The Trentonian (Trenton, NJ)

Here’s what happened the last time the Cubs were in the Fall Classic ... 71 years ago

- Jay Dunn Baseball

When the 1945 World Series got underway it did not seem remarkable that the Chicago Cubs were one of the participan­ts. After all, this was the Cubs’ 10th appearance in the Fall Classic. At the time only the Yankees and Giants had appeared more frequently.

What was most noteworthy was that there even was a World Series in 1945. Before the season began there was strong sentiment both inside the game and inside the United States government to shut the game down. The U.S. had entered World War II in December, 1941, and since that time baseball had operated with an increasing­ly diluted talent pool. Most of the best players were serving in the military and the major leagues were forced to function with whatever players remained. Most were too old, too young or physically unfit for military duty.

That would definitely describe the Cubs. Through more than half the season 36-yearold Claude Passeau was the junior member of the starting rotation. Then on July 27 they forked over the astonishin­g sum of $97,000 to purchase 29-year-old Hank Borowy from the Yankees. Borowy, who was classified 4-F because of a knee ailment, had already won 10 games for the Yanks. After changing leagues he won 11 more and was instrument­al in helping the Cubs finish three games ahead of the Cardinals, who had won three consecutiv­e war-time pennants.

The American League Tigers didn’t nail down their pennant until the final day of the season.

Looking over the rosters, sportswrit­ers anticipate­d an ugly series. One Chicago scribe predicted dryly that “I don’t think either team can win.” A New York writer likened one game to “picnic baseball” saying the Series matched “the fat men against the tall men.”

World War II had ended seven weeks before the Series began, but this was still wartime baseball in almost every sense. Even war-time travel restrictio­ns were still enforced and, because of that, the first three Series games were scheduled for Detroit, with the remaining four (if necessary) slated for Chicago.

Borowy hurled a six-hit shutout in Game One. The Tigers took the second game but Passeau delivered one-hit gem in Game Three. The Cubs enjoyed a 2-1 lead as the scene shifted to Wrigley Field the following day.

However, the picture wasn’t quite as rosy as the numbers suggested. It was becoming increasing­ly clear to Cubs manager Charlie Grimm that Passeau and Borowy were the only pitchers he could trust. His suspicions were confirmed in the fourth game when starter Ray Prim lasted only 3 1/3 innings as Detroit evened the Series.

Borowy was given the assignment on Sunday and after five innings the teams were locked in a 1-1 battle. Then disaster struck as he was able to get no one out in the sixth. The Tigers scored four runs and went on to post an 8-4 victory. The Cubs needed Game Six just to extend the season and Grimm turned to Passeau, who would be pitching on two days’ rest.

For a while Passeau seemed to be equal to the task. The Cubs held a 5-1 lead after six innings but the starter ran out of gas in the seventh and the bullpen was ineffectiv­e. After eight innings the game was tied, 7-7, and Grimm made a desperatio­n move. He brought Borowy in to pitch in relief.

The previous day’s starter was shaky at first but managed to pitch out of a ninth-inning jam. Then he hit his stride and blanked the Tigers in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings. Meanwhile Tigers reliever Dizzy Trout was also dealing zeroes.

Finally, in the bottom of the 12th, with two out and a runner on first, Stan Hack of the Cubs drove a single into left field. The ball struck a sprinkler head and bounced away from left fielder Hank Greenberg, allowing pinch runner Bill Schuster to score from first.

It was an ugly finish to an ugly game, but it meant the series would go the limit. It also meant Grimm would have to find a pitcher. Mother Nature threw him an assist with a day of rain. That meant that Borowy, who had pitched five innings in Game Five and four more in Game Six, could start Game Seven on one days’ rest. Grimm decided that’s what he would do.

The experiment was shortlived. After Detroit’s first three batters singled, Grimm replaced Borowy with Paul Derringer, another 38-year-old hurler. The Tigers continued their onslaught against Derringer and before the inning was over managed to score five runs. They went on to a 9-3 victory that wrapped up the World Series.

The Cubs couldn’t even say “wait til next year.” The war was over and they knew next year would be drasticall­y different and there might not be another World Series in Wrigley Field. I doubt, however, that anyone considered the possibilit­y that 71 years would pass before the Fall Classic would return to the pretty little ballpark with Ivy growing on the outfield walls. But that’s what happened.

The team that was in its 10th World Series in 1945 is finally getting to play in Number 11 in 2016. During the regular season was hit by 31 pitches, more than twice as many as any other American Leaguer. He took his first postseason plunk in Game One of the World Series and collected an RBI in the process… Counting Game One of the Worled Series the

have lost four games in the postseason. They were shut out in three of the losses. Their team batting average after 11 games is .221… Indians catcher hit only three homers in the regular season. He now has three in the postseason. He probably wouldn’t be playing if had accepted a trade to Cleveland…The were limited to 27 batters (the minimum) when they lost Game Six of the NLCS to the Cubs. It was the first time that happened in a postseason game since 1956, when the Yankees’ threw a perfect game against the Dodgers…Cody saved five of the Indians’ first eight postseason victories… When the defeated the in the final fame of the ALCS, neither team issued a walk. That was the second time that occurred during this postseason.

 ?? THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? A Chicago Cubs fan holds up a sign before Game 1of the World Series on Tuesday night. The Cubs are making their first appearance in the World Series since 1945when they lost to the Tigers in seven games. That Fall Classic featured reserve players...
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A Chicago Cubs fan holds up a sign before Game 1of the World Series on Tuesday night. The Cubs are making their first appearance in the World Series since 1945when they lost to the Tigers in seven games. That Fall Classic featured reserve players...
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