1926 Cardinals

⚾️ Century tribute ⚾️
Following the historic 1926 St Louis Cardinals season and first World Series Championship.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

What a transformation in the National League race! St. Louis now leads at .581, three percentage points ahead of Cincinnati. Pittsburgh, which came to town in first place, departs in third — one point behind the Reds. Pennant fever has seized the city.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

SPORTSMAN’S PARK — The Cardinals are in FIRST PLACE! Before 24,000 roaring partisans, St. Louis swept Pittsburgh, 6-1 and 2-1, and tonight the Red Birds sit atop the National League at .581. The Pirates tumble all the way to third.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

GAME 1: Bill Sherdel yielded but 6 hits while St. Louis backed him with a dozen of its own. Les Bell & Chick Hafey supplied home runs & the Cardinals disposed of Pittsburgh 6-1.
GAME 2: Allan Sothoron permitted Pittsburgh only THREE hits in Cards 2-1 win.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

GAME 2 — 9TH INNING
Pittsburg's Earl Smith doubles home a run to make it 5-3 but #StlCards Jesse Haines closes out the 5-3 win, and a split of the doubleheader.

The pennant race tonight: Pittsburgh in front, Cincinnati ½ game back — and the Cardinals just 1 game out.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

August 30, 1926
GAME 2 — 1ST INNING
Pittsburgh scores first again: Kiki Cuyler walks, advances on a wild pitch & scores on Pie Traynor’s single.
But the Cardinals answer! Taylor Douthit doubles & Les Bell singles him home.
After one: Cardinals 1, Pirates 1.
@Globe_Democrat Photo

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

GAME 2 — 7TH INNING

Pittsburgh cuts the lead to 4-2 — and Les Bell answers immediately.

Bell sends one out for a HOME RUN in the Cardinals’ half of the seventh!

St. Louis restores its three-run lead, 5-2

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

GAME 1 — FINAL

Pittsburgh 3, St. Louis 0.

Paul Waner reached on Holm’s error in the 8th and scored the final run on Kiki Cuyler’s single. Ray Kremer finishes a two-hit shutout.

The Cardinals will have to win Game 2 to salvage a split.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

SPORTSMAN’S PARK, Aug. 30 — The gates opened at 9am and fans poured in hours before game time. One man had been waiting at the Cardinals’ downtown ticket office since 2 a.m. About 28,000 are here for today’s doubleheader with Pittsburgh. Pictured is #StlCards OF Billy Southworth

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

The Pirates add another. George Grantham beats out a hit and Earl Smith doubles to left-center to bring him home.

Ray Kremer, meanwhile, is still holding the Cardinals hitless.

Pittsburgh leads 2-0.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

The scalping sweep caught others nearby: William Weiss allegedly sold two tickets above face value, while Paul H. Dewey was arrested after selling two reserved seats for $8. The adult defendants were released on $2,500 bond each.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

ST. LOUIS — Police are cracking down on ticket scalpers around Sportsman’s Park. Detectives from the gambling squad arrested four men and a 17-year-old boy yesterday for attempting to sell Cardinals tickets above face value for the huge #StlCards #LetsGoBucs "little World Series"

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

Seventeen-year-old Roy Beckman was spotted near Spring and Dodier before the game. Detectives say a visitor from Louisiana paid him $15 for a Cardinals ticket with a face value of just $1.35. Beckman was released to his parents pending Juvenile Court.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

To place the field in playing shape, after the 1st delay, 25 groundkeepers, superintended by President Breadon himself, trundled countless wheelbarrows & boxes filled w/ black sandy soil on the infield to spread over the base lines. This work consumed more than an hour & a half.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

@Cardinals @Pirates Play is suspended due to darkness after 10 innings. Cardinals and Pirates tied at 2.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

August 29 1926
#StlCards score 2 runs in bottom of 1st on a double to RF by Lester Bell (pictured). Billy Southworth & Jim Bottomley score.
@Cardinals 2
@Pirates 0
Skies are darkening at Sportsman's Park.

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

@Cardinals @Pirates Play resumes after two rain delays.
@Pirates pitcher Vic Aldridge (pictured) laces single down the left field line, scoring Clyde Barnhart and George Grantham.
@Pirates 2
@Cardinals 2

[1926 Cardinals @CardsManager]

August 29, 1926
@KMOX to broadcast @Cardinals @Pirates play-by-play from Sportmans Park
"George Junkins will commence a descriptive narrative of the events as they occur below him on the diamond and within his sight about the great inclosure."