1944 WORLD SERIES - "THE STREETCAR SERIES"

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 positions. 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

After a stunning victory of the Browns over the Cardinals in game one, the second game was another match up between two of the best pitchers on both squads. The Browns had 19-game winner RHP Nels Potter set to battle the Cardinals' 17-game winner LHP Max Lanier. Both pitchers would give up just two runs as the game stretched into extra innings.  

The Cardinals scored early in the third and fourth innings. In the third inning, 2B Emil Verban singles, and later reached third base on a throwing error by Browns 1B Georeg McQuinn. LF Augie Bergamo would hit into a fielder choice, scoring Verban. In the fourth inning, the Cardinals would load the bases with a walk, a single, and an error by 3B Mark Christman. Verban would drive a sacrifice fly deep to left field, scoring 1B Ray Sanders from third. 

The Browns would tie the game with two runs in the top of the seventh inning. RF Gene Moore would single, followed by catcher Red Hayworth's double that brought in Moore. The next batter, PH Frank Mancuso would drive in Mancuso with an RBI single. 

The bull pens would take over after the seventh inning, as the teams remained tied at 2-2 going into the 11th inning. In his fifth inning of action, Browns RHP Bob Muncrief gave up a leadoff single to Ray Sanders who was moved to second base on a Whitey Kurowski bunt. MVP Marty Marion was intentionally walked. Batting for Verban, PH Ken O'Dea would single to right field and Sanders would out run the throw to the plate. 

The Cardinals' 11-inning victory would even the series at one game a piece, with both them looking to take momentum back with game three. 

BROWNS 1, CARDINALS 1

The Browns offense has their breakout game of the series, scoring six runs off  Cardinals pitching leading to a 6-2 victory. As of game three, the story of this World Series is the bat of Browns 1B George McQuinn. In the first three games, McQuinn would go 5-for-8, including a double, and a home run, while driving in four of the ten Brown's runs. He would be perfect in game three with three hits, including a double, run scored and two RBIs. 

The Cardinals, who were the visiting team in game 3, started the scoring in the first inning. After CF Johnny Hopp reached base on error by Browns' SS Vern Stephens, Cardinals 3B Whitey Kurowski drives in Hopp with and RBI single. 

The Browns answered with four runs in the fourth inning. The Browns would record five straight singles off Cardinals starter Ted Wilks. With two outs, RF Gene Moore, and Vern Stephens would start the hitting brigade with singles. George McQuinn, LF Al Zarilla, and 3B Mark Christman would then follow with a series of RBI singles. After Wilkes is replaced by RHP Freddy Schmidt, catcher Red Hayworth would be walked to load the bases. Schmidt would then hurl a wild pitch to score Zarilla to cap the Browns scoring in the inning. 

In the top of the seventh, the Cardinals' Kurowski would reach base on an error by 2B Don Gutteridge. SS Marty Marion would drive a single to center, scoring Kurowski from second base. 

The Browns responded with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Gutteridge would lead off the inning with a double, and advancing to third on a fielders choice. With two outs, SS Vern Stephens would walk and Gutteridge would score on a wild pitch on ball four. McQuinn would follow with RBI double scoring Stephens from first base. 

Browns RHP Jack Kramer would pitch around seven hits, and both of the runs allowed where unearned runs. Kramer would strike out 10 batters, which would be most in franchise history. The Browns would score six runs in game three, and just five runs in the rest of the series. 

BROWNS 2, CARDINALS 1

Going into Game 4, the Browns had been able to contain the strong Cardianls offensive attack. Browns pitching had kept the Cardinals' legend, Stan Musial, to a .250 average  (3-for-12) with no direct impact on scoring in the series. The Cardinals had averaged just seven hits and just five total runs in the first three games. The Browns pitching staff had the Cardinals lineup caught completely off guard. In game four, the Browns had RHP Sig Jakucki rested and ready to win his first game of the series. 

The Cardinals greeted Jakucki in the top of the first inning with a single by CF Johnny Hopp followed by a 2-run homer off the bat of Stan Musial, going up 2-0. 

The Cardinals added a run in the third inning as RF Danny Litwhiler and Musial both single to start the inning. Catcher Walker Cooper would single in Litwhiler, while Musial would score on a misplayed ground ball Browns 2B Don Gutteridge. 

RHP Al Hollingsworth would replace Jakucki in the fourth inning, and slow down the Cardinals bats until the sixth inning. In the sixth the Cardinals would add a run with 1B Ray Sanders leading off with a single to left and scoring on  a double by SS Marty Marion. 

RHP Tex Shirley would pitch the final two innings or the Browns. 

The Browns would finally get on the board in the eighth inning. RF Gene Moore would earn a walk, move to third on a single by SS Vern Stephens, and come in to score on a double by LF Chet Laabs. 

The Browns had no answer to Cardinals starting pitcher, Harry "The Cat" Brecheen, who would give up nine hits and just one run in his 5-1 complete game victory. 

This game was the turning point of the series. The experience of the National League champions began to over power the inexperienced, lesser American League champions. The Cardinals began to run away with the series. 

BROWNS 2, CARDINALS 2

In a pitching rematch of game one, the Cardinals sent Mort Cooper to duel with the Browns' Denny Galehouse. This game would play out nearly the same as in game one, with only two hits in the game accounting for all the scoring. In this game, the Cardinals would be the team to win the duel, 2-0. Galehouse would strikeout ten Cardinals while giving up just six hits. The only blemishes came with two of the the Cardinals hits were solo home runs. 

With two outs in the sixth inning, 1B Ray Sanders hit a homer to deep right field, and LF Danny Litwhiler would lead off the eighth inning with a solo home run. 

Outside of these two homers, Galehouse limited the Cardinal offense to just a double by RF Stan Musial, and two singles by 3B Whiley Kurowski and 2B Emil Verban. 

Mort Cooper would shut down the Browns offense with 12 strikeouts, while allowing just seven hits. He allowed doubles to SS Vern Stephens and CF Mike Kreevich, but did not allow either runner to third base. Stephens and Kreevich accounted for five of the Browns' seven hits. Catcher Red Hayworth and Denny Galehouse would hit the last two singles for the Browns. 

Cooper and Galehouse would both have 1-1 records in the series, and both pitched amazing games where the winners mirrored each other's success. 

BROWNS 2, CARDINALS 3

In a pitching rematch from game two, the Cardinals would be able to rally in the fourth inning to top the American League Champions, 3-1, and win their fifth World Series. Unlike four of the earlier five games, both teams used their bull pens to combat each others offenses. 

The Cardinals would start LHP Max Lanier, but he would only last 5.1 innings before being pulled. The Browns would counter with RHP Nels Potter, and he would only last 3.2 innings.  

The Browns would get on the scoreboard first in the top of the second inning. LF Chet Laabs would triple to the deep center field wall. The next batter, 1B George McQuinn, would pick up his fifth RBI of the series with a single to center field. The Browns would not be able to get a run across the plate the rest of the game. CF Mike Kreevich would double in the top of the third, which would be the last Browns hit of the game. 

In the bottom of the fourth the Cardinals would rally and score all three runs against Nels Potter and the Browns. With one out, catcher Walker Cooper would draw a walk in front a single by 1B Ray Sanders. 3B Whitey Kurowski would hit a hard ground ball to Browns SS Vern Stephens, who would commit and error allowing Cooper to score and all runner to reach base. After SS Marty Marion fouls out, 2B Emil Verban singles to left field scoring Sanders. Pitcher Max Lanier would help his cause by singling to center field, and bringing in Kurowski. These three runs is all the Cardinals needed. 

RHP Ted Wilks would enter the game in the sixth inning and shut down any chance the Browns would have to come back. The Browns pitching would also shut down any offense for the rest of the game with RHP Bob Muncrief and RHP Jack Kramer in relief. 

The Cardinal legends RF Stan Musial and SS Marty Marion would go 0-for-7 in this final game. However, the bottom of the Cardinals order, 2B Emil Verban and Max Lanier, would go 5-for-5 with two RBIs. 

BROWNS 2, CARDINALS 4