My intention today — and the next five Tuesdays, as well — is to gaze two or three generations into the past.
McFarland & Co. has just published my latest book, and the title tells the story: A Brand New Ballgame: Branch Rickey, Bill Veeck, Walter O’Malley, and the Transformation of Baseball, 1945-1962.
The book is concerned with off-the-field maneuvers over the 18-year period, machinations that changed the game forever — for instance, the breaking of the racial barrier, the founding of the players’ union, the relocation of six big-league clubs, and the creation of four expansion teams.
This blog, on the other hand, deals primarily with activity on playing fields, not in front offices. So I’ve decided to mark the book’s publication by scanning baseball’s top headlines in three-year chunks, covering the same 18-year span in a leisurely six weeks.
I start today with 1945 to 1947, the immediate aftermath of World War II. The relevant chapters in A Brand New Ballgame talk about such things as the selection of Happy Chandler as baseball’s second commissioner, the Mexican League’s drive to sign American players, the first unionization efforts in Pittsburgh, Jackie Robinson’s heroic arrival on the scene (also noted below), and the Pacific Coast League’s initial attempts to be reclassified as the third major league.
The on-field action, as you’ll see in the headlines, was highlighted by World Series titles for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York Yankees.
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Headlines: 1945
One-armed outfielder has field day for Browns
St. Louis Browns left fielder Pete Gray enjoyed the brightest day of his brief big-league career on May 20, reaching base five times and driving in two runs in a doubleheader sweep of the Yankees. Gray also handled nine chances cleanly in the field, despite having only one arm. “He’s a fine ballplayer, fast, courageous, and he can hit,” said Manager Luke Sewell.
Greenberg comes back from army in style
More than 47,000 fans jammed into Briggs Stadium on July 1 for the return of Tigers slugger Hank Greenberg, who had been serving in the army since 1941. Greenberg thrilled the crowd by launching a home run into the left-center-field seats in the eighth inning, helping Detroit beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 9-5. Manager Steve O’Neill couldn’t stop grinning. “He was great out there, wasn’t he?” O’Neill kept asking reporters.
Feller whiffs a dozen in first start since ‘41
Fireballer Bob Feller, who won 93 games for Cleveland from 1938 to 1941, enjoyed a triumphant homecoming from the navy on August 24. A headline in a Cleveland newspaper screamed: THIS IS WHAT WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR. Fans placed so many calls for tickets that the Indians’ switchboard broke down. Feller struck out 12 Tigers and allowed only four hits in his first start in four seasons.
Tigers roar back to win World Series
The Chicago Cubs were installed as slight favorites in the World Series after seizing the National League title with a record of 98-56. The American League champs, the Tigers, finished with only 88 wins. But both squads had been depleted by military call-ups. “Neither contender is a super team,” wrote Fred Lieb in a Sporting News preview. The Cubs knotted the series with a dramatic 12-inning victory in Game Six, but the Tigers roared back, 9-3, on October 10 to win their first world championship since 1935.
Headlines: 1946
Robinson makes smashing minor-league debut
Branch Rickey downplayed the significance of Jackie Robinson’s April 18 debut with Montreal, the top team in the Brooklyn Dodgers’ farm system. “He is not now major-league stuff,” said Rickey, implying that Robinson might be years away from breaking the majors’ racial barrier. Robinson began dispelling doubts in his very first game, going four-for-five with a home run. He would hit a robust .349 in Montreal.
Feller defies skeptics by no-hitting Yankees
Something seemed wrong with Bob Feller, who lost two of his first three starts for the Indians. Columnists dared to suggest that the hard-throwing righty was fading, but Feller responded by no-hitting the Yankees on April 30. “I think it was only human for me to want to answer these questions about whether I had lost my fastball,” he said. Feller would lead the majors in 1946 with 348 strikeouts.
Cardinals hunt down Dodgers and win playoff
The Dodgers roared to a seven-game lead over the rest of the National League by July 4, but they couldn’t hold off the hard-charging Cardinals, who won 41 of their final 60 games. The two teams finished the season tied for the pennant, necessitating the NL’s first tiebreaker playoff, which started October 1. The Cards remained red hot, sweeping the best-of-three series, 4-2 and 8-4.
Slaughter’s dash brings title to St. Louis
The World Series matched batting skill against pitching prowess. The 1946 Boston Red Sox led the majors in batting average (.271), while the Cardinals posted the best earned run average (3.01). They split the first six games, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown on October 15. Enos Slaughter secured the 4-3 win for St. Louis, dashing all the way home from first base on Harry Walker’s two-out double in the eighth inning.
Headlines: 1947
Robinson breaks big-league color barrier
It seemed an inauspicious game for Jackie Robinson — oh-for-three with a double-play groundout — yet his April 15 debut with the Dodgers was a landmark in baseball history. The first black major leaguer of the 20th century promised better days ahead. “Will I hit? I hope I’ll hit. I believe I’ll hit. I’m sure I’ll hit,” he told reporters. Robinson rapped seven singles, a double, and a home run in his next five starts.
Dean flashes old form against White Sox
Future Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean retired in 1941, joining the hapless St. Louis Browns as their radio announcer. He didn’t like what he saw. “I swear, I could beat nine out of ten of the guys that call themselves pitchers nowadays,” he groaned. The Browns finally gave him a chance to prove it, activating him on September 28. Dean responded with four innings of shutout ball against the White Sox.
Yankees hold off Dodgers in World Series
Bill Bevens pitched poorly in 1947, losing 13 of 20 decisions for the Yankees. But he was outstanding in Game Four of the World Series, carrying a no-hitter into the ninth inning. Cookie Lavagetto’s double simultaneously ruined Bevens’s masterpiece, won the game for the Dodgers, and knotted the series at two victories apiece. Was it an omen of Brooklyn’s first world championship? No. The Yankees triumphed in Game Seven, 5-2.
Williams wins Triple Crown, loses MVP
Boston’s Ted Williams cruised to his second Triple Crown in 1947, leading the American League in batting average (.343), home runs (32), and runs batted in (114), dominating New York’s Joe DiMaggio (.315, 20, 97) in the process. But relations between Williams and reporters were strained — the star mocked them as “knights of the keyboard” — so the writers struck back. They inexplicably chose DiMaggio as the AL’s Most Valuable Player.