Ramsey County History – Fall 2009: “The 1924 Junior World Series, The St. Paul Saints’ Magnificent Comeback”

The 1924 Junior World Series, The St. Paul Saints’ Magnificent Comeback
Author: Roger A. Godin

Starting in 1920, the winners of the two “high minor” baseball leagues had their own world series. It was a time when the smaller city teams played strong, independent entities whose play was close to the quality of the major leagues. The St. Paul Saints were among the strongest but had been beaten at these post-season events in 1920 and 1922. In 1924, the Junior World Series (JWS) opened on October 2, a “best of nine” battle between the Saints and the Baltimore Orioles. The October 4th game had a record crowd of 10,000, went thirteen innings, and was called because of darkness, as the stadium had no lights. When the series shifted to St. Paul, Baltimore was one game away from victory, and the locals had to win three in a row. They won the first two and then 6,000 people watched the decisive game at Lexington Field in St. Paul, a great come-from-behind victory for the Saints. There is a sidebar on the player composition of the 1924 St. Paul team.
PDF of Godin article