Tournament of Champions MVPs

Sportswriters voted on two MVPs for the Tournament of Champions: one for the final round and one for the overall tournament.

There were several worthy candidates for the finals MVP. The award could have gone to Cardinals right fielder Jack Rothrock, who batted .370 with one homer, 6 RBI and 5 runs scored. Plus, he delivered the clutch hit the drove in the game-winning runs in Game 7. Another top candidate was Indians shortstop Lou Boudreau, who batted .480 and scored 6 runs. Redbird left fielder Joe Medwick tied Boudreau for the series lead with 12 hits, while batting .414.

Emerging from that crowded field to capture the finals MVP is Ken Keltner. The Cleveland third baseman batted .370 and led all players with 3 home runs and 8 RBI. He also scored 7 runs (tied with Ripper Collins for the series lead) and drew a pair of walks. Keltner's productive bat helped fuel the Indians drive that tied the series and forced a Game 7.

As for the overall Tournament of Champions MVP, the award goes to Dizzy Dean. The Cardinals ace posted a 2.00 ERA, while appearing in five games in the three rounds. He threw 11 scoreless innings in an epic Round 2 matchup against Slim Jones. Ol' Diz struck out 30 batters in 36 innings and won Game 1 of the finals with a dominant complete game effort. He furthermore kept his team in Game 7 by allowing just two earned runs in eight innings. Dean told reporters he will proudly display his Tournament of Champions trophy next to his 1934 regular season MVP award.

1934 Cardinals vs. 1948 Indians Game 7

For this deciding Game 7, Lou Boudreau gave the ball to his trusted ace Bob Feller. Frankie Frisch countered with Dizzy Dean, just had he did in the 1934 World Series when Dean lost Game 5 but came back to start Game 7 on short rest. For this championship game, Dizzy would be taking the mound with two days' rest, so I gave him a -3 modifier to his Effectiveness, Strikeout, and Control ratings.

In the bottom of the first, Joe Medwick doubled home Ripper Collins to give St. Louis an early lead. In the top of the third Bob Feller lifted a short fly ball to right. Jack Rothrock misjudged its flight as he charged in too fast. Realizing his mistake, Rothrock leaped up but ball grazed the top of his glove and rolled to the wall. Feller put his head down and circled all the way around the bases to tie the game. In the top of the fifth, Ken Keltner singled home Larry Doby to put the Indians up by one. Joe Gordon followed with what looked to be a sure hit up the middle, but shortstop Leo Durocher made diving play to prevent another run from scoring. The Redbirds tied it an inning later with a Collins single that drove in Frisch.

In the top of the eighth, Boudreau stood at second with two outs. Thurman Tucker ripped a fastball from a tiring Dean into right to score Boudreau with the go-ahead run. Indians reliever Satchel Paige worked out of trouble in the bottom of the frame when Ernie Orsatti struck out on a hit-and-run, allowing Jim Hegan to gun down Durocher at third. St. Louis reliever Bill Walker sent down the Indians in order in the top of the ninth. Cleveland needed just three more outs to complete the improbable comeback and claim the championship.

Ripper Collins led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, his third hit of the game. Paige retired Medwick on a pop out, putting the Tribe just two outs away from victory. With the fans at Sportsman's Park on the edge of their seats, catcher Bill DeLancey singled up the middle to put runners at first and second. Even though the hit-and-run backfired an inning earlier, Frisch called for it again. Rothrock awaited the pitch, hoping to make up for his earlier miscue. The Redbird right fielder laced a drive down the right field line that bounded into the corner. With the runners in motion, Collins scored easily and DeLancey came all the way around to slide home with the winning run.

The dramatic ninth inning rally lifts the Gas House Gang to victory. The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals are the winners of the Tournament of Champions!  

St. Louis 4, Cleveland 3

1934 Cardinals vs. 1948 Indians Game 6

As the series returned to Sportsman's Park, the Cardinals hoped to finish things off with Paul Dean on the mound. In Game 2 of the finals, "Daffy" had tossed a two-hit shutout. But the Indians seem to be energized by having their backs to the wall. Counting the first round, Cleveland has won five straight elimination games in this tournament. Starter Bob Lemon hoped to extend that streak to six.

The Indians jumped out to an early lead with three hits in the first, including an RBI single from Ken Keltner. A Leo Durocher error in the next frame allowed the Tribe to plate a second run. Eddie Robinson drove in a run in the fourth and Larry Doby delivered an RBI in the fifth to push the lead to four. A Ripper Collins error in the sixth gave Cleveland a 5-0 lead. Reliever Tex Carlton could not keep the visitors at bay, surrendering two more tallies in the seventh.

As his lead grew, Lemon remained in command. The Hall-of-Famer allowed only one hit to the Redbirds through six innings. The Cardinals finally scored in the seventh when Durocher doubled home Jack Rothrock. Cleveland added to its lead in the ninth with a Jim Hegan sac fly. Lemon gave up a solo homer to Rothrock in the bottom of the ninth, before closing out the four-hitter.

Just a few days ago, the Indians looked like they were going to be swept. But now Boudreau's boys have won three in a row to force a Game 7 against the Gas House Gang. One final battle remains in the Tournament of Champions!

Cleveland 8, St. Louis 2

1934 Cardinals vs. 1948 Indians Game 5

With his team still in a deep hole, Lou Boudreau called on his star rookie southpaw Gene Bearden to start Game 5. Frankie Frisch gave the ball to Dizzy Dean, who had thus far in the tournament allowed only one earned run in 23 innings. The Cardinals were confident they could wrap up the series with their 30-game winner on the mound.

This optimism increased when Pepper Martin led off the game with a double and later scored on a Ripper Collins groundout. The Indians, however, had other plans. In the bottom of the first they tagged Ol' Diz for five runs, with Boudreau and Keltner contributing RBI doubles and Gordon belting a two-run homer. St. Louis garnered an unearned run in the second, but Cleveland soon answered when Larry Doby scored on a wild pitch.

The Cardinals roughed up Bearden with four straight hits in the top of the sixth to cut the deficit to 6-5. Dale Mitchell pushed the lead back to two in the bottom of the frame with an RBI double. Rothrock delivered an RBI single for the visitors in the seventh, but a Keltner home run and Hegan sac fly plated two more for the Indians. In the top of the eighth, Cleveland reliever Steve Gromek allowed two hits and three walks, which the Redbirds converted into two runs. With the home team again clinging to a one-run lead, Boudreau stuck with Gromek in the ninth. The right-hander rebounded to send the Cardinals down in order and preserve the win.

The momentum has shifted as the series moves back to St. Louis for Game 6.

Cleveland 9, St. Louis 8

1934 Cardinals vs. 1948 Indians Game 4

With their backs to the wall, the Indians turned to Bob Feller to stave off elimination. With a three-game lead in the series, St. Louis decided to save Dizzy Dean and start Tex Carleton (16-11, 4.26 ERA) in Game 4. What followed was an offensive explosion in which both teams combined for 28 hits.

The Cardinals struck early with an RBI double from Frankie Frisch and an RBI single from Joe Medwick in the top of the first. Cleveland claimed the lead in the bottom of the first when Ken Keltner belted a three-run homer. Leo Durocher drilled a solo shot in the top of the fourth to tie the game. With Carleton removed for a pinch hitter, Bill Hallahan came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth. The St. Louis lefty stepped into a nightmare inning that began with a Ripper Collins error that allowed Wally Judnich to reach. Eddie Robinson followed with a home run. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Boudreau, who drew a walk to drive in another. Keltner popped out, but Joe Gorden blasted a grand slam into the left field seats to put Cleveland up by seven.

Durocher singled in a run in the top of the fifth to chip away at the lead, but another Collins error and two sac flies allowed Cleveland to answer in the bottom of the frame. Cleveland added another run in the sixth on a Boudreau RBI single. Pepper Martin homered in the top of the eighth for the Cards, but the Indians plated two runs off Jim Mooney in the bottom of that frame to complete the drubbing of the visitors.

The Indians hitters hope to continue their momentum in Game 5 at Municipal Stadium. The Redbirds hope to wrap things up with Dizzy Dean ready to go.

Cleveland 14, St. Louis 5

1934 Cardinals vs. 1948 Indians Game 3

Looking to get his team back on track, Lou Boudreau called on 20-game winner Bob Lemon to start Game 3. Frankie Frisch gave the ball to his effective southpaw Bill Walker (12-4, 3.12 ERA).

Cleveland jumped out to an early lead when Joe Gordon lined a double into the left-center field gap to drive in two in the bottom of the first. Two innings later, Ken Keltner belted a solo homer to increase the home team's lead to three. In the top of the fourth, back-to-back-to-back hits from Ripper Collins, Joe Medwick, and Bill DeLancey plated two runs for the Redbirds. Following a groundout and a dropped foul pop by Indians catcher Joe Tipton, Jack Rothrock sliced a double down the left field line to drive in the tying run.

The game remained knotted at three into the eighth inning. In the top of that frame, singles by Frisch and Medwick and a double from DeLancey gave St. Louis the lead. Satchel Paige came on to relieve Lemon, but Orsatti greeted him with a double that scored two more for the Cards. Cleveland narrowed the deficit in the bottom of the eighth when Eddie Robinson singled to drive in Keltner. But Medwick tagged Paige for a two-run homer to right in the top of the ninth to increase the Redbird lead to four. Jesse "Pop" Haines retired the Indians in order in the ninth to close out the victory.

The series returns to Municipal Stadium for Game 4 with the Cardinals up three games to none.

St. Louis 8, Cleveland 4

1934 Cardinals vs. 1948 Indians Game 2

The second game of the championship series featured a matchup of star rookie pitchers: Gene Bearden (20-7, 2.43 ERA) vs. Paul Dean (19-11, 3.43 ERA). Both young hurlers were up to the challenge.

In the top of the third, Cleveland catcher Jim Hegan led off with a double and advanced to third on Bearden's sacrifice bunt. But Dale Mitchell lined into a double play to end the threat. In the bottom of the fifth, St. Louis loaded the bases with two outs but could not score. An inning later, singles by Medwick and Rothrock put Cardinals at the corners with just one out. Cleveland pulled the infield in, a move that proved wise after Eddie Robinson fielded an Orsatti grounder and gunned down Medwick at the plate. Bearden looked like he would escape the frame unscathed, but Spud Davis followed with a two-out double to drive in two runs for the home team. That was all Dean needed as he allowed only two hits in a masterful complete-game shutout.

After the game, Dizzy Dean (who gave up only one run in winning Game 1) told his brother Paul, "If I'd have known you was gonna throw a shutout, I'd have thrown one too!" The series moves to Cleveland for Game 3 with the Cardinals up two games to none.

St. Louis 2, Cleveland 0