World Series: Did You Know?

Johnny Edwards hit .364 in 1961, after hitting .186 in the regular season. The rookie catcher appeared in just 52 games with the Cincinnati Reds in '61, but was added by manager Fred Hutchinson to the postseason roster. It proved to be a wise move.

The Reds' regular backstop was Jerry Zimmerman, who hit just .206 himself. You know, Cincinnati was clearly overmatched behind the plate. Let me put this in perspective. The New York Yankees, winners of 109 games that year, were the opposition. They had three men who could play catcher. Yogi Berra had moved to left field, but still caught fifteen games. All he did was hit 22 home runs. As a bonus, the 36-year old hit .271. There was his apparent behind the dish, Elston Howard, who hit 21 home runs in just 129 games. And led the team with a .348 batting average. Finally, there was Johnny Blanchard. Blanchard did more pinch-hitting (39 games) than catching that year (48 games). Although he appeared in 93 contests in 1961, Blanchard (Who also appeared in 15 games in the outfield), made 32 appearances that were exclusively as a substitute batter. Well, all he did was hit 21 home runs (Amazing, considering Johnny was to only accumulate 243 at-bats) and batted .305.

So the Reds were overmatched, no matter who was catching for them. And, no matter who was catching for the Bronx Bombers. There was Darrell Johnson, who ironically had once played for the New York Yankees. Johnson showed potential in '61. He stated the year with Philadelphia, hitting .230 in 21 games. But, in August, Cincinnati purchased his contract. In 20 games with Cincy, Johnson hit .315. But just one home run.

Bob Schmidt, who would play for the Yankees in 1965, was not added to the postseason. Neither was Ed Bailey gonna help. He might have actually been the best catcher on the Reds as 1961 began. But management decided to trade him to San Francisco in April. Bailey would finish '61 with 13 home runs and hit .245. But that was all in just 119 games played. Don't feel too bad for Bailey, he'd appear in six of the seven World Series contests the next season against...The New York Yankees.

The one good thing about the 1961 World Series, if you were a Reds' fan, was they'd need help from everyone. Indeed, of the men added to the Cincinnati World Series roster, only Jay Hooks, a pitcher, failed to appear in a single postseason contest.

Well, all that added up to an opening game, 2-0 loss. Jim O'Toole had pitched well for the Reds, but seemed a little out of his league against Whitey Ford, who went all the way for the Yankees. Darrell Johnson started the game for Cincinnati, failed to get a hit in two at-bats, and was removed for a pinch hitter. Jerry Zimmerman finished it up catching O'Toole for the bottom of the eighth, but did not bat.

So, obviously, there would be lineup changes for the second contest. First, you had Joey Jay pitching for Cincinnati. And his batterymate, Johnny Edwards, who would hit in front of him in the eighth slot, was behind the dish.

Ralph Terry, the New York pitcher, retired them both in a scoreless third. In the fifth, with the game tied, 2-2, Edwards would try to strike a match under Cincinnati. He only lined out to start the inning, but the Reds woke up and scored. They had the lead for good. But how about some contribution from Edwards?

Well, he'd better have gotten at it soon. I mentioned in an earlier post that Bobby Richardson was on fire in this Fall Classic. Well, so was Clete Boyer, who was robbing the Reds of hits at third. In the bottom of the fifth, Boyer found other ways to contribute.

He led off with a walk. Then, with one away, Richardson grounded to the shortstop. But Boyer, who was every bit the speedster his older brother Ken was, beat the toss to second, and Richardson had no trouble in being safe at first. Second basemen Elio Chacon's missile to first was to the outfield side of the bag, pulling Gordy Coleman off the bag. Jay fanned the next two batters to get out that mess. But he needed some insurance.

Joey, fortunately, didn't have to wait too long. It was still 3-2, Cincy. Terry was matching Jay in a great pitcher's duel, at least until there were two away in the top of the sixth. Clete Boyer made an amazing play at third to retire Frank Robinson for the first out, if you are wondering. And then Terry fanned Coleman on a fine changeup (Ralph's seventh strikeout). So the Yankees' pitcher appeared to have things well under control.

But then Wally Post launched a double to left. The Yankees appealed, claiming that Post missed first. Was the inning over, after all? The first base umpire, Frank Umont, didn't see it that way, so the inning continued. Gene Freese, having belted a two-run home run earlier, was intentionally walked. Two on, two outs. For Johnny Edwards. While it was a lefty-batter, righty-pitcher, you kind of figured the Yankees had the edge. Think again.

Wait Hoyt, doing the game for NBC (Radio), explained to the audience that Edwards "... didn't make the starting lineup until just about an hour or so before game time is now stepping up."

Wit the first pitch, Edwards got an offering from Terry to his liking. He sent a grounder to right, cashing in Post. What a big-time clutch hit. It was only a single, but now Edward's team was doubling up the Yankees, 4-2.

Freese made it to third, but Ralph Terry retired his mound adversary to end that. Terry had a nice 1-2-3 seventh, but left when the Yankees batted and pinch hit for him in their half of the frame.

A comical top of the eighth followed.

The home team looked like the New York Mets of the following season. Luis Arroyo (15-5, 29 saves), pitched for New York. First, Robinson walked, with the fourth miss of the dish not even close. Coleman, a left-hander, didn't get all of it, and sent a grounder to Arroyo's right. In his haste to get Gordon at first, the Yankees' pitcher threw wild to Moose Skowron at first. The ball ended up going into the outfield. There, right fielder Johnny Blanchard (Playing there, as Roger Maris was in centre, subbing for Mickey Mantle), gunned it to third, trying to nail the Coleman at third. The throw got Gord. But Frank Robinson, fleet-footed, was going second to home all the way on the play. The Yankees knew they had no chance at him. Now, with the score 5-2, Reds, the game was getting away from the home team. Wally Post hit it to left. But instead of it being the second out, it seemed to pass through a transparent Berra (Perhaps losing it in the sun?). The error put runners on the corners for Gene Freese. Same as before, New York put him on. But again, Johnny Edwards came through.

It might of been a lefty-lefty matchup, but the Reds' catcher didn't care. The 1-0 pitch was blooped to left behind Boyer at third, with a huge portion of the bat breaking off. Clete did not catch it. The ball fell in for a double which scored Post. Cincinnati didn't score again, but took the contest, 6-2.

It must have felt good for Edwards, as his team was heading home to Crosley Field. And Johnny Edwards was back behind the plate.

The game see-sawed back and forth. The Reds would get the lead, but the Yankees would come right back and tie it. Bob Purkey held the Yankees scoreless through six innings, working on an impressive one-hitter. Edwards, back behind the dish, was making sure the pitcher threw his knuckleballs to keep the mighty Bronx Bombers off-balance.

You kind of figured, though, New York would find a way. Cincinnati looked to score first as Gordy Coleman singled off Bill Stafford to start the last of the second. Post flied out, but Freese walked. Edwards was up, and looked to keep his stick sizzling bat. Alas, he grounded out. Both runners advanced, but Purkey took strike three from Stafford.

The Reds took the lead in any event, and held it until the seventh. The Yankees got on the board that inning, but the home team was undaunted. Their catcher was 0-2 in the contest, but was 2-6 overall (.333).

With one away in the home half of the inning, Edwards launched one to the corner in right. Johnny Blanchard got to it, but the Cincinnati catcher was gunning for second, testing the arm of another backstopper (Still playing right). He beat the throw, and that was huge.

Purkey fanned, so there were two down. The next batter was  pinch hitter Jerry Lynch, who Stafford purposely passed. The strategy backfired, as Eddie Kasko singled, scoring Edwards. Just like that, Cincinnati was back up 2-1.

And just like that, New York tied it, as Johnny Blanchard hit a home run in the top of the eighth. The next inning, another home run, this time off the bat of Roger Maris, put the Yankees ahead, 3-2. Could the Reds retaliate?

Luis Arroyo had taken over for Bud Daley, who'd relieved Bill Stafford in the bottom of the seventh. So the ninth inning began with Gene Freese fanning. Because that set the stage for a lefty-lefty matchup, Fred Hutchinson sent up Leo Cardenas to hit for Edwards. The move appeared to work, as Cardenas just missed a home run, doubling off the scoreboard in left. Arroyo managed to get through the inning without allowing a run.

The next game saw New York break open a close game, pulling away to a 7-0 win. Edwards did not play, and watched quite a hitting exhibition by the Yankees. Bobby Richardson had three hits, and was robbed of a fourth in the top of the eighth. Elio Chacon went to his right, and made an excellent, leaping catch. But such plays like that were not enough to stagger the red-hot bats of New York.

Well, the Cincinnati was 0-2 against Ford, and down 3-1 in this series. Game five was a must-win, and the Reds offence was going the wrong way. From six runs, to two runs, to zero runs. They'd scored a total of eight runs overall in four games.

So, Hutchinson played a hutch and put Johnny Edwards back in the lineup. He was hitting .429, with two RBIs. By comparison, the leading hitter for the Yankees was Bobby Richardson, who was up to .471 (8-17). Had Chacon not made the catch, it'd be a runaway, as Richardson would be at .529. So there was still a chance for Edwards to catch up. And while were are at it, let's take a look at the runs scored and RBI comparison through four contests, with Edwards playing just two games.

Johnny Edwards: One run scored, two runs driven in

Bobby Richardson: One run scored, zero runs driven in

Okay, maybe Cincinnati could do some damage with the bats in the fifth contest. Alas, the visiting New York Yankees rushed out early.

Richardson started the game with a single. I keep bringing him up! Hard not too, since his average was now .500 (9-18). The next two men were retired, but then a failed pickoff play resulted in Bobby reaching second. Johnny Blanchard hit a two-run home run, and the Reds could tell this wasn't going to be their day.

Joey Jay, who'd been so good in game two, struggled here. Jim Maloney took over, but it seemed like it didn't matter who was pitching for Cincinnati. By the time Edwards grabbed a bat, it was 6-0 for New York. Johnny Edwards boasted his average to .500 (4-8) with a single in the second, moving Wally Post to third. But both runners were stranded.

The next time Edwards grabbed a stick, it was closer. The Reds actually got rid of the Yankees' starter, Ralph Terry in the bottom of the third. Frank Robinson hit a three-run home run with one away. In order for the Cincinnati catcher to hit in this inning, two more men would have to get on, and either Wally Post or Gene Freese would have to stay out of the double play.

Well, Gordy Coleman greeted new pitcher Bud Daley with a single. But Post flied out to Hector Lopez in left. Freese doubled. The crowd at Crosley Field was ecstatic! Cincinnati was up to eight hits in only two and two-thirds innings off Terry / Daley. So Johnny Edwards would bat after, all.

Daley missed wide with his first pitch. Wait Hoyt announced that "The Yankees' bullpen is busy". Then, he noted that, "Both bullpen's busy, as the Reds have come alive in the bottom half of inning number three." Cincinnati had used up three pitchers. And Bill Henry, the fourth Reds' pitcher of the afternoon, would not be hitting for himself should Edwards get on. Bud Daley missed two more times to fall behind 3-0. He was one pitch away from loading the bases. 

The next pitch could have been ball four, but Johnny Edwards looked at strike one. Sadly, the inning ended as he popped up to Clete Boyer in foul territory. 

It seemed, like with that, the Yankees pounced on the Reds. They put up another five runs in the top of the fourth, driving out Bill Henry. Daley raced through the bottom half of the inning, and the Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the fifth. The Reds got a little bit going in the fifth, as Wally Post hit a two-run home run off Daley, making it 11-5. Johnny Edwards was in the on-deck circle as Gene Freese batted. The inning ended with Freese looking at strike three.

New York added two more in the top of the sixth, and there seemed to be no end in sight for their offence. No Mickey Mantle. No Yogi Berra. No problem. Even Richardson ended the day 1-6 didn't stop them.

Edwards led off the last of the sixth, but grounded out on the second pitch. Jim Brosnan and Ken Hunt would hold the Yankees at bay for the last three innings, but Bud Daley was every bit as good as they were. He did hit Wally Post to start the bottom of the eighth. Gene Freese flied out to Roger Maris in left-centre. Johnny Edwards came up, knowing it was probably his last plate appearance of 1961. He swung at Daley's first pitch, as curveball. He could only force Post at second. Jerry Lynch grabbed a bat to hit for the pitcher. He grounded out to Richardson.

The New York Yankees, one of the greatest teams to ever take the field, won the game, 13-5. Johnny Edwards and the Cincinnati Reds had taken another beating, even though the home team had five runs and eleven hits themselves. A strong performance by Bud Daley had stopped their offence cold. Edwards had nonetheless collected a hit in all three games he appeared.

"Edwards...was one of the few bright spots for the Reds in the recent World's (sic) Series," wrote Fred Lieb, "A .186 National League hitter, he cuffed Yankee pitching for .364 [batting average] in three [World Series] games."

Edwards came back for 1962, and saw his batting improve. He hung on in the bigs until 1974. Then he moved on to his other field of expertise, engineering. Eventually, Edwards found his way to C.T.C. International, which was located in Houston (Where he eventually moved, following his trade to the Astros, where Edwards spent the last six years of his playing career). Rebranded Baker-Hughes, Johnny made it up to plant manager in the mid-90s. Retiring in 2002, he lives in the Greater Houston area, as of 2017. 



References

Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005.

Ford, Whitey, and Phil Pepe. Slick. W. Morrow, 1987.

Gallagher, Mark. Explosion!: Mickey Mantle's Legendary Home Runs. Arbor House, 1987.

“Game 3.” 1961 World Series, episode 3, NBC, 7 Oct. 1961, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaB0coqadHE. Accessed 23 Apr. 2023. (Television)

Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Contemporary Books, 2000. 

Houk, Ralph, and Robert W. Creamer. Season of Glory. G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1988. 


Lieb, Fred. “Maloney, Edwards Form Top Battery.” The Sporting News, 25 Oct. 1961, p. 23, https://paperofrecord.hypernet.ca/paper_view.asp?PaperId=834&iDateSearchId=&iZyNetId={37CE3B3A-6545-480B-A0F5-A5D4251C26F4}&RecordId=6&Show=GetResult&iOrder=2&iOrderDir=0&iCurrentBlock=1. Accessed 23 Apr. 2023. 

Major League Baseball Productions. 1961 World Series Highlights. DVD.



Mantle, Mickey, and Herb Gluck. The Mick. Easton Press, 1996.

------------------and Mickey Herskowitz. All My Octobers: My Memories of Twelve World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball. HarperCollins, 1994.

Miller, Lawrence, director. New York Yankees (The Movie). Youtube, Philo / Magig Video, 1987, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMWAt3v1I0w. Accessed 23 Apr. 2023. 

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. St. Martin's Press, 1992. 

--------------. The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903-1989, St. Martin's Press, 1990.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Publications International, 1993. 

1961 World Series. National Broadcasting Company, Oct. 1961, https://www.youtube.com/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2023. Radio Broadcast.

1961 World Series. National Broadcasting Company, Oct. 1964, https://www.youtube.com/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2023. Television Broadcast.

Society For American Baseball Research, SABR. https://sabr.org/. 23 Apr. 2023.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 23 Apr. 2023.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 23 Apr. 2023.

YouTube, Google, https://www.youtube.com/. 23 Apr. 2023.