It was the great Grover Cleveland Alexander to the rescue of the Cardinals more than in just the finale in '26. Old Pete, as he was sometimes called, picked up two wins before he got the save in the seventh contest.
Alexander's St. Louis Cardinals would have to contend with the 1923 World Series winners, the New York Yankees, if they were to be held in high regard. The Yankees had added Lou Gehrig in the three years since the Bronx Bombers last appearance.
The Yankees took a tight 2-1 win in the opening bout at Yankee Stadium, so the second contest was a must. The Cardinals turned to their man.
Grover Cleveland Alexander was 39 years old in 1926, and had last appeared in the World Series back in 1915. That's where Babe Ruth's Boston Red Sox beat his Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1. Would eleven years make a difference?
Well, Ruth only appeared once in '15 as a pinch hitter. So in 1926, the Sultan of Swat was an established star. But if Babe Ruth and the Yankees thought it'd be easy, Old Pete didn't get uptight. First time up in the second contest, The Babe fanned.
St. Louis batted in the top of the second, and Alexander had a chance to help out the cause. Bob O'Farrell and Tommy Thevenow kept the inning alive with back-to-back singles. Alexander came up to face Urban Shocker, one of the most underrated pitchers of his time. Pete got under it, and skied it behind third base. Shortstop Mark Koenig put the squeeze on it.
New York then looked to that impressive escape by Shocker as a momentum shifter. Sure enough, the men hitting behind Babe Ruth made Pete Alexander pay. Bob Meusel singled. After Lou Gehrig was retired on a grounder, it was Tony Lazzeri who plated Meusel with a single. A single and a strikeout put runners on the corners with two away. Lazzeri, at third, made a daring play.
Joe Dugan, whose single moved Lazzeri to third, took off towards second. When Bob O'Farrell threw to Tommy Thevenow, Tony Lazzeri took off. A double steal! But Tony was hung up between O'Farrell and third basemen Les Bell.
It was on this very play, where the pitcher made a bad throw. Pete Alexander joined the fray, and eventually ended up with the ball. Lazzeri was still trying to stay between third and home. With Tony heading back to third, it was the grizzled veteran who threw it past Les Bell, allowing Lazzeri to score, while Joe Dugan made it to second.
Down 2-0, runner on second. Pete had to settle down. His mound adversary was up when this went down. Alexander fanned Urban Shocker.
The Cardinals tied the ballgame in the third. In the top of the fourth, Alexander was retired as part of a 1-2-3 inning by Urban Shocker, who was staying right with the legend.
But if Alexander had fanned at the dish, he could strike 'em out on the hill. The Yankees went by the waist side in the bottom of the frame. Gehrig, Lazzeri, Dugan, all were victims of the Alexander K.
Pete had to settle for just one strikeout in each of the next two innings, but in the top of the seventh, he came up to the plate with a chance to be the hero. Bob O'Farrell had started the inning with a double. Tommy Thevenow followed with a single. Pete Alexander was up. But all he could do was pop out again.
Taylor Douthit was then retired on a fly. The rally didn't die, as Billy Southworth hit a three-run home run! 5-2, Cardinals. Could the old man make it stand?
Alexander fanned still another batter in the bottom of the eighth, and then saw his team to work again with the lumber come the next frame. With one out, Tommy Thevenow hit a ball by Babe Ruth in right, then raced around the bases for a home run. They don't have to all leave the park.
The hit seemed to inspire St. Louis, but Alexander caused a setback when he fanned. Urban Shocker had left the game in the eighth with one away, but Pete couldn't help out his own cause, no matter who was on the hill.
The out was big. Taylor Douthit walked. Billy Southworth followed with a single. Runners on the corners. The great Rogers Hornsby was up. He walked. Bases loaded. Jim Bottomley flied to centre.
However, Pete still had it on the mound if not with the lumber. The Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth, as the great Alexander finished this second contest with ten strikeouts. The great New York Yankees got just two runs and four hits, total.
Going into game six at Yankee Stadium, it was 3-2 for New York. It seemed like it was all a lost cause for St. Louis. But Pete Alexander refused to let them die.
The Cardinals scored three early runs, and the visitors were on their way. The Bronx Bombers got two men on with only one out in the bottom of the third, but here's where their ageless wonder showed poise. Mark Koenig was set down on a fly to right. The ever-dangerous Babe Ruth was then showed the dugout when he grounded out to first.
But Bob Meusel greeted Pete with a triple in the bottom of the fourth. A groundout by Tony Lazzeri cashed in Meusel. 3-1. Alexander gave up another hit before the inning came to an end. No doubt Pete was determined to help with his bat. He'd given the ball quite a ride in the fourth.
In the fifth inning, Alexander watched as Tommy Thevenow singled to start the frame. Alexander was up, and the last thing St. Louis player-manager Rogers Hornsby wanted was a double play in this close contest. So Hornsby called it right. Alexander got the bunt down, with first basemen Lou Gehrig making the putout unassisted. Thevenow was on second, but only for a moment. Wattie Holm drove him home with a big single.
The Babe was still not to be taken lightly. The Cardinals pitched carefully all series long, it seemed. Pete was too careful with George Herman Ruth in the bottom of the sixth. Ball four. Bob Meusel flied out. With Gehrig back up, Ruth turned on the wheels, swiping second. But on the pitch that second was stolen on, The Iron Horse fanned. Two away. Tony Lazzeri sent one to centre field, where Wattie Holm settled under it.
The seventh inning was a big one for St. Louis. First, Thevenow singled. Alexander bunted again, but even the pitcher made it on, as an error by Tony Lazzeri put two on with nobody out. Holm tried to bunt himself, but all Wattie did was force Tommy Thevenold at third. There was still only one out, however.
Billy Southworth doubled home Alexander, to make it 5-1, St. Louis. Before New York could get that third out, the visiting team scored four more times. The Yankees managed to get a run back in the bottom of the frame via an Earle Combs' single. There were two on a one out. But once again, Grover bore down. Mark Koenig grounded out. Babe Ruth was up with two men in scoring position, but Alexander got him to ground to short. Pete had a seven-run lead after seven!
Alexander again was bunting in the eighth after Thevenow was hit by a pitch. But all Pete did was force the man at second. Wattie Holm ended any hope of scoring by hitting into an inning-ending double play.
The Cardinals themselves were in a bit of a jam in the bottom of the frame. Bob Meusel started it with a walk. Lou Gehrig followed with an infield single. Tony Lazzeri flied out. And then Joe Dugan sent one to the outfield. Even though this game was a done as dinner, the liner was sinking...It could be 10-4.
That's when right fielder Billy Southworth made a great diving catch. From there, to the shortstop. Meusel was doubled off! Southworth was worth playing with that glove. How about Billy's bat?
He led off the top of the ninth, and belted a triple. That was followed by a Rogers Hornsby grounder. Southworth scored, 10-2. St. Louis was in double digits. This thing was obviously going to a seventh game.
So Pete and St. Louis had a laugher. But you know, the Cards could have used some of that offence in the seventh game. Unlike the sixth contest, it was close.
Babe Ruth hit his fourth home run of the series in the bottom of the third. The saving grace was it was a solo shot. St. Louis struck back in the top of the fourth.
All this after Rogers Hornsby was retired by Waite Hoyt. But just you wait and see.
Jim Bottomley, single. Les Bell aboard on an error by Mark Koenig. Chick Hafey, single. Bases loaded.
Bob O'Farrell sent a ball to left. It was a can of corn for Bob Meusel. The play was deep enough to score Bottomley, but there was more. Meusel dropped it. 1-1. Tommy Thevenow singled to right, scoring both Bell and Hafey.
The Cardinals now led by two runs, and were in a great position to add to it. Runners on first and second with just one out. But Wait Hoyt, who hadn't been entirely at fault for this mess of an inning by New York, fanned Jesse Haines. Wattie Holm hit into a force at second. St. Louis had still scored three (unearned) runs. This would be the extend of their offence in game seven.
The Yankees, to tell you the truth, were plain unlucky not to score at least once in their half of the fourth. Lou Gehrig walked to start it. Tony Lazzeri sent it to deep right, but it was just a long, loud out. Joe Dugan bounced it back to the pitcher, who went to first for the sure out. Gehrig was now in scoring position.
That appeared to be huge, as Hank Severeid lined one to left. But the buck stopped here. Tommy Thevenow leaped up, and snared it, saving a run. The home team put two more on in the fifth, but failed to score again.
The Cardinals appeared to be safe in the bottom of the six Jessie Haines, their pitcher, had battled all day. Apart from Babe Ruth's earlier blast, their gutsy pitcher had come through. Lou Gehrig grounded out. Tony Lazzeri fanned.
But then Joe Dugan singled to keep the inning alive. When Hank Severeid doubled to left, the home team finally had it's second run. A one-run game. An inning later is where the real dramatics began.
It all started with Earle Combs lining a single to left. Mark Koenig bunted him to second. Babe Ruth was up, and the Cardinals wisely took the bat out of his hands. The intentional walk was the tenth bases on balls to The Bambino. And we still have a ways to go, no?
Bob Meusel grounded out, but both runners advanced. A great place to have a big RBI man like Lou Gehrig up. Speaking of which, The Iron Horse was next. St. Louis took the bat out of his hands, too.
Now, the stuff that dreams are made of. One run game. Bases loaded. Two outs.
The onus was on Tony Lazzeri. But here's where Jessse Haines' time on the hill came to an end. It had been a courageous effort on his part. Jesse was looking for his second win of the 1926 World Series, but now a blister had burst on his hand. But he would not be the man to seal the deal.
Well, Rogers Hornsby sure had prepared for this moment. Out in the Cardinals' bullpen, two pitchers were throwing: Art Reinhart (left-handed) and Herman Bell (right-handed)
But the player-manager would choose neither.
Instead, it was our boy. Grover Cleveland Alexander, comin' on to face Lazzeri. Winner of two games, and now on to preserve the biggest victory in St. Louis Cardinals history (At least up 'till that point).
Young Tony was no slough. Maybe not a Ruth or Gehrig. But try 18 home run and 114 RBI. All this, and Lazzeri was just a 22-year old rookie. The kid was on his way to a Hall-of-Fame career. This moment coming up, could be Lazzeri's!
Alexander threw the first pitch, but it was a ball. A curve was taken for a strike. Tony then got a pitch he liked, as Bob O'Farrell would recall years later.
“...The second one comes in high and Tony smacks a vicious line drive that lands in the left-field stands but just foul. Oh, it's foul by maybe 10 feet. Actually from home plate I can see it's going to be foul all the way, because it's curving from the time it got halfway out there. Of course I'm giving it plenty of body english too just to make sure.”
So, the count was 1-2 to Tony. Old Pete then threw him a curve. Lazzeri swung at the offering... And connected with nothing! The old man had done it.
Well, not quite. There was still two innings to go. Herb Pennock had taken over from Waite Hoyt after the latter was pinch hit for. The Cardinals themselves got runners to the corners in the top of the eighth, but Pennock was too tough.
After retiring the side in order in the last of the eighth, it was time again for Grover to grab a bat and go. Well, Pete went up to the plate with one away in the ninth, but could only ground out. St. Louis was retired 1-2-3, setting up the home team try one last time.
Earle Combs was up. He grounded to third base. One away. Mark Koenig was up. Grounder to third. Two away. Now, only Babe Ruth separated Grover Cleveland Alexander from a moment of glory.
But Alexander did the smart thing. He got ahead in the count 1-2 to Ruth, but ended up too cautious. The Babe had free pass number eleven of the 1926 World Series.
The next batter, most modern baseball fans would swear, would be Lou Gehrig. This is incorrect, as The Iron Horse batted in the fifth slot. Bob Meusel would bat. Should he get on, Gehrig would follow. Of course, if Alexander retired Meusel, it was over. There was also the possibility of a walk-off two-run blast. The batter had hit only a dozen in 1926, but a league-leading 33 the year before.
On the first pitch, something very odd happened. Babe Ruth had second base in mind. Bob Meusel swung and missed. Leave it to Bob O'Farrell to tell what happened next to Lawrence Ritter.
"I fired the ball to [Roger's] Hornsby and caught Babe stealing and that was the last play of the game and the Series.”
A caught stealing to end all the drama? It seemed odd. Even a bit anti-climatic. But that was it. The Cardinals had their first World Championship. And sure, they'd gotten plenty of offence all series long from the likes of Jim Bottomley, Tommy Thevenow and Bill Southworth, each of whom had ten hits (Plus pitcher Jesse Haines hit .600). But St. Louis needed pitching, above all else, to beat the New York Yankees. Lawrence Ritter also interviewed pitcher Sam Jones later. Jones talked about how the Yankees of the 20s could beat your with their bats, their gloves, and pitching. This Cards team of 1926 overcame that. Put in perspective, the Bronx Bombers would sweep both Pittsburgh and St. Louis in the two following Fall Classics, so the win here stood out. A great moment of Old Pete, who either won 'em or saved 'em in '26!
References
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Morissey, Scott C. 114 World Series in 1 Book. Updated ed., Pandamonium Publishing House, 2020.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. St. Martin's Press, 1992.
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Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Publications International, 1993.
Ritter, Lawrence S. The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It. Harper Perennial, 2010.
Seaver, Tom, and Martin Appel. Great Moments in Baseball. Carol Pub. Group, 1992.
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Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 26 Mar. 2023.
Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 26 Mar. 2023.
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