Congratulations to Tom Davis and his 1945 Detroit Tigers

The 1945 Detroit Tigers are officially crowned:  "The Greatest WWII Era Baseball Team" by virtue of sweeping a juggernaut St. Louis Cardinals team that destroyed the Senior Circuit during the regular season.  Detroit got great pitching and timely hitting to upset the Cardinals in 4 straight games.  Congratulations to all who participated in this 12 team league.  It was a lot of fun and easy to administer !

World Series Game 4 - "Maier gets key to city"

October 23, Game 4 at Briggs Stadium
Harry Brecheen (4-2, 2.31) vs Stubby Overmire (4-1, 5.19)

Series clinching double

Now the Cardinals were playing for pride or a miracle.  Their manager, Erik Nelson, expressed the hope that he could avoid embarrassing the senior circuit by avoiding the sweep.  And Brecheen answered, holding the Tigers a lone unearned run over 7 innings.  But, again, the Cardinal offense went AWOL.  Bob Maier led off the fifth with a groundball booted by third baseman Whitey Kurowski.  Cullenbine singled him to third and Greenberg drove him home with another single.  The Cardinals came right back in the top of the 6th.  Stan Musial doubled, for one of his few hits in the Series.  Ray Saunders walked.  Kurowski ripped a shot into right field.  Musial scored easily and Saunders was sent home.  Cullenbine's throw arrived first and the score remained tied.   In the bottom of the 8th, pinchhitter Red Borom singled with two out.  Bob Maier drive him home with a double and scored on Mayo's single.  George Caster closed out the 9th and the Tigers had a World Series sweep.  Tigers 3  Cardinals 1

Tigers sweep series 4-0
--submitted by Tom "Crash" Davis--

World Series Game 3 - "(Hebrew) Hammer-Time"

October 22 Game 3  At Briggs Stadium
Max Lanier (4-1, 2.30) vs. Al Benton (2-4, 3.89)

4 yrs in service couldn't stop him

Walker Cooper slammed a one out 1st inning pitch into the seats for the first Cardinal lead of the series and Cardinal fans took hope that their offense had returned.  No such luck.  That was the only tally Benton would allow in 8 innings of work. Unfortunately for the Tiger faithful Lanier was just as stingy.  Bob Maier led off the first with single and Mayo followed suit.  With one out, Greenberg singled Maier home.  And then everyone sat back and waited for the next offensive action, in the 9th.  With one out in the 9th, Whitey Kurowski took Benton deep and the Cardinals were three outs away from their first Series win.  Greenberg opened the bottom of the 9th with a walk and went to third on York's single.  When Doc Cramer grounded to short, Greenberg scored and sent the game into extra innings.  Both teams got outstanding pitching in the extra frames until the bottom of the 13th.  Al Jurisich took the mound and promptly walked the first two batters he faced.  He might have gotten out of it but for the presence of the Hebrew Hammer, Hank Greenberg.  Greenberg swatted the pitch into the left field upper deck bleachers and 51,345 Tiger fans went hone happy (Actual attendance was 53,273 but there were 1,928 Cardinal fans in attendance.)  Tigers 5  Cardinals 2

Tigers lead series 3-0
--submitted by Tom "Crash" Davis--

World Series Game 2 - "Cardinal bats gone fishing"

October 20, Game 2, at Sportsman Park
Dizzy Trout (8-2, 2.06) vs Mort Cooper (6-2, 2.09)

Shut out the Cardinals

Cardinal manager Erik Nelson had to be wondering what was going on.  The Cardinals barnstormed through the National League, seemingly able to score runs at will.  But yesterday they only managed one run and today Virgil Trucks never faced more than 4 batters in any one inning.  The Tigers struck for 5 runs in the first two innings and never looked back.  Greenberg doubled home two runs in the first and scored on Rudy York's double.  The Tigers added two more in the second one coming after Dizzy Trout smacked a one out triple.  But the story was not Dizzy's bat but his arm.  The Tigers take a 2-0 Series lead back to Detroit.  Tigers 5  Cardinals 0

Tigers lead series 2-0
--submitted by Tom "Crash" Davis--

World Series Game 1 - "Fresh Prince"

It was a perfect match.  The Cardinals vaunted hitting machine against the team with the best 1-2 starting combination in the majors.  The only problem facing the Tigers -- it was a seven game series.

Could they get help from their other erratic starters.

October 19, Game 1 at Sportsman Park
Hal Newhouser (6-3, 2.04) vs. Red Munger (3-0, 2.62)

Allowed just 4 hits & 2 walks

The Tigers opened the scoring in the 4th.  Roy Cullenbine walked and was doubled to third by Hank Greenberg.  One out later, Jimmy Outlaw lifted a sacrifice fly to left and the Tigers led 1-0.  That seemed to be all that would be needed as Prince Hal mowed down the Redbirds.  But, just in case, after Skeeter Webb walked in the 5th, Hal singled to right.  Eddie Mayo continued his fantastic season by doubling home both for a 3-0 lead.  That would be enough.  The Cardinals tallied a run in the bottom of the fifth, but that was it.  Its hard to score much when the opposition pitcher only allows 4 hits and two walks.  Tigers 3  Cardinals 1

Tigers lead series 1-0

--submitted by Tom "Crash" Davis--

ALCS Game 5 - "Prince Hal Clinches Pennant"

October 14  Games 5
Newhouser vs. Russo

Little Eddie Mayo got the Tigers off on the right track when he hit a homer in the first.  Two batters later, Greenberg hit his second homer of the series.  Stainback countered with a one out single.  with two outs, Gordon singled him to third and then Keller drove him home with another single.  But that was it for the Yankees.  Hal Newhouser went into lights out mode and the Yankees never got another runner to third.  Newhouser needed relief help from Caster after the first two Yanks reached in the 9th, but Caster got the next three hitters and the Tigers will move on to the World Series.  Tigers 5  Yankees 1
Tigers win series 4-1
--submitted by Tom "Crash" Davis--

ALCS Game 4 - "Green with envy"

October 13  Game Four     
Benton vs.  Borowy

After starting 8 regular season games, Hank Borowy had been limited to two relief appearance in the first round of the playoffs.  The Yankees scored first on back to back doubles by Nick Etten and Joe Gordon.  The Tigers were quiet until the 7th.  after Cullenbine singled, Hank Greenberg launched a massive drive to left field to give the Tigers 1 run lead.  Cullenbine added a homer in the 9th.  Al Benton needed relief help from George Caster who earned a save.  Tigers 3  Yankees 1

Tigers lead series 3-1