St. Louis Cardinals: Phantom menace, the first annual ghosts of the game home run derby

The St. Louis Cardinals were included in the Spirits of Baseball Past receiving a rousing ovation at the 2017 (and first annual) Ghosts of the Game Home Run Derby, sponsored by Burma Shave, Edsel and the Sears Roebuck Catalogue.

The St. Louis Cardinals have ghosts of their own who haunt the hallowed halls of baseball lore. Many were known for their hitting prowess and others for their defensive adroitness. We pause to remember them in differing ways through America’s pastime. One such way is through the home run derby; a piece of baseball they missed out on in their day. Let’s imagine…

Millions of ghosts were on hand for the match (they don’t take up much room) at Marlins Park, watching a totally different derby than the living humans who filed in for the regular HRD. While Aaron Judge was claiming the other crown, seemingly without a sweat, the ending of the Ghosts derby produced fireworks of a different kind altogether. More on that in a bit.

It took months to assemble the Hall of Famers from across the spectral divide. Some, like Lou Gehrig, were eager and proud to represent the stars of yesteryear, but others were skeptical and wanted to better understand the concept.

“It’s not a game? Then why isn’t it just batting practice?” asked Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat. When told that tens of thousands would pay to watch the exhibition, Ruth said, “So what? They came two hours early every day to watch me before the game.” Later, he would grudgingly admit that the spectacle proved just as exciting as his own notorious off-field antics.

After Ruth signed on, it was easy to get some of his fellow other-worldly Hall of Famers to join in. Ruth teammate Gehrig and later Yankee Mickey Mantle shared the American League side along with Minnesota Twins great Harmon Killebrew.

The National League side was truly impressive as well. Mr. Cub Ernie Banks, the Braves’ Eddie Mathews and the great St. Louis Cardinals first baseman, Stan “The Man” Musial, were on hand to represent the Senior Circuit.

Only three, not four? Well, that’s because the NLers had a very special guest, considered by some the most prolific power hitter of all time. That’s right, the hero of the Negro Leagues, Josh Gibson, served as a ringer for the NL, and did that make for an interesting pairing by night’s end!

Back in the day, Gibson was known for reportedly hitting the longest homer ever at Yankee Stadium, a shot during a Negro League match estimated at 580 feet. Take that, Aaron Judge!

When the players entered the field, there were some interesting reactions. Of course, lights had entered big-league baseball in 1935 so they all were ready for the nighttime glare. But on seeing the Marlins Park illuminated fish display out in center field, the crusty Ruth snarled, “Is this a ballpark of a day at the beach? On second thought, let’s go to the beach!”

Once everyone settled in, though, the power crunching began with a bang. Ruth easily handled Banks in the first round, 24-16, and Mantle topped Musial, 18-11, as Stan just couldn’t get settled in with so many of his Yankees’ nemeses hovering around.

More from St Louis Cardinals History

• Reflecting on the 2013 Cardinals’ top 30 prospects
• Cardinals: The best Silver Slugger performances at each position.
• The St. Louis Cardinals are in rare company with this free agency stat
• What Happened to the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals? Matt Holliday Edition
• The St. Louis Cardinals avoided disaster with Jason Heyward

“We’re supposed to be nice to THEM?” said the exasperated St. Louis Cardinals slugger, who during his lifetime was a gentleman among gentlemen (and had World Series success against the Bronx Bombers as well). But it didn’t matter, as his first round was his last, and he proceeded afterward to regale the collected stars and spirit crowd with his trademark harmonica tunes.

Matthews took Gehrig in a low-scoring, 13-9 affair, before Killebrew and Gibson took their turn. As impressive as Harmon was, belting 18 homers, Gibson’s towering drives numbered 25, and he moved to the semis.

No surprises in the next round, with Ruth and Gibson glaring at each other between pitches as they collectively pounded 55 fingers to defeat their respective foes and reach the finals.

And the big finale? Oh, my. Ruth was at his finest, pointing to the bleachers, showing his swagger, sticking out his big gut as if to show he was no emaciated ghost. “Only a matter of time before that steak dinner!” he crowed. He sat down 31 dingers later.

But in the end, it was the proud, stoic and unflappable Gibson, he of the somewhere-between-800-and-a-thousand-homers-at-all-levels, who topped Ruth in overtime, by a majestic 33-31 score.

Knowing when he was beaten, the ultra-competitive Ruth offered a generous and well-deserved handshake to Gibson. “I gotta say, we missed out on having you in the Show,” said Ruth to his foe. Replied Gibson quietly, “I know.”

Next: 125 Greatest Competition

And with that, the spirit crowd and players filed single-file (ghosts do this very quickly and quietly) through the invisible ivy back to their plane of existence. As he went out, for his sake, the great St. Louis Cardinals leader Musial waved one final time to the fans.