The 1945 World Series Appearance

Lore & Background

The Curse of the Billy Goat originated in this Series before the start of Game 4. Having last won the Series in 1908, the Cubs owned the longest World Series drought in history at the time (though not the longest pennant drought, as they had won the National League pennant in 1938 and 1945), not winning (or appearing in) another World Series until 2016. The Series was a rematch of the 1935 World Series. In that year's Game 6, Stan Hack led off the top of the ninth inning with a triple, but was stranded. The Cubs lost the game and the Series. Hack was still with the Cubs in 1945. According to Warren Brown's account, Hack was seen surveying the field before the first Series game. When asked what he was doing, Hack responded, 'I just wanted to see if I was still standing there on third base.' To date, only one player from this team—second baseman Billy Herman—has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (in 1975).

In Their Own Story

The sun beat down on the ivy-covered walls of Wrigley Field, casting long shadows across the dirt infield. Fans pressed against the fences, their voices a low hum of anticipation mixed with nervous energy. A Cubs player stepped into the batter's box, gripping the wood tightly, looking out toward the pitcher's mound where the Detroit Tigers' ace wound up. The air smelled of cut grass and popcorn, but beneath it lay the heavy weight of expectation. This was more than a game; it was a test of whether the post-war hope could be realized on the diamond.

Reader's Guide

The World Series again used the 3–4 wartime setup for home field sites, instead of the normal 2–3–2. Although the major hostilities of World War II had ended, some of the rules were still in effect and many of the best MLB players were still in military service. Warren Brown, author of a history of the Cubs in 1946, commented on this by titling one chapter 'World's Worst Series'. He also cited a famous quote of his, referencing himself anonymously and in the third person. When asked who he liked in the Series, he answered, 'I don't think either one of them can win it.' In a similar vein, Frank Graham jokingly called this Series 'the fat men versus the tall men at the office picnic.' One player decidedly not fitting that description was the Tigers' slugger Hank Greenberg, who had been discharged from military service early. He hit the only two Tigers homers in the Series, and scored seven runs overall and also drove in seven. The series matched the league MVPs, with Phil Cavarretta (a .355 hitter that year) of the National League and Hal Newhouser of the American League for the second straight season for Detroit. Newhouser led the Tigers to two victories, including a complete game performance in Game 7.

Did You Know?

• In the decisive Game 7, Paul Richards drove in four runs to lead the Tigers to a 9–3 victory to clinch the Series.
• The Cubs' only home run in the Series was hit by Phil Cavarretta in Game 1; it was the last postseason home run by a Cub until Bob Dernier in Game 1 of the 1984 National League Championship Series.
• Game 6 was the last World Series game the Cubs won until Game 2 in 2016, and the last World Series game they won at Wrigley Field until Game 5 in 2016.