1954 World Series

Infobox World Series Expanded


year = 1954
champion = New York Giants (4)
champion_manager = Leo Durocher
champion_games = 97-57, .630, GA: 5
runnerup = Cleveland Indians (0)
runnerup_manager = Al Lopez
runnerup_games = 111-43, .721, GA: 8
date = October 1–October 5
MVP =
television = NBC
announcers = Jack Brickhouse and Russ Hodges
radio_network = Mutual.
radio_announcers = Al Helfer and Jimmy Dudley.
umpires = Al Barlick (NL), Charlie Berry (AL), Jocko Conlan (NL), Johnny Stevens (AL), Lon Warneke (NL: outfield only), Larry Napp (AL: outfield only)
HOFers = Giants: Leo Durocher (mgr.), Monte Irvin, Willie Mays, Hoyt Wilhelm.
Indians: Al Lopez (mgr.), Larry Doby, Bob Lemon, Early Wynn.
ALCS =
NLCS =

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 4 games to win their first championship since 1933, defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the regular season. The Series is perhaps best-remembered for "The Catch", a sensational running catch made by Giants center fielder Willie Mays in Game 1, snaring a long drive by Vic Wertz near the outfield wall with his back to the infield. It is also remembered for utility player Dusty Rhodes' clutch hitting in three of the four games. Giants manager Leo Durocher won his only title among the three pennants he captured in his career. As of 2007, it remains the last World Series victory for the Giants.

This was the first time the Cleveland Indians had been swept in a World Series and the first time the New York Giants had swept an opponent without qualification. They had won four games without a loss in the 1922 World Series, but there was also one tied game.

Background

The Indians, by winning the American League pennant, kept the Yankees from winning their sixth straight series. The last time the Yankees had not won the series or pennant beforehand was 1948, when, again, the Indians kept them out (although that year, they won the Series). It was also the only World Series from 1949 to 1958 which did not feature the Yankees.

ummary

NL New York Giants (4) vs. AL Cleveland Indians (0)

Matchups

Game 1

Wednesday, September 29, 1954 at Polo Grounds (IV) in New York, New YorkLinescore
Road=Cleveland|RoadAbr=CLE
R1=2|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|R10=0|RR=2|RH=8|RE=0
Home=New York|HomeAbr=NYG
H1=0|H2=0|H3=2|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|H10=3|HR=5|HH=9|HE=3
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Marv Grissom (1-0)|LP=Bob Lemon (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=|HomeHR=Dusty Rhodes (1)|

Game 2

Thursday, September 30, 1954 at Polo Grounds (IV) in New York, New YorkLinescore
Road=Cleveland|RoadAbr=CLE
R1=1|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=1|RH=8|RE=0
Home=New York|HomeAbr=NYG
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=2|H6=0|H7=1|H8=0|H9=X|HR=3|HH=4|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Johnny Antonelli (1-0)|LP=Early Wynn (0-1)|SV=
RoadHR=Al Smith (1)|HomeHR=Dusty Rhodes (2)|

Game 3

Friday, October 1, 1954 at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, OhioLinescore
Road=New York|RoadAbr=NYG
R1=1|R2=0|R3=3|R4=0|R5=1|R6=1|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=6|RH=10|RE=1
Home=Cleveland|HomeAbr=CLE
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=1|H8=1|H9=0|HR=2|HH=4|HE=2
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Ruben Gomez (1-0)|LP=Mike Garcia (0-1)|SV=Hoyt Wilhelm (1)
RoadHR=|HomeHR=Vic Wertz (1)|

Game 4

Saturday, October 2, 1954 at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, OhioLinescore
Road=New York|RoadAbr=NYG
R1=0|R2=2|R3=1|R4=0|R5=4|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=7|RH=10|RE=3
Home=Cleveland|HomeAbr=CLE
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=3|H6=0|H7=1|H8=0|H9=0|HR=4|HH=6|HE=2
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Don Liddle (1-0)|LP=Bob Lemon (0-2)|SV=Johnny Antonelli (1)
RoadHR=|HomeHR=Hank Majeski (1)|

Composite Box

1954 World Series (4-0): New York Giants (N.L.) over Cleveland Indians (A.L.)Linescore
Road=New York Giants
R1=1|R2=2|R3=6|R4=0|R5=7|R6=1|R7=1|R8=0|R9=0|R10=3|RR=21|RH=33|RE=7
Home=Cleveland Indians
H1=3|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=3|H6=0|H7=2|H8=1|H9=0|H10=0|HR=9|HH=26|HE=4Total Attendance: 251,507 Average Attendance: 62,877Winning Player’s Share: – $11,148 Losing Player’s Share – $6,713cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/wsshares.shtml|title=World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares|accessdate=2008-05-07|publisher=Baseball Almanac] |

Quotes of the series

Records

* Hank Thompson set a World Series record for bases on balls received during a four-game series with seven and Bob Lemon set a World Series record for bases on balls given up during a four game Series with eight.

Notes

References

* Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. "The World Series." 1st ed. New York: St Martins, 1990. (Neft and Cohen 250-253)
*Reichler, Joseph, ed. (1982). "The Baseball Encyclopedia" (5th ed.), p. 2162. MacMillian Publishing. ISBN 0-02-579010-2.
*cite web |author=Forman, Sean L. |title=1954 World Series |date= |work=Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. |url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1954_WS.shtml |accessdate=2007-12-09
* "A Day in the Bleachers", by Arnold Hano (who later wrote Mays' biography). The author describes sitting in the left-center field bleachers at the Polo Grounds for Game 1. An entire chapter is devoted to The Catch.

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1954_WS.shtml 1954 World Series at Baseball-Reference.com]
* [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1954 1954 World Series at "WorldSeries.com (MLB.com)"]
* [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/yr1954ws.shtml 1954 World Series at Baseball-Almanac.com]
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/YPS_1954.htm 1954 World Series box scores and play-by-play at Retrosheet.org]
* [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/baseballs_best/mlb_bb_gamepage.jsp?story_page=bb_54ws_clenyg Baseball's Best: 1954 World Series "(MLB.com)"]
* [http://archive.sportingnews.com/baseball/25moments/9.html Kodak Presents - Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments, Willie Mays' Catch]