Pennant Hopes Dashed by the Homer in the Gloamin'

Ronald T. Waldo, a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, lives in Pittsburgh. His articles have appeared in Pittsburgh Pride Magazine and Sports Collectors Digest, and he is the author of several books on baseball history.

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments vi

Preface 1

 1. Murderers’ Row and the Waner Brothers 5

 2. Bill Benswanger and Arky Vaughan Arrive on the Scene 25

 3. New Blood Offers Hope to Pirates Fans for 1938 Season 40

 4. Bad Luck During Spring Training in San Bernardino 53

 5. Bucs Bust Out of the Gate Due to Arky Vaughan’s Heroics 69

 6. Paul Waner’s Slump and Talk of Rebuilding for Next Year 88

 7. Pirates Regroup as Benswanger and Traynor Nix Deal with New York Giants 107

 8. Johnny Rizzo Shines as Pirates Climb into First Place 126

 9. Pittsburgh Feels the Pressure and Starts to Wilt in the Summer Heat 146

10. Traynor’s Boys Attempt to Hang on While Chicago Surges 166

11. Pittsburgh’s Final Collapse and the Homer in the Gloamin’ 186

12. Disastrous Season and a Second-Division Finish in 1939 207

13. The End of an Era 222

Appendix A: 1938 Pittsburgh Pirates Roster 232

Appendix B: 1938 Statistics 234

Chapter Notes 236

Bibliography 257

Index 259