Sunday, February 22, 2015

World Series: Did You Know?

Bing Miller's double to win the 1929 Fall Classic is one-of-a-kind. It's the only time a World Series has ended with a double. Or for that matter, an extra base hit outside of Bill Mazeroski's home run and Joe Carter's. Never has a Fall Classic ended with a triple. But that was sure interesting last year to see a man hit and triple and be stranded when the last out was recorded.

The World Series of 1929 started in Chicago, but it did not return there. Philadelphia wasted no time in winning both games there! The Cubs fans had two depressions to worry about, now!



Chicago won game three in Philadelphia and for the longest of times, seemed to have the next game in the bag.

But the Philadelphia Athletics came from 8-0 down to beat the Chicago Cubs in that game four, and that gave them a 3-1 lead in the Fall Classic. One more win. But in game five, they were down again, and running out of time.

This affair at Shibe Park saw the Cubs score twice in the top of the fourth. And Pat Malone was working on a shutout for the Bears. Philadelphia came up in the bottom of the ninth down two, and three outs away from heading back to Chicago.

Malone retired the first batter. Then, the era's great moneyball player, Max Bishop, singled. Mule Haas tied the game with a dramatic home run! Good timing!

But when Mickey Cochrane grounded out, it looked like this thing was headed for extras. The great Al Simmons lashed a double to keep this thing going, however. The World Series winning run was at second. And Jimmie Foxx, perhaps the most feared slugger in the game at the time (Next to Babe Ruth, of course), stepped into the dish, with being a hero on his mind.

He did not get the chance. Chicago, knowing better then to pitch to him in this situation, walked him intentionally. So it would be all up to Bingo Miller!

Bingo hit one off the scoreboard, and Simmons trotted on home with the winning run. It had taken five games for Philly to win it, but it sure wasn't easy.

On a team full of superstars like Simmons, Cochrane and Foxx, plus an underrated player like Bishop, Miller was not going to stand out. Under today's scoring system, his hit would have actually been scored a single, even if normally it would be scored a double. No game-winning hit, other then a home run, can be scored anything but a single.

The Fall Classic is full of players who only play in one World Series. Or of players who do things we will never see again. Willie Mays' has "The Catch", Don Larsen has "The Perfect Game", etc.

But there will never be another walk-off double in the Fall Classic.


References


Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.

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