World Series: Did You Know?

Jimmie Wilson needed four cracks at the Fall Classic before he could become a hero. He got in three World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in the late 20s and early 30s, but didn't have a breakthrough. It was a while later when an unusual set of circumstances pressed the 40-year old catcher into services in the Fall Classic. And Jimmie took full advantage of it.

"In his day," his biography on Society for American Baseball Research reads, "Jimmie Wilson was that baseball rarity: a dependable, hard-nosed catcher who could hit." Hit over .300, Wilson did!.284 for his career

Wilson missed out on St. Louis beating New York in 1926. That was the famous Fall Classic where Grover Cleveland Alexander fanned Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded in game seven. Jimmie caught 79 games for the Philadelphia Phillies and appeared in 11 more as a pinch hitter. But did he ever hit! In marked the second straight season topping .300 (.305).

Alas, by the time he made it to St. Louis, their adversaries from '26 were waiting for them in the World Series. The New York Yankees more than recovered from their setback in the October Finale that year. They faced Pittsburgh in 1927, and swept them for the World Championship.

Back again in 1928, poor Jimmie Wilson and company had no chance. Waite Hoyt beat them 4-1 in the first game, and that was as close as it got for St. Louis. A 9-3 win in the second contest sent the Cardinals heading home in a hopeless situation.

Though game three was tied after five frames, it was New York that scored the games' last four runs, winning 7-3. That was the score in the next contest, too. The Yankees had a second straight sweep.

Jimmie Wilson didn't get to do much, hitting just .091 in three Fall Classic games. St. Louis made it back to the World Series in 1930, only to be turned back by the Philadelphia Athletics in six games. Our boy got into four games, while the Cardinals' out backstopper Gus Mancuso played in two. Wilson hit .267 and had two RBIs. Not bat.

St. Louis won the rematch next season, but their catcher hit just .217 the World Series that year. It appeared, as the years went by, that this was Jimmie Wilson's last chance for glory at baseball ultimate stage.

But then, a change of scenery made things better. Wilson became a coach for the Cincinnati Reds in 1939, and even caught two innings of a game. During his time in Philadelphia, where the old catcher became a player-manager, Jimmie made a crucial suggestion to one of his infielders. Bucky Walters, originally a third basemen, converted to a pitcher after sustaining a torn cartilage and thumb injury.

And what a move that was! Wilson the catcher new a good arm when he saw one. Walters started pitching full time at age 26, and still managed to win 198 games and two ERA crowns! And better still, guess where Bucky was in 1939? Cincinnati.

The team won the pennant that season, but Jimmie Wilson had seen what happened to his team in the World Series before. Opponent, Yankees. Result? Sweep. Wilson was just a coach, remember. Even if he could still play, he'd have had tough competition for the catching job. The was Ernie Lombardi and Willard Hershberger on Cincinnati. Lombardi hit .287 with 20 home runs. Hershberger was just plain awesome as the backup backstopper for Cincinnati. In only 63 games in 1939, Willard hit .345 with 32 runs batted in.

Herhsberger, though, was haunted by memories of his father, who'd committed suicide twelve years earlier. Writing for Cincinnati Magazine in 2022, Chad Dotson says this about Willard:

"One day in November [in 1928], he went hunting and, when he returned, left his shotgun in the hallway of his family’s Orange County home. In the middle of the night, he heard a blast and Willard discovered his father’s lifeless body.

"Hershberger’s father was deeply in debt and having troubles at work, but the young man blamed himself for leaving his shotgun in the hallway."

There'd been some games that season that Willard had caught, in which the Reds lost, that he blamed himself for. The emotional stress proved more than he could cope with. So in August, with Cincinnati on their way to another World Series appearance, Hershberger committed suicide.

The Reds players were saddened, and vowed to win the World Series for him. But, in September, Lombardi injured his ankle. What would Cincinnati do?

Rather than go with a pair of available rookies, manager Bill McKechnie decided to activate Jimmie Wilson. The decision had been made about a week and a half after Hershberger's death (August 12th).

Wilson got into three August games, but really went to town in September, appearing in thirteen more. Jimmie started out hot with the bat, getting the batting average up to as high as .316 in-between games of a double-header (In which Lombardi suffered his injury). Alas, a season-ending slump knocked it down to just .243. Could he raise it come October?

The Detroit Tigers were sure to be some stiff opposition. Game one proved it. Wilson was behind the dish, but the Tigers won easily, 7-2. First time up, Jimmie flied out. It was 5-1 at the time of the old catcher's second plate appearance in the bottom of the fourth. But all he did was hit into an inning-ending double play. Lew Riggs would pinch hit for Wilson in the seventh.

It wasn't all for not. Two Detroit baserunners were erased attempting to steal second, with Wilson catching one, and Bill Baker nabbing the other. If the Tigers thought they could run on the Reds with Ernie Lombardi not behind the dish, they were wrong.
The next game saw Wilson and the Reds rebound. Cincinnati trailed 2-0 in the bottom of the second and then they grabbed some serious lumber! Frank McCormick opened the Cincinnati half of the second with a single. With one out, our boy was at the dish. Potentially, he could end the inning by hitting into another double play. But no, Jimmie singled! So did the next two batters! The score was tied by the time the frame ended, momentum all on the home team's side.

Jimmy Ripple batted in front of Wilson the next inning, belting a two-run home run, first pitch swinging. Though Jimmy was retired, his team was out in front for good. And Wilson added a single in the eighth, the ball hitting third basemen Pinky Higgins glove. The Reds won, 5-3. The batter of Cincinnati had done the trick. Who was the pitcher? Why Bucky Walters!

A surprising return from Lombardi was the big story going into game three in Detroit. The Cincinnati bats were sizzling (Ernie went 1-3, replaced by Bill Baker, who scored the last run of the ballgame), but their pitching was not. The Reds wasted four runs and ten hits. The Tigers used seven runs on thirteen hits to win, 7-4, and take a 2-1 lead in the 1940 Fall Classic.

So, it was back to Wilson back behind the dish in a crucial game four. Did he help?

Well, Jimmie only got one hit. But must have called a great game. Paul Derringer tossed a fine five-hitter, limited Detroit to just two runs. I think Derringer's batterymate would have wanted to contribute more.

Cincinnati grabbed a quick 2-0 lead in the first, but Jimmie Wilson was the last out. In the third, Jimmie Ripple doubled home Ival Goodman, and advanced Frank McCormick to third. Wilson was next, but could only ground out to Pinky Higgins at third. Eventually, Cincinnati got another man on, but did not touch home again that frame.

Goodman's sacrifice fly cashed in a fourth Red run in the fourth, making it 4-1. But again, Wilson could have added more, but didn't. He came up with runners on the corners and two away. He fanned.

Eventually, Wilson added a single, but it was meaningless. The good news was that the Reds won, 5-2. Wilson had to settle for a 1-5 day.

And the Bengals came right back to win the fifth contest. It was no contest, more accurately. Riding the wave of pitcher Bobo Newsom's masterful three-hit shutout, Detroit won the game 8-0. Jimmie Wilson only batted once, replaced by Bill Baker (Who pinch hit and stayed in the game) in the fifth.

So it was back to Crosley Field, where the 1940 World Series would conclude one way or another.

It was the home team that returned the shutout favour. Jimmie Wilson took position behind the plate for the Reds. On the mound, his converted buddy Bucky Walters.

In the bottom of the first, Billy Werber doubled to start it. A bunt and three consecutive singles scored two runs, and Cincinnati had the makings of a big inning. Was Wilson holding them back? He fanned for the second out, with men on the corners. Eddie Joost ended the inning by grounding out.

Still, it was 2-0, Cincinnati. It was also time for their catcher to contribute in the sixth. The score was had not changed. After Jimmy Ripple opened the Reds' half with a single, Wilson followed suit. Eddie Joost walked.

It was the makings of another big inning, one that could have put this game away. The home team settled for just that one run. And it was Jimmie Wilson that was plated on a force play. 

The Reds looked for more insurance the next inning. Mike McCormick singled. Ival Goodman bunted him into scoring position. Frank McCormick grounded out, with McCormick holding at second. The Tigers put Jimmy Ripple, who was hitting .333 in the World Series, on. That brought Wilson back to the plate. Jimmie Wilson came up, and this time, he drew a bases on balls. Bases loaded, two out. Alas,  Eddie Joost grounded out to end that.

Detroit was still in the game, but Bucky Walters' eighth inning home run spelled the end. Walters made Wilson proud, finishing with a five-hit shutout. What an amazing pair they were! The Tigers had gotten just eight hits, total, of Walters in eighteen innings of work. But I guess the pitcher had to show the catcher that he hadn't forgotten how to hit. As for Wilson's hitting, it was up to .267, tying what he'd done ten years earlier against Philadelphia.

All this, but game seven still had to be played. So Wilson was back behind the dish. Not that beating Detroit would be an easy thing. The Sporting News reported on the situation. 

"The veteran Jimmie Wilson was bothered with a Charlie horse and there were rumors (sic) he would not be able to stay in the game. Lombardi said he could go in if [Cincinnati Reds manager] McKechnie wished it, though he still limped slightly.  However, the Reds, superstitious like most ball players, had come to look on Wilson as an omen of good luck..."

For the most part, though, their was little luck involved in the Reds' catcher's game seven performance. And Jimmie would do something in this contest that the Tigers could not do to him.

In the bottom of the second, with the game scoreless, up came the Cincinnati catcher. With two outs, he singled. Then, he stole second base. This was the only base that either team pilfered the whole 1940 World Series. Detroit had learned not to run on Wilson, who nabbed the only two Tigers to attempt so on him. Alas, here in the second, the Reds catcher was on second, where the inning ended as Eddie Joost grounded out to second basemen Charlie Gehringer. Still, Jimmie Wilson put the catcher's mask back on, with his batting average up to .313 (5-16)

Gehringer, though, was on his way to the Hall of Fame. And he broke the ice in this contest with a third inning single off Paul Derringer. There were runners on the corners for the dangerous Hank Greenberg, himself a Hall of Famer. Both Wilson and Derringer worked out a plan...And Greenberg struck out! So Detroit was held to that one run. For that inning. And for the entire game.

Jimmie Wilson led off the fifth inning with a single. Nothing came of it, and his team was still losing. But it was not the Cincinnati catcher's fault. The hit made him 2-2 in this big game, boasting his batting average up to an amazing .353!

But if the catcher couldn't beat Detroit with his glove or his hits, then there were other ways to win games. 

The Reds, though, were running out of time in this game. Then in the seventh, they made their move. And it was fitting that both Ernie Lombardi and Jimmie Wilson helped.

Frank McCormick hit the ball off the wall in left for two bases. A good start! Jimmy Ripple then went to right, the ball hitting the screen, and the game was tied. Go-ahead run in scoring position, too.

Jimmie Wilson knew the Reds were having problems getting hits off Bobo Newsom. Newsome had picked up where he left off in the fourth game. Newsom had allowed just eleven hits in his first two starts in the 1940 World Series, winning both. Here, Bobo had been working on a four-hitter through six innings, so maybe Cincinnati had better focus on getting at least one run.

So Wilson bunted, and now Ripple was ninety feet away from scoring, with less than two out. Ernie Lombardi batted for Eddie Joost. The Reds' regular catcher was put on first, to set up a double play.  Lonny Frey was sent in to run for Lombardi, who was one of the slowest runners in baseball history.

Billy Myers then sent a Newsom offering to deep centre. Barney McCosky made the catch for the second out, and tagging at third was Jimmy Ripple! The Ripple Affect gave the Reds a 2-1 lead. Frey held at first. Unlike in today's day and age, pitcher Paul Derringer batted for himself this late in the contest. He forced hit into a force, and the inning ended.

Bobo Newsom and Derringer continued to pitch well after that, each giving up just one more hit. But no one scored. Earl Averill hit for Newsom in the ninth, and manager Bill McKechnie had both Joe Beggs and Whitey Moore loosing up in the Reds bullpen, but wasn't about to replace the man catching Paul Derringer.

Wilson called for a curveball from Derringer. It was taken knee-high for strike one. Averill, still another Hall of Famer, connected on the next pitch, but only grounded it to Lonny Frey, who'd stayed in the game at second. Frey flipped it to Frank McCormick at first, and the Reds had the 1940 World Series!

It was a great Fall Classic, with both teams battling back an forth. Yet, it had been Cincinnati overcoming so much. They overcame a 3-2 deficit, needing to win the last two contests. They overcame a great Detroit Tigers' team that had four Hall of Famers. But the real thing they overcame was the loss of two catchers, one under very tragic circumstances. Jimmie Wilson had big shoes to fill. His .353 batting average and steady catching provided Cincinnati with the lift they needed in a classic World Series. Wrote Gary Livacari, " 'Old man' Jimmie Wilson had answered the call of his manager brilliantly and was hailed as the hero of the Series."


References

Dotson, Chad. “The Sad Story of Willard Hershberger.” Cincinnati Magazine, Cincinnati Magazine, 6 Sept. 2022, https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/article/the-sad-story-of-willard-hershberger/. 10 Apr. 2023.

Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005.


Lieb, Fred. “Plucky Reds Give National First World's Title Since '34.” The Sporting News, 10 Oct. 1940, p. 9, https://paperofrecord.hypernet.ca/paper_view.asp?PaperId=834&iDateSearchId=&iZyNetId={0B1062C1-461B-4E32-9FB7-53CEDA41D382}&PageId=7758173&Show=GetPage&iOrder=2&iOrderDir=0&iCurrentBlock=1. Accessed 10 Apr. 2023. 

Livacari, Gary. “Jimmie Wilson .” Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, 11 Feb. 2013, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jimmie-wilson/. 10 Apr. 2023.

Morissey, Scott C. 114 World Series in 1 Book. Updated ed., Pandamonium Publishing House, 2020.


Nack, William. “The Razor's Edge.” Sports Illustrated Vault, 6 May 1991, https://vault.si.com/vault/1991/05/06/the-razors-edge-as-the-cincinnati-reds-chased-a-pennant-in-1940-a-dark-family-legacy-tortured-the-mind-of-catcher-willard-hershberger. Accessed 10 Apr. 2023. 

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

--------------. The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903-1989, St. Martin's Press, 1990.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Publications International, 1993.


1940 World Series: Game 7. Mutual Broadcasting System, 8 Oct. 1940, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jBznLOLNNw. Accessed 10 Apr. 2023. Via YouTube.

Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. Chronicle Books, 1995.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 10 Apr. 2023.

Thorn, John, and Pete Palmer. Total Baseball, Creative Multimedia Corp, 1994. CD-Rom edition.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 10 Apr. 2023.


YouTube, Google, https://www.youtube.com/. 10 Apr. 2023.

World Series: Did You Know?

Jimmie Wilson is the oldest catcher to steal a base. He was pressed into services in 1940, throught a series of unfortunate events. And Wilson's contributions to the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series that year went far beyond his pilfer.

Cincinnati had been swept by the New York Yankees in the 1939 Fall Classic, and waited one year to seek redemption. But it was one tough 1940 for the Reds. History shows they won the pennant by twelve games over the Brooklyn Dodgers. And Cincy didn't just win the pennant. They won exactly 100 games.

But all was not going well for Cincinnati. They were heading into the World Series shorthanded. Their excellent backup, Willard Hershberger, committed suicide during the regular season. Hershberger had been the perfect backup to Ernie Lombardi. In just 48 games in 1940, Willard hit .309 with 26 RBIs.

So what about Ernie Lombardi? The regular catcher was one awesome masked man. Twice, in his career, he topped the league in batting average. Did Lombardi have some power? Twelve times Ernie reached double figures in home runs. Sure, he was slow on the basepaths, but then again, there was Lombardi's .306 lifetime batting average. Then there was his outstanding ability to call pitches. There's no way you're gonna tell me that Ernie didn't have anything to do with Johnny Vander Meer being the only man to hurl back-to-back no-hitters. 

But Ernie would be of little help to Cincinnati in the 1940 October showdown. Fate intervened during an easy win over Brooklyn on September 15th (Firs game of a doubleheader. The Reds' catcher twisted his ankle.

So enter Jimmie Wilson. Cincinnati turned to him and rookie Bill Baker for the rest of the year, calling pitches. Wilson turned 40 in July. He'd once been a pretty good player, but had really more of a coach than a player. Prior to September of 1940, Jimmie had played a total of three games that season.

And now, Cincinnati needed him (Plus a rookie) more than ever to get them through the finish line. But Wilson struggled. He was hitting .315 after going a combined 2-5 in the twin bill on September 15th. After that, Jimmie hit just .143 the rest of the season. Bill Baker fared only marginally better from September 16th on. He hit .167 to finish the season.

But it's worth noting just what Jimmie Wilson would provide, above all, in this Fall Classic: Experience! He'd previously been on the losing side in 1928 and 1930 with the St. Louis Cardinals. But, as part of the Gashouse Gang in '31, the team overcame the Philadelphia Athletics to win it all.

So, it was Cincinnati vs. Detroit in the 1940 World Series. The only Fall Classic matched between the Reds and Tigers. It was a bit of a surprise, given how good the Cleveland Indians had been that year. But Detroit trotted out unheralded pitcher Floyd Giebell to beat Bob Feller on September 27th. That 2-0 win gave the Tigers their American League crown.

Any thoughts of a breezy Fall Classic for the Cincinnati Reds quickly went out the door. Not only did Jimmie not get a hit, but his pals had all sorts of trouble all afternoon. Sure, the Reds got eight hits. But only two runs were scored by the home team. The Tigers got ten hits themselves. And seven runs. 

It seemed to be that kind of Fall Classic for a while. Though Cincinnati evened things up with a 5-3 win in the second contest, Detroit was trouble. They managed just three hits, but still found a way to keep the game close. Jimmie Wilson almost matched that total himself. He got two hits of his own.

But Wilson was nowhere to be found at Briggs Stadium for game three. The home team wanted this game, and got it. They scored another seven runs, and won again. Cincinnati went back to Jimmie Wilson behind the dish for game four, which they really needed. He only got one hit, but the Reds won this biggie, 5-2.

You'd think that there was no way the Tigers could score seven runs again. And you're right. They didn't score seven runs in game five. They scored eight. The Reds? They didn't score at all. Their catcher could only pop out to his counterpart on Detroit, Billy Sullivan. Jimmie Wilson also allowed a pass ball in the fourth frame. The Tigers scored four times in that inning alone.

So, through five games, the Cincinnati veteran catcher hadn't done much. And his team was one win away from losing the World Series. But starting in game six, all that changed.

Up 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Reds were looking for some insurance. Jimmie Wilson followed Jimmy Ripple's single with one of his own. When Eddie Joost walked, the home team had the makings of a big inning. Billy Myers hit a comebacker that pitcher Johnny Gorsica went home on to nail Jimmy Ripple. Another grounder actually scored our boy, with Detroit failing to get the man at the dish. 

It was 3-0, and the bases were back to being filled. The promise of more offence was not realized as Billy Webber hit into a 1-2-3 double play. But Cincinnati added a fourth run later in the contest. Meanwhile, behind the plate, Jimmie Wilson helped pitcher Bucky Walters to a complete game shutout of Detroit, forcing a winner-take-all finale. Jimmie Wilson ended the game 1-3, but had been robbed in the third inning of an additional hit by right fielder Bruce Campbell.

And in that final game, it was Wilson who tried to get things going for the home team. In the bottom of the second, Jimmie singled with two away. Trying to make something more of it, he stole second. It was the only stolen base by either team in the World Series of 1940.

But Wilson was stranded at second, and Detroit ended up breaking the ice in the top of the third. The score was still 1-0 for the Tigers when Jimmie Wilson made it 2-2 at the plate. The catcher starter the last of the fifth with a single. But nothing came of it as Eddie Joost hit into a double play and Billy Myers flied out.

Destiny called the Reds in the bottom of the seventh. A pair of doubles tied it. Jimmie Wilson then bunted, moving the go-ahead run to third. Ernie Lombardi then came up to the plate to bat for Eddie Joost, but Detroit put him on to set up a double play. Wilson's bunt proved to  be huge. Billy Myers flew out, but with Jimmy Ripple on third rather than second, it enabled the Cincinnati outfielder to score.

The lead held up, as Paul Derringer ended up beating Bobo Newson in an excellent pitcher's duel that saw both hurlers go the distance. But when the smoke had cleared, it was neither pitcher who had grabbed the spotlight. Instead, it was Derringer's batterymate. Belying his 40 years, Jimmie Wilson finished this impressive World Series with a batting average of .353. Another plus: The only two attempts to steal on Wilson failed! It also proved to be his swan song as a player, because the old catcher moved on to managerial duties the next season with the Chicago Cubs. But for now, one of the most unlikeliest of heroes on this world championship team could bask in the glory of rolling back the clock one final time. 

References

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


Nack, William. “The Razor's Edge.” Sports Illustrated, 6 May 1991, pp. 52–64. 

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903-1989, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1990, pp. 179–183. 

Nemec, et al. The Baseball Chronicle: Year-By-Year History of Major League Baseball. Publications International, Ltd., 2008. 


Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. Chronicle Books, 1995. 

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 07 Apr. 2022.

The Cincinnati Reds: My Top Ten!

Well, like Letterman, I've got to have a top ten of my favourite moments in Cincinnati history. The Reds have had a colourful history, in more ways then one.

10) Gotta start with a first. How about an evening with the Reds, under the lights. Indeed, Cincinnati became the first MLB to play a game at night May 24th, 1935. It proves to be a success for the Reds as they beat Philadelphia, 2-1.

9) 1964 Pennant Race

The Reds came up empty in this one. But the excitement of the last two weeks of the 1964 season will never be forgotten. The Philadelphia Phillies were up 6 1/2 games with only twelve games to play on September 20th of that season. Cincinnati was actually 8 1/2 back with only 18 games to go when they won three straight to get to 6 1/2 back. After a loss, the Reds went out and swept three from Philly to get to 3 1/2 back. That started the Phillies on a downward spiral that saw them lost ten straight games.

Cincinnati kept the ball rolling and stretched their winning streak to an amazing nine games. But up one game with only five to go, it was Pittsburgh taking two of three to drop the Reds to half a game back. Philadelpha got a measure of revenge by winning 4-3 and 10-0 right their at Crosley Field. With the Cardinals (6 1/2 games back with 13 to play themselves) beat the New York Mets on the last game of the season, they'd staged a remarkable turnaround. Sadly, it was the Reds and Phillies who finished 92-70, just one game back!

An oddity out of all this was the fact that Cincinnati ended up with six pitchers starting 22 or more games. It's the closest you will ever see to a six-man pitching rotation. For now.

8) See Baseball On The Screen! Your Screen At Home!

The Reds played the Dodgers on the first ever televised major league baseball game on August 26th, 1939. Actually, you got a doubleheader, which the Reds split with Brooklyn. The Reds made sure to win the opener, making them the first team to win the ballgame right in your living room!

7) Colurful Old Television

The oldest surviving colour television clip involves the Reds. Actually, it's very quick. Blink and you might just miss it. From a game April 16, 1963. Look carefully and see a young Pete Rose. But it's really all about Duke Snider of the Mets and his 2000th hit. Still, the Reds are on this historic footage. Too bad it's so short!

6) Upsetting the A's in 1990.

No one thought the Reds, managed by the colourful Lou Pinella, had a chance against Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. But it was the Reds with a Jose of their own. Jose Rijo pitched 'em to a sweep. No way, Jose? Yes way! To date, it's Cincinnati's last Fall Classic appearance.

5) Jim Maloney's no-hitter against Chicago, August 10, 1965. The last three innings have been preserved and in colour. Oddly enough, Maloney stole a page out of Johnny Vander Meer's pitching. He walked ten batters, setting a record for most walks in a no-hit game. He also got a Hall-Of-Famer to ground into a double play to end it. Ernie Banks.

4) 1940 World Series Champions.

This one was sad, with catcher Willard Hershberger taking his life during the season. But the Reds got together and beat Detroit in seven games to win it all. Ironically, it was Hershberger's replacement behind the dish (Ernie Lombardi was injured) that hit .353 behind the plate in the Fall Classic. Johhny Wilson.

3) Game six, 1975. Okay, the Reds lost this game. But no one will ever forget it. The Big Red Machine and the Boston Red Sox put on quite a show! Carlton Fisk's dramatic home run in the 12th off the foul pole ended it.

That summed it up perfectly.


Oh, by the way, here's game seven for all you Cincy lovers. You will like this ending more then you liked game six.

2) Rose 4,192.

You bet I was gonna put this in. But all joking aside, Pete Rose had actually already overtaken Ty some time earlier when it was discovered that The Georgia Peach had in reality only got 4,189 hits. Nonetheless, it was a great moment that moved Rose to tears.

1) Johnny Vander Meer, twice. To this day, this seems to me like the record that is least likely to be broken: Back-to-back no-hitters!

Vander Meer went out and stopped the Boston Braves cold on June 11, 1938. While he ended up with 3 walks, Johnny faced just 28 batters all game long. Just one below the minimum. For good measure, Vander Meer picked up a hit himself. But how about what he did at Ebbets' Field in his next start? Yeah, he walked eight, but once again, he put a "0" in the "H" column for the win. Vander Meer got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth, preserving the shutout and his second straight no-hitter. Again, Vander Meer had a hit. This time though, he also scored a run. In his next start, ironically against Boston again, Vandy kept it going for 3 1/3 innings before finally surrendering a run.


References

Anderson, Dave. Pennant Races: Baseball At Its Best. New York: Doubleday, 1994. Print.

Baseball's Greatest Moments. Prod. Major League Baseball. Perf. Warner Fusselle. Major League Baseball, 1991. VHS. Narrated by Warner Fusselle.

Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print.

Golenbock, Peter. Red Sox Nation: An Unexpurgated History of the Boston Red Sox. Chicago, IL: Triumph Books, 2005. Print.

Halberstam, David. October 1964. New York: Villard, 1994. 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.

“The Official Site Of Major League Baseball.” MLB.com, Major League Baseball. Web. 12 Jul. 2015. https://www.mlb.com/.

Retrosheet. Web. 12 Jul. 2015. <www.retrosheet.org>.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 12 Jul. 2015.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web 12 Jul. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org>.

Youtube. Web. 12 Jul. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/>.

World Series: Did You Know?

The 1940 Cincinnati Reds were forced to rely on a third-stringer, pressed into service because of a series of unfortunate events.

Ernie Lombardi, the regular catcher for the Reds, sprained his ankle in September of that year. There was no one good enough to call 'em behind the plate! Willard Hershberger, the backup catcher and one of baseball's tragic figures, committed suicide on August 3rd. Cincy headed into the Fall Classic against Detroit with Jimmie Wilson doing the catching duties. Now, he was on the Reds from the get-go. But he was wasn't really playing. He was, however, on the coaching staff! He was also 40 years old.

It was a rout in the opener in Cincy. It was a 7-2, Detroit final. Wilson did not get a hit and was removed for a pinch-hitter. Bill Baker took over after that behind the dish. None of that seemed to help.

But in game two, Jimmie came through. He hit a single in the bottom of the second. Cincinnati was already up, 2-0. When Wilson crossed the plate two batters later, it was 4-0. Jimmie added a single in the bottom of the eighth. Detroit got close, but not close enough as the Reds won, 5-3. Off to Detroit. Series tied at one.

Here though, the momentum of Cincy seemed to fade. Not only did the Reds win again and score seven runs again, but Wilson did not play. But Lombardi did, so that was a good sign. Back behind the dish to provide the Reds with some inspiration, Ernie got a hit. Lombardi had a reputation as a slow runner, but his hit ended up being a double to right. There he stood, on second in the top the second. There was nobody out. But Ernie was stranded and did not reach first again. Detroit won, 7-4.

Wilson was back for game four. But for a while, he did nothing. Hitless in his first three at-bats, it looked like an 0 for...day for him. But he singled in the top of the seventh. Alas, like Lombardi the previous day, Jimmie was stranded. The good news, however, was the win by the Reds. 5-2. The 1940 Fall Classic was tied at two.

But the tie was broken by the Tigers. Did they ever! The final score was 8-0. Wilson had a tough time at the dish. He only batted once and popped out behind the plate. And speaking of behind the plate, Wilson allowed a passed ball in the bottom of the fourth. In that inning, Detroit scored four times. However, Wilson threw out Bruce Campbell, tying for a swipe of second in the bottom of the third. Wilson ended up being removed for a pinch hitter in the top of the fifth.

So Cincinnati was heading home and needing to win game six and seven, obviously.

Wilson fanned in the bottom of the bottom of the first, but Cincy had a 2-0 lead. Behind the plate, Jimmie called the right pitches. The Reds won the game, 4-0. Wilson lined up the next time, but singled and walked later. On to the seventh game!

Wilson, behind the plate, called another great game. First time up, he singled and stole second. But he was stranded. What does the guy have to do?

Well, what Jimmie did was single again his next trip to the plate. This time he was not stranded, but a double play erased him. Detroit was up 1-0 at this point.

But in the bottom of the seventh, Wilson helped. A pair of doubles had tied the game. And with not a man out, Wilson laid down a sac bunt. Ernie Lombardi pinch hit and was walked. The catchers were doing their job!

But Lombardi was replaced by a pinch runner. And Wilson had batted for the last time in the 1940 Fall Classic. But, with both of them in the clubhouse now, the Reds broke the deadlock. A sac fly by Billy Myers put Cincinnati up, 2-1.

The Tigers got the tying run on in the top of the eighth, and the Reds got a bunt single in the bottom of the frame, but neither led to a run. Detroit was retired 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, as the Cincinnati Reds won the 1940 World Series!

Tragedies happen in sports, as well in life. But winning always means overcoming obstacles. The Reds lacked a starting catcher, and Bill Baker had caught only 27 games that year as a rookie. But 40 year old Jimmie Wilson had hit .353, stolen a base, and helped inspire his team to victory in the 1940 Fall Classic!