Even in a rivalry as intense as Cubs vs. Cardinals, sometimes a little common courtesy prevails.
Seventy-five years ago, on Sept. 28, 1947, at Chicago, the Cardinals and Cubs created their own rule during the last game of the season.
When a Cubs baserunner, slugger Bill Nicholson, needed to leave the field for treatment of a minor foot problem, the Cardinals agreed to let the Cubs use a substitute, or courtesy runner, and then allow Nicholson to return to the game.
Under standard baseball rules, a player leaving the game needs to stay out of the game. The Cardinals, with nothing at stake in the standings, opted to make an exception for the Cubs.
A goodbye game
Regardless of the outcome of the 1947 season finale, the Cardinals were assured of finishing in second place in the National League behind the champion Dodgers, and the Cubs were guaranteed to end up sixth in the eight-team league.
Cardinals manager Eddie Dyer had just one regular, second baseman Red Schoendienst, in the starting lineup. Among those getting the day off were Marty Marion, Terry Moore, Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter.
Cubs manager Charlie Grimm started most of his top hitters, including first baseman Eddie Waitkus and outfielders Phil Cavarretta and Bill Nicholson.
Nicholson had the nickname “Swish” because of his propensity for striking out. Nicholson led the National League in most times whiffing in 1947 (83), but in 16 seasons in the majors he never struck out 100 times in a year.
(Today’s swing-and-miss hackers include Joey Gallo, who struck out 213 times in 2021 and received a salary of $6.2 million, according to baseball-reference.com. In 2022, Gallo batted .160 for the season and received $10.2 million.)
Nicholson gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a home run, his 26th of the season, against Cardinals starter Ken Burkhart.
Give me a break
With one out in the fourth, Burkhart issued walks to Nicholson and Bob Scheffing. On ball four to Scheffing, Cardinals rookie catcher Del Wilber, who lost track of the count, made a wild throw to second in a futile bid to nab Nicholson.
As the ball sailed into the outfield, Nicholson headed to third. Sliding safely into the bag, he scraped an ankle, the Chicago Tribune reported. (According to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Nicholson damaged a shoe sliding into third.)
Regardless of the reason, Nicholson needed to leave the field for a quick patch-up, but all indications were he’d be fit to return _ if the Cardinals would permit it.
With 17,414 spectators on hand at Wrigley Field, the Cubs were eager to keep the club’s top home run and RBI producer in the game.
“By courtesy of the Cardinals,” the Chicago Tribune reported, pitcher Hank Borowy was permitted to run for Nicholson, with the understanding Nicholson would return to the game as soon as he was able.
Thus, Borowy became known as the courtesy runner.
Headed home
With Scheffing on first and Borowy on third, Ray Mack singled to left. Borowy scored, extending the Cubs’ lead to 2-0. Scheffing reached second safely on the hit, took a step or two toward third and was caught flat-footed on Erv Dusak’s strong throw to Schoendienst, who applied the tag for the out.
Nicholson re-entered the game in right field in the top of the fifth. An inning later, he singled but Scheffing followed by grounding into a double play.
In the seventh, with Joe Medwick on first, Dusak launched a drive “that for a moment appeared headed for the seats,” the Tribune reported, but Nicholson caught it near the wall.
The Cubs prevailed, 3-0, behind the five-hit shutout of Johnny Schmitz in a game completed in one hour, 35 minutes. Boxscore
A slender left-hander, Schmitz finished the 1947 season with a 13-18 record, leading the league in losses, but he was 5-4 versus the Cardinals that year.
“The Cardinals left by train for St. Louis shortly after the game, and were ready to return to their various homes,” the Globe-Democrat reported. “For the first time, players will be given expense money to their hometowns under the provisions of the player-owner agreements reached last season.”