IMG_05972.jpg
I was able to add the final piece of my 1936-1941 Reds scorecards set. Those late-30's - early 40's teams are my favorite and I find it a shame that the 39-40 team that won back-to-back pennants and a World Championship are always overlooked when it comes to great teams.
You have to think that it was quite remarkable that the Reds, being a small market team even back then, were able to assemble a team consisting mostly of players from their farm system and some low-budget castoff veterans, that was able to beat the Giants (back-to-back pennant winners in '36 and '37) and the Cubs (pennants in '32, '35 and '38), not to mention a plucky Dodgers team that would win the pennant in '41. Add in there the Cardinals with their bottomless farm system and the Pirates who almost won the pennant in '38.
Though most of the '36-'41 Reds are footnotes today, they had the 1938 batting champ and NL MVP in Ernie Lombardi, the 1939 NL MVP with Bucky Walters and Frank McCormack, the 1940 NL MVP - three straight league MVP's!
Walters also won the pitcher's Triple Crown in 1939 and led the NL in wins again in 1940. Then of course you had Vander Meer's back-to-back no hitters in 1938.
Anyway, the '36 to '41 teams are my favorite, and I'm glad to have a scorecard from each season now...