Del Gainer
It was 100 years ago when Babe Ruth was beginning to become a legend.
Ruth was just 21 years old and coming into his own as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in his third season.
In 1915, the Red Sox had won the World Series with Ruth recording an 18-8 record that season. He didn’t pitch in the series and only had one plate appearance.
The following year, Ruth would go 23-12 with a league best nine shutouts, but he only made it to the mound in one contest and went without a hit in five trips to the batter’s box on Oct. 9.
Although Ruth would set a major league record in the game that still stands, he wasn’t the only hero of the day.
Ruth tossed a complete game in Boston’s 2-1 victory in game two of the 1916 World Series against the Brooklyn Robins. His 14 innings on the mound is the standard for most in a post-season contest. He gave up six hits and only allowed a run in the first on a inside-the-park homer by Hi Myers.
Brooklyn starter Sherry Smith was still on the mound in the bottom of the 14th when Dick Hoblitzell walked to begin the frame.
Hoblitzell was sacrificed to second by Duffy Lewis to set the stage for the game-winning heroics. Mike McNally was inserted as a pinch runner.
With one out, Del Gainer singled to end the game in what was likely one of the high points of his 10-year big league career.
Started in Detroit
Gainer begin his career with Detroit in 1909 and he was with the Tigers until the 1914 season. After one game in 1914, he was sold to the Red Sox.
The West Virginia native became an important part of the Red Sox championship teams in 1915-1916 as a platoon player at first base.
After the 1917 season, he enlisted the U.S. Navy during World War I. He returned to the Red Sox in 1919 and finished his career in the majors in 1922 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
In his final at bat, he hit a three-run homer off Percy Jones as the Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 5-3 on Sept. 30.
Gainer continued to play in the minors and finally retired in 1929.