photo: Marty Marion (National Baseball Hall of Fame)
Follow the key plays and game-by-game results in the upset-heavy semi-final round of the “Best of St. Louis” tournament using simulation to select the top St. Louis baseball team of all time.
Prior articles in this series
Best of St. Louis Sim Tourney – The “Great Eight” Quarterfinals
We are down to the “Final Four” teams remaining from the original group of 20. Eight wins are needed to finish as the all-time St. Louis baseball champion. With incredible games and upsets galore, the final four do not include any of the four top seeded teams. The remaining contenders are seeded at 5, 6, 7 and 9.
Here is a quick look at the four finalists in order of their original seeding:
1943 Cardinals #5 – This team comes into the semis as most successful tourney team with an impressive 12-1 record. They swept the 1987 team in the Losers Bracket to reach the field of 16, then duplicated the feat against the 2013 team in the opening round of the field of 16. Their lone loss was to Bob Gibson and the ’64 team in the quarter finals.
Shortstop Marty Marion is leading the team in hitting at .440, Walker Cooper and Stan Musial have chipped in at .333 and ,321 respectively.
On the pitching side, lefty Howie Pollet has been the most effective starter, with wins in both appearances, a three-inning relief stint against the ’87 team and complete game starting effort against the ’64 team. He sports a miniscule 0.75 ERA. Walker Cooper’s brother Mort is 2-0 in three starts with a 2.52 ERA. Max Lanier is also 2-0 in three starts, including an 11-strikeout performance against the ’64 team in the quarter-final round.
They will meet the surprising 1934 Gas House Gang in the semi-finals.
1922 Browns #6 – An offensive juggernaut, they come into the semis at 8-3, winning their opening series over the 1985 Cardinals in six, and prevailing in the quarter finals over the ’82 Cardinals in five.
Left fielder Ken Williams has been the offensive leader at .486 with five homers and 17 RBI. Catcher Hank Severeid is hitting .342, and right fielder Jack Tobin has contributed a .340 batting mark. A surprise contributor has been third baseman Eddie “Kid” Foster, hitting a robust .412, although his defense has been subpar and we may see more of the superior defensive third baseman Frank “Governor” Ellerbe in the semi-finals.
George Sisler, a .420 hitter in real life, has struggled, hitting only .213 over the first 11 games. If he gets hot in these final rounds this team could be on their way to the championship. Urban Shocker, a future ’27 Yankee, is the mound leader with three complete games in three starts, all wins, and a 1.67 ERA. Elam Van Gilder is 2-0 in two complete game starts, with a 2.50 ERA.
2004 Cardinals #7 – Another team that can score runs in bunches, the ’04 team is 12-3 heading into the semis with all three losses in their opening round of 16 series against the 1926 Cardinals. They lost three of the first four in that series, but have come back to win seven straight, sweeping the two-seed 1944 team in quarter finals.
Jim Edmonds has battled Ken Williams for the tournament MVP thus far, with a .344 batting mark, six homers and 18 RBI. Albert Pujols is at .369, and Scott Rolen at .310. Rolen has added five homers to the attack.
Leading the starting staff is Jason Marquis at 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in three starts. Closer Jason Isringhausen has saved 8 of the 12 wins, sporting a 2.19 ERA in 12 1/3 innings of work.
They face the 1922 Browns in a semi-final series that promises a lot of offensive fireworks.
1934 Cardinals #9 – The only World Series winner to reach the semi-finals, and a lower seeded team at that, this team rides the coattails of pitchers Dizzy and Paul Dean, and middle order bats Joe Medwick and Ripper Collins. Frank Frisch, their hustling manager, still has gas in the tank and has come up with some big hits.
In the tournament, they come into the semi-finals with an 8-4 record, having somewhat surprisingly disposed of the ’67 Cardinals in the opening round in five games, then going the distance to knock out the #1 seeded 1942 Cardinals. The quarter final series match-up with the top ranked 1942 squad could have gone either way; such was the drama that filled the match-up. An epic seventh game that went 16 innings will be tough to top as the tournament highlight, with the Gas House Gang finally prevailing 2-1.
As in real life, Dizzy Dean has carried this team on his back, going 4-0 in five starts, with an 0.91 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings pitched. Paul Dean has struggled some, although he did have a 13-strikeout performance in a win against the ’42 team. Third starter Tex Carleton has been effective as well with a shutout win in the opening series against the ’67 team and pitched five innings of shutout relief in the 16-inning Game 7 marathon to get the win in the series clincher against the ’42 team.
No one has particularly stood out on offense, although part-time catcher Virgil “Spud” Davis, used against left-handed pitchers, has hit .400, with six hits in 15 at bats including a homer. Medwick is at .280 and has tripled twice.
After disposing of the 1942 club, they will step up a year in the semi-final series and battle the 1943 version.
What’s in store next? Let’s find out!
#5 1943 Cardinals vs #9 1934 Cardinals
With Dizzy Dean unavailable for the series opener after 11 innings of work in their quarter-final clincher, brother Paul took the hill for the Gas House Gang against ’43 ace Mort Cooper. The ’43 club struck early against Paul with three runs in the first three innings. After Mort set “The Gang” down in order in the top of the first, Harry Walker got the ‘43s off to a quick start by doubling down the first base line. An out later Stan Musial followed suit, doubling home “The Hat”. The ‘43s pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third when Walker again doubled, his time with one out, and Lou Klein followed with another two-bagger. After Musial flew out, Walker Cooper singled driving in Klein.
Dean settled in after that and the ’34 club climbed off the deck to put up a three-spot in the top of the fourth, knotting the score. Ripper Collins, Bill Delancey and Ernie Orsatti all drove in runs. The game remained tied 3-3 at the end of nine; another extra inning affair for the scrappy ’34 squad. Neither team scored in the 10th. Mort Cooper was pinch-hit for in the bottom of the 10th, with lefty Howie Pollet coming in for the 11th and setting the ’34 club down 1-2-3. Paul Dean looked every bit the ace his brother is striking out 14 over 10 innings without issuing a walk. But at 153 pitches, he was worn out and Frisch brought in former Dodger standout Dazzy Vance in the ’43s 11th. The Dazzler walked Lou Klein to open the inning but struck out Musial. Walker Cooper singled and Ray Sanders walked to load the bases. Frisch stuck with Vance, but Whitey Kurowski then lined a 1-1 pitch to center plating Klein to give the ’43 team the win.
Game 2 was delayed a couple of hours by rain before the weather cooperated and the teams were able to get underway. Tex Carleton (2-1, 0.90) toed the slab, facing Max Lanier (2-0, 2.82). Perhaps the delayed start messed up Carleton’s pre-game prep as this time the Comanche, Texas native didn’t have it, being knocked around for 10 hits and six runs, all earned, in six innings of work. Meanwhile Lanier was sharp, striking out 10 in seven innings while his mates produced an 11-hit attack. Ray Sanders contributed a two-run homer and Cooper, Kurowski, Klein and Lanier each drove in a run in the 6-1 victory. The rain returned in the bottom of the seventh making conditions unplayable and the game was shortened to 7 ½ innings. Both managers agreed with the umpires to consider the game complete at that point.
The ’34 club moved in as the home team for game three and liked the change as who else but Dizzy Dean (4-0, 0.91) was finally ready to go. The offense responded with 10 runs on 10 hits, three of them by the “All American Out” Leo Durocher. Howie Krist (2-0, 5.25) started for the ’43 team but only lasted 1 1/3 innings as the Gas Housers started fast and did not let up. The Gang poured it on early, scoring seven second inning runs. The highlight of the inning was a based loaded triple by Joe Medwick. Bill Delancey had two hits in the inning, starting the onslaught with a double, and delivering the seventh run by singling in Medwick. The ‘34s added two more in the third and another in the fifth. Diz was pulled after six innings and the ’34 club up 10-2 to save him for possible future use in the series. Veteran Jesse “Pop” Haines blanked the ’43s the final three innings and the score ended at that same 10-2 mark.
Game 4 featured a pair of lefthanders on the hill with Bill Walker (0-1, 5.65) facing Harry Brecheen (1-1, 3.71). The 1943 team returned the favor with a rout of their own, accumulating 14 hits off four ’34 pitchers and running away to a 13-4 win, and three games to one series lead. First baseman Sanders had three hits and drove in four, while Musial and Klein each pushed three runs across.
With the ’34 team having their collective backs to the wall, they pulled together yet again with more magical moments. Paul Dean (1-2, 4.75) came back for Game 5, facing Howie Pollet (3-0, 0.69). The ’43s continued their offensive assault, promptly scoring two runs to start the game on a single by Harry Walker and a Marty Marion home run. But the Gas Housers came right back in the bottom half on a Frank Frisch walk and two-run shot by Ripper Collins. The ’34 club tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth to go up 4-2, but a two-run homer by Whitey Kurowski in the sixth knotted the score at three. The game remained tied heading to the ninth; yet another nail-biter this Gas House Gang seems to always find themselves in.
Paul Dean was sharp, stepping out of his brother’s shadow to fan 11 ’43 Cardinals through eight innings. But he had also given up 10 hits and thrown over 160 pitches. The ’43 team pushed a run across in the top of the ninth, as the tiring Dean contributed to his downfall, throwing wildly on a comebacker by Harry Walker. With two out, Musial doubled Walker home, putting the ’43 team three outs from a trip to the Finals and sending a weary Paul Dean to the showers.
But as they had done all tournament long, the ’34 team kept plugging away. With one out and Murry Dickson pitching for the war time bunch, Pepper Martin lined a home run down the left field line to tie the game. Dickson then retired Frisch and Medwick to send it to the 11th. Neither team threatened as they battled to the 12th. Again the ’43 team got to within three outs of the finals as Johnny Hopp doubled and Harry Walker singled him home to go up 6-5.
But the ’34 team wasted no time pulling yet more rabbits out of the hat. Facing Red Munger, Ripper Collins doubled leading off and Bill Delancey singled him home, tying the game once again. This time the ’34s went one further, winning the game when Jack Rothrock sacrificed Delancey to second, and Burgess Whitehead singled him home. The Gas House Gang lives! How many miracles does this 1934 group have!?
With Dizzy back for Game 6, it was a foregone conclusion we would have a seven-game series, and that was the case. Once again, Diz was magnificent, spinning a five-hit shutout, outdueling Mort Cooper in a 3-0 win. Diz moved to 6-0 in the tourney. Delancey homered in the fourth to put The Gang up 1-0, and they tacked on two more in the sixth when Whitehead doubled home Frisch and Medwick.
For a trip to the championship series Frisch sent Tex Carleton (3-2, 3.00) to the mound to hook up with Max Lanier (3-0, 2.45). Neither pitcher was especially sharp, with Carleton walking six and Lanier four. But Max also had 12 strikeouts. The ’43 team took a 3-0 lead in second on a Lou Klein home run, which followed a Ray Sanders HBP and a Johnny Hopp single. But as was commonplace, the Gas Housers came back with two in the fourth and one in the fifth to tie it. The fourth started with a single by Rothrock, followed by Lanier walking Chick Fullis. Durocher then grounded to third. Kurowski attempted a round-the-horn double play, but The Lip beat the throw to first. Carleton helped himself, singling home Rothrock. Whitehead followed with a grounder to third and again Kurowski went for two, with Whitehead beating the throw and Durocher scoring. Frisch grounded out to second, ending the inning. A scoreless bottom half and a run in the fourth on a one-out double by Collins, followed by Spud Davis’ run-scoring single knotted the score at three.
The war-time group got the run back in the bottom of the fifth, with Musial doubling home Marion. That was the final score as the ’34 club finally had no miracle left. Lanier finished strongly, striking out five over the final three frames. The 1943 team earns a trip to the series finals with an overall 16-4 record for the tourney. The ’34 team finished 11-8, with many heroics and a memorable run.
#6 1922 St. Louis Browns vs #7 2004 St. Louis Cardinals
Anticipated as a fun series, the teams opened in Sportsman’s Park with the Browns hosting the first two games. Game 1 matched Brownie ace Urban Shocker (3-0, 1.67) against the Cardinals Matt Morris (2-1, 3.81). The Cardinals started fast, tallying a run in the first, and two more in the second and third innings to jump to an early 5-0 lead. Tony Womack led off the series with a double and later scored on Albert Pujols’ ground out. John Mabry hit a two-run homer in the second, and Womack led off the third with a hit, a single this time, and later scored on a two-run, two-out double by Scott Rolen.
It looked like an easy win for the Cardinals, but with these series, no lead is safe regardless of the competitors. And sure enough, the Browns pretty much duplicated the Cardinals early frames. With Shocker settling in and blanking the National Leaguers, the Browns tallied a run in the fourth, then two in the sixth and two in the seventh to tie the game. Their first run was courtesy of a one out double by Ken Williams, and a run scoring single by Baby Doll Jacobson (great nickname!). In the sixth, singles by Kid Foster and George Sisler, followed by Williams’ sac fly pushed run number two home. Then Jacobson singled, following by Hank Severeid driving in Sisler. The Browns tied it in seventh on Wally Gerber’s single, a sac bunt by Shocker, and Jack Tobin’s two run homer.
The teams remained tied after nine, and neither could push a run across in the 10th or 11th innings. In the top of the 12th, with two out, none on, Scott Rolen reached on a throwing error by Foster. Larry Walker doubled home Rolen to put the Cardinals up 6-5. What did I say about a possible Browns’ error contributing to a loss? Jason Isringhausen came on in the bottom half to retire the side in order and earn his ninth save of the tourney.
In Game 2, the Browns jumped all over four Cardinal pitchers for 13 hits and 10 runs in a 10-3 rout. All nine Browns hitters had at least one hit, with Tobin, Sisler, Williams and Marty McManus striking out two apiece, and Tobin adding another homer. Right-hander Elam Van Gilder had no trouble with the ’04 Cardinal bats, spinning a complete-game five-hitter. Jim Edmonds and rookie Yadier Molina reached Van Gilder for late homers, but the Browns had the game well in hand by then.
The series moved to Busch Stadium II for Games 3, 4 and 5. The Browns took the series lead in Game 3, another one-run affair, 7-6, despite being outhit 11 to 9. Right-handers Rasty Wright (0-0, 2.57) and Chris Carpenter (2-1, 4.50) started and pitched well. Both departed after seven innings with the Cardinals holding a 3-2 lead. The Browns then jumped on the usually strong Cardinal bullpen, putting a four-spot up in the eighth to take the lead. The big blow was pinch-hitter Pat Collins’ two-run single off Julian Tavarez to put the Browns on top, 4-3. They then tacked on two more, jumping the margin to 6-3. But again, leads are precarious in this tourney, and the Cardinals countered with two in their half of the eighth off lefty Hub Pruett to tighten it to 6-5. Jacobson again homered in the top of the ninth to give the Browns a bit of breathing room, 7-5. And they needed it, as the Cardinals came back with a run in the bottom half to close to within one. But the rally fell short when Reggie Sanders grounded out with the tying run on second, as ace Urban Shocker secured the final out.
After losing two straight, it was the Cardinals turn to take charge, as they won Games 4 and 5 by scores of 6-3 and 3-1, regaining control of the series. Woody Williams and Matt Morris each turned in solid starting pitching efforts, with Williams going seven innings and giving up three runs on eight hits in Game 4, and Morris coming back to pitch a complete-game five-hitter in Game 5. Scott Rolen homered and drove in three runs in the Game 4 win, while Mike Matheny drove in two and Albert Pujols one in the gem Morris pitched in Game 5.
With the Cardinals just a game from advancing to the finals, the Browns turned to Urban Shocker (3-0, 2.35) again to keep their hopes alive. And keep them alive he did, tossing a six-hitter to edge the Cardinals 2-1 and send the series to the seventh game. Jeff Suppan (0-0, 5.79) gave the Cardinals a strong start as well, going 7 2/3 innings and surrendering only five hits. But two of those hits were home runs, one by Ken Williams in the sixth, his seventh of the tournament, and another by Jack Tobin in the eighth. The Tobin homer ended Suppan’s outing. Shocker pitched around a Rolen single in the ninth to nail down the win.
The stage was set for our second seven-game semi-final contest. Tony La Russa sent the bulldog Chris Carpenter (2-2, 4.68) out to start for the Redbirds, while Browns skipper Lee Fohl came back with Elam Van Gilder (3-0, 2.67). Carpenter turned in a magnificent effort, blanking the Browns on one hit through eight innings. Meanwhile, the Cardinals tallied five times with two in the first and third innings, and one in the seventh.
Leading 5-0 with Carpenter dominating, it was all but over going into the bottom of the ninth, when pinch-hitter Chick Shorten opened with a single. Tobin walked, and Jacobson bounced into a force out. Ken Williams, as he has done all tournament long, then drilled a three-run homer, his eighth long ball of the tourney. Suddenly the Browns were only down two, but down to their last two outs. On came Isringhausen to get Severeid and Sisler and preserve the win and send the 2004 Cardinals into the finals to face the 1943 squad!
Who will become the “Best of St. Louis”? Will it be the 1943 Cardinals, one of four pennant winners in five years and the most dominant stretch of St. Louis baseball ever, or the best modern era team, the 2004 powerhouse? Stay tuned.
Next up, the final installment where we cover the Championship series, recap the tournament, and present the All-Tourney team and tournament MVP.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book copy today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2026 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide
Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation
AGM Moises Rodriguez on Cardinals 2026 International Signings and More
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.
© 2026 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.