January 22, 1936 - Big Deal in MLB - Derringer for Gehringer

The story of the day in the baseball world is the major trade between the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. The Reds will receive 32-year-old All-Star second baseman Charlie Gehringer in the deal, while the Tigers will pick up 29-year-old starting pitcher Paul Derringer, an All-Star in his own right, and 23-year-old  minor league center fielder Tony Martinez. 

Gehringer

This was a seemingly out-of-the-blue move that nobody saw coming. A Cincinnati insider familiar with the negotiations called the trade "one that people will be talking about for quite some time". Neither general manager could be reached for comment. 

Over the course of his career, Derringer has a won-lost record of 71 wins and 87 losses with 549 strikeouts in 1289 innings pitched with a lifetime 3.48 ERA.

 Last season was the Springfield, Mass. native's breakout campaign. The right-hander went 20-17 for the Reds, crafting a 3.20 ERA. He was the most dependable starter in the National League, having pitched 335 innings, and made the All-Star team. Prior to last season, Derringer's most successful season was his rookie campaign in 1931 with the Cardinals, when he went 18-8 with 134 strikeouts in 211.2 innings pitched.

Derringer

Gehringer's career numbers show he has batted .320 and collected 1811 hits, 94 home runs and 878 RBIs. He has represented the American League in all three All-Star games, and was named the top defensive second baseman in the 1935 Gold Glove awards. The Fowlerville, Mich. native leaves his home state club, the only club he has ever known and one with which he has spent ten full seasons, and parts of two others. Early in the 1935 season, Gehringer scored his 1,000th career run, and he is expected to reach his 2,000th career base hit late in the 1936 season. In 1934, Gehringer hit .356 and drove in 127 runs, both career highs, while also scoring 134 times and stroking 11 home runs.

Martinez was acquired by the Reds earlier in the off-season in a trade with the Boston Braves that also brought Freddie Lindstrom to the Queen City. 

October 25, 1935 - 1935 Season Recap

DETROIT - Henry Greenberg took a major step toward becoming one of the game's greats this season, as the Detroit slugger won the "Triple Crown" for the 1935 season, leading the American League in batting, home runs and runs batted in.

Greenberg

"Hank", as he is known to his team-mates, was a major contributing force to the Tigers' successful pennant chase. The Bengals looked to be faltering down the stretch, but the broad-shouldered Greenberg carried the team on his back, holding off the fast-charging New York Yankees to secure the flag. Greenberg's success not only gave his team the championship, but also making sure he pulled away from Philadelphia's slugging first baseman Jimmie Foxx to claim the RBI title and with it, the Triple Crown.

On the season, Greenberg batted an astounding .377 in 605 at bats. The Hebrew Hammer slugged 53 home runs on the season, more than twice as many as last year's total (26). Finally, his 157 runs batted in surpassed Foxx's total of 153.

With a week to go in the season, the Tigers were struggling, and saw their lead cut to just one game over the Yanks. Greenberg and company responded with a five-game winning streak to clinch the flag, and Hank drove in ten runs combined in those five games.

Here is a list of the other accomplishment around Professional Baseball this season:


Teams
American League champion - Detroit Tigers (92-62)
National League champion - Chicago Cubs (99-55)
Detroit wins World's Series, 4 games to 3

International League champion - Montreal Royals (96-58)
Pacific Coast League champion - Oakland Oaks (88-66)
Oakland wins Continental Series, 4 games to 2

American Association champion - Indianapolis Indians (90-54)
Southern Association champion - Atlanta Crackers (93-51)
Atlanta wins Little World's Series, 3 games to 1

Eastern League champion - Albany Senators (85-59)
Western League champion - Wichita Indians (88-56)
Albany wins Little Continental Series, 3 games to 1

Players
Major League Baseball Awards
American League MVP - Hank Greenberg (DET) .377/53 HR/157 RBI
National League MVP - Arky Vaughn (PIT) .344/43 2B/18 HR/93 RBI
American League "Cy" Young - Lefty Grove (BOS) 24-9/161 K/2.57 ERA
National League "Cy" Young - Lon Warneke (CHC) 26-9/158 K/2.80 ERA
American League Rookie - Wally Moses (PHA) .371/128 Runs/84 RBI
National League Rookie - Cy Blanton (PIT) 21-11/173 K/2.39 ERA

Continental League Baseball Awards
International League MVP - Phil Cain (TOR) .340/17 HR/90 RBI
Pacific Coast League MVP - Arthur Holmes (SEA) .399/17 HR/82 RBI
International League Pitcher - Taylor Sims (ROC) 23-13/144 K/2.38 ERA
Pacific Coast League Pitcher - John Ray (SF) 24-10/141 K/2.38 ERA

National Association Awards
American Association MVP - Ernest Southern (KC) .308/37 2B/78 RBI
Southern Association MVP - Dale Simpson (CHT) .331/20 HR/88 RBI
American Association Pitcher - Jimmy Morris (COL) 16-9/128 K/2.19 ERA
Southern Association Pitcher - Si Johnson (NSH) 18-3/92 K/1.56 ERA

Minor League Baseball Awards
Eastern League MVP - Daniel MacCutcheon (SCH) .333/17 HR/64 RBI
Western League MVP - Andy Parkinson (OMA) .335/24 HR/75 RBI
Eastern League Pitcher -  Bill Wilson (SCH) 22-12/157 K/3.14 ERA
Western League Pitcher - Blake Young (SOO) 20-11/148 K/2.94 ERA

Notable Accomplishments
American League
Hank Greenberg (Detroit) hit 53 home runs and 157 runs batted in (Triple Crown winner)
Jimmie Foxx (Philadelphia) had 153 runs batted in
Lou Gehrig (New York) had his 2000th career hit on May 12
Jimmy Dykes (Chicago) had his 2000th career hit on May 17

National League
Bill Terry (New York) had his 2000th career hit on June 5

International League
Michael Ward (Newark) had a 32-game hitting streak

American Association
John Fitzwater (Columbus) had a 37-game hitting streak

Eastern League
Lance Dallas (Albany) hit 3 home runs in one game on May 20 (vs. Binghamton)

Grove

Holmes

Ray

October 9, 1935 - Tigers Win World's Series

CHICAGO - There were times when the Detroit Tigers' championship dreams seemed in tatters. In Game 5, for example, the Bengals were three outs away, at home, from taking a 3-2 series lead. But a seven-run 9th inning, courtesy of the Chicago Cubs, sent fans away from Sanders Field in tears, and ensured that Detroit would have to "do it tough" and win two games in hostile territory, Hughes Field.

Rowe

Last night, the Tigers' ace hurler, Schoolboy Rowe, did just that. The Texan allowed three hits all night in a 7-0 Game Seven victory. Two of those hits came in the ninth inning when the game was no longer in doubt.

That was due to the first-inning home run from the Bengals' slugging first baseman, Henry Greenberg. The Triple Crown-winning Greenberg hit a two-run homer, but that was one more run than Rowe would prove to need. In his third start of the season, Rowe allowed three hits, striking out three and walking three. It continues the outstanding performances Rowe had turned in all season, compiling a 22-12 record with a 3.28 ERA in 38 starts.

Walker

Gee Walker was awarded the outstanding player of the series award. The right fielder hit at an amazing .571 clip during the seven games of the Series, including a 4-for-4 performance in Game Seven. Walker always seemed to come up big when it counted, driving in five runs and hitting four doubles and a home run in the Series.

Skipper Mickey Cochrane and lead-off hitter Jo-Jo White also contributed mightly to the cause. Along with Greenberg, the trio each drove in six runs in the Series. At 32 years of age, player-manager Cochrane becomes the youngest person to lead his team to a World's Series title since Tris Speaker won the championship with the Cleveland Indians.