RetroSimba

Danny Litwhiler, the starting left fielder for the Cardinals’ National League championship teams in 1943 and ’44, was manager Billy Southworth’s kind of player.

In 1942, when Litwhiler was with the last-place Phillies, he beat the Cardinals in a September game by stretching a single into a double and later crashing into catcher Walker Cooper to score the winning run. Southworth was impressed by Litwhiler’s all-out hustle while playing late in the season for a terrible team.

On June 1, 1943, on the advice of Southworth, Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey acquired Litwhiler and outfielder Earl Naylor from the Phillies for outfielders Buster Adams, Coaker Triplett and Dain Clay.

Among the many good trades made by Rickey, this was one of the best. Litwhiler fit perfectly on Cardinals teams that dominated the National League in 1943 and ’44.

In the book “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story,” Musial said Litwhiler “was a high-class fellow and a man I was proud to have as my friend.”

Litwhiler, a right-handed batter, hit .279 with seven home runs and 31 RBI in 80 games for the 1943 Cardinals. He took over in left field for Debs Garms, who, at 36, was nine years older than Litwhiler.

In the book “The Spirit of St. Louis” by Peter Golenbock, Litwhiler described his feelings about being traded to the Cardinals and playing for Southworth:

“I felt pretty bad about (the trade), because I really liked Philadelphia. In fact, I cried. It broke my heart, because I was leaving Philadelphia. I really liked the fans.

“… Billy (Southworth) and I started off in pretty good shape. He was a great teacher … Billy’s offensive philosophy was to bunt the ball and get the runner over. That’s why we won. He taught the fundamentals … It was bunting, and learning how to slide, even the pitchers, and we would take the extra base.”

Though he wasn’t a dominant slugger (107 home runs in 11 big-league seasons), Litwhiler had power. On June 27, 1943, at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, the Cubs led the Cardinals 2-0 after six. In the seventh, Litwhiler hit a solo homer off Claude Passeau, and in the ninth he slammed a two-run shot off Passeau, lifting St. Louis to a 3-2 victory. Boxscore

In the 1943 World Series against the Yankees, Litwhiler batted .267 (4-for-15) with two RBI. In Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, Litwhiler made a shoestring catch of Joe Gordon’s drive in the second and drove in both Cardinals runs off Hank Borowy in New York’s 6-2 victory. Boxscore

Batting primarily from the sixth spot in the order, Litwhiler hit .264 with 15 homers and 82 RBI in 140 games for the 1944 Cardinals. He batted .359 against the Cubs in 22 games that season and .302 against the Dodgers in 18 games.

On July 29, 1944, Litwhiler slugged a grand slam off Dodgers rookie Ralph Branca in the Cardinals’ 14-2 victory at Brooklyn. Boxscore On Aug. 3, Litwhiler drove in six runs, including three on a homer off Preacher Roe, in St. Louis’ 15-2 victory at Pittsburgh. Boxscore

In Game 5 of the 1944 World Series, the Cardinals were clinging to a 1-0 lead against the crosstown Browns when Litwhiler led off the eighth with a homer to right-center off Denny Galehouse, capping a 2-0 Cardinals victory. Boxscore

“When I hit my home run off Galehouse, the fielder jumped up, and I heard this terrific roar,” Litwhiler told Golenbock. “I thought, ‘… He jumped up and caught it.’ But I looked out, and I saw the ball bouncing in the stands. I thought, ‘… It’s a home run!’ I don’t even remember touching the bases after that.”

The Cardinals won the World Series championship in six games. “A great feeling, one you’ll never forget,” Litwhiler said.

In 1945, Litwhiler served in the Army Special Service. He returned to the Cardinals in May 1946, but Southworth had left St. Louis to become manager of the Braves and the Cardinals had committed to rookie Erv Dusak as the left fielder. On June 9, 1946, the Cardinals sold Litwhiler’s contract to the Braves, where he was reunited with Southworth.

Litwhiler finished his big-league career with the Reds in 1951. His career batting mark was .281.

Litwhiler became baseball coach at Florida State, compiling a 190-83-1 record in nine seasons, and at Michigan State, where he was 488-362-8 in 19 seasons. Among the college players he prepared for big-league careers were Dick Howser and Woody Woodward at Florida State, and Steve Garvey and Kirk Gibson at Michigan State.

A brilliant innovator, Litwhiler developed the radar speed gun and created a powder, known as diamond dust, that enabled wet infields to dry quickly.