St. Louis Browns third baseman, Paul Speraw, was born on October 5, 1893 in Annville, Pennsylvania. He would be one of two players from Annville to make it to the Major Leagues, with the first being former Browns utility player Ed Miller (1912, 14). Known as both "Polly" and "Birdie" throughout his career, Speraw would enjoy a 16-year pro
St. Louis Browns third baseman, Paul Speraw, was born on October 5, 1893 in Annville, Pennsylvania. He would be one of two players from Annville to make it to the Major Leagues, with the first being former Browns utility player Ed Miller (1912, 14). Known as both "Polly" and "Birdie" throughout his career, Speraw would enjoy a 16-year professional baseball career. In that time he would record 1603 hits in 5779 plate appearances in 1553 games. Many of the statistics from this era were incomplete, however he did register 203 doubles and 47 triples. The Browns would be the only major league team Speraw would play for, however he did see action with 13 minor league teams. There is little information on his life before or after his baseball career.
Speraw began his career at the age of 20 when he signed with the Brocton Shoemakers of the Colonial League in 1914. After two seasons with Brocton, he would play for the Hagerstown Terriers in 1916. For undisclosed reasons, Speraw would step away from baseball from 1917-19.
These were the years surrounding World War I, and many players joined the armed services to support the country. It can only be assumed that Paul Speraw joined the service. He return in 1920, and split time between the Flint Halligans and Joplin Miners, before getting a late season call-up by the St. Louis Browns.
The entire MLB career of Paul Speraw would take place during a 18-5 victory of the Boston Red Sox on September 15, 1920. Speraw would enter the game in top of the sixth inning, replacing Earl Smith at third base. He would go 0-for-2 at the plate, flying out to right filed in the seventh inning and hitting a line drive out to center field in the ninth inning. He would be perfect in the field catching a pop fly by Roxy Walters in the seventh, and fielding a grounder in the eighth. The Browns would already had Jimmy Austin and Marty McManus lined up for the 1921 season, so Speraw would return to the minor leagues.
He would go on to play for nine teams throuhout the minors, including the Peoria Tractors (1923-26, 30), Elmire Colonels (926-28), and the Ceder Rapids Bunnies (1930-32).
There is limited information of Paul Speraw after hsi baseball career. He would settle down in Cedar Rapids, and lived into his sixties. He had plenty of stories of his baseball career, especially that one game he played with the Browns in 1920.
The 1944 World Series, nicknamed 'The Streetcar Series", was possibly the most unpredictable championship series in the history of baseball.
October 4, 1944 - Game one of the "Streetcar Series" (sometimes seen as the "Trolley Series") opened with a packed house at Sportsman's Park. The St. Louis Cardinals would be the home team for the se
The 1944 World Series, nicknamed 'The Streetcar Series", was possibly the most unpredictable championship series in the history of baseball.
October 4, 1944 - Game one of the "Streetcar Series" (sometimes seen as the "Trolley Series") opened with a packed house at Sportsman's Park. The St. Louis Cardinals would be the home team for the series since they won more games than the Browns in the regular season. The Cardinals were loaded with talent and World Series experience. They had three National League MVPs, and this was their third consecutive World Series (defeating the Yankees in 1942, and losing to the Yankees in 1943). The Browns were not supposed to be in the series. For a team that started spring training with just eight players, had to juggle the series of "4F" players and their war responsibilities, everyone was surprise they won 11 of their final 12 to take the American League crown.
The Game One pitching matchup looked about as overmatched as the series itself. The Cardinals gave the ball to the 1942 MVP, RHP Mort Cooper, who was the ace of the staff with a 22-7 record and an ERA of 2.46. The Browns started RHP Denny Galehouse, who finished the season 9-10 with a 3.12 ERA. This was a classic pitching duel, that no one saw coming. Galehouse navigated the Cardinals lineup, giving a little but never giving a lot. In seven of the nine innings Galehouse pitched, he had traffic on the bases and runners in scoring positons. He scattered seven hits and four walks across throughout the game. His only blemish came in the bottom of the ninth inning, when the 1944 MVP SS Marty Marion doubles and later scores on a PH Ken O'Dea fly out.
The Browns offense only had two hits in the entire game. Mort Cooper pitched five perfect innings of 3-up, 3-down baseball. In the top of the forth inning, Cooper would be able to get LF Chet Laabs and SS Vern Stephens to hit pop fly outs. RF Gene Moore broke up Coopers no-hitter with a single to right field. The next batter was 1B George McQuinn, to drove a deep ball over the right field fence for a two-run homer. That hit would be the last hit the Browns offense would be able to drive for the rest of the game.
The improbable Browns defeated the champion Cardinals, 2-1, on just two hits in the fourth inning, which was the lowest number of hits for a series game winner in MLB history.
BROWNS 1, CARDINALS 0
The 1944 American League Champion, St. Louis Browns were right combination of older players (average age of 29.9), established veterans, and wartime castoffs (18 players were classified as '4F' by the military) , that came together in a miracle season.
The Browns were not experiencing anything that other teams were dealing with as well, t
The 1944 American League Champion, St. Louis Browns were right combination of older players (average age of 29.9), established veterans, and wartime castoffs (18 players were classified as '4F' by the military) , that came together in a miracle season.
The Browns were not experiencing anything that other teams were dealing with as well, they were able to advantage of the time and challeneged the powers in the league. Of the 154 games in the season, the Browns only had five players active in just 75% of the games. This was due to several players obligated to work in wartime production factories in 1944. Manager Luke Sewell did a masterful job in juggling the right players on the right days to capture the American League pennant. The Browns would record an 89-65 record, finishing just one game ahead of the powerful New York Yankees. Ironically, this was not the best team record in franchise history, but it was the right record at the time.
Complete 1944 Team Roster
Catchers: Red Hayworth, Frank Mancuso, Tom Turner, Joe Schultz
First Base: George McQuinn
Second Base: Don Gutteridge
Shortstop: Vern Stephens
Third Base: Mark Christman
Outfielders: Gene Moore, Mike Kreevich, Milt Byrnes, Al Zarilla, Chet Laabs, Hal Epps, Frank Demaree, Babe Martin
Infielders: Floyd Martin, Ellis Clary, Len Schulte
Utility Players: Mike Chartak
Pitchers: Jack Kramer, Nels Potter, Bob Muncrief, Sig Jakucki, Denny Galehouse, Al Hollingsworth, Tex Shirley, George Caster, Weldon West, Steve Sundra, Sam Zoldak, Willis Hudlin
Manager: Luke Sewell
Coach: Jack Tobin