Hall Automotive: This Week in 1926 October 9–15, 1926 – The World Series Ends in a Way No One Expected

 One hundred years ago this week, America was captivated by baseball. The New York Yankees had Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The St. Louis Cardinals were appearing in their first World Series. Seven games would be required to determine a champion. And the 1926 World Series would end with one of the strangest final plays in baseball history.

After five games, the Yankees led the Series three games to two. St. Louis needed to win Game 6 in New York just to stay alive. They did. Grover Cleveland Alexander led the Cardinals to a 10–2 victory on October 9. That meant everything would come down to Game 7 at Yankee Stadium on October 10.

The Cardinals took a 3–2 lead. Late in the game, St. Louis again turned to Alexander. The veteran pitcher protected the lead into the ninth inning. Then came Babe Ruth.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Yankees trailing 3–2, Ruth drew a walk. Bob Meusel came to the plate. Lou Gehrig waited behind him. Then Ruth tried to steal second base. Cardinals catcher Bob O’Farrell threw to player-manager Rogers Hornsby. Hornsby applied the tag.

The World Series was over. The St. Louis Cardinals were champions for the first time. Babe Ruth—the most feared hitter in baseball—had made the final out of the World Series trying to steal second base. You couldn’t write a much more surprising ending.

What makes the 1926 World Series particularly interesting from our perspective 100 years later is how Americans experienced it. Radio was helping transform major sporting events from local experiences into national ones. You didn’t need a ticket to Yankee Stadium. You didn’t even need to live in New York or St. Louis. People could gather around a radio and follow the action. For the first time, technology was allowing enormous numbers of Americans to share the same moment at nearly the same time. That idea seems ordinary today. In 1926, it was revolutionary.

Today, our vehicles themselves are connected. A driver can stream a baseball game through the vehicle’s audio system, receive traffic information, make a hands-free phone call or get directions to the stadium. A century ago, radio itself was the breakthrough technology. It’s another reminder of how quickly technology that once seems extraordinary becomes ordinary.

The Cardinals’ first championship remains part of baseball history. Babe Ruth remains one of the most recognizable names in American sports. And that final attempted steal remains one of the most unusual endings to any World Series. Meanwhile, Hall’s first year in Wisconsin continued. Our customers in 1926 may have been listening to that World Series on the radio. Their grandchildren and great-grandchildren can now stream a game while driving a Mazda or Volkswagen.

The technology changes.

The traditions continue.