For a period of a dozen years baseball's World Series was largely a New York affair. From 1947 until 1958 at least one team from New York was in the World Series in every year but one. The lone exception was the 1948 matchup between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Braves. During this golden era of New York baseball, both World Series teams came from the five boroughs New York an amazing seven times. The New York Giants faced the New York Yankees in the 1951 World Series losing four games to two. The Brooklyn Dodgers matched up against the Yankees six times. The Yankees took five of those. This is the story of the Series that "Dem Bums of Brooklyn" won.
The 1955 match up was the fifth such recent meeting between the Yankees and Dodgers. The Yankees had frustrated the hopes of Brooklyn in all of the last four previous encounters. The residents of Flatbush Avenue steeled themselves for more of the same. Game 1 was played at Yankee Stadium and did nothing to calm Brooklyite's fears. Despite a successful steal of home by Jackie Robinson, the Yankees prevailed againt Don Newcombe and the Dodgers 6 to 5. Yogi argued the safe at home call vigorously. In fact, he will still argue the call today whenever anyone brings it up. Game 2 brought more misery to the borough of Brooklyn. Left hander Tommy Byrne handed a 4-2 complete game defeat to the Dodgers.
Things were looking grimly familiar as the Series went to Ebbets Field. But a young Johnny Podres pitched the Bums to their first victory in the '55 Series. Brooklyn won handily 8 to 3. The Dodgers broke out the long ball for Game 4. Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella, and Duke Snider each homered to even the series. Snider slugged two homers in Game 5 to give the Dodgers a sweep of the Ebbets Field games.
The Dodgers were in the catbird seat heading back to Yankee Stadium. But Whitey Ford got the Yankees back on track in Game 6 with a masterful four hitter in which he gave up just one run. A deciding Game 7 would feature a matchup of leftys between Tommy Byrne and the twenty-three year old Johnny Podres. Podres pitched the final game of the 1955 World Series with all the confidence in the world. Over 62,000 fans saw him shutout the Bronx Bombers 2 to 0. The Yankees had threatened in the sixth. With two baserunners on, Berra slugged a slicing drive towards the left field corner. Defensive replacement Sandy Amoros raced to the corner and made one the most spectacular and important catches in all of World Series play. From this point on the Yankees never threatened and Brooklyn finally had the World Series Championship.
The long suffering Brooklyn fans poured out into the streets in celebration. Store owners gave their products away. Spontaneous parades broke out throughout the borough. Brooklyn became one huge block party. The Brooklyn Dodgers would play in only one more World Series before moving to Los Angeles. The Yankees would get their revenge a year later in the 1956 Series. But in 1955 the Brooklyn Dodgers had their golden moment. They were World Series Champs. It was the greatest moment in Brooklyn since they opened that Bridge in 1883.
Chip Westley weblogs at Home Run Poker, http://www.homerunpoker.blogspot.com, a place for baseball fans that like to play poker. Stop by for baseball stories, poker tips, Sunday night poker tournaments, and just good fun.