Tuesday, October 13, 2015

World Series: Did You Know?

The New York Yankees of 1928 were the first to hit five home runs in one game. I guess they were still angry at the St. Louis Cardinals for what had happened two years earlier. That was seven games, but '28 was just four. And it was Babe Ruth who delivered in the clutch, as always.

The sweep was complete in game four, but despite the final score, it proved to be a close affair. The Cardinals were trying to avoid that, but were having trouble scoring. New York won game one 4-1, and game two, 9-3. St. Louis scored three again in game three, but again they couldn't hold the Yankee offence down. New York tallied seven times in that game. And they would do that again in the fourth.

The Cardinals stuck first in the bottom of the of the third, but it was not via the home run. It took a fly ball off the bat of Frankie Frisch to open the floodgates of what would be a long day for the pitchers. But Ruth got it back with a solo shot in the top of the fourth. St. Louis, however, came right back with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame, on an errant pickoff play at second. Back up, 2-1. Here's where Waite Hoyt stopped the St. Louis Cardinals, and gave his team a chance to break it all open.

However, it took the Yankees until the top of the seventh to break it open. The Big Guy, Ruth, hit his second of the game. Gehrig hit his fourth of the series to make it back-to-back for the Bronx Bombers. They were ahead for good. But New York added two more for good measure. 5-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, Yankee Cedric Durst came in to play centre next to Babe Ruth, who was stationed in left. Little did he know, some of the Ruth power was about to rub off. Durst did not get to make a fielding play in that inning, but lead off the eighth...With a home run! It was the Yankees fourth. Ruth hit his third of the game two batters later to make it 7-2. All three home runs had gone over the right field roof. Ruth over the roof, times three! And...The Babe had been responsible for sixty percent of the Yankees yard shots.

St. Louis though, had more in them as they came to bat, hopelessly behind, in the bottom of the ninth. Pepper Martin came in to run after Earl Smith started the inning with a single. He took off towards second. New York, of course, ignored him. A popup did nothing to help the cause. Wattie Holm grounded out to short, and somehow Martin scored all the way from second. 7-3. St. Louis kept coming.

Two more singles brought Frankie Frisch back to the dish. Runners were on the corners. Two outs. But I don't think anyone on the Yankees wanted the Cardinals to touch home again. Especially Babe Ruth. Two years earlier, he'd sort of been the goat of the World Series, when he was gunned out at second trying to steal second. That ended the Fall Classic.

So Frankie lifted a foul past third. Ruth ran towards it. Yeah, he was a big guy, and his ankle had injured, but this was his moment to shine. Why not on the field? He got to the fence in foul territory, reached over, and snared it! What a way to end it.

New York had proven their superiority in 1928. I've always been taught to stay within my game, not to think about getting even, when playing sports. New York stuck to what they did best in '28, and pounded the Cards into submission with it. For the second straight year, New York had a sweep, more than making up for their heartbreaking game seven loss two seasons earlier. Their record five home runs would be duplicated by the Oakland Athletics in 1989, but that would not be for another sixty-one years.


References


Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York, 2005.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. (13 Oct., 2015).

Retrosheet  www.retrosheet.org. Web. (13 Oct., 2015).

Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/. Web. (13 Oct., 2015).

Snyder, Matt. "Cubs Set Record with Six Home Runs in Single Postseason Game." CBSSports.com. 12 Oct. 2015. http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25337517/cubs-set-record-with-six-home-runs-in-single-postseason-game.Web. (13 Oct., 2015).

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