pmeares17
07-23-2001, 06:02 PM
this guy went to the hall as a card so i thought maybe this should be here. One thing to note is he is still alive.
The Mad Dash
THE DATE
October 15, 1946.
THE PLACE
Sportsman's Park, St. Louis.
THE SITUATION
The eighth inning of Game 7 of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.
THE KEY PLAYERS
St. Louis' Enos Slaughter and Harry Walker and Boston's Leon Culberson and Johnny Pesky.
THE MOMENT
The Red Sox and Cardinals were tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth. St. Louis' Slaughter, who had led off the inning with a single, was at first with two out. Walker lashed a 2-1 pitch on a hit-and-run play to left-center field.
The ball was cut off by center fielder Culberson, who momentarily bobbled it before making a relay throw to Pesky, the shortstop. Slaughter was running the whole time and blew through third base coach Mike Gonzalez's frantic stop sign.
What happened next long has been a matter of contention. Some observers claim Pesky turned and checked Walker, allowing Slaughter to pick up steam before Pesky made a frantic -- and weak -- throw home. Others claim Slaughter simply caught Pesky by surprise and Pesky's mental lapse cost him the play.
Boston catcher Roy Partee had to move up the line to take Pesky's throw as Slaughter slid across the plate to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead. Slaughter's run was the game-winner and gave St. Louis the World Series title.
THE CALL
"Enos Slaughter is on first base with two away. Harry Walker at bat. Bob Klinger on the mound. He takes the stretch. Here's the pitch . . . there goes Slaughter. The ball is swung on, there's a line drive going into left-center field. It's in there for a base hit. Culberson fumbles the ball momentarily and Slaughter charges around second, heads for third. Pesky goes into short left field to take the relay from Culberson . . . And here comes Enos Slaughter rounding third, he's going to try for home. Here comes the throw and it is not in time. Slaughter scores!" -- Mel Allen.
DO YOU REMEMBER?
The Red Sox had tied the game in the top of the eighth when Dom DiMaggio drove in two runs with a two-out double.
DiMaggio sprained his ankle rounding first on his double and was replaced in center field by Culberson.
Pesky says he didn't think there was any chance Slaughter would try to score on the play, even after Culberson momentarily fumbled the ball. Because of the crowd noise, Pesky couldn't hear his teammates yelling at him to throw to home. Pesky says he was flabbergasted when he turned and saw Slaughter trying to score. That split second of hesitation could have been the difference between Slaughter being safe or out.
Although most people believe Slaughter scored on a single, Walker officially was credited with an RBI double on what could have been ruled a single and a fielder's choice.
The Red Sox almost rallied in the top of the ninth. Rudy York and Bobby Doerr singled to start the inning. Harry Breechen got Pink Higgins on a forceout that left runners at first and third. Breechen then retired Partee on a popout and induced pinch-hitter Tom McBride to hit a ground ball to second. The ball took a funny hop on Cardinals second baseman Red Schoendienst, who had to block it, smother it against his chest and make a flip to shortstop Marty Marion for a force at second to end the game. "That was the toughest play I ever made in baseball," says Schoendienst.
The roots of Slaughter's dash were planted in Game 1. Slaughter complained after the game to St. Louis manager Eddie Dyer that Gonzalez had stopped him at third when he could have scored on bad relay. Dyer told Slaughter that if he thought he could score with two out, he could go ahead and take the gamble.
IN THEIR WORDS
"No, I didn't know it was anything special because I played every game the same way -- to win. That was just another play as far as I was concerned. I just caught them napping. It was just a heads-up play on my part." -- Slaughter.
"When the ball went into left-center, I hit second base and I said to myself, 'I can score.' I didn't know whether the ball had been cut off or not. I didn't know nothin'. It was a gutsy play. But, you know, two men out and the winning run, you can't let the grass grow under your feet." -- Slaughter.
"Enos was an aggressive player. They could have put the Famous Barr building or the Arch in front of him (at third base) and he would have run right up the Arch. Nobody was going to stop him." -- Cardinals catcher Joe Garagiola.
AFTERMATH
Slaughter played with the Cardinals until 1953, when he was traded to the Yankees. Upon hearing the news he had been traded, Slaughter wept. In 13 seasons with the Cardinals, Slaughter was a 10-time All-Star. He is second in team history with 1,148 RBIs. In 1998, the Cardinals honored Slaughter with a statue outside Busch Stadium depicting the game-winning slide that ended his Mad Dash.
Pesky was with the Red Sox until 1952, when he was traded during the season to Detroit. Pesky, who led the American League in hits three times, never escaped the goat label he received as a result of his failure to throw out Slaughter.
The victory gave the Cardinals their third World Series title in five seasons. However, they wouldn't return to the postseason until 1964. The Red Sox wouldn't return to the postseason until 1967, when they again blew a three games-to-two deficit to the Cardinals.
The Mad Dash
THE DATE
October 15, 1946.
THE PLACE
Sportsman's Park, St. Louis.
THE SITUATION
The eighth inning of Game 7 of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.
THE KEY PLAYERS
St. Louis' Enos Slaughter and Harry Walker and Boston's Leon Culberson and Johnny Pesky.
THE MOMENT
The Red Sox and Cardinals were tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth. St. Louis' Slaughter, who had led off the inning with a single, was at first with two out. Walker lashed a 2-1 pitch on a hit-and-run play to left-center field.
The ball was cut off by center fielder Culberson, who momentarily bobbled it before making a relay throw to Pesky, the shortstop. Slaughter was running the whole time and blew through third base coach Mike Gonzalez's frantic stop sign.
What happened next long has been a matter of contention. Some observers claim Pesky turned and checked Walker, allowing Slaughter to pick up steam before Pesky made a frantic -- and weak -- throw home. Others claim Slaughter simply caught Pesky by surprise and Pesky's mental lapse cost him the play.
Boston catcher Roy Partee had to move up the line to take Pesky's throw as Slaughter slid across the plate to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead. Slaughter's run was the game-winner and gave St. Louis the World Series title.
THE CALL
"Enos Slaughter is on first base with two away. Harry Walker at bat. Bob Klinger on the mound. He takes the stretch. Here's the pitch . . . there goes Slaughter. The ball is swung on, there's a line drive going into left-center field. It's in there for a base hit. Culberson fumbles the ball momentarily and Slaughter charges around second, heads for third. Pesky goes into short left field to take the relay from Culberson . . . And here comes Enos Slaughter rounding third, he's going to try for home. Here comes the throw and it is not in time. Slaughter scores!" -- Mel Allen.
DO YOU REMEMBER?
The Red Sox had tied the game in the top of the eighth when Dom DiMaggio drove in two runs with a two-out double.
DiMaggio sprained his ankle rounding first on his double and was replaced in center field by Culberson.
Pesky says he didn't think there was any chance Slaughter would try to score on the play, even after Culberson momentarily fumbled the ball. Because of the crowd noise, Pesky couldn't hear his teammates yelling at him to throw to home. Pesky says he was flabbergasted when he turned and saw Slaughter trying to score. That split second of hesitation could have been the difference between Slaughter being safe or out.
Although most people believe Slaughter scored on a single, Walker officially was credited with an RBI double on what could have been ruled a single and a fielder's choice.
The Red Sox almost rallied in the top of the ninth. Rudy York and Bobby Doerr singled to start the inning. Harry Breechen got Pink Higgins on a forceout that left runners at first and third. Breechen then retired Partee on a popout and induced pinch-hitter Tom McBride to hit a ground ball to second. The ball took a funny hop on Cardinals second baseman Red Schoendienst, who had to block it, smother it against his chest and make a flip to shortstop Marty Marion for a force at second to end the game. "That was the toughest play I ever made in baseball," says Schoendienst.
The roots of Slaughter's dash were planted in Game 1. Slaughter complained after the game to St. Louis manager Eddie Dyer that Gonzalez had stopped him at third when he could have scored on bad relay. Dyer told Slaughter that if he thought he could score with two out, he could go ahead and take the gamble.
IN THEIR WORDS
"No, I didn't know it was anything special because I played every game the same way -- to win. That was just another play as far as I was concerned. I just caught them napping. It was just a heads-up play on my part." -- Slaughter.
"When the ball went into left-center, I hit second base and I said to myself, 'I can score.' I didn't know whether the ball had been cut off or not. I didn't know nothin'. It was a gutsy play. But, you know, two men out and the winning run, you can't let the grass grow under your feet." -- Slaughter.
"Enos was an aggressive player. They could have put the Famous Barr building or the Arch in front of him (at third base) and he would have run right up the Arch. Nobody was going to stop him." -- Cardinals catcher Joe Garagiola.
AFTERMATH
Slaughter played with the Cardinals until 1953, when he was traded to the Yankees. Upon hearing the news he had been traded, Slaughter wept. In 13 seasons with the Cardinals, Slaughter was a 10-time All-Star. He is second in team history with 1,148 RBIs. In 1998, the Cardinals honored Slaughter with a statue outside Busch Stadium depicting the game-winning slide that ended his Mad Dash.
Pesky was with the Red Sox until 1952, when he was traded during the season to Detroit. Pesky, who led the American League in hits three times, never escaped the goat label he received as a result of his failure to throw out Slaughter.
The victory gave the Cardinals their third World Series title in five seasons. However, they wouldn't return to the postseason until 1964. The Red Sox wouldn't return to the postseason until 1967, when they again blew a three games-to-two deficit to the Cardinals.