At the end of a roller-coaster season, it was fitting that the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals’ final game was a madcap affair, complete with a fight between players, a near-riot in the stands, and Dizzy Dean testing out new pitches en route to an 11-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 7 of the …
Few players in major-league history could lay claim to a six-hit game. On August 5, 1931, “Sunny” Jim Bottomley became the first player since 1894 to do it twice when he collected six base hits in the second game of a doubleheader vs. the Pirates. Bottomley was one of two talented first basemen on the …
August 5, 1931: Jim Bottomley collects six hits vs. the Pirates Read More »
At its height, Branch Rickey’s innovative farm system produced such a wealth of quality players that he could trade away the defending National League batting champion and a future Hall of Famer and barely skip a beat. On April 11, 1932, the Cardinals traded outfielder Chick Hafey to the Reds for outfielder and first baseman …
On January 18, 1938, Grover Cleveland Alexander, the hero of the Cardinals’ 1926 World Series championship, became the lone player elected in the National Baseball Hall of Fame class of 1938. Alexander spent just 3 ½ seasons with the Cardinals as part of a 20-year career, but he made them count. In 1911, Alexander debuted …
After pitching their second complete game in three days, most men would have applied every cube of ice they could find to their aching pitching arm. After shutting out the Reds on the final day of the 1934 season to secure the National League championship, Dizzy Dean had other ideas. Shortly after Dean walked off …
September 30, 1934: Dizzy Dean’s 30th win clinches the National League pennant Read More »
On July 16, 1935, as he accepted the Sporting News 1934 National League Most Valuable Player trophy, Dizzy Dean took the opportunity to win over the fans once again following a brief controversy regarding an exhibition game in Illinois. It was, perhaps, surprising that Dean had to win over the fans at all after his …
July 16, 1935: Dizzy Dean wins over the crowd as he accepts the NL MVP trophy Read More »
Dizzy Dean may not have been at his best when he faced the Reds July 1, 1934, at Crosley Field, but his 17-inning pitching performance kept the Cardinals in the game long enough to top Cincinnati, 8-6. Dean entered the game having won 11 of his last 12 decisions and each of his last four …
With a single, double, triple, and home run on June 29, 1935, Joe Medwick became the first player to reach 100 hits and the only one to hit for the cycle that season. Signed off the New Jersey sandlots, the muscular and quick-tempered Medwick quickly developed a reputation as one of the best bad-ball hitters …
June 29, 1935: Joe Medwick caps cycle with a home run off the foul pole Read More »
Two months after signing his first major-league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, Paul Dean’s burgeoning career was at a crossroads. His big brother, Dizzy Dean, had taken it upon himself to serve as Paul’s spokesperson, telling anyone who would listen that his little brother was an even better pitcher than he was, and predicting …
In many ways, the 1934 season marked the passing of a torch. Babe Ruth, the premier slugger of his era, played his final season with the New York Yankees. As Ruth’s career was winding down, young Dizzy Dean vaulted to the national spotlight. As the Oklahoma farmboy led the Gashouse Gang to the World Series …