1916 Indianapolis ABCs

April 4
Island Park, Harrisburg (A- 2,673)
Umpires Art Fields, Julip Arp
Indy 024 002 000 - 8 LP - Frank Wickware
HBG 003 010 60x - 10 WP - Willie Fordham (2-0 6.23)
HR - none

Feature: Both lineups included Hall of Famers Oscar Charleston and Ben Taylor; that kind of shared lineup can only happen in fantasy baseball. Twice Indy's Taylor put Harrisburg's Charleston out at first and once Harrisburg's Taylor put his own self out. The ABCs jumped to the early lead 6-0 chasing Willie Gisentaner in the 3rd but the Giant's bullpen slowed the Indy train enough to permit the Giants bats to catch and pass them. The Giants scored 6 times after Carlos Washington stirring "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on his trumpet. The rally began when Taylor and John Beckwith singled to start the inning and after two outs - Bunny Downs drew a walk, and then Fats Jenkins, Spotswood Poles, Rap Dixon and Oscar Charleston stroked hits leaving the Giants up 10-8. Wilbur Pritchard held the ABCs in check in the 8th and 9th to earn the save; Willie Fordham, despite two shaky innings, picked up the win, his second of the season.

***

102 April 5
Island Park, Harrisburg (A-2,413)
Umpires: Art Fields, Julip Arp
Indy 023 100 330 - 12 WP - Jim Jeffries
HBG 106 000 001 - 8 LP - Red Ryan 9-7 4.20
HR - Russell Powell, Fats Jenkins (2)

#103-104 April 6
Rossmere Base Ball Park, Lancaster (A-2,698)
Umpires: Julip Arp, Art Fields
Indy 100 021 100 - 5 WP - Dizzy Dismukes
HBG 000 000 000 - 0 LP - Daltie Cooper 4-6 3.43
HR - none

Umpires: Art Fields, Julip Arp
Indy 420 310 040 - 14 WP - Steel Arm Johnny Taylor
HBG 101 023 500 - 12 LP - Miles Lucas 6-4 4.79
HR - Rap Dixon (9), Oscar Charleston (13)

Feature: The Indianapolis ABCs, after losing the opener, captured three straight and made a run on the Hoverter-Reed but in the end fell short. Their best performance was Dizzy Dismukes shutout. He yielded doubles to Oscar Charleston and Spottswood Poles and nothing else. Given the fact that Giant bats were hot, scoring 10 runs per game against the other ABC hurler, Dismukes performance stood out even more. Oscar Charleston, appearing in both lineups, demonstrated his Hall of Fame skills, by pounding 15 hits in 35 trips for a .429 batting average, four doubles, a triple, and a homer for a .686 slugging percentage, drawing 7 walks and being hit by one pitch for a .535 on base percentage and a spectacular 1.221 OPS! Ben Taylor, also playing for both teams, acquitted himself well going 11 for 31 (.355 AVG), with all singles (.355 SLG), and a walk (.375 OBP) and a 0.73 OPS. Ol' Ben also stole a base.