SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN WORLD SERIES HISTORY (PART III)

 

1926 WORLD SERIES

YANKEES vs. CARDINALS

GAME 7

 

Prior to 1926, the Cardinals had been absent from championship play for more than three decades. Although they had four Hall of Famers in residence at the start of the season, their victory over the Yankees (who were stocked with franchise greats from top to bottom) would have been highly improbable without the services of fading superstar Grover “Pete” Alexander. Alexander had captured three consecutive Triple Crowns with the Phillies beginning in 1915. But chronic alcohol issues prompted Cubs’ manager Joe McCarthy to place the hurler on waivers in June of 1926. Believing he was worth the risk, the Cardinals added him to their roster. It proved to be a smart move as the 39 year-old veteran won nine games down the stretch and stymied the Yankees in the World Series. 

 

After beating New York in both of his starts, Alexander was called upon to extinguish a seventh inning Yankee rally in Game 7. The Bombers had loaded the bases against Hall of Famer Jesse Haines, who had developed a blister on his pitching hand and could not continue. Rumors abounded that Alexander was still intoxicated from an all-night bender, but the hurler vehemently denied those claims in later interviews. With two outs and the count at 1-1, Tony Lazzeri blasted a long drive down the left field line. Had it stayed fair, it would have given the Yankees a 6-3 lead. But it hooked just foul at the last second, saving Alexander from being labeled a Series “goat.” Lazzeri struck out and “Old Pete” followed with two innings of shutout ball, sealing a 3-2 Series-clinching victory for the Cardinals. There was no Series MVP Award in those days, but Alexander would have been a front-runner.   

SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN WORLD SERIES HISTORY (PART II)

 

1924 WORLD SERIES

NEW YORK GIANTS vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS

GAME 7

 

The Giants were among the most powerful teams in baseball, having captured four consecutive pennants. The Nationals (often referred to as the “Senators”) had established a long tradition of losing, placing sixth or lower in the standings from 1901 through 1911. Their poor performances in the early years inspired a long-running joke: “Washington—first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League.” Trailing three games to two in the Series, the Nationals took the Giants completely off guard with a tense 2-1 victory over veteran pitcher Art Nehf, who was widely considered to be New York’s most reliable big-game pitcher. The Series finale was among the most unusual in history.

 

More than 31,000 fans flocked to Griffith Stadium in D.C. to see if the Nationals could finally shed their image as perennial losers. The Giants jumped out to a 3-1 lead before Washington’s player/manager, Bucky Harris, tied the game with an RBI single that took a bad hop at third base and bounced past Hall of Fame infielder, Freddie Lindstrom. The game was still knotted at three in the bottom of the 12th, when Muddy Ruel of the Nationals hit a one-out pop-up near home plate. It should have been an easy play, but Giants’ catcher Hank Gowdy tripped over his own discarded mask, dropping the ball. Given new life, Ruel ripped a double. Legendary hurler Walter Johnson, who had delivered four innings of scoreless relief for Washington on short rest, followed with a playable grounder to shortstop Travis Jackson. Jackson—a Hall of Famer who carried the nickname “Stonewall” for his sensational defense—booted the ball. Defying credibility, Nationals’ center fielder Earl McNeely followed with a sharp grounder that took another bad hop at third base and bounced into left field, bringing Ruel home with the Series-clinching run. Washington owner Clark Griffith believed it was divine intervention. Relief pitcher Jack Bentley (who was charged with the loss) later said it was one of the “weirdest” games he ever played in.

SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN WORLD SERIES HISTORY (Part I)

 

1906 WORLD SERIES

CHICAGO CUBS vs. CHICAGO WHITE SOX

GAME 5

 

The Chicago Cubs won 116 games in 1906 (a record that still stands) and carried four Hall of Famers on their roster. Their pitchers combined for 30 shutouts (an NL high) and a 1.75 ERA—tops in the majors. They were expected to make quick work of the White Sox, who had stunned the baseball world by capturing the AL pennant with an anemic .230 team batting average. Only one club fared worse at the plate that year—the Boston Nationals, who wound up with 102 losses.

 

With the Series tied at two games apiece, the White Sox defense completely fell apart, spotting the Cubs five unearned runs on an astounding total of six errors. But in a surprising turn of events, the ChiSox—dubbed “The Hitless Wonders” by sportswriters—outmuscled their intra-city rivals by a score of 8-6. Second baseman Frank Isbel led the charge for the Southside crew, clubbing four doubles—a World Series record. The resilient Sox followed their improbable Game 5 victory with another offensive explosion, knocking Hall of Fame pitcher Mordecai Brown out of the box by the second inning. The 8-3 victory completed a stunning upset. The 16 runs scored by the Sox in their last two outings exceeded the club’s collective total in their previous seven games.

MY LATEST BOOK RELEASE: SHOCKTOBER: The Biggest Upsets in World Series History

 

While the Dodgers' victory over the Yankees in the 2024 World Series was far from surprising, baseball's October Showcase has held many twists and turns over the years. The Boston Braves beat the Chicago Cubs in the 1906 Fall Classic after posting an anemic .230 team batting average during the regular season (the lowest mark by any championship team). The so-called "Miracle Mets" won the NL pennant and ousted the powerful Orioles in the 1969 World Series after finishing below .500 in each of the previous seven seasons. And in 2001, the Diamondbacks staged a late-inning, series-clinching rally off of the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history. These stories--along with many others--appear in my latest book: Shocktober: The Greatest Upsets in World Series History.  The book is set for release on January 7, 2025. In anticipation of its arrival, I'll be posting various articles and excerpts in the coming weeks. To order a copy, click the link on the right side of my blog page (may not appear on mobile devices).    

TALES OF THE YANKEE CLIPPER (PART VI) ENEMY ALIENS

 

 

            Prior to World War II, the United States government had adhered to a policy of isolationism. In the wake of the Pearl Harbor Attack, media-fueled hysteria built to a fever pitch. Feeling the need to neutralize a perceived threat from within, the Roosevelt administration unjustly labeled thousands of Italian, German, and Japanese immigrants “enemy aliens.”

            More than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were uprooted from their homes and placed in internment camps. Germans were not only subjected to relocation, but they were also forbidden to own specific items (such as flashlights, cameras, and radios) that might be used to communicate with Nazi sympathizers. More than 600,000 Italian-Americans were forced to deal with travel restrictions and curfews. Joe DiMaggio’s parents were among the many innocent Sicilians who were made to feel like criminals.

             By the time the United States officially entered the war, Giuseppe and Rosalie had been living in America for several decades. Since they couldn’t read or write enough English to pass the naturalization exam, neither of them had the proper documentation. Aware of their connection to the famous Yankee icon, General John DeWitt of the Western Defense Command considered arresting the couple to make an example of them. But in the end, he decided that other restrictive measures would suffice. Giuseppe and Rosalie were forbidden to visit DiMaggio’s Grotto on Fisherman’s Wharf. They were required to carry I.D. papers on them at all times and, if they wished to travel further than five miles from home, they had to request a permit. Giuseppe’s crab boat—a 16-footer named the Rosalie D.—was confiscated along with the vessels of more than a thousand Italians operating on the Pacific Coast.

            The mistreatment of “Enemy Aliens” continued until the end of the war and beyond. Even after hostilities ceased overseas, it took several years to dismantle the internment program. The punitive measures taken against Italian-Americans didn’t sit well with Joltin’ Joe. According to Army officials, he exhibited a “conscious attitude of hostility and resistance” toward his military duties. The Yankee slugger felt that the Army was exploiting his All-Star status for the purpose of public relations. He resented having to play in Army baseball games. And though he was repeatedly hospitalized for chronic abdominal pain, no evidence of an ulcer was detected by military doctors. Major William G. Barrett believed that DiMaggio was fabricating the illness to earn a medical discharge. His suspicions were included in an official report. Joe eventually got the release he had been seeking in September of 1945.

            Rosalie DiMaggio became an official US citizen in 1944. Giuseppe became naturalized the following year. In 2001, the US Department of Justice formally acknowledged the mistreatment of Italian-Americans during the war. The California state legislature waited nine more years to issue a formal apology (of sorts). A 2010 resolution sponsored by Democratic senator Joe Simitian officially expressed “deepest regrets” over actions taken by government officials during the enemy alien ordeal.  

EXCERPTS FROM TALES OF THE YANKEE CLIPPER (PART V) JOE IN HIS BIRTHDAY SUIT

 

 

            DiMaggio was photographed thousands of times during his career. Nearly all of those photos are tasteful. But in 2009, the one he would not have wanted anyone to see finally surfaced.

            The photo—a full frontal shot of Joe standing naked in the showers at Yankee Stadium—appeared in a San Francisco art gallery exhibit. It later passed into the possession of an auction house and went up for sale. The auctioneers provided the following description of the graphic picture: “Obviously aware of being photographed in such a state, [DiMaggio] is seen smiling for the camera—a young Joe, perhaps still in the 1930s, still in his purest youth. We are not sure how the photo made it to this point, but it is 100% authentic, first generation, and vintage.” An unidentified man—only partially in the frame—is standing shoulder to shoulder with Joe in the shot.      

            At least one source claimed that the photo was a sham. Morris Engelberg, attorney for the DiMaggio estate and one of Joe’s most trusted advisors, commented to reporters, “I could never imagine Joe DiMaggio, this private individual, ever letting anyone take a photo of him in the nude with someone next to him. When Joe DiMaggio went to the bathroom in a restaurant, I always had to escort him. And I made sure no one took a picture of him at the urinal.” Engelberg’s comments about Joe being intensely private are indisputable. The self-conscious Yankee idol strenuously avoided situations that might cause him embarrassment throughout his career. And it would indeed have been highly out of character for him to allow such a photo to be taken.

            The New York Post published Engelberg’s comments under a facetious headline reading, “Lawyer: That’s Not Joltin’ Joe’s Penis.” Speculating on the identity of the man standing next to DiMaggio, a writer from the San Francisco Chronicle comically reported, “A similar photo of Mantle recently surfaced. Collect the entire set. Bonus mystery: Next to DiMaggio in the photo is an unidentified guy. Is it a Yankee teammate? A coach? A stadium peanut vendor? Maybe it’s Engelberg letting down his guard.” Though the New York Daily News couldn’t verify the picture’s authenticity, a correspondent claimed that it had been taken in 1939.

            Genuine or fraudulent, the one of a kind photo was acquired for more than $17,000 by John Rogers—owner of the Rogers Photo Archive. Comprised of more than 40 million images, Rogers’ private collection is among the largest in the world.            

EXCERPTS FROM TALES OF THE YANKEE CLIPPER (PART IV) DIMAGGIO'S STALKER

 

    While recovering from an injury at the beginning of the 1949 campaign, DiMaggio began receiving love notes from a woman he was not acquainted with. At the same time, letters started turning up at the offices of various New York gossip columnists. They were signed by a woman calling herself “Junior Standish,” who claimed to be in a romantic relationship with the Yankee slugger. DiMaggio was familiar with a Broadway dancer of the same name, but had never actually dated her. When a handful of columnists reported that the two had become a couple, DiMaggio and Standish both made public statements to the contrary.

            The plot thickened when the mysterious letter-writer attempted to make contact with DiMaggio at his hotel. After being turned away, she sent a note threatening suicide if her efforts to meet him were thwarted in the future. Alarmed by this turn of events, Yankee PR-man Arthur Patterson contacted the police and enlisted the help of a bodyguard to protect Joe.  

            While police were investigating the matter, another note containing suicidal threats was delivered to DiMaggio’s hotel room. Hoping to produce some tangible leads regarding the author’s identity, details were leaked to the press. A 30-year-old woman was eventually taken into custody. While being interrogated by the assistant district attorney in Manhattan, she suffered a mental breakdown, screaming hysterically and threatening to kill herself. Police transported her to a Bronx hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Doctors agreed to release her into the custody of her father on the condition that she seek counseling and leave DiMaggio alone. She agreed to the arrangement and never bothered Joe again. Her identity was not disclosed to the press.

            Incidents of a darker nature had plagued major-league baseball on prior occasions. A few weeks before DiMaggio’s stalker was taken into custody, a 19-year-old office worker named Ruth Steinhagen shot Phillies’ first baseman Eddie Waitkus in a Chicago hotel room. The troubled teen, who had developed an unhealthy obsession with Waitkus, ended up in a state psychiatric hospital, where she remained for three years. Waitkus recovered and played six more seasons. A similar scene had unfolded in 1932, when Cubs shortstop Billy Jurges was shot at the Carlos Hotel in Chicago by a showgirl named Violet Popovich. Jurges had broken off a casual relationship with Popovich, prompting her to behave irrationally. The infielder was shot twice—once in the hand and again in the ribs—but returned to action that year. He played in the majors until 1948.