1945 World Series

Infobox World Series Expanded


year = 1945
champion = Detroit Tigers (4)
champion_manager = Steve O'Neill
champion_games = 88-65, .575, GA: 1½
runnerup = Chicago Cubs (3)
runnerup_manager = Charlie Grimm
runnerup_games = 98-56, .636, GA: 3
date = October 3–October 10
MVP =
television =
announcers =
radio_network = Mutual.
radio_announcers = Bill Slater and Al Helfer.
umpires = Bill Summers (AL), Lou Jorda (NL), Art Passarella (AL), Jocko Conlan (NL)
HOFers = Tigers: Hank Greenberg, Hal Newhouser.
Cubs: none.
ALCS =
NLCS =

The 1945 World Series matched the American League Detroit Tigers against the National League Chicago Cubs. The Tigers won the Series, 4 games to 3, giving them their second championship and first since 1935.

Paul Richards picked up 4 runs batted in in the 7th game of the series, to lead the Tigers to the 9-3 game win, and 4-3 Series win.

The World Series 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. Many of the majors' better 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, who had been discharged from military service early. He hit the only two Tigers homers in the Series, and scored 7 runs overall and also drove in 7.

The Curse of the Billy Goat originated in this Series. As of 2008, this is the last appearance for the Chicago Cubs in the Fall Classic. Having last won the Series in 1908, the Cubs own the dubious record of both the longest league pennant drought and the longest World Series drought in history.

The Series was a rematch between the two opponents of the 1935 World Series. In that Series' final game, Stan Hack had led off the top of the ninth inning of Game 6 with a triple but was stranded, and 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."

In an unknowing foreshadowing of their future, the Cubs would win two of three in relatively spacious Briggs Stadium but would lose three of four in the relatively hitter-friendly confines of Wrigley Field.

The 1945 World Series is referenced in the Steve Goodman song "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request" when Goodman says, "The law of averages says, anything will happen that can, but the last time the Cubs won a National League Pennant was the year we dropped the bomb on Japan."

ummary

AL Detroit Tigers (4) vs NL Chicago Cubs (3)

Matchups

Game 1

Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, MichiganLinescore
Road=Chicago|RoadAbr=CHC
R1=4|R2=0|R3=3|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=2|R8=0|R9=0|RR=9|RH=13|RE=0
Home=Detroit|HomeAbr=DET
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=0|HH=6|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Hank Borowy (1-0)|LP=Hal Newhouser (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=Phil Cavarretta (1)|HomeHR=|

Game 2

Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, MichiganLinescore
Road=Chicago|RoadAbr=CHC
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=1|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=1|RH=7|RE=0
Home=Detroit|HomeAbr=DET
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=4|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=4|HH=7|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Virgil Trucks (1-0)|LP=Hank Wyse (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=|HomeHR=Hank Greenberg (1)|

Game 3

Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, MichiganLinescore
Road=Chicago|RoadAbr=CHC
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=2|R5=0|R6=0|R7=1|R8=0|R9=0|RR=3|RH=8|RE=0
Home=Detroit|HomeAbr=DET
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=0|HH=1|HE=2
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Claude Passeau (1-0)|LP=Stubby Overmire (0-1)|SV=|

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:

Name Team League SeriesEd Reulbach Chicago Cubs N.L. 1906 World Series (1-hitter)Bill Bevens New York Yankees A.L. 1947 World Series (1-hitter)Don Larsen New York Yankees A.L. 1956 World Series (perfect game)Jim Lonborg Boston Red Sox A.L. 1967 World Series (1-hitter)

Game 4

Saturday, October 6, 1945 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisLinescore
Road=Detroit|RoadAbr=DET
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=4|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=4|RH=7|RE=1
Home=Chicago|HomeAbr=CHC
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=1|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=1|HH=5|HE=1
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Dizzy Trout (1-0)|LP=Ray Prim (0-1)|SV=|

Game 5

Sunday, October 7, 1945 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisLinescore
Road=Detroit|RoadAbr=DET
R1=0|R2=0|R3=1|R4=0|R5=0|R6=4|R7=1|R8=0|R9=2|RR=8|RH=11|RE=0
Home=Chicago|HomeAbr=CHC
H1=0|H2=0|H3=1|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=2|H8=0|H9=1|HR=4|HH=7|HE=2
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Hal Newhouser (1-1)|LP=Hank Borowy (1-1)|SV=|

Game 6

Monday, October 8, 1945 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisLinescore
Road=Detroit|RoadAbr=DET
R1=0|R2=1|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=2|R8=4|R9=0|R10=0|R11=0|R12=0|RR=7|RH=13|RE=1
Home=Chicago|HomeAbr=CHC
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=4|H6=1|H7=2|H8=0|H9=0|H10=0|H11=0|H12=1|HR=8|HH=15|HE=3
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Hank Borowy (2-1)|LP=Dizzy Trout (1-1)|SV=
RoadHR=Hank Greenberg (2)|HomeHR=|

Game 7

Wednesday, October 10, 1945 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisLinescore
Road=Detroit|RoadAbr=DET
R1=5|R2=1|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=1|R8=2|R9=0|RR=9|RH=9|RE=1
Home=Chicago|HomeAbr=CHC
H1=1|H2=0|H3=0|H4=1|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=1|H9=0|HR=3|HH=10|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Hal Newhouser (2-1)|LP=Hank Borowy (2-2)|SV=|

Composite Box

1945 World Series (4-3): Detroit Tigers (A.L.) over Chicago Cubs (N.L.)Linescore
Road=Detroit Tigers
R1=5|R2=2|R3=1|R4=4|R5=4|R6=4|R7=4|R8=6|R9=2|R10=0|R11=0|R12=0|RR=32|RH=54|RE=5
Home=Chicago Cubs
H1=5|H2=0|H3=4|H4=4|H5=4|H6=2|H7=7|H8=1|H9=1|H10=0|H11=0|H12=1|HR=29|HH=65|HE=6Total Attendance: 333,457 Average Attendance: 47,637Winning Player’s Share: – $6,443 Losing Player’s Share – $3,930cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/wsshares.shtml|title=World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares|accessdate=2008-05-07|publisher=Baseball Almanac] |

Notes

References

*Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. "The World Series." 1st ed. New York: St Martins, 1990. (Neft and Cohen 201-206)
*Reichler, Joseph, ed. (1982). "The Baseball Encyclopedia" (5th ed.), p. 2153. MacMillian Publishing. ISBN 0-02-579010-2.
*cite web |author=Forman, Sean L. |title=1945 World Series |date= |work=Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. |url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1945_WS.shtml |accessdate=2007-12-09

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1945_WS.shtml 1945 World Series at Baseball-Reference.com]
* [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1945 1945 World Series at "WorldSeries.com (MLB.com)"]
* [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/yr1945ws.shtml 1945 World Series at Baseball-Almanac.com]
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/YPS_1945.htm 1945 World Series box scores and play-by-play at Retrosheet.org]
* [http://www.detroit-tigers-baseball-history.com Detroit Tigers History]