In the 1930s, the United States reeled through a Great Depression that drove many people into joblessness and poverty, but baseball marched on, providing fans relief from the bad news outside the baseball park. Some of the greatest players ever to take the field played during this decade, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio.
In the 1930s, Americans went to the theaters to see “King Kong,” the classic Universal Horror films, “Gone With the Wind” and “The Wizard of Oz.” They listened to the music of Cab Calloway, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Artie Shaw and Duke Ellington. And they also enjoyed these best baseball moments of the 1930s.
Babe Ruth Calls His Shot
There’s been a long and spirited debate over whether this actually happened. The legend goes like this: In Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Ruth stood at home plate and pointed to the outfield, indicating that’s where he planned to hit a homerun. He then took a pitch from Charlie Root and deposited it in the Wrigley Field bleachers. Many have since said Ruth was pointing at the Cubs dugout in response to jeers from Cubs players. That seems more likely, but the legend makes for a better story.
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The Gashouse Gang
Led by brothers Dizzy and Daffy Dean, the St. Louis Cardinals of the early 1930s tore up the National League, winning three pennants between 1930 and 1934. They also won two World Series titles in 1931 and 1934. The team became famous for their brash and rough-and-tumble style, as well as a bit of a shabby appearance. The nickname refers to factories where coal is converted into gas. Many of the players came from working class backgrounds. In addition to the Dean brothers, stars included player-manager Frankie Frisch, Joe Medwick, Ripper Collins and Pepper Martin.
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Joe DiMaggio Ushers in New Yankee Era
In his rookie year in 1936, Joe DiMaggio hit 29 home runs and helped the Yankees return to the World Series, beating the New York Giants. For Yankees fans, it returned the team to greatness after Ruth’s departure earlier in the decade. For Yankees haters, it was another of many eras in which they couldn’t believe the Yankees had found yet another superstar and were once again champions. The Yankees went on to win three more World Series in a row, capturing every championship from 1936 through 1939. The team included DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Lefty Gomez and Bill Dickey. DiMaggio went on to play all 13 years of his career with the Yankees and inspired one of the best baseball songs ever.
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Lou Gehrig’s Independence Day Speech
By the summer of 1939, the world knew Gehrig had been diagnosed with ALS and his career was over. The Yankees honored him before a sold out game at Yankee Stadium on July 4. Gehrig felt reluctant to speak, but ended up delivering what is the most famous speech in baseball history. Despite his diagnosis, he told the fans, ““Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.” During the speech, Gehrig also said: “I might have been given a bad break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for.”
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The First Night Game
Major League Baseball made the game more accessible to working class fans by installing lights and playing games at night. The first game under the lights happened May 24, 1935 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The hometown Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-1. The lights were turned on by a button pressed at the White House by President Franklin Roosevelt.
Johnny Vander Meer Throws Consecutive No-Hitters
In 1938, Reds pitcher Johnny Vander Meer did something no pitcher had ever done before or since. On June 11, 1938, Vander Meer threw a no-hitter against the Boston Bees. Four days later, he did it against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the first ever night game at Ebbets Field – despite walking eight batters, including three in the bottom of the ninth.
These represent some of the best baseball moments of the 1930s, a tough time for the country but an entertaining decade for baseball.
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