The Los Angeles Dodgers were shutout in their first regular season game, and their first World Series game.
After moving away from Brooklyn after the 1957 season, Los Angeles got a rude greeting to the west coast by the other team that left New York in '57. The Giants, now in San Francisco, weren't about to let the Dodgers make a claim to: How The West Was Won In Baseball!
On the opening day in 1958, Don Drysdale got the nod to the hill for Los Angeles. This actually was a road game in a very small stadium. The Giants played in Seals Stadium. And less than 24,000 took this one in. Was the west lost right off the bat?
Well, for two innings, Big Don kept 'em from losing. But the Giants touched home twice in the bottom of the third inning to make it 2-0. In the fourth, it was the Giants with four more to finish of Drysdale. Don Bessent came in, but it was too late. San Francisco scored twice more. 8-0 would be the final score.
The Dodgers scored 13 times the next game to San Fran's 1, but overall it was a tough uphill battle in 1958. Los Angeles finished 71-83. Sandy Koufax showed some potential. But only he and Stan Williams had a .500 or better record among the starting pitchers.
So in 1959, the Dodgers improved and got back to "like old times in Brooklyn." They ended the season tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for first. They swept them (what a relief that must have been from 1951) and headed to Chicago for the World Series.
But the Chicago White Sox were ever ruder than the Giants on opening day in 1958.
Chicago, playing at home, and playing in their first World Series in 40 years, wasted no time in going on the attack. In the bottom of the first, Ted Kluszewski and Sherman Lollar each knocked in a run to make it 2-0, White Sox. Roger Craig, who usually pitched well in the World Series, then got his behind handed to him in the bottom of the third.
First, it was Jim Landis knocking in a run with a single to make it 3-0. The Kluszewski went out of the park to make it 5-0. Chuck Churn came in, but the White Sox weren't even close to finished! They scored four more runs that inning to make it 9-0. The very next inning, it was Landis again with a single to lead things off. Then, it was Kluszewski again going out of the park for two more runs. That made it 11-0, Chicago.
Clem Labine came in. He, Koufax and Johnny Klippstein held the White Sox at bay for the next five innings. Chicago managed just one hit. But it was far too late. The Dodgers could do nothing with Early Wynn. While Craig was enjoying an early shower, it was Wynn who picked up his first World Series win with a fine 6-hitter over 7 innings. Gerry Staley came in and tossed two more shutout innings to complete the zeros on the scoreboard.
So, it was a rough time for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their first meeting against another National League team. And it was also a frustrating time in their first ever Fall Classic game. But the Dodgers were no strangers to overcoming adversary. Roy Campanella was paralysed in a car accident in January of 1958. Don Newcombe started out slowly that year and was traded. Pee Wee Reese retired. But to succeed in sports and in life, you have to overcome obstacles.
The Dodgers did more than that. This version of the Dodgers won the west over with World Series wins in 1959, 1963 and 1965 with Koufax and Drysdale doing the job again and again.
But still, the Dodgers had to learn that, if you are going to win, you need to touch home. Even with great pitching, if you don't score, you don't win.
References
“baseball_otr : Free Download & Streaming.” Internet Archive. Old Time Radio / Internet Archive/ Major League Baseball, <archive.org/details/baseball_otr>. Web. 22 Mar. 2014.
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Fonseca, Lew, director. 1959 World Series. Performance by Vince Scully, Major League Baseball Productions, 1959. DVD.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 22 Mar. 2014.
After moving away from Brooklyn after the 1957 season, Los Angeles got a rude greeting to the west coast by the other team that left New York in '57. The Giants, now in San Francisco, weren't about to let the Dodgers make a claim to: How The West Was Won In Baseball!
On the opening day in 1958, Don Drysdale got the nod to the hill for Los Angeles. This actually was a road game in a very small stadium. The Giants played in Seals Stadium. And less than 24,000 took this one in. Was the west lost right off the bat?
Well, for two innings, Big Don kept 'em from losing. But the Giants touched home twice in the bottom of the third inning to make it 2-0. In the fourth, it was the Giants with four more to finish of Drysdale. Don Bessent came in, but it was too late. San Francisco scored twice more. 8-0 would be the final score.
The Dodgers scored 13 times the next game to San Fran's 1, but overall it was a tough uphill battle in 1958. Los Angeles finished 71-83. Sandy Koufax showed some potential. But only he and Stan Williams had a .500 or better record among the starting pitchers.
So in 1959, the Dodgers improved and got back to "like old times in Brooklyn." They ended the season tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for first. They swept them (what a relief that must have been from 1951) and headed to Chicago for the World Series.
But the Chicago White Sox were ever ruder than the Giants on opening day in 1958.
Chicago, playing at home, and playing in their first World Series in 40 years, wasted no time in going on the attack. In the bottom of the first, Ted Kluszewski and Sherman Lollar each knocked in a run to make it 2-0, White Sox. Roger Craig, who usually pitched well in the World Series, then got his behind handed to him in the bottom of the third.
First, it was Jim Landis knocking in a run with a single to make it 3-0. The Kluszewski went out of the park to make it 5-0. Chuck Churn came in, but the White Sox weren't even close to finished! They scored four more runs that inning to make it 9-0. The very next inning, it was Landis again with a single to lead things off. Then, it was Kluszewski again going out of the park for two more runs. That made it 11-0, Chicago.
Clem Labine came in. He, Koufax and Johnny Klippstein held the White Sox at bay for the next five innings. Chicago managed just one hit. But it was far too late. The Dodgers could do nothing with Early Wynn. While Craig was enjoying an early shower, it was Wynn who picked up his first World Series win with a fine 6-hitter over 7 innings. Gerry Staley came in and tossed two more shutout innings to complete the zeros on the scoreboard.
So, it was a rough time for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their first meeting against another National League team. And it was also a frustrating time in their first ever Fall Classic game. But the Dodgers were no strangers to overcoming adversary. Roy Campanella was paralysed in a car accident in January of 1958. Don Newcombe started out slowly that year and was traded. Pee Wee Reese retired. But to succeed in sports and in life, you have to overcome obstacles.
The Dodgers did more than that. This version of the Dodgers won the west over with World Series wins in 1959, 1963 and 1965 with Koufax and Drysdale doing the job again and again.
But still, the Dodgers had to learn that, if you are going to win, you need to touch home. Even with great pitching, if you don't score, you don't win.
References
“baseball_otr : Free Download & Streaming.” Internet Archive. Old Time Radio / Internet Archive/ Major League Baseball, <archive.org/details/baseball_otr>. Web. 22 Mar. 2014.
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Fonseca, Lew, director. 1959 World Series. Performance by Vince Scully, Major League Baseball Productions, 1959. DVD.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 22 Mar. 2014.
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