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  "description": "The Cardinals fell into third place after a lopsided loss in Pittsburgh, while Oscar Melillo and Flint Rhem emerged as two of baseball's brightest young stars. Babe Ruth also weighed in on the best rookies of 1926.",
  "path": "/cardinals-routed-in-pittsburgh-as-oscar-melillo-and-flint-rhem-earn-the-spotlight/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-04T11:30:42.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.diamondghosts.com",
  "tags": [
    "Pie Traynor",
    "Herman Bell",
    "Vic Keen",
    "Allan Sothoron",
    "Ray Kremer",
    "Vic Aldridge",
    "Kiki Cuyler",
    "Rogers Hornsby",
    "Lester Bell",
    "Glenn Wright",
    "Tommy Thevenow",
    "Jim Bottomley",
    "Ray Blades",
    "Taylor Douthit",
    "George Grantham",
    "Clyde Barnhart",
    "Johnny Rawlings",
    "Earl Smith",
    "Billy Southworth",
    "Dazzy Vance",
    "Milt Gaston",
    "George Sisler",
    "Eddie Collins",
    "Earl Sheely",
    "Bing Miller",
    "Bunny Harris",
    "Willie Kamm",
    "Bibb Falk",
    "Wally Schang",
    "Ray Schalk",
    "Sam Rice",
    "Johnny Mostil",
    "Dixie Davis",
    "Tony Lazzeri",
    "Babe Ruth",
    "Mark Koenig",
    "Joe Collins",
    "Paul Waner",
    "Bob Meusel",
    "Jack Hendricks",
    "Dolf Luque",
    "Pete Donohue",
    "Eppa Rixey",
    "Carl Mays",
    "Red Lucas",
    "Jim Taylor",
    "Bill Sherdel",
    "Bill Killefer",
    "Billy Killefer",
    "Jess Haines",
    "Jakie May",
    "Milton Gaston",
    "Bubbles Hargrave"
  ],
  "textContent": "Content from the Sunday July 4, 1926 morning editions of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the St. Louis Globe-Democrat\n\n## In This Edition\n\n### Post Dispatch Coverage\n\n  * Cardinals Lose to Pirates, 12 to 3\n  * St. Louis' Greenest Rookies Become Stars\n  * Browns Fall to White Sox, 8 to 3\n  * Babe Ruth Names Baseball's Top Rookies\n  * St. Louis Stars Edge Cleveland, 5 to 4\n\n\n\n### Globe-Democrat Coverage\n\n  * Pirates 12, Cardinals 3\n  * Hornsby May Miss Reds Opener\n  * Brown Hurling and Fielding Fails\n  * Three-I League Pitcher Dies After Heat Collapse\n  * Advertisements\n\n\n\n# St. Louis Post-Dispatch\n\n* * *\n\n# CARDINALS LOSE TO PIRATES, 12 TO 3, AND DROP TO THIRD PLACE\n\n## BELL AND KEEN ARE BOMBARDED BY CHAMPIONS\n\n### Pie Traynor Gets Double and Homer in Corsairs’ Eight-Run Inning—Hornsby’s Men Meet Reds at Home Today.\n\n**By Jack Alexander,\nOf the Post-Dispatch Sport Staff.**\n\nPITTSBURG, July 3.—The Cardinals, who left home last Tuesday three and a half games out of first place and in second position, will return to St. Louis tomorrow to face the league leading Cincinnati Reds, a notch lower in the standings than when they departed. Pittsburg now occupies second place.\n\nIn the four-game series with Pittsburg, the Cardinals dropped three games and won only one, breaking down completely in the final today and being trampled underfoot, 12 to 3.\n\nIf there were any doubts as to the recovery of the Pirates from their slump, they were silenced by the hammering of many bats. Herman Bell and Vic Keen were unmercifully beaten and the locals permitted Allan Sothoron to slide for the remainder of the contest without undue abuse. Bell was nicked for seven hits and six runs in a little more than three innings and Keen was bombarded for five hits and four runs in less than one inning. One of the hits was a homer by Traynor with two men on the bases.\n\n### Cardinals Bats Silenced.\n\nA big improvement in enemy pitching has kept the Cardinal hitters in the dark since Wednesday. Hal Songer, Ray Kremer and Vic Aldridge in successive days have puzzled them successfully.\n\nPittsburg, out of its slump now, will give trouble from here out. A mysterious psychological obstacle has been swept aside and the club is as murderous as ever. The fans have stuck by the team through its trials and their chance to crow has come. Traynor’s extra base blows, Kiki Cuyler’s recovery and Johnny Waner’s cuts over the infield are sweeter music than can be heard at the Carnegie Hall. Such support as the local team has received would help the Cardinals mightily.\n\nThe Cards are not really in a slump, at least not a bad one. They merely picked a fight with a man who just had a shot of some wildcat potion. Rogers Hornsby’s return to the game should give the extra punch that is so badly needed.\n\n### Pirates Off in Front.\n\nPittsburg scored one in the first, and should have made more. With two gone, Cuyler bounced a single off Lester Bell’s glove and advanced to third on Glenn Wright’s single. Traynor’s grounder was too hot for Tommy Thevenow and went for a safety, Cuyler scoring. Thevenow threw late to first, the ball going past Jim Bottomley, and Traynor made a premature break for second, forcing Wright to dash for third, where he was retired on a quick recovery and throw by Bottomley.\n\nThe Cards squared the count in the third, when Aldridge passed Thevenow and Ray Blades and Taylor Douthit singled to fill the bases. Thevenow scored when Douthit was forced by George Toporcer, but Bottomley grounded out to end the scoring.\n\nGeorge Grantham’s triple against the right field wall and Johnny Waner’s single to left scored the Pirate’s second run in the last of the third.\n\nThe Cardinals evened it again in the fourth. Les Bell singled, advanced to third on Bob O'Farrell’s safety to center and scored on Thevenow’s sacrifice fly to Clyde Barnhart.\n\n### Warm Reception for Keen.\n\nThe Pirates’ big portion of the inning started with Traynor’s double. Barnhart, sacrificing, tapped an easy one to the box, but Herman Bell heaved wild to Lester Bell to catch Traynor at third, and the ball went into left field, Traynor scoring and Barnhart getting to third.\n\nBarnhart scored on Johnny Rawlings’ single and Keen went in. He was greeted with a single by Earl Smith and a triple to left by Aldridge which brought in Barnhart and Smith. Waner sent Aldridge in with a single to center after Grantham had flied out, but Waner was forced by Cuyler. Wright got to first on a bobble by Thevenow and Traynor contributed his second extra base blow of the inning by lifting into the right field stands for a homer.\n\nAnother run was made in the seventh when Rawlings walked with two gone and came in on Smith’s double.\n\nIn the eighth the Cardinals added a lone run to their meager string when Billy Southworth doubled and scored on Wright’s fumble of Warwick’s roll.\n\nThe final tally of the game was turned by the Corsairs in the eighth when Waner drew a pass and scored on Cuyler’s double.\n\nBox score from the Pirates' 12–3 victory over the Cardinals on July 3, 1926, highlighted by Pie Traynor's home run during Pittsburgh's decisive eight-run fourth inning.\n\n* * *\n\n## St. Louis Clubs’ Greenest Rookies Become Greatest Stars in 3 Years\n\n**By J. Roy Stockton.**\n\nOscar Melillo of the Browns and Flint Rhem of the Cardinals were profiled as overlooked prospects who became two of St. Louis baseball's brightest young stars within three seasons.\n\nThree years ago, while the Cardinals were playing the Milwaukee club of the American Association in an exhibition game in the South, the baseball correspondents and scouts noticed an infielder who was trying to land a job with the minor league team.\n\n\"Isn’t he terrible? Why do they send fellows like that to a Class AA team?\" one scout asked.\n\n\"The worst infielder I ever saw,\" was the verdict of another self-acknowledged expert.\n\nThree years ago a big, raw-boned youngster was pitching for a Southern college team. Somebody who had great respect for a strong arm was attracted by the youngster’s speed. He wrote to Branch Rickey, then manager of the Cardinals.\n\n\"This kid still shies at the trains and the cows chase him to school every morning, but he’s got speed and a terrible curve and he’s going to be a great pitcher some day,\" the letter said. \"Better send Barrett down to look him over.\"\n\n### Three Years Later.\n\nToday those two young men, the one the terrible infielder and the other the strong-armed Southerner that the cows chased to school, are major league stars and potential candidates for the honor of being declared the most valuable players to their teams for the 1926 season.\n\nThe terrible infielder has developed into a second baseman who is considered the find of the season. He is Oscar Melillo of the Browns. The pitcher is the actual leader in the National League, with 11 victories and only one defeat. He is Charles Flint Rhem of the Cardinals.\n\nMelillo, the Brownie second baseman, will be handicapped by the unfortunate showing of the Browns. If the team had lived up to advance predictions and fought for the pennant, Melillo would come in for much of the credit. He has fielded brilliantly and his batting has been timely. He can range far to his left or race over to his barehand side for brilliant stops. He can throw from any position, he can run and he is clever at starting double plays and at pivoting for the throw to first as the middle man.\n\nSlow hoppers, teasing rollers, hot liners, all chances look alike to this infield demon, who three years ago was such a joke as a fielder that the scouts and the correspondents moaned because they had to watch him.\n\n### Ball’s Bargain Buy.\n\nMelillo cost Phil Ball approximately $60,000 in players and cash and Ball would not sell him today for twice the price, in cash. He has made good. He is a fixture at second base. In figuring on rebuilding, as the Browns must do, Melillo is one of the few players forming the nucleus around which the Browns must be built.\n\nThe Browns gave Milwaukee four players and cash to bring the total to the $60,000 given out by the Browns as the price paid for Melillo.\n\nThe players are Wally Simon and Flippin, infielders, and Bill Danforth and Walter Stauffer, pitchers.\n\n\"What value would you place on the players?\" was the question put to Business Manager Bill Friel of the Browns.\n\n\"I’d place a $6000 valuation on Simon, $7500 on Danforth and $1000 on Stauffer,\" Friel replied. \"We had to buy Flippin from ourselves at Tulsa and we had to pay ourselves $7500 for him. We wouldn’t take a cent less, so we had to pay it. I’d say Stauffer was worth at least $1000.\"\n\n### 4 Players Worth $22,000.\n\nAdding the figures carefully the total of $22,000 given as the valuation of the four players leaves a balance of $38,000 as the cash figuring in the transaction.\n\n\"I won’t say how much cash,\" said Phil Ball, \"but it was plenty of cash. We’ll pay it when we see we’re getting something.\"\n\nRhem, the Cardinal ace, has a fine chance to gain the honor of being the league’s most valuable player and of knocking down that $1000 cash prize. He has the best pitching record in the league thus far and it is due largely to his success on the hill that the Cardinals are fighting for the pennant.\n\nIf Sam Breadon, owner of the Cardinals, had suddenly lost his mind and decided to sell Rhem he probably could get any price he asked. A team with a pennant chance would have paid high for the right-hander, for such a pitcher, added to a pennant contender, would make the contender almost a sure thing. Undoubtedly if Rhem had been put on the market before the deadline on major league sales, he would have brought more than $1000,000.\n\nWhat did Rhem cost? How are such pitchers found? What is the history of their entrance into the big league, the story of their journey to a place among the stars?\n\n### He Cost Club $3000.\n\nRhem cost the Cardinals just $3000.\n\nWhen Charley Barrett went south to look at the green youngster referred to in the letter to Rickey, he found just what he had been advised he would find. A big, raw-boned southerner, green as grass, chased to school by the cows each morning and still inclined to shy at trains.\n\nBut this lad had the arm. A powerful arm and the knack of curving a baseball. He was pitching for Clemson College. Green, but tinges of gold. So Barrett bought a ticket north for Rhem, another for his college coach and one for himself, and carefully guarding the youngster, the party set out for St. Louis. Barrett did not want anything to go wrong with this deal and so he brought the prospect to Rickey. That meant he was a goner.\n\nRickey got Rhem and the coach in his office and talked to them for four days, with time out only for lunch and sleep. Finally Rhem and the coach were talked into submission and Rhem signed his name on the dotted line. Three thousand dollars constituted the bonus that was paid to Rhem for signing. Of course, the coach got nothing, he was just interested in seeing Rhem get what was coming to him. Of course.\n\n### Recalled From Fort Smith.\n\nRhem spent one short season at Fort Smith. That was in 1924. He distinguished himself by leading the baseball world at striking out batters. Quickly he was called to the Cardinal colors. He started 1925 by winning six games. Then he got a sore finger or something and lost his effectiveness. But he recovered during the winter and this spring he started out again.\n\nRhem won 11 of his first 12 games this season. He has a fine chance to equal the record of Dazzy Vance, whose brilliant pitching for Brooklyn in 1924 won him the honor of being declared the most valuable player in the league.\n\nIf the Cardinals win the pennant Rhem and Rogers Hornsby will be the leading candidates for the honor, and inasmuch as Hornsby already has had the honor, Rhem probably will be favored by many of the ballot casters.\n\nAnd this pitcher cost only $3000. And Melillo only $60,000. Each was dirt cheap at the price.\n\n* * *\n\n## BROWNS PLAY LOOSELY AND LOSE, 8 TO 3\n\nJim Joe Edwards Toys With Sisler’s Men, While White Sox Bat Milt Gaston Almost at Will.\n\n**By J. Roy Stockton.**\n\nJim Joe Edwards, the pride of Mississippi, the schoolmaster who forsook his books for the baseball diamond, knew what he was doing. Apparently, he could not have accomplished much with the Browns with books yesterday afternoon. It was too hot. But with a baseball he plotted some baffling curves and taught the Brownies that he was their left-handed master, baseball, if not school.\n\nThere were some safe hits against the left-handed delivery of the sturdy Southerner, but they were well scattered and the outcome of the game was not in doubt very long.\n\nThe White Sox had a two-run lead before George Sisler’s men crossed the plate and before they could ring the run register again, the Sox had a 6-to-1 advantage. The final score was 8 to 3, the Browns registering a futile tally in the ninth inning.\n\n### Browns Play Loosely in Field.\n\nTo make the defeat more one-sided and to make the sailing easier for Edwards, the Browns put up the worst fielding game they have played in months. Four errors were charged and there were other plays where the fielders might have been penalized.\n\nGaston escaped in the first inning, the only hit off his delivery in the opening frame being a single that Eddie Collins bounced off Chick Melillo’s shins.\n\nIn the second inning, however, the bombardment started in earnest. Earl Sheely opened with a single to left and went to second on Bing Miller’s fumble. Bunny Harris doubled to left, scoring Sheely, but when Harris tried to stretch the hit, he was out, Miller to Doc McManus. Harris’ ambition cost a run, as Willie Kamm followed with a double to right center.\n\nWith two down in the third, Eddie Collins drew a pass and Bibb Falk smashed a double to center, but Collins tried to score and was out, Melillo taking Charlie Durst’s throw and relaying to Wally Schang at the plate.\n\n### Kamm, the Hitting Kid.\n\nKamm contributed another extra-base hit in the fourth inning, getting three sacks on a drive to left which Miller played poorly. Ray Schalk followed with a smash to center, scoring Kamm, and when Durst let the ball bounce past him, Schalk continued to third.\n\nThe Browns got one of the two runs back in the fourth, but needed a walk, a single and two sacrifices to push a man over the plate. McManus drew the walk to start the inning, stopped at second on Miller’s safe bunt, moved to third on Sam Rice’s sacrifice fly and scored on Schang’s sacrifice fly.\n\nChicago increased its lead by a run in the fifth, Johnny Mostil hitting to center for a base, advancing on a sacrifice and scoring on Falk’s single to left.\n\nIn the seventh, Gaston had to retire under heavy fire. He started his own trip to the showers by walking Moe Hunnefield and Falk after getting Collins on a fly to right. The runners advanced on an infield out and then Harris sent a line drive straight at Sisler. It was a hard hit ball, but it was straight at George, and when he dropped it, permitting Hunnefield to score, Falk to reach third and Harris first, the official scorer charged George with an error. Kamm then kicked in with his third straight hit of the day, shooting a triple to right-center, scoring Falk and Harris.\n\nIt was too late, now, but Sisler decided it would be well to have Gaston out of there and Dixie Davis went in and stopped the rally.\n\nThe Browns scored their second run in the eighth, Miller hitting a double to left with two down and scoring on Schang’s single to left.\n\nMilt Vangilder pitched the eighth and ninth for the Browns. He retired batters in a row in the eighth, but in the ninth he walked Collins and gave Falk a fast ball that the Texan knocked all the way to Grand boulevard.\n\nHank LaMotte batted for Vangilder in the ninth and walked and scored the Browns’ third run when Durst clicked a double to left-center.\n\n### Low Record for Saturday.\n\nThe smallest Saturday crowd of the season witnessed the game, the attendance being estimated at 4000.\n\nWhile the Browns made four errors and played poorly in the field, they cut down several runners by accurate throws to hold down the Chicago total. Miller’s throw nipped Harris at third in the second inning and Melillo took Durst’s throw and nailed Collins at the plate in the third. In the sixth, Kamm tried to score from second on Mostil’s single to left, but was nipped on Miller’s excellent throw to Schang.\n\nDespite the defeat the Browns finished with a record of .600 for the short stand at home. They broke even in two games with the Tigers and took two out of three from the White Sox.\n\nImmediately after the game the Browns departed for Cleveland to open a long road campaign. They will travel until July 27, visiting every city in the circuit except Chicago.\n\nPost-Dispatch box score from Chicago's 8–3 win over the Browns, featuring Willie Kamm's four-hit performance and Bibb Falk's home run.\n\n* * *\n\n## Babe Ruth Lists Melillo Among Rookie Stars\n\nHowever, He Says Tony Lazzeri of the Yankees Is Find of the Season.\n\n**By** Babe Ruth\n_(As told to Post-Dispatch representative)_\n\nclose-up newspaper portrait of Babe Ruth accompanying his July 1926 column evaluating baseball's top rookie players\n\nThe question of the best rookie ball player to come up this season has come up. Naming him is a tough job. There have been a lot of good ones—and anyhow, the most valuable man doesn't always mean the best ball player. To my way of thinking, the most valuable player is the one who fits into his own club best. For instance, with a club like the Cincinnati Reds, that already has a great pitching staff, a fair shortstop might be a lot more valuable than a first-class pitcher, while some other club, like the Giants, could use a mediocre kid pitcher better than they could a star second baseman.\n\nLooking over the American League clubs, it seems to me that there are about five outstanding players who have broken into the league this year. Three of them—Lazzeri, Mark Koenig and Joe Collins, are with the Yankees. Then there's Chick Melillo of the Browns and Moe Hunnefield of the White Sox. I haven't seen the National League teams, but judging from the box scores and the records, I would say that Paul Waner of the Pirates and Emmer of the Reds, were about the class.\n\n### Likes Lazzeri Best.\n\nOf the lot, I would say that Tony Lazzeri was about the most valuable. Understand, I'm not picking him as the best ball player of the lot. He may be that, and again he may not. It's too early to tell. But I do believe that he has added most to his club. And Hunnefield of the White Sox ranks second. He may not be any baseball wonder but he has plugged a bad hole in the White Sox infield—and that was what Eddie Collins needed to be up there in the race.\n\nBut all of these kids have done well—and they've all been real finds for the clubs that have them. How far they may go in baseball or how great they may become is a matter that will have to be determined in two or three seasons from now.\n\nWith the season gone at the halfway mark and the Yankees continuing to hold their lead, I've quit worrying about our club and started to watch the doings over in the other circuit. We'll win—even with Bob Meusel on the sidelines and some of the other boys crippled up a bit.\n\n### The Rise of the Reds.\n\nBut the boys who are surprising me are the Cincinnati Reds. We saw them in two games down south this spring, and at that time I figured they were a club that had four or five good pitchers and eight other ball players. And now they're right up at the top of the league, fighting the Cardinals and the Pirates neck and neck for the pennant.\n\nWhich is just more proof of the old story that a team is just as strong as its pitchers. Take away Jack Hendricks' pitchers and his club wouldn't even be in the first division. But with Dolf Luque, Pete Donohue, Eppa Rixey, Carl Mays, Red Lucas and the rest going the way they are now they're a club to be figured on right up to the finish. And they've got just as good a chance as anyone else of copping the pennant.\n\nIncidentally that might make an interesting series if the Yankees and Reds should meet. At any rate, a lot of fans would find out the answer to the old question about what happens when an unbeatable pitching staff hooks up against a non-stopable outfit of sluggers. The Reds certainly have the pitching and you've got to admit the Yankees represent about the best there is in hitting and slugging ability. Of course, I figure we would win—for we've got pitching along with our hitting—but it makes an interesting thing to think about anyhow, even if it is a bit like counting chickens before they're hatched.\n\nMeantime, just remember my dope. Tony Lazzeri is about the most valuable young player to come up this year. See if I'm not proved right three seasons from now.\n\n* * *\n\n## ST. LOUIS STARS NOSE OUT CLEVELAND TEAM IN SERIES OPENER, 5–4\n\nThe St. Louis Stars in the National Negro Baseball League defeated the Cleveland Elites in yesterday’s game at Stars’ Park, 5 to 4.\n\nThe Stars had a lead of four runs up to the fifth inning, when the visitors collected four runs, aided by Jim Taylor's home run with a man on base.\n\nThe Stars scored the winning run in the seventh inning when Brannigan hit a batter and, with the bases loaded, forced in the marker that clinched the game.\n\nThe feature play of the game was made when Mule Suttles leaped up to catch a fly single-handed off Brannigan’s bat.\n\nThe second game of the series will be played this afternoon.\n\n### Score by Innings\n\nClub| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| R| H| E\n---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---\nCleveland| 0| 0| 0| 0| 4| 0| 0| 0| 0| 4| 7| 1\nSt. Louis| 1| 2| 1| 0| 0| 0| 1| 0| x| 5| 7| 1\n\n**Batteries** —Johnson, Brannigan and Duff, Bonner; Miller and Murray.\n\n### STANDING OF CLUBS\n\nClub| W| L| Pct.\n---|---|---|---\nKansas City| 32| 11| .744\nIndianapolis| 28| 15| .651\nChicago| 25| 16| .610\n**St. Louis**|  27| 18| .600\nDetroit| 25| 18| .581\nDayton| 7| 26| .212\nCubans| 5| 24| .172\nCleveland| 5| 30| .143\n\n* * *\n\n# St. Louis Globe Democrat\n\n## Pittsburgh Scores Eight Runs in Fourth to Defeat Cardinals, 12 to 3\n\nPirates Hammer Bell, Keen and Sothoron for Fourteen Varied Hits\n\nDefeat Shoves St. Louis Into Third Place and Puts Champions Second—Pie Traynor Hits Home Run with Two on Base.\n\n**By JOHN J. SHERIDAN.**\n_Staff Correspondent of the Globe-Democrat._\n\nPITTSBURGH, PA., July 3.—Defeated by the unbalanced score of 12 to 3 by the rejuvenated Pirates, champions of the world, here today, the Cardinals, whose punch has been sadly missing and whose pitchers have gone awry since they captured the opening game from the Bucs Wednesday, dropped to third place, a half game behind the Corsairs. Herman Bell, Vic Keen and Allan Sothoron were subjected to Pittsburgh’s batting cruelty this afternoon, the former two sustaining a hammering that they will long remember. The victory gave the Corsairs three of the four games here and sent the Cardinals back home tonight four and a half games behind the league-leading Reds, who were stamped by the Cubs, 6 to 2.\n\nA huge fourth inning in which they drove Herman Bell from the parapet and pounded Keen heartlessly, scoring eight runs on seven hits and two St. Louis errors, was all that was necessary to put the Buccos out on top today. Two to two was the count when the marauding Pirates approached the plate in the eventual fourth after which there ceased to be a ball game, and it was only a matter of finishing it up hurriedly so the Hornsbymen could grab an early train out of here for St. Louis where they open an important five-game series with the Reds tomorrow afternoon.\n\n### Sothoron Shows Good Form.\n\nIf there was any redeeming feature about the Cardinals' performance this afternoon it was the pitching in the last four innings by Allan Sothoron, veteran right-hander, who gave only two hits, both of which, unfortunately, were doubles and followed bases on balls, enabling the Pirates to score their eleventh and twelfth markers, entirely superfluous. Not only was the best of the pitching weak and the punch lacking, but the Red Birds wobbled afield, one of their two errors, a wild heave by Herman Bell, igniting the Buc fuse in the fourth and another by Tommy Thevenow in the same round, permitting the locals to sustain their offensive long enough to virtually put the game on \"ice.\"\n\nIn contrast to the under par display of mound efficiency, of batting and of fielding by the Knotholers, the champions got an impressively pitched game from Vic Aldridge and his mates supported him firmly both in the field and at the plate. Vic was indeed in rare form. That was evident from the start and the sum and substance of the Cardinal attack seven hits kept decidedly sprinkled over the nine innings.\n\nIt was not until the third inning that the Knot Holers solved the local right-hander for their first hit, but it came after Aldridge had passed two batters and the Cardinals thus punctured the run column. They repeated in the fourth on two hits, one an infielder, and a sacrifice fly, but thereafter they were never troublesome, scoring their last run in the eighth inning, when Billy Southworth doubled against the right-field wall, the Birds' only extra base hit, went to second on an infield out and crossed the rubber on the Pirates' only error, a boot by Glenn Wright.\n\n### Champions Get Early Lead.\n\nJust as they did in two previous games, the world's champions took a lead right off the bat. With George Grantham and Paul Waner out of the way, Herman Bell allowed Kiki Cuyler to scratch a hit through Bell. \"KI\" went to third on Wright's ace to right and scored on Traynor's infield hit to deep short.\n\nThe Cardinals tied the issue in a knot in the third on a pass to Thevenow and another to Ray Blades after Herman Bell had fanned, Taylor Douthit's single to right, which filled the bases, and George Toporcer's fielders' choice.\n\nNot to be denied, the Buccos went to the front again in the third. After Thevenow and Jim Bottomley had disposed of Aldridge, Grantham, with the call three and one, tripled to deep right center and scored on Waner's single to left. Herman Bell then stopped both Cuyler and Wright, and then the Red Birds again leveled the count in the fourth. This Cardinal fourth-inning run was the result of an infield hit by Lester Bell, Bob O'Farrell's single to center, which put Lester Bell on third, and Thevenow's timely sacrifice fly.\n\nFollowed the Buccaneer's big fourth and here are the details if there be any one who cares to read them. Pacing the round, Traynor got a lucky double, his ground ball caroming off Thevenow's glove and rolling lazily into center field. Clyde Barnhart bunted and Herman Bell fielded the ball. He wheeled and in his attempt to erase Traynor at third he threw past Lester Bell, Traynor scoring and Barnhart reaching third, whence he registered on Johnny Rawlings' single to center.\n\n### Keen Goes to Mound.\n\nThat single ended Bell's tenure of the mound, Vic Keen, sore arm and all being rushed to the scene. Earl Smith singled to center and Aldridge tripled past Blades and flooey two more Pirates, Rawlings and Smith, were safely across the plate. There was a lull when Grantham lifted to Southworth, Aldridge holding third, but this lull did not last for long as Waner promptly renewed the attack with an ace to the middle garden, Aldridge counting.\n\nCuyler then gave the Knot Holers another breathing spell by forcing Waner, Lester Bell to Toporcer and then Wright was safe on Thevenow's error. Traynor, up for the second time in this memorable chapter, smote a mighty home run into the right field seats and trotted home behind Cuyler and Wright with run number eight. Barnhart also got on his second time at bat, scratching a hit off Keen's bare mauler, but he expired on first, Rawlings bringing hind the plate the Pirates were silenced until the seventh when after two were out, Sothoron passed Rawlings and Smith doubled, Rawlings the hectic inning to a close with a fly to Douthit amid the derisive hoots of the well-filled park.\n\nWith Sothoron doing duty on the hill and the rookie Warwick bescored. In the eighth with one out, Waner walked and Cuyler doubled him over with the final run of the contest.\n\nox score from the Pirates' 12–3 victory over the Cardinals on July 3, 1926, highlighted by Pie Traynor's home run during Pittsburgh's decisive eight-run fourth inning.\n\n## CARDINAL NOTES.\n\nBill Sherdel, gifted left-hander, is to open against the Reds tomorrow afternoon in St. Louis, acting manager, Bill Killefer, said. The southpaw has had plenty of rest and will have no excuses to offer if he is not right.\n\nThe team left immediately after today's game and arrive in St. Louis early Sunday morning. It is now four and one-half games behind the leading Reds and a half game out of second place.\n\nThevenow went to his left to make an impressive stop of Waner's grounder and a perfect throw retired the Pirate star at first in the first inning.\n\nBottomley saved Thevenow an error in the opening chapter when he made a remarkable glove-hand pickup of Tommy's low, wide throw, occasioned by his hasty attempt to throw out Traynor on his grounder to deep short. Pie was so positive that the ball would go to the grandstand that he kept on going to second, running Wright off that base and Bottomley's heave to Lester Bell retired Glenn at third.\n\nIn the Cardinal second Grantham made an impressive catch of Southworth's bunt, which the Bucco first sacker gloved over the foul line on a dead run.\n\nThe entire Pirate side was retired by Thevenow and Bottomley in their second frame.\n\nToporcer's grounder with the bases filled in the third caromed off Aldridge's glove to Wright who stepped on second to force Douthit, while George had to do some tall stepping to avoid a double play and permit Thevenow to scoot home with the tying run.\n\nWright went out into the grass to make a fine stop of Lester Bell's grounder in the third, but his distant throw arrived too late to erase the Knot-hole third sacker. A moment later Cuyler made a leaping stop of O'Farrell's single, which took a bad hop.\n\nThe world champions got a break in their fourth when Traynor's grounder took a bad bounce over Thevenow's head and rolled into center field, enabling Pie to take two bases. A few minutes later, Aldridge's perfectly good single off Keen hit an unattended clump of grass, hopped past the left fielder and rolled to the fence for a triple.\n\nBottomley made a sensational stop of Waner's hot smash to his left and retired the Pirate flash unassisted in the sixth.\n\nTommy Thevenow had a big day in the field. He had eight assists, and two putouts, making one error.\n\n* * *\n\n## Hornsby May Miss Cincy Opener Today\n\nCardinal Pilot Will Direct Play from Bench — Five-Game Series Marks Final Appearance of Reds Here.\n\nManager Rogers Hornsby is not likely to return to uniform in this afternoon’s opener against the Reds. Although his legs still are stiff and painful, following last Tuesday’s operation, Hornsby would like to return to active duty, but has been advised by Dr. Robert F. Hyland to remain out of active harness for several days.\n\nHornsby was out at Sportsmans Park yesterday for the first time since last Monday, when the Cards played their last game before taking the road. Hornsby underwent the knife for the removal of a carbuncle from his thigh Wednesday morning. Yesterday he witnessed the Browns’ game from a box with Phil Ball, owner of the Browns, and Dr. Robert F. Hyland, the Cards’ and Browns’ physician.\n\nIn Hornsby’s absence from the game, Billy Killefer directed the club, but Hornsby will manage the team from the bench today if he follows his physician’s advice, in which case George Toporcer and Tiger Flowers will continue to alternate at second base against right and left hand pitching.\n\n### New Gate Will Be Opened.\n\nIn an effort to prevent a recurrence of the congestion, which blocked the gates on Dodier street last Sunday, President Sam Breadon will provide an entrance on Spring avenue, near Sullivan, for the holders of reserved box seat tickets to this afternoon’s game and tomorrow afternoon’s double-header. Last Sunday, when approximately 38,000 fans jammed their way into Sportsmans Park, hundreds of the reserved seat ticket holders were unable to gain entrance to the park until the third or fourth inning of the first game.\n\nThe advance sale for this afternoon’s game has been good, and the advance sale for tomorrow’s holiday double-header has been tremendous, according to William DeWitt Sr., Cardinal treasurer, who states that tickets will be on sale at Sportsmans Park this morning and tomorrow morning. Eighteen rows in the lower deck of the grand stand have been reserved for tomorrow’s bargain bill.\n\nCincinnati’s front-running Reds will play here Tuesday and Wednesday, in addition to this afternoon and tomorrow. This five-game series is Cincinnati’s final visit of the season to St. Louis, as the Reds already have played six games here, three the early part of May and three in the last week in May. Of these six games the Cardinals have won four.\n\n### Eastern Clubs to Call.\n\nDuring this home sojourn, which will not close until July 25, the Cardinals are slated to meet the four Eastern clubs in the National League, in addition to the Reds. The Braves call here next Friday for five games, including a postponement from their last series here. This game is scheduled to be played as part of a double-header next Saturday.\n\nBrooklyn follows Boston in for four games. Then the Phils come in for three, after which the Giants will close the Cards’ home stand in a four-game series, July 22, 23, 24 and 25.\n\nAlthough the Cardinals dropped their third straight game to the Pirates yesterday, thereby dropping into third place, they picked up a half game on the Reds, who lost a double-header to the Cubs. The Reds now are four games in front of the Cards and three and a half ahead of the Pirates.\n\nFor this afternoon’s game against the Reds, southpaw Bill Sherdel or Jess Haines will pitch for the Cardinals, according to Hornsby. Jakie May, former Knot Hole southpaw, probably will toil for the Reds.\n\nThe Schraut Drug want to book games for tomorrow and Monday. Phone Laclede 5883.\n\n* * *\n\n## Brown Hurling and Fielding Fails and White Sox Win Final, 8 to 3\n\nGaston and Vangilder Are Found for 13 Hits Netting 23-Base Total\n\nSislermen Make Four Errors and Play Loose-Jointed Game Generally—Willie Kamm and Bibb Falk Leaders in Chicago Attack.\n\n**By MARTIN J. HALEY.**\n\nPlaying a ragged fielding game behind Milton Gaston's ineffective pitching, the Browns wound up their five-day stand at Sportsmans Park yesterday by losing to Chicago's White Sox, 8 to 3. The Browns committed four errors and, in addition, their outfielders played so loose-jointedly that ordinary one-base hits hopped past them for triples and doubles, giving the small crowd of 3700 frequent orders for the raspberry service.\n\n### White Sox Hit Ball Hard.\n\nAll in all, the Chicagoans totaled twenty-three bases on thirteen hits off Gaston and Milt Vangilder, while the Browns made only eleven bases on nine hits off the tall southpaw, Jim Edwards, a one-time Indian. Gaston was knocked out in the seventh, after permitting twelve of Chicago's hits. The only safety off Vangilder was a potential one, Bibb Falk hitting a home run into Grand boulevard in the ninth inning with one base occupied.\n\nThat was Falk's third hit for a total of seven bases, one of his previous blows being a double. Willie Kamm, however, set the pace in Chicago's attack, the third sacker getting two triples, a double and a single in four attempts.\n\nThe Sox opened their attack as early as the second inning, and the Browns got their wretched defense under way just as early. First up in the second, Earl Sheely singled to left and continued to second when Bing Miller fumbled. Bunny Harris followed with a liner to left and made two bases when the ball hopped past Miller, Sheely scoring. Trying for three bases on the hit, Harris was out, Miller to Doc McManus. Then Kamm doubled to right center, but was left stranded when Ray Schalk and Edwards grounded to death.\n\nIn the third, with two gone, Eddie Collins walked and tried to score all the way from first when Falk's liner bounced past Charlie Durst for a double, but Durst retrieved in time to start a relay which flagged Collins at the plate on Chick Melillo's good throw to Wally Schang.\n\nChicago's fourth inning run came to pass on Kamm's fly ball which landed just inside the left line and hopped past Miller for a triple, following which Schalk singled to left center. This hit was booted by Durst, Schalk taking third, but Edwards closed the inning by popping to McManus.\n\n### Browns Open Scoring.\n\nThe Browns opened their scoring in the last half of the fourth. A pass to McManus, Miller's single off Kamm's glove, a sacrifice bunt by Sam Rice and a sacrifice fly by Schang did the work. Chicago, however, came right back in their fifth with another run on Johnny Mostil's single to center, Moe Hunnefield's sacrifice and Falk's single.\n\nIn the Browns' fifth, after Durst walked and reached third on George Sisler's single, a double steal was attempted, but Durst was out at the plate, Schalk to Collins to Schalk. The Sox had a man thrown out at the plate in the sixth, when Kamm, who had singled and moved to midway on an infield out, tried to score on Mostil's single to left. Kamm was thrown out by Miller's perfect throw.\n\nAn error by Sisler resulted in the three runs added by the Windy Cityans in the seventh. Hunnefield led off this session by drawing a pass. Collins flied out, but Falk also walked. There were two dead when Sheely bounced to Melillo and there should have been three out on Harris' low line drive straight to Sisler. The Brownie manager, however, dropped the ball, Hunnefield scoring, Falk moving to third. Harris then stole second and Falk scored on Schang's low throw to Melillo. Harris sped home on Kamm's liner, which bounced off Rice's bare hand and rolled past Durst for a triple. Gaston was relieved by Dixie Davis at this point and the debacle ended when Edwards fouled to McManus.\n\n### Hargrave Pinch Hits.\n\nDavis gave way to pinch batter Bubbles Hargrave in the Browns' seventh, and, although Hargrave came through with a single after Schang walked, the Browns were held scoreless. Vangilder was on the hill in the eighth, which proved Chicago's first hitless inning. The Browns in their eighth scored once on Miller's double to left and Rice's single.\n\nThe Sox wound up their scoring in the ninth on a pass to Collins and Falk's homer. The Browns went over once in their ninth, when Hank LaMotte, batting for Vangilder, walked, and completed the circuit on Durst's double to left center. There was one out at the time and the Browns' home stay closed when Melillo flied to Mostil and Sisler fouled to Schalk.\n\nThe Cardinals are home today to open a five-game series with Cincinnati.\n\nBox score from the White Sox' 8–3 victory over the Browns as Willie Kamm and Bibb Falk led Chicago's offense.\n\n* * *\n\n# Three I Hurler, Overcome by Heat in 7th Inning, Succumbs\n\n**By Associated Press.**\n\nEVANSVILLE, IND., July 3.—E. C. Regenold, pitcher of the Springfield Three I League baseball team, died in a local hospital at 6:30 this afternoon from a heart attack which is thought to have been brought on by the terrific heat. Regenold was overcome by the heat in the seventh inning of the Evansville-Springfield game here this afternoon and was rushed to the hospital, where he died within an hour.\n\n* * *\n\n# ADVERTISEMENTS\n\nFull-page Roi-Tan cigar advertisement encouraging smokers to enjoy \"A cigar you'll like.\"Period advertisement promoting nightly Greyhound races at Madison Kennel Club Track near St. Louis.Sportsman's Park advertisement promoting the Cardinals' July 4, 1926 series opener with the first-place Cincinnati Reds and the Independence Day doubleheader.",
  "title": "Cardinals Routed in Pittsburgh as Oscar Melillo and Flint Rhem Earn the Spotlight",
  "updatedAt": "2026-07-04T11:30:42.030Z"
}