A World Series Revue

A cornucopia of legendary hits, catches, and even blunders

Olde-tyme baseball by C. Philip Francis – October 15, 2006

     Some players who would have been long forgotten became famous due to one particular catch or error or hit in what we now call The Fall Classic.  For example take the name of AL GIONFRIDDO because of his remarkable one-handed crucial catch of Joe DiMaggio’s 415-foot shot in Game 6 of the Yankees/Dodgers 1947 World Series.  Although the Dodgers won the game they did lose the Series.  Gionfriddo was a part-time outfielder for Pittsburgh and Brooklyn during his four-year major league career, and after the Series ended he never played in another major league game yet his name is still remembered by diehard baseball fans 50 years later.

     Hall of Famer WILLIE MAYS is considered one of the great players of baseball, and his capture of a long drive off the bat off Cleveland’s VIC WERTZ to deep center in the  Polo Grounds is called “The Catch”.  It was the 1954 World Series between the Cleveland Indians and New York Giants.  In the top of the eighth inning in Game 1 with the game tied at two runs each LARRY DOBY walked.  After AL ROSEN singled putting men on first and second with no out Giants manager LEO DUROCHER yanked starter BOB LEMON, and brought in DON LIDDLE to stop a possible big inning. 

     VIC WERTZ was the next batter up, and hit his first pitch to deep center field.  Mays was off at the crack of the bat, and ran as fast as he could with his back to the infield.  Willie was about 450 feet from home plate when he put his hands up, and the ball fell into the webbing of the glove.  Mays instinctively turned and threw the ball back to second base keeping anyone from scoring.  In the bottom of the tenth pinch-hitter DUSTY RHODES slapped out a three-run homer for a 5-2 win.  Mays’ catch had all but killed the favorite Indians as New York won the Series in consecutive four games.

     BILL WAMBSGANSS was a steady, slick-fielding second baseman for the Cleveland Indians from 1915 through 1923.  He would have been just another good ballplayer among many except for one of the rarest of defensive plays in the 1920 Indians/Dodgers World Series.  That year the Series was a best-of-nine, and Game 5 was played in Cleveland tied at two games each.  In the top of the fifth inning the Dodgers were down 7-0, but quickly put men on first and second with pitcher CLARENCE MITCHELL at bat.  With Wamby playing close to second Mitchell sent a slicing line drive towards center.  The second baseman leaped high to snare the ball, and fell down right on the bag doubling off PETE KILDUFF for the second out.  Wamby turned towards first to see Brooklyn catcher OTTO MILLER bearing down on him, and it was a simple task to tag the runner for the third out.  It is the only unassisted triple play in World Series history. 

     Wambsganss later managed one of the all-women baseball teams made famous in the movie “A League of Their Own”. 

     BILL BUCKNER was an outstanding hitter and fielder during his 22-year major league career, but he will always be best remembered for letting an easy ground ball trickle through his legs on October 25, 1986 allowing the New York Mets to win a come-from-behind World Series from the Boston Red Sox.  Going into Game 6 held at Shea Stadium, Boston was up three games to two.  At the end of the ninth inning it was tied at  three runs each, but in the top of the tenth Boston scored twice on a solo home run by DAVE HENDERSON and WADE BOGGS’s double followed by a single by MARTY BARRETT.  It was now 5-3 for the Red Sox. 

     As the bottom of the tenth began the champagne was brought out in the Boston’s clubhouse to celebrate their first Championship in 68 years.  Pitcher CALVIN SCHIRALDI set down the first two batters, and was one strike away from the World Series.   After GARY CARTER’s hit to left KEVIN MITCHELL was sent in to pinch-hit, and quickly banged out another single.  RAY KNIGHT followed with a one-base hit scoring Carter and sending Mitchell to third. 

     Red Sox manager JOHN MCNAMARA brought in reliever BOB STANLEY to face MOOKIE WILSON.  With a count of 2-and-2 Mookie fouled off two good pitches before a wild pitch got past catcher RICK GEDMAN and rolled back to the screen allowing  Mitchell to score to tie the game at 5-all.  On his tenth pitch at-bat Wilson sent an easy ground ball straight at first baseman Buckner who only needed to pick it up and touch first for a World Series Championship.  But wait!  Somehow the ball trinkled through Buckner’s legs for an error letting Knight giving the Mets a 6-5 victory, and tie the Series at three games each.

     Two nights later the Mets scored eight runs in the final three innings to down the Sox 8-5 and won their second World Championship in 25 years of major league baseball.   

     It has been called “The Error of the Century”, but in retrospect Buckner was hurting because of his bad ankles.  During the season he had often been replaced during the last innings as a defensive measure, and later manager McNamara was often criticized for leaving Buckner on the field in the late innings.

     More than once the World Series has been the time for the manager to use his intuition, a hunch that he tells himself that this might be the time to do the exceptional.  In the opening game of the 1929 World Series with the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia A’s, the A’s manager CONNIE MACK shocked everyone by sending over-the-hill 35-year old HOWARD EHMKE to the mound.  His record was only 7 and 2 that season yet was chosen over LEFTY GROVE and GEORGE EARNSHAW who each had over 20 games that year.      

     The right-hander struck out 13 Cubs breaking a Series strike-out record held since 1906.  The A’s took the Series in five games, Ehmke never won another game, and was soon out of baseball.    

     On July 4, 1914 the Boston Braves were in last place with a record of 26 wins and 40 losses.  Then they won 68 games while losing only 19, and when the season ended the “Miracle Braves” were 10 and 1/2 games in front of the stunned New York Giants.  In spite of their amazing jump from last to first the Braves were the underdogs in the Series with the Philadelphia A’s, but took the World Series in the first ever 4-game sweep..    

     Chatter from the Dugout welcomes all comments and questions, and may be reached at:  [email protected]