Monday, January 13, 2014

World Series: Did You Know?

Lou Gehrig (who I haven't written much if anything about) averaged a home run a game in the 1928 World Series!

Always in the shadow of Babe Ruth, as you will recall what I wrote earlier, Gehrig nonetheless put his name on the Fall Classic map that year. Gehrg had not hit a World Series home run in the 1926 and 1927 Fall Classic, so Gehrig was due for a breakthrough. And did he ever!

The Yankees took the opener 4-1, but Gehrig could not get a hold of one. Ruth didn't either, but got 3 hits to Gehrig's 2. But the Yankees did get a long ball by Bob Meusel. And the Cardinals even got one from Jim Bottomley.

So Gehrig's moment would have to wait. But in game 2, it came. And the moment came early! And it was off Grover Cleveland Alexander, no less! In the bottom of the first with Cedric Durst on first, Ruth walked. Gehrig slammed Grover's pitch to deep right for a long ball. 3-0, Yankees.

While the Cardinals did tie it up in the top of the second, Gehrig's home run served notice that it was the Yankees' day. They came out on top, 9-3. Now you have to met Lou in St. Louis, Louis! Or St. Lou, Lou! On to game 3!

With the Cards up 2-0 in the top of the 2nd, Gehrig went solo on a blast. And The Iron Horse was not done. Well, at least this time he didn't leave the yard.

But in the top of the 4th, Lou hit a liner to center that dropped in. The Bambino made it around to score! So did Gehrig. Now the Yankees were on top! A nice inside (the park) job by Lou.

The Yankees would score 6 more times to St. Louis' 1. Ruth got the last RBI. Okay, so the Yankees got this one wrapped up

Babe Ruth tied the score in the top of the 4th with one of his signature blasts. Then, in the 7th, the Yankees were behind again, 2-1. But up stepped Ruth. Goodbye! 2-2. Gehrig then connected solidly! Goodbye! 3-2, Yankees. Back to back shots!

The Yankees scored twice more in that inning and two more times in the next inning. Two more home runs. Yes, one by Ruth. Gehrig could only ground out.

It was 7-2, Yankees in the last of the 9th. St. Louis got one run back and then put runners on the corner. A fine catch by Ruth ended it.

3 home runs by Babe Ruth in this game. 4 home runs in 4 games by Gehrig in this Series. It doesn't seem right, but The Bambino is going to stick out a little more than Lou here, right?


References

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

Retrosheet. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.  <www.retrosheet.org>

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.

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