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An Aging Harry Davis Spoils a Shutout Bid Of a Young Brash Hurler Named Ruth!
Harry Davis was the aging slugger. 41 years old and playing out the string. Babe Ruth was the brash, swash-buckling 20-year old lefty from Baltimore who would soon take the nation by storm.
When the Philadelphia Athletics were formed, Connie Mack needed a first baseman. Mack signed Davis to a contract after the season began and he made his debut with the “Mackmen” on May 22, 1901. He would remain as the starting first baseman for the next ten years.
Davis was one of Mack’s earliest stars – during the Columbia Park days (1901-08). Davis was one of the American League’s most prolific sluggers during the Dead Ball Era. He was a doubles machine and won four consecutive American League home run crowns (1904-07). He was also team captain of Mr. Mack’s first two World Series champion clubs (1910-11).
By 1915, however, Davis was a 41-year old player/coach for the team on which he starred the previous decade. During his five year tenure (1913-17) in this capacity, Davis would appear in a total of 19 games.
Babe Ruth was less than a year into his major league career in May of 1915. On May 29, Ruth – having just hit his first major league home run 23 days earlier – was making his se
venth career start on the mound during the first game of a doubleheader at Shibe Park.
The Boston Red Sox were the antithesis of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1915. After the stunning sweep at the hands of the Boston Braves during the previous October’s Fall Classic, Mack sold off most of his stars for cash during the offseason. Predictably, the A’s plummeted in the standings.
The 1915 Athletics – defending American League Champions – finished the season, 43-109. 58 1/2 games back of the Red Sox.
The Red Sox arrived in Philadelphia for a five-game series with the A’s. Babe Ruth was slated to pitch the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, May 29. His mound opponent was right-hander Weldon Wyckoff – who would lead the league with 22 losses that season.
The Red Sox scored a run in the top of the 4th inning. It looked to be enough as Ruth took a one-hit shutout into the bottom the ninth inning. With two outs and Eddie Murphy at third base and Jack Lapp at second, 22-year old rookie Chick Davies was to be the last hope. Mack called Davies back however, and sent up his former star slugger, Harry Davis.
It would be Davis’ first plate appearance of the season. It was two careers headed in opposite directions – Davis was more than twice Ruth’s age. One was an aging star, a relic from the first decade of the 20th century, the other, in a few short years, was about to take the nation by storm and change the game of baseball forever.
Down to his final strike, Davis floated a single into left field that fell in between Duffy Lewis and Tris Speaker. Lapp crossed the plate with the winning run! It was just one victory in a miserable season, but for one game, the A’s and their fans were reminded how riveting the game can be.
The winning, two-run single off Babe Ruth would be the 1,841st and final hit of Harry Davis’ storied career in Philadelphia. (He would have only five more plate appearances before retiring in 1917.) From 1901-10, Davis was one of the most feared sluggers in all of baseball.
Don’t feel bad for Ruth, though. Despite losing a one-hit shutout to an old man on a wretched team, he seemed to have bounced back pretty well.
-Alex Cheremeteff
Photo Credits: All from Google search
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