1928 – Bottomley Becomes NL MVP

Alexander Throws 90th Career Shutout

Grover Cleveland Alexander pitches his 90th and final shutout of his career (BOXSCORE) in a 9-0 7-hitter which is a National League record.

Clinch Second NL title

The Cardinals cruised through the season and clinched their second NL title on September 29 and set an attendance record of 761,574. At the completion of the season, Jim Bottomley becomes NL MVP.

Yankees Too Much for Cardinals

Now they go on to face Murderer’s Row (New York Yankees). In the World Series, they are swept as Babe Ruth homers three times in the final game to secure a 7-3 victory. The Cardinals replace manager McKechnie with Billy Southworth.

Here are the starters by position

Catcher Jimmie Wilson (120) 1B Jim Bottomley (148)  2B Frankie Frisch (139) SS Rabbit Maranville (112) 3B Wattie Holm (83)  LF Chick Hafey (117)  CF Taylor Douthit (154) RF George Harper

SP Grover Cleveland Alexander, Jesse Haines, Clarence Mitchell, Flint Rhem

Closer Bill Sherdel

 

Two additional notes:

Alexander made $17,500 salary

George Harper hit three home runs in one game on Sept. 20 (first in Cardinals history) BOXSCORE 

From SABR article on George Harper:

Harper was off to a slow start in 1928, hitting .228 in 57 at-bats, when McGraw traded him to the Cardinals for catcher Bob O’Farrell. The trade opened a spot in the Giants outfield for 19-year-old Mel Ott. The Cardinals were elated to get Harper, who hit .305 for them with 17 home runs in 272 at-bats. He went 6-for-8 with two home runs in consecutive games against the Cubs in July, and he clubbed a pinch-hit walk-off home run to beat 25-game-winner Burleigh Grimes and the Pirates in September. Against the Giants, Harper batted .388 with six home runs.

The first-place Cardinals held a two-game lead over the Giants when the teams met on September 20, 1928. In the first game of a doubleheader, Harper blasted three home runs with his persimmon bat and drove in five runs in an 8-5 Cardinal victory. He hit the first two homers off 25-game-winner Larry Benton, and victimized reliever Jack Scott for the third. Harper was the first player in Cardinal history to hit three home runs in one game. He considered this game to be the greatest thrill of his baseball career.

 

All games for 1928

(source)

1 04-11-1928 vs Pittsburgh Pirates 14-7 W 1-0
2 04-12-1928 vs Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0 W 2-0
3 04-14-1928 vs Chicago Cubs 1-4 L 2-1
4 04-15-1928 vs Chicago Cubs 4-3 W 3-1
5 04-16-1928 vs Chicago Cubs 3-6 L 3-2
6 04-17-1928 vs Chicago Cubs 2-3 L 3-3
7 04-19-1928 at Pittsburgh Pirates 13-10 W 4-3
8 04-20-1928 at Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2 W 5-3
9 04-23-1928 at Cincinnati Reds 2-3 L 5-4
10 04-24-1928 at Cincinnati Reds 7-2 W 6-4
11 04-25-1928 at Cincinnati Reds 4-5 L 6-5
12 04-27-1928 at Chicago Cubs 4-2 W 7-5
13 04-28-1928 at Chicago Cubs 5-1 W 8-5
14 04-29-1928 at Chicago Cubs 5-6 L 8-6
15 04-30-1928 vs Cincinnati Reds 4-6 L 8-7
16 05-01-1928 vs Cincinnati Reds 3-6 L 8-8
17 05-02-1928 vs Cincinnati Reds 4-6 L 8-9
18 05-03-1928 vs Cincinnati Reds 7-5 W 9-9
19 05-05-1928 vs Brooklyn Robins 2-3 L 9-10
20-I 05-06-1928 vs Brooklyn Robins 4-2 W 10-10
21-II 05-06-1928 vs Brooklyn Robins 4-5 L 10-11
22 05-07-1928 vs Brooklyn Robins 6-5 W 11-11
23 05-08-1928 vs Philadelphia Phillies 15-4 W 12-11
24 05-09-1928 vs Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 W 13-11
25 05-10-1928 vs Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 W 14-11
26 05-11-1928 vs Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 W 15-11
27 05-12-1928 vs Boston Braves 5-3 W 16-11
28 05-13-1928 vs Boston Braves 5-6 L 16-12
29 05-14-1928 vs Boston Braves 4-3 W 17-12
30 05-15-1928 vs Boston Braves 3-1 W 18-12
31 05-18-1928 vs New York Giants 6-10 L 18-13
32 05-19-1928 vs New York Giants 3-4 L 18-14
33-I 05-20-1928 vs New York Giants 3-5 L 18-15
34-II 05-20-1928 vs New York Giants 2-1 W 19-15
35 05-21-1928 vs Chicago Cubs 8-7 W 20-15
36 05-22-1928 vs Chicago Cubs 3-2 W 21-15
37 05-24-1928 vs Cincinnati Reds 7-1 W 22-15
38 05-25-1928 vs Cincinnati Reds 0-2 L 22-16
39 05-26-1928 vs Cincinnati Reds 7-10 L 22-17
40 05-27-1928 vs Cincinnati Reds 0-2 L 22-18
41 05-29-1928 at Pittsburgh Pirates 7-1 W 23-18
42-I 05-30-1928 at Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1 W 24-18
43-II 05-30-1928 at Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 W 25-18
44 05-31-1928 at Pittsburgh Pirates 2-3 L 25-19
45 06-01-1928 at Philadelphia Phillies 1-0 W 26-19
46 06-02-1928 at Philadelphia Phillies 13-12 W 27-19
47 06-06-1928 at New York Giants 11-6 W 28-19
48 06-07-1928 at New York Giants 3-4 L 28-20
49 06-08-1928 at New York Giants 8-3 W 29-20
50 06-09-1928 at New York Giants 3-8 L 29-21
51 06-10-1928 at Brooklyn Robins 15-7 W 30-21
52 06-11-1928 at Boston Braves 8-1 W 31-21
53 06-12-1928 at Boston Braves 9-6 W 32-21
54 06-13-1928 at Boston Braves 11-8 W 33-21
55 06-14-1928 at Boston Braves 3-2 W 34-21
56 06-15-1928 at Brooklyn Robins 5-2 W 35-21
57 06-16-1928 at Brooklyn Robins 6-5 W 36-21
58 06-17-1928 at Cincinnati Reds 6-2 W 37-21
59 06-18-1928 at Cincinnati Reds 2-3 L 37-22
60 06-19-1928 at Cincinnati Reds 9-4 W 38-22
61 06-20-1928 at Chicago Cubs 6-2 W 39-22
62-I 06-21-1928 at Chicago Cubs 1-2 L 39-23
63-II 06-21-1928 at Chicago Cubs 4-1 W 40-23
64 06-22-1928 at Chicago Cubs 4-1 W 41-23
65 06-23-1928 at Chicago Cubs 4-8 L 41-24
66 06-24-1928 at Cincinnati Reds 7-4 W 42-24
67 06-25-1928 at Cincinnati Reds 5-2 W 43-24
68 06-28-1928 vs Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 W 44-24
69 06-29-1928 vs Pittsburgh Pirates 9-4 W 45-24
70 06-30-1928 vs Pittsburgh Pirates 3-4 L 45-25
71-I 07-01-1928 vs Pittsburgh Pirates 0-2 L 45-26
72-II 07-01-1928 vs Pittsburgh Pirates 8-6 W 46-26
73 07-03-1928 vs Chicago Cubs 5-13 L 46-27
74-I 07-04-1928 vs Chicago Cubs 11-6 W 47-27
75-II 07-04-1928 vs Chicago Cubs 9-16 L 47-28
76 07-07-1928 vs Boston Braves 3-11 L 47-29
77-I 07-08-1928 vs Boston Braves 7-4 W 48-29
78-II 07-08-1928 vs Boston Braves 12-8 W 49-29
79 07-09-1928 vs Boston Braves 8-5 W 50-29
80 07-10-1928 vs New York Giants 5-1 W 51-29
81 07-11-1928 vs New York Giants 4-6 L 51-30
82 07-12-1928 vs New York Giants 11-1 W 52-30
83 07-13-1928 vs New York Giants 11-6 W 53-30
84 07-14-1928 vs Brooklyn Robins 2-5 L 53-31
85 07-15-1928 vs Brooklyn Robins 1-3 L 53-32
86 07-16-1928 vs Brooklyn Robins 7-6 W 54-32
87 07-17-1928 vs Brooklyn Robins 7-1 W 55-32
88 07-19-1928 vs Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 W 56-32
89 07-20-1928 vs Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 W 57-32
90 07-21-1928 vs Philadelphia Phillies 3-8 L 57-33
91 07-22-1928 vs Philadelphia Phillies 8-7 W 58-33
92 07-24-1928 at Brooklyn Robins 2-1 W 59-33
93 07-25-1928 at Brooklyn Robins 1-8 L 59-34
94 07-26-1928 at Brooklyn Robins 6-1 W 60-34
95 07-27-1928 at Brooklyn Robins 2-5 L 60-35
96-I 07-28-1928 at Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 W 61-35
97-II 07-28-1928 at Philadelphia Phillies 12-2 W 62-35
98 07-30-1928 at Philadelphia Phillies 7-8 L 62-36
99 07-31-1928 at Philadelphia Phillies 18-5 W 63-36
100 08-02-1928 at Boston Braves 6-1 W 64-36
101 08-03-1928 at Boston Braves 5-1 W 65-36
102-I 08-04-1928 at Boston Braves 3-2 W 66-36
103-II 08-04-1928 at Boston Braves 1-2 L 66-37
104 08-05-1928 at New York Giants 6-4 W 67-37
105 08-07-1928 at New York Giants 1-10 L 67-38
106 08-08-1928 at New York Giants 5-10 L 67-39
107 08-09-1928 at Pittsburgh Pirates 4-5 L 67-40
108 08-10-1928 at Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 W 68-40
109 08-11-1928 vs Chicago Cubs 1-5 L 68-41
110 08-12-1928 vs Chicago Cubs 2-4 L 68-42
111 08-14-1928 vs Boston Braves 6-1 W 69-42
112 08-15-1928 vs Boston Braves 7-3 W 70-42
113 08-16-1928 vs Boston Braves 4-9 L 70-43
114 08-17-1928 vs New York Giants 2-3 L 70-44
115 08-18-1928 vs New York Giants 2-3 L 70-45
116 08-19-1928 vs New York Giants 2-3 L 70-46
117 08-20-1928 vs Brooklyn Robins 2-1 W 71-46
118 08-21-1928 vs Brooklyn Robins 1-6 L 71-47
119 08-22-1928 vs Brooklyn Robins 2-3 L 71-48
120 08-24-1928 vs Philadelphia Phillies 1-0 W 72-48
121 08-25-1928 vs Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 W 73-48
122 08-26-1928 vs Philadelphia Phillies 6-1 W 74-48
123 08-27-1928 at Chicago Cubs 11-3 W 75-48
124 08-28-1928 at Chicago Cubs 6-0 W 76-48
125-I 08-31-1928 at Pittsburgh Pirates 5-6 L 76-49
126-II 08-31-1928 at Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2 W 77-49
127 09-01-1928 at Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1 W 78-49
128 09-02-1928 at Cincinnati Reds 5-3 W 79-49
129-I 09-03-1928 at Cincinnati Reds 5-6 L 79-50
130-II 09-03-1928 at Cincinnati Reds 2-8 L 79-51
131 09-06-1928 vs Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 W 80-51
132 09-07-1928 vs Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 W 81-51
133 09-08-1928 vs Pittsburgh Pirates 2-4 L 81-52
134 09-09-1928 vs Pittsburgh Pirates 7-8 L 81-53
135 09-10-1928 vs Cincinnati Reds 2-7 L 81-54
136 09-11-1928 vs Cincinnati Reds 6-3 W 82-54
137 09-12-1928 vs Cincinnati Reds 2-1 W 83-54
138 09-13-1928 at Chicago Cubs 1-6 L 83-55
139 09-14-1928 at Philadelphia Phillies 13-6 W 84-55
140-I 09-15-1928 at Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 W 85-55
141-II 09-15-1928 at Philadelphia Phillies 8-6 W 86-55
142 09-17-1928 at Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 W 87-55
143 09-18-1928 at Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 W 88-55
144-I 09-20-1928 at New York Giants 8-5 W 89-55
145-II 09-20-1928 at New York Giants 4-7 L 89-56
146 09-22-1928 at New York Giants 5-8 L 89-57
147 09-23-1928 at Brooklyn Robins 7-1 W 90-57
148 09-24-1928 at Brooklyn Robins 9-2 W 91-57
149 09-25-1928 at Brooklyn Robins 4-3 W 92-57
150 09-26-1928 at Brooklyn Robins 1-6 L 92-58
151 09-27-1928 at Boston Braves 8-3 W 93-58
152 09-28-1928 at Boston Braves 10-3 W 94-58
153 09-29-1928 at Boston Braves 3-1 W 95-58
154 09-30-1928 at New York Giants 2-4 L 95-59