Bill Bevens no-hit bid in 1947 was not his last game. He would return in game seven. The Yankees, who lost that heartbreaker to the Dodgers in the fourth contest, made sure to wrap it all up at Yankee Stadium three games later.
Bevens had been just 7-13 in the regular season that year, but pitched a good game four sans all those walks. 10 to be exact. Holding the opposition scoreless on the road in the Fall Classic is no small feat. But game seven was at home and the Yankees (Who'd beaten the Dodgers in just five games in '41) didn't want to lose it there.
So they sent out Spec Shea, who lasted all of 1 1/3 innings. Bevens got the call, three days after his near-miss. Spider Jorgensen greeted him the hard way. His double scored a run, putting the visiting Brooklyn Dodgers up, 2-0.
Bevens got out of that mess with no further damage. Phil Rizzuto drove home a run in the bottom of that second frame, and it was 2-1. Bill, for his part, fanned both Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson to start the third, and got out of that inning after allowing a walk. The next frame saw Brooklyn get the first batter on via a single. Bevens thwarted 'em again, getting the next three batters out. But it was still 2-1 Brooklyn after 3 1/2.
With two on and two out in the bottom of the fourth, Bobby Brown batted for Bill Bevens (A lot of "B's" there, eh?) and delivered a clutch double. After Snuffy Stirnweiss walked, New York had runners on the corners. Old Reliable, Tommy Henrich, lived up to his nickname and scored Phil Rizzuto from third with a single. Both Brown and Stirnweiss moved into scoring position following that hit, but they ended being stranded.
The Yankees, however, had the lead for good.
Joe Page, their ace reliever, came in and retired the first 13 men to face him. New York tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and seventh. The Dodgers finally got a hit off Page in the ninth, but a double play erased that and ended the game.
Page ended up getting credit for the win, although by today's rule, it would have been Bevens. Sadly, Bill was gone from the majors for good (Although he pitched in the minors until 1952). 9 year later, Don Larsen did him one better, getting a perfect game against the Dodgers in game five of the 1956 World Series.
Bevens finished his career with a mediocre 40-36 record, despite a 3.08 ERA. The Yankees, despite not returning the next season (And without Bevens) were on their way to five in a row beginning in 1949 under Casey Stengel. Bill, of course, was not a part of that. So sadly, not only did Bill miss out on becoming the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the World Series, he also missed out on the dynasty years of the Yankees. Fate just didn't seem to be in the cards for this hard-luck pitcher.
Bevens had been just 7-13 in the regular season that year, but pitched a good game four sans all those walks. 10 to be exact. Holding the opposition scoreless on the road in the Fall Classic is no small feat. But game seven was at home and the Yankees (Who'd beaten the Dodgers in just five games in '41) didn't want to lose it there.
So they sent out Spec Shea, who lasted all of 1 1/3 innings. Bevens got the call, three days after his near-miss. Spider Jorgensen greeted him the hard way. His double scored a run, putting the visiting Brooklyn Dodgers up, 2-0.
Bevens got out of that mess with no further damage. Phil Rizzuto drove home a run in the bottom of that second frame, and it was 2-1. Bill, for his part, fanned both Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson to start the third, and got out of that inning after allowing a walk. The next frame saw Brooklyn get the first batter on via a single. Bevens thwarted 'em again, getting the next three batters out. But it was still 2-1 Brooklyn after 3 1/2.
With two on and two out in the bottom of the fourth, Bobby Brown batted for Bill Bevens (A lot of "B's" there, eh?) and delivered a clutch double. After Snuffy Stirnweiss walked, New York had runners on the corners. Old Reliable, Tommy Henrich, lived up to his nickname and scored Phil Rizzuto from third with a single. Both Brown and Stirnweiss moved into scoring position following that hit, but they ended being stranded.
The Yankees, however, had the lead for good.
Joe Page, their ace reliever, came in and retired the first 13 men to face him. New York tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth and seventh. The Dodgers finally got a hit off Page in the ninth, but a double play erased that and ended the game.
Page ended up getting credit for the win, although by today's rule, it would have been Bevens. Sadly, Bill was gone from the majors for good (Although he pitched in the minors until 1952). 9 year later, Don Larsen did him one better, getting a perfect game against the Dodgers in game five of the 1956 World Series.
Bevens finished his career with a mediocre 40-36 record, despite a 3.08 ERA. The Yankees, despite not returning the next season (And without Bevens) were on their way to five in a row beginning in 1949 under Casey Stengel. Bill, of course, was not a part of that. So sadly, not only did Bill miss out on becoming the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the World Series, he also missed out on the dynasty years of the Yankees. Fate just didn't seem to be in the cards for this hard-luck pitcher.
No comments:
Post a Comment