The 1945
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 World Series, 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The ...
was the championship series in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...
for the
1945 season. The 42nd edition of the World Series, it matched the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
champion
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
against the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
champion
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
. The Tigers won the Series in seven games, giving them their second championship and first since .
In the decisive Gane 7,
Paul Richards drove in four runs to lead the Tigers to a 9–3 victory to clinch the Series.
The
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 World Series, 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The ...
again used the 3–4 wartime setup for home field sites, instead of the normal 2–3–2. Although the major hostilities of World War II had ended, some of the rules were still in effect and many of the best MLB players were still in military service.
Warren Brown, author of a history of the Cubs in 1946, commented on this by titling one chapter "World's Worst Series". He also cited a famous quote of his, referencing himself anonymously and in the third person. When asked who he liked in the Series, he answered, "I don't think either one of them can win it."
In a similar vein,
Frank Graham jokingly called this Series "the fat men versus the tall men at the office picnic."
One player decidedly not fitting that description was the Tigers' slugger
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...
, who had been discharged from military service early. He hit the only two Tigers homers in the Series, and scored seven runs overall and also drove in seven.
The
Curse of the Billy Goat originated in this Series before the start of Game 4.
Having last won the Series in , the Cubs owned the dubious record of both the longest league pennant drought and the longest World Series drought in history, not winning (or appearing in) another World Series until .
The Series was a rematch of the
1935 World Series. In that year's Game 6,
Stan Hack
Stanley Camfield Hack (December 6, 1909 – December 15, 1979), nicknamed "Smiling Stan", was an American third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago Cubs and was the National League's top t ...
led off the top of the ninth inning with a triple, but was stranded. The Cubs lost the game and the Series. Hack was still with the Cubs in 1945. According to Warren Brown's account, Hack was seen surveying the field before the first Series game. When asked what he was doing, Hack responded, "I just wanted to see if I was ''still'' standing there on third base."
Summary
Matchups
Game 1
The visiting Cubs began with a bang, scoring four times in the first. With two outs and runners on first and third, a passed ball by future Hall of Famer
Hal Newhouser scored the game's first run. After an intentional walk, a two-run
Bill Nicholson double and
Mickey Livingston's RBI single made it 4–0 Cubs. In the third, after a leadoff double,
Phil Cavarretta
Philip Joseph Cavarretta (July 19, 1916 – December 18, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and manager. He was known to friends and family as "Phil" and was also called "Philibuck", a nickname bestowed by ...
's single and
Andy Pafko's double scored a run each. One out later, Livingston's second RBI single of the game knocked Newhouser out of the game. Cavarretta's two-out home run in the seventh off
Jim Tobin made it 8–0. Pafko then singled, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball, and scored the game's last run on Nicholson's single.
Hank Borowy pitched a complete game shutout despite allowing 12 base runners as the Cubs took a 1–0 series lead.
Game 2
The Cubs struck first when
Phil Cavarretta
Philip Joseph Cavarretta (July 19, 1916 – December 18, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and manager. He was known to friends and family as "Phil" and was also called "Philibuck", a nickname bestowed by ...
doubled with one out in the fourth and scored on
Bill Nicholson's single. After 13 innings without a run, Detroit finally got going in a big way in the fifth.
Hank Wyse got two outs, before allowing a single and walk.
Doc Cramer's RBI single tied the game before
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...
's three-run home run put the Tigers up 4–1.
Virgil Trucks allowed no other runs in a complete game as the Tigers tied the series at a game apiece.
Game 3
Claude Passeau pitched a complete game one-hitter. The only hit of the game came with two outs in the second inning off the bat of
Rudy York. Other Series pitchers in the "low-hit Complete Game Club" are:
The Cubs scored two runs in the fourth off
Stubby Overmire on RBI singles by
Bill Nicholson and
Roy Hughes after a leadoff double and one-out walk. They added another run in the seventh off
Al Benton
John Alton Benton (March 18, 1911 – April 14, 1968) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox. The right-h ...
when
Mickey Livingston hit a leadoff double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on
Claude Passeau's sacrifice fly. They now led the series 2–1.
Game 4
The Series shifted to
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago W ...
and the so-called
Curse of the Billy Goat began.
Dizzy Trout went the distance for Detroit with a five-hitter. A four-run fourth against Cub starter
Ray Prim gave Trout all the runs he needed. After a one-out walk and single,
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...
's RBI single and
Roy Cullenbine
Roy Joseph Cullenbine (October 18, 1913 – May 28, 1991) was an American professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns, Washin ...
's RBI double knocked starter
Ray Prim out of the game.
Paul Derringer intentionally walked
Rudy York before
Jimmy Outlaw's groundout and
Paul Richards's single scored a run each. The Cubs scored their only run of the game in the sixth when
Don Johnson
Donnie Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor, producer and singer. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series '' Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime ...
hit a leadoff triple and scored on
Peanuts Lowrey's groundout. The series was now tied 2–2.
Game 5
Back in form,
Hal Newhouser went the distance for Detroit, striking out nine. The Tigers struck first in the top of the third on
Doc Cramer's sacrifice fly with runners on first and third, but the Cubs tied the game in the bottom half when
Hank Borowy doubled with two outs and scored on
Stan Hack
Stanley Camfield Hack (December 6, 1909 – December 15, 1979), nicknamed "Smiling Stan", was an American third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago Cubs and was the National League's top t ...
's single. In the sixth, Cramer hit a leadoff single and scored on
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...
's double. After a single,
Rudy York's RBI single knocked starter
Hank Borowy out of the game.
Hy Vandenberg in relief intentionally walked
Paul Richards with one out to load the bases before a walk to Newhouser and
Skeeter Webb's groundout scored a run each. Next inning,
Jimmy Outlaw's sacrifice fly with runners on first and third off
Paul Derringer made it 6–1 Tigers. In the bottom of the inning, with runners on first and third with two outs,
Bill Nicholson's fielder's choice and
Mickey Livingston's ground-rule double scored a run each. In the ninth, after a hit-by-pitch and double,
Roy Cullenbine
Roy Joseph Cullenbine (October 18, 1913 – May 28, 1991) was an American professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns, Washin ...
's two-run double off
Paul Erickson made it 8–3 Tigers. In the bottom half,
Phil Cavarretta
Philip Joseph Cavarretta (July 19, 1916 – December 18, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and manager. He was known to friends and family as "Phil" and was also called "Philibuck", a nickname bestowed by ...
hit a leadoff double and scored on Nicholson's one out single before Newhouser retired the next two batters to end the game and put the Tigers one win away from the championship. The Cubs' World Series record at Wrigley Field now stood at 1-10.
Game 6
In Game 6, the Tigers struck first on a bases-loaded walk to
Paul Richards by
Claude Passeau in the second. In the fifth with the bases loaded off
Virgil Trucks,
Stan Hack
Stanley Camfield Hack (December 6, 1909 – December 15, 1979), nicknamed "Smiling Stan", was an American third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago Cubs and was the National League's top t ...
's two-run single put the Cubs up 2–1. After another walk loaded the bases,
Phil Cavarretta
Philip Joseph Cavarretta (July 19, 1916 – December 18, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and manager. He was known to friends and family as "Phil" and was also called "Philibuck", a nickname bestowed by ...
's two-run single knocked Trucks out of the game. Back-to-back leadoff doubles next inning by
Mickey Livingston and
Roy Hughes off
Tommy Bridges made it 5–1 Cubs. In the top of the seventh with two on and two outs, RBI singles by
Roy Cullenbine
Roy Joseph Cullenbine (October 18, 1913 – May 28, 1991) was an American professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns, Washin ...
off Passeau and
Rudy York off
Hank Wyse cut the Cubs' lead to 5–3, but they got those runs back in the bottom half on a bases loaded walk to Livingston by Bridges followed by
Roy Hughes's RBI single off
Al Benton
John Alton Benton (March 18, 1911 – April 14, 1968) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox. The right-h ...
. In the top of the eighth, after a leadoff walk and double, an error on
Joe Hoover's ground ball scored a run, then
Eddie Mayo's RBI single scored another with Hoover going to third and Mayo being tagged out at second.
Ray Prim relieved Wyse and allowed a sacrifice fly to
Doc Cramer before
Hank Greenburg's home run tied the game. In the 12th, after a one-out single by
Frank Secory
Frank Edward Secory (August 24, 1912 – April 7, 1995) was an American left fielder and umpire in Major League Baseball who played 186 games from 1940 to 1946 with the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago Cubs. His best season was , w ...
off
Dizzy Trout, pinch-runner
Bill Schuster came all the way around on
Stan Hack
Stanley Camfield Hack (December 6, 1909 – December 15, 1979), nicknamed "Smiling Stan", was an American third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago Cubs and was the National League's top t ...
's walk-off double to left, forcing a Game 7.
Besides being the last World Series game the Cubs won until Game 2 in
2016, this would also be the second—and last—World Series game that the Cubs would win before their hometown fans at Wrigley Field, until Game 5 in
2016. The only other Wrigley victory was Game 5 in 1935.
Game 7
The Cubs went with the overworked Borowy, who lasted just three batters, each of whom singled, the last of which scored a run.
Paul Derringer replaced him, intentionally walked
Roy Cullenbine
Roy Joseph Cullenbine (October 18, 1913 – May 28, 1991) was an American professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns, Washin ...
with one out to load the bases, then one out later, walked
Jimmy Outlaw before
Paul Richards cleared the bases with a three-run double. The Cubs got a run in the bottom of the first on
Phil Cavarretta
Philip Joseph Cavarretta (July 19, 1916 – December 18, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and manager. He was known to friends and family as "Phil" and was also called "Philibuck", a nickname bestowed by ...
's RBI single with two on off
Hal Newhouser, but in the second, Derringer allowed a two-out single, then three consecutive walks to force in another run. The Cubs got another run in the fourth when Cavaretta singled and scored on
Andy Pafko's triple. In the seventh, Cullenbine drew a leadoff walk off
Paul Erickson and scored on
Paul Richards's two-out double. Next inning,
Skeeter Webb drew a leadoff walk off
Claude Passeau and scored on
Eddie Mayo's double. After moving to third on a groundout, he scored on
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...
's sacrifice fly. The Cubs scored just one more run in the bottom of the inning on
Bill Richardson
William Blaine Richardson III (born November 15, 1947) is an American politician, author, and diplomat who served as the 30th governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. He was also the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary ...
's RBI double with two on as Newhouser pitched a complete game to give the Tigers the championship.
The Tigers would not make another World Series appearance until winning it in , while the Cubs would not make the Postseason again until
1984 and not appear in another World Series until .
Composite box
1945 World Series (4–3):
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
(A.L.) over
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
(N.L.)
Notes
See also
*
1945 Negro World Series
In the 1945 Negro World Series, the Cleveland Buckeyes, champions of the Negro American League, swept the Washington Homestead Grays, champions of the Negro National League, four games to none.
Summary
Matchups Game 1
The two teams were even ...
References
External links
Detroit Tigers History
{{Major League Baseball on Mutual
World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 World Series, 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The ...
Detroit Tigers postseason
Chicago Cubs postseason
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 World Series, 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The ...
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 World Series, 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The ...
1940s in Chicago
1945 in Detroit
October 1945 sports events in the United States
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