1929 World Series
Encyclopedia
In the 1929 World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics
beat the Chicago Cubs
in five games.
The famous "Mack Attack" occurred in 1929, named for manager of the Athletics, Connie Mack
, in which the Athletics overcame an eight-run deficit by scoring ten runs in the seventh inning of Game 4. The inning featured an infamous Cubs moment when center fielder Hack Wilson
lost Mule Haas
' fly ball in the sun resulting in a bases-clearing, inside-the-park home run
, although the A's still trailed 8–7 at that point.
, Athletics manager Connie Mack decided that he would start only right-handed pitchers against the Cubs, and keep his left-handers in the bullpen, even though two of his best starters, Lefty Grove
and Rube Walberg
, were southpaws.
Accordingly, Game 1 featured a surprise start by aging A's pitcher Howard Ehmke
, whose record thirteen strikeout
s bested Ed Walsh
's record from by one, and stood until Carl Erskine
broke it by one in . Ehmke would also start Game 5, but failed to get out of the fourth inning in that one.
in Chicago, Illinois
This was the first World Series game played in Wrigley Field.
The 35-year-old Ehmke's first-game appearance was no sentimental move by Mack. The pitcher was considered to be over the hill; he'd won only seven games, pitched only two complete games, and worked a total of 55 innings in the regular season. Mack chose Ehmke over Grove or Earnshaw because he thought the hard-hitting Cubs would find Ehmke's pitches baffling, and that with Ehmke's sidearm delivery they would have trouble picking up the ball against the white-shirted fans in the bleachers at Wrigley Field. He was proven right, as Ehmke struck out thirteen Cubs, a Series record that would stand until . Howard had spent the last few weeks of the season scouting the Cubs.
Among those in attendance at the game was 9-year-old John Paul Stevens
, who would grow up to become a Supreme Court
Justice
. A lifelong Cubs fan, Stevens later said, "And that was my first game, a tragic game for a young boy to go and see in person!"
in Chicago, Illinois
Jimmie Foxx
became the first player to homer in his first two World Series games.
Game 3 was a strong showing of two defensive teams at their best, and this classic pitchers' duel was a nail biter.
Sticking to his righties-only policy, Mack rolled the dice again in Game 4 by starting 45-year-old Jack Quinn
. Unlike Ehmke, however, Quinn was no challenge to the Cubs hitters, who torched him for seven runs before Mack pulled him in the sixth inning, setting the stage for the "Mack Attack" in the bottom of the seventh.
After Wilson's miscue on Haas' hit, an unknown fan wrote lyrics to "My Old Kentucky Home
" beginning with "The sun shone bright into poor Hack Wilson's eyes..." and ended "So we'll sing one song for the game and fighting Cubs, for the record whiffing Cubs far away." Manager McCarthy, of course, was not in a jovial mood. When a boy came by after the game asking for a baseball, Marse Joe muttered, "Come back tomorrow, and stand behind Wilson, and you'll be able to pick up all the balls you want!"
The 8–0 deficit overcome by the Athletics is the largest in playoff history.
Mack gave Howard Ehmke his second start of the Series, but without the advantage of surprise and without the white shirts in center field, he was not nearly as effective, being touched for two runs and taken out in the fourth inning. The A's rallied with three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Mule Haas tied the game with a two-run homer, and after a double by Al Simmons
and an intentional walk of Jimmie Foxx
, Bing Miller
hit a walk-off double, scoring Simmons to end the game and the Series.
(A.L.) over Chicago Cubs
(N.L.)
1929 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing 1st in the American League with a record of 104 wins and 46 losses. After finishing in second place to the New York Yankees in and , the club won the 1929 pennant by a large 18-game margin...
beat the Chicago Cubs
1929 Chicago Cubs season
- Offseason :* October 3, 1928: Mike Cvengros was drafted by the Cubs from the Wichita Falls Spudders in the 1928 rule 5 draft.* November 7, 1928: Socks Seibold, Percy Jones, Lou Legett, Freddie Maguire, Bruce Cunningham, and $200,000 were traded by the Cubs to the Boston Braves for Rogers...
in five games.
The famous "Mack Attack" occurred in 1929, named for manager of the Athletics, Connie Mack
Connie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
, in which the Athletics overcame an eight-run deficit by scoring ten runs in the seventh inning of Game 4. The inning featured an infamous Cubs moment when center fielder Hack Wilson
Hack Wilson
Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson was an American professional baseball player who played 12 seasons with the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies...
lost Mule Haas
Mule Haas
George William Haas was a center fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1925 through 1938, Haas played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox...
' fly ball in the sun resulting in a bases-clearing, inside-the-park home run
Inside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
, although the A's still trailed 8–7 at that point.
Righties only
Because seven of the eight regulars in the Cubs' batting order hit right-handed, the only exception being first baseman Charlie GrimmCharlie Grimm
Charles John Grimm , nicknamed "Jolly Cholly", was a first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Chicago Cubs; he was also a sometime radio broadcaster, and a popular goodwill ambassador for baseball...
, Athletics manager Connie Mack decided that he would start only right-handed pitchers against the Cubs, and keep his left-handers in the bullpen, even though two of his best starters, Lefty Grove
Lefty Grove
Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove was a professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox, winning 300 games in his 17-year MLB career...
and Rube Walberg
Rube Walberg
George Elvin Walberg was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Giants , Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox . Walberg batted and threw left-handed...
, were southpaws.
Accordingly, Game 1 featured a surprise start by aging A's pitcher Howard Ehmke
Howard Ehmke
Howard Jonathan Ehmke was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best known for being the surprise starter who won Game 1 of the 1929 World Series for the Philadelphia Athletics at the age of 35...
, whose record thirteen strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s bested Ed Walsh
Ed Walsh
Edward Augustine Walsh was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He holds the record for lowest career ERA, 1.82.-Baseball career:Born in Plains Township, Pennsylvania, Walsh had a brief though remarkable major league career...
's record from by one, and stood until Carl Erskine
Carl Erskine
Carl Daniel Erskine is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn & Los Angeles Dodgers from 1948 through 1959...
broke it by one in . Ehmke would also start Game 5, but failed to get out of the fourth inning in that one.
Summary
Game 1
Tuesday, October 8, 1929 at Wrigley FieldWrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
in Chicago, Illinois
This was the first World Series game played in Wrigley Field.
The 35-year-old Ehmke's first-game appearance was no sentimental move by Mack. The pitcher was considered to be over the hill; he'd won only seven games, pitched only two complete games, and worked a total of 55 innings in the regular season. Mack chose Ehmke over Grove or Earnshaw because he thought the hard-hitting Cubs would find Ehmke's pitches baffling, and that with Ehmke's sidearm delivery they would have trouble picking up the ball against the white-shirted fans in the bleachers at Wrigley Field. He was proven right, as Ehmke struck out thirteen Cubs, a Series record that would stand until . Howard had spent the last few weeks of the season scouting the Cubs.
Among those in attendance at the game was 9-year-old John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
, who would grow up to become a Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Justice
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
. A lifelong Cubs fan, Stevens later said, "And that was my first game, a tragic game for a young boy to go and see in person!"
Game 2
Wednesday, October 9, 1929 at Wrigley FieldWrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
in Chicago, Illinois
Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
became the first player to homer in his first two World Series games.
Game 3
Friday, October 11, 1929 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
Game 3 was a strong showing of two defensive teams at their best, and this classic pitchers' duel was a nail biter.
Game 4
Saturday, October 12, 1929 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
Sticking to his righties-only policy, Mack rolled the dice again in Game 4 by starting 45-year-old Jack Quinn
Jack Quinn (baseball)
John Picus "Jack" Quinn, born Joannes Pajkos , was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Quinn pitched for eight teams in three major leagues and made his final appearance at the age of 50.-Biography:Born in Štefurov, Slovakia , Quinn emigrated to America as an...
. Unlike Ehmke, however, Quinn was no challenge to the Cubs hitters, who torched him for seven runs before Mack pulled him in the sixth inning, setting the stage for the "Mack Attack" in the bottom of the seventh.
After Wilson's miscue on Haas' hit, an unknown fan wrote lyrics to "My Old Kentucky Home
My Old Kentucky Home
"My Old Kentucky Home" is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster , probably composed in 1852. It was published as "My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night" in January 1853 by Firth, Pond, & Co. of New York...
" beginning with "The sun shone bright into poor Hack Wilson's eyes..." and ended "So we'll sing one song for the game and fighting Cubs, for the record whiffing Cubs far away." Manager McCarthy, of course, was not in a jovial mood. When a boy came by after the game asking for a baseball, Marse Joe muttered, "Come back tomorrow, and stand behind Wilson, and you'll be able to pick up all the balls you want!"
The 8–0 deficit overcome by the Athletics is the largest in playoff history.
Game 5
Monday, October 14, 1929 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
Mack gave Howard Ehmke his second start of the Series, but without the advantage of surprise and without the white shirts in center field, he was not nearly as effective, being touched for two runs and taken out in the fourth inning. The A's rallied with three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Mule Haas tied the game with a two-run homer, and after a double by Al Simmons
Al Simmons
Aloysius Harry Simmons , born Aloisius Szymanski in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was an American baseball player. He played for two decades in the major leagues as an outfielder, and had his best years as a member of Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics during the 1930's...
and an intentional walk of Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
, Bing Miller
Bing Miller
Edmund John "Bing" Miller was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and coach. Born in Vinton, Iowa, he was 6' tall and weighed 185 pounds and hit and threw right-handed...
hit a walk-off double, scoring Simmons to end the game and the Series.
Composite box
1929 World Series (4–1): Philadelphia AthleticsOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
(A.L.) over Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(N.L.)