In fourth game of the 1941 World Series, the Dodgers led the Yankees 4-3 in the ninth. Hugh Casey was pitching and with two outs and a three-and-two count on Tommy Heinrich, threw a spitball that Henrich swung on and missed, but got away from the catcher Mickey Owen. Heinrich made it to first.
Maybe Heinrich would have walked anyway, and what happens next didn’t require the spitball – but the Yankees then scored four runs to win, 7-4.
The interesting thing to me is that Casey would go to the spitball, knowing that it might be difficult to control and to catch, with a 3-2 count, two outs, and no one on. Clearly, weighing the risk/reward, he didn’t want to challenge Heinrich and risk a game-tying home run, so he’s trying to get a swing-and-miss to end the game and even the series at 2-2. But that Casey in such an important situation would choose to throw the spitter reveals that he thought it was the best pitch he could strike Heinrich out with.
Terry | 24-Feb-07 at 6:40 am | Permalink
I love this site and can’t wait for the book…
Gomez | 05-Apr-07 at 3:35 pm | Permalink
If you’ve ever seen the old SI video ‘Last Second Miracles’, one of the baseball ‘miracles’ they mention is the end of this very game, with an interview with Mickey Owen. The game was about over with the Dodgers about to tie it at 2 games a piece, and instead, they drop it, and lose the series the next day. Incredible turn.
Pretty cool to learn that the pitch got away from Owen in part because it was a spitball. I had no idea.
Owen certainly never mentioned this. “I couldn’t believe I didn’t have it in my glove.” Well… dude.