1954 World Series

1954 World Series
Team (Wins) Manager(s) Season New York Giants (4) Leo Durocher 97–57, .630, GA: 5 Cleveland Indians (0) Al López 111–43, .721, GA: 8
Dates	September 29 – October 2
Umpires	Al Barlick (NL), Charlie Berry (AL), Jocko Conlan (NL), Johnny Stevens (AL), Lon Warneke (NL: outfield only), Larry Napp (AL: outfield only)
Hall of Famers	Umpires: Al Barlick, Jocko Conlan Giants: Leo Durocher (mgr.), Monte Irvin, Willie Mays, Hoyt Wilhelm. Indians: Al López (mgr.), Larry Doby, Bob Lemon, Early Wynn, Hal Newhouser, Bob Feller.
Broadcast
Television	NBC
TV announcers	Jack Brickhouse and Russ Hodges
Radio	Mutual
Radio announcers	Al Helfer and Jimmy Dudley
World Series

The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since 1933, defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the regular season; it has since been broken by the 1998 New York Yankees (114) and again by the 2001 Seattle Mariners (116, tying the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the most wins ever). The Series is perhaps best-remembered for "The Catch", a sensational running catch made by Giants center fielder Willie Mays in Game 1, snaring a long drive by Vic Wertz near the outfield wall with his back to the infield. It is also remembered for utility player Dusty Rhodes' clutch hitting in three of the four games, including his walk-off hit for Monte Irvin that won Game 1, probably the best-known hit to be described as a "Chinese home run", since it barely cleared the 258-foot (79 m) right-field fence at the Polo Grounds. Giants manager Leo Durocher, who had managed teams to three National League championships, won his first and only World Series title in his managerial career. The Giants, who would move west to become the San Francisco Giants, would not win a World Series again until the 2010 season.

This was the first time the Cleveland Indians had been swept in a World Series and the first time the New York Giants had swept an opponent without qualification. They had won four games without a loss in the 1922 World Series, but there was also one tie. Game 2 was the last World Series and playoff game at the Polo Grounds, because the Giants did not win another pennant until after their move to San Francisco and because the Mets did not reach the postseason until after they moved to Shea Stadium. Game 4 was the last World Series and playoff game at Cleveland Stadium; the Indians did not return to the World Series or playoffs until 1995, a year after Jacobs Field opened.

As a result, this World Series held the distinction of being the most recent World Series to host the final World Series game of both of its two venues, a distinction it lost to the 1959 World Series after the original Comiskey Park closed down at the end of the 1990 Major League Baseball season and Dodger Stadium opened in 1962, a distinction now held by the 2003 World Series.

Background

The Indians, by winning the American League pennant, kept the Yankees from having a chance to win their sixth straight series. The last time the Yankees had not won the series or pennant beforehand was 1948, when, again, the Indians kept them out (although that year, they won the Series). It was also the only World Series from 1949 to 1958 which did not feature the Yankees.

The Indians easily won the 1954 pennant on the strength of the American League's top pitching staff, leading the AL in team ERA at 2.72 and complete games with 77. Pitchers Early Wynn (23–11, 2.73 ERA) and Bob Lemon (23–7, 2.72 ERA) were in top form, with solid contributions from Mike Garcia (19–8, 2.64) and Art Houtterman (15–7, 3.35). Bob Feller, at age 35, could only make 19 starts, and finished at 13–3. Cleveland also had potent hitting, leading the AL in home runs (156) and finishing second in runs scored (746), although the team managed just 30 stolen bases in 63 attempts. Bobby Ávila led the offense with 112 runs and a .341 average, while Larry Doby (.272 avg, 32 HRs, 126 RBIs) and Al Rosen (.300 avg, 24 HRs, 102 RBIs) provided the power. Defensively catcher Jim Hegan made only four errors in 134 games and threw out 44% of would-be base stealers.^[1]

The New York Giants entered the World Series with a top flight pitching staff as well, with Johnny Antonelli (21–7, 2.30 ERA), Rubén Gómez (17–9, 2.88), and 37-year-old Sal "The Barber" Maglie (14–6, 3.26). The Giants relied more heavily on relief pitching with Hoyt Wilhelm (12–7, 2.10, 7 saves) and Marv Grissom (10–7, 2.35, 19 saves) rounding out a staff that led the NL in team ERA at 3.09 and shutouts with 17. Manager Leo Durocher used a solid, consistent lineup with all his starters, except for the catching position, playing in at least 135 games. Willie Mays (.345, 41 HRs 110 RBIs) led an offense that also featured Don Meuller (.342 avg), Al Dark (.293, 98 runs), Hank Thompson (26 HRs, 86 RBIs) and pinch-hitter extraordinaire Dusty Rhodes (.341 avg).^[2]

Summary

NL New York Giants (4) vs. AL Cleveland Indians (0)

Matchups

Game 2

Dusty Rhodes of the New York Giants rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the seventh inning of the second game of the 1954 World Series.

Thursday, September 30, 1954 1:00 pm (ET) at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cleveland	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	0
New York	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	X	3	4	0
WP: Johnny Antonelli (1–0)   LP: Early Wynn (0–1) Home runs: CLE: Al Smith (1) NYG: Dusty Rhodes (2)

Once again, the visitors started quickly, then could not hold onto their lead. Smith's leadoff home run off Johnny Antonelli put Cleveland up before a lot of Polo Grounds fans had settled into their seats. Early Wynn preserved that lead, pitching four perfect innings, until the fifth inning, but after Mays walked and Thompson singled, once again Dusty Rhodes pinch-hit for Monte Irvin and came through, this time with an RBI single. Antonelli himself got the go-ahead run home against his counterpart, scoring Thompson on a groundout. Antonelli was a little wild on the mound, walking six, but also struck out nine. New York got just four hits all day, but Rhodes padded their lead with a home run leading off the seventh. Their other hit came in the sixth on an Al Dark leadoff single. Antonelli pitched a complete game to give the Giants a 2–0 series lead. This would be the last postseason game at the Polo Grounds.

Composite box

1954 World Series (4–0): New York Giants (N.L.) over Cleveland Indians (A.L.)

Records

• Hank Thompson set a World Series record for bases on balls received during a four-game series with seven and Bob Lemon set a World Series record for bases on balls given up during a four-game Series with eight.

Notes

See also

• 1954 Japan Series

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. 250–253. ISBN 0-312-03960-3.
• Hano, Arnold (2004). A Day in the Bleachers. Cambridge: Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81322-X. The author, who later wrote Mays' biography, described sitting in the left-center field bleachers at the Polo Grounds for Game 1. An entire chapter was devoted to "The Catch".
• Reichler, Joseph (1982). The Baseball Encyclopedia (5th ed.). Macmillan Publishing. p. 2162. ISBN 0-02-579010-2.

External links

• 1954 World Series at WorldSeries.com (MLB.com)
• 1954 World Series at Baseball Almanac
• 1954 World Series at Baseball-Reference.com
• The 1954 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) at Retrosheet
• History of the World Series - 1954 at The SportingNews. Archived from the original on 2008.
• Baseball's Best: 1954 World Series (MLB.com)
• Kodak Presents – Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments, Willie Mays' Catch