1950 World Series
Encyclopedia
The 1950 World Series was the 47th World Series
between the American
and National League
s for the championship of Major League Baseball
. The Philadelphia Phillies
as 1950 champions of the National League and the New York Yankees
, as 1950 American League champions, competed to win a best-of-seven game series.
The Series began on Wednesday, October 4, and concluded Saturday, October 7. The Phillies had home field advantage for the Series, meaning no more than three games would be played at the Yankees' home ballpark, Yankee Stadium. The Yankees won their 13th championship in their 48-year history, taking the Series four games to zero. The final game in the Series resulted in the New York Yankees winning, 5–2 over Philadelphia. It was the only game in the Series decided by more than one run. This was the last all-white World Series as neither club had integrated in 1950.
The same teams would again meet in the 2009 World Series
, and in that year the Yankees would once again win the MLB
championship.
pennant in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season to garner their second pennant—their first in 35 years. But writing in the New York Times on October 3, 1950, John Drebinger picked the Yankees to win the Series in five games: "The Stengelers simply have too much over-all pitching. They have the long range power. They rare defensive skill, and they have the poise and experience gained through the past four years which brought them two world championships and three pennants." Odds makers made the Yankees 2–5 favorites to win the Series.
Curt Simmons
, a 17-game winner for the Phillies in 1950, had been called to military duty in September and was unavailable for this Series. Simmons was stationed at Camp Atterbury
and requested and was granted a leave on October 4 to attend the Series. The Phillies chose not to request that Commissioner Chandler
rule Simmons eligible for the Series but Simmons chose to attend to support the team. Simmons' place on the Series roster was taken by pitcher Jocko Thompson
. Phillies ace Robin Roberts didn't start Game 1 because he had had three starts in five days including the pennant winner on the final day of the regular season—played October 1, 1950 (three days before Game 1).
Because his #1 starter, Robin Roberts, had just pitched in three of the last five games of the frantic 1950 pennant race, Phils manager Eddie Sawyer surprised the world by naming his bullpen ace, Jim Konstanty
, to open on the mound for Philadelphia, opposing 21-game winner Vic Raschi
of the Yankees. Konstanty was outstanding, allowing just four hits and a run in eight innings, but Raschi was tougher, shutting out the Phils on only two hits en route to a 1–0 victory in the opener.
Thursday, October 5, 1950 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
20-game winner Robin Roberts and Allie Reynolds
both pitched outstanding baseball for nine innings, as strong pitching and stout defense again prevailed in the Series. Gene Woodling
drove in Jerry Coleman
for a Yankee run in the second, and Richie Ashburn
tallied Mike Goliat
in the fifth, forcing a 1–1 tie which held up through nine full innings. This set the stage for Joe DiMaggio
, leading off the tenth inning for the Yankees. With one swing, DiMaggio smashed a home run to left field to provide the difference in a 2–1 extra-inning win for the Yankees as the Series shifted to New York.
DiMaggio had a hand in holding the Phillies at bay long enough to get his key at-bat. Leading off the sixth inning, Del Ennis
hit a deep fly to center, but DiMaggio made a spectacular over-the-shoulder running catch, near the 400 feet (121.9 m) marker at the base of the scoreboard in right-center. This play is far less well-known but was similar-looking to the famous Willie Mays catch in the 1954 World Series
. DiMaggio made this play on the road, although in a ballpark which he played in during the regular season (Shibe Park was also the home of the Philadelphia A's). Because there was nobody on when the ball was hit, he was not in a hurry to get the ball back to the infield (but Mays' famous 1954 catch came with two runners on base and nobody out).
Phils lefty Ken Heintzelman
started the third game against Yankee stalwart Eddie Lopat
. Heintzelman continued the Phils' great pitching, carrying a 2–1 lead into the eighth inning, when he lost control and walked the bases loaded. Konstanty relieved him and got Bobby Brown
to ground to shortstop Granny Hamner
, but Hamner misplayed the ball to allow the tying run to score. Russ Meyer came on for the Phillies in the last of the ninth. After retiring the first two batters, Meyer allowed consecutive singles to set the stage for Jerry Coleman
, who drove in the winning run with a base hit to give the Yankees a 3–2 win.
In attendance at the game was Grover Cleveland Alexander
, who had led the Phillies to their previous pennant in 1915. It was his first World Series game in twenty years. Ill from the effects of long term alcohol abuse, Alexander was generally ignored. He would be dead less than a month later on November 4, 1950 at age 63.
Phillies starter Bob Miller matched up against rookie Whitey Ford
, making his first World Series
appearance, as the Yankees tried to wrap up the Series in four straight. New York scored two runs in the first inning, and with the help of Yogi Berra
's homer, three more in the sixth to take a commanding 5–0 lead. With a 5–0 shutout, the first two Phils reached base in the ninth, before Ford got the next two out. Andy Seminick
then flied to left, but left fielder Gene Woodling
dropped what looked like the Series-ending out, allowing two runs to score. Mike Goliat kept the inning going with a hit, and Stengel removed Ford to bring in Allie Reynolds
. Reynolds struck out pinch-hitter Stan Lopata
, giving the Yanks a 5–2 win and the World Series victory.
(A.L.) over Philadelphia Phillies
(N.L.)
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
between the American
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
s for the championship of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. The Philadelphia Phillies
1950 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies won the National League pennant by two games over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Nicknamed the "Whiz Kids" because of the youth of their roster, they went on to lose the World Series to the New York Yankees in four straight games....
as 1950 champions of the National League and the New York Yankees
1950 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 48th season for the team in New York and its 50th overall as a franchise. The team finished with a record of 98-56, winning their 17th pennant, finishing 3 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers. In the World Series, they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in 4...
, as 1950 American League champions, competed to win a best-of-seven game series.
The Series began on Wednesday, October 4, and concluded Saturday, October 7. The Phillies had home field advantage for the Series, meaning no more than three games would be played at the Yankees' home ballpark, Yankee Stadium. The Yankees won their 13th championship in their 48-year history, taking the Series four games to zero. The final game in the Series resulted in the New York Yankees winning, 5–2 over Philadelphia. It was the only game in the Series decided by more than one run. This was the last all-white World Series as neither club had integrated in 1950.
The same teams would again meet in the 2009 World Series
2009 World Series
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
, and in that year the Yankees would once again win the MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
championship.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies, a particularly young team which came to be known as the "Whiz Kids", had won the National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennant in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season to garner their second pennant—their first in 35 years. But writing in the New York Times on October 3, 1950, John Drebinger picked the Yankees to win the Series in five games: "The Stengelers simply have too much over-all pitching. They have the long range power. They rare defensive skill, and they have the poise and experience gained through the past four years which brought them two world championships and three pennants." Odds makers made the Yankees 2–5 favorites to win the Series.
Curt Simmons
Curt Simmons
Curtis Thomas "Curt" Simmons is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1947–50 and 1952-67. With right-hander Robin Roberts, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Simmons was one of the twin anchors of the starting rotation of the "Whiz Kids", the Philadelphia Phillies' ...
, a 17-game winner for the Phillies in 1950, had been called to military duty in September and was unavailable for this Series. Simmons was stationed at Camp Atterbury
Camp Atterbury
Camp Atterbury, near Edinburgh, Indiana, USA, is a training base of the Indiana National Guard. It was planned just months before the U.S. entry into World War II. Originally surveyed and researched by the Hurd Company, the present site was recommended to Congress in 1941. Construction commenced...
and requested and was granted a leave on October 4 to attend the Series. The Phillies chose not to request that Commissioner Chandler
Happy Chandler
Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and...
rule Simmons eligible for the Series but Simmons chose to attend to support the team. Simmons' place on the Series roster was taken by pitcher Jocko Thompson
Jocko Thompson
John Samuel "Jocko" Thompson was a professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of four seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1951. He also served in the Army of the United States as a first lieutenant in the European theater during World War II...
. Phillies ace Robin Roberts didn't start Game 1 because he had had three starts in five days including the pennant winner on the final day of the regular season—played October 1, 1950 (three days before Game 1).
Summary
Game 1
Wednesday, October 4, 1950 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
Because his #1 starter, Robin Roberts, had just pitched in three of the last five games of the frantic 1950 pennant race, Phils manager Eddie Sawyer surprised the world by naming his bullpen ace, Jim Konstanty
Jim Konstanty
Casimir James "Jim" Konstanty was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball and National League Most Valuable Player of 1950. He played for the Cincinnati Reds , Boston Braves , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals...
, to open on the mound for Philadelphia, opposing 21-game winner Vic Raschi
Vic Raschi
Victor John Angelo "Vic" Raschi was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was responsible for allowing Hank Aaron's first career home run....
of the Yankees. Konstanty was outstanding, allowing just four hits and a run in eight innings, but Raschi was tougher, shutting out the Phils on only two hits en route to a 1–0 victory in the opener.
Game 2
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
20-game winner Robin Roberts and Allie Reynolds
Allie Reynolds
Allie Pierce Reynolds was a pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
both pitched outstanding baseball for nine innings, as strong pitching and stout defense again prevailed in the Series. Gene Woodling
Gene Woodling
Eugene Richard Woodling was a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , New York Yankees , Baltimore Orioles , Washington Senators , and the New York Mets in their expansion year of 1962...
drove in Jerry Coleman
Jerry Coleman
Gerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres...
for a Yankee run in the second, and Richie Ashburn
Richie Ashburn
Don Richard "Richie" Ashburn , also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" due to his light-blond hair, was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. He was born in Tilden, Nebraska...
tallied Mike Goliat
Mike Goliat
Mike Mitchell Goliat was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Browns . He batted and threw right-handed....
in the fifth, forcing a 1–1 tie which held up through nine full innings. This set the stage for Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, leading off the tenth inning for the Yankees. With one swing, DiMaggio smashed a home run to left field to provide the difference in a 2–1 extra-inning win for the Yankees as the Series shifted to New York.
DiMaggio had a hand in holding the Phillies at bay long enough to get his key at-bat. Leading off the sixth inning, Del Ennis
Del Ennis
Delmer Ennis was an American left and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Philadelphia Phillies. From 1949 to 1957, Ennis accumulated more runs batted in than anyone besides Stan Musial and was 8th in the National League in home runs...
hit a deep fly to center, but DiMaggio made a spectacular over-the-shoulder running catch, near the 400 feet (121.9 m) marker at the base of the scoreboard in right-center. This play is far less well-known but was similar-looking to the famous Willie Mays catch in the 1954 World Series
1954 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 , defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the...
. DiMaggio made this play on the road, although in a ballpark which he played in during the regular season (Shibe Park was also the home of the Philadelphia A's). Because there was nobody on when the ball was hit, he was not in a hurry to get the ball back to the infield (but Mays' famous 1954 catch came with two runners on base and nobody out).
Game 3
Friday, October 6, 1950 at Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New YorkPhils lefty Ken Heintzelman
Ken Heintzelman
Kenneth Alphonse Heintzelman was a professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of 13 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies ....
started the third game against Yankee stalwart Eddie Lopat
Eddie Lopat
Edmund Walter ""The Junkman"" Lopat was a Major League Baseball pitcher.Lopat was born in New York, New York. His Major League debut was on April 30, 1944, playing for the Chicago White Sox....
. Heintzelman continued the Phils' great pitching, carrying a 2–1 lead into the eighth inning, when he lost control and walked the bases loaded. Konstanty relieved him and got Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
to ground to shortstop Granny Hamner
Granny Hamner
Granville Wilbur Hamner was an American shortstop and second baseman in Major League Baseball. Hamner was one of the key players on the "Whiz Kids", the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies...
, but Hamner misplayed the ball to allow the tying run to score. Russ Meyer came on for the Phillies in the last of the ninth. After retiring the first two batters, Meyer allowed consecutive singles to set the stage for Jerry Coleman
Jerry Coleman
Gerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres...
, who drove in the winning run with a base hit to give the Yankees a 3–2 win.
In attendance at the game was Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander , nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938.-Career:Alexander was born in Elba, Nebraska, one of thirteen...
, who had led the Phillies to their previous pennant in 1915. It was his first World Series game in twenty years. Ill from the effects of long term alcohol abuse, Alexander was generally ignored. He would be dead less than a month later on November 4, 1950 at age 63.
Game 4
Saturday, October 7, 1950 at Yankee Stadium (I) in Bronx, New YorkPhillies starter Bob Miller matched up against rookie Whitey Ford
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...
, making his first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
appearance, as the Yankees tried to wrap up the Series in four straight. New York scored two runs in the first inning, and with the help of Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
's homer, three more in the sixth to take a commanding 5–0 lead. With a 5–0 shutout, the first two Phils reached base in the ninth, before Ford got the next two out. Andy Seminick
Andy Seminick
Andrew Wasal Seminick was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies between 1943 and 1951, and the Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs from 1952 through part of 1955, when he rejoined the Phillies for the rest of his career until...
then flied to left, but left fielder Gene Woodling
Gene Woodling
Eugene Richard Woodling was a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , New York Yankees , Baltimore Orioles , Washington Senators , and the New York Mets in their expansion year of 1962...
dropped what looked like the Series-ending out, allowing two runs to score. Mike Goliat kept the inning going with a hit, and Stengel removed Ford to bring in Allie Reynolds
Allie Reynolds
Allie Pierce Reynolds was a pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
. Reynolds struck out pinch-hitter Stan Lopata
Stan Lopata
Stanley Edward Lopata was an American professional baseball player. Lopata played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for parts of 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Braves...
, giving the Yanks a 5–2 win and the World Series victory.
Composite box
1950 World Series (4–0): New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(A.L.) over Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(N.L.)
Earned runs
- During the Series, the New York Yankees pitching rotation only allowed three (3) earned runs and finished the Fall Classic with a combined 0.73 ERA. The other pitching staffs with a combined World Series ERA less than 1.00:
| League | Team | ERA | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| N.L. | New York Giants 1905 New York Giants season The New York Giants won their second consecutive National League pennant. They beat the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series. This team featured three Hall of Fame players -- catcher Roger Bresnahan, and pitchers Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity -- along with Hall of Fame manager John... |
0.00 | |
| A.L. | Baltimore Orioles 1966 Baltimore Orioles season The Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing first in the American League with a record of 97 wins and 63 losses, nine games ahead of the runner-up Minnesota Twins. It was their first AL pennant since 1944, when the club was known as the St. Louis Browns. The Orioles swept the NL... |
0.50 | |
| N.L. | Chicago Cubs 1907 Chicago Cubs season The Chicago Cubs season was a season in American baseball. The team finished in first place in the National League with a record of 107-45, 17 games ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was their second straight NL pennant... |
0.75 | |
| A.L. | Cleveland Indians 1920 Cleveland Indians season The Cleveland Indians season was the 20th season in franchise history. The Indians won the American League pennant and proceeded to win their first World Series title in the history of the franchise. Pitchers Jim Bagby, Stan Coveleski and Ray Caldwell combined to win 75 games... |
0.89 |