January 10th, 1934 - The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals

The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in seven games over Detroit. Their 95-58 record was just good enough to win the National League Pennant over the New York Giants, who lost several games down the stretch to the lowly Dodgers thereby handing the pennant to the Cards. The 1934 Cards were led by Ripper Collins (1b) and Joe Medwick (of) on offense. The real heart of the 34 Cards, though, lie in their starting rotation with Dizzy Dean, his brother Paul, and Bill Walker. Jesse Haines and Dazzy Vance provide solid relief out of the bullpen. The Cards, who also won the World Series in 1931 would make runs at the pennant in 1935, 1936 and 1939, coming up just short. Still, the 1930s Cards, known as "the Gashouse Gang," provided fans with thrilling baseball, and were almost always in the thick of the pennant races in this era.

January 9th, 1934 - The 1934 Detroit Tigers

The 1934 Detroit Tigers won the AL pennant in 1934 with a record of 101-54. They were "star studded" with hitters such as Charlie Gehringer (2b) and player-manager Mickey Cochrane (c). Hank Greenberg (1b) is in his second year in 1934. Their star pitchers include "Schoolboy" Rowe and Tommy Bridges. The Tigers turned it around in 1934, having finished 5th in 1932 and 1933 under previous manager Bucky Harris. Although they lost the 1934 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in a seven game series, they won the World Series in 1935. They finished second in 1936 and 1937, before sliding to the middle of the league at the end of the decade.

One of Detroit's strengths in this period was its infield, which historian Bill James calls the best of the decade. Defensively, its anchor is second baseman Charlie Gehringer, who was as great in the field as at the plate. 3rd baseman Marv Owen and Shortstop Billy Rogell were also very solid fielders. The infield's only defensive weakness is first baseman Hank Greenberg. At the plate, however, Greenberg provides the power among the four.

January 8th, 1934 - Nationals Release Veteran Rice

Nats Drop Rice

The Washington Nationals Announced this morning that it would not re-sign veteran Sam Rice. Rice has been a presence in the Senator since he joined the team in 1915, and has been a starter is most games during his career. He alternated between the mound and the outfield in his first two seasons, when the game was different. Unlike today's modern game, players twenty years ago were not as specialized. Rice was an important member of the Nats' 1924 World Championship team, hitting .334. In 1926, he finished 4th in MVP voting.

Rice acknowledged his disappointment, but said "I'll get over it. I think I've got at least one more good season, so I'll explore my options."