World Series 1942

Call them the cardiac Cardinals. The 1942 St. Louis Cards came from behind twice and broke a late-inning tie in one game to beat the New York Yankees in the World Series of my APBA replay of that year.  The Redbirds won the series, 4 games to 1. My Series was true to life: In the actual 1942 Series, St. Louis also took the championship in five games.

It's always weird to hold a Series after completing a long season replay. Gamers know that it takes months, sometimes years, to finish a full season, playing game by game by game. I began this venture on April 18 and ended it a week ago. (I'm just now getting around to writing about it). To finish something like this is an accomplishment, but there's also that emptiness that follows. It's like waiting for Christmas and then once it arrives, its anticlimactic once it's over.

Anyway, here's a recap of the games. The home team is in capitals:

Game 1: ST. LOUIS 3 New York 0

The Cardinals scored in the third when Enos Slaughter drove in Terry Moore and then again in the sixth when Walker Cooper homered with Stan Musial on base. Mort Cooper pitched the full nine innings for St. Louis, giving up only three hits and striking out eight.

Game 2: ST. LOUIS 5 New York 3

The Yankees scored three in the first two innings and Tiny Bonham looked invincible on the mound for New York. However, St. Louis began its first comeback. In a pinch hitting role in the eighth, Harry “The Hat” Walker doubled in Whitey Kurowski for the Cardinals' first run. A walk and hit batsman loaded the bases and Slaughter drove one in, cutting New York's lead to 3-2. Then, with the bases still loaded, Musial clubbed a triple, clearing the bases. Harry Gumbert shut the Yankees down in the ninth for the save and the Cards led two games to zero.

Game 3: St. Louis 7 NEW YORK 5

The Yankees took a 4-1 lead into the sixth when it happened again. Johnny “Hippity” Hopp singled in two runs and pitcher Ernie White drove in two more with his own single. New York tied the game in the seventh when Joe Gordon tripled in Roy Cullenbine to tie the game at five. But Hopp hit his own triple, driving in Walker Cooper for the win. Hopp only had two hits for the Series — both game in Game 3 — and batted .105, but it was enough to win this game.

Game 4: NEW YORK 2 St. Louis 1

Yankees pitcher Hank Borowy gave up only two hits and Charlie Keller homered to give New York their lone win.

Game 5: ST. LOUIS 4 New York 2

Musial and Walker Cooper each hit singles in the first, driving in a run apiece, but New York responded with runs in the first and second to tie the game. In the top of the eight, the cardiac Cards did it again. Walker Cooper hit his second home run of the Series, driving in himself and Musial, whom Red Ruffing walked, and the Cardinals held on. Johnny Beazley went the full nine for the win.

Walker Cooper won the Series MVP by batting .389 with 5 RBIs. Slaughter batted .294 and Musial hit .278.

It was the first time I've done a replay of the 1940s era and, as I always do, I enjoyed the game. I've written before how the game is played: Players roll dice and match results with numbers on players' cards for game outcomes. Gamers play a full season; in this case, I played 1,232 games to recreate the full 1942 season.

Since ending the World Series, I've not played any APBA baseball. I've tinkered with a basketball game — not an APBA product, sorry — but after a week, I'm getting the itch to return to the baseball game. Next up is 1950 and the first time I'll ever roll an at bat for Pirates' Ralph Kiner, who sadly passed away on Feb. 6.