The two pennant winners in 1926, the National League's Cardinals and the American League's Yankees, were a study in contrasts. The Yankees were heavily composed of first- and second-generation Americans and based in New York, the epicenter of baseball; the Cardinals, on the other hand, were mostly a collection of farm boys playing at the western fringe of the major leagues. Both teams arrived battle-tested, as St. Louis had fought a long, close race with Cincinnati and New York had survived a dramatic late-season run. The story of the 1926 season is also a story that transcends baseball. It is a story that reflects the popular culture of America during the most roaring year in the Roaring Twenties. It was a baseball season flavored by colorful episodes, personalities and events that provide insights not only about baseball but also about life in America during the 1920s.