“No baseball summer is as memorable for me as that July when the Dodgers began a winning streak in a suddenly torrid, topsy-turvy National League pennant race.”
Excerpt
Preface
Nikita Khrushchev consolidated his power in the Soviet Union during a Kremlin showdown. The United States Senate was debating the first significant race legislation in decades that was given a serious chance of passage. The motion picture Island in the Sun was playing in theaters across America. And as major league baseball observed its annual All-Star game break, the defending National League champion Brooklyn Dodgers found themselves mired in fifth place.
It was July 1957.
That was my first year as a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was destined to be my last. The brevity of the experience and the enduring nature of childhood impressions may explain why my recollection of it remains so vivid a half century later. To this day, no baseball summer is as memorable for me as that July when the Dodgers began a winning streak in a suddenly torrid, topsy-turvy National League pennant race. It was also the month when I saw my first major league baseball game at Ebbets Field, which was the most exciting thing I had ever experienced.
This book describes a pivotal time during Brooklyn’s last season in a baseball world now long gone. It was written for baseball lovers young and old but mainly for old Dodger fans who still recall these events and cherish their memories of them, as I do.
John R. Nordell, Jr.
Old Forge, Pennsylvania
February 24, 2007
Chapter 1
Homers and a Rhubarb
A ninth-inning rally by the National League fell one run short as the American League barely saved a 6-5 victory in the twenty-fourth All-Star game on Tuesday, July 9, 1957 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Starting pitcher Jim Bunning of the Detroit Tigers pitched three perfect innings to earn the American League victory. Detroit right fielder Al Kaline exhibited a golden glove on two outfield plays and also got two hits, driving in two runs. Chicago White Sox outfielder Minnie Minoso doubled home what proved to be the winning run in the top of the ninth and made a game-saving throw during the bottom of the ninth. Starter Curt Simmons of the Philadelphia Phillies took the loss.
The National Leaguers were managed by Walter Alston of the Brooklyn Dodgers, whose team had been in the previous year’s World Series against Casey Stengel’s New York Yankees. No Dodger players were in the starting lineup for the National All-Stars although first baseman Gil Hodges, outfielder Gino Cimoli, and relief pitcher Clem Labine saw action late in the game.
In the only game scheduled in the National League on Wednesday, July 10, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Milwaukee Braves 5-2 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The Pirates tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning when, with a runner on first, left fielder Bob Skinner hit an inside-thepark home run. Pirate third baseman Gene Baker supplied the payoff hit with a three-run single in the sixth to break the tie. Winning pitcher Bob Purkey, who gave up six hits in going the distance, was 9-7 on the season. He went into the game with a 2.76 earned run average, which was tops in the National League. Losing pitcher Bob Buhl was charged with his fifth defeat in fourteen decisions.
The outcome did not affect the Dodgers’ fifth-place position, five games out of first place. As the National League prepared to resume a full schedule of games on the following day, the pennant race shaped up as follows:
Standings
St. Louis Cardinals: 46(W), 31(L), .597 (Pct.), 0 (GB)
Milwaukee Braves: 44(W), 35(L), .557 (Pct.), 3 (GB)
Philadelphia Phillies: 42(W), 34(L), .553 (Pct.), 3.5 (GB)
Cincinnati Redlegs: 44(W), 36(L), .550 (Pct.), 3.5 (GB)
Brooklyn Dodgers: 41(W), 36(L), .532 (Pct.), 5 (GB)
New York Giants: 36(W), 43(L), .456 (Pct.), 11 (GB)
Pittsburgh Pirates: 30(W), 49(L), .380 (Pct.), 17 (GB)
Chicago Cubs: 26(W), 45(L), .366 (Pct.), 17 (GB)
On Thursday, July 11, the Philadelphia Phillies took a pair from the Chicago Cubs in a twilight-night doubleheader at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. The first game involved extra-innings shutout ball with Harvey Haddox pitching for Philadelphia and Bob Rush for Chicago. Rush didn’t yield a hit until the eighth inning. Haddox, who allowed eight hits, struck out eight, and walked none, opened the Phillies’ half of the eleventh inning with a single. Center fielder Richie Ashburn laid down a bunt and beat it out for a hit. Chuck Harmon ran for Haddox. Reliever Turk Lown took over from Rush and gave up a game-winning single to second baseman Granny Hamner that scored Harmon and clinched a 1-0 Philadelphia victory. Winner Haddox was 8-5. Rush, who was charged with the loss, was 1-8.
The second game featured Philadelphia’s rookie pitcher Jack Sanford in a 3-1 win over the Cubs. Sanford’s blazing speed and excellent control enabled him to retire the first twenty-two Cubs who faced him. He lost a perfect game in the eighth inning on a broken-bat single by first baseman Dale Long. Sanford’s eleventh victory against two defeats made him the top winner in the senior circuit and his eight strike outs raised his season total to 104, which also led the league. A two-run double by rookie left fielder Harry Anderson in the third inning and a home run by catcher Joe Lonnett in the seventh gave the Phillies their winning margin. Losing pitcher Don Elston was 2-1.
A pitchers’ duel at the Polo Grounds in New York ended with a 1-0 victory by the New York Giants over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Giants’ Johnny Antonelli pitched five-hit ball but saw his performance matched by the Cardinals’ Lindy McDaniel who allowed only three hits in seven innings. One of those hits, however, was a sixth inning home run by New York’s rookie catcher Valmy Thomas, which proved decisive. Winner Antonelli was 8-7, with two shutouts. Loser McDaniel was 8-5. The Giants’ star center fielder Willie Mays failed to break his slump, going zero for three. He was hitless in his last twelve times at bat, with only one hit in his last twenty-one trips to the plate.
The Milwaukee Braves handily defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2. Shortstop Johnny Logan drove in three of Milwaukee’s runs, two of them on a homer which climaxed a four-run rally in the fourth inning and another on a single in the eighth. Winning pitcher Bob Trowbridge was 3-1. He gave up twelve hits but the Pirates left eleven base runners stranded and committed six errors. Pittsburgh hurler Bob Friend was charged with the loss and was 6-10. The Braves lost the services of starting shortstop Felix Mantilla and center fielder Bill Bruton who were hurt when they collided trying to catch a looping fly ball into short center field in the first inning.
The Brooklyn Dodgers opened the second half of the season with an important home stand at Ebbets Field. The first three teams they were scheduled to host were above them in the standings. That night’s game was against the fourth-place Cincinnati Redlegs.
In the second inning, Brooklyn’s rookie pitcher Danny McDevitt gave up singles to left fielder Frank Robinson and catcher Smokey Burgess, followed by a walk to third baseman Don Hoak, which loaded the bases with one out. Shortstop Roy McMillan hit a hard drive off McDevitt’s glove which the pitcher recovered and fired to catcher Roy Campanella in time for a force at the plate. Robinson slid in hard, however, and spilled Campanella, who lost the ball and his glove, giving the Redlegs a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, second baseman Jim (Junior) Gilliam singled to right against Redleg pitcher Brooks Lawrence and center fielder Duke Snider blasted his seventeenth home run of the year off the girder at the base of the upper deck in center field. A walk to right fielder Elmer Valo and singles by left fielder Gino Cimoli and first baseman Gil Hodges made it a three-run inning, sending Lawrence to the showers.
In a foretaste of things to come, virtually the entire Redleg team stormed the field in the fifth inning to protest when first base umpire Augie Donatelli called Gilliam safe on a close play. Relief pitcher Raul Sanchez fielded a bunt but the Cuban rookie, in tagging Gilliam on the baseline, dropped the ball after the tag as he was knocked sprawling.
In the sixth inning, Redleg first baseman George Crowe beat out an infield hit to first when Hodges bobbled the ball and his throw to McDevitt was too late. Robinson then hit his fourteenth home run. Burgess doubled to right, chasing starter McDevitt, and advanced to third when Hoak grounded to second against reliever Clem Labine. Burgess scored on a deep sacrifice fly to center by McMillan, for a 4-3 Cincinnati lead.
Dodger third baseman Don Zimmer was tossed out of the game by umpire Donatelli in the bottom of the sixth when he and other Dodgers argued over Sanchez’s abrupt pick-off move when he nailed Zimmer at first base after receiving a new ball. The Dodgers claimed that Sanchez wasn’t on the rubber and that time was out due to the insertion of a new ball. Donatelli insisted that Sanchez was on the rubber.
In the seventh inning, Gilliam hit the dirt ducking a head high pitch by Sanchez. On the next pitch, Gilliam attempted a drag bunt which hopped foul. As Gilliam ran toward first base, Sanchez rushed off the mound to field the ball. They collided on the baseline and Gilliam tore into the righthander. Punches flew between them as they went down, arms and legs flailing, with Gilliam landing on top. First baseman Crowe, who was already moving toward the baseline in response to Gilliam’s bunt, was the first on the scene and threw himself on Gilliam. Campanella arrived from the Dodger dugout and pulled Crowe off Gilliam then Dodger manager Walter Alston grabbed Crowe from behind the shoulders and pulled him away. Hoak arrived from third base almost simultaneously with Dodger shortstop Charley Neal and was immediately felled by a right-hand punch from Neal, who bypassed the fight to get at Hoak. They struggled before Neal disappeared among the players from each club who joined the melee from field and dugout. Some squared off in side fights or confrontations, among them Crowe and Dodger Carl Furillo. Meanwhile, Redleg right fielder Pete Whisenant pulled Gilliam off Sanchez. The brawl lasted for almost fifteen minutes, with the crowd in an uproar.1
As things were starting to quiet down, Hoak, an ex-Dodger, suddenly charged the Dodger dugout. Hoak had said what he would like to do to Neal and Neal, standing on the steps of the dugout, had invited Hoak to come and do it. Hodges stopped Hoak and Neal was hustled away by teammates. Hoak was then escorted from the field and, along with Gilliam, Sanchez, and Neal, was thrown out of the game.
Cincinnati manager Birdie Tebbetts, at the apparent direction of chief umpire Jocko Conlan, kept Hoak on the bench to prevent the third baseman from seeking to continue the fight under the stands in the players’ runway. Hoak later claimed he was hit from behind and termed Neal’s blow a “sucker punch.” When interviewed, he said: “I actually went in there to stop the fight [between Gilliam and Sanchez] and out of a clear sky I was hit.” When it was suggested to Hoak that he would be calmed down by the following day’s game with the Dodgers, he replied: “I will not. I’m going to get him [Neal] either inside or outside the ball park.”
When play finally resumed, rookie Johnny Roseboro, batting for Gilliam, walked against new Redleg pitcher Tom Acker, who replaced Sanchez. Snider then reached the lower left-center field seats with his second two-run homer of the game, which put Brooklyn ahead for good, 5-4. Snider’s eighteen home runs were the third highest in the National League. Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves had twenty-seven and Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals had twenty. Seventh-inning reliever Roger Craig got the win and was 4-5. Acker took the loss and was 9-4.
The Dodgers were now four games out of first place.
Standings
St. Louis Cardinals: 46 (W), 32 (L), .590 (Pct.), 0 (GB)
Philadelphia Phillies : 44 (W), 34 ( L), .564 (Pct.), 2 (GB)
Milwaukee Braves : 45 (W), 35 ( L), .563 (Pct.), 2 (GB)
Cincinnati Redlegs: 44 (W), 37 ( L), .543 (Pct.), 3.5 (GB)
Brooklyn Dodgers: 42 (W), 36 ( L), .538 (Pct.), 4 (GB)
New York Giants: 37 (W), 43 ( L), .463 (Pct.), 10 (GB)
Pittsburgh Pirates: 30 (W), 50 ( L), .375 (Pct.), 17 (GB)
Chicago Cubs: 26 (W), 47 ( L), .356 (Pct.), 17.5 (GB)
On Friday, July 12, the Milwaukee Braves edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 as rookie relief pitcher Don McMahon squelched a two-run rally by the Pirates in the ninth inning. Starter Warren Spahn and Pirate pitcher Vernon Law were engaged in a scoreless duel until the sixth inning when Milwaukee center fielder Hank Aaron connected for his twenty-eighth home run. The Braves added another run that inning and one in the seventh, to take a 3-2 lead. Johnny Logan led off the ninth for Milwaukee with a homer. An error by Pirate first baseman Dee Fondy on a grounder by third baseman Eddie Mathews set the stage for the decisive fifth run when Mathews went to third on a single by left fielder Wes Covington and scored on an infield out by first baseman Frank Torre. Spahn earned his ninth victory against seven defeats. Pirate relief pitcher Elroy Face took the loss and was 3-5.
The Chicago Cubs scored a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on the strength of home runs by rookie third baseman Jerry Kindall and shortstop Ernie Banks. Kindall homered to lead off for the Cubs in the first inning and hit a two-run blast in the ninth. Banks unloaded a two-run homer, his sixteenth, in the eighth inning. Phillie pitcher Robin Roberts allowed eleven hits, struck out nine, and walked one before leaving the game, tagged with his twelfth loss against six wins. The three Cub home runs gave Roberts a National League leading total of twenty-six home runs given up. The defeat also marked the first time in Roberts’ career that the once great righthander lost six games in a row. Cub reliever Jim Brosnan gained his first victory against two defeats.
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the New York Giants 5-1 as first baseman Stan Musial hit his twenty-first home run. Shortstop Alvin Dark and second baseman Don Blasingame also slugged round-trippers. Pitcher “Toothpick” Sam Jones had a no-hitter going until the sixth inning when Giant left fielder Whitey Lockman rifled a single off his glove. Willie Mays ended his hitless string at fifteen on his fourth trip to the plate in the ninth when he connected for his fourteenth home run, his first in two weeks, which produced New York’s only run. The game was held up in the fifth when Giant pitcher Ruben Gomez threw a bean ball at Jones and umpire Tom Gorman warned Gomez and Jones and their respective managers, Bill Rigney of the Giants and Fred Hutchinson of the Cards, against this practice. Both pitchers had tossed “dusters” at each other in the third. Winning pitcher Jones yielded two hits and struck out eight in collecting his seventh victory against three defeats. Loser Gomez was 10-6.
That day National League President Warren Giles wired the following warning to Don Hoak from his office in Cincinnati:
You are quoted in the morning paper here as saying you “will get him in the ball park or outside.” The “him,” no doubt, refers to Neal. I do not have the umpire’s report of the incident at Brooklyn last night and will deal with it when I have that report. In view of the quotation in the morning paper, however, I feel impelled to advise you that any revival of the incident, whether it be on the field or off the field, will be considered a serious offense and dealt with accordingly. You owe it to yourself and your club not to revive the incident.6
Later that day Giles sent the following telegram to Hoak, Jim Gilliam, Charley Neal, and Raul Sanchez:
For your part in the melee at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, last night you are fined the sum of $100, payable at [the] league office prior to game time, July 17. Such actions are not a part of the game, are not helpful to what the game stands for and are not to be engaged in. Any revival of the affair or repetition will be dealt with more severely.7
That evening the Dodgers and the Redlegs faced one another again, playing at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey instead of Ebbets Field.8 Gilliam and Neal were in the lineup for Brooklyn but Hoak was replaced at third base by Alex Grammas for Cincinnati. Hoak had sustained two bruised and swollen fingers in the rhubarb and found that he couldn’t swing the bat properly in batting practice.
Gil Hodges opened the second inning for the Dodgers with a drive to deep left-center field off pitcher Johnny Klippstein that was misjudged by Redleg center fielder Gus Bell and rolled for a triple. Roy Campanella brought Hodges home with a sacrifice fly.
George Crowe led off the Cincinnati seventh with a line single to right against pitcher Don Newcombe. Crowe
stopped at second on catcher Ed Bailey’s looping single to left-center field and both runners advanced on Pete Whisenant’s sacrifice bunt. Crowe then scored on a grounder to short by Grammas to tie the game at 1-1.
Gilliam opened the eighth inning for Brooklyn with a walk and went to third on left fielder Elmer Valo’s single to right. Bob Kennedy ran for Valo. Right fielder Gino Cimoli then lined a 3-0 pitch to right-center for a triple that scored two runs for a 3-1 Dodger lead, which proved decisive.
Winning pitcher Newcombe allowed five singles, walked none, struck out seven, and retired sixteen Redlegs in a row at one point. The big righthander was 9-6. Losing pitcher Klippstein was 3-9.
The Dodgers remained four games out of first place but moved from fifth place to fourth in the standings.
Standings
St. Louis Cardinals: 47 (W), 32 (L), .595 (Pct.), 0 (GB)
Milwaukee Braves: 46 (W), 35 ( L), .568 (Pct.), 2 (GB)
Philadelphia Phillies : 44 (W), 35 ( L), .557 (Pct.), 3 (GB)
Brooklyn Dodgers: 43 (W), 36 ( L), .544 (Pct.), 4 (GB)
Cincinnati Redlegs: 44 (W), 38 ( L), .537 (Pct.), 4.5 (GB)
New York Giants: 37 (W), 44 ( L), .457 (Pct.), 11 (GB)
Chicago Cubs: 27 (W), 47 ( L), .365 (Pct.), 17.5 (GB)
Pittsburgh Pirates: 30 (W), 51 ( L), .370 (Pct.), 18 (GB)
Copyright 2008 John Nordell. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
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