Article:Dizzy and Paul Dean's Great Doubleheader Against the Brooklyn Dodgers

by Harold Friend

The New York Giants lost their third consecutive game on Tuesday, September 18, 1934, when they dropped the first game of a doubleheader to the cellar-dwelling Reds at the Polo Grounds. The loss cut the defending World Champions' lead over the idle Cardinals, who were rained out in Boston, to three games.

The Reds Win in the Tenth Inning

Reds' right hander Benny Frey dueled the Giants' Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons, who had lost his last two games when the Giants were shut out, for nine innings. Neither hurler yielded a run, but in the tenth, the visitors scored twice off Freddie, when former Cardinals' first baseman Jim Bottomley doubled and Chick Hafey hit a home run. To add insult to injury, Fitzsimmons had been hit on his left arm while batting in the fifth inning. The Reds generously allowed a courtesy runner to go in for Fat Freddie, who returned to the mound in the sixth.

The Giants Win the Nightcap

The Giants came back to win the nightcap, 4-2, behind the pitching of Prince Hal Schumacher, who won his 23rd game. With New York seemingly comfortably leading, 4-0, the Reds knocked Schumacher out of the box when they cut the lead in half, but lefty Al Smith shut down the Reds the rest of the way.

The Cardinals Cut into the Giants' Lead

The next day, Wednesday, the Giants beat the Reds again, the Cardinals were rained out again in Boston, and the lead increased to four full games. The rain finally stopped in Boston and the Cardinals swept a doubleheader as the Giants won their game. The lead was back to three and one-half games and now, Brooklyn was entering the picture.

The Brooklyn Dodgers Hosted the Cardinals

The Cardinals went from Boston to Ebbets Field, and the Giants visited the Braves in Boston. New York easily beat Boston, 8-1, finally scoring some runs for Freddie Fitzsimmons, but in Brooklyn, history and legend were being made.

Dizzy Dean's Audacious Prediction

Dizzy Dean was starting the opener of a doubleheader against the Dodgers, and his younger brother Paul would start the nightcap. That morning, Dizzy told a St. Louis writer that "Zachary and Benge (Brooklyn's starting pitchers) will be pitching against one-hit Dean and no-hit Dean today."

A Three-Hitter and a No-Hitter

Brooklyn was in the midst of a six-game winning streak. They got their first hit off Dizzy in the eighth inning, managed two more, and lost, 13-0. Paul started the second game, walked Len Koenecke in the first inning after two were out, and proceeded to retire the next 25 Brooklyn batters.

Casey Stengel didn't make it easy for Paul Dean. In the ninth inning, he sent up two left handed pinch hitters. Paul struck out Jimmy Bucher, batting for Al Lopez, and retired Johnny McCarthy on a pop up to manager Frankie Frisch, who was, of course, playing second base. When shortstop Leo Durocher short-hopped Ralph Boyle's hard ground ball, dropped it, picked it up and fired to first to nip Boyle, Paul Dean had his gem.

Brooklyn Would Have a Chance to Decide the Winner

The Giants led the Cardinals by three games. New York had eight games remaining, and St. Louis had nine. Brooklyn had just played an important role in determining the Giants' fate by losing two games to the Cardinals, but the schedule was going to give the Dodgers an opportunity to answer Bill Terry, who, when asked during the winter if he feared the Dodgers, responded, "I was just wondering whether they were still in the league."

References:

By JOHN DREBINGER.. (1934, September 19). GIANTS LOSE, 2-0, THEN TOP REDS, 4-2 :Bottomley's Double, Hafey's Homer in 10th Beat Fitzsimmons in Opener. SCHUMACHER WINS NO. 23 Is Helped by Ott's 35th Circuit Blow -- Terrymen Remain 3 1/2 Games in Front. . New York Times (1857-Current file),25. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times  (1851 - 2006). (Document ID: 94563837).

By ROSCOE McGOWEN.. (1934, September 22). PAUL DEAN, CARDS, HURLS NO-HIT GAME :Stops Dodgers, 3-0, After His Brother, Dizzy, Pitches 3-Hit Shutout, 13-0. GIVES ONE BASE ON BALLS Just Misses Perfect Performance -- 18,000 Thrilled by Baseball Drama.. New York Times (1857-Current file),8. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times  (1851 - 2006). (Document ID: 94564109).

Friend, Harold. "The Brooklyn Dodgers Beat New York on the Seventh Attempt," 8 July 2009. Bleacher Report