/Current Cubs could use a game like Claude Passeau pitched in 1945

Current Cubs could use a game like Claude Passeau pitched in 1945

It was the Cubs’ best-pitched World Series game since Oct. 5, 1945 when a 36-year old good ol’ boy from Lucedale in Mississippi pitched a one-hit shutout and led the Cubs to a 3-0 win over the Detroit Tigers. He did it all himself. His name was Claude Passeau. Rudy York, Tigers’ first baseman, gave him only one run in the second inning. Passeau, a right-hander who was a five-time All-Star and faced only 28 batters, one less than the minimum. Passeau’s one-hitter was actually the second-best-pitched game of World Series history, behind Don Larson’s flawless performance for the New York Yankees during the 1956 World Series. So, you might be asking, “Who was this Claude Passeau?” He was a kind gentleman. He was my friend on the opening day of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, July 4, 1996. Passeau, who was 87 years old at the time, was the oldest Hall of Famer to be present for the opening ceremonies. He spoke in a distinctive south Mississippi accent and smiled often. His achievements showed that he was smart, thoughtful, and humble. He was the sole child of Juanita and Claude Passeau, and was born in Waynesboro on April 9, 1909. His father was a sawyer, and a miller. He moved about a lot in south Mississippi looking for work. Young Claude was a Moss Point High student who played high school sports. He told me that he preferred fishing and hunting to organized athletics. Passeau, a 6-foot-3-inch skinny teen, was successful in attracting college recruiters from LSU and Millsaps. Passeau chose the latter where he played basketball, baseball and was a great quarterback in football. In 1932, he graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree as an agricultural scientist. Passeau, who was 16 at the time, had resisted baseball due to a hunting accident. Passeau shot himself in the left hand. His third and fourth fingers were permanently bent inward after surgery. His right arm was not affected and he was asked by the Moss Point baseball coach to practice throwing the bat. His fastball was a game changer for his teammates. He pitched semi-pro ball during his Millsaps years under various aliases to avoid affecting his college eligibility. He began to draw the attention of Major League Scouts who simply needed to know his true identity. After Millsaps graduation, he signed professional and spent several minor league season trying to master his fastball. He reached the Big Leagues in Pittsburgh, and then moved to Philadelphia to pitch four seasons for the horrible Phillies. He pitched in the notorious hitters’ park for a team that was notoriously bad. His potential was evident to everyone, but he was especially valuable to the Cubs in 1939. He was simply a great Cub pitcher! He was simply one of the best pitchers in club history. Although his career record was 162-150, he could easily have won 200 games or more on better teams. He pitched in hitters’ fields, including Wrigley Field, and his 3.32 career earned runs average was not surprising. His fastball was so energetic that he was frequently accused of throwing a pitch, something he denied until his death. Passeau stated to the Associated Press that he couldn’t throw a spitball if it were legal. I threw at different speeds, sunk the ball, and then slid it. “I have heard it was one the most lively fastballs any of the scouts had ever seen.” It was certainly that on that particular day in 1945. His Sept. 2, 2003 New York Times obituary read: “Claude Passeau was an All-Star right-hander and pitched a one-hitter for the Chicago Cubs in the 1945 World Series. He died Saturday in Lucedale. Passeau was 94 years old. He was also a successful outside of baseball. He owned a 600-acre farm in Lucedale and a tractor dealership. He was also a sheriff in George County. Governor said that Claude was a fine and fine man. William Winter was the one who inducted Passeau into Mississippi’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1964. “I can still remember watching that World Series game as I traveled overseas during World War II. Later, I came to know him as a good-quality county sheriff.” Passeau can be seen pitching in the World Series and you can hear him talk about it at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. He is regarded as one of the most outstanding baseball heroes in Mississippi. *** Another small-town Mississippian from the Delta threw the World Series shutout starting Oct. 4. Mississippi Today’s sports columnist is Rick Cleveland. Check out his columns as well as his Sports Daily blog. Reach Rick at rcleveland@mississippitoday.org.