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I'm Benjamin Hockman, and welcome to Playbacks,

an audio series that brings to life the archives of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, recorded and edited by Chris Lay.

Today we turn to the pages of 1926, when a 39-year-old pitcher, who was thought to be washed up and suffered from bouts of epilepsy and alcoholism, delivered the St. Louis

Cardinals their first World Series championship.

Old Pete saves day after Haynes pitches skin off his finger.

Veteran hurler, without warming up, fans Lazeri with bases full.

Strain was on Lazzari, not me, Alex says, by J. Roy Stockton

of the Post-Dispatch Sports Staff, October 11th, 1926.

Manager Hornsby and his Cardinals are champions of the world. They have defeated the New York

Yankees and the world is singing the praises of Grover Cleveland Alexander and Jess Haynes and

Tommy Thetanow and Hornsby and all the other courageous men who have contributed to the success of the St. Louis National League Club.

But the songs of praise that tell of Alexander's great right arm,

of Jess Haynes's courage which made him pitch until he wore the skin and flesh off his finger,

and of the great fielding and batting of Tommy Febenow only strike the

surface of the thing. It was more than Alexander's arm, and it was more than Haynes' courage,

and it was more than Tommy Febenow's fielding skill and great batting in the pinches. It was the spirit

of the Cardinals, the will to win, the determination

...