Books and articles about Paul Derringer

Derringer won 40 games at Rochester in the International League and led them to two pennants in 1929 and 1930. He helped the Cardinals win the pennant with an 18-8 mark in 1931, but was traded to the Reds in 1933 for Leo Durocher. He started and won the first major league night game at Cincinnati in 1935. Hurling three consecutive 20-win seasons (1938-40) and going 25-7 in 1939, Derringer led the Reds to two successive pennants and the World Championship in 1940. He was the winning pitcher in the 1940 All-Star Game and had two one-hit games that same season.

Image provided by Matthew Fulling

SHOPPING » Look for Paul Derringer books at BN.com » Look for Paul Derringer books at Amazon.com Your purchases keep BaseballLibrary.com online. Thank you!

RELATED LINKS Book Excerpts » Breaking the Slump: Baseball in the Depression Era by Charles C. Alexander Around the Web » Paul Derringer from baseball-reference.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Derringer led the league in winning percentage in 1931 and 1939, games lost in 1933, games started in 1936, 1938, and 1940, and complete games and innings pitched in 1938. He had 32 career shutouts, won ten 1-0 complete games, and had a 1.88 walk ratio. He was sold to the Cubs in 1943 and helped them capture the pennant in 1945. (JE)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » September 13, 1931: Cardinal P Paul Derringer has his scoreless inning streak stopped at 33, but manages to beat the Phils, 6–2, on six hits. » May 7, 1933: Reds SS Leo Durocher and Cardinals P Paul Derringer are the principals in a trade that gives St. Louis a player to replace Charley Gelbert, the victim of a hunting accident in November. The pickup is a good one for the Reds, as Derringer will fire four 20-game seasons for Cincy. » June 6, 1933: The Cards and Reds battle to a 6–2 St. Louis decision, with Dizzy Dean beating Paul Derringer. The pre-game fight between the two pitchers, who exchanged words then fists during batting practice, goes to the Reds pitcher, who landed the first blow. Reds manager Jewel Ens was tossed during the game, and several bottles were tossed as well. One bottle strikes Burgess Whitehead on the shoulder. Pepper Martin, the National League's top hitter at .386, has four hits, as does Ducky Medwick. » September 23, 1933: The Cubs beat the Reds 7-1, with Paul Derringer losing his 27th game for the last-place Reds, the most losses since George Bell (Brooklyn) in 1910. Gabby Hartnett hits a grand slam for the Cubs. » May 24, 1935: After a day's delay because of rain, the Cincinnati Reds host the Philadelphia Phillies in the first ML night game, winning 2–1 before a crowd of 24,422. On the initiative of Larry MacPhail, FDR throws the switch at the White House to turn on the lights. the Phils Mike Chiozza is the first batter as the Reds Paul Derringer outduels Joe Bowan, though the Reds are outhit, six to 4. The Reds will play seven night games in all, one each against the other National League teams. » September 28, 1939: Cincinnati clinches the pennant with Paul Derringer defeating 2nd-place St. Louis 5-3. » October 4, 1939: The WS, with the Yankees as heavy favorites, begins in New York. The pitching of Red Ruffing for New York and Paul Derringer for Cincinnati produces a tense, low-scoring duel that is tied 1-1 until the last of the 9th, when Yankees C Bill Dickey singles home the winning run. » May 18, 1940: After beating the Phillies 11 straight times over two 1/2 years, the Reds Paul Derringer finally loses, 8–3. The Phils collect 12 hits in eight innings off Derringer. » May 26, 1940: The Reds receive their 1939 World Series rings from Commissioner Landis and then beat the Cardinals 1–0 on Paul Derringer's one-hitter. Stu Martin's 1st inning single is the only hit. In the stands are 21 fans who saw the 1869 champion Reds in action. » August 15, 1940: Chicago ace Claude Passeau tosses a five-hitter and doesn't allow a runner past first after the first inning as he beats the Reds, 1–0. Paul Derringer takes the loss. » September 18, 1940: The Reds clinch the NL flag, outdistancing the Dodgers and the late-rushing Cardinals. Bill McKechnie's Cincinnati team makes only 117 errors during the season, 18 less than any previous team. The .981 fielding mark is the best up to this time. The defense, plus the pitching of Bucky Walters, Paul Derringer, and reliever Joe Beggs, brings the 2nd straight NL flag to the Reds, despite multiple injuries to Ernie Lombardi. The big catcher went down again September 15th, and with Hershberger's suicide, the club turns to 39-year-old coach Jimmy Wilson for some of the backstopping. Wilson will end up as a WS hero. » October 2, 1940: The Series opens in Cincinnati, and the Reds lose 7–2, the 10th straight World Series loss for a National League team. The Tigers bunch five singles, a walk, and an error in the 2nd off Paul Derringer to score five runs. Bruce Campbell adds a 2-run home run, and Bobo Newsom rations eight hits and only one walk. Bobo's father, visiting from South Carolina, dies in a Cincinnati hotel the next morning. » October 5, 1940: Paul Derringer, who had lost four World Series starts going back to 1931, finally breaks his jinx. His 5-hitter and Jim Ripple's 3rd-inning double, which knocks Dizzy Trout from the mound, provide a 5–2 win. » October 8, 1940: With only one day's rest, Bobo Newsom comes back for the Tigers and nearly has enough to win. Detroit gets an unearned run off Paul Derringer in the 3rd, and Newsom holds the Reds scoreless through six innings. In the 7th, however, Frank McCormick and Jimmy Ripple hit consecutive doubles, and Ripple later ambles in from 3B on Billy Myers' sac fly. Derringer gives up seven hits in the first six innings but sets the Tigers down in order in the final three frames. Old Jimmy Wilson catches six of the seven games, hits .353, and has the only SB of the Series. The Reds' share is $5,803 and the Tigers get $3,532. » October 23, 1940: The MVP in the National League goes to the Reds Frank McCormick, with Reds teammates Bucky Walters and Paul Derringer finishing 3rd and 4th. Cards slugger John Mize is 2nd. » January 8, 1941: The BBWAA in TSN poll names the 1940 All Star team: Hank Greenberg, LF; Joe DiMaggio, CF; Ted Williams, RF; Frank McCormick, 1B; Joe Gordon, 2B; Luke Appling, SS; Stan Hack, 3B; Harry Danning, C. The pitchers are Bob Feller, Bucky Walters, and Paul Derringer. » May 25, 1942: A pulled muscle ends a 652-game playing streak for Cincinnati 1B Frank McCormick as the Reds Paul Derringer stops the Pirates, 6–1. » January 27, 1943: The Cubs pay cash to the Reds to get P Paul Derringer. » May 30, 1943: The Cubs play 32 games before hitting a home run, but today Bill Nicholson hits the two Cubs blasts of the year. both two-run homers, against the Braves' Al Javery. His first homer, in the 4th inning, comes in the club's 1,120th at bat of the season. The Cubs win, 5–1, with Paul Derringer the victor. The 2nd game is postponed. » May 20, 1944: Mel Harder of the Indians and Paul Derringer of the Cubs both win their 201st career games. Derringer's win comes at home, 3–2 over Boston's Nate Andrews. At Philadelphia, Harder wins his, 5–0, allowing three hits and finishing in one hour: 37 minutes. Cy Young is on hand to watch the game. » April 27, 1945: The first-place Cubs win their 5th straight, as Paul Derringer shoots down the Pirates, 7–3. Rip Sewell allows four hits in four innings, but four errors hand him the loss.