By Woodrow Carroll
Major League Baseball’s first World Series in 1903 was between Boston and Pittsburgh in a best-of-nine series won by Boston, five games to three With a lack of interest, there was no meeting between the best teams in the American and National Leagues in 1904. Starting in 1905, the two leagues’ best teams bumped heads annually in what came to be known as the World Series.
Of course, we must inject a caveat. In 1994 a lack of contract knocked out the World Series. This year’s Fall Classic, if played because of COVID-19, figures to take on a different look.
The 1950 World Series matched the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies. More than one story surrounding the series describes it as swiftly-completed and with good reason!
The Yankees’ presence in the 1950 World Series was no shock. It was the second of five consecutive World Series championships reeled in by the Yankees, 1949-1953. The Phillies’ story was different!
Starting with the Boston Braves in 1948 followed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949, the Phillies in 1950 and New York Giants in 1951, four National League teams reached postseason play. The National League pennant race was usually up for grabs.
Managed by Eddie Sawyer, the 1950 Phillies led by 7.5 September 20, but, the lead was down to one game on the final day of the regular season.
Playing at Brooklyn and knowing a Dodgers’ victory would force a playoff game, the Phillies stiffened. A 10th-inning three-run home run by the Phillies’ Dick Sisler made the difference in a 4-1 Philadelphia victory.
Fastest World Series ever? Consider these elements of the 1950 World Series. The Yankees won in a four-game sweep, October 4-7. There was no travel day off! Two games were in Philadelphia (Shibe Park) then two in New York (Yankee Stadium). The final scores were 1-0; 2-1 in 10 innings, 3-2 and 5-2, all in the Yankees’ favor. The Yankees mustered only 11 runs in 37 innings, however, the Phillie scored just five runs.
Game two, in 10 innings, ran three hours, five minutes.. The other three games were well under three hours.
Springfield, Ill. product Robin Roberts was the ace of the Phillies’ pitching staff. By the start of the Series, Roberts had become overworked, so in a surprise move, Phillies’ manager Sawyer started relief pitcher Jim Konstanty in game one. Konstanty earned National League MVP honors for his 16 victories and 22 saves. He did his part, however, His teammates did not. The Yankees won, 1-0.
Roberts, later a Hall-of-Fame inductee, started game two and lost 2-1 in 10 innings on a home run by another future Hall-of-Famer, Joe DiMaggio.
The Phillies led 2-1 after seven innings of game three only to see the Yankees score in each of the final two innings to win, 3-2.
The only real break for the Phillies came too late in game four. Trailing 5-0, the Phillies scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning on a Yankees’ error. Yankees’ manager Casey Stengel called on Allie Reynolds in relief who struck out Phillies’ pinch-hitter Stan Lopata for the Yankee sweep.
Expectations among Phillies’ fans were high in the seasons following the 1950 World Series, however, it was not until 1980 when Philadelphia faced the Kansas City Royals, that the Phillies returned to the World Series. The Phillies defeated the Royals, four games to two.