1934 St. Louis Cardinals season
Encyclopedia
The St. Louis Cardinals
season was the team's 53rd season in St. Louis, Missouri
and the 43rd season in the National League
. The Cardinals went 95-58 during the season and finished first in the National League. In the World Series
, they defeated the Detroit Tigers
in seven games, winning the last 11-0.
won the MVP Award this year, with 30 wins, 195 strikeouts, and a 2.66 ERA. He was also named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year
.
According to one account, scrappy shortstop
Leo Durocher
coined the term. He and his teammates were speaking derisively of the American League
, and the consensus was that the Redbirds – should they prevail in the National League
race – would handle whoever won the AL pennant. "Why, they wouldn't even let us in that league over there," Durocher, who had played for the New York Yankees
, observed. "They think we're just a bunch of gashousers." The phrase "gas house" referred to plants that manufactured town gas for lighting and cooking from coal, which were common fixtures in US cities prior to the widespread use of natural gas
. The plants were noted for their foul smell and were typically located near railroad yards in the poorest neighborhood in the city.
Led by playing manager
Frankie Frisch
and the hard-nosed Durocher, as well as stars like Joe Medwick
, Ripper Collins
, Pepper Martin
, and brothers Dizzy
and Paul Dean
, the '34 Cardinals won 95 games, the NL pennant, and the World Series
in seven games over the Detroit Tigers
.
The team featured five regulars who hit at least .300, a 30-game winner in Dizzy Dean (the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in a single season, and the last pitcher in Major League Baseball to do so until Denny McLain
accomplished the feat for the Detroit Tigers), and four All-Stars, including player-manager Frisch. Not among the All-Stars was Collins, the first baseman
who led the team in 16 offensive categories, with stats like a .333 batting average
, a .615 slugging percentage, 35 home runs, and 128 runs batted in.
, and the Tigers took two of the next three in St. Louis
. St. Louis proceeded to win the next two, including an 11-0 embarrassment of the Tigers in Detroit to win the Series. The stars for the Cardinals were Medwick, who had a .379 batting average with one of St. Louis' two home runs and a series-high five RBI, and the Dean brothers, who combined for all four of the teams wins with 28 strikeouts and a minuscule 1.43 earned run average
.
NL St. Louis Cardinals (4) vs. AL Detroit Tigers
(3)
Dizzy Dean
Paul Dean
Pepper Martin
Central League folded, June 10, 1934; Paris franchise transferred to Lufkin and renamed, June 27
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
season was the team's 53rd season in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and the 43rd season in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. The Cardinals went 95-58 during the season and finished first in the National League. In the World Series
1934 World Series
The 1934 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Cardinals' "Gashouse Gang" winning in seven games for their third championship in nine years....
, they defeated the Detroit Tigers
1934 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The season was the team's 34th since entering the American League in . The Tigers won the American League pennant with a record of 101-53, the best winning percentage in team history. The team made its fourth World Series appearance, but...
in seven games, winning the last 11-0.
Offseason
- December 15, 1933: Ray PepperRay PepperRaymond Watson Pepper was a Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of five seasons in the majors, from until , for the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns. Pepper's only season as a regular was , when he finished 10th in the American League in runs batted in with 101 and...
was purchased from the Cardinals by the St. Louis BrownsBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
Regular season
Pitcher Dizzy DeanDizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
won the MVP Award this year, with 30 wins, 195 strikeouts, and a 2.66 ERA. He was also named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year
Associated Press Athlete of the Year
The first Athlete of the Year award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press in 1931. At a time when women in sports were never given the same recognition as men, the AP offered a male and a female athlete of the year award to either a professional or amateur athlete...
.
The Gashouse Gang
The Gashouse Gang was a nickname applied to the Cardinals team of . The Cardinals, by most accounts, earned this nickname from the team's generally very shabby appearance and rough-and-tumble tactics. An opponent once stated that the Cardinals players usually went into the field in unwashed, dirty, and smelly uniforms, which alone spread horror among their rivals.According to one account, scrappy shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Leo Durocher
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
coined the term. He and his teammates were speaking derisively of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
, and the consensus was that the Redbirds – should they prevail in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
race – would handle whoever won the AL pennant. "Why, they wouldn't even let us in that league over there," Durocher, who had played for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, observed. "They think we're just a bunch of gashousers." The phrase "gas house" referred to plants that manufactured town gas for lighting and cooking from coal, which were common fixtures in US cities prior to the widespread use of natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
. The plants were noted for their foul smell and were typically located near railroad yards in the poorest neighborhood in the city.
Led by playing manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Frankie Frisch
Frankie Frisch
Francis “Frankie” Frisch , nicknamed the "Fordham Flash" or "The Old Flash", was a German American Major League Baseball player of the early twentieth century....
and the hard-nosed Durocher, as well as stars like Joe Medwick
Joe Medwick
Joseph Michael Medwick , nicknamed "Ducky", was an American Major League Baseball player. A left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during the "Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers , New York Giants , and Boston Braves...
, Ripper Collins
Ripper Collins
James Anthony "Rip" Collins was a Major League Baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates....
, Pepper Martin
Pepper Martin
Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager. He was known as the Wild Horse of the Osage because of his daring, aggressive baserunning abilities. Martin played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman and an outfielder for the St...
, and brothers Dizzy
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
and Paul Dean
Paul Dean (baseball)
Paul Dee "Daffy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Born in Lucas, Arkansas, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals , the New York Giants , and the St. Louis Browns ....
, the '34 Cardinals won 95 games, the NL pennant, and the World Series
1934 World Series
The 1934 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Cardinals' "Gashouse Gang" winning in seven games for their third championship in nine years....
in seven games over the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
The team featured five regulars who hit at least .300, a 30-game winner in Dizzy Dean (the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in a single season, and the last pitcher in Major League Baseball to do so until Denny McLain
Denny McLain
Dennis Dale "Denny" McLain is a former American professional baseball player, and the last major league pitcher to win 30 or more games during a season —a feat accomplished by only thirteen players in the 20th century....
accomplished the feat for the Detroit Tigers), and four All-Stars, including player-manager Frisch. Not among the All-Stars was Collins, the first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
who led the team in 16 offensive categories, with stats like a .333 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, a .615 slugging percentage, 35 home runs, and 128 runs batted in.
Notable transactions
- May 4, 1934: Francis HealyFrancis Healy (baseball)Francis Xavier Paul Healy was a Major League Baseball catcher who played in parts of four seasons for the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals...
was purchased by the Cardinals from the New York GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
Roster
| 1934 St. Louis Cardinals | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 107 | 347 | 104 | .300 | 9 | 65 | |
| 1B | 154 | 600 | 200 | .333 | 35 | 128 | |
| 2B | 140 | 550 | 168 | .305 | 3 | 75 | |
| 3B | 110 | 454 | 131 | .289 | 5 | 49 | |
| SS | 146 | 500 | 130 | .260 | 3 | 70 | |
| OF | 154 | 647 | 184 | .284 | 11 | 72 | |
| OF | 149 | 620 | 198 | .319 | 18 | 106 | |
| OF | 105 | 337 | 101 | .300 | 0 | 31 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 18 | 5 | .278 | 0 | 1 | |
| 15 | 13 | 4 | .308 | 0 | 1 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 311.2 | 30 | 7 | 2.66 | 195 | |
| 40 | 240.2 | 16 | 11 | 4.26 | 103 | |
| 39 | 233.1 | 19 | 11 | 3.43 | 150 | |
| 32 | 162.2 | 8 | 12 | 4.26 | 70 | |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 12.2 | 0 | 2 | 7.82 | 3 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3.50 | 17 | |
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3.52 | 1 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 1 |
1934 World Series
In the World Series, the Cards and Tigers split the first two games in DetroitDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, and the Tigers took two of the next three in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. St. Louis proceeded to win the next two, including an 11-0 embarrassment of the Tigers in Detroit to win the Series. The stars for the Cardinals were Medwick, who had a .379 batting average with one of St. Louis' two home runs and a series-high five RBI, and the Dean brothers, who combined for all four of the teams wins with 28 strikeouts and a minuscule 1.43 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
NL St. Louis Cardinals (4) vs. AL Detroit Tigers
1934 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The season was the team's 34th since entering the American League in . The Tigers won the American League pennant with a record of 101-53, the best winning percentage in team history. The team made its fourth World Series appearance, but...
(3)
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardinals – 8, Tigers – 3 | October 3 | Navin Field | 42,505 |
| 2 | Cardinals – 2, Tigers – 3 (12 innings) | October 4 | Navin Field | 43,451 |
| 3 | Tigers – 1, Cardinals – 4 | October 5 | Sportsman's Park Sportsman's Park Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From... |
37,073 |
| 4 | Tigers – 10, Cardinals – 4 | October 6 | Sportsman's Park Sportsman's Park Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From... |
37,492 |
| 5 | Tigers – 3, Cardinals – 1 | October 7 | Sportsman's Park Sportsman's Park Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From... |
38,536 |
| 6 | Cardinals – 4, Tigers – 3 | October 8 | Navin Field | 44,551 |
| 7 | Cardinals – 11, Tigers – 0 | October 9 | Navin Field | 40,902 |
League leaders
Ripper CollinsRipper Collins
James Anthony "Rip" Collins was a Major League Baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates....
- #1 in NL in home runs (35)
- #1 in NL in slugging percentage (.615)
- #2 in NL in runs batted in (128)
- #3 in NL in hits (200)
- #3 in NL in runs scored (116)
Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
- #1 in MLB in wins (30)
- #1 in MLB in strikeouts (195)
- #1 in MLB in shutouts (7)
- #2 in NL in earned run average (2.66)
Paul Dean
Paul Dean (baseball)
Paul Dee "Daffy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Born in Lucas, Arkansas, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals , the New York Giants , and the St. Louis Browns ....
- #2 in NL in shutouts (5)
- #3 in NL in strikeouts (150)
Pepper Martin
Pepper Martin
Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager. He was known as the Wild Horse of the Osage because of his daring, aggressive baserunning abilities. Martin played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman and an outfielder for the St...
- #1 in NL in stolen bases (23)
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Columbus, Springfield (Western Assn.), Lincoln, GreensburgCentral League folded, June 10, 1934; Paris franchise transferred to Lufkin and renamed, June 27