Baseball Player Won-Loss Records
Home     List of Articles

Philadelphia Athletics at St. Louis Cardinals, Sportsman's Park III, St. Louis, MO
October 5, 1930

Introduction

The spreadsheet I set up to randomly select my games picks a year between 1918 and 2019 (the 102 seasons for which Retrosheet has released at least partial play-by-play data), a number between 1 and 30 that determines the team, and a number between 1 and 162 that determines that team's game number in that season. If I get a team number or game number that didn't exist - e.g., there were only 16 teams prior to 1961 and teams only played 154-game regular seasons - I re-calculate the random number. For this game, I got 1930, 15, and 158. The 15th team (alphabetically) in 1930 was the St. Louis Cardinals who only played 154 regular-season games. But it turns out that the 1930 Cardinals did play a 158th game that mattered - and for which Retrosheet has released play-by-play data. Because the 1930 Cardinals won the National League pennant and met the Philadelphia A's in the World Series.

Here, then, is play-by-play for Game 4 of the 1930 World Series, played in St. Louis on October 5, 1930.

The 1930 Cardinals finished the regular season with a record of 92-62 and won the National League pennant by two games over the Chicago Cubs. In the ten seasons from 1926 through 1935, the Cardinals won five NL pennants and the Cubs won three. This was the third Cardinals pennant in this stretch, with the Cardinals having won the World Series in 1926 and lost the World Series in 1928, both times facing the New York Yankees.

The 1930 A's finished the regular season with a record of 102-52, winning their second of what would be three consecutive AL pennants by eight games.

The A's were heavy favorites in the 1930 World Series, having won the 1929 World Series in five games. And they opened the 1930 World Series showing why, winning the first two games of the series in Philadelphia. But The Cardinals won the first game of the series in St. Louis to narrow the gap to 2 games to 1.

Game 4 was pivotal - would the Cardinals tie the series or would the A's take a commanding 3-to-1 lead?

And, as was befitting a pivotal World Series clash between two dynastic teams, the pitching matchup featured a pair of Hall of Famers. Although, to be fair, if you were ranking Hall-of-Famers, the two starting pitchers in this game would be at opposite ends of the list. The A's starter was Lefty Grove. Grove tends to be on the short list of candidates for the best pitcher in major-league history and the 1930 season is a big part of Grove's case. All Lefty Grove did in 1930 was lead the American League in (going left to right on his Baseball-Reference page) wins (28), winning percentage (.848, he was 28-5), ERA (2.54), games pitched (50 - his career high), saves (9 - his career high), strikeouts (209 - his career high), ERA+ (185), FIP (3.09), WHIP (1.144), K/9 (6.5 - it was a different time), and K/W (3.48). In the 1930 World Series, Grove had already started and won Game 1.

Lefty Grove's opponent in Game 4 of the 1930 World Series was Jesse "Pop" Haines, who was selected to the Hall of Fame somewhat controversially in 1970 during the "Frankie Frisch" years - Frisch was the second baseman for the 1930 Cardinals, batting .346/.407/.520 and leading the team with 46 doubles, 15 stolen bases, 121 runs scored, and 114 RBI. As for Haines, he was the #3 or #4 starter on the 1930 Cardinals - I guess you'd have to say #4 as Game 4 was his first World Series start. But Haines was pretty good in 1930: 13-8, 4.30 ERA (which, in 1930, was good for an ERA+ of 118 according to Baseball-Reference). This was the tenth (and final) time in his career that Haines would win at least 13 games (he went 12-3 in 1931; his last season starting more than a dozen games). Okay, so he wasn't Lefty Grove and he probably doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame with Grove. But Pop Haines was a solid veteran pitcher who certainly still had the occasional masterpiece in him.

In addition to their Hall-of-Fame pitchers, each team boasted three additional Hall-of-Famers in their lineup for Game 4 - in fact, both teams batted their Hall-of-Famers 3-4-5 (and 9, of course). It was an interesting contrast.

For the home team Cardinals, second baseman Frankie Frisch batted third. Frisch was a deserving Hall-of-Famer but is perhaps more infamously remembered by some baseball fans as being responsible for a lot of undeserving Hall-of-Famers during his time on the Veterans' Committee. And the other three Cardinals' Hall-of-Famers in this game (including Haines) were all Veterans' Committee selections between 1970 and 1974. Batting cleanup for the Cardinals was first baseman "Sunny" Jim Bottomley, who had been NL MVP two years earlier. Batting fifth was left fielder Chick Hafey. And, of course, batting ninth was Pop Haines.

In contrast, the Philadelphia A's four Hall-of-Famers were all elected by the BBWAA between 1947 and 1953 (as was Frisch). All four of them won at least one American League MVP award including the previous two seasons (1928 and 1929). Batting third for the A's was 1928 (and 1934) AL MVP, catcher Mickey Cochrane. Batting cleanup was left fielder and 1929 AL MVP Al Simmons, and batting fifth was first baseman and future 3-time AL MVP (1932, 1933, and 1938) Jimmie Foxx.

That seems like a bit of a mismatch. But the Cardinals had the home-field advantage and it's not like the Cardinals were chumps. Haines was a fine pitcher; Jim Bottomley was a solid cleanup hitter. They just weren't Lefty Grove and Jimmie Foxx.

First Inning

The game did not start well for "Pop". Max Bishop led off the game with a single to right field. Jimmie Dykes sacrificed him to second base with the Hall-of-Famers coming up next. But Haines got Cochrane on a foul pop to third base and he was one out away from escaping the inning.

Unfortunately, that third out was just a little too slow in coming. First, Haines didn't help himself any by uncorking a wild pitch to move Bishop to third base. From there, Bishop scored easily as Al Simmons singled to right field. Jimmie Foxx then beat out an infield hit and things started to look dicey for Haines. But he settled down and got Bing Miller on a ground ball to the shortstop to get out of the inning.

But the Philadelphia A's had a 1-0 lead before their ace had even had to throw a pitch.

And the way Grove pitched the bottom of the first inning, it looked like one run might be all he would need: strikeout, infield pop-up, infield pop-up, end of inning.

Second Inning

One advantage of facing six batters in the first inning is that you get to face the bottom of the order in the second inning and Haines took advantage, getting the Cardinals' #7 and #8 hitters (Mule Haas and Joe Boley) on a line drive and a fly ball to the outfield. That brought up Grove with two outs.

Lefty Grove was one of the best pitchers in major-league history. He was not, however, much of a hitter, with a career batting line of .148/.209/.207. And he hit a ground ball to Frankie Frisch that should have been the third out of the inning. But Frisch bobbled the ball and Grove was safe at first. And when Max Bishop walked to put two runners on, the pressure was on with the A's Hall-of-Fame trio looming. But Jimmie Dykes hit the ball to third baseman Sparky Adams who fielded the ball cleanly and stepped on third base to force Grove and end the inning.

Grove's second inning started as well as Haines, as he got Bottomley on an infield pop and Hafey on a ground out. With two out, Ray Blades was the first Cardinals batter to make good contact against Grove, driving the ball deep to the outfield. But Blades hit it to the deepest part of the park and center fielder Mule Haas was able to run it down for the third out.

Third Inning

The A's three Hall-of-Famers were due to bat in the third inning and the way Grove was pitching Haines could ill afford to allow another run (or more). Fortunately for the Cardinals, Haines was up to the task.

Cochrane flew out to right field. Al Simmons beat out an infield hit. But Jimmie Foxx hit into a 6-4-3 double play and the inning was over.

The Cardinals countered with the bottom third of their order in the third inning - Grove having pitched 1-2-3 innings in each of the first two innings. Catcher Jimmie Wilson was the seventh straight batter retired by Grove - lining out to right fielder Bing Miller. But shortstop and #8 hitter Charlie Gelbert got the first hit of the game off Grove, a line drive triple to right field. And Pop Haines helped himself with a single to center field that scored Gelbert with the game's tying run. Haines could get no farther than first base, as Taylor Douthit fouled out and Sparky Adams struck out.

But the score was tied 1-1 through three innings.

Fourth Inning

Meanwhile, Haines was strengthening on the mound as the game wore on. He matched his third inning with a three-batter fourth, but this time, he didn't need a double play to achieve it as he retired Miller and Haas on infield groundouts and Boley on a line drive to left fielder Hafey.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, it was the Cardinals turn to have their three Hall-of-Famers scheduled to bat 1-2-3 in the inning. Frisch flew out and Bottomley struck out and it looked like Grove was back in command of things.

But Chick Hafey hit a ground-rule double to right field.

Grove bore down and got Ray Blades to hit a ground ball to third baseman Jimmie Dykes. But Dykes threw the ball away, allowing Hafey to score an unearned run and keep the inning alive. Jimmie Wilson singled Blades to third base and Charlie Gelbert, who had gotten the first hit (and run) off of Grove one inning earlier, got his second hit in as many innings, to score Blades and give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead. Jesse Haines hit the ball deep to right field, but Miller was able to track it down for the final out of the inning.

But the Cardinals had scored two unearned runs and had taken a 3-1 lead. Would it be enough?

Fifth Inning

Buoyed by a new and somewhat unexpected lead, Haines pitched his best inning so far, retiring Grove, Bishop, and Dykes on two foul pops and a routine ground ball to Bottomley.

Grove matched him - a pop up and two fly ball outs - and the score remained 3-1 at the end of five.

Sixth Inning

Mickey Cochrane led off the top of the sixth inning by flying out to Hafey in left field, the eighth consecutive batter retired by Haines. That streak ended with a walk to Al Simmons. But Foxx grounded out and Bing Miller was called out on strikes, and the Cardinals maintained their two-run lead.

Grove, meanwhile, was working on his own streak of consecutive batters retired, a streak which grew to seven at the end of this 1-2-3 inning.

Seventh Inning

Mule Haas led off the top of the seventh with a walk. Was Haines perhaps tiring?

Probably not, as he retired the next three batters on a infield pop, a strikeout, and a fly ball (although to fairly deep right field).

The Cardinals had the bottom third of the order due up in the bottom of the seventh. Of course, the bottom third of the Cardinals' order had four of their five hits, both of their RBI, and one of their three runs scored. Jimmie Wilson hit the ball deep to right-center field, but it was playable for Blades: one out. The Cardinals' #8 hitter, shortstop Charlie Gelbert was the offensive star of the game thus far, having tripled and singled his first two times up, with a run scored and an RBI. Pitching him perhaps more carefully than he might typically treat a #8 hitter, Grove walked him. Haines sacrificed him to second, but he died there as Douthit popped out to Frisch.

Eighth Inning

And so the game moved to the eighth inning with the Cardinals still clinging to a 3-1 lead.

Jimmie Dykes led off the top of the eighth with a walk. Was Haines perhaps tiring?

Unfortunately for the A's, the answer in the eighth was the same as it had been in the seventh: probably not, as he retired the next three batters (on two fly balls to right field with a groundout to short sandwiched in between).

Lefty Grove came out for what was almost certainly his last inning of work. He was due up fourth in the top of the ninth inning and probably the only way he wouldn't be pinch hit for would be if the A's were retired 1-2-3, in which case, there would be no bottom of the ninth inning for Grove to pitch.

Objectively, Grove had pitched a brilliant game. He had allowed only one earned run on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts and six infield pop-ups. Over the last four innings, he had allowed only one baserunner - the walk to Gelbert the previous inning. In fact, from the fifth through the eighth inning, neither team had a hit. But Grove was at the mercy of his teammates, who had to score at least two runs in the ninth inning to prevent Grove from taking the loss. All Grove could do at this point was keep the game as close as possible.

Which he did: three fly balls to right-center field caught by Miller, Miller, and Haas, in that order, and the game moved to the ninth inning with the Cardinals leading, 3-1.

Ninth Inning

Lefty Grove had pitched well in this game. But through eight innings, Jesse Haines had pitched better: one run on four hits and four walks. The last hit off of Haines had been Al Simmons's infield single in the third inning. The last hit to the outfield off of Haines had been Simmons's RBI single to right field with two outs in the top of the first inning.

Throughout his career, Pop Haines was excellent at finishing what he started. Through 1930, Haines had completed 183 of his 317 career starts (57.7%), including 14 of 24 starts in 1930 (58.3%). Still, Haines was 37 years old and past his prime. Could the A's finally get to him?

Bing Miller flied out to right field. Mule Haas grounded out to short. And when Joe Boley hit a fly ball to right field and Ray Blades caught it, the ball game was over.

Game Summary

With their 3-1 Game 4 win, the Cardinals tied the World Series at two games apiece. After losing Game 4, Lefty Grove came back and won Game 5 the next day with two innings in relief. From there, the A's went home and won Game 6 7-1 to win the World Series in six games. In 1931, the A's and Cardinals met again. That year, the World Series went seven games with the Cardinals winning Game 7 by a final score of 4-2.

An alternate write-up of this game is available via SABR's Games project. The article about this game is here and you can search for other SABR Games stories here.

Details of the game are shown below. First, I show Player won-lost records for all of the players who participated in the game. Baseball Player won-lost records are constructed so that the players on the winning team earn two pWins and one pLoss in the game while the players on the losing team earn one pWin and two pLosses. I also show expected wins and losses, eWins and eLosses, which are context-neutral. Full play by play details of the game are shown below the won-lost tables. My Player won-lost records are described in more detail in this article and throughout my website.

Retrosheet Box Score and Play-by-Play