September 4, 1930: Al Simmons’ sixth RBI scores reliever Grove for A’s marathon win

The Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox were heading in different directions as September arrived. The 90-45 Athletics were leading the American League by 6½ games, while the Red Sox were struggling in the basement with a 44-86 record. The Athletics had won the 1929 AL pennant by a whopping 18 games over the New York Yankees, and defeated the Chicago Cubs in five games to win their first World Series since 1913. The 1929 World Series ended with a Game Five ninth-inning three-run rally culminating with a Series-ending double by Bing Miller that scored Al Simmons from second base.1

Philadelphia was guided by Connie Mack, now managing in his 33rd season (including his first three with the Pittsburgh Pirates). The Athletics enjoyed a glory period during the late 1920s, with future Hall of Famers Lefty Grove, Al Simmons, Mickey Cochrane, and Jimmie Foxx complemented by solid players like second baseman Max Bishop, veteran outfielder Jimmy Dykes, and late-blooming pitcher George Earnshaw. From 1929 to 1931 the Philadelphia Athletics’ dynasty rivaled classic Yankees teams from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1950s; the 1970s Oakland Athletics, and early twentieth-century Chicago Cubs.2 The Athletics won two World Series titles, three pennants, and over 100 games each season during the three-year stretch. Each season from 1927 to 1932, Philadelphia won at least 91 games and finished first or second. Expectations were high for the 1930 Athletics as the “great pitching trio of Grove, Earnshaw and [Rube] Walberg remains the most powerful pitching trio in the two majors.”3 Entering September, the Athletics were poised to repeat as AL champions.4

Boston fans faced challenging times in the late 1920s: From 1925 through 1929 the Red Sox finished last, never attaining a winning percentage above .400. They were led by pitchers Milt Gaston and Danny MacFayden, and outfielders Earl Webb and Tom Oliver. Boston projected to finish last again in 1930, potentially double-digit games behind seventh-place Washington.5 Matching expectations, the Red Sox were unable to escape the cellar after losing a July 20 doubleheader, and endured a 14-game losing streak in May and another 11-game stretch in late July/early August.6

On September 3 Philadelphia pounded the Red Sox 11-4 in the first of a four-game series. Grove tossed six innings for his 23rd win and Jack Quinn pitched three scoreless frames for his sixth save. Foxx delivered his 33rd clout while newcomer Jimmy Moore plated four runs in his Athletics debut during the 16-hit barrage.7 Boston scored four runs off Grove in the sixth inning after spotting Philadelphia a 5-0 lead, but couldn’t keep pace.8 The loss was Boston’s fifth consecutive defeat and followed a Labor Day doubleheader loss to Washington.9

Swingman Bill Shores started for Philadelphia; he had won his last five decisions, including a shutout and three other complete games in which he allowed two runs or less. He had struggled early in the season, losing his rotation spot after surrendering six runs without registering an out in a May start against New York.10 Shores rebounded over the summer, building a 10-3 record with a 4.37 ERA over 123⅔ innings entering the game. He experienced control problems, walking 54 batters while striking out only 33 during his 25 appearances. Shores mostly threw curveballs and fastballs as a youngster, and then added a knuckleball as his career ended.11

His mound opponent was the veteran MacFayden, now a regular on Boston’s staff. He pitched solidly though he received little run support. MacFayden threw four shutouts in 1929, and recorded a 3.62 ERA (117 ERA+), but was 10-18 as Boston finished last in the standings and run production. Through August he had a 9-12 record and 4.25 ERA in 28 starts and 224⅔ innings. He relied mainly on his curveball, learning how to change speeds and windups over his remaining 13 big-league years.12

Shores quickly retired the first three Red Sox on two foul pop flies and a lineout. MacFayden struggled from the onset, walking Athletics leadoff hitter Bishop and allowing a bunt single to Dykes. After Cochrane advanced both runners with a sacrifice, Simmons opened the scoring with a two-run double to left field. Both teams went scoreless over the next two frames. After three innings, Philadelphia led 2-0.

Boston’s bats awakened in the fourth inning; after two infield outs, Webb doubled to center. Shore’s control problems surfaced, as he walked Bobby Reeves and Phil Todt to load the bases. Shore plunked Hal Rhyne, and the Red Sox were on the board. Johnnie Heving hit into a fielder’s choice, limiting Boston to one run. In the bottom half, MacFayden apparently settled down, allowing a lone double and three infield groundouts.

In the fifth, Shores couldn’t shake his wildness, walking MacFayden and Oliver. After his fourth walk, Mack replaced him with reliever Roy Mahaffey. Russ Scarritt laid down a bunt, but Mahaffey’s attempt to throw out the lead runner failed and the bases were loaded.13 Bill Regan tied the game on a sacrifice fly scoring MacFayden, then Webb singled home Oliver to give Boston its first lead, 3-2. Mahaffey fouled out and Todt walked but Rhyne’s fielder’s choice ended the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, MacFayden turned wild, walking Bishop and Cochrane around a sacrifice bunt. Simmons’s single to center plated Bishop, Al’s third RBI, and Philadelphia regained the lead when Foxx’s fly scored Cochrane. Miller grounded out to strand runners at the corners.

Boston catcher Heving greeted the returning Mahaffey with a sixth-inning leadoff double; with Oliver batting, Heving stole third base, the fourth and final steal of his career. Oliver’s sacrifice fly drove Heving home with the tying run. The Athletics threatened in the bottom half after two singles and a sacrifice placed runners at second and third with one out, but Bishop struck out and Dykes grounded out. The scoreboard read 4-4 after six innings.

Even though he pitched six innings the previous day, Grove replaced Mahaffey on the hill in the seventh and proceeded to establish a tone by striking out Regan and retiring Webb and Reeves on groundballs. Grove and MacFayden were extremely effective over the last three innings of regulation, with a single and two walks the total offensive output from both ballclubs. They entered extra innings knotted 4-4.

With one out in the Red Sox 10th, Reeves blasted a homer into the left-field stands,14 giving Boston a 5-4 lead. Grove retired Todt and Rhyne to prevent further damage. Foxx grounded out to start the bottom half, then Miller evened the score again by smacking a MacFayden curveball into the lower deck. Moore singled but was erased on a double play.

Over the next three innings, both teams missed winning opportunities. In the 11th, MacFayden walked two hitters with two outs, but Simmons grounded out. In the next inning, Boston’s Regan tripled with one out but an inning-ending double play – with Foxx’s foot possibly pulled off the bag15 – squashed the threat. In the 13th inning, Grove got into trouble when Bill Sweeney’s double and Rhyne’s single placed runners at the corners with no outs. Heving hit a groundball to Athletics shortstop Joe Boley who threw to Bishop, forcing Rhyne out at second base; Sweeney dashed for home but was thrown out at the plate.16

Oliver started the 14th for the Red Sox by singling to center and moved to second when Scarritt sacrificed. Regan singled Oliver home and Boston regained the lead, 6-5. A groundout advanced Regan to second, then he scored on Otis Miller’s single, giving the Red Sox at 7-5 their first two-run lead. Sweeney’s single and a Philadelphia error placed two more runners in scoring position, but Rhyne grounded out, squelching the rally.

After losing his last nine decisions to Philadelphia going back to 1928, MacFayden finally could taste victory over Philadelphia. But Cochrane started the bottom half by hitting a double to right field; Simmons followed with his 33rd homer into the left-field seats and the teams were deadlocked yet again. MacFayden was replaced by Ed Durham, who retired the next three Philadelphia hitters.

In the 15th inning, Grove retired the Red Sox in order. Boley started the Athletics’ half with a fly out, Grove singled, and Bishop flied out, so another inning looked inevitable. However, Dykes singled and Cochrane walked to load the bases for their cleanup hitter. Over three hours after the first pitch, Simmons crushed a Durham pitch off the center-field wall to score Grove and give Philadelphia the 8-7 victory.17 Simmons starred with four hits and six RBIs while Grove earned his 24th win after delivering nine innings on zero days’ rest.

The Athletics clinched the AL pennant on September 18 after a 14-10 slugfest victory with Grove earning his ninth save.18 Philadelphia defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in six games to repeat as World Series champions. Grove led the AL with 28 wins, 9 saves, a 2.54 ERA, and 209 strikeouts, while Simmons paced the junior circuit with a .381 batting average and 152 runs.

SOURCES

Besides the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Almanac.com, Baseball-Reference.com, Retrosheet.org, and the following:

James, Bill. The New Bill James Historical Abstract (New York: The Free Press, 2001).

James, Bill, and Jim Henzler. Win Shares (Morton Grove, Illinois: STATS, Inc., 2002).

Thorn, John, and Pete Palmer, et al. Total Baseball: The Official Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball (New York: Viking Press, 2004).

NOTES

1 Jimmy Keenan, “The 1929 Mack Attack,” in The National Pastime: From Swampoodle to South Philly (Phoenix: Society for American Baseball Research, 2013, Expanded E-Edition).

2 Rob Neyer and Eddie Epstein, Baseball Dynasties: The Greatest Teams of All Time (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000): 112-131.

3 Fred Lieb, “Athletics and Cubs Are Favored to Repeat as Pennant Winners,” The Sporting News, April 17, 1930: 5.

4 George Kirksey, “Major League Pennant Races Seemed Ended with Athletics and Cubs,” Republican and Herald (Pottsville, Pennsylvania), September 5, 1930: 11.

5 Lieb: 5.

6 “Red Sox Display Real Form in Second Game,” Boston Globe, August 4, 1930: 6.

7 James C. Isaminger, “Young Moore Steals Show as A’s Flog Hub Hose to Increase Lead,” Philadelphia Inquirer, September 4, 1930: 14.

8 “Red Sox Cannon Fodder in Athletics 11-4 Win,” Boston Globe, September 4, 1930: 14.

9 “Senators 5½ Games Behind the Athletics,” Boston Globe, September 3, 1930: 20.

10 Gregory H. Wolf, “Bill Shores,” SABR Biography Project, sabr.org/bioproj/person/edbc7b2f.

11 Bill James and Rob Neyer, The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers (New York: Fireside Books, 2004), 384.

12 James and Neyer, 287

13 “Al Simmons’ Hitting Wins for the Champions,” Boston Globe, September 5, 1930: 29.

14 James C. Isaminger, “Simmons Saves Tilt with Homer, Wins It with Ringing Single,” Philadelphia Inquirer, September 5, 1930: 20.

15 “Al Simmons’ Hitting Wins for the Champions.”

16 James C. Isaminger, “Simmons Saves Tilt with Homer, Wins It with Ringing Single.”

17 Associated Press, “Lefty Chalks 24th Victory by Nosing Out Boston in 15th,” Reading (Pennsylvania) Times, September 5, 1930: 21.

18 James C. Isaminger, “Macks Score 5 Runs In 7th to Win and Hold Championship,” Philadelphia Inquirer, September 19, 1930: 22.