Great Pennant Races of the Fifties
Take the 1950s trivia challenge
Enjoy the review of six exciting or historical 1950 pennant races and take the time to test your baseball knowledge. There are 48 questions - some easy, some difficult. If you can correctly identify 32 of the players in the quiz, you get an A. Let me know how you do. The answers will be sent out in a separate posting on Friday. Good luck and have fun!
1950 NL
The Whiz Kids Arise
Philadelphia Phillies 91-63 - ( Name the all star 3B?)
Brooklyn Dodgers 89-65 2 GB (Who played rightfield?)
New York Giants 86-68 5 GB ( Name the catcher?)
Boston Braves 83-71 8 GB ( Spahn won 21, who won 20?)
St Louis Cardinals 78-75 12 ½ GB ( Name the all star 2B)
Cincinnati Reds 66-87 24 ½ GB (Name the Reds HR leader)
Chicago Cubs 64-89 26 ½ GB ( Name the veteran HR hitting outfielder)
Pittsburgh Pirates 57-96 33 ½ GB ( Who was their HOF outfielder?)
It is Sunday October 1, the last game of the season and Ebbets Field is alive with excitement as their Dodgers were taking a shot at forcing a tie for the pennant- if they could beat the league leading Philadelphia Phillies and open the door to repeating as National League champs .
Before the season not many predicted the 1950 Philly “Whiz Kids” would be in this position. They did it the hard way. The Phillies blew a seven game lead in the last 9 days of the season that included losing back to back doubleheaders to the Giants. This allowed the Dodgers to pull within one game for this end of season contest. On the mound for the Phils was 20-game winner Robin Roberts versus Dodger 19-game-winner Don Newcombe. It was a 1-1 pitcher’s duel going into the ninth when the home team Dodgers loaded the bases with no outs. A fly ball to centerfielder Richie Ashburn could have scored the game winner, but Ashburn’s excellent throw to the plate allowed catcher Andy Seminick to tag out a sliding Carl Abrams for out # 1. Roberts settled down and struck out the next two batters to send the game into extra innings. In the tenth, Dick Sisler (the son of HOF outfielder George Sisler) blasted a three run home run off of Newcombe to move the Phils on to the World Series. It was their first pennant since 1915.
1951 NL
“The Shot Heard Around the World”
New York Giants 98-59 - (Who was the manager?)
Brooklyn Dodgers 97-60 1 GB ( Which Dodger was named MVP?)
St Louis Cardinals 81-73 15 ½ GB (Name the HOF outfielder not named Musial)
Boston Braves 76-78 20 ½ GB (Name the speedy center fielder)
Philadelphia Phillies 73-81 23 ½ GB (This pitcher was the NL MVP in 1950)
Cincinnati Reds 68-86 28 ½ GB (This future Yankee pitcher won 15 Games)
Pittsburgh Pirates 64-90 32 ½ GB (This pitcher won 20 games)
Chicago Cubs 62-92 34 ½ GB ( Name the 1B who became a TV star)
Arguably the most exciting pennant race of them all. Two New York City neighborhood teams, Brooklyn versus Coogan’s Bluff, in a three game playoff for the pennant. The story of how they got there makes your head spin. August 12 the Dodgers were very comfy with a 13 ½ games. The promising Whiz Kids of 1950 had deflated like a balloon. The Giants started the season by losing 11 straight games after an opening day victory. The only teams, outside the Dodgers, playing just barely above .500 baseball were the Giants and Cardinals. But on that August date, a miraculous stretch run commenced. The Giants under manager Leo Durocher went on a 16 game winning streak that allowed them to finish the season winning 39 of their final 47 games and draw even with the Dodgers. Of course, a race that close could not end with anything except a final knock out blow. Bottom of the ninth, one out, runners on second and third, Dodgers up 4-2, outfielder Bobby Thomson strolls to plate. Dodger manager, Charlie Dressen, made the critical decision to pitch to Thomson with an empty base rather than walking him and face the rookie Willie Mays. He called the bullpen and in comes mister dependability Ralph Branca to replace Don Newcombe who had pitched a tremendous game to this point. It was not a bad decision considering the circumstances, except for the fact that Thomson had hit a game-winning home run in the first playoff game off Branca. With a one ball, no strike count Thomson lashed the ball over the left field fence for the game winner. There was no one more excited that day at the Polo Grounds than Giants announcer Russ Hodges whose dynamic call of “ the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant! ” is still replayed to baseball audiences every year . That spectacular homerun and call is commonly referred to as “The Shot That Was Heard Around the World”
1954 NL
What A Difference a Year Makes.
New York Giants 97-57 - ( Name their shortstop))
Brooklyn Dodgers 92-62 5 GB ( This pitcher led the team with 18 wins)
Milwaukee Braves 89-65 8 GB (This pitcher played for the Boston Celtics)
Philadelphia Phillies 75-79 22 GB (Who was the underrated right fielder ?)
Cincinnati Redlegs 74-80 23 GB (This outfielder’s son became a MLB manager)
St Louis Cardinals 72-82 25 GB (Who was their Rookie of the Year outfielder?)
Chicago Cubs 64-90 33 GB (What rookie would be a future HOF?)
Pittsburgh Pirates 51-101 44 GB ( Name the manager)
The Giants surprised everyone with a comeback effort to beat out their nemesis Dodgers. How the Giants took the step from a fifth place, 35 games behind the Dodgers in 1953 to 97 wins this season, was largely due to two exciting additions. Number one was the return of NL MVP Willie Mays from the military, who hit 41 home runs. Number two was a trade in which the Giants sent 1951 hero Bobby Thomson to the Braves for young pitcher Johnny Antonelli. Antonelli responded with 21 wins. The favored Dodgers wilted late when Campanella’s input dropped dramatically due to a hand injury and although ace pitcher Don Newcombe had returned from the service, he was not ready to assume his previous role and won only nine games. This was the year for the debut of outfielder (HOF) Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves and SS (HOF) Ernie Banks of the Cubs.It was also the start of the very short and limited two year pitching career of future Dodger HOF manager, Tommy Lasorda. Another HOF manager Walter Alston took the helm of the 1954 Dodgers. The Braves Joe Adcock had a record-breaking game when he hit four home runs and a double for a one-game total base record of 18.
1954 AL
A Record Breaking Season
Cleveland Indians 111-43 - (Name the catcher)
New York Yankees 103-51 8 GB (Name the Rookie of the Year pitcher)
Chicago White Sox 94-60 17 GB (This 37 year old veteran won 19 games)
Boston Red Sox 69-85 42 GB (Who played centerfield?)
Detroit Tigers 68-86 43 GB (Name the shortstop)
Washington Senators 66-88 45 GB (Who played first?}
Baltimore Orioles 54-100 57 GB (This future Yankee led the AL in strikeouts)
Philadelphia Athletics 51-103 60 GB ( Name one starting player)
Despite winning 103 games, more than any of their previous pennant winning teams, the Yanks relinquished the crown. The Indians broke the record with 111 wins. A veteran pitching staff featuring Early Wynn, Mike Garcia, Bob Lemon and Bob Feller joined hitters 3B Al Rosen, 2B Bobby Avila and OF Larry Doby to form this dominant roster. Larry Doby led the AL in HRs, 32, and RBIs 126. 2B Bobby Avila hit .341 just .4 points behind batting champ Ted Williams. There was not much the Yanks could do against a 111 win team. They added Rookie of the Year Bob Grim’s 20 win season to their pitching arsenal of Ford, Allie Reynolds and Ed Lopat. They were supported by 35-Year-old Johnny Sain who made a comeback as a reliever with 22 saves. Berra won another MVP award batting .307, 22 HRs, 125RBIs. Mantle led the club with 27 HRs.
1959 NL
LA Falls In Love With the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers 88-68 - (This young #5 starter won eight games)
Milwaukee Braves 86-70 1 GB ( Name the two pitchers who won 21 games)
San Francisco Giants 83-71 4 GB (Name their Rookie of the Year)
Pittsburgh Pirates 78-76 9 GB (This 1B hit 27 home runs)
Chicago Cubs 74-80 13 GB (21 year old future HOF was a late season call up)
Cincinnati Reds 74-80 13 GB (This young centerfielder had a breakout season)
St Louis Cardinals 71-83 16 GB (This 3B carried the offense)
Philadelphia Phillies 64-90 23 GB (Name the manager)
It did not take long for the Dodgers to right the ship after a dismal 1958 first season in LA.. But what a dramatic way to do it. The Giants were up by two games over the Dodgers and the defending NL champion Braves with eight games left on the schedule. The Dodgers went to SF Seals Stadium on September 18 and knocked off the Giants three straight, sending the Giants into third place. The Braves kept pace to tie, which set up a three game playoff to determine the pennant winner. The Dodgers won in two. Braves fans grieved a controversial September 15 loss to the Dodgers on a disputed call. The Braves Joe Adcock hit a ball over the left field screen in the LA Memorial Coliseum that got stuck in a steel girder. The umpires called it a ground-rule double, but after some fans shook the screen, the ball landed over the fence, and the call was changed to a homerun. After consultation, the call was reversed back to the double, which kept Adcock from scoring and forced the game into extra innings in which the Dodgers prevailed. The controversial call contributed to the season-ending tie.
1959 AL
The Go-Go Sox
Chicago White Sox 94-60 - ( Name the catcher)
Cleveland Indians 89-64 5 GB ( This glamour boy OF hit 42 homeruns)
New York Yankees 79-75 15 GB ( Name the second baseman)
Detroit Tigers 76-78 18 GB (He led the AL in batting average)
Boston Red Sox 75-79 19 GB (Name the former MVP right fielder)
Baltimore Orioles 74-80 20 GB (Name their power hitting catcher)
Kansas City A”s 66-88 28 GB (This future all star was traded to the Yankees)
Washington Senators 63-91 33 ( Who was the AL Rookie of the Year?)
The pesky White Sox, who since 1951 had shown flashes of greatness, finally sustained it for an entire season. With Al Lopez at the helm, Luis Aparicio at shortstop and Nellie Fox at second, the “Go-Go Sox speed and defensive capabilities allowed them to take over first place on July 28 and hold on the rest of the season. The Yankees never were in serious contention. The Indians hung around for most of the season, but the race was over when they suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of the White Sox August 28 – 30. It was the old man, 39-year-old ex-Indian pitcher Early Wynn, that made the difference for the Sox. For years, they had the speed and defense, but came up one pitcher short from being a serious challenger. Wynn changed that by winning 22 games and was the recipient of the Cy Young Award.
Next Week: The Most Exciting World Series of the Fifties