The 1951 World Series

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The 1951 World Series

The Giants, fo course, had entered the Series against the Yankees on an emotional high, to say the least. Manager Leo Durocher's gang had rallied to win the NL pennant after trailing the Brooklyn Dodgers by 13 1/2 games on the afternoon of August 11 (after the Giants had lost to the Philadelphia Phillies that day and the Dodgers had defeated the Boston Braves in the first game of a doubleheader).

Beginning August 12, the Giants won 16 consecutive games and 37 of their last 44 to forge a tie witth Brooklyn. New York beat the Dodgers iin aa best-of-three playoff, with Thomson's three- run hoomer off Ralph Branca giving the Giants a 5-4 victory in tthe third game at the Polo Grounds.

The day after Thomson broke Dodgers hearts, the Giants took aim on sending misery the Bronx's way. And for starters, Dave Koslo shackled the Yankeees on seven hits and Alvin Dark slugged a three-ruun homer. But the big story in the Giants' 5-1 World

Series-opening triumph was Irvin's performance. Irvin rapped three singles and a tripple and recorded the first Series steal of home plate since the Yankees' Bob Meusel turned the trick in 1928. The Giants outfielder's theft came in the first inning and seemingly indicated that momentum from the stretch-run tear and playoff success was still with the Giants. 0d3b7ce0cc88393d883b5299ced5edff.doc Eddie Lopat cooled off the Giants in Game 2, pitching a five-hitter and contributing a run-scoring single in a 3-1 victory. Irvin, who hit .458 in this Series, had three of the losers' hits.

Because of a fifth-inning play involving past and future stars, the game had repercussions far beyond 1951. The 20-year-old Mays, who had slugged 20 homers for the Giants after being brought up in late May from Minneapolis (where he was batting .477), led off the Giants' fifth by flying out to DiMaggio in right-center. On the play, right fielder Mantle also went after the ball, only to catch his foot on the wooden cover of a drainage outlet. Mantle's knee buckled, forcing the 19-year-old speedster out of the game and the Series. More than that, the injury signaled the start of leg problems that hounded Mantle during his 18-season career, which began in '51 with two stints with the Yankees totaling 96 games, in which the Oklahoman had hit 13 homers.

Leading 1-0 after 4 1/2 innings of Game 3, the Giants capitalized on a big -- and inventive -- play

from Stanky to expand their lead. With one out in the fiftth, Stanky coaxed a walk off Vic

Raschi. The Yankees, thinking the Giants were about to put on a play -- a hit-and-run, run-and- hit or straight steal -- called for a pitchout and catcher Yogi Berra rifled a throw to shortstop Phil

Rizzuto in plenty of time to catch Stanky. But Eddie woould have none of it. The feisty veteran

kicked the ball out of Rizzuto's hand, scrambled to his feet and dashed to third.

Instead of two out and nobody on, Stanky was resting on third with one out. Dark delivered a run-scoring single. And the Giants scored four more times in the inning -- Whitey

Lockman delivered the big blow, a three-run homer -- en route to a 6-2 victory at the Pole

Grounds.

0d3b7ce0cc88393d883b5299ced5edff.doc With a two games-to-one lead in the Series and Games 4 and 5 also at home, the Giants were in a favorable position. But storm clouds loomed. Literally. Rail caused a one-day postponement of Game 4, making possible the availability of first-game loser Allie Reynolds to the Yankees. And the Bronx Bombers' standout beested Sal Maglie and the Giants 6-2 in

Game 4 as DiMaggio cracked his eighth and last Series home run.

The lift provided by Reynolds seemed to inspire the Yankees, who went out the next day and bashed the Giants 13-1 in Game 5. Yankees rookie Gil McDougald, who alternated between second and third base for Casey Stengel's club, belted a bases-loaded home run in the third inning off Larry Jansen, who like fellow 23-game winner Maglie, was unable to win in this

Series. McDougald's jackpot wallop -- which broke a 1-1 tie -- was only the third Series grand slam (the others being struck by Cleveland's Elmer Smith in 1920 and the Yankees' Tony Lazzeri in 1936).

The Yanks then put an inglorious end to the Giants' glorious season, beating the National

Leaguers for the third consecutive time since the rain fell after Game 3. With the bases loaded and two out in the sixth inning of Game 6, Yankees outfielder Hank Bauer was batting against

Koslo in a 1-l game. For Bauer, it was a golden opportunity to shake off the World Series blues.

In 38 previous at-bats in the fall classic, Bauer had collected five hits -- all singles. And, along with that .132 career Series average, the former Marine had one RBI in postseason. Bauer came through this time, rifling a bases-clearing triple. Then, in the ninth inning, after the Giants closed within 4-3 and had the potential tying run in scoring position, a racing Bauer made a sensational game-ending catch on a low liner hit by pinch-hitter Sal Yvars.

The 1951 World Series was the 10th and last for DiMaggio. In fact, Game 6 marked the final major league game for the Yankee Clipper, who was headed for retirement at age 36. Mantle

0d3b7ce0cc88393d883b5299ced5edff.doc would appear in 11 more World Series, and Mays would compete in the big event three more times.

And while there were no World Series histrionics to equal the playoff drama provided by

Thomson, who hit .238 against the Yankees, the '51 fall classic forever will conjure visions of

Irvin taking off for home, Willie and Mickey taking off for stardom and Joltin' Joe taking off for retirement. Of Mantle exhibiting pain and the brash Stanky exhibiting fancy footwork. Of youngster McDougald showing fearlessness in a key spot in a key game and Bauer showing toughness in the face of adversity. And of Mother Nature demonstrating her power to influence the course of events.

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