The 1931 World Collection — Athletics and Cardinals

The 1931 World Series — Athletics and Cardinals

By Ron Griffitts

Contributing columnist

In fall 1931, the American League champion Philadelphia Athletics (107-45-1) managed by Connie Mack met the St. Louis Cardinals (101-53) managed by Gabby Road.

The defending champion Athletics had been led on offense by Mickey Cochrane ( .349 BA, 17 HR, 89 RBI, 87 RS), Jimmy Foxx ( .291 BA, 30 HR, 120 RBI, 93 RS, 10 3B), Max Bishop ( ,294, 115 RS, 112 BB), Al Simmons ( .390 BA, 22 HR, 128 RBI, 105 RS, 200 H) and Mule Haas ( .323 BA, 82 RS).

Their pitching workers was led by the American League MVP and essentially the most dominant pitcher of his day, Lefty Grove (31-4, 2.06 ERA), Rube Walberg (20-12), George Earnshaw (21-7), Roy Mahaffey (15-4), Waite Hoyt (10-5) and Eddie Rommel (7-5, 2.97 ERA).

The Cardinals had been led by Jim Bottomley (.348 BA), Nationwide League MVP Frankie Frisch (.311 BA, 82 RBI, 96 RS, 28 SB), Sparky Adams (.293 BA, 97 RS), George Watkins (.288 BA, 13 HR, 93 RS, 13 3B), Chick Hafey (.349 BA, 16 HR, 94 RS), Pepper Martin (.300 BA) and Ripper Collins (.301 BA).

Their pitching workers was anchored by Invoice Hallahan (19-9), Burleigh Grimes (17-9), Paul Derringer (18-8) and Jesse Haines (12-3) with Jim Lindsey (6-4, 2.77 ERA, 7 SV) and Allyn Stout (6-0, 3 SV) within the bullpen.

The collection opened in Sportsman Park in St. Louis with Lefty Grove going for the Athletics and future Cincinnati Crimson Paul Derringer going to the mound for the Cardinals.

The Playing cards took a 2-0 lead within the first inning which lasted till the A’s scored 4 runs within the prime of the third with a Jimmy Foxx single scoring Mule Haas and Mickey Cochrane to offer the Athletics a 4-2 lead. Grove scattered 12 hits for a whole recreation 6-2 win with Al Simmons contributing a seventh inning two-run dwelling run.

In recreation two, Cardinal starter Invoice Hallahan quieted the Philadelphia bats with a whole recreation three-hitter for a 2-0 Playing cards’ win with RBI singles by Charlie Wilson and Charlie Geibert offering the St. Louis offense and the collection is tied at 1-1.

For recreation three, the groups switched to Shibe Park in Philadelphia with thirty-seven yr Burleigh Grimes opposing Lefty Grove. Grimes pitched a scoreless recreation till the underside of the ninth inning when Al Simmons bought to him for a two-run dwelling run because the highly effective A’s went seventeen innings with out scoring a run.

Grimes helped his personal trigger with a two-run single in prime of the fourth and St. Louis went on to a 5-2 win to go up 2-1 within the collection.

In recreation 4, the Athletics bought good pitching from George Earnshaw, who threw a two-hit shutout, and with the assistance of a solo dwelling run by Jimmie Foxx went on to a 3-0 win to tie the collection at two video games every.

The Playing cards bounced again with Invoice Hallahan permitting only one run and pitching a whole recreation 5-1 victory helped by a two-run Pepper Martin dwelling run, and the Playing cards went forward within the collection 3-2 because the groups return to St. Louis to complete the collection.

On the verge of elimination, Connie Mack gave the ball to Lefty Grove for his third collection begin and he held the Cardinals in examine with 5 hits and one run whereas the Athletics erupted for eight runs for an 8-1 win to power a seventh recreation.

Cardinal supervisor Gabby Road despatched Burleigh Grimes out to pitch the seventh recreation in opposition to George Earnshaw for the Athletics, and once more Grimes was dominant as he held a 4-0 going into the highest of the ninth inning.

He walked two hitters and had two outs when Doc Cramer singled in two runs and with two outs and two on, Invoice Hallahan changed Grimes and bought the final batter to fly out to finish the sport for a 4-2 Playing cards win within the recreation and the World Collection.

The Athletics weren’t again within the World Collection till the Charlie Finley period in 1972 because the Oakland A’s whereas the Playing cards returned in 1934. Connie Mack, who was half proprietor of the group, performed for eleven years within the main leagues and was the supervisor of the Athletics from 1901 to 1950 for a complete of over 60 years in main league baseball. He received 9 pennants and 5 World Collection.

Paul Derringer appeared within the 1939 and 1940 World Collection for the Cincinnati Reds with extra success than in 1931, and Waite Hoyt previously a star pitcher for the New York Yankees turned a well-liked Cincinnati Reds radio announcer within the 1950’s and 1960,s.

Statistics for this text had been from baseball-reference.com and baseballhall.org.

Originally posted 2023-11-03 14:26:00.