Cleveland, Not Boston: Part 3
How did Newcombe do in Game 3? Quite well, thank you. The burly right hander pitched 8 2/3 innings and handed a two-run lead with two men on base to Ralph Branca. Then Bobby Thomson hit the most dramatic home run in baseball history and it was New York against New York for the World Championship.
Is it better to go into the World Series after winning the pennant the way the Giants did or is it better to go in rested? In this case, it seemed that going in after having just won the most dramatic game ever was better.
The Giants' little lefty, Dave Koslo, beat the Yankees' Super Chief, Allie Reynolds in the first game at Yankee Stadium but Steady Eddie Lopat slowed down the Giants in Game 2, holding the Giants to a single run in beating Larry Jansen.
It was different in 1951. The Giants won the pennant on October 3 and the World Series opened on October 4. There were no days off for travel so managers couldn't give their best pitcher an extra day of rest and in those days, teams used four starters who usually worked with three days of rest.
With the Series tied at one game each, the teams moved across the river to the Polo Grounds where the Giants' Jim Hearn faced the Yankees' Vic Raschi. The Giants came to bat in the fifth inning, leading 1-0 when one of the most famous of plays occurred.
Eddie Stanky was on first with one out and Alvin Dark at the plate when Stanky took off for second, but the Yankees pitched out. Dark, who hit right handed, was one of the greatest hit and run batters in the game so shortstop Phil Rizzuto moved to cover second. Yogi Berra threw a strike to second, Stanky was called out, only Stanky kicked the ball out of Rizzuto's glove and was safe. The Giants went on to score five runs and beat the Yankees, 6-2. Rizzuto never forgave Stanky.
The Giants had the momentum and seemed to have taken charge when it rained on October 7. The day off allowed the Yankees to come back with Allie Reynolds for Game 4 instead of starting rookie Tom Morgan. Reynolds beat Sal Maglie, by the same 6-2 score by which Hearn had beaten Raschi and the next day, the Yankees exploded for thirteen runs, including Joe DiMaggio's last home
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