Stan Musial had such respect for the arm of Andy Pafko he included the National League veteran as part of the best-throwing outfield he’d ever seen.
It was because he didn’t use that arm, though, that Pafko committed a memorable blunder that literally handed the Cardinals a comeback victory against the Cubs.
When the Cubs won the pennant by finishing three games ahead of the runner-up Cardinals in 1945, Pafko was the starting center fielder and had 24 doubles, 12 triples, 12 home runs and 110 RBI.
Four years later, Pafko was in center field for a Saturday afternoon game, April 30, 1949, against the Cardinals at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
Wild ninth
Behind the pitching of starter Bob Rush, the Cubs entered the ninth inning with a 3-1 lead.
With Enos Slaughter on second base and two outs, Rush was on the verge of a victory until Eddie Kazak singled, scoring Slaughter and narrowing the Cubs lead to 3-2. Chuck Diering ran for Kazak and Rocky Nelson, a rookie first baseman, stepped to the plate for St. Louis.
The Associated Press described what happened next:
“Nelson then lined the ball to left-center and Pafko made a somersault dive and came up with the ball.”
Umpire Al Barlick hesitated a moment in making a call, then ruled Pafko had trapped the ball.
Diering and Nelson raced around the basepaths.
Great debate
Wrote The Sporting News: “Instead of throwing in the ball with his superb arm, Pafko, the ball still lodged in the webbing of his glove, came running in to second base to join the swarm of Cubs who were rushing toward Barlick.”
As Pafko held the ball, Diering scored the tying run and Nelson steamed toward the plate.
“Pafko, unwilling to believe the no-catch ruling, did not throw the ball until Nelson was crossing the plate with the winning run,” the Associated Press reported.
Stunned, the Cubs were retired in order by closer Ted Wilks in the bottom of the ninth and the Cardinals won, 4-3. Boxscore
The Sporting News summed up the game as probably the first in the history of big-league baseball “decided by what they describe not as an inside-the-park homer but as an in-the-glove homer.”
Two years later, June 1951, Pafko was dealt to the Dodgers, giving Brooklyn an outfield of Pafko in left, Duke Snider in center and Carl Furillo in right.
In his book “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story,” Musial said with Pafko, Snider and Furillo “the Dodgers had the best-throwing outfield I ever saw.”
“Andy was a strong hitter, a strong-armed fielder and good defensively,” Musial said. “He was steady, gave you a good day’s work.”
Playing for the Cubs, Dodgers and Braves from 1943-59, Pafko batted .285 with 213 home runs and 1,796 hits. In 258 games against the Cardinals, Pafko hit .273 with 22 homers and 120 RBI.
Previously: Duke Snider, Stan Musial put on big show
[…] April 30: In 1933, Charlie Root wins a game thanks to the hitting help of newly acquired outfielder Babe Herman. He hit his first homer for the Cubs in the 7-5 win. In 1949, Andy Pafko allowed the Cardinals to win thanks to the “Inside the Glove Homer”. […]
April 30th 1949,my sister Elaine was getting married. While waiting for the family to go to the hotel,my brother Allen and I watched the Cubs game on WGN-TV. on our 10″ RCA Victor TV. It was a dark over cast day. Those days,all tv’s were black and white and there was no instant replay because video tape was not yet invented. Years later,I was involved in the stage play “Bleacher Bums” and that Pafko incident is featured. I met Andy on many occasions. He was one of my boyhood idols and I cried when he was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers. I later became known as the Bleacher Preacher at the friendly confines.
Jerry: I really enjoyed reading your recollections. Thank you for sharing them here.
Thanks,even if you are a Cardinal fan! I was lucky as a kid who got to see so many Cardinal teams going back to Stan”The Man”Musial who looked like a Rodan Statue at the plate,4 sack Dusak,Marty”the octopus”Marion, Enos”Country”Slaughter,Harry”The Cat” Bracheen” and listen to Harry Caray and Gabby Street on KMOX coming out of St.Louis. I always enjoyed teasing the Red-Bird fans by asking Cardinal Questions.What’s Whity Herzog first name?(it’s Doral,and if that was my first name I would call myself Whitey,too,even if I was bald! What did Pete Whisenant do twice that no other Cardinal player did? He pinch hit for Musial! And of course what was unusual about Musial’s total hits 3,630 ? He had the same amount on the road that he had at home…1815!
Cheers,Jerry!
Jerry: Love your description of Stan Musial at the plate. Well done!