Giants Over Nationals in FiveAs we get ready to replay the 1934 season, let's take a moment to recap the 1933 (real) MLB season.
In the American League, rookie manager Joe Cronin's Washington Nationals (popularly known as the Senators after an earlier Washington franchise) finished seven games ahead of the Yankees. The New York Giants finished five games in front of the Pirates in the National League.
Some of the best baseball, however, was played in Philadelphia as both leagues saw triple crown (highest batting average, most home runs and most runs batted in) winners in Jimmie Foxx of the Philadelphia A's and Chuck Klein of the Philadelphia Phillies. In the NL, Spud Davis (Philadelphia (NL)), Arky Vaughan (Pittsburgh), Pepper Martin (St. Louis (NL)) and Bill Terry (New York (NL)) would also have fine seasons at the plate, as would Mickey Cochrane (Philadelphia (AL)), Max Bishop (Philadelphia (AL)), Babe Ruth (New York (AL)) and Lou Gehrig (New York (AL)) in the AL. On the mound, Carl Hubbell (New York (NL)), Dizzy Dean (St. Louis (NL)), Hal Schumaker (New York (NL)), and Phil Collins (Philadelphia (NL)) led the NL and Alvin (General ) Crowder (Washington), Lefty Grove (Philadelphia (AL)), Tommy Bridges (Detroit) and Earl Whitehill (Washington) were some of the pitching leaders in the AL.
The Giants beat the Nationals in a five game World Series, and thus were the reigning champions as 1934 got underway.
Some of the big post season trades include Lefty Grove (Philadelphia (AL) to Boston), Chuck Klein (Philadelphia (NL) to Chicago (NL)), Mickey Cochrane (Philadelphia (AL) to Detroit) and Goose Goslin (Washington to Detroit). Davis would also move over to St. Louis (NL), and Bishop would move to Boston (AL).
