Don't be fooled by the final results, which was a sweep
by Brooklyn. All 3 games could have had the exact opposite results thanks to
two evenly matched teams and 2 managers who have faced each other hundreds of
times.
GAME 1 - Ebbets Field - BKN 3, CIN 2
Jim O'Toole (19-9, 3.10) vs Ralph Branca (21-12, 2.67)
Dem
Bums struck first with 2 runs in the bottom of the 2nd off of O'Toole. Spider
Jorgensen led off with a double and with 1 out "The Reading Rifle",
Carl Furillo tripled him home. "Pistol" Pete
Reiser's single easily scored Furillo to give Branca a 2-0 lead. Cincy
positioned themselves for a big inning when O'Toole led off the 6th with a
single, then went all the way to third on Vada Pinson's safety. Wally Post
grounded to third, but Jorgensen decided to try to nail O'Toole at the plate,
which did not work out so well for Brooklyn. That left runners on 1st and 2nd
with nobody out and the score 2-1 Brooks. Branca was able to work his own
brand of magic by getting the heart of the Red lineup (Frank Robinson, Gordy
Coleman & Gene Freese) to all fly to Furillo in center without another run
scoring. All looked good for Branca until Frank Robinson hit a bomb into the
left field pavilion to tie it a 2-2. Heading to the bottom of the 9th the
game remained tied. With one out Jorgensen doubled off the scoreboard
narrowly missing the Abe Stark sign. Catcher Bruce Edwards singled to put
runners on the corners to set the stage for second year sensation Furillo to
single home the winning run to put the Dodgers out in front in the series.
Dodgers lead series 1-0.
GAME 2 - Ebbets Field - BKN 3, CIN 2 (15 inn)
Joey Jay (21-10, 3.53) vs Joe Hatten (17-8, 3.63)
Once again the Brooks had a 2-0 lead that they just couldn't hold late in the
game thanks to some clutch hitting by Cincy. The game went deep into extra
innings before the Dodgers finally prevailed by an identical score to game 1.
After Gene Hermanski walked and stole second in the bottom of the second Eddie
Stanky hit a hard hop to third that Gene Freese bobbled then airmailed the
throw into the stands, which allowed Hermanski to score easily. Brooklyn made
it 2-0 in the bottom of the 5th when the captain, Pee Wee Reese, singled home
Stanky who singled with one out and moved to second on a Hatten sac bunt.
That 2-0 lead that Dem Bums worked hard to build evaporated with one swing of
Vada Pinson's bat. With Andy Kasko on second Leo Cardenas was called on to
pinch hit for Jay. Leo was given and intentional pass, so Hatten could have
the coveted lefty/lefty matchup vs Pinson, who took insult and slammed a 2-0
pitch off the chain link fence in right center to clear the bases and tie the
game at 2-2. Cincy used 4 relievers to get to the 15th inning, while the
Dodgers used 2. Jim Maloney who battled his way out of trouble with his
blazing fastball in the 14th was not so lucky in the 15th. Stanky led off the
frame with a clean single to right center. Pinch hitter Eddie Miksis
attempted to bunt him over to second, but instead forced Stanky at second for
the 1st out of the inning. Reese connected and sliced a ball down the right
field line just inside the chalk to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out.
Pete Reiser hit a bullet up the middle that Eddie
Kasco had to dive for. Kasko made a great play just to get his leather on the
ball, but by the time he bounced back up he had no play at Miksis who could
have walked home with the winning run.
Dodgers lead the series 2-0
GAME 3 - Crosley Field - BKN 5, CIN 4
Vic Lombardi (12-11, 2.99) vs Bob Purkey (16-12, 3.73)
For the third game in a row the Dodgers had themselves an early 2-0 lead.
Back to back RBI singles by Dixie Walker and Carl Furillo gave
Vic Lombardi an nice cushion to start with.
Lombardi did not allow a hit until Jerry Zimmerman legged out an infield
single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 5th. Back to back doubles by
Jorgensen and Walker accounted for two more run to increase Lombardi's lead to
4-0. By the bottom of the 8th Lombardi began to tire and Cincy finally got on
the board when Wally Post scored on a Gordy Coleman sac fly to left. Hugh
Casey was summoned from the pen to get the final two outs of the inning and he
did so in stlye by popping up Gene Freese and fanning Eddie Kasco. Brooklyn
would add an insurance run in the top of the 9th to make it 5-1. At the time
nobody knew just how important that run would be. After Cincy scored 3 runs
off of Casey in the bottom of the 9th everyone knew how important that
insurance
run
from the top half of the inning was. Jerry Lynch, who was sent up to pinch
hit for Purkey Doubled home Blassingame with nobody out. Wally Post singled
home 2 to make it a 1 run game with superstar Frank
Robinson coming to bat. Casey vs Robinson. Heat vs Power. Everyone in
the house was on the edge of their seat. Robinson ripped Casey's 97mph
fastball on a hop to Reese at short, who flipped it to Stanky at second, who
pivoted and beat Robinson at first by 2 strides to end the game and clinch the
series.
Dodgers win series 3-0
Oct 1, 1953 Playoff Game 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
1961 Cincinnati 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 7 1
1947 Brooklyn 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 9 0
61 Cincinnati AB R H BI W K Ave 47 Brooklyn AB R H BI W K Ave
Pinson CF 4 0 3 0 0 0 .750 Robinson,J 1B 4 0 1 0 0 1 .250
Post LF 4 0 0 1 0 0 .000 Reese SS 4 0 1 0 0 2 .250
Robinson,F RF 4 1 1 1 0 1 .250 Walker, D RF 3 0 0 0 1 0 .000
Coleman, G 1B 3 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Jorgensen 3B 4 2 2 0 0 0 .500
Freese 3B 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250 Edwards, B C 4 0 1 0 0 1 .250
Kasko SS 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250 Furillo CF 4 1 3 2 0 0 .750
Blasingame 2B 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Reiser LF 3 0 1 1 0 1 .333
Zimmerman C 3 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Stanky 2B 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000
O'Toole P 3 1 1 0 0 1 .333 Branca P 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000
32 2 7 2 1 3 .219 32 3 9 3 1 7 .281
61 Cincinnati IP H R ER W K Ct S B ERA BF EPC Act Stf
O'Toole L(0-1) 8.1 9 3 3 1 7 116 69 47 3.24 33 120 118
8.1 9 3 3 1 7 116 69 47 3.24 33
47 Brooklyn IP H R ER W K Ct S B ERA BF EPC Act Stf
Branca W(1-0) 9.0 7 2 2 1 3 105 72 33 2.00 34 120 127
9.0 7 2 2 1 3 105 72 33 2.00 34
1 out when winning run scored
E-Freese(1)
2B-Jorgensen 2(2)
3B-Furillo(1)
HR-Robinson,F(1)
CS-Robinson,J
SH-Blasingame
LOB-61 Cincinnati 5 47 Brooklyn 4
DP-61 Cincinnati 2 47 Brooklyn 2
GWRBI-Furillo
Game MVP:Ralph Branca
Ebbets Field, Time 2:28, 57ø, 15mph Out to RCF
Oct 1, 1953 Playoff Game
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
1961 Cincinnati 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 7 1
1947 Brooklyn 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 9 0
1961 61 Cincinnati Ab1 Ab2 Ab3 Ab4
1 Pinson CF 1>S 4>S S,12,13 8>F8
2 Post LF P6 F7 G53H L6
3 Robinson,F RF G143/dp K F8 HR
4 Coleman, G 1B 2>W F9 F8 F9
5 Freese 3B G643/dp 5>S Fs8 9>F8
6 Kasko SS G43 G63,12 7>S G13
7 Blasingame 2B 3>G43 K B14,12 Fs9
8 Zimmerman C G63 G43 F9
9 O'Toole P F8 6>S K
1947 47 Brooklyn Ab1 Ab2 Ab3 Ab4
1 Robinson,J 1B 1>K2u G3u 6>S L7
2 Reese SS K K CS2(24)S P4
3 Walker, D RF F7 4>W G463/dp 9>G63
4 Jorgensen 3B 2>D G53,12 7>G41 D
5 Edwards, B C G43,23 K Fs9 S,23
6 Furillo CF T,3H G43 S S,3H S
7 Reiser LF S,3H 5>G13 K
8 Stanky 2B G643/dp K 8>G13
9 Branca P 3>K G13 E5,B1
61 Cincinnati IN OUT
O'Toole AB1-1 End
47 Brooklyn IN OUT
Branca AB1-1 End