Most Exciting World Series of the 50s
Five World Series Went 7 Games
All five World Series that went the distance in the 1950s had one thing in common - the New York Yankees
Jackie beats Yogi Berra’s tag and steals home, Game 1, 1955 World Series
1952 New York Yankees (AL) 4 Games    Brooklyn Dodgers (NL)  3 Games
Dodger fans were ecstatic, leading the Series three games to two and the Series moving to Ebbets Field, but alas, Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi and Mickey Mantle were too much in the final two games. Mantle, recently released from the hospital, hit an 8th inning home run to seal Game 6, 3-2. In the final game, Mantle hit a home run and had a key RBI single in their 4-2 victory to squash the Dodger fans hopes.
The Dodger’s Duke Snider hit 4 HRs with 8 RBIs, but it was not enough as the Dodgers extended their World Series failures. It was the fourth consecutive championship for the Yanks.
1955   Brooklyn Dodgers (NL)  4 Games    New York  Yankees (AL)  3
A World Series that will never be forgotten by Brooklyn natives. After four cracks at the Yanks in the past six years, victory was achieved. Since their very beginning, the team from Brooklyn had never won a World Series. Down two games to none, the Series moved to Brooklyn where the Dodgers swept all three. Back at Yankee Stadium for Game 6, Ford shut down the Dodgers 6-1 to set the stage for Game 7. Neither team had their ace pitcher available for the seventh game. Instead, it was the Dodger’s Johnny Podres versus the Yank’s Tommy Byne.   With the help of a memorable Sandy Amoros catch, Podres did the seemingly impossible shutting out the evil Yanks to post a 2-0 victory and send the Brooklyn Burrough into delirium.
1956 New York Yankees (AL) 4 Games    Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) 3 Games
While all the hype of this Series was about Don Larsen’s Perfect Game in Game 5, it is sometimes forgotten what a great Series it was. Not to downplay Larsen’s masterpiece, the only perfect game in World Series history, but the excitement did not stop there. Game 5 put the Yanks in control 3 games to 2, but in Game 6, Jackie Robinson hit a walk-off base hit off of Bob Turley in the 10th inning to even the series. In the 7th Game, young Johnny Kucks went up against the MVP and Cy Young winner Don Newcombe. The 22-year-old Kucks threw a 3-hit shutout and the Yank’s bats exploded to win 9-0 . It was sweet revenge for the Yankees following the Dodgers celebration victory in 1955.
1957 Milwaukee (NL)  4 Games   New York Yankees (AL) 3 Games
Pitcher Lew Burdette joined baseball immortality by beating the Yankees in three games and posting an earned run average of .087 in 27 innings. Lew started Game 2, going the distance in a 4-2 victory. He came back in Game 5 shutting out the Yanks 1-0. He was so overpowering that manager Fred Haney decided to run him out for Game 7 against Perfect Game Don Larsen, despite only a three-day rest. No problem, Lew shut them out again 5-0, and the Braves took the championship. Aaron batted .393 with 3 HRs and 7 RBIs. The Yankee powerhouse went limp and Milwaukee fans rejoiced.
1958 New York Yankees (AL) 4 Games   Milwaukee Braves ( NL) 3 Games
The Yankees got revenge for being upset by the Braves in 1957. Â The Yanks became the first team to come back from a 3-1 game deficit to win a Series. Again, it went the full seven games, and just like last year, Lew Burdette took the mound in Game 7 against Don Larsen. However, the Burdette magic disappeared with 2 outs and the bases empty in the 8th, and the score tied 2-2. The Yankees erupted for four runs and Bob Turley came in and shut the Braves down to finish the Series.
The Yankees Hank Bauer hit 4 home runs and Mantle hit 2. Turley won two games and Ryne Duran was sensational out of the bullpen. It would be Casey Stengel’s last championship.
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