KOD30 Champions - 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers

Next Year Comes to Brooklyn:

Game 5 - "Bumbs Keystone Combo topples Mighty Quinn"

GAME 5

Loes vs Quinn

Dodgers 9, A’s 4

With their backs firmly pressed against the wall down 3-1 in the series the A’s put the ball in the hands of undefeated (8-0) Jack Quinn.  Brooklyn on the other hand went back to game 1 starter Billy Loes, a man known more for his quips (“Don’t win 20 games or management will expect you to keep doing it), than for his fastball.  Loes, who was the “sacrificial lamb” in Brooklyn’s strategy in game 1 vs Lefty Grove was out to prove that he could carry the load.  The Queens native, wanted nothing more than to win the big one 5 miles from his home.  One thing he could count on would be the fans.  Ebetts was at capacity.  Ole Whalebelly was busy counting the receipts and barely had time to get into the owner’s box for the opening pitch.

The A’s nicked Loes for solo runs in the 2^nd, 3^rd and 5^th innings as the “unbeatable” Quinn looked just that…unbeatable.  Philly drew first blood when Joe Hauser hit his 17^th homer in the top of the 2^nd.  Ty Cobb singled home Joe Boley in the 3^rd to make it 2-0.  In the top of the Max Bishop ripped a triple down the left field line and scored on a Cobb grounder to make it 3-0.  Fans in the little ballpark in Crown Heights got real quiet.  In fact you could hear only the horns of the trucks passing by and the radios blasting on the nearby stoops on Bedford Ave and as far south as Empire Blvd.

Sometimes it has to get dark, before the light can shine through and that light came in the form of a 5^th inning lead off single off the bat of the “Quiet Man” Gil Hodges, a man so beloved in Brooklyn he was never booed in Ebbets Field.  A man so beloved that when he was in the midst of a horrific slump in the ’52 World Series, the Borough of churches actually prayed for him.  Gil, with his divine intervention (ask Met fans years later about that) would score immediately as Furillo doubled off the scoreboard in right.  Billy Cox walked, but was forced at 2^nd by a Loes ground out.  Up stepped touted rookie Jim “Junior” Gilliam, who cleared the bases with a triple down the first base line to tie the game at 3-3.  For good measure, the Captain, Pee Wee Reese would single home his keystone combo partner (Gilliam) to put Brooklyn ahead 4-3.  Just like that, Quinn went from unbeatable to unbelievable.  By the top of the 6^th reliever Ossie Orwoll was on the mound replacing Mr. Quinn.

Brooklyn increased its lead to 5-3 in the 7^th when Duke Snider tripled with one out and 1953 MVP Roy Campanella, known affectionately to his mates as Campy, singled him home with 2 outs.  Jim Clouser’s A’s did not travel 90 miles to roll over and die.  The aged, but not old Cobb…who was in his final season,  stroked a lead off triple to greet Loes’ replacement, Bob Milliken, who subsequently hit the backstop with a wild pitch that allowed the Georgia Peach to score and once again make it a one run game.

With tensions mounting and dem Bums holding on tightly to a 1 run lead that in years past would  Skooonj led off the 8^th with a single through the hole, then move to 2^nd on Cox’ slow roller to 2^nd.  Pinch hitter Wayne Belardi walked on 4 pitches and so did Junior Gilliam.  This set the stage for “The Little Colonel”, Pee Wee Reese, the longest serving Dodger to etch his mark on this wonderful post season run by the team that he has led for so long.  With the bases loaded and the count at 2-2 Reese pulled the ball sharply past the drawn in A’s infield.  When the dust finally settled Reese was standing on third with a grin and 3 Brooks were smiling near home plate.  The Crown Heights section of Brooklyn was louder than the patrons a Junior’s fighting over the last cheesecake on a Saturday night.  2 batters later, when Jackie singled home Pee Wee, the roar of the crowd was so loud you couldn’t even hear the crack of the bat.  These fans, who had suffered and endured so much knew that “Next Year” had finally arrived. 

evaporate like spit in the August air in the Arizona desert, this Boys of Summer team would once again open up the fire hose.

With a 5 run lead, heading into the 9^th no one was sitting in their assigned seats.  It wasn’t a matter of nerves at this point, it was a matter of anticipation.  With relief stalwart Clem Labine on the mound the A’s went down in order as pandemonium broke out at Ebbets Field.  There was “Bedlam on Bedford Ave”.  At Two Thirty PM in the Borough of Churches the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers were crowned King of Diamonds World Champions.  Parade is scheduled for noon time tomorrow on Flatbush Ave and Atlantic Ave.

Congratulations to the “Boys of Summer” for being one of those teams that even a manager like myself couldn’t mess up.  Time and time again they would comeback and do the unthinkable.  Special thanks and congratulations to AL Pennant winner Jim Clouser (28 A’s).  Jim managed his tail off with a team that blended in aging future HOF’ers and up and coming future HOF’ers.  Jim was a great opponent and I thank him for being so flexible with his schedule to work around my crazy schedule.

1953 Brooklyn Dodgers Win Series 4-1

Game 4 - "Roe, Roe, Roe your boat"

GAME 4

Grove vs Roe

Dodgers 4, A’s 0

The little ballpark on Bedford and McKeever had another 35,000 SRO crowd for a 59 degree windy night in the Borough of Churches.  Hilda Chester and Happy Felton both arrived early to see the battle of lefties.  In one corner stood the future HOF’er Lefty Grove representing the City of Brotherly Love.  In the other corner was the crafty lefty from Ash Craft Arkansas, Preacher Roe.  Now on paper Ole’ Preach was not match for the fireballer from Lonaconing, MD, but these games of ball are played on grass covered diamonds with dirt that resembles red clay and not on 8 ½ “ x 11” paper.  Grove, who was working on 3 days rest pitched in 39 games in 1928, with 8 of them in relief.  Getting the ball whenever Mr. Mack needed him to go was a badge of honor for him not a curse.  Both starters settled in fine with no score until the bottom of the 3^rd when Brooklyn scratched out 2 small ball runs.  The following inning Furillo led off with a double off of Grove, which was followed by a sandwich of 2 hits (Gilliam and Shuba) surrounded by 2 walks (Camp and Jackie).  At the end of the frame the Dodgers were up 4-0.  Manager Clouser didn’t think Grove had it and immediately went to the pen and brought in George Earnshaw to start the 5^th.  Earnshaw threw 3 no-hit innings, before handing the ball off to Howard Ehmke, who pitched a perfect 9^th.  None of that mattered because Mr. Roe was having himself a fine day in the office completing the circuit and posting himself a 3 hit complete game shutout.  There were at least 3 times during the game that Brooklyn had activity in the pen, but Ole’ Preach had some magic up his sleeves and some shine on the ball.  The only Athletic not fooled was catcher Mickey Cochrane, who was 2 for 4 with 2 doubles.  Al Simmons had Philly’s other hit.

Dodgers lead series 3-1

Game 3 - "Skoooonj"

Ebbets Field

GAME 3

Quinn vs Meyer

Dodgers 6, A’s 3

The Mack-men jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead off of Brooklyn’s Monk Meyer, who’s relies on luck, guile and a boat load of offensive support.  At times it looked like The Monk was on the ropes to be silenced by the Philly bats, but somehow he was able to wiggle out of trouble and not allow the A’s to build on their 3-0 start.  The top of the 4^th looked to be another one of those 3 up 3 down innings for the Brooks, when Jackie reached first on a seeing eye roller that just made it through the hole.  Campy roped one to left to put runners on the corners.  Hodges walked on 4 straight pitches to bring Skooonj to the plate with the bases FOB (Full of Brooks).  On the first pitch from Quinn Mr. Carl Furillo of Reading PA blasted one off the wall in left center to clear the base and tie the game with a double.  Neither team scored in the 5^th.  Eddie Rommel took toed the rubber for the A’s to start the 6^th and was greeted by a blast off the scoreboard by the Duke of Flatbush who cruised into 2^nd with a stand up double.  Jackie walked, but was followed by a Campy strikeout.  Gil blasted one deep to center, but Moose Haas was able to track it down on the warning track for out number 2.  That brought up Mr. Furillo in another clutch situation with 2 out and runners on.  Once again Skooonj delivered.   This time he launched a 401 foot rocket into the cheap seats in the left field pavilion to make it 6-3 Brooklyn.   Meyer would tire in the 8^th and Jim Hughes replaced him with 1 out, and allowed just 1 harmless hit.  Closer Clem Labine would finish off the 9^th with his 9^th save of the season.  After the game A’s manager Jim Clouser told reporters, “Things are bad when we can’t get a win off Meyer”.  Brooklyn’s manager responded, “Monk sure makes it interesting out there at times, but the boys play well for him and never quit”.

Dodgers lead series 2-1

Game 2: "Oisk to the Rescue"

GAME 2

Erskine vs Walberg

Dodgers 6, A’s 0

The key component for starting Loes in game 1 was to have ace Oisk (Carl Erskine) start game 2 and not have to face HOF’er Lefty Grove.  This strategy would only work if Oisk brought his A game and the Dodger bats were able to score more than just a handful of runs.  Mission accomplished on both fronts.  Oisk threw a tidy 3 hit complete game shutout on 145 pitches and the Dodger bats awakened to the tune of 6 runs on 12 hits off of A’s starter Rube Walberg and his replacement Eddie Rommel.  Lightly used reserve George “Shotgun” Shuba made a rare start in left field and responded by going 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and ha homer.  Skooonj and Campy knocked it 2 each to knot the series, which was headed up US-1 toward the Big Apple.

Series tied 1-1