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Remembering The 1946 World Series - The First Time The Cardinals Beat The Red Sox

A lot has changed in the world of baseball since 1946. But a familiar pair of elite teams are once again playing in the Fall Classic.  For the fourth time, the St. Louis Cardinals are facing off against the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Previous matchups took place in 1946, 1967 and 2004.

And this year's matchup has some striking similarities to the team's first meeting in 1946. Then, as now, St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Dodgers in playoffs before facing off against the Red Sox.

With unforeseeably lucky timing, author Jerome Mileur has just come out with a new book on the 1946 World Series, The Stars are Back: The St. Louis Cardinals, The Boston Red Sox, and Player Unrest in 1946.

A lifelong Cardinals fan who grew up in Murphysboro, Ill., Mileur started out by saying he hopes history continues to repeat itself over the course of the next ten days.

But other than the familiar teams and a hoped-for win, much has changed in the game of baseball since 1946, said Mileur.

With soldiers returning to the rosters after World War II, the game and the teams went through changes in ownership and players moved to negotiate better pay. Salaries at the time were considerably lower (Stan Musial earned just $13,000 in 1946) and players had lost three years of wages while in the military.

And amidst all the unrest and transition, the Cardinals made their way to a 1946 World Series Championship and their first World Series victory against the Boston Red Sox.

Here's hoping the parallels between 1946 and 2013 continue and carry the Cardinals to victory this year.

Relive part of the 1946 Series with this clip from "St. Louis Cardinals:  The Movie."

Related Event

Meet the Author: Jerome Mileur

Barnes & Noble Fairview Heights

Shoppes at St. Clair Square, 6510 N.Illinois Street, Fairview Heights, IL 62208

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

5:00 p.m.

For more information, call 618-624-4361 or visit the Barnes & Noble website

St. Louis on the Air provides discussion about issues and concerns facing the St. Louis area. The show is produced by Mary Edwards and Alex Heuer and hosted by veteran journalist Don Marsh.

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