1951 World Series

1951 World Series
Team (Wins) Manager(s) Season
New York Yankees (4) Casey Stengel 98–56, .636, GA: 5
New York Giants (2) Leo Durocher 98–59, .624, GA: 1
Dates October 4–10
Umpires Bill Summers (AL), Lee Ballanfant (NL), Joe Paparella (AL), Al Barlick (NL), Johnny Stevens (AL: outfield only), Artie Gore (NL: outfield only)
Hall of Famers Umpire: Al Barlick
Yankees: Casey Stengel (mgr.), Bill Dickey (coach), Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Johnny Mize, Phil Rizzuto
Giants: Leo Durocher (mgr.), Monte Irvin, Willie Mays
Broadcast
Television NBC
TV announcers Jim Britt and Russ Hodges
Radio Mutual
Radio announcers Mel Allen and Al Helfer
World Series

The 1951 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the New York Giants, who had won the National League pennant in a thrilling three-game playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers on the legendary home run by Bobby Thomson (the Shot Heard 'Round the World).

In the Series, the Yankees showed some power of their own, including Gil McDougald's grand slam home run in Game 5, at the Polo Grounds. The Yankees won the Series in six games, for their third straight title and 14th overall. This would be the last World Series for Joe DiMaggio, who retired afterward, and the first for rookies Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle.

This was the last Subway Series the Giants played in. Both teams would meet again eleven years later after the Giants relocated to San Francisco. They have not played a World Series against each other since. This was the first World Series announced by Bob Sheppard, who was in his first year as Yankee Stadium's public address announcer. It was also the first World Series to be televised nationwide, as coaxial cable had recently linked both coasts.

Background

This World Series also matched up two of baseball's most colorful managers, Casey Stengel of the Yankees and Leo Durocher of the Giants.

This was the 13th appearance by the Giants in Series play, their ninth loss, and their first appearance since the 1937 World Series.

"The Commerce Comet arrives on the final voyage of the Yankee Clipper." (On the Yankees' side, the 1951 World Series was the first for Mickey Mantle and the final for Joe DiMaggio.)

Mantle's bad luck with injuries in the Major Leagues began here. In the fifth inning of Game 2 at Yankee Stadium, Mays flied to deep right center. DiMaggio and Mantle converged on the ball, DiMaggio called Mantle off, and Mantle stutter-stepped, catching a cleat in a drain cover, and fell to the ground in a heap with a wrenched knee as DiMaggio made the catch. Mantle was done for this Series, but would come back to play many more.

New York City became the first city to host an NBA Finals and a World Series in the same calendar year.

Summary

AL New York Yankees (4) vs. NL New York Giants (2)

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 4New York Giants – 5, New York Yankees – 1Yankee Stadium2:5865,673[1] 
2October 5New York Giants – 1, New York Yankees – 3Yankee Stadium2:0566,018[2] 
3October 6New York Yankees – 2, New York Giants – 6Polo Grounds2:4252,035[3] 
4October 8New York Yankees – 6, New York Giants – 2Polo Grounds2:5749,010[4] 
5October 9New York Yankees – 13, New York Giants – 1Polo Grounds2:3147,530[5] 
6October 10New York Giants – 3, New York Yankees – 4Yankee Stadium2:5961,711[6]

Matchups

Game 1

Thursday, October 4, 1951 1:00 pm (ET) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York
Team123456789RHE
New York (NL)2000030005101
New York (AL)010000000171
WP: Dave Koslo (1–0)   LP: Allie Reynolds (0–1)
Home runs:
NYG: Alvin Dark (1)
NYY: None

Monte Irvin's daring baserunning got the Giants off to a fast start in this New York – New York series. He singled in the first inning, sped to third on Whitey Lockman's RBI single, then stole home off Yankee starter Allie Reynolds. The Yankees cut the Giants' lead to 2–1 in the second when Gil McDougald doubled with one out off of Dave Koslo and scored on Jerry Coleman's single. The scored remained that way until the sixth when Alvin Dark's three-run home run gave the Giants a commanding 5–1 lead. Koslo pitched a complete game to give the Giants a 1–0 series lead.

Game 2

Friday, October 5, 1951 1:00 pm (ET) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York
Team123456789RHE
New York (NL)000000100151
New York (AL)11000001X360
WP: Eddie Lopat (1–0)   LP: Larry Jansen (0–1)
Home runs:
NYG: None
NYY: Joe Collins (1)

The first three batters Larry Jansen faced were Mickey Mantle, Phil Rizzuto and Gil McDougald, all of whom singled for a quick 1-0 Yankee lead. It could have been worse, but the next batter Joe DiMaggio bounced into a 6-4-3 double play and Yogi Berra struck out. The next inning, Joe Collins's home run extended the Yankees' lead to 2–0. Monte Irvin scored in the seventh, tagging and coming home on pinch-hitter Bill Rigney's bases-loaded sacrifice fly, as the Giants got within 2-1. But winning pitcher Eddie Lopat, who pitched a complete game, helped himself to an insurance run with an RBI single in the eighth after Bobby Brown hit a leadoff single and moved to second on a groundout off of George Spencer. The Yankees' 3–1 win tied the series shifting to the Polo Grounds.

Game 3

Saturday, October 6, 1951 1:00 pm (ET) at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York
Team123456789RHE
New York (AL)000000011252
New York (NL)01005000X672
WP: Jim Hearn (1–0)   LP: Vic Raschi (0–1)   Sv: Sheldon Jones (1)
Home runs:
NYY: Gene Woodling (1)
NYG: Whitey Lockman (1)

The Giants struck first in Game 1 when Bobby Thomson hit a leadoff double and scored on Willie Mays's single in the second, then a five-run fifth inning was the undoing of Yankee starter Vic Raschi. Eddie Stanky walked with one out, moved to third on an error, and scored on Al Dark's single. After a Hank Thompson single, another error on Monte Irvin's fielder's choice allowed another run to score and put two on, then a Whitey Lockman three-run home run gave Giants starter Jim Hearn a comfortable 6–0 lead. The Yankees scored a run in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk to Joe Collins, then in the ninth on Gene Woodling's home run off of Sheldon Jones, who retired the next two batters to end the game and give the Giants a 2–1 series lead.

Game 4

Monday, October 8, 1951 1:00 pm (ET) at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York
Team123456789RHE
New York (AL)0101202006120
New York (NL)100000001282
WP: Allie Reynolds (1–1)   LP: Sal Maglie (0–1)
Home runs:
NYY: Joe DiMaggio (1)
NYG: None

The Giants struck first in Game 4 when Al Dark doubled with one out in the first off of Allie Reynolds and scored on Monte Irvin's single, but the Yankees tied the game in the second on Joe Collins's RBI single with two on off of Sal Maglie. After a single and walk, Reynolds's RBI single in the fourth put the Yankees up 2–1. Joe DiMaggio's first home run of the Series followed a Yogi Berra single in the fifth extended their lead to 4–1. In the seventh, reliever Sheldon Jones allowed a single and walk, then an error on a pickoff attempt allowed one run to score before Gil McDougald's RBI single made it 6–1 Yankees. Reynolds allowed a one-out RBI single to Bobby Thomson in the ninth before getting Willie Mays to hit into the game-ending double play as the Yankees tied the series with a 6–2 win.

Game 5

Tuesday, October 9, 1951 1:00 pm (ET) at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York
Team123456789RHE
New York (AL)00520240013121
New York (NL)100000000153
WP: Eddie Lopat (2–0)   LP: Larry Jansen (0–2)
Home runs:
NYY: Gil McDougald (1), Phil Rizzuto (1)
NYG: None

The Giants struck first in Game 5 when Al Dark singled with one out in the first and scored on Monte Irvin's single aided by left fielder Gene Woodling's error, but starter Eddie Lopat kept them scoreless for the rest of the game while the Yankees hammered Larry Jansen, Monty Kennedy and George Spencer. After two one-out walks in the third, Joe DiMaggio's RBI single tied the game, then after an intentional walk loaded the bases, Gil McDougald's grand slam off of Jansen put the Yankees up 5–1. Next inning, Phil Rizzuto's home run off of Kennedy after a walk extended their lead to 7–1. In the sixth, Rizzuto singled off of Spencer before Yogi Berra's single and Johnny Mize's double scored a run each, making it 9–1 Yankees. In the seventh, a bases-loaded walk to Rizzuto forced in a run, then Al Corwin threw a wild pitch that let another run score before DiMaggio's two-run double capped the game's scoring at 13–1 Yankees, who were a win away from the World Series championship as the series returned to Yankee Stadium.

Game 6

Wednesday, October 10, 1951 1:00 pm (ET) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York
Team123456789RHE
New York (NL)0000100023111
New York (AL)10000300X470
WP: Vic Raschi (1–1)   LP: Dave Koslo (1–1)   Sv: Bob Kuzava (1)

The Yankees struck first in Game 6 on Gil McDougald's bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the first off of Dave Koslo. The Giants tied the game in the fifth off of Vic Raschi when Willie Mays hit a leadoff single, moved two bases on a wild pitch and sacrifice fly, and scored on Eddie Stanky's sacrifice fly. Playing right field in place of Mickey Mantle, Hank Bauer benefited from a tricky Yankee Stadium wind—as well as the umpire's generous call of a ball on Dave Koslo's two-strike pitch—to belt a bases-loaded triple in the sixth inning that would be the difference. Bauer also ensured that the lead held up. Trailing 4–1 in the ninth, the Giants loaded the bases with no outs on three singles off of Johnny Sain. Enter reliever Bob Kuzava, acquired in June from the Washington Senators. After two sacrifice flies and the score now 4–3, pinch hitter Sal Yvars hit a sinking liner to right. The stadium crowd gasped as Bauer momentarily lost the ball in the crowd's white shirts and the shadows. But he located it again and charged forward. Bauer, who played in nine World Series and always came through when it mattered most, slid on his knees to catch the ball inches off the ground to end the game and the 1951 World Series. Game 6 was the last baseball game ever played by Joe DiMaggio.

Composite box

1951 World Series (4–2): New York Yankees (A.L.) over New York Giants (N.L.)

Team123456789RHE
New York Yankees23532562129494
New York Giants410063103184610
Total attendance: 341,977   Average attendance: 56,996
Winning player's share: $6,446   Losing player's share: $4,951[7]

Notes

  1. ↑ "1951 World Series Game 1 – New York Giants vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  2. ↑ "1951 World Series Game 2 – New York Giants vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  3. ↑ "1951 World Series Game 3 – New York Yankees vs. New York Giants". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  4. ↑ "1951 World Series Game 4 – New York Yankees vs. New York Giants". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  5. ↑ "1951 World Series Game 5 – New York Yankees vs. New York Giants". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  6. ↑ "1951 World Series Game 6 – New York Giants vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  7. ↑ "World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved June 14, 2009.

See also

References

  • Cohen, Richard M.; Neft, David S. (1990). The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 234–239. ISBN 0-312-03960-3.
  • Reichler, Joseph (1982). The Baseball Encyclopedia (5th ed.). Macmillan Publishing. p. 2159. ISBN 0-02-579010-2.
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