The Triumphant Gashouse Gang

The Triumphant Gashouse Gang

[paypal_donation_button]The Triumphant Gashouse Gang

A collection of players who were shabby in appearance and playful in personality made an unbelievable impact on the game of baseball. The roots of the initial success of the St. Louis Cardinals began in the offseason of 1933 when they purchased the contract of outfielder Ray Pepper from the St. Louis Browns on December 15. While he turned out to be a flash in the pan for his career overall, Ray Pepper’s best season in the big leagues was in 1934 as he recorded 101 RBI’s and batted .298 for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals soon adopted a nickname that would remind everyone of how rough and rugged they presented themselves on the baseball diamond as they would be known as the Gashouse Gang. Throughout the 1934 regular season it had been stated by multiple opponents that the Gashouse Gang normally went to the field of play wearing uniforms that were dirty, smelly and unwashed, which intimidated some opponents.

The Gashouse Gang term was reportedly coined by shortstop Leo Durocher, a gutsy ballplayer who was a natural fit for the term. Having a discussion with his teammates about the American League, Durocher and company claimed that they would handle any American League team if they were to win the National League pennant. Durocher stated in this conversation that the American League teams thought they were just a bunch of gashousers.

The term referred to the use of plants for lighting and cooking from coal, manufacturing town gas. These plants were known for their terrible odors as they were located at the railroad yards near the poorest neighborhoods of St. Louis.

Everything came together for the Cardinals in 1934 as pitcher Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean recorded a 30-win season along with 195 strikeouts and a 2.66 ERA, winning the MVP Award and the Associated Press Athlete of the Year award. Dizzy was bold and brash in personality, unlike his younger brother Paul “Daffy” Dean who was quiet and more reserved. To his own credit, Daffy Dean pitched a no-hitter on September 21 and won 19 games in 1934.

During the 1934 MLB season, Charles Arthur Vance would be given the nickname “Dazzy” and outfielder Joe Medwick would be given the nickname “Ducky.”

Catcher Spud Davis, first baseman Ripper Collins, second baseman Frankie Frisch, outfielder Ernie Orsatti and Ducky Medwick all batted at or above .300 in 1934, and all but Collins were selected to the 1934 All-Star Game.

Rookie catcher Bill DeLancey found himself on the Cardinals roster in a favorable platoon system with Spud Davis. DeLancey, a left-handed hitter, complemented Davis, a right-handed hitter. DeLancey batted .316 with 80 hits, 18 doubles and 13 home runs.

The combined 49 wins by the Dean brothers would prove to be critical in allowing the Cardinals to win the National League pennant as they edged out the New York Giants by 2 games in the standings. The Cardinals went 95-58 while the Giants went 93-60. When it came to head-to-head play, the Cardinals performed well against the Giants as they went 13-9 in the regular season. The only teams in the National League that the Cardinals didn’t play well against were the Chicago Cubs (10-12) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (9-13). However, the Cubs and the Pirates finished 3rd and 5th in the National League standings respectively.

In the case of Dizzy Dean, the most recognizable Gashouse Gang member, his antics highlighted the main parts of his career. His antics would be put on display during the 1934 World Series against the champions of the American League, the Detroit Tigers, as he would take on pinch running duties in Game 4 on October 6. The batter at the plate hit a ground ball that was good for the Tigers to make a double play, but Dean purposely threw himself in the way to break it up. As a result, Dizzy’s head got struck by the ball and he was knocked out. After being taken to the hospital, it was reported that the x-ray of Dean’s head revealed no injuries.

The Dean brothers were the main contributors in winning the 1934 World Series championship for the Cardinals as they won 2 games apiece, striking out 28 and recording a combined 1.43 ERA to defeat the Tigers 4 games to 3. In the deciding Game 7, Dizzy Dean proceeded to pitch a complete game shutout to clinch the title, downing the Tigers 11-0.