Even though most pundits were ready to crown the Yankees and Dodgers as pennant winners in the 1942 spring, something happened during spring training in St. Petersburgh. The St. Louis "Swifties" were born.

One Chicago writer described the Cardinals as the "most interesting team to watch. . . They actually like this game. Maybe they won't win the pennant, though they're aiming at it every minute they're awake. Still there's something about these Cardinals--these running, laughing, sweating, playing Cardinals."

Things didn't look good when the Redbirds trailed the Dodgers by 10 games on August 15, but they won 41 out of the last 48 games to finish two games ahead of Brooklyn. They heard a lot of the song "Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy" that season since trainer Doc Weaver would play that record after every win. (He also fired up the team with mountain music before games on his portable phonograph). Pitching was a definite strength of the 1942 Redbirds--they had a 2.55 team ERA, the lowest in baseball since 1919.