The Day Before the Day

    

DIZZY DEAN

     On September 27, 1938, the newspapers and the radio were full of news about the Munich Conference, where Great Britain and France were in the process of handing Czechoslovakia over to Nazi Germany. A second world war was not yet regarded as inevitable.
     At Wrigley Field, only the National League pennant hung in the balance. Under recently appointed player/manager Gabby Hartnett, the Cubs had surged from far back in the standings to draw within striking distance of the league-leading Pittsburgh Pirates.
     The Cubs had won seven in a row and 17 of their last 20 to advance within a game and a half of the Pirates, who were also surging, having won eight of their last 10. “If we win five of our remaining seven games,” said Pittsburgh manager Pie Traynor, “it doesn’t matter how many the Cubs win.”
     For the opener of the three-game series that would all but decide the pennant, the Cubs turned to Dizzy Dean. Several years earlier, Dean had said, “Anybody who’s had the pleasure of seeing me play knows that I am the greatest pitcher in the world.” Indeed, he averaged 24 wins a year for five years beginning in 1932.
     But the Dizzy Dean who was acquired from St. Louis before the 1938 season was just a shadow of his former self. In the previous summer’s All-Star Game, a line drive had shattered the little toe on his left foot. Because the Cardinals were in a tight pennant race, Dean had continued to pitch, altering his delivery to favor the broken toe. He had ruined his arm in the process.
     For the Cubs, Dean was able to pitch only occasionally, but he always gave his team an honest effort—and a full house. He had not started in five weeks when Hartnett gave him the ball for this “must” game. “In a spot such as this,” Warren Brown wrote in the Tribune, “Dizzy Dean was perfectly at home. Here was a park packed with pop-eyed fans. Here was a game on which the entire season might depend. If you had asked Dean—and many did—what he thought about being put on such a spot, Diz had but one answer: ‘Gabby’s getting smarter every day. Who else would he pick to beat these guys but old Diz?’”
     “His arm was hurting him badly,” teammate Phil Cavarretta recalled. “The thing I remember best watching this man pitch, his presence on that mound encouraged us to go out there and play hard. Watching him pitch was an inspiration. You could see the man was suffering out there. You’d say, ‘My God, let’s go out and win it for Diz.’”
     Getting by on guts and guile, Dean held the Pirates scoreless for eight and two-thirds innings before running out of gas. As he left the field, a tumult of cheers rang down from the standing-room-only crowd of 42,238. “It was an incredible performance,” said Cavarretta. Dean’s teammates congratulated him in the dugout, but he was disgusted that he hadn’t been able to finish.
     With the Cubs clinging to a 2-0 lead and the tying runs on second and third, the ubiquitous Bill Lee relieved Dean. Lee had logged a complete-game victory just 24 hours earlier, and would end up 22-9 for the season with a league-leading 2.44 earned run average and nine shutouts. If the Cy Young Award had existed in 1938, Lee would have won it. As it was, he finished second in voting for the Most Valuable Player award.
     Pirates catcher Al Todd was up to bat. Lee's first offering to Todd was a wild pitch, scoring one run and moving the tying run to third. Then, with the crowd roaring its approval, he struck out Todd—the only strikeout of the game on either side—to narrowly preserve a 2-1 victory. It was Dean’s seventh win of the year against only one loss.
     The Cubs were now only a half game behind the Pirates, and the stage was set for perhaps the most dramatic game ever played at Wrigley Field. That game featured Hartnett's unforgettable “Homer in the Gloamin’,” which put the Cubs in first place to stay.

Reprinted from Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports

In Memoriam, 2010

     We Chicago sports fans lost a few of our favorite performers this year. Heading the list were Bears Hall of Famers Stan Jones and George Blanda, Cubs stars Ron Santo and Phil Cavarretta, and the Blackhawks' Ed Litzenberger, captain of the 1961 Stanley Cup champions.
     Each of the aforementioned gentlemen enjoyed a long and acclaimed career in his sport, lived into his old age, and could look back with satisfaction upon heroic feats of the distant past. Regrettably, the same could not be said of Gaines Adams, the Bears defensive end who was struck down without warning at only 26, while his potential was still unrealized.
     Below is a list of notable Chicago sports personalities who passed away in 2010:

GAINES ADAMS

Gaines Adams, 26, Bears defensive end 2009, All-American at Clemson 2006 (January 17).

Johnny Bailey, 43, Bears running back and kick returner 1990-1991, previously starred at Texas A&I University, inducted into College Football Hall of Fame 2000 (August 20).

Black Tie Affair, 24, Chicago-based thoroughbred, won Equipoise Mile 1990, won Hawthorne Gold Cup 1990, won Washington Park Handicap 1991, Horse of the Year 1991 (July 1).

George Blanda, 83, Bears quarterback and placekicker 1949-1958, later starred with Oakland Raiders, inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame 1981 (September 27).

Lorn Brown, 71, Bulls broadcaster 1975-1978, White Sox broadcaster 1976-1979 and 1983-1988 (June 24).

Freddie Burdette, 73, Cubs pitcher 1962-1964 (June 1).

Phil Cavarretta, 94, Cubs first baseman/outfielder 1934-1953, Cubs manager 1951-1953, White Sox first baseman 1954-1955, three-time All-Star, played for Cubs in three World Series, National League batting champion and Most Valuable Player 1945 (December 18).

Ray Coleman, 88, White Sox outfielder 1951-1952 (September 19).

Quintin Dailey, 49, Bulls guard 1982-1986 (November 8).

Joe Gates, 55, White Sox second baseman 1978-1979 (March 28).

Billy Hoeft, 77, Cubs pitcher 1965-1966 (March 16).

Ken Holcombe, 91, White Sox pitcher 1950-1952 (March 15).

Lou Jankowski, 78, Blackhawks forward 1953-1955 (March 21).

Stan Jones, 78, Bears offensive guard and defensive tackle 1954-1965, three-time All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowler, introduced systematic practice of weight training to NFL, member of Bears world champions 1963, inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame 1991 (May 21).

Ed Litzenberger, 78, Blackhawks right wing 1954-1961 and captain 1958-1961, won Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year 1955, captain of Stanley Cup champions 1961 (November 1).

Dick Loepfe, 88, Chicago Cardinals offensive tackle 1948-1949 (October 31).

Bob Probert, 45, Blackhawks left wing 1995-2002 (July 5).

Robin Roberts, 83, Cubs pitcher 1966, better known for his previous tenure with Philadelphia Phillies, inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame 1976 (May 6).

Ron Santo, 70, Cubs third baseman 1960-1973, White Sox second baseman 1974, nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove award winner, Cubs broadcaster 1990-2010 (December 3).

Johnny Sellers, 72, jockey 1955-1977, won Washington Park Handicap 1958 and 1960, won Arlington Classic 1960, won American Derby 1960, won Stars & Stripes Handicap 1961, inducted into National Racing Hall of Fame 2007 (July 2).

Bob Shaw, 77, White Sox pitcher 1958-1961, Cubs pitcher 1967, went 18-6 in Sox’ pennant winning-season of 1959, went 1-1 in World Series of same year (September 23).

Solly Sherman, 92, Bears quarterback 1939-1940, passed to Joe Maniaci for one of the Bears’ 73 points (on an extra-point attempt) in legendary 1940 NFL title game victory over Washington Redskins (October 10).

Bobby Thomson, 86, Cubs outfielder 1958-1959, better known for his dramatic pennant-winning home run for New York Giants in 1951 (August 16).

Phil Cavarretta, 1916 - 2010

    

PHIL CAVARRETTA

     Phil Cavarretta, who passed away Saturday at the age of 94, was not yet 30 when he played in his third World Series for the Cubs. This was in 1945, and Cavarretta had already appeared in the World Series of 1935 and 1938. Neither he nor anyone else could have known that no Cub would appear in another fall classic for a long, long time.
     Cavarretta joined the Cubs shortly after graduating from Lane Tech High School in 1934, moving two miles east on Addison Street to Wrigley Field. He played seven games for the Cubs in 1934 and was an everyday player in 1935, when he was still 18 years old for the first half of the season. Although he had very little power, especially for a first baseman (he averaged fewer than five homers a year), Cavarretta was an excellent contact hitter who finished his career with a .293 average and more walks than strikeouts. He played 20 seasons for the Cubs and finished up with two for the White Sox.
     Cavarretta earned the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1945 when he hit a league-leading .355 with 94 runs scored and 97 runs batted in. It was no fault of his that the Cubs lost the World Series to the Detroit Tigers in seven games. He homered and scored three runs in the Cubs’ 9-0 rout of American League MVP Hal Newhouser in Game 1, and he ended up batting .423 (highest on either team), with seven runs scored and five RBIs for the Series.
     Cavarretta is the last Cub, so far, to hit a World Series home run. He was also the last in a long line of player-managers for the Cubs—which extended back to Cap Anson in 1879, and included Frank Chance, Rogers Hornsby, Charlie Grimm, and Gabby Hartnett. It was Cavarretta who, in 1953, wrote the name of Ernie Banks on the Cubs’ lineup card for the first time. The next year, he became the first manager ever to be fired in spring training, after he bluntly informed Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley that the club had no chance to contend.
     "Phil hated to lose," Cubs outfielder Ralph Kiner said, "and he was very honest, and that was the reason he got fired." The Cubs finished seventh, 33 games off the pace, but being proven right did not get Cavarretta his job back.

Splendid Seasons: Cubs MVPs, Part 2

We're remembering the 19 Chicago athletes whose splendid seasons have earned them the Most Valuable Player award for their respective leagues. Nine of these players have represented the Cubs, and three of them are introduced below.

Phil Cavarretta,
1945

     Soon after graduating from Lane Tech High School in 1934, Phil Cavarretta moved two miles east on Addison Street to Wrigley Field. He played seven games for the Cubs in 1934 and was an everyday player in 1935, when he was still 18 years old for the first half of the season. Although he had very little power for a first baseman (he averaged less than five homers a year), Cavarretta was an excellent contact hitter who finished his career with a .293 average and more walks than strikeouts. He played on three pennant winners. For the last of these, in 1945, he hit a league-leading .355 with 94 runs scored and 97 runs batted in to take MVP honors.
     It was no fault of Cavarretta’s that the Cubs lost the World Series to the Detroit Tigers in seven games. He homered and scored three runs in the Cubs’ 9-0 rout of American League MVP Hal Newhouser in Game 1, and he ended up batting .423 (highest on either team), with seven runs scored and five RBIs for the Series.
     Cavarretta is the last Cub, so far, to hit a World Series home run. He was also the last in a long line of player-managers for the Cubs—which extended back to Cap Anson in 1879, and included Frank Chance, Rogers Hornsby, Charlie Grimm, and Gabby Hartnett. It was Cavarretta who, in 1953, wrote the name of Ernie Banks on the Cubs’ lineup card for the first time. The next year, he became the first manager ever to be fired in spring training, after he bluntly informed Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley that the club had no chance to contend. The Cubs finished seventh, but being proven right did not get Cavarretta his job back.

Hank Sauer,
1952

     Slow-footed outfielder Hank Sauer was the archetypal ballplayer of the early fifties, an era which decidedly emphasized power over speed. Sauer had a few brief trials during the war years, but it wasn’t until 1948, when he was 31, that he reached the majors to stay. After a season and a half with Cincinnati, he was traded to the Cubs, and he quickly made himself at home: he hit 11 home runs his first month in Chicago.
     Sauer was equally potent to all fields. He averaged a solid 32 homers and 97 RBIs for his first four seasons, then really busted out in 1952. His 121 RBIs topped the league, and his 37 homers tied him for the league lead with Pittsburgh’s Ralph Kiner. He also hit a two-run homer to give the National League a 3-2 win in the All-Star Game. Bleacher fans in the Friendly Confines acclaimed Sauer as the “mayor of Wrigley Field” and showered him with packets of his favorite chewing tobacco after each home run. Although the Cubs finished fifth, well out of the race, Sauer’s performance resonated enough to bring him MVP honors.
     In 1953, the Cubs traded for Kiner, who had won or shared the league’s home run title for seven years running. Alas, dreams of a one-two punch reminiscent of Ruth and Gehrig went unfulfilled. Kiner blasted 28 homers after joining the Cubs in June, but Sauer suffered broken fingers on three separate occasions and had just 19 round-trippers. While Sauer rebounded for a career-high 41 homers in 1954, Kiner managed only 22 and was gone the next year. Kiner later made a droll remark about his and Sauer’s lack of mobility in the outfield, which had made life miserable for Cubs center fielder Frankie Baumholtz: “Between us, we shortened Baumholtz’s career by three years.”

Ernie Banks,
1958, 1959

     Ernie Banks came to the Cubs from the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues in September 1953—a wiry, soft-spoken kid from Dallas who in appearance and experience was even younger than his 22 years. A smooth-fielding shortstop and a devastatingly powerful hitter, Banks averaged 44 home runs a year from 1957 to 1960 and didn’t miss a game in that time.
     He was tougher than his genial attitude would have suggested. “In 1957,” umpire Tom Gorman recalled, “Banks was knocked down four times by four different pitchers—Don Drysdale, Bob Purkey, Bob Friend, and Jack Sanford. And each time he was knocked down, Banks hit the next pitch out of the park.”
     In 1958, Banks clubbed 47 homers (the most ever by a shortstop to that time), batted in 129 runs, scored 119, and hit .313, and became the first player in National League history to win the Most Valuable Player award with a losing team. The next year, he had 45 homers, 143 RBIs, and a .304 average, and became the first player in National League history to win back-to-back MVPs.
     His nickname said it all: Mr. Cub. Although the Cubs were often a laughingstock, Banks carried the sobriquet with pride. He played more games for the Cubs than anyone else before or since (over 2,500) but he never made it to the World Series or even the playoffs. He didn’t complain. He kept smiling and kept repeating his motto, “Let’s play two.” Players of later generations could have learned a lot from Ernie, who genuinely respected the game and loved its fans.
     Banks was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977.