By midday on Saturday, September 11, 1920 pennant fever was running rampant in Brooklyn. Perhaps the tipping point was the dramatic win over the Cardinals the day before or the attraction of two games for the price of one against St. Louis on Saturday. Regardless of the reason, Dodger fans flocked to Ebbets Field by the thousands. Crowd estimates ranged from 25,000 to the New York Tribune's unlikely 33,000 with another 10,000 reportedly turned away. Those fortunate enough to get inside took full advantage of the temporary bleachers in left field while those unable to get tickets risked life and limb for a view of the action from nearby roofs and walls. Sadly, the combination of the large crowd and Brooklyn's trolley strike led to a tragic accident outside the park. Not long after the first pitch, disaster struck at the intersection of Flatbush and Malbone which was "thick with fans." A trolley car "jammed to the running boards," operated by a strike breaking motor man, crashed into another car stopped on the tracks. The area quickly "resembled a battlefield" with one fatality and 87 injuries, at least four of which were reportedly serious.
Evening World - September 14, 1920
Although certainly not as serious as the injuries outside the park, the Dodgers suffered an injury of their own when first baseman, Ed Konetchy hurt his finger during pre-game practice. Taking his place was Friday's surprise hero, Ray Schmandt who wasted no time showing the prior day's clutch hit was no accident, contributing two hits to the Dodgers' first game attack. Brooklyn fans might not have noticed Schmandt's contribution amid all the offensive fireworks as the Robins pounded out 20 hits in route to a 15-4 victory. The Dodgers reportedly took added motivation from Cardinal manager Branch Rickey's claim that some Brooklyn players had offered the Cardinals "a big sum" if they beat the Giants in the next series. Coming amidst the shock waves of the Black Sox scandal, the charge understandably"rankled in the minds of Robbie's men." Whatever the reason, the Dodgers took full advantage of rookie pitcher George Lyons, scoring five times in the first inning. The early offensive outburst also got the crowd into the game and reportedly "not once during the first game did the cheering let up" while the "field was [once again] turned into a dumping ground for straw hats."
Brooklyn Daily Eagle - September 12, 1920
Meanwhile up in Boston, the second place Reds were playing two games with the seventh place Braves. The day didn't get off to a good start for Cincinnati when starting pitcher Dolph Luque suffered from "almost inhuman wildness," loading the bases with two walks and a hit batter in the first inning. The Braves quickly took full advantage, scoring three times. Fortunately for the Reds, Luque recovered his control and shut Boston out for the next six innings. The Reds rallied for four runs in the fifth and led 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth. Boston loaded the bases with two out, but when Hod Ford hit a routine ground ball to third baseman Heine Groh, it looked like the Reds were out of the inning. To everyone's surprise, usually sure-handed Reds first baseman, Jake Daubert dropped the throw and by the time he picked it up, Ford was over the bag. Since Boston had sent the runners on the pitch, both the tying and go ahead runs scored. Cincinnati went out 1-2-3 in the ninth and the Reds had dropped a full game further behind Brooklyn.
Boston Globe - September 12, 1920
Things didn't get any better for Cincinnati in the second game as Joe Oeschger, the Braves pitcher in the Dodgers - Braves 26 inning game, shut the Reds out 2-0 on seven hits. In 18 innings of baseball the Reds had managed to score in just one inning. 200 or so miles south, a similar pitching duel was shaping up at Ebbets Field between Lou North of the Cards and Sherry Smith of Brooklyn. Smith helped his own cause in the third, doubling and scoring the only run he would need on Jimmy Johnston's triple. A Zack Wheat home run added an insurance run, but the most important support the Dodgers gave Smith was on defense. Especially noteworthy were the unsung Schmandt and oft criticized shortstop Ivy Olson. Twice Schmandt made throws from "almost impossible angles" to Smith covering first and then followed those fielding gems with a "sensational one hand stop" to finish off a double play. Also excelling was Olson who made 13 assists and one put out, participating in more than half of the Cards outs. It was the best defensive performance of the season, helping Smith to a five hit, 2-0 shutout, putting Brooklyn three full games ahead of the Reds.
Just two years earlier the Dodger players and fans would have been forced to take a mandatory Sabbath break from the pennant race, but by 1920, in no short measure thanks to Charles Ebbets, Sunday baseball was legal in New York. Shortly after noon, hours before game time, large crowds once again headed "Flatbushward." Also in the stands were Greasy Neale and Larry Kopf of the Reds, idle that day because of Sabbath prohibitions in Pennsylvania. The two players thought or hoped Cubs pitcher Hippo Vaughn offered a legitimate hope of stopping the Dodgers onslaught, but their journey and hopes proved to be in vain. Having contributed in offense in one game on Saturday and defense in the other, Schmandt put it all together on Sunday afternoon. The game was scoreless going to the bottom of the fifth when he drove in the game's first run with a single. The tally was all spitballer Burleigh Grimes needed, but Brooklyn added four more just to be sure.
Schmandt was even better on defense, handling 17 chances flawlessly at first base. According to Rice, the new Dodger star "went a mile over his head, to his right, to his left and between his toes," to save a half dozen errors or scratch hits. Again fielding admirably was Ivy Olson who recorded seven assists and three put outs without a single error. Ably aided by such stout defense, Grimes allowed only four hits, earning his 21st win in the process. To make the day complete, fans provided the now obligatory shower of straw hats in the sixth when "several dozen" "flew on the field." Apparently tired of returning the hats to the stands, Charles Ebbets decreed that henceforth, any hats thrown on the field would go to the local old men's home. All told, it was an enjoyable 90 minutes for the Dodgers and their fans, magnified even further by the Giants 6-2 loss to the Cardinals which put New York 4 1/2 games back of Brooklyn. No information survives as to how Kopf and Neale enjoyed their experience as fans as Ebbets Field, but falling 3 1/2 games back made the hill they had to climb even steeper. As Tim Rice aptly put it, Brooklyn's pennant chances were clearly "going up."
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