Be forewarned, this will be long and if you're not careful, something could be learned
Billy Crystal made his movie, 61*, because of his love for The Yankees, Mickey Mantle, and Roger Maris' difficulties in breaking Babe Ruth's home run record.
If given the resources, 1951, would be the year for me . Most sports fans know 1951 from Russ Hodges screaming of, "The Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant!"
Radio was still king in 1951. But, the television boon was in its genesis. In 1948, 400,000 people owned televisions. By 1950, 10 million people owned televisions. In 1951 baseball was the first 'show' that went 'live' coast to coast. Even as late as 1955, Ed Sullivan's 'Toast of the Town', a prelude to the 'Ed Sullivan Show', was live on the east coast and then the tape was flown to the west coast for a showing the next day.
In 1951, color television was introduced. Only the rich, and those that would steal from the rich, could watch.
'I Love Lucy' premiered, as did the CBS 'Eye'. Edward R. Murrow had high ratings when showing a split screen of the Golden Gate Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge, exclaiming that this was the first time Americans could see our two oceans simultaneously.
World War II had been over for six years, but it wasn't made official until 1951. The Korean War was being fought. Outside of Las Vegas, a one kiloton bomb was dropped in America's preparation for the nuclear age.
Baseball was the sport of the day. Including the professional Negro Leagues there were 36 professional teams. More than football, basketball, and hockey combined. Kids everywhere were playing some form of baseball. Kick ball, wall ball, stoop ball, stickball, wiffle ball, softball, work-ups, 500, even just having a catch.
No World Series was needed in 1951. It became a postscript that the Yankees beat the Giants in six games. What led up to the World Series was the real story.
The Giants and Dodgers rivalry goes back to the two teams sharing the same league, and more important, the same city.
By 1951, the hatred the players had for each other was real, not media driven. The seed for the 1951 pennant race was sewn the year before. Dodgers Manager, Leo Durocher, had worn thin with Dodger management. Suspended for gambling, fighting, and more importantly, not winning. This had led to rumors about a subsequent firing. Meanwhile, the Giants were being managed by Hall of Famer Mel Ott. Ott's teams for the last seven years had not come close to a pennant. He was thought by all to be a nice guy. In fact, when Durocher once talked of Ott, he said, "Where would you find a nicer guy than Mel Ott? And where is he? I'll tell you where, last place!"
From this comment, writers spawned, "Nice guys finish last!"
Hearing that Durocher may be dismissed, and with their own team failing under Ott, the Giants made headlines by 'stealing away' Durocher. The rivalry was now at an all time high as many Dodger players had already grown to hate Durocher as a manager and human being.
Under Durocher, the Giants floundered during the beginning of the season. Durocher was on the phone to Horace Stoneham everyday, imploring him to bring up Willie Mays from Minneapolis, their AAA farm club. Stoneham thought that Mays needed more seasoning and did not want fans to look on him as the 'saviour' when he did arrive. He told Durocher that the club would have to be near .500 before Mays would get the call. In May the Giants won 11 of 14 games and stood two games below .500, Durocher was granted his wish, and Mays was brought up to the Big Club.
Mays roomed with Monte Irvin, another negro player who was near the end of his career and still one of the Giants best hitters. Irvin was so thoughtful of his teammates that he changed his name. In signing team baseballs, a popular item of the time, Irvin noticed that the y in Monty obstructed teammate signatures. He changed his name to Monte.
In a lot of ways, Mays helped the Giants, but they were still thought of as a mediocre club and not much of a threat to the mighty Dodgers.
The crux of the pennant race happened in August. The Dodgers had just swept the Giants in a three game series. The locker rooms at Ebbets Field only had thin partitions and doors seperating the two teams. The Dodgers were really giving the Giants the business, yelling how the Giants were dead and how happy they were that they had gotten rid of that 'loser' Durocher. Then a quiet, and the sound of a bat rattling on Durochers door. Jackie Robinson had had a loud verbal altercation with Durocher while Durocher was with the Dodgers and seethed upon even hearing his name.
Robinson rattled the door more, stopped, and called Durocher every name in the book. Robinson had no way of knowing that Durocher was in the shower. Bill Rigney, Alvin Dark, and Eddie Stanky, all future managers and players for the Giants went to the door. Stanky opened the door and screamed, "Stick that bat down your throat, you black nig*** sombitch!" A silence as Monte Irvin entered the room. The five seconds that went by seemed like minutes. Irvin finally said, "Sounds good to me, Eddie!"
The Giants were now 12 1/2 games out of first place. 13 1/2 the next day.
Fans quit showing up at the Polo Grounds. There was already talk of next year.
But then the Giants started winning and didn't stop. At least for the rest of August. They finished off August with a 16 game winning streak. Still the Dodgers played well too and on September 11 newspapers touted that the Dodgers magic number was 11. The Giants never quit streaking though, taking 20 of 25 games in September, while the Dodgers finally slumped.
Going into the last game of ther season, the Giants had caught the Dodgers and were tied for the pennant. The Giants won their game and for the first time all year, on the final day of the season, had a lead on the Dodgers. They listened to the radio to see what happened to the Dodgers. The Dodgers ended up winning in 14 innings on a Jackie Robinson home run.
A three game playoff was set. New York was abuzz. There was something for everybody. The Dodgers playing the Giants for the rights to play the Yankees. New York nirvana.
The first game was won by the Giants 3-1. Ralph Branca started the game for the Dodgers. Willie Mays went 0-3 and struck out twice against Branca. He mentioned after the game that he had hated facing him.
Game two was won by the Dodgers 10-0. By now televisions were being bought not as luxuries, but as 'have to haves'. Especially in New York. History was being made and nobody wanted to miss it.
Some employers answered the phone, "And what are you sick with today?"
Being that it was the genesis of tv and broadcasting, there were no allowances being made for the Giants or Dodgers. Whoever won the playoff, would have to face the Yankees the next day.
In the deciding game, the Giants and Dodgers were knotted at one run. In the eighth inning, the Dogers scored three runs and the Giants went down quickly in the bottom of the inning.
With Don Newcombe pitching, some Dodgers were seen laughing and looking as if they had the game in hand on the Dodger bench.
The Dodgers went one two three.
In the bottom of the ninth, Alvin Dark, the two hitter in the lineup, led off with a single. Unbelievably, with a three run lead, Gil Hodges held Dark at first base. Don Muellar, a lefty pull hitter, hit the ball wide of first and into right field for a single. A probable double play had Hodges not been holding Dark. Monte Irvin then popped up. One out. In the Polo Grounds press box, instructions were being announced to the media on how to get credentials for the Dodger-Yankee World Series.
Whitey Lockman was the next batter and he doubled down in the left field corner. The corner in left field was short so Muellar had to hustle to make it to third base. He tore a tendon and collapsed on third base. He was carried off the field on a stretcher. Clint Hartung ran for Muellar. No strategy was involved here. Durocher later said that he had been chirping at Newcombe pretty good and that he wanted the biggest guy available off the bench in case Newcombe came after him.
With the score 4-2 and runners on second and third, Charlie Dressen, the Dodgers Manager came out to the mound. Newcombe had thrown 32 innings over the last eight days and was spent. The Dodgers had three pitchers warming up, Dressen chose Branca.
Bobby Thomson had hit a home run off Branca in game one of the playoffs and there was a thought that in Durochers mind that even though Thomson was the winning run that they may walk him to get to the younger Mays.
The first pitch was a low fastball, just what Thomson craved. He let it go. He later said that the ball was a blur, not from the speed, but because he was so nervous his eyes were vibrating.
The next pitch was high and inside, Thomson stepped in the bucket and smashed it. The ball quickly made its way to the left field bleachers.
Ernie Harwell doing the game for radio said, "It was the biggest crowd noise I ever heard, a complete eruption, like the sky being pulled apart!"
In my mind, with the playoff system, there will never be another pennant race to match this one.
It's just as well, it would be tough to top as is.
A few more bits and pieces-
Willie Mays was in the on deck circle in both that game and the final game of the World Series.
The Giants had five future Managers on their roster.
Although Bobby Thomson has only become known for his 'shot heard round the world', he did have 32 homers that year.
[ April 26, 2010, 12:42 PM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]
