On October 4, 1948, In a one-game playoff, the Cleveland Indians, behind the five-hitter tossed by 28 year-old rookie southpaw Gene Bearden, beat the Red Sox for the AL Pennant, 8-3. The complete-game victory marks the young knuckleballer’s 20th victory of the season. Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau bangs out two home runs and…
On October 3, 1946 – The St. Louis Cardinals win the National League pennant by beating the Brooklyn Dodgers 8 – 4 and sweeping a best-of-three playoff.
Sponsor this Page On September 30, 1945, Hank Greenberg hits a dramatic ninth inning grand slam home run to give the Detroit Tigers a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Browns. Just back from duty in World War II, the Browns were up 3-2 entering the 9th, with 2 on and 1 out, Nelson…
The Browns, for the first and only time in their history, clinch the American League pennant when they beat the defending world champion Yankees at Sportsman’s Park, 5-2. A pair of two-run homers hit by Chet Laabs, an All-Star outfielder in 1943 who has seen limited duty this season due to his job at a wartime defense plant, provides most of the team’s offensive output.
1943 – The Cardinals clinch the National League pennant. Howie Pollet, Max Lanier, and Mort Cooper will rank 1-2-3 in NL ERA, and Al Brazle at 1.53 and Harry Brecheen at 2.27 are near the same level. For hitting, Redbirds prime with Whitey Kurowski, Walker Cooper, and Stan Musial, who in his second season hits .357 and has 220 hits, 347 total bases, 48 doubles and 20 triples.
On the last day of the regular season, the Cardinals clinch the National League pennant as sore-armed hurler Ernie White throws a five-hit complete-game, beating the Cubs in the first game of a twin bill, 9-2. The Redbirds also win the nightcap to finish the season with 11 victories in their final 12 games.
1941 – Combined with a Cardinal defeat, the Dodgers win their first pennant in 21 years when they beat the Braves, 6 – 0. Whitlow Wyatt throws a five-hitter and Pete Reiser hits a homer in the winning cause.
On September 4, 1941, the New York Yankees become the earliest pennant-clinching team in major league history. The Yankees double up the Boston Red Sox, 6-3, to improve to 91-45 and guarantee another American League title. The Yankees will coast to a final ledger of 101-53… @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IGp1c3QgY2xpY2sgdGhlIHRhZ3MhICAiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsImxpbmtfdG9fdGVybV9wYWdlIjoib24iLCJzZXBhcmF0b3IiOiIgfCAiLCJjYXRlZ29yeV90eXBlIjoicG9zdF90YWcifX0=@
The Reds clinch the National League flag, outdistancing the Dodgers and the late-rushing Cardinals. Bill McKechnie’s Cincinnati team makes only 117 errors during the season, 18 less than any previous team. The .981 fielding mark is the best up to this time. The defense, plus the pitching of Bucky Walters, Paul Derringer, and reliever Joe Beggs, brings the second straight NL flag to the Reds, despite multiple injuries to Ernie Lombardi. The big catcher went down again on September 15th, and the club turns to 39-year-old coach Jimmy Wilson for some of the backstopping. Wilson will end up as a World Series hero.
The Yankees clinch their eighth pennant with a doubleheader sweep of the Tribe at Cleveland’s League Park. The Bronx Bombers will finish the season 19.5 games ahead of Detroit, for their largest margin in franchise history.
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