Sport: Schoolboy’s Triumph

Winning 16 games in a row is an American League pitching record that has been equalled only twice in 22 years. In Washington last week a tall young man with small blue eyes and big red ears walked to the middle of the diamond, started to pitch for the Detroit Tigers. Pitcher Lynwood (”Schoolboy”) Rowe needed one more game to tie that record.

Born in Texas 22 years ago to a crippled circus acrobat, Lynwood Rowe is 6 ft. 4 in. tall. He was the best player on all his high-school teams. Instead of going to college on a scholarship, he signed a contract to play baseball for Detroit, joined the team last season. But in the record he has compiled since then there was a flaw. He had beaten every team but Washington. The score when the last inning started last week was: Washington 2, Detroit 1.

The first Detroit batter made a home-run. Pitcher Rowe hugged him, cuffed him happily on the head. When he went to bat himself, two men were on base. His hit scored the winning run. By the time Detroit took the field the score was Detroit 4, Washington 2. Rowe struck out the last two batters, threw his glove in the air, rode off on the shoulders of the crowd.