Over the course of their 134-year history, the St. Louis Cardinals have had a multitude of successful periods. They’ve won 11 World Series (second to the New York Yankees’ 27), 19 National League Pennants, four AA Pennants, 10 Central Division Titles, three Eastern Division Titles, and three Wild Card berths.
They won their first World Series title in 1926, followed by another in 1931. But it was the 1934 season that became their most famous during the pre-WWII period.
That season saw the birth… of the Gashouse Gang.
Back during the 1930’s, the term “gas house” referred to city factories that used coal to create town gas for lighting and cooking on a daily basis. Regarding the team, Hall of Famer Leo Durocher (and shortstop for the Cardinals during the 1934 season) once said: “They think we’re just a bunch of gashousers.”
According to most accounts, the nickname of the 1934 Cardinals came from their appearance: very shabby-looking, rough, and rigid. One opponent of the Cardinals once said they wore unwashed uniforms during games, which became an intimidation factor.
The Cardinals dominated the National League during 1934, winning 95 games, finishing 95-58, and being led by manager Frankie Frisch (who also played second place). At the plate, some of the more notable players, along with Frisch and Durocher, included:
- Joe Medwick (outfielder): finished with 18 home runs and 106 RBI’s, along with a batting average of .319
- Ripper Collins (first baseman): finished with 33 home runs, 128 RBI’s, along with a batting average of .333
- Pepper Martin (third baseman): finished with five home runs, 49 RBI’s, along with a batting average of .289
- Spud Davis (catcher): finished with nine home runs, 65 RBI’s, along with a batting average of .300
But perhaps the Gashouse Gang’s strongest weapon came in the form of two brothers, who combined for 49 total wins. The two brothers were Dizzie Dean and Paul Dean. Combined, they finished with a regular season record of 49-18. Dizzie Dean (30-7) was the last pitcher in the National League to reach 30 wins until Denny McLain achieved the feat in 1968.
While the Dean brothers won 49 total games in 1934, the rest of the Cardinals pitchers won 46 games.
In the 1934 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals faced off against the Detroit Tigers in a historic seven-game series. The Cardinals won the first game of the series 8-3, but Detroit was able to bounce back during game two with a 3-2 victory in 12 innings. St. Louis won 4-1 in the third game of the series, but the Tigers won the next two games to give themselves a 3-2 series lead. However, the Dean brothers, who had each won one game thus far in the series, played key roles in the Cardinals winning the last two games in the series by the scores of 4-3 and 11-0, respectively.
And the Gashouse Gang emerged victorious, as the Cardinals won their third World Series in team history.
