Cardinals fans and players were shocked shortly after the 1942 World Series when General Man­ager Branch Rickey left to take a similar position with the Dodgers.

• Rickey had clashed with owner Sam Breadon for decades.
• With his contract expiring, Branch decided to replace Brooklyn President Larry MacPhail who had left for military duty.
• Instead of hiring a new GM, Breaden took the job himself.

World War II hit the Cardinals hard as it did all the major league teams.

• Two-thirds of the best outfield in baseball, Enos Slaughter and Terry Moore, entered mil­itary service.
• Johnny Beazley, a 21-game winner in '42, also departed, and promising southpaw Howie Pollet joined midway through the season.

Manager Billy Southworth's Cards trailed the Dodgers until mid-June when they took over first place and, after falling back to second in late June, stayed there the rest of the season.

• Stan Musial led the league in hits, doubles, triples, batting average and slugging percen­tage.
• Mort Cooper topped the circuit in wins for the second season in a row.
• The Cards went 105-49 to finish 18 games ahead of the second-place Reds and 23 1/2 games ahead of the fading Dodgers.

Joe McCarthy's Yankees again dominated the American League, taking the flag by 13 1/2 over the surprising Washington Senators.

• New York also lost two-thirds of their outfield as Joe DiMaggio and Tommy Henrich entered the military.
• Young SS Phil Rizzuto also missed the season. So Frankie Crosetti moved back to shortstop from third base.
• The top two pitchers from '42, Spud Chandler and Tiny Bonham, returned as did Hank Borowy.

Because of wartime travel restrictions, the Series began with three games in New York, followed by four in St. Louis (if needed).

Game One: Yankee Stadium
Attendance: 68,676 Time of Game: 2:07
Yankees 4 Cardinals 2
WP: Spud Chandler; LP: Max Lanier

• The Cards took the lead in the second on SS Marty Marion's double that drove home C Walker Cooper.
• The Yanks got to Max Lanier in the fourth, taking the lead on Joe Gordon's two-run homer.
• The visitors tied the game in the fifth on Lanier's single that drove in Ray Sanders.
• New York went back in front 4-2 in the 6th on three singles around a wild pitch.
• Chandler scattered seven hits for the complete game victory.

Game Two: Yankee Stadium
Attendance: 68,578
Time of Game: 2:08
Cardinals 4 Yankees 3
WP: Mort Cooper; LP: Tiny Bonham

• The Cards jumped out to a 4-0 lead, and Mort made it stand up, although the ninth was shaky.
• Marion started the scoring with a solo homer in the third.
• Musial singled to open the 4th and, after a sacrifice, scored on 3B Whitey Kurowski's single. 1B Ray Sanders followed with a two-run homer.
• The Yanks got a run in the bottom of the 4th on LF Charlie Keller's fly that scored Frank Crosetti from 3rd.
• Cooper cruised into the 9th before running into trouble. 3B Billy Johnson doubled and scored on Keller's triple. C Bill Dickey lined out before 1B Nick Etten grounded out, scoring Keller. 2B Joe Gordon fouled out to end the game.

Game Three: Yankee Stadium
Attendance: 69,990 Time of Game: 2:10
Yankees 6 Cardinals 2
WP: Hank Borowy; LP: Al Brazle

• St. Louis led 2-1 in the bottom of the 8th when the Yankees erupted for five runs.
• The Cardinals had broken the scoring ice in the 4th on Musial's single, Kurowski's dou­ble, and Danny Litwhiler's two-run single.
• The Yanks broke through in the bottom of the 6th with an unearned run on Borowy's ground-rule double, a foul fly that sent the runner to third, and Kurowski's error.
• Johnny Lindell started the 8th inning fireworks with a single. He went all the way to third on Snuffy Stirnweiss's bunt and another error by Kurowski, who dropped the throw to third. A short fly produced the first out. Southworth ordered an intentional walk to Cro­setti to load the bases. 3B Billy Johnson thwarted the strategy by clearing the bases with a triple. When Keller walked, Southworth finally removed Brazle, replacing him with Howie Krist. Gordon singled home Johnson. Southpaw Harry Brecheen came in to pitch to Dickey, whose grounder hit Gordon on the base path for the second out. Etten scored Keller with a single, but Dickey was out trying for third.
• NY closer Johnny Murphy set the Cards down 1-2-3 in the 9th.

Game Four: Sportsman's Park
Attendance: 36,196
Time of Game: 2:06
Yankees 2 Cardinals 1
WP: Marius Russo; LP: Harry Brecheen

• The Yankees struck first in the fourth. With two outs and none on, Gordon doubled, and Dickey singled him home.
• The Cards finally got to Russo in the 7th. As in the top of the inning, the rally started with two outs and the bases empty. Sanders reached on SS Crosetti's error. Litwhiler's dou­ble sent Sanders to third. After Marion was walked intentionally, PH Frank Demaree reached on 3B Johnson's error. With a chance to put the Cards ahead, Lou Klein ground­ed into a forceout.
• The Yanks quickly regained the lead. Russo helped his own cause with a double and was sacrified to third. Crosetti's fly out sent home the run.
• The Redbirds wasted two singles in the 8th and a double in the 9th to fall behind three games to one.

Game Five: Sportsman's Park
Attendance: 33,872
Time of Game: 2:24
Yankees 2 Cardinals 0
WP: Spud Chandler; LP: Mort Cooper

• The Cards spent a frustrating afternoon getting ten hits but no runs.
• The Bronx Bombers got all they needed in the 6th on Keller's single and Dickey's two run homer.
• St. Louis left 11 men on base, including two in the 8th and two in the 9th.