Reds At Cubs, The $100,000 Pitcher Stolen From The Yankees, July 29, 1945
1 May 2026
Album art features Hank Borowy
The Chicago Cubs are on a tear. The Northside faithful can feel a dynasty building beneath their feet, with every pitch, every hit, and every run coming home. And now they have a hero.
In what was seen as the most lopsided and controversial transfers in baseball, even while it was happening, the New York Yankees placed their star pitcher Hank Borowy on waivers, and the Cubs slammed $100,000 into the Bronx Bombers’ outstretched hands. The Cubs needed to win right now, and the chequebook is wide open.
Two days after he went on waivers, Borowy is stepping on the mound at Wrigley Field, ready to prove the Yankees wrong and take his new club to the National League pennant. It’s a five-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cubs have won the first four games. Handing his new team a sweep would make for a memorable first game.
It’s also worth noting that we have players such as the anchorman Stan Hack at third base, and Phil Cavarretta on his way to the NL Batting Championship and the 1945 NL MVP, for the Cubs. For the Reds, you have the inspirational Dick Sipek, the first deaf player in the majors since Herbert Murphy in 1914, and the Iron Man Frank McCormick, fresh from his 652 consecutive appearances record during World War 2.
The Cubs are heading to the top of the mountain; they are unstoppable, and they have the world at their feet. But, as we know thanks to the advantage of history, there’s a billy goat waiting for the Cubs at the end of the season.
Until that happens, let’s share the joy in Wrigley Field as the Cubs charge towards the pennant with their brand new pitcher.
Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from July 29, 1945. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.
We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and Crafting The Call.
You can find the boxscore here.
Listen to the episode
Further Reading
The Associated Press obituary for Phil Cavarretta, the 1945 MVP, with personal anecdotes from his son about his father's "all-out" playing style. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/phil-cavarretta-obituary?id=60242123
The Dunn County Historical Society: A local history perspective on Andy Pafko’s upbringing on a 200-acre Wisconsin dairy farm and his community legacy. https://www.dunnhistory.org/andy-pafko
The history of the 1952 Topps set and why Pafko’s card became a "Holy Grail" of the hobby. https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hero/Andy_Pafko_Biography.shtml
Hank Borowy’s Pinstripe Tenure – A look at Borowy’s career in New York before the shock waiver deal that sent him to Chicago. https://www.yankeenumbers.com/210/HankBorowy
Shoestring Catches analyses the financial "robbery" that saw the Yankees sell their ace for $100,000. https://shoestringcatches1999.wordpress.com/2015/07/27/baseball-history-hank-borowy-and-cubs-win-nl-pennant/
Reading the Signs, The story of mentor Dummy Taylor and his protégé Dick Sipek, the first player to escape the "Dummy" nickname. https://www.humanitieskansas.org/get-involved/kansas-stories/people/reading-the-signs
A tribute to the Kansas City native Vern Kennedy, highlighting the pitcher’s collegiate career and his 1935 no-hitter. https://mosportshalloffame.com/inductees/vern-kennedy-2/
A tribute to "Smiling Stan" Hack, the leadoff master and retroactive three-time Gold Glove winner. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/stan-hack/
The biography of "Big Bill" Nicholson, the slugger who terrified pitchers and achieved legendary RBI totals. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bill-nicholson/