Sunday, October 20, 2013

Don Larsen's Connection to "a Team Long Gone" and Baseball Attendance in 1935



In St. Louis, Celebrating a Team Long Gone.  (The New York Times, 10/19/2013)

Here's an excerpt from the print edition.His Browns credentials are right there in the record book, which shows that in his rookie year in the major leagues, in 1953, he went 7-12 for the team in its last season in St. Louis.

Thirteen years later, of course, as a Yankee, he would become the first, and only, pitcher to throw a perfect game in the World Series.

In the online version, the math is corrected.

Three years later......

The 1966 World Series featured a match-up between the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The Orioles swept the Series 4-0.    Don Larsen pitched his masterpiece in 1956.

Reporter Hillel Kuttler notes that the 1935 season attendance for the "sad-sack" St. Louis Browns was 80,922, an average of 1,065 per game.


The Detroit Tigers finished in first place in the American League with a won-loss record of 93-58; the Chicago Cubs (100-54) won the National League pennant.  Guess who won the Series

The Browns finished with a record of 65-89, once again being outdone by their National League rivals for the affection of St. Louis's baseball fans.  The Cardinals (96-58) finished in 2nd place, 4 games behind the Cubs.  The Cardinals' Dizzy Dean had a 28-12 won-loss record of his own that year.

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