This Week in Figment Baseball: 1937 World Championship Series Game Two
THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL
OCTOBER 9, 1937: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAME TWO
CONTROVERSIAL DECESION LET'S KINGS UP FROM CANVAS
PITTSBURGH MANAGER PULLS STEDMAN AND MINERS COLLAPSE ENSUES
A seven run outburst in the top of the 8th inning brought the Brooklyn Kings back from the brink and gave the club renewed hope as they rallied for an 8-4 victory in game two and evened the World Championship Series with the Pittsburgh Miners at one win apiece. When we look back at this series it is quite possible that baseball historians will point to a highly questioned move made by Pittsburgh skipper Dan Andrew as the turning point in the Series. Pittsburgh fans, and once again there were well over 40,000 of them in attendance, went from a raucous party atmosphere to one of complete shock in a matter of minutes as the game turned on their club so quickly.
Charlie Stedman pitched the first 7 innings for Pittsburgh scattering six hits and, aside from a first inning when Brooklyn scratched out a run without getting a hit - a walk to Frank Vance, a stolen base, a wild pitch and then he scored on Joe Perret's ground out - Stedman was in complete control and up 3-1 after 7 innings when Andrew told him he would not be going back out to pitch the 8th inning. Yes, Stedman had allowed 2 singles in the 6th inning and a double to his opposite number Tom Barrell in the 7th, but the Kings look demoralized and like a team that was once again in danger of being swept, perhaps weighed down as much by all of the talk for years about living with "The Curse" as much as they were overwhelmed by a gutsy Pittsburgh club.
But then something almost instantly changed as Stedman remained in the dugout with his warmup jacket on while Lou Ellertson trotted out to the mound for the 8th inning. Ellertson, a 30 year old in his first season with the Miners after a number of years and a World title with the Gothams in New York, had saved 10 games this season and boasted a 13-4 record. All looked right in the world to Miners fans when Ellertson fanned the first Brooklyn hitter he faced, Joe Perret, who was caught looking on a full count fastball and walked back to the Kings dugout looking as dejected and beaten as the rest of the club appeared. Then the walls came crumbling down.
Ellerston walked Al Wheeler on 4 pitches and proceeded to do the same with pinch-hitter Alf Pestilli. He did throw a strike to John Langille but only one and walked the Brooklyn second baseman to suddenly load the bases. Suddenly there was chatter in the visitor's dugout and, for the first time a sense of hope. Doug Lightbody, the longest tenured King and lone holdover from their 1927 pennant winning club, delivered a huge pinch-hit single on a 2-2 count to score two runs and tie the game at 3 and the body language in both clubs instantly reversed.
The Kings weren't done with Ellertson yet, but Pittsburgh skipper Andrew probably should have been. Instead Andrew, like nearly everyone else in the stadium not supporting the Kings sat silently with mouth agape at what was transpiring before their eyes. A Harry Barrell triple plated two more and even Brooklyn pitcher Tom Barrell got in on the act with a single to score his younger brother. Joe Perret, who started the inning with a strikeout, got another crack at Ellertson this frame and with two out, delivered an rbi single to make the score 8-3 before, mercifully, Ellertson ended the carnage by fanning Al Wheeler.
Pittsburgh would get a run back in the bottom of the ninth off of Bob Cummings, who took over from Tom Barrell for the final frame after Barrell pitched 8 solid innings, but the Miners, their fans, and probably even the Kings were in disbelief at the sudden turn of events.
Charlie Stedman had little to say after the game so we don't know if he was tiring after 121 pitches - he did allow 3 of his 6 hits against in the two previous innings - or if Andrew, who simply said it was his decision as he glumly faced reporters in their Miners clubhouse afterwards, just felt the move made sense based on Ellertson's strong season. What is known is this: We suddenly have a Series when just a short-time earlier the Brooklyn Kings, a team used to September and October disappointments and were swept a year ago in the Series by the Chicago Chiefs, seemed to be on life support until Ellerston, and his skipper Andrew allowed their hopes and dreams to be resuscitated, bringing Brooklyn back into the Series.
The question now is 'Will Andrew's decision and Ellertson's collapse' be looked back on as what cost the Miners the Series or will Pittsburgh recover and it be merely a footnote? Only time will tell as the two clubs board the train for Brooklyn today in advance of tomorrow's third game.