Burge Carmon Smith talks about Hal Newhouser, Hank Greenberg, a billy goat at Wrigley Field, and Detroit’s forgotten championship team: the 1945 Tigers.
1:57 — memories of following the Tigers in the 1940s
3:25 — memories of going to his first Tigers game at Briggs Stadium
6:25 — listening to Hall of Famer Harry Heilmann broadcast Tigers games on the radio
8:41 — the challenge of fielding a major league roster during wartime, and the return of Hank Greenberg
11:50 — How Hal Newhouser battled a heart condition in becoming baseball’s best pitcher
15:19 — the role of manager Steve O’Neill and catcher Paul Richards in leading the 1945 team
19:01 — the slugging prowess and personal quirks of Rudy York
21:46 — Hank Greenberg’s heroic home run in his first game back
24:10 — how the Tigers endured a grueling September to be in pennant position25:01
26:29 — the dramatic top of the 9th inning in their season finale in St. Louis
33:19 — how wartime travel restrictions affected the World Series schedule
34:58 — the story behind the fateful billy goat at Wrigley Field
38:27 — how the Tigers overcame the disappointment of losing Game 6 to win Game 7
40:36 — inteviewing surviving players from the team in the early 2000s
45:18 — how the 1945 team should be remembered