Both league champions were led by player-managers. Bill Terry's Giants won the first two games of the Series at home in the Polo Grounds before losing Game 3 to Joe Cronin's Nationals at Griffith Stadium in Washington.

Terry started his ace, southpaw Carl Hubbell, who won Game 1 4-2. Hubbell led the National League with a 1.66 ERA in 308 2/3 innings, which also led the circuit. Cronin went with righthander Monte Weaver, who won 10 and lost five

Even though Weaver was the Nationals' fourth starter, he matched the mighty Hubbell through ten innings with each side giving up just one run.

The Giants had not scored in 14 innings since the sixth inning of the second game. But Terry's home run to deep centerfield in the 4th ended that streak.

Hubbell, one of the best fielding pitchers in baseball, helped himself when he made a fine play on 2B Buddy Myer's drag bunt in the fourth and threw the batter out from a sitting position.

The Nats tied the score with an unearned run in the 7th. With one out, 1B Joe Kuhel bunted and reached first when Hubbell fumbled the ball. 3B Ossie Bluege sacrificed the runner to second. Then C Luke Sewell singled to center to drive home Kuhel.

Washington mounted a mild threat in the bottom of the 8th when Myer drew a leadoff walk. The Nationals' best hitter, Goose Goslin, bunted, but Hubbell threw out Myer at second. After another forceout at second, Cronin blooped a single to right field that sent the runner to third. But CF Fred Schulte popped out.

The drama continued into extra innings. Washington threatened in the bottom of the 10th. With one out, Myer singled, then went to second on Goslin's groundout. After PH Dave Harris walked, Hubbell got Cronin to hit into a forceout to retire the side.

In the fateful 11th, New York broke the ice. 3B Travis Jackson beat out a bunt to third and went to second on C Gus Mancuso's sacrifice. The Giants' weakest hitting starter, SS Blondy Ryan, singled to left to score Jackson with the go-ahead run. Cronin then brought in a reliever one batter too late. Jack Russell avoided further damage by re­tiring the next two batters.

The Nats electrified the home crowd when CF Fred Schulte lined a single to left. Then Kuhel bunted to send the tying run to second and beat the throw to first. Ossie Bluege also bunt­ed to move the runners to second and third with one out. Terry ordered an inten­tional walk to Sewell to load the bases with one out.

That's when Charlie Dresson, future winner of 1008 games as a major league manager, gave Terry some information about the next hitter that saved the win for the Giants. Ter­ry had summoned Dressen as a reserve infielder at the tail-end of the regular season when appendicitis sidelined 3B Johnny Verges. With reserve C Cliff Bolton pinch-hitting for the pitcher, Terry called his infield together at the mound and told them to play in on the edge of the grass to cut off the tying run at the plate.

Without being asked, Dressen dashed from the dugout and told Terry: "You're playing Bolton wrong, Bill. Put your infield back and pitch him high and inside. He hits down on a ball, and he's slow." Dressen had played against Bolton in the minor leagues.

Hesitantly, Terry moved his infielders back. Bolton hit a scorching grounder to Ryan to start a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

FINAL SCORE: GIANTS 2 NATIONALS 1

Terry gave Dressen full credit afterward. Charlie appreciated what Memphis Bill did. "Some managers would never have bothered to mention the conversation that went on out there on the mound."