RetroSimba

If not for a slump at the start of September by Stan Musial, the Cardinals, not the Braves, might have been National League champions and opposed the Indians in the 1948 World Series.

The Braves (91-62) won the pennant, finishing 6.5 games ahead of the second-place Cardinals (85-69), and lost four of six to the Indians in the World Series.

Led by Musial’s torrid hitting, the Cardinals entered September at 68-57, two games behind the Braves.

Hot pursuit

Musial, 27, was at his peak in 1948. He won his third Most Valuable Player Award and led the league in runs (135), hits (230), doubles (46), triples (18), RBI (131), batting average (.376), on-base percentage (.450), slugging percentage (.702) and total bases (429).

Many thought the Cardinals were poised to pass the Braves in the standings in September 1948 and win their fifth pennant of the decade, but Musial went into a slump at the start of September.

Entering the month with a batting average of .378, Musial produced a mere three hits in his first 24 at-bats in September. The Cardinals lost five of seven games and fell into fourth place at 70-62, 5.5 games behind the front-running Braves.

In The Sporting News, Bob Broeg wrote, “It was Musial’s first man-sized slump during the first week of September that caused the Cardinals to lose all but a thread-slender flag chance.”

The height of frustration for the Cardinals occurred in a three-game series against the Pirates at Pittsburgh. In a Labor Day doubleheader on Sept. 6, the Cardinals hit into eight double plays _ six in the opener and two in the second game _ and lost by scores of 2-1 and 4-1.

The next night, in the series finale, the Cardinals threatened in the first inning, but Musial lined into a triple play, and the Pirates rolled to a 6-2 triumph. Boxscore

“That series was a body blow, but we’re still in the race,” Cardinals manager Eddie Dyer said.

Just short

The Cardinals finished strong, winning seven of their last 10, but placed second.

Dyer pointed to injuries that limited Red Schoendienst to 95 starts at second base and Whitey Kurowski to 62 starts at third as difference makers in the race.

“Except for our infield injuries, I believe we would be out in front,” Dyer said. “Too often we missed that potential punch and the ability to make the double play.”