VitaMen Win in '34

In the Gold 1934 World Series, Siouxland and Hyde Park played a 6 game series. After winning a pair of 11-inning road games in Games 4 and 5 to take a 3-2 lead, the VitaMen went home hoping to clinch the crown. But there was a problem – not only was the telegraph wire disrupted repeatedly, making the flow of information spotty at best – the VitaMen had only Wes Ferrell, one regular pitcher available besides Red Braun, ready to pitch. The Explorers had a healthy Gus Bush, with Lefty Gomez lurking in the dugout for a potential Game 7. Hyde Park was hoping desperately for an 8+ inning performance from Ferrell, although as a Grade 7 facing the white-hot hitting Siouxlanders, the likelihood of that happening seemed impossible.

And the Explorers went right at it again, smacking two first inning singles that led to a run. Lazzeri led off the inning for the VitaMen with a tying home run, and Indian Bob Johnson drove home Johnny Frederick with another to give the VitaMen an early 2-1 lead.

The pivotal inning turned out to be the top of the third. Bashing hits all around the yard, Siouxland found themselves with a run in and the sacks full with only one out. Ferrell’s palms were sweaty, which may have helped him keep the ball down, and Al Lopez hit a hard grounder to short for a 6-4-3 double-play to end the inning with the game tied 2-2. Ferrell was pumped!

Two innings later, Johnson, Bill Dickey, and JoJo Moore had each driven in runs, and the VitaMen were hanging on to a 5-2 lead. Meanwhile, Ferrell was throwing strikes. He did not strike out a batter in the game; in fact, he allowed more than a dozen base runners; but he kept wiggling himself out of jams. The bottom of the Explorer line-up , which had been so harassing in the early games, was finally falling victim to the law of averages. Tony Robello, who hit over .400 for the series filling in for the injured Roger Hornsby, took an 0-for-4 collar, stranding numerous baserunners.

Ferrell kept tossing, and the Explorers kept swinging, but they were unable to mount a sustained attack until the 8^th, when they pushed across another run to make it a 5-3 game.

Finally, in the 9^th, with Ferrell still on the mound, Hyde Park’s reliever Hi Bell began to get loose. If he entered the game, it would almost certainly be his last appearance of the series, so Red Braun was reluctant to call on him. Top of the 9^th, with all eyes on him, with Red Braun ready to run out of the dugout at any sign of weakness, with Ferrell having already allowed 9 hits and 3 walks, the Explorers went to work.

Doc Farrell pinch hit a shot to left field, but Frederick ran it down for the first out.

Earl Combs, who hit .400 for the series, hit a comebacker to Ferrell for out number two.

Red Braun relaxed just a bit until he saw Bill Terry, who hit .484, approach the plate with Arky Vaughan on deck. Ferrell prepared to face his 38^th batter. The VitaMen had hoped for a complete game from Ferrell, and that is exactly what he delivered. Terry popped up over the plate. Bill Dickey moved under it, hauled it in, and began leaping around as the Hyde Park VitaMen celebrated what would be their first ever TCBA crown in 1934. History will show that the franchise would claim at least seven titles in their long history.

Jeff Sajdak’s Siouxland Explorers put on quite an offensive show in the early games, but the relentless Hyde Park attack – and the law of averages – finally conspired to send the Explorers back home. A terrific job of managing a short-handed squad kept Siouxland battling through six games. A worthy opponent was Sajdak and his Explorers.

TCBA GOLD			Hyde Park Edges Siouxland for the 1934 Crown
Hyde Park's VitaMan			In the Gold 1934 World Series, Siouxland and Hyde Park played a 6 game series. After winning a pair of 11-inning road games in Games 4 and 5 to take a 3-2 lead, the VitaMen went home hoping to clinch the crown. But there was a problem – not only was the telegraph wire disrupted repeatedly, making the flow of information spotty at best – the VitaMen had only Wes Ferrell, one regular pitcher available besides Red Braun, ready to pitch. The Explorers had a healthy Gus Bush, with Lefty Gomez lurking in the dugout for a potential Game 7. Hyde Park was hoping desperately for an 8+ inning performance from Ferrell, although as a Grade 7 facing the white-hot hitting Siouxlanders, the likelihood of that happening seemed impossible. And the Explorers went right at it again, smacking two first inning singles that led to a run. Lazzeri led off the inning for the VitaMen with a tying home run, and Indian Bob Johnson drove home Johnny Frederick with another to give the VitaMen an early 2-1 lead. The pivotal inning turned out to be the top of the third. Bashing hits all around the yard, Siouxland found themselves with a run in and the sacks full with only one out. Ferrell’s palms were sweaty, which may have helped him keep the ball down, and Al Lopez hit a hard grounder to short for a 6-4-3 double-play to end the inning with the game tied 2-2. Ferrell was pumped! Two innings later, Johnson, Bill Dickey, and JoJo Moore had each driven in runs, and the VitaMen were hanging on to a 5-2 lead. Meanwhile, Ferrell was throwing strikes. He did not strike out a batter in the game; in fact, he allowed more than a dozen base runners; but he kept wiggling himself out of jams. The bottom of the Explorer line-up , which had been so harassing in the early games, was finally falling victim to the law of averages. Tony Robello, who hit over .400 for the series filling in for the injured Roger Hornsby, took an 0-for-4 collar, stranding numerous baserunners. Ferrell kept tossing, and the Explorers kept swinging, but they were unable to mount a sustained attack until the 8^th, when they pushed across another run to make it a 5-3 game. Finally, in the 9^th, with Ferrell still on the mound, Hyde Park’s reliever Hi Bell began to get loose. If he entered the game, it would almost certainly be his last appearance of the series, so Red Braun was reluctant to call on him. Top of the 9^th, with all eyes on him, with Red Braun ready to run out of the dugout at any sign of weakness, with Ferrell having already allowed 9 hits and 3 walks, the Explorers went to work. Doc Farrell pinch hit a shot to left field, but Frederick ran it down for the first out. Earl Combs, who hit .400 for the series, hit a comebacker to Ferrell for out number two. Red Braun relaxed just a bit until he saw Bill Terry, who hit .484, approach the plate with Arky Vaughan on deck. Ferrell prepared to face his 38^th batter. The VitaMen had hoped for a complete game from Ferrell, and that is exactly what he delivered. Terry popped up over the plate. Bill Dickey moved under it, hauled it in, and began leaping around as the Hyde Park VitaMen celebrated what would be their first ever TCBA crown in 1934. History will show that the franchise would claim at least seven titles in their long history. Jeff Sajdak’s Siouxland Explorers put on quite an offensive show in the early games, but the relentless Hyde Park attack – and the law of averages – finally conspired to send the Explorers back home. A terrific job of managing a short-handed squad kept Siouxland battling through six games. A worthy opponent was Sajdak and his Explorers.