had any post-season experience.
Among those playing in their first World Series was Washington’s Hall of Fame pitcher Walter "Big Train" Johnson. After years of pitching for bad teams, Johnson, now 37, finally had an opportunity to cap off his brilliant career with a World Series victory. Johnson started the first game for Washington and suffered a heartbreaking 4-3 loss in 12 innings, a game John McGraw claimed was the greatest in World Series history. Given his long experience with October baseball, McGraw knew what he was talking about, but the Giant manager should have held that thought for a few days. Johnson also lost the fifth game, but Washington won three of the other four games setting up the first seventh game since in a dozen years.
Considering what happened in the seventh game of the 1924 series, it’s no surprise that when the Chicago Daily News began asking players to choose their greatest day in baseball, four picked the October 10, 1924 game. To remember, in a small way, the 100th anniversary of that memorable day, this post will use two of those memories to give a sense of what made the game so special. The recollections of Johnson and his catcher, Muddy Ruel are especially important because the two were at the heart of the action and had, to put it mildly, endured a frustrating series to that point. Johnson had come up short twice in his attempts to win a World Series game and it looked unlikely he would have another chance. Ruel wasn’t doing much better, going hitless through six games.
Washington scored first on 26-year-old player-manager Bucky Harris'fourth-inning home run. Beyond that, however, for the first seven innings, Washington was helpless against Giants pitcher Virgil Barnes who faced only 23 batters, allowing just one run on three hits. New York rallied in the sixth, scoring three times for a 3-1 lead going to the bottom of the eighth. With only six outs left, Washington’s chances were looking increasingly bleak. But with one out, pinch hitter Nemo Leibold came to the plate.
Muddy Ruel
“In the eighth Leibold doubled for us and I was up. I hadn’t made a hit in the whole series, and I could feel the crowd sigh as I came to the plate. I singled. Then with two out Harris bounced a sharp one a little to Lindstrom's left. It hopped over Freddie’s head and, coming in behind Liebold, I scored the tying run."
A seventh and deciding World Series game was now tied headed to the top of the ninth – the stuff of baseball legends. But what happened next drove the excitement to a new level.
Muddy Ruel
"The yell from the crowd [when I scored the tying run] wasn’t any louder or longer, however, than a few minutes later when Walter Johnson came out to pitch the ninth. Washington was crazy for him to get even for the two lacings the Giants had given him."
Walter Johnson
"I’ll always believe that Harris gambled on me because of sentiment, but he said no. He just told me: You’re the best we got Walter . . . we've got to win or lose with you.”
Johnson got the first out in the top of the ninth bringing up the dangerous Frankie Frisch.
Muddy Ruel
“That dad-gummed Frisch hit a triple to center. The ball seemed never to stop rolling and I was crazy for fear Frisch would come clear home.”
Walter Johnson
“We decided to pass Ross Young and then I struck out George Kelly [Kelly hit 21 regular season home runs and led the National League with 136 RBIs] and "Irish" Meusel grounded to third.”
In the bottom of the ninth, Washington had runners on first and third with only one out, but a double play ended their chance for a walk-off win.
After getting through the top of the tenth, Johnson came to the plate with an opportunity to help his own cause. According to sportswriter Bill Corum,” Johnson “ drove a mighty fly to deep left center, but it lacked a few feet of being long enough for a home run, which would have turned a great game into an epic.”
Still tied at 3-3, the game headed to the top of the eleventh. The Giants had a runner on second with one out and Frisch, Ross Youngs and Kelly, all future Hall of Famers coming up. According to Corum “There was a prayer on every pitch [to Frisch], but there was something else on them too. Frisch will tell you that. He swung three times and sat down.” It was the Fordham Flash’s only strikeout in 30 at-bats in the series. Johnson then walked Youngs intentionally and struck out Kelly for the second time. In his four innings of relief, Johnson struck out five – all future Hall of Famers.
Washington had two on and two out in the bottom of the eleventh but couldn’t score.
New York got a runner on base in the top of the 12th but he was stranded. Once again Washington came up with a chance to win the game and the series.
“Miller started our 12th going out at first. I hit a high foul over the plate, and everybody said, “Two outs,” but Hank Gowdy, the Giants catcher, stepped on his mask, stumbled, dropped the ball, and on the next pitch, like a sinner forgiven, a lifer pardoned, I doubled, my second hit of the whole series."
Johnson reached first on an error, while Ruel stayed at second.
Muddy Ruel
"[Earl" McNeeley up. He bounced one sharply but straight to Lindstrom, who was about 12 feet from third base. Running hard, I figured all I could do on a sure out like that would be to throw myself to the left of the diamond in front of Freddie and try to get him to try and tag me instead of throwing to first. I saw Freddie hold his hands ready at his chest for the ball, then I saw him jump up. The ball had hit a pebble and bounced way over his head. I swerved back into the baseline, tagged third and came home with the winning run. Meusel had no chance to get me. It was over. We were in!”
Walter Johnson
"I could feel tears smarting in my eyes as Ruel came home with the winning run. I’d won. We’d won. I felt so happy that it didn’t seem real. They told me in the clubhouse that President Coolidge kept watching me all the way into the clubhouse and I remember someone yelling: “I’d bet Cal’d like to change places with you right now, Walter."
A long time later Mrs. Johnson and I slipped away to a quiet little restaurant where I used to eat on Vermont Avenue, in Washington and do you know that before we were through with our dinner 200 telegrams had been delivered there. I never thought so many people were pulling for me to win, because the Giants were pretty popular. When we packed up and went home to Kansas we had three trunks full of letters from fans all over the world. Mrs. Johnson answered about 75 every day for me . . . and we still didn’t finish until after Christmas."
In the 100 years since that memorable day in Washington, baseball has had no shortage of great games. Few, however, were the final act on the game's biggest stage for its ultimate prize. Ruel and Johnson's personal memories help us to remember and commemorate a game that should never be forgotten.
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