The Cat who carried a St. Louis Cardinals dynasty

The great Cardinals teams of the 1940s live mostly in dusty history books now, and only faintly in the memories of those who were alive to see them. Yet one pitcher from that era – whose remarkable postseason run rarely gets the attention it deserves – stands out. Harry Brecheen, known as “Harry the Cat” for his agility, was a key figure in the Cardinals’ 1946 championship run.

At just 5’10” and 160 pounds, the diminutive lefty hardly cut an imposing figure. Nor was his repertoire overpowering. In fact, The Sporting News once wrote, “He doesn’t throw hard and his curveball doesn’t break much” – not exactly a glowing scouting report.

But Harry had excellent control and a deep understanding of how to pitch. He became a St. Louis legend during the closing weeks of the 1946 season. Locked in a pennant fight with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Cardinals entered late September clinging to a half-game lead. On September 23 at Wrigley Field, Harry took the mound. He even drove in a run with an RBI single in the third inning – more than enough support, as he tossed a complete-game shutout to keep St. Louis narrowly ahead while Brooklyn continued to win.

The Cardinals turned to him again on September 28 with the pennant race now tied. With only two games left, a loss could have cost St. Louis its World Series berth. Once more, Harry delivered. Aside from a solo homer in the fourth, he shut down the Cubs, scattering four hits in another complete-game victory, this time at Sportsman’s Park.

The season ended in a tie with the Dodgers, forcing a best-of-three playoff for the National League crown. Though Harry was on a hot streak, the Cardinals also had two stellar starters in Howie Pollet and Murry Dickson. Pollet won Game 1, but Dickson needed help in the clinching Game 2. Brecheen came in to close out an 8–4 victory, securing the Cardinals’ fourth World Series trip in five years.

Their opponent was the Boston Red Sox, a franchise already growing desperate for a championship – they had not won since 1918, and fans had no idea the drought would last another 58 years.

Harry was scheduled to pitch Game 2. After a heartbreaking extra-innings loss in Game 1, the Cardinals badly needed a win. As he had throughout the stretch run, Harry came through. He completely dominated Boston’s fearsome lineup. No Red Sox runner even reached third base. Stars like Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky, and Rudy York were all shut down. Brecheen tossed a four-hit shutout in a 3–0 win that evened the series.

When his turn came again, the Cardinals were down 3–2 and facing elimination. Though not as overpowering as in Game 2, he worked through several tight innings to earn a 4–1 complete-game victory, forcing a decisive Game 7.

Two days later, in the finale, Murry Dickson took a 3–1 lead into the eighth inning. A leadoff single and double put the tying runs in scoring position with nobody out. The Cardinals turned to Brecheen on very short rest. He retired the first two batters, but Dom DiMaggio drilled a double over the outstretched glove of Enos Slaughter to tie the game.

Slaughter would make up for it moments later with his famous “Mad Dash” in the bottom of the eighth, giving St. Louis a one-run lead heading into the ninth. But the drama wasn’t over. Harry still had to close it out. Rudy York and Bobby Doerr opened the inning with singles, putting the winning run on first with nobody out. A fielder’s choice put the tying run on third with one out. Harry then induced a pop-up and a groundout to end the threat, sealing the Cardinals’ third championship in five seasons.

Harry the Cat’s final line in the World Series: 3–0, 0.45 ERA in 20 innings.