MONTGOMERY (AP) - In a dramtic start to the 1929 DBS World Championship Series, a three-run homer in the top of the tenth inning by third baseman Pinky Whitney led the Pawtucket Flying Dutchmen to a 4-2 Game One victory over the Montgomery Burns. The Dutchmen now lead the best of seven series one game to none.
The pre-game festivities that preceded the game were just as dramatic as the game itself. The National Anthem was sung by Academy Award winning actress Mary Pickford of Taming of the Shrew fame. Following Ms. Pickford's stirring rendition, the Montgomery crowd gave a deafening welcome to Olympic champion Johnny Weismeuller who was on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. It was announced before Game One that Weismeuller would be starting a new career, acting, and already has a role as Tarzan, due for production sometime next year. A relatively small crowd of 44,536 were on hand for the first post-season action in Montgomery history.
The first game began with Pat Malone getting a strike on Dutchmen leadoff hitter Johnny Frederick at 3:01pm. Frederick would ground out to Burns third baseman Pie Traynor on the next pitch.
The early stages of the game were dominated by strong pitching by Malone and Dutchmen starting pitcher George Uhle. Both pitchers looked overpowering in the early frames, despite some sloppy plays by the Burns that gave the Dutchmen some early scoring opportunities.
In the top of the second, an error by Traynor allowed Pawtucket to load the bases before Malone induced his counterpart Uhle to pop out. An inning later, a Montgomery error by Paul Waner, who apparently lost the ball in the late afternoon sunshine, allowed Johnny Frederick to move to third before being stranded. Again, Malone was able to work his way out of trouble. The Pawtucket defense played beautifully. A diving stop by Bill Cissell in the fifth saved a sure hit, and a tremendous shoestring catch by Johnny Frederick in the sixth saved extra bases. However, the key Dutchmen defensive play, and the turning point in the game, came in the bottom of the seventh.
Montgomery led off the inning with two quick singles from Pie Traynor and DBS Batting Champion Mickey Cochrane. With two on, none out, and the game still scoreless, it looked as if the Burns were ready to put the game away. With two strikes on Paul Waner, Montgomery manager Wilbert Robinson put on the hit and run. Waner missed on Uhle's next offering, and catcher Val Picinich made a perfect strike to third to nail the running Traynor for a double play. Out of danger, a calm Uhle got the last out of the inning to keep the game scoreless.
An inning later, a single by Pinky Whitney drove home Ethan Allen as Pawtucket drew first blood in the Series. The ever-resilient Burns tied the score in the bottom half of the inning, by taking advantage of two walks and a Pawtucket error, ironically by Whitney.
The game remained tied 1-1 until the tenth inning. Jesse Petty, who had not be scored on in 6 regular-season appearances against Pawtucket, was in relief for the Burns. With one out in the tenth, an error by Woody English allowed Rogers Hornsby to get on base, and Harry Heilmann followed with a single to left. Heilmann was 3 for 5 in the game. Petty then hung a 0-2 breaking ball to Whitney, who punished the mistake into the upper deck in left field for a three-run homer and a 4-1 lead. Whitney's two late hits drove in all four Dutchmen runs.
The Burns, however, were not ready to give up the fight. Facing Pawtucket relief ace Bill Shores, they did manage to score once in the bottom of the tenth, on a single and stolen base by Lloyd Waner and a double by Heinie Manush. Shores survived the rocky tenth to close out the game to earn the save, and make a winner of George Uhle (1-0).
Montgomery, who had the best regular-season home record in the DBS, now loses the home-field advantage by dropping the opener. Montgomery sends Firpo Marberry to the hill for Game Two, while Pawtucket counters with rookie sensation, lefthander Ed Wells.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Flying Dutchmen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 10 1
Burns 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 7 3
Flying Dutchmen AB R H BI Burns AB R H BI
Frederick cf 5 0 0 0 LWaner cf 5 1 1 0
Allen lf 5 1 1 0 Thompson 2b 3 0 0 0
Hornsby 2b 4 1 0 0 Manush lf 4 0 1 2
Heilmann rf 5 1 3 0 Alexander 1b 4 0 1 0
Whitney 3b 5 1 2 4 Traynor 3b 4 0 2 0
Bissonette 1b 5 0 0 0 Cochrane c 4 0 2 0
Cissell ss 2 0 1 0 PWaner rf 4 0 0 0
Williams ph 1 0 0 0 English ss 4 0 0 0
Bancroft ss 2 0 0 0 Malone p 2 0 0 0
Tate c 3 0 2 0 Fonseca ph 0 0 0 0
Walker pr 0 0 0 0 Regan pr 0 0 0 0
Picinich c 1 0 1 0 Hudlin p 0 0 0 0
Uhle p 4 0 0 0 Petty p 0 0 0 0
Shores p 0 0 0 0 Miller ph 1 0 0 0
41 4 10 4 36 2 7 2
Pawtucket INN H R ER BB K
Uhle W 1-0 9.0 5 1 0 3 4
Shores S 1 1.0 2 1 1 0 1
10.0 7 2 1 3 5
Montgomery INN H R ER BB K
Malone 8.0 6 1 1 1 5
Hudlin 1.0 1 0 0 0 1
Petty L 0-1 1.0 3 3 2 0 1
10.0 10 4 3 1 7
E-Whitney, Traynor, English, PWaner. 2B-Manush. HR-Whitney (1).
SB-PWaner 2, Cochrane, LWaner. CS-Traynor.
K-PWaner, Manush, Thompson 2, Malone, Frederick 2, Uhle 2, Hornsby, Whitney, Williams.
BB-Thompson, Manush, Fonseca, Hornsby.
GWRBI: Whitney
Umpires: Home, Klem; 1b, Wilson; 2b; Nallin; 3b; McGowan; lf; Owens; rf; McCormick