by Jack McKillop in NJ, USA
Let us return to 1941 and instead of discussing Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, etc., let us look at a cheerful subject (for some!), American baseball that year.
The two adversaries in the 1941 World Series were the New York Yankees, aka, The Bronx Bombers, and the Brooklyn Dodgers, aka, Dem Bums. After this subway series, baseball fans were shaking their heads; Yankee fans had a smile on their face while Dodger fans were grinding their teeth and mumbling things like #($(!*)and####@!%%. Part of the reason for this can be explained with two words, Mickey Owen. And yes, the long suffering Washington Senators fans can celebrate because Sid Hudson actually pitched one-inning in the All-Star Game.
1941
The ninth annual All-Star Game pitting the American League All-Stars against the National League All-Stars is played in 52,000-seat Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. The American League is the home team. The starting pitchers are the Brooklyn Dodgers Whit Wyatt for the National League and Cleveland Indians' Bob "Rapid Robert" Feller. Going into the bottom of the ninth inning, the National League is leading 5-3; four of the National League's runs came on two home runs by Pittsburgh Pirates' shortstop Arky Vaughan with one on each time. The American League scores one run in the ninth making it 5-4. With two outs, Boston Red Sox left fielder Ted Williams delivers a clutch home run with two on giving the win to the American League 7-5.
The pitchers for the National League were Whit Wyatt (2-innings), the Cincinnati Reds' Paul Derringer and Bucky Walters (2-innings each) and the Chicago Cubs' Claude Passeau, the losing pitcher (2-2/3rds innings). For the American League, Bob Feller pitched 3-innings followed by the Chicago White Sox's Thornton "Lefty" Lee (3-innings), the Washington Senators' Sid Hudson (1-inning), and the Chicago White Sox's Eddie Smith, the winning pitcher, for 2-innings. The American League now leads the All-Star series 6-3.
The first game of the 1941 World Series between the American League pennant winner, the New York Yankees, and the National League pennant winner, the Brooklyn Dodgers, is played in the 71,000-seat Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York City. This is the first time the Dodgers have played in a World Series since 1920; the Yankees have appeared in eleven World Series. The Dodgers, managed by Leo Durocher, had a 100-54 record for the year finishing 2-1/2 games ahead of the second place St. Louis Cardinals. The best batting average was achieved by center fielder Pete Reiser who batted .343; the top pitcher was Kirby Higbe who was 22-9 with a 3.14 ERA. The Yankees, managed by Joe McCarthy, had a record of 101-53 for the year and finished 17-games ahead of the second place Boston Red Sox. The top hitter was Joe DiMaggio who batted .357 and set a record by hitting in 56-consecutive games; the top pitcher was Lefty Gomez who was 15-5 with a 3.74 ERA.
The starting pitchers for the first game are Red Ruffing (15-6 with a 3.54 ERA for the season) for the Yankees and Curt "Coonskin" Davis (13-7 with a 2.97 ERA for the season) for the Dodgers. The Yankees win the game 3-2.
Going into the 7th inning, the Yankees were leading 3-1. The Dodgers score a run in the 7th making it 3-2 and with one out, Pee Wee "The Little Colonel" Reese, the Dodger shortstop, was on second when Jimmy Wasdell hit a foul pop to Yankee third baseman Red Rolfe; Reese attempts to run to third but he is thrown out ending the inning. There was one home run in the game by Yankee second baseman Joe Gordon. Red Ruffing, who completed the game, is the winning pitcher. Curt Davis, who pitched 5-1/3 innings is the loser. Davis was relieved by Hugh Casey in the 6th inning; Johnny Allen came on in the 7th inning and finished the game. The Yankees now have a 1-0 lead in the Series.
Game 2 of the 1941 World Series between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees is again played in Yankee Stadium. The Yanks lead the series 1-0. The starting pitchers for today are Whit Wyatt (22-10 with a 2.34 ERA for the season) for the Dodgers and Spud Chandler (10-4 with a 3.19 ERA) for the Yankees. Going into this game, the Yankees have won ten consecutive World Series Games. The Yankees jump off to a 2-run lead but the Dodgers tie it up in the 5th inning. In the 6th inning, the Dodger's first baseman Dolf Camilli hits a single scoring right fielder Dixie "The People's Choice" Walker with the final run of the game and the Dodgers win 3-2. The winning pitcher is Whit Wyatt; the losing pitcher is Spud Chandler who was replaced by Johnny "Fireman" Murphy in the 6th inning. The series is now tied 1-1.
The third game of the 1941 World Series between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees moves from Yankee Stadium to 32,000-seat Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. The series is tied 1-1. The starting pitchers are Marius "Lefty" Russo (14-10 with a 3.09 ERA) for the Yankees and Freddie "Fat Freddie" Fitzsimmons (6-1 with a 2.07 ERA) for the Dodgers.
Fitzsimmons holds the Yankees to just four hits into the 8th inning and both teams are scoreless. In the 8th, Yankee pitcher Lefty Russo hits a line drive which caromed off Fitzsimmons' leg and he is forced from the game and replaced by Hugh Casey. Casey gives up four more hits and two runs in the inning; the Dodgers score one run in the bottom of the 8th inning and the Yankees win 2-1. The winning pitcher is Russo who completed the came. Hugh Casey is the losing pitcher; he pitched 1/3rd of an inning followed by Larry French for 2/3rd of an inning and Johnny Allen pitched the 9th inning. The Yankees now lead the series 2-1.
Game 4 of the 1941 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers is again played at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. The starting pitchers are Atley "Swampy" Donald (9-5 with a 3.57 ERA) for the Yankees and Kirby Higbe for the Dodgers. The Yankees are leading 3-0 by the 4th inning but the Dodgers score two in the fourth and two in the fifth making it 4-3 going into the top of the 9th inning. By this time, Hugh Casey is pitching for the Dodgers. With two outs for the Yankees, Casey throws strike three past Yankee right fielder Tommy "Old Reliable" Henrich but the Dodger catcher, Mickey Owen, lets the ball get by him allowing Henrich to reach first base. The Yankees then score four runs winning the game 7-4 and taking a 3-1 series lead. There is one home run in the game by Dodger center fielder Pete "Pistol Pete" Reiser with one on. The Yankee starting pitcher, Atley Donald, pitched four innings and was followed by Marv "Baby Face" Breuer (3-innings) and the winning pitcher, Johnny "Fireman" Murphy who pitched 2-innings. The Dodgers Kirby Higbe pitched 3-2/3rd innings and was replaced by Larry French for 2/3rd of an inning, followed by Johnny Allen for 2/3rds of an inning and Hugh Casey, the losing pitcher, who pitched 4-1/3rd innings.
With the New York Yankees leading the 1941 World Series 3-1, the fifth game is again played at Ebbets Field, the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The starting pitchers are Ernie "Tiny" Bonham (9-6 with a 2.98 ERA) for the Yankees and Whit Wyatt for the Dodgers. The Yankees jump off to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning but the Dodgers get one run in the 3rd inning. From this point on, Yankee pitcher Ernie Bonham allows the Dodgers only one hit and the Yankees go on to win the game 3-1 and taking their eighth World Series victory. Yankee right fielder Tommy Henrich had the only home run of the game. Both starting pitchers completed the game; Bonham the winning pitcher and Wyatt the losing pitcher.