Three players collected exactly 11 hits in the 1945 Fall Classic. The record for hits in one World Series at the time was 12, since passed by three players. Up until then, there was a four-way tie for first.
Doc Cramer, who was on the winning club, the Detroit Tigers, was one of them. The other two were the Cubs' Phil Cavarreta and Stan Hack. The Doc failed to get one in the first game, however.
Hack and Cavarretta each had three hits in game one, and it was all Chicago. They handed the hometown Detroit team as if they were still upset over the Fall Classic loss eleven years earlier. 9-0 was the final score. Hank Borowy had a six-hitter and a win in this. Chicago pounded out thirteen hits overall.
In game two, it was Doc with three hits of his own. And his team won the game, 4-1 to square things. Nonetheless, Hack went 3-3 for Chicago. Cavarretta got just one hit, however. But he managed to score the only Chicago run. Due to the war, game three was also in Detroit.
Doc got none in game three as his Tigers' took a 3-0 loss behind a one-hitter by Claude Passerau. Hack had two more hits to up his total to eight. Cavarretta got only one. Neither of the hits resulted in a run scored or an RBI. The Tigers' only hit was by Rudy York. Cramer was 0-3. The next four games were in Chicago.
But it was Detroit with another victory, and another 4-1 score. How about The Big Three? Doc got two hits, Hack and Caverretta none. It was one of those days for Chicago. The Series was tied at two games apiece.
Detroit got eleven more hits in game five, and won the game 8-4. But Cramer got only one hit. He did score two runs, though. Stan Hack got only one hit, but his single scored Borowy, who picked up the loss. Cavarretta had a double to lead off the bottom ninth. He later scored. Earlier, in the bottom of the bottom of the seventh, with his team down 6-1, he walked. The Cubs scored twice in that inning to try and make a game of it, but our boy was forced at second. Now, it was 3-2, Detroit in this Fall Classic. Chicago needed game six!
But Stan and Phil were just the proper pill Chicago needed to win a 12-inning classic. Stan got it going for Chicago with a single off Virgil Trucks that scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth. That erased a 1-0 Detroit lead. When Cavarretta scored two more (One of them Hack) with a bases-loaded single, it was 4-1, Chicago.
The two teams traded two runs in the seventh. Cramer singled and scored one of them. And Cavarretta actually scored the seventh Chicago run when he was one of three batters to walk. With a lead of 7-3 after seven, things were looking up for Chicago. Here's where Doc and hit mates came back in the top of the eighth
Cramer hit a sac fly, but it was crucial one as it pulled Detroit to within a run. When Hank Greenberg followed with a home run, it was a tie ball game. Doc added a single in the top of the tenth inning, but was erased via a double play. The game continued on into the bottom of the twelve, where Hack won it with a dramatic double. Game seven awaited both teams.
It ended up being very anti-climatic. Cramer's single the game's first run in the top of the first. He was the third straight batter to get a hit, and it drove out Hank Borowy. It was 5-0 before Chicago got out of there. Cavarretta knocked in Chicago's first run in the bottom of the first. But the game was already hopelessly lost.
Cramer singled and later scored in the top of the second, and this one was a real blowout at this point. Chicago got one run back again in the bottom of the fourth as Phil Cavarretta singled and scored on a triple. But that was the only run Chicago got in that inning, and they were still behind. And by four runs, 6-2. Detroit was not done.
With two down in the top of the sixth, Cramer singled and stole second. That was as far as he got. But Detroit scored another run in the top of the seventh and two more in the next inning despite Cramer doing nothing but ground out.
Penuts Lowrey singled with one out in the bottom of the frame. Cavarreta followed with a single, his third hit of the game and eleventh of the Series. A two-out double scored Lowrey. Cavarretta was stranded on third.
Hack ended the game with no hits, but even if he'd gotten some, it would not have made much of a difference. Chicago lost it, 9-3, and were really never competitive. They did manage to out-hit Detroit, 10-9.
None of these three players ever returned to the Fall Classic. And when Bobby Richardson collected thirteen hits in the 1964 World Series, these guys were down on the list of "Most hits in one World Series." Since then, Lou Brock in 1968 and Marty Barrett, 1986, have also gotten thirteen hits. With that, Hack, Cavarretta and Cramer were out of the top ten.
Baseball's best stars were back in 1945, and the next year, it was a full season of every team at full strength from the Fall Classic. Neither Cavarretta, Cramer or Hack are in the Hall Of Fame (Although, a case for Hack has been made for years), but they helped (for a moment) make the nation forget about the trauma of World War II with some unforgettable moments!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York, 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. 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.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
Doc Cramer, who was on the winning club, the Detroit Tigers, was one of them. The other two were the Cubs' Phil Cavarreta and Stan Hack. The Doc failed to get one in the first game, however.
Hack and Cavarretta each had three hits in game one, and it was all Chicago. They handed the hometown Detroit team as if they were still upset over the Fall Classic loss eleven years earlier. 9-0 was the final score. Hank Borowy had a six-hitter and a win in this. Chicago pounded out thirteen hits overall.
In game two, it was Doc with three hits of his own. And his team won the game, 4-1 to square things. Nonetheless, Hack went 3-3 for Chicago. Cavarretta got just one hit, however. But he managed to score the only Chicago run. Due to the war, game three was also in Detroit.
Doc got none in game three as his Tigers' took a 3-0 loss behind a one-hitter by Claude Passerau. Hack had two more hits to up his total to eight. Cavarretta got only one. Neither of the hits resulted in a run scored or an RBI. The Tigers' only hit was by Rudy York. Cramer was 0-3. The next four games were in Chicago.
But it was Detroit with another victory, and another 4-1 score. How about The Big Three? Doc got two hits, Hack and Caverretta none. It was one of those days for Chicago. The Series was tied at two games apiece.
Detroit got eleven more hits in game five, and won the game 8-4. But Cramer got only one hit. He did score two runs, though. Stan Hack got only one hit, but his single scored Borowy, who picked up the loss. Cavarretta had a double to lead off the bottom ninth. He later scored. Earlier, in the bottom of the bottom of the seventh, with his team down 6-1, he walked. The Cubs scored twice in that inning to try and make a game of it, but our boy was forced at second. Now, it was 3-2, Detroit in this Fall Classic. Chicago needed game six!
But Stan and Phil were just the proper pill Chicago needed to win a 12-inning classic. Stan got it going for Chicago with a single off Virgil Trucks that scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth. That erased a 1-0 Detroit lead. When Cavarretta scored two more (One of them Hack) with a bases-loaded single, it was 4-1, Chicago.
The two teams traded two runs in the seventh. Cramer singled and scored one of them. And Cavarretta actually scored the seventh Chicago run when he was one of three batters to walk. With a lead of 7-3 after seven, things were looking up for Chicago. Here's where Doc and hit mates came back in the top of the eighth
Cramer hit a sac fly, but it was crucial one as it pulled Detroit to within a run. When Hank Greenberg followed with a home run, it was a tie ball game. Doc added a single in the top of the tenth inning, but was erased via a double play. The game continued on into the bottom of the twelve, where Hack won it with a dramatic double. Game seven awaited both teams.
It ended up being very anti-climatic. Cramer's single the game's first run in the top of the first. He was the third straight batter to get a hit, and it drove out Hank Borowy. It was 5-0 before Chicago got out of there. Cavarretta knocked in Chicago's first run in the bottom of the first. But the game was already hopelessly lost.
Cramer singled and later scored in the top of the second, and this one was a real blowout at this point. Chicago got one run back again in the bottom of the fourth as Phil Cavarretta singled and scored on a triple. But that was the only run Chicago got in that inning, and they were still behind. And by four runs, 6-2. Detroit was not done.
With two down in the top of the sixth, Cramer singled and stole second. That was as far as he got. But Detroit scored another run in the top of the seventh and two more in the next inning despite Cramer doing nothing but ground out.
Penuts Lowrey singled with one out in the bottom of the frame. Cavarreta followed with a single, his third hit of the game and eleventh of the Series. A two-out double scored Lowrey. Cavarretta was stranded on third.
Hack ended the game with no hits, but even if he'd gotten some, it would not have made much of a difference. Chicago lost it, 9-3, and were really never competitive. They did manage to out-hit Detroit, 10-9.
None of these three players ever returned to the Fall Classic. And when Bobby Richardson collected thirteen hits in the 1964 World Series, these guys were down on the list of "Most hits in one World Series." Since then, Lou Brock in 1968 and Marty Barrett, 1986, have also gotten thirteen hits. With that, Hack, Cavarretta and Cramer were out of the top ten.
Baseball's best stars were back in 1945, and the next year, it was a full season of every team at full strength from the Fall Classic. Neither Cavarretta, Cramer or Hack are in the Hall Of Fame (Although, a case for Hack has been made for years), but they helped (for a moment) make the nation forget about the trauma of World War II with some unforgettable moments!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York, 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. 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.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
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