Free Terror in the City of Champions by Tom Stanton

the field and on the bases. “The Babe is fatter than before and slower, and Joseph McCarthy, the manager of the Yankees, dislikes to think of what will happen after the middle of June when the scorching sun dries the base paths and hardens them and steams the vim and vigor out of the ball players.”
    The Tigers’ victories cheered Mickey Cochrane, but not for long. He was bracing for a critical fifteen-game road trip to Boston, New York, Washington, and Philadelphia. “If we finish our present swing through the east with an average of .500 or better, we will be in an excellent spot for the dash down the stretch,” he said. “Just give us an even break or better now and the boys will find us very, very tough when we get back on our own lot.”
    Cochrane settled on a lineup in early June. He deviated occasionally, but most often he batted Fox first, placed himself second, and followed with Goslin, Gehringer, Rogell, Greenberg, Walker, Owen, and the pitcher. After games at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium, the Tigers were on target to meet Cochrane’s goal of breaking even on the road trip. Detroit arrived in Washington on June 19, the day before they were to face the defending American League champions. Goose Goslin offered a bold prediction. He said Detroit would take four of five games at Griffith Stadium. Goslin had played with the Senators last year and despised some of them. The Tigers were able to pry him away because of his clashes with manager Joe Cronin.
    Leading the league and being a major leaguer carried responsibilities, Cochrane believed. One of them was to represent your club in a dignified fashion. The Tigers stayed at the elegant Wardman Park Hotel, not far from the National Zoo. One morning, Cochrane headed into the fancy main dining room for breakfast. He was astounded to discover four of his young players wearing unclean club sweaters. He expected them in sports coats. “This sort of stuff belongs in a Class B league,” he told them at a team meeting that afternoon. “From now on act like champions off the ball field as well as on, and pay a little attention to your appearance. Make people respect you outside the ball park as well as inside the park. Don’t ever forget that you are the top team in the American League and act like it.”
    The Tigers played like a first-place team. They proved Goslin correct and took four of the five Washington games. Goslin contributed by scoring eight runs and knocking in six. It was onto Philadelphia next, where Detroit took two out of three—and would probably have taken another had Connie Mack not canceled the fourth game. He called it for wet conditions, but seeing as it had not rained, the more likely reason was dismal ticket sales. Mack figured he’d be better off hosting a doubleheader later.
    The road trip was a flag-waving success. Hank Greenberg stood out, driving in twenty-four runs in fifteen games. Gehringer scored twenty-one times. Goslin got twenty-five hits. And Gee Walker, the high-spirited buck who tested Cochrane’s patience, launched a 400-foot home run, chased down a long fly with a remarkable over-the-shoulder catch, and raised his average twenty points. The trip filled Walker with confidence. A bit too much.
    The Tigers headed into St. Louis, home of the lowly Browns, with a half-game lead over New York. The next week would be telling. The Tigers would be playing three doubleheaders in five days. Two would be back-to-back—in different cities. The schedule promised to be exhausting, but Cochrane hoped to put distance between his team and the Yankees. In the eighth inning on June 30, with the game tied 3–3, the Tigers saw a chance to pull ahead. Greenberg singled and Gee Walker advanced him to second while beating out a grounder. Detroit had two runners on base with Marv Owen batting. Then the trouble began. Walker got daring and stepped too far off first base, prompting catcher Rollie Hemsley to rifle the ball to first baseman Jack