RetroSimba

Howie Pollet was peaking as a Cardinals pitcher when he put his career on hold to serve his country in World War II.

On July 10, 1943, Pollet pitched a third consecutive shutout, stretching his scoreless innings streak to 28. Two days later, on July 12, Pollet was in Philadelphia, preparing to pitch for the National League in the July 13 All-Star Game, when he received orders to report for active duty.

Pollet, 22, who was classified 1-A as available for unrestricted military service when he registered for the draft, departed immediately for St. Louis and checked in at the recruiting office there before going to the Army Air Force base at Miami Beach, Fla., to start training as an aviation cadet.

Pollet was 8-4 with a 1.74 ERA for the 1943 Cardinals when he got the call from Uncle Sam. Five of his eight wins were shutouts. His ERA in those eight wins was 0.87.

Pollet served in the military until his discharge in November 1945. He resumed his major-league career in 1946 and picked up where he left off, posting a 21-10 record and 2.10 ERA for a World Series championship Cardinals club.

Emerging ace

Pollet, a left-hander, signed with the Cardinals in 1939 and made his major-league debut with them two years later. He contributed a 7-5 record and 2.88 ERA for the Cardinals in their World Series championship season in 1942.

In 1943, Pollet was in a starting rotation with Mort Cooper, Ernie White, Max Lanier and Harry Gumbert.

Pollet pitched a shutout in a 1-0 win against the Reds in his first start of the season on April 25. He pitched another 1-0 shutout against the Pirates on June 12, boosting his record to 5-1. He lost his next two starts, an 11-inning duel with the Reds’ Johnny Vander Meer and a rain-shortened five-inning game against the Cubs.

Facing the Giants in Game 2 of a doubleheader on June 30 at the Polo Grounds in New York, Pollet held them to six singles and three walks in a 5-0 Cardinals victory.

The Giants threatened in the sixth inning, but Pollet got Sid Gordon to pop out to shortstop Marty Marion with two outs and the bases loaded. In the seventh, the Giants had runners on first and second, two outs, when Pollet struck out Dick Bartell.

Pollet was backed by four Cadinals home runs _ two by Lou Klein and one each by Stan Musial and Danny Litwhiler. Boxscore

Chess match

On July 4, Pollet started against the Dodgers in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn and pitched 10 innings in a 2-0 Cardinals victory.

Curt Davis, a former Cardinal, started for the Dodgers and held St. Louis scoreless until the 10th. Pollet sparked the rally with an infield single. His ground ball was fielded by first baseman Dolph Camilli, who threw to Davis covering first, but Davis failed to touch the bag and Pollet was ruled safe, the Associated Press reported.

Klein’s sacrifice bunt moved Pollet to second and Harry Walker followed with a single to shallow left, scoring Pollet. Walker advanced to second on left fielder Joe Medwick’s weak throw to the plate. After an intentional walk to Musial, Litwhiler singled, scoring Walker with the second run.

In the bottom of the 10th, Pollet issued a two-out walk to Mickey Owen before striking out Augie Galan and preserving the shutout.

“Brilliant as Davis was, he was overshadowed by his youthful rival, Howie Pollet, who limited the Dodgers to three scant hits and whipped them for the first time in his big-league career,” the New York Daily News reported.

Pollet escaped a jam in the seventh when the Dodgers had runners on first and third with none out. After Camilli struck out, Cardinals coach Buzzy Wares told manager Billy Southworth he expected Owen to attempt a suicide squeeze bunt, The Sporting News reported.

“Waste every pitch, if necessary,” Wares told Southworth. “I think it will be the second pitch, but waste them all, even if you walk Owen.”

After Owen took the first pitch from Pollet, Southworth signaled for a pitchout. Sure enough, as catcher Walker Cooper moved away from the plate for Pollet’s offering, Owen futilely attempted the squeeze. Medwick, charging down the line, was trapped and was tagged out. Owen flied out, ending the threat. Boxscore

“So helpless were the Dodgers … that even the once loyal fans turned against them,” the Daily News reported. “Camilli, hero of the pennant-winning team of 1941, was booed lustily after fanning three times in the opener.”

Change in plans

Pollet pitched his third straight shutout on July 10 in a 6-0 Cardinals victory over the Braves at Boston. Pollet limited the Braves to four singles and two walks. Boxscore

After the game, the Post-Dispatch informed Pollet it had learned he was scheduled to report to basic training on July 15, but Pollet said it was news to him.

After the Cardinals completed their series with the Braves on July 11, Pollet went to Philadelphia with other members of the National League all-star team. He received his draft notice on July 12, and before he departed Philadelphia he was given an all-star wristwatch by National League president Ford Frick. Pollet had been scheduled to pitch three innings in the July 13 All-Star Game, the St. Louis Star-Times reported.

Pollet would not pitch in a major-league game again until April 18, 1946, in a start for the Cardinals against the Pirates at St. Louis.

He compiled a 97-65 record in nine seasons with the Cardinals before being traded to the Pirates in June 1951. Pollet went on to pitch for the Pirates, Cubs and White Sox. He finished his big-league career in 1956 with a record of 131-116 and 25 shutouts.

Pollet also was the Cardinals’ pitching coach from 1959-64.