The Brooklyn Dodgers-New York Giants rivalry was real. The teams played each other twenty two times during the season and needed no media hyperbole to fuel the hatred that existed among the players and the fans. The teams were natural rivals since they played in the same city, within a few miles of each other. The Giants, led by John McGraw, dominated the National League from the early 1900s until the early 1920s, but Brooklyn won pennants in 1916 and 1920. The Giants and Yankees were also fierce rivals, sharing the Polo Grounds until 1923, and playing each other in the 1921, 1922, and 1923 World Series, but once the Yankees moved to Yankee Stadium, the competition with the Giants cooled a little and soon it became the Giants and Dodgers loathing each other.
The Giants had won the World Series in 1933, and during the off season, their manager, Bill Terry, fanned the flames of discontent with some remarks that have becomes classic baseball quotes. On January 24, the New York Herald Tribune reported that Terry, while being interviewed by reporters, said that "Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Chicago will be the teams we'll have to beat. I don't think the Braves will do as well as they did last year." Terry was then asked "Do you fear the Dodgers?" He responded, "I was just wondering whether they were still in the league." Remember, this was 1934 and individuals spoke freely, without weighing the impact their words might have or the consequences that might follow. The New York Evening Post (many New York newspapers published an early afternoon edition, an early evening edition, and then a late night edition) reported that:
"Colonel William Terry, young manager of the world champion Giants, seems to have awakened the Dodgers, club and fans alike, from their long winter hibernation. And the Dodgers have awakened like a hungry bear, demanding to know just what Memphis Bill meant by his uncomplimentary remark about the Dodgers still being in the league. In a gabfest yesterday with baseball writers, Terry was asked if he feared the Dodgers. His whimsical reply was: 'I was just wondering whether they were still in the league.'"
"If Bill thought this would go unchallenged in Brooklyn, he was guessing wrong, for Bob Quinn, business manager of the Brooklyn club, has countered with a stinging rebuke. When apprised of Terry's remark, Bob said: 'I doubt very much if Terry made that remark, but if he did, it ill befits a manager of a championship ball club, particularly a manager who was so thin-skinned himself that he was very much perturbed about writers picking his team to finish last in 1933.' And the Brooklyn club may fool Mr. Terry by being the team to prevent him from repeating his triumph of last year. At least, we'll let him know we are still in the league."
Bill Terry was blunt, outspoken, and would not cater to sportswriters. Much resentment was created when he insisted on not giving the writers his private telephone number, which is amazing. It was a different society in many ways in 1934, but a constant has been the media's belief that all aspects of a public figure's life belong to the public. They don't. They belong to the public figure. Many wise, older individuals have learned discretion. Terry's words came back to haunt him as the 1934 pennant race reached its thrilling climax. With two games left in the season, the Giants led the Cardinals by one game. Brooklyn had been out of it for most of the season.
September 27, 1934 was a day off for the Giants but the Cardinals beat the Reds to pull within ½ game of the Giants. The teams were tied in the loss column but the Giants had played and won one more game. The Giants were again off on September 28 and the Cardinals again beat the Reds to gain a tie for first place. Brooklyn visited the Polo Grounds on the last two days of the season while the Cardinals continued their series at home against the Reds.
September 30 was a rainy day in New York. Much doubt existed with respect to whether or not the game would be played. About 3,000 fans, most of them apparently Brooklyn fans seeking revenge, were camped out at the Polo Grounds at 12:30 P.M., hoping to see a game. The gates opened at 2 P.M and about 12,000 of what would eventually become a crowd of 14,000 got into the ball park. Brooklyn fans were the majority in the Polo Grounds' lower stands, ranging from third base around to the Brooklyn dugout, where one could find Brooklyn manager Charles Dillon Stengel, who would make his mark in another of New York City's boroughs a few years later. Before the game started, Stengel received a telegram containing fifty signatures. The message was simply "You'll win the undying gratitude of Brooklyn fans if you knock Bill Terry and his Giants on their backs."
Stengel read the telegram aloud and shouted, "This calls for a special meeting." He asked the reporters to leave the clubhouse, held his meeting, the rain let up, the game was played, and Brooklyn fans had some revenge. In St .Louis, Paul Dean won his nineteenth game as the Cardinals defeated the Reds to gain sole possession of first place with only Sunday's game left. When Sunday's games were over, some of the Cardinals, during their pennant celebration, shouted that Brooklyn was still in the league. With improved weather, 45,000 fans had filled the Polo Grounds to capacity. In the first inning, the Giants opened up a four run lead which was transformed to a 5-3 lead as the Brooklyns came to bat in the eighth inning. They scored twice to tie the game. Almost simultaneously, the Polo Grounds scoreboard operator posted a big "3" in the Cardinals fourth inning, giving the team from St. Louis a 5-0 lead behind Dizzy Dean, who was going for this thirtieth win of the season.
The game in New York remained 5-5 when Brooklyn came to bat in the tenth inning of the last game of the season for both teams. Sam Leslie singled, Tony Cuccinello doubled him to third, and Bill Terry brought in Carl Hubbell to face Brooklyn relief pitcher Johnny Babich. Hubbell struck out Babich and then intentionally passed third baseman Johnny Stripp to load the bases with one out, bringing up catcher Al Lopez, who many years later, as the Indians manager in 1954, would break Casey Stengel's streak of winning five consecutive pennants. But this is then and that was yet to be. Hubbell got Lopez to hit a ground ball to Giants' shortstop Blondie Ryan but the usually reliable Ryan bobbled the ball, Brooklyn went ahead, scored two more runs, and the Cardinals won the pennant.
(although I believe Thomson said he did not steal the sign on Branca's pitch).
