As a 29-year-old rookie, Verban batted .412 for the Cardinals in the 1944 World Series and went 3-for-3 in the sixth and final game, driving in the winning run to beat the Browns. During the Series, he requested a better seat for his pregnant wife, who was put behind a post, but was denied it by the club owner. When the series ended, Verban told the owner, “Now you can sit behind the post, you meathead.”
Because of his speed, Verban acquired the nickname The Antelope in the minors. He led the NL in fielding in 1945 and in fewest strikeouts (eight) while with the Phillies in 1947. A latter-day nationwide group of Cub fans calls itself the Emil Verban Society.
