National American League West Standings the morning of April 21, 1946
Code:
Saint Louis 9- 7 -
Chicago 9- 7 -
Detroit 9- 8 ½
San Francisco 9- 8 ½
Los Angeles 9- 9 1
Milwaukee 4-13 5 ½
The crowd at Sportsman's Park had dwindled to a few dozen drunken fans; too stunned or fermented to make way to the trolleys. Musial was one of a handful of Redbirds still on the bench trying to sort through what went so wrong.
The afternoon had begun with so much energy and joy; the thought of defeat the furthest from anyone's mind. The early evening edition of the Globe sang the good news: the Cubs and Tigers had both lost, "assuring the Redbirds a 2 game lead after the sweep of the twi-night doubleheader." The buzz among dirty-faced kids and East Saint Louis gentry alike was today was the beginning of the runaway to the title. All they had to do was beat some ex-PCL club.
Stan started the game in right field, the third position manager Sewell started the young slugger at this season. During the spring, Sewell had become enamored with the play of Coaker Triplett and Johnny Hopp. Coaker, a journeyman outfielder, and Hopp, a sometime player with the 1941 runners up had hit very well in Florida. Sewell, in an effort to keep their bats in the line up, moved Musial around the field. First base, center field, left and now right. Entering his first full season of play, the young Musial felt his talent and performance had shown enough to warrant an everyday job at some position. Especially in light that Coaker was not living up to his spring performance once the games started to count. Sewell raved about Triplett's .300 average, Musial could see what an empty .300 it was. Hopp at least was slap hitting .400 to be of some use to the club
The crowd had a roar going in the bottom of the first. The ace of the Seals, Johnny Sain, had walked the bases full. The sense in the Park was now was the beginning of the end for the west coast upstarts. They stood as one when Marty Marion pushed the ball towards the space between first and second, but Ralph LaPointe was able to make the pick up and nip Slats at the last moment. A missed opportunity.
One that grew larger and larger as the innings ticked by. Despite pushing across a single run in the fourth, Musial could tell Sain was more than manger Sewell had lead them to expect. Down down into the ground the Redbirds kept pushing the ball to the infielders. Routine plays all, nothing the Cards could do. Sain was clearly one of those players who had slipped through the fingers of the established clubs. The parade of 4-3 and 6-3 putouts drained the crowd of its enthusiasm.
It was the 6th when Sewell's attachment to Triplett cost the Redbirds. Two weak singles started the inning, but Max Lanier got the next two in short order. Malloy, a right-handed hitter walked into the box. Musial swung into right center, while Triplett stayed put in straight away left. "Move over, guard the line," Musial could hear veteran Terry Moore urging Coaker from center.
Musial and Moore broke with the pitch; from the corner of his eye he could see Coaker wait until the ball hit bat to move. It was a routine shot down the line, but out of position and slow to react Triplett could not make the play. In a blink the Seals lead, and breath of 30,000 people was stolen. The Seals three-run rally in the 7th only confirmed the fan's worst feeling.
It was unsettling between games. What was supposed to be a coronation was becoming a nightmare. The upstarts had seized first place by the slimmest of margins going into the nightcap. Just a positive buzz was beginning to return, the announced starter quickly killed the mood. Howie Pollet, the other late season phemon of the 1941 title challenge, held a ten-plus ERA as the erstwhile relief ace. Even more galling to Musial, he was to sit as Triplett was allowed to start again. It was almost appropriate that Coaker misplayed another shot by Malloy into a run scoring double.
Meanwhile Seals' starter Paul "Daffy" Dean, welcomed with respectful applause from the Sportsman faithful, produced curses in the Cardinal dugout. From where Musial sat Dean just kept throwing slower and slower each passing inning. By the 7th, Dean had the appearance of a shot putter-pushing the ball rather than throwing. Weak ground ball after ground ball, just like the early game.
A late rally against the pen stirred the crowd some; but it ended the way Musial thought it would with Triplett rolling a weak one to first. Saint Louis had gone from a half game in the lead to a tie for fourth in one day. "Sewell's going to cost us the pennant," Stan said under his breath. He stood slowly. If a title was in the Cardinals' future, it would be on him and him alone to assure victory.
Code:
National American League West Standings the evening of April 21, 1946
San Francisco 11- 6 -
Chicago 9- 8 1
Los Angeles 10- 9 1
Detroit 9- 9 1 ½
Saint Louis 9- 9 1 ½
Milwaukee 5-13 5 ½