Marius Russo's One-Man Show Leads to Yankees Win Over
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SPORTSMAN'S PARK IN ST. LOUIS Sewell and Cincinnati's Elmer Riddle, and finished Brewers in the Union Association, yielded just one second in ERA (z.3o, behind teammate Max Lanier's hit over two complete games.'3 MARIUS RUSSO'S ONE-MAN 1.90), complete games (24), and shutouts (6). SHOW LEADS TO YANKEES While Cincinnati's Johnny Vander Meer set the NOTES standard by tossing consecutive no-hitters in 1938, Gregory H. Wolf, "Mort Cooper," SABR BioProject. sabtorg/ WIN OVER CARDINALS contemporary accounts of Cooper's gem completely bioproj/person/9c7o7ace. overlooked that he became just the second pitcher to W.J. McGoogan, "Mort Cooper Hurls Second Straight One- October 10, 1943: New York Yankees 2, toss consecutive one-hit shutouts in the modern era Hit Game," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 5,1943: 6A. (defined as since 1893, when the pitcher's rubber was 3 Ibid. St. Louis Cardinals 1, at Sportsman's Park moved back to 6o feet 6 inches from home plate). 4 Ibid. The New York Giants' Rube Marquard (1911) was 5 Jack Cuddy, United Press, "Mort Copper Hurls Second One- Game Four of World Series Hitter," Pittsburgh Press, June 5,1943: 7. the only other. The Chicago Cubs' Lon Warneke BY MIKE HUBER tossed consecutive one-hitters in 1934, but gave up 6 two runs in the second game. Howard Ehmke of 7 J. Roy Stockton, "Extra Innings," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June HE 1943 WORLD SERIES WAS A RE- Russo had been used both as a starter (14 games) the Boston Red Sox (1923) and the Washington 8,1943: 4B. match of 1942's fall classic, with the St. Louis and reliever (to games) during the season. St. Louis Nationals Max Scherzer (2015) are the only pitchers 8 "Cooper Hurls One-Hitter, But Brecheen Loses,,-o," St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees topping turned to Max Lanier, its star southpaw, to try to even to a no-hitter followed by a one-hitter (or vice-versa). Post-Dispatch, June 1,1943: 8A. their respective leagues. However, in 1942, the the series. He sported a record of 15-7 with a league- A trio of nineteenth-century hurlers tossed consecu- 9 McGoogan. ...[ first two games were played in St. Louis and the leading 1.90 ERA. Lanier had lost Game One, 4-2, tive one-hitters, including Hugh Daily (1884 in the ro Stockton. next three were played in New York. In 1943 the first "the victim of a harrowing wild pitch that ruined his Union Association), Toad Ramsey of the American II Ibid. three games were played in New York due to World opening game effort."5 A crowd of 36,196 jammed Association Louisville Colonels in 1886, and Charlie 12 Cuddy. War II travel restrictions, so the Cardinals did not into Sportsman's Park for the show.' Buffinton for the NL Philadelphia Quakers in The next pitchers to toss consecutive one-hitters after Cooper get a chance to capitalize on their home-field ad- The pitchers controlled the game in the first few 1887. Like Ehmke, Ed Cushman of the Milwaukee were Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees (1955), Sam McDowell (1966), Dave Stieb (1988), and R.A. Dickey (wiz). vantage until Game Four, when the Series moved innings. Ray Sanders got the first Cardinals hit in to Sportsman's Park.' the bottom of the second but was forced at second In 1943 the Cardinals had lost "three of their most by Danny Litwhiler for the inning's final out. In the important starters—Enos Slaughter, Terry Moore, top of the third, Russo became the Yankees' first bas- and Johnny Beazley" to military service.' Even so, the erunner by drawing a two-out walk. Tuck Stainback Cards won 105 games in the regular season. For New reached on an error by second baseman Lou Klein, York, Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich, Red Ruffing, and New York had a rally going. Frankie Crosetti and Phil Rizzuto were off at war but they still won stroked a shot to right field for a single. Russo round- 98 games and captured the pennant by 13% games. ed third and headed home, but the relay from right The Yankees entered the game up two games to to first to home cut down the sliding pitcher for the one. The three games in New. York were characterized third out. by sloppy Cardinals defense (eight errors leading to In the New York half of the fourth, Joe Gordon five unearned runs), a lack of St. Louis hitting (no doubled with two outs. Bill Dickey, appearing in his more than seven hits in a game), and late Yankees 37th World Series game with the same club, a new rallies (two—almost three —come-from-behind vic- record (he broke Babe Ruth's record of 36 games),7 tories). For Game Four, the visiting Yankees made came to the plate and singled for an RBI, "before a surprise move and put Marius Russo on the hill. anybody could think of walking him."' New York led, He had been a 1941 All-Star, but his 1943 record was t-o. An inning later Russo doubled with one out, but 5-to and he spent much of the season nursing a bad his teammates could not capitalize with a runner in arm and contemplating retirement.3 Yet in this game scoring position, as Lanier kept the Yankees in check. he brought forth "his talented left-handed pitching Russo defended his one-run advantage until the and even more astonishing right-handed batting."4 seventh inning. With two outs Sanders reached on SPORTSMAN'S PARK IN ST. LOUIS HOME OF THE BROWNS AND CARDINALS AT GRAND AND DODIER an error, as shortstop Crosetti dropped an easy pop Gordon bobbled it and threw late to Crosetti for Gregory H. Wolf, "The St. Louis Cardinals in Wartime," in Berra, played in 14 World Series with a total of 75 games Who's on First: Replacement Players in World War II (Phoenix, with the same club. Both Dickey in the glaring sun. Litwhiler then the force on Cooper. Cooper was initially called and Berra wore number 8 fly, losing the ball safe, Arizona: Society for American Baseball Research, 2015),175. for New York. drove a ball that struck the first-base bag and bounced but he overran the bag, and Crosetti tagged him out. Cort Vitty, "Marius Russo," sabr.org/bioproyperson/fr2997d8. 8 J. Roy Stockton, "Yankees Victors in 4th Game," St. Louis Post- into right field for a double. Yankees manager Joe According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cooper's John Drebinger, "Yanks, With Russo, Beat Cards by 2-1; Lead, Dispatch, October II, 1943: 1o. percentage baseball, loading the "determination was fine, but the momentum played McCarthy played 3-1, in Series," New York Times, October is, 1943: I. 9 Drebinger. bases by intentionally walking Marty Marion. Now old ned with the situation and when he couldn't apply Ibid. 10 Stockton. with the bases loaded and Lanier due up, Cardinals the brakes he just fell away from second base,"'3 The size of the crowd at Sportsman's Park was a few thousand so Drebinger. Southworth had to make a decision. He lowing Crosetti to slap a tag on Cooper and bringing skipper Billy over capacity (34,023), yet this number was dwarfed by the 12 Kurowski was playing with a handicap, as he had suffered a "elected to shoot straight for victory and, without any a loud groan from the fans. approximately 69,000 who watched each of the first three gall-bladder attack the night before the game. He was given outfielder, New York loaded the bases with two outs in games in Yankee Stadium. further hesitation, called upon the veteran the strong sedatives to relieve the pain and spent the morning Frank Demaree, to pinch hit for Lanier."9 ninth, thanks in part to a pair of intentional walks, Dickey played in Game Five as well, extending his record sleeping under the influence of the medication. to 38 games. Another Hall of Fame Yankees catcher, Yogi Demaree grounded to third baseman Billy one of which brought Russo to the plate again. 13 Stockton. Johnson, who fumbled the ball, and everyone was safe McCarthy stuck with his pitcher instead of bringing as Sanders scored the tying run and pandemonium in a pinch-hitter and Russo struck out to bring up broke out at Sportsman's Park. The Cardinals fans the Cardinals in their final at-bat. After Litwhiler in the left- and center-field bleachers showed their grounded out to short, Marion doubled to left field. exuberance by giving "the outfield grass a shower of But Russo buckled down and retired pinch-hitter bottles,"I° which caused a delay in the game and per- Sam Narron and then Klein to end the game. haps caused the St. Louis momentum to fade while Game Four of the fall classic featured a tight the grounds crew came out to clean up. With the pitching duel. Lanier pitched well enough to win, bases loaded, Klein smashed a hard shot to the right scattering four hits and striking out five, but his of second base. Gordon scooped it up and flipped to opponent was better. Russo was the hero for the shortstop Crosetti, covering the bag at second, for out Yankees. Until the seventh inning, he allowed only number three. But the Cardinals had tied the score. three singles and no runners had reached second base. Another lefty, Harry Brecheen, now came on in Had his defense held up, he might have pitched a the top of the eighth inning.