1931 World Series

vs. 1931 World Series (4-3) St. Louis Cardinals (101-53, NL) vs. Philadelphia Athletics (107-45, AL) BR 1931 World Series Summary

In the 1931 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Athletics in seven games, a rematch and reversal of fortunes of the 1930 World Series.

The same two teams faced off during the 1930 World Series and the Athletics were victorious. The only day-to-day player in the Cardinals' lineup who was different in 1931 was the "Wild Horse of the Osage", Pepper Martin — a 27-year-old rookie who spent seven years in the minor leagues. He led his team during this series in runs scored, hits, doubles, runs batted in and stolen bases, and also made a running catch to stifle a 9th-inning rally by the A's in the final game.

The spitball pitch was banned by Major League Baseball in 1920, but those who were grandfathered in were permitted to continue using it in their arsenal. One of those still pitching who "wet his pill" was Burleigh Grimes, who had two starts, two wins, and seven innings of no-hit pitching in Game 3.

The Athletics had captured their third straight American League pennant — winning 107 games — tallying their three-year total to 313 wins. However, this would prove to be the final World Series for Athletics' manager Connie Mack. As with the loss in 1914, Mack would break up this great team by selling off the best players, this time out of perceived economic necessity rather than pique. It would be 41 years and two cities later before the A's would return to World Series action, in 1972, the club having moved to Kansas City, MO and then to Oakland, CA in the meantime.

Records: St. Louis Cardinals (W: 101, L: 53, Pct: .656, GA: 13) - Philadelphia Athletics (W: 107, L: 45, Pct: .704, GA: 13 ½)

Managers: Gabby Street, (St. Louis), Connie Mack (Philadelphia)

Umpires: Bill Klem (NL), Dick Nallin (AL), Dolly Stark (NL), Bill McGowan (AL)

Summary

NL St. Louis Cardinals (4) vs. AL Philadelphia Athletics (3)

Game	Score	Date	Location	Attendance
1	Athletics – 6, Cardinals – 2	October 1	Sportsman’s Park	38,529
2	Athletics – 0, Cardinals – 2	October 2	Sportsman’s Park	35,947
3	Cardinals – 5, Athletics – 2	October 5	Shibe Park	32,295
4	Cardinals – 0, Athletics – 3	October 6	Shibe Park	32,295
5	Cardinals – 5, Athletics – 1	October 7	Shibe Park	32,295
6	Athletics – 8, Cardinals – 1	October 9	Sportsman’s Park	39,401
7	Athletics – 2, Cardinals – 4	October 10	Sportsman’s Park	20,805

Matchups

Game 1

October 1, 1931 at Sportsman’s Park III in St Louis, Missouri

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Philadelphia (A)	0	0	4	0	0	0	2	0	0	6	11	0
St. Louis (N)	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	12	0
W: Lefty Grove (1-0)   L: Paul Derringer (0-1)
HR: PHI – Al Simmons (1)

Game 2

October 2, 1931 at Sportsman’s Park III in St Louis, Missouri

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Philadelphia (A)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
St. Louis (N)	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	6	1
W: Bill Hallahan (1-0)   L: George Earnshaw (0-1)

Game 3

October 5, 1931 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Louis (N)	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	5	12	0
Philadelphia (A)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	2	0
W: Burleigh Grimes (1-0)  L: Lefty Grove (1-1)
HR: PHI – Al Simmons (2)

Game 4

October 6, 1931 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Louis (N)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1
Philadelphia (A)	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	x	3	10	0
W: George Earnshaw (1-1)  L: Syl Johnson (0-1)
HR: PHI – Jimmie Foxx (1)

Game 5

October 7, 1931 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Louis (N)	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	1	5	12	0
Philadelphia (A)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	9	0
W: Bill Hallahan (2-0)  L: Waite Hoyt (0-1)
HR: STL – Pepper Martin (1)

Game 6

October 9, 1931 at Sportsman’s Park III in St Louis, Missouri

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Philadelphia (A)	0	0	0	0	4	0	4	0	0	8	8	1
St. Louis (N)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	5	2
W: Lefty Grove (2-1)   L: Paul Derringer (0-2)

Game 7

October 10, 1931 at Sportsman’s Park III in St Louis, Missouri

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Philadelphia (A)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	7	1
St. Louis (N)	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	x	4	5	0
W: Burleigh Grimes (2-0)   L: George Earnshaw (1-2)   S: Bill Hallahan (1)
HR: STL – George Watkins (1)

Highlights of Game 7

Composite Box

1931 World Series (4-3): St. Louis Cardinals (N.L.) over Philadelphia Athletics (A.L.)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Louis Cardinals	5	3	2	2	0	3	1	1	2	19	54	4
Philadelphia Athletics	1	0	4	0	4	2	7	0	4	22	50	2
Total Attendance: 231,567   Average Attendance: 33,081
Winning Player’s Share: – $4,468   Losing Player’s Share – $3,023

References and Further Reading

• Robert P. Broadwater: Lefty Grove and the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2014. ISBN 978-0-7864-7566-7
• David S. Neft and Richard M. Cohen: The World Series, 1st ed., St Martins Press, New York' NY, 1990, pp. 137-141.

External links

• 1931 World Series at WorldSeries.com (MLB.com)
• 1931 World Series at Baseball-Almanac.com
• 1931 World Series box scores and play-by-play at Retrosheet.org

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Cardinals over Athletics (4-3)