Common Denominator: The Kid And The Man!

"Stan Musial got the first hit off this pitcher, who was fifteen at the time making his major-league debut. Nineteen years later, The Kid had grown up and faced The Man in Musial's second-last MLB appearance."

That would be Joe Nuxhall. Although Stan Musial was still playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1944, and about to lead them to a win over their cross-town rivals the Browns later on in October, many teams were minus their top players. They'd all been drafted into the service.

The Cincinnati Reds had been World Series winners themselves in 1940, having overcome injuries to catcher Ernie Lombardi and the suicide of his backup Willard Hershberger. Four years later, Ray Muellar was the catcher, and quite a good one. At least in '44. Muellar hit .286, swatting ten HR and 73 RBIs. As the team, Cincy won 89 games, 23 of them by Bucky Walters. Walters topped the National League in that category. Of further note, Nuxhall wasn't the only pitcher to take the hill in the bigs for the first time on that team. Jim Konstanty, six seasons away from his big year with the Philadelphia Phillies, was 6-4 with a 2.80 ERA in twenty games (Twelve starts). Unlike Nuxhall, Jim never again pitched for the Reds after 1944.

Konstanty was one of seven hurlers to start at least a dozen games for Cincinnati that year. Of those, the highest earned run average was the 3.30 ERA of Harry Gumbert. However, Harry had joined the Reds in a trade that season from the Cardinals. As a teammate of Stan Musial's that year, Gumbert was 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA. Overall, 14-10 with an earned run average of just 3.07 in '44, Gumbert was on his way to 143 career wins.

So, Cincy had a formidable starting staff despite the second World War. How did the kid Joe Nuxhall come about?

Well Joe, who also had a pretty good hand at basketball, played one Sundays against players older than him. Just fifteen years young in '44, the Reds scouts were impressed right away. Nuxhall's contract was signed for just $175 a month!

Cincinnati had actually signed Joe in February of that year. Nuxhall's birth year was actually 1928, but he would not turn sixteen until July 30th of 1944. In any event, school first, MLB second. School then, as it is now, ends in June. And it was there, on the tenth of that month, that Cincinatti found themselves on the wrong end of a rout.

The St. Louis Cardinals wasted no time getting in front, 7-0 after two frames against Cincinnati. Right there at Crosley Field. The home team could do nothing with Cardinal ace Mort Cooper. Mort had pitched excellent for St. Louis Cardinals, being one of the big reasons they won it all in 1942. He'd go 65-22 from '42 to 1945. Cooper, who was caught by his very brother Walker, found himself up 13-0 after eight innings.

So, to pitch the top of the ninth was The Kid. George Fallon was the first batter to face him. Joe Nuxhall got him on a grounder. But then Joe had to deal with wildness. His mound adversary, Cooper, coaxed a walk. Augie Bergamo, popped to short. Two away. Debs Garms came up to the dish, but Nuxhall was still  having control problem. First, a wild pitch. Then, not long after, Bergamo looked at ball four. Two outs, but two walks and a wild pitch. And the next batter was The Man.

Stan Musial had to hit the deck as Joe continued to have control problem. But the legend eventually singled, loaded 'em up. Three more walks and a single would score five more runs and turn it into an unbelievable 18-0 lead. Finally, Nuxhall was removed from the hill. Jake Eisenhart took over in what would end up being his sole big-league appearance. Despite another walk (The sixth of the frame), Cincinnati did not touch home again. Cooper, who popped out to end the inning, got the Reds 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning for the forgotten complete-game shutout.

But Joe Nuxhall wasn't through. A return to the bigs had to wait for eight years. But once Joe was back, he stayed until 1966. By 1955, Nuxhall had his best season with seventeen wins. And he was still a pretty good pitcher by 1963.

But by 1963, Stan Musial was playing his last season, and he was still with the Cardinals. Joe Nuxhall was all grown up and 34 years old himself, and still on the Reds. Joe went 15-8 that season with a 2.61 earned run average. Musial would hit just .250 off him.

They faced each other for the last time on September 28th of that year at the original Bush Stadium (Formally Sportsman's Park). Stan batted twice before Charlie James took over in left field for him. Joe retired Stan both times. St. Louis was held to just three hits as Nuxhall went on all the way in a 3-1 win. Stan got his last two hits in the contest of Jim Maloney, departing the field for the last time in the sixth inning.


References


Borgemenke, Ryan. “Joe Nuxhall.” Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, sabr.org/bioproj/person/227d8c81. Web. 12 Mar. 2020.

Hollander, Phyllis, and Zander Hollander. Amazing But True Sports Stories. Scholastic Canada, 1986, pp. 29-33. Print.

Morissey, Scott C. 114 World Series In 1 Book (Updated Edition). Pandamonium Publishing, 2020. Print.

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball. 12th ed., Raincoat Books, 1992. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 12 Mar. 2020.

World Series: Did You Know?

The 1943 Fall Classic began the tradition of highlight films presented. It was implemented as a way of showing the troops overseas the action that some of them had missed. Like Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. A great way to boast moral!

So in '43, it was the Cards and Yankees in a rematch of the previous year's showdown. Stan Musial was there for St. Louis. New York wanted some revenge, and I'm sure if Joe DiMaggio got to see this he was thrilled. Nothing like seeing your buddies get revenge, eh?

The highlights started with Spud Chandler pitching to Lou Klein. Top of the first at Yankee Stadium. Klein got under one and sent it to Johnny Lindell in centre. Joe DiMaggio's position! The Yankees went on to win this game 4-2. It was not too exciting an affair, but at least it's there, on film. Preserved forever!

The 1943 World Series lasted just five games. The Yankees, led by Chandler's five straight strikeouts in the fifth game, took care of St. Louis. But, it was a very close Fall Classic. The only game not decided by one or two runs was New York's 6-2 win in game three. And the last two games, won by New York of course, were 2-1 and 2-0 pitcher's duels.

Neither team was playing with a full deck, and major league baseball would not be back to that until the 1946 season, when DiMaggio and Williams returned. Within two seasons, each would play in the Fall Classic.

The end of World War II did not see the end of these highlight reels, however. They would be shown in theatres, and in schools, and help make the World Series the big event that it is today. The 1943 film lasted just over twenty-two minutes, and was by no means a masterpiece. Although, they inserted a nice inspirational message from Babe Ruth himself to our brave folk fighting the good fight! But they soon found ways to make the World Series films more interesting. The films themselves would be narrated by such legends as Vince Scully, Bob Prince and Mel Allen. Highlights of All-Star games found their way in there. By 1958, it was in colour. 1982 saw them ditch the film, and go with television highlights. And, long before the day in age (ala DVD's) of different angles, the makers of these wonderful videos used alternative views. In the day and age before the satellite television, you could finally get a chance to see your favourite player on the grand stage. And you'd get some nice interviews, along the way! As baseball expanded the playoff formats to American and National League Series, they too, eventually made their way into these highlight packages!

The Fall Classic provides a distraction from the grim realities of some of our darkest times:

Think, 1989, San Francisco and Oakland, The Quake. Even though it was a sweep, it was something to watch and try to forget about all the devastation and deaths caused before the day of game three. A game that, of course, had to be delayed!



Think 2001, New York and Arizona, and the World Trade Center attacks.



The same was true during the second World War. Some of the players had to leave, but baseball wasn't about to go with them. The Show had to go on, as they say. And with the highlight reels finding their way overseas, baseball became prevalent during that tough time. Proof, once again, of baseball's enduring legacy of The National Pastime! Would you rather watch this, or see Babe Ruth again?

References

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

Fonseca, Lew, director. The World Series. Major League Baseball Productions, 1943. DVD.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. 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.

Seaver, Tom, and Martin Appel. Great Moments in Baseball. New York, NY: Carol Pub. Group, 1992. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.