Pivotal World Series Moments
Daffy and Leo Keep Cards Alive
1934 World Series Game 6: St. Louis Cardinals @ Detroit Tigers
Associated Press Report October 7, 1934 after the Detroit Tigers won the 5th game of the World Series in St. Louis:
A joy-crazed band of fighting Tigers stormed into their dressing room today after conquering the Cardinals and the great Dizzy Dean, chorusing the flat prediction that the world series would end at Detroit tomorrow in triumph for them.
They are out in front now for the first time, leading the Cardinals three games to two, and they see victory ahead no later than tomorrow with Lynwood "Schoolboy" Rowe, victor in the 12-inning second game at Detroit, as the conquering pitcher. "Rowe will start for sure tomorrow," said Manager Mickey Cochrane. "We have the Cardinals on the run, and I'm anxious to get it over. The pressure is on them now because the situation has been reversed. Rowe showed me the last time out that he could beat the Cardinals, and there is no reason to believe he can't repeat. He's rested and ready. We are ready to snatch our fourth victory." The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals, later nicknamed "The Gashouse Gang," sported many great players.
Yet it was Dizzy's younger brother, Paul Dean, and SS Leo Durocher, a .260 hitter that season, who sparked the St. Louis comeback to snatch victory from Cochrane's over-confident bunch.
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() L-R: Schoolboy Rowe, Frankie Frisch, Ripper Collins, Pepper Martin Medwick Puts Cards Ahead
The Cardinals jumped in front in the first inning when RF Jack Rothrock doubled and LF Joe Medwick singled him home with two outs.
![]() Jack Rothrock scores in Game 6 of the '34 World Series as C Mickey Cochrane takes the throw. Tigers Tie Score
Detroit tied the score to the vast delight of 44,551 spectators with an unearned run in the third. After two outs, CF Jo-Jo White walked. When he tried to steal, C Bill DeLancey's throw beat him, but the ball got away from Frisch, allowing White to race to third. He scored on Cochrane's infield hit. Cardinals 1 Tigers 1.
Unearned Run Regains Lead for Cards
After a scoreless fourth, Durocher led off the 5th with a single to centerfield. Paul Dean sacrificed the runner to second. Martin, the hero of the '31 series for the Cardinals, singled to left field and continued all the way to third base on a throwing error by LF Goose Goslin. Rothrock's grounder to shortstop plated Pepper with an unearned run. Cardinals 2 Tigers 1.
Tigers Tie Again
The 3-1 lead held up until the bottom of the 6th. White started the rally with his second walk. Cochrane hit a hard grounder that 1B Rip Collins knocked down, but the ball rolled away from him, allowing White to continue to third. 2B Charlie Gehringer smacked a grounder that went through Dean's legs into centerfield for an error as White raced home and Cochrane went to second. Goslin bunted, but C Bill Delancey threw to third to nail Cochrane on a call that the Tigers protested vigorously. SS Billy Rogell flied deep to Ernie Orsatti in centerfield, sending Gehringer to third. 1B Hank Greenberg slapped a single to left to score Gehringer with the tying run. Cardinals 2 Tigers 2.
![]() ![]() ![]() L-R: Paul Dean, Jo-Jo White, Bill Delancey Dean Drives Home Durocher
With one out in the top of the seventh, Durocher drove a long double to right-centerfield. Dean helped his own cause by singing sharply past Greenberg at first to score Durocher. Cardinals 3 Tigers 2.
Detroit threatened in the 8th when Gehringer and Goslin singled to put runners on first and third with one out. But Rogell flied to Orsatti in short centerfield—not far enough for the runner on third to make it home, and Greenberg fouled out as Collins raced back in front of the lower boxes along the right field line to make a sensational catch.
St. Louis wasted singles by Orsatti and Durocher in the top of the 9th, but Daffy set the Tigers down 1-2-3 in the ninth to preserve the lead and force Game 7.
The Cardinals won the crown the next day with an 11-0 romp that is remembered for the ruckus caused by Medwick when he slid hard into third base on a triple in the 6th. Frustrated Tiger fans threw everything they had onto the field and would not stop until Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis ordered Medwick removed from the game.
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