It was a memorable year, made up of a costly broken wrist, two 15-game winning streaks, one 16-game winning streak, two rookies of fantastic potential, $300,000 paid for the privilege of finishing sixth, and the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, which opened its doors to enshrine Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson.

Item No. 1 was Detroit. After winning two successive pennants, the Tigers finished a noble second, but a dismal 19 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees. The Tigers' problems began early as their powerhouse first baseman, Hank Greenberg, broke his wrist after playing 12 games. Then in midseason, manager-catcher Mickey Cochrane broke down and had to go to Wyoming to regain his health.

In winning their first pennant since 1932, the Yankees unveiled Joe DiMaggio, a 21-year-old from Martinez, California. Well primed in the Pacific Coast League before making his debut he finished third on the club in batting to Bill Dickey and Gehrig and second in home runs to Lou Gehrig, who led the league with 49 and captured the MVP Award.

The other rookie news came out of Cleveland and was even more spectacular. Indian fans watched in disbelief as a 17-year-old kid from Van Meter, Iowa, struck out 15 Browns in his major league bow on August 23. Three weeks later, Bob Feller made believers of everyone as he tied an American League strikeout record by fanning 17 Athletics. In Chicago, Luke Appling helped the White Sox to third place behind his league-leading .388 average, thus becoming the first shortstop and the first White Sox player to win an American League batting title. In Boston, there were tears all over owner Tom Yawkey's bank book. After spending large sums in 1934 and 1935 to bolster the Red Sox, Yawkey shelled out $300,000 to Connie Mack and the A's to get Jimmie Foxx, Doc Cramer, Eric McNair, and John Marcum, only to finish a dismal sixth, 28 1/2 games out.

The National League couldn't boast of the same rookie finds as the American League, but they did have several notable streaks and a three-team pennant struggle from the Giants, Cubs, and Cardinals. St. Louis broke on top and looked something like the Gashouse Gang of 1934, but when Paul Dean developed arm trouble and brother Dizzy discovered he could not keep up his winning pace of the last two years, the Cards found themselves a disappointing tie for second with the Cubs, five games off the Giants. Aside from the Dean brothers putting together only 29 wins, compared to 47 in 1935, St. Louis could not contend with last-place Boston, which took their season series, 13-9.

The Cubs had replaced St. Louis at the top after a great June which had included a 15-game winning streak and seemed to be out of reach until the Giants awakened in late July and also fashioned a 15-game winning streak. In going for their second straight pennant, the Cubs traded back Chuck Klein, their big disappointment of 1935, to the Phillies for Ethan Allen and Curt Davis. But the Giants, with MVP Carl Hubbell, who won his last 16 games of the season, proved too much-especially after the Giants took three out of four at the end of August and destroyed whatever morale Chicago had left.

The Giants' and Yankees' victory marked the first time since 1923 that two New York Clubs met in the Series. Hubbell continued his season form by beating the Yankees in the Series opener, 6-1, and allowing seven scattered hits and no fielding chances for his outfielders. The Yankees then recovered by blasting the Giants, 18-4, and going on to win the Series-the same as in 1923-four games to two.

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