On May 1, 1934, Ripper Collins powered the Cardinals past the Reds with two late inning blasts that led the club to a 3-2 victory in St. Louis. If anyone ever tells you there is no such thing as clutch tell them to take a look at this game. The Birds had their backs against the wall down 1-0 in the ninth when Collins finally got to and parked one in the seats to tie it up and send it to extras. The wind was taken out of the Cardinals sails in the top of the 11th, as the Reds pushed a run in. Once again their backs were against the wall, and once again Collins would come through with a long ball to tie it up. He was followed by a double by Bill Delancey, then Burgess Whitehead knocked him in with a game winning single.Collins hit 35 home runs for the Cardinals in that Championship season, which led the National League. He provided a punch to a lineup that would forever be immortalized as the Gashouse Gang. Collins spent six years in the Mound City, and was a part of two World Championship winners with his first coming in his rookie year in 1931. At the end of his six seasons in St. Louis, Collins had carried a .297 average, hit 106 home runs, and knocked in 516 runs. Following the '36 season he was dealt to Chicago in a package deal that brought the club Lon Warneke.
Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN193405010.shtml
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