Ironically, it was also the very first instance of it occuring in the Fall Classcic.
It wasn't quite a moment to be remembered, and furthermore, the player who was the benificary of it had himself quite a bad game, and Series, with the leather.
The Washington Senators were facing the Pittsburgh Pirates in game seven of the 1925 World Series. The contest probably never should have been playing, as it was rainy and foggy. The Sens had led the Bucs three games to one in this Fall Classic, and seemingly didn't need a final contest to wrap it up.
Walter Johnson had blanked Pittsburgh 4-0 in the fourth tilt, and all seemed fine and good for Washington. They played well the next two games, but Stan Coveleski and Alex Ferguson couldn't quite come up with the pitching that Johnson had displayed. Coverleski was beaten at home by a score of 6-3. The Pirates pushed it to a winner-take-all game with a 3-2 win in the sixth game at Forbes Field.
Well, I think the contest should have been skipped with all that rain and fog. Sawdust was applied to try and control the puddles. Some oil had also been applied and lit, to try and make things drier. Maybe Pittsburgh catcher Earl Smith (who did not finish the game) was all wet behind the ears, or with the glove.
Smith would catch Vic Aldridge, who matched Walter Johnson with a 2-0 record in the '25 World Series. So the two big guns were...gunnin' for the 3-0 record and the champange! Vic (15-7 in the regular season) was gone quick, though.
It was a tough lineup to face, and making matters worse was Johnson's .450 batting average in the regular season, not to mention 25 wins. But Walter batted nineth, so Vic didn't have to face him. All Aldridge faced was the first six batters.
That plate was hard to find. Was in under water? The Washington bats were dangerous, too. After fouling off the first pitch, Sam Rice singled. When Bucky Harris flew out on the first pitch to him, some might have thought things were settling down in Pittsburgh.
Goose Goslin looked at two balls. Then Goose looked at a wild pitch, and Vic Aldridge was the one who was cooked. Man on third, fewer than two outs, and Hall of Famer at the dish. The Bucs' hurler never managed to get a strike on him.
Joe Harris was up. The same thing happened to him that had with Goslin. Ahead in the count 2-0, he watched as the next offering was a wild pitch. With two men in scoring position, Joe looked watched the fourth pitch miss the plate. Goslin and Harris didn't need to swing to help.
Aldridge tried to retire Joe Judge. He got behind in the count 3-1, but battled back. Judge battled, too. He fould off three payoff pitches, then looked at ball four. Washington had drawn first blood. They still didn't have a hit.
Ossie Bluege fell behind in the count 1-2, then singled home Goslin to make it 2-0 for Washington.
Smith would catch Vic Aldridge, who matched Walter Johnson with a 2-0 record in the '25 World Series. So the two big guns were...gunnin' for the 3-0 record and the champange! Vic (15-7 in the regular season) was gone quick, though.
It was a tough lineup to face, and making matters worse was Johnson's .450 batting average in the regular season, not to mention 25 wins. But Walter batted nineth, so Vic didn't have to face him. All Aldridge faced was the first six batters.
That plate was hard to find. Was in under water? The Washington bats were dangerous, too. After fouling off the first pitch, Sam Rice singled. When Bucky Harris flew out on the first pitch to him, some might have thought things were settling down in Pittsburgh.
Goose Goslin looked at two balls. Then Goose looked at a wild pitch, and Vic Aldridge was the one who was cooked. Man on third, fewer than two outs, and Hall of Famer at the dish. The Bucs' hurler never managed to get a strike on him.
Joe Harris was up. The same thing happened to him that had with Goslin. Ahead in the count 2-0, he watched as the next offering was a wild pitch. With two men in scoring position, Joe looked watched the fourth pitch miss the plate. Goslin and Harris didn't need to swing to help.
Aldridge tried to retire Joe Judge. He got behind in the count 3-1, but battled back. Judge battled, too. He fould off three payoff pitches, then looked at ball four. Washington had drawn first blood. They still didn't have a hit.
Ossie Bluege fell behind in the count 1-2, then singled home Goslin to make it 2-0 for Washington.
Roger Peckinpaugh became the seventh Senator to come to the plate in the top of the first. But he wouldn't be facing Aldridge. Johnny Morrison came in to try and keep the Bucs in this. Ball one. Then Peckinpaugh hit one towards short. Glenn Wright got to ball, and fired home for the force. Or so it seemed. Home plate umpire Barry McCormick said that catcher Earl Smith had interfered with the batter.
Not only did the catcher's inteference call make it 3-0 for the visitors, but Roger Peckinpaugh ended up with an RBI. The bases were again loaded, and Washington would score another run on an error by second baseman Eddie Moore.
It just wasn't quite Roger Peckinpaugh or Walter Johnson's day. The bad weather and sore legs contributed to The Big Train allowing fifteen hits and nine runs. Only five of those tallies were earned, however. Peckinpaugh, you see, committed two errors on the afternoon, running up his Series total to an ignominious eight. Worse still, it cancelled out a pretty good day with the bat overall. Roger hit a home run in the top of the eighth that broke a 6-6 tie. Three Pirate runs in the bottom of the inning made Pittsburgh 9-7 winners, alas.
Years later, 1943, another occurance of catcher's interference happened. The New York Yankees were looking for revenge against the St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis had stopped New York in only five games the year before, and the Bronx Bombers were bound and determinted to make sure a repeat of that was not in the cards.
It wasn't in St. Louis to win the opener at Yankee Stadium. New York won the contest 4-2, and were looking to make it two straight at home. The Cardinals had other ideas, as they surged ahead 4-0 through three and a half innings.
Not only did the catcher's inteference call make it 3-0 for the visitors, but Roger Peckinpaugh ended up with an RBI. The bases were again loaded, and Washington would score another run on an error by second baseman Eddie Moore.
It just wasn't quite Roger Peckinpaugh or Walter Johnson's day. The bad weather and sore legs contributed to The Big Train allowing fifteen hits and nine runs. Only five of those tallies were earned, however. Peckinpaugh, you see, committed two errors on the afternoon, running up his Series total to an ignominious eight. Worse still, it cancelled out a pretty good day with the bat overall. Roger hit a home run in the top of the eighth that broke a 6-6 tie. Three Pirate runs in the bottom of the inning made Pittsburgh 9-7 winners, alas.
Years later, 1943, another occurance of catcher's interference happened. The New York Yankees were looking for revenge against the St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis had stopped New York in only five games the year before, and the Bronx Bombers were bound and determinted to make sure a repeat of that was not in the cards.
It wasn't in St. Louis to win the opener at Yankee Stadium. New York won the contest 4-2, and were looking to make it two straight at home. The Cardinals had other ideas, as they surged ahead 4-0 through three and a half innings.
The Yankees scratched out a run in the last of the fourth, and looked for more two innings later.
Frank Crosseti singled to get the bottom of the sixth off on the right foot. The batter was now Bud Metheny. Mort Cooper, the St. Louis starter, was working on a fine four-hitter. Metheny looked to the hill and saw one half of a battery that were sibling. Behind the plate was Walker Cooper. At one point during the plate appearance, it was Walker who came into contact with Bud's bat. The home team had the tying run at the plate with no outs. But Billy Johnson hit into a 6-4-3 double play. And when Charlie Keller grounded out, a promising inning was over.
Frank Crosseti singled to get the bottom of the sixth off on the right foot. The batter was now Bud Metheny. Mort Cooper, the St. Louis starter, was working on a fine four-hitter. Metheny looked to the hill and saw one half of a battery that were sibling. Behind the plate was Walker Cooper. At one point during the plate appearance, it was Walker who came into contact with Bud's bat. The home team had the tying run at the plate with no outs. But Billy Johnson hit into a 6-4-3 double play. And when Charlie Keller grounded out, a promising inning was over.
Bud Metheny didn't get a hit in the contest. New York rallied in the ninth before surrendering by a single run, 4-3. Frank Crosetti and Billy Johnson each had two hits in a losing effort. The Cardinals got a single hit from seven different players, Stan Musial among them. It proved to be St. Louis lone win in the 1943 October Classic.
Frank Crosetti was the third base coach of the New York Yankees in 1964. He clasped Mickey Mantle on the back after his big walk-off home run in game three of the World Series. The opposition was the St. Louis Cardinals again. And they proved to be resiliant to Yankee Stadium, bouncing back with a 4-3 win the next contest.
Stan Musial had retired after the 1963 season, but the Cardinals acquired Lou Brock to replace him. Bob Gibson was an amazing pitcher, and he took the ball for the visitors in the fifth game.
Brock would bat second in the lineup. Leading off for St. Louis against Mel Stottlemyre, was Curt Flood. While Flood walked, Brock fanned. So did Bill White. Stottlemyre had one awesome sinker, and the Cardinals were swining and missing on it. Maybe cleanup hitter Ken Boyer (who got the Cards their four runs the previous contest with a grand slam), could do something about Mel?
Ken certainly did something good, but it didn't get him an run batted in. Swinging on the first pitch, Boyer hit a bouncer that shortstop Phil Linz fielded and tossed to second to force Curt Flood. The top of the first was over. Or was it? Umpire Vinnie Smith said that the Yankees' catcher (Elston Howard) made contact with Kenny during the swing. So no force. Boyer to first.
Dick Groat batted next, and coaxed another walk off Mel Stottlemyre. Would the home team pay for Howard's miscue? Tim McCarver, Elston's counterpart on the Cards, fanned, stranding three men. It's not as if McCarver did have himself a big game. He ended up collecting four hits, including a big three-run home run in the top of the tenth, giving St. Louis a 5-2 win.
The Cincinnati Reds could have played the Yankees in that Fall Classic, but lost the last two games of the regular season to Philadelphia, so they were on the outside looking in. Although they'd reached the World Series in 1961, the Reds had to wait another nine seasons to get back to the grand finale.
Pete Rose was in his seventh season with Cincinnati, and wanted to help the Reds win a World Series. The opposition knew all about Fall Classics. The Baltimore Orioles were coming of a loss to the New York Mets in 1969. They'd won it all in '66. They'd make it three years in a row from '69-71.
So it was just another trip in October for Jim Palmer and the O's. The opener in '70 would take place on astroturf, rather than grass. While Rose reaching via catcher's interference in the bottom of the fifth wasn't a first in the Fall Classic, the playing surface sure was.
The contest at Riverfront Stadium was tied 3-3 when Charlie Hustle led off. Jim Palmer had spotted the home team a 3-0 lead, then held the Reds in check in the fourth. The Orioles tied it via two runs in the top of the fourth, and another tally in the fifth. Could Rose get Cincinnati going?
Palmer's first pitch saw Rose try to get on via a bunt. He missed. Strike one. The second pitch was fouled back. However, Pete hit catcher Elrod Hendricks' glove with his bat. The decision by home plate umpire Ken Burkhart to award the batter first base could well have led to a tie-breaking run for the Reds.
The excellent Orioles' pitcher had other ideas. Palmer was on his way to the Hall of Fame (and Rose would have joined him there, but for his gambling problems), and bore down. He got Bobby Tolan and Tony Pérez to fly out to centre fielder Paul Blair. Fittingly, the final out of the fifth inning was made by the Baltimore catcher, who snagged Johnny Bench's pop-up. The Orioles went on to a narrow 4-3 win.
From Hendrick the catcher, to Hendricks the batter. George Hendricks was batting in the top of the ninth inning of the third contest in the 1982 Fall Classic. It was Hendricks' St. Louis Cardinals up against the Milwaukee Brewers of Paul Molitor and Robin Yount.
The Cards were up 5-2, and looking to add to the lead when George led off and was awarded first base on a 2-2 pitch. The guilty catcher was none other than Hall of Famer Ted Simmons! Well, when someone that great makes a mistake, you pounce on it. Simmons had once played for St. Louis, and his gaffe would cost Milwaukee.
It didn't look like it at first. Pitcher Pete Vuckovich had some trouble with Darrell Porter and Lonnie Smith. Instead of getting Hendricks to scoring position, all Porter did was pop out on a bunt attempt. On the first pitch, too. I'm not giving first baseman Cecil Cooper enough credit, for he made a splendid catch in foul territory when he dove for the ball. One on, one out. Smith tried to help, but all he did was fly out to left. But the ball was well struck, with left fielder Ben Oglivie making the catch on the warning track.
So while Vuckovich was one out away from making everyone forget about Ted Simmons' mistake, the two batters the pitcher had retired in the top of the ninth hadn't exactly looked routine. Dane Iorg fell behind in the count 1-2, but battled and battled. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Iorg hit one to right, which a fan touched afted it landed fair. George Hendricks had to stop at third, but St. Louis had two men on scoring position.
Wille McGee was walked to load 'em up. That brought up Ozzie Smith. Smith ended up getting Hendricks home when he waited out ball four from the pitcher. The Cardinals had to be content with just that one tally, but the discouraged Milwaukee Brewers went prettty quietly in their half of the inning. The 6-2 win by the Cards was huge, as they went on to win the Fall Classic in seven games.
When you think about Shohei Ohtani, you think about the three MVPs. I think of him as the Babe Ruth of his time. He pitches, he hits. Only he didn't pitch in 2024 for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Did it matter? Like Ruth, he topped 50 home runs this past season.
Shohei and the Los Angeles Dodgers were looking to put Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees out of their misery in the fifth contest of the Fall Classic. Only they trailed 6-5 in the top of the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium.
Frank Crosetti was the third base coach of the New York Yankees in 1964. He clasped Mickey Mantle on the back after his big walk-off home run in game three of the World Series. The opposition was the St. Louis Cardinals again. And they proved to be resiliant to Yankee Stadium, bouncing back with a 4-3 win the next contest.
Stan Musial had retired after the 1963 season, but the Cardinals acquired Lou Brock to replace him. Bob Gibson was an amazing pitcher, and he took the ball for the visitors in the fifth game.
Brock would bat second in the lineup. Leading off for St. Louis against Mel Stottlemyre, was Curt Flood. While Flood walked, Brock fanned. So did Bill White. Stottlemyre had one awesome sinker, and the Cardinals were swining and missing on it. Maybe cleanup hitter Ken Boyer (who got the Cards their four runs the previous contest with a grand slam), could do something about Mel?
Ken certainly did something good, but it didn't get him an run batted in. Swinging on the first pitch, Boyer hit a bouncer that shortstop Phil Linz fielded and tossed to second to force Curt Flood. The top of the first was over. Or was it? Umpire Vinnie Smith said that the Yankees' catcher (Elston Howard) made contact with Kenny during the swing. So no force. Boyer to first.
Dick Groat batted next, and coaxed another walk off Mel Stottlemyre. Would the home team pay for Howard's miscue? Tim McCarver, Elston's counterpart on the Cards, fanned, stranding three men. It's not as if McCarver did have himself a big game. He ended up collecting four hits, including a big three-run home run in the top of the tenth, giving St. Louis a 5-2 win.
The Cincinnati Reds could have played the Yankees in that Fall Classic, but lost the last two games of the regular season to Philadelphia, so they were on the outside looking in. Although they'd reached the World Series in 1961, the Reds had to wait another nine seasons to get back to the grand finale.
Pete Rose was in his seventh season with Cincinnati, and wanted to help the Reds win a World Series. The opposition knew all about Fall Classics. The Baltimore Orioles were coming of a loss to the New York Mets in 1969. They'd won it all in '66. They'd make it three years in a row from '69-71.
So it was just another trip in October for Jim Palmer and the O's. The opener in '70 would take place on astroturf, rather than grass. While Rose reaching via catcher's interference in the bottom of the fifth wasn't a first in the Fall Classic, the playing surface sure was.
The contest at Riverfront Stadium was tied 3-3 when Charlie Hustle led off. Jim Palmer had spotted the home team a 3-0 lead, then held the Reds in check in the fourth. The Orioles tied it via two runs in the top of the fourth, and another tally in the fifth. Could Rose get Cincinnati going?
Palmer's first pitch saw Rose try to get on via a bunt. He missed. Strike one. The second pitch was fouled back. However, Pete hit catcher Elrod Hendricks' glove with his bat. The decision by home plate umpire Ken Burkhart to award the batter first base could well have led to a tie-breaking run for the Reds.
The excellent Orioles' pitcher had other ideas. Palmer was on his way to the Hall of Fame (and Rose would have joined him there, but for his gambling problems), and bore down. He got Bobby Tolan and Tony Pérez to fly out to centre fielder Paul Blair. Fittingly, the final out of the fifth inning was made by the Baltimore catcher, who snagged Johnny Bench's pop-up. The Orioles went on to a narrow 4-3 win.
From Hendrick the catcher, to Hendricks the batter. George Hendricks was batting in the top of the ninth inning of the third contest in the 1982 Fall Classic. It was Hendricks' St. Louis Cardinals up against the Milwaukee Brewers of Paul Molitor and Robin Yount.
The Cards were up 5-2, and looking to add to the lead when George led off and was awarded first base on a 2-2 pitch. The guilty catcher was none other than Hall of Famer Ted Simmons! Well, when someone that great makes a mistake, you pounce on it. Simmons had once played for St. Louis, and his gaffe would cost Milwaukee.
It didn't look like it at first. Pitcher Pete Vuckovich had some trouble with Darrell Porter and Lonnie Smith. Instead of getting Hendricks to scoring position, all Porter did was pop out on a bunt attempt. On the first pitch, too. I'm not giving first baseman Cecil Cooper enough credit, for he made a splendid catch in foul territory when he dove for the ball. One on, one out. Smith tried to help, but all he did was fly out to left. But the ball was well struck, with left fielder Ben Oglivie making the catch on the warning track.
So while Vuckovich was one out away from making everyone forget about Ted Simmons' mistake, the two batters the pitcher had retired in the top of the ninth hadn't exactly looked routine. Dane Iorg fell behind in the count 1-2, but battled and battled. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Iorg hit one to right, which a fan touched afted it landed fair. George Hendricks had to stop at third, but St. Louis had two men on scoring position.
Wille McGee was walked to load 'em up. That brought up Ozzie Smith. Smith ended up getting Hendricks home when he waited out ball four from the pitcher. The Cardinals had to be content with just that one tally, but the discouraged Milwaukee Brewers went prettty quietly in their half of the inning. The 6-2 win by the Cards was huge, as they went on to win the Fall Classic in seven games.
When you think about Shohei Ohtani, you think about the three MVPs. I think of him as the Babe Ruth of his time. He pitches, he hits. Only he didn't pitch in 2024 for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Did it matter? Like Ruth, he topped 50 home runs this past season.
Shohei and the Los Angeles Dodgers were looking to put Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees out of their misery in the fifth contest of the Fall Classic. Only they trailed 6-5 in the top of the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium.
Gavin Lux tied it with a sacrifice fly. Ohtani was next. Runners on the corners, one away. First pitch to Shohei saw him awarded first base on catcher Austin Wells' interference. Mookie Betts did what Lux did and put the visitors up a run when Tommy Edman crossed the dish. The Dodgers held on for a narrow one-run triumph.
So there you have it. From Roger Peckinpaugh (AL MVP in '25) to Shohei Ohtani, you have Most Valuable Player awards in the first and latest occurance of catcher's interference in the Fall Classic. Both Ken Boyer and Pete Rose would also receive such an honour in their careers. Yet distancing himself from the pack is Peckinpaugh, the lone player whose efforts resulting in a run batted in.
References
So there you have it. From Roger Peckinpaugh (AL MVP in '25) to Shohei Ohtani, you have Most Valuable Player awards in the first and latest occurance of catcher's interference in the Fall Classic. Both Ken Boyer and Pete Rose would also receive such an honour in their careers. Yet distancing himself from the pack is Peckinpaugh, the lone player whose efforts resulting in a run batted in.
References
“Game 1.” 1970 World Series, performance by Curt Gowdy, episode 1, National Broadcasting Company, 10 Oct. 1970, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtWUTRnT7fo. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
“Game 3.” 1982 World Series, performance by Joe Garagiola, episode 3, National Broadcasting Company, 15 Oct. 1982, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f7-5DHfAik&t. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
“Game 5.” 1964 World Series, performance by Harry Caray, episode 5, National Broadcasting Company, 11 Oct. 1964, www.youtube.com/watch?v=46rccBsq3js. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024. (Note: radio broadcast)
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. New York: St. Martin's, 1990.
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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.
Retrosheet. www.retrosheet.org. Web. 17 Dec, 2024.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 17 Dec, 2024.
Thorn, John, and Pete Palmer. Total Baseball. Vers. 1994. Portland, OR: Creative Multimedia Corp., 1994. Computer software. CD-ROM.
Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 17 Dec, 2024.
YouTube, Google, https://www.youtube.com/. 17 Dec, 2024.
