Gene Woodling and Granny Hamner each hit exactly .429 in the 1950 Fall Classic. And each went 6-14, so they tied for the lead in batting average for that year's World Series. Despite the four game sweep by the Yankees of the Phillies, not all was clear-cut.
Woodling, who batted leadoff for New York, drew a walk as the very first batter in game one. Philly pitcher Jim Konstanty allowed Gene to reach third and another runner to reach first. But that's where Big Jim got out of the inning without a run allowed. For Thanks to another Woodling walk in the third inning, New York loaded the bases! But just went it seemed like they were about to blow the cover off the lid, New York stranded three more runners.
The Yankees scored the only run of the game in the fourth, but Woodling did not figure into it at all. But in the top of the seventh, he singled. Again, New York stranded two runners. But New York won the game 1-0 and Hamner failed in all three trips to the plate.
In game two, Woodling led off the game with a single. Yogi Berra also added a single. New York continued to waste these efforts, as the inning ended in a 0-0 deadlock.
In the second inning, both Gene and Granny came up with big hits. New York got a single by Jerry Coleman and a walk by starting pitcher Allie Reynolds. Gene Woodling hit a clutch single to score Coleman and put New York up 1-0.
In the bottom of the frame, the Phillies threatened to tie it. With one out, Hamner hit a triple. Philadelphia needed just a hit or sac fly and this game was guaranteed a tie. Neither happened as a grounder made two outs. A fly ball off the bat of Mike Goliat ended the inning.
In the top of the fourth, with New York still up 1-0, Hank Bauer popped out to Hamner at short. But Coleman smashed a double and Reynolds drew a walk. The stage was set for another Woodling delivery. It never happened as he hit a foul fly to left that was caught. The Yankees were then retired as Phil Rizzuto lined out to right.
Hamner, for his part, didn't reach the dish in that inning until there was two down and nobody on. But he coaxed a walk from Reynolds. Then, he stole second. But that's all Philly got that inning. However, the Phillies did tie the game the next inning.
It was in the bottom of the ninth that Philadelphia almost won it. And it was our boy with a one-out double that did the honours! Dick Whitman was sent up to bat for Ken Silvestri. New York put him on first intentionally. But Goliat ended the inning by hitting into a double play! The Phillies would pay dearly for that missed opportunity as Joe DiMaggio hit a home run in the top of the tenth inning off Robin Roberts to win the game for New York.
It was off to the Big, Bad, Bronx for the next two games. Philly lost them both. Woodling was not in the lineup for game three, however.
Hamner got a single in the top of the second. He then made it to third on another single. But Philadelphia couldn't get him or anyone else home that inning.
The Yankees took the lead in the bottom of the third. Jerry Coleman cashed in Phil Rizzuto with a single. I guess Woodling was not needed! But what the Phillies needed was some offence, now!
The got it in the top of the sixth as Dick Sisler's single tied it. Hamner was the next batter, but watched helplessly as Dick was picked off first! So Granny had to wait until the next inning to bat. When that rolled around, he came through with a single.
Seminick then hit a sac bunt of Ed Lopat to move him into scoring position. When Goliat followed with a single, it was Philadelphia up, 2-1! I guess things had worked out fine for Hamner. What about Woodling? Would he ever get into the game? Time was running out for him and New York.
In the bottom of the eighth, New York not only tied things up, but they loaded the bases. Before that Gene batted for Lopat and was retired.
Then, with two outs, Hamner made an error on a Bobby Brown grounder that allowed the tying run to score. Jim Konstanty, brought in to put out the first, managed to retire Johnny Mize to prevent any further damage. Woodling would stay in the game as he went out to play left field.
But Hamner came through with a double to lead off the top of the ninth. As was the case in game two, a two-bagger by Granny had the potential to win the game. Again, though, Philly blew this one!
Hamner made it to third on a sac bunt. When Goliat was walked intentionally, runners were on the corners with just one out. Philadelphia sent up Dick Whitman to pinch hit again, this time for Konstanty. He hit a grounder to first that Hamner tried to score on. But he was cut down at the dish. Then, with runners on first and second and two out, Eddie Waitkus flied out to right.
The first two Yankee batters were retired in the bottom of the ninth. There was still Woodling. Gene kept the inning alive with a single. When Phil Rizzuto followed with a single of his own, the winning run was on second. Jerry Coleman, continued to come up big as he hit the third straight single of the inning. Woodling trotted home from second and New York won the game 3-2, and led the 1950 Fall Classic, three games to zero.
In game four, Gene Woodling was back in the starting lineup. Back in left and batting leadoff. And he made an immediate impact.
He started things by reaching on an error. Then, Yogi Berra scored him with a single. A wild pitch moved Yogi to third. When DiMaggio followed with a double, it was 2-0, New York. They were just getting started, however.
Hamner, for his part, got a single in the top of the fourth off Whitey Ford. That put runners on the corners with only one out. But The Chairman Of The Board, who was making his first World Series start, got out of the inning via a double play. Andy Seminick hit a grounder to first, where Johnny Mize mad the putout. The Big Cat then fired home to nail Del Ennis, trying to score from third!
Woodling got a single in the bottom of the bottom of the fifth, but was stranded. But New York scored three more times the next inning off Jim Konstanty. The game looked hopelessly over for Philadelphia, with Ford fanning Hamner to start a 1-2-3 seventh.
Woodling continued the onslaught in the bottom of the seventh. He rapped at one-out single off Konstanty. But he got too greedy and tried to steal second. He was a dead duck.
The defiant Phillies came up to bat, behind still by five, in the top of the ninth. Willie Jones led off with a single. Del Ennis was hit by a pitch. But Ford, looking for the shutout, got Dick Sisler to force Ennis at second. Hamner batted for the last time in the 1950 Fall Classic and Whitey fanned him again. Seminick batted again and lofted one to Woodling in left. It should have been the last out. New York should have won, 5-0.
But Woodling made an error on the fly, and the shutout was lost. Actually, two runs scored for Philly, who still had life. Just to leave no doubt about that, Goliat followed with a single. Allie Reynolds was brought in to relieve Ford, who had been cruely robbed of a blanking. Thus are the breaks of the World Series.
Reynolds though, had no intention of letting the Phillies win this game. He fanned pinch-hitter Stan Lopata, and the game was won by New York, 5-2. That completed a four-game sweep!
Despite that, this Fall Classic was close. Every game was one that you would not bet the farm on the winner. In Woodling and Hamner, it was sort of fitting that each batted the same, for their efforts led to many of those close moments being decided or almost decided. While Jerry Coleman won the MVP of the World Series and Jim Konstanty was the MVP of the National League that year, the efforts of Gene and Granny provided some tremendous excitement!
Woodling, who batted leadoff for New York, drew a walk as the very first batter in game one. Philly pitcher Jim Konstanty allowed Gene to reach third and another runner to reach first. But that's where Big Jim got out of the inning without a run allowed. For Thanks to another Woodling walk in the third inning, New York loaded the bases! But just went it seemed like they were about to blow the cover off the lid, New York stranded three more runners.
The Yankees scored the only run of the game in the fourth, but Woodling did not figure into it at all. But in the top of the seventh, he singled. Again, New York stranded two runners. But New York won the game 1-0 and Hamner failed in all three trips to the plate.
In game two, Woodling led off the game with a single. Yogi Berra also added a single. New York continued to waste these efforts, as the inning ended in a 0-0 deadlock.
In the second inning, both Gene and Granny came up with big hits. New York got a single by Jerry Coleman and a walk by starting pitcher Allie Reynolds. Gene Woodling hit a clutch single to score Coleman and put New York up 1-0.
In the bottom of the frame, the Phillies threatened to tie it. With one out, Hamner hit a triple. Philadelphia needed just a hit or sac fly and this game was guaranteed a tie. Neither happened as a grounder made two outs. A fly ball off the bat of Mike Goliat ended the inning.
In the top of the fourth, with New York still up 1-0, Hank Bauer popped out to Hamner at short. But Coleman smashed a double and Reynolds drew a walk. The stage was set for another Woodling delivery. It never happened as he hit a foul fly to left that was caught. The Yankees were then retired as Phil Rizzuto lined out to right.
Hamner, for his part, didn't reach the dish in that inning until there was two down and nobody on. But he coaxed a walk from Reynolds. Then, he stole second. But that's all Philly got that inning. However, the Phillies did tie the game the next inning.
It was in the bottom of the ninth that Philadelphia almost won it. And it was our boy with a one-out double that did the honours! Dick Whitman was sent up to bat for Ken Silvestri. New York put him on first intentionally. But Goliat ended the inning by hitting into a double play! The Phillies would pay dearly for that missed opportunity as Joe DiMaggio hit a home run in the top of the tenth inning off Robin Roberts to win the game for New York.
It was off to the Big, Bad, Bronx for the next two games. Philly lost them both. Woodling was not in the lineup for game three, however.
Hamner got a single in the top of the second. He then made it to third on another single. But Philadelphia couldn't get him or anyone else home that inning.
The Yankees took the lead in the bottom of the third. Jerry Coleman cashed in Phil Rizzuto with a single. I guess Woodling was not needed! But what the Phillies needed was some offence, now!
The got it in the top of the sixth as Dick Sisler's single tied it. Hamner was the next batter, but watched helplessly as Dick was picked off first! So Granny had to wait until the next inning to bat. When that rolled around, he came through with a single.
Seminick then hit a sac bunt of Ed Lopat to move him into scoring position. When Goliat followed with a single, it was Philadelphia up, 2-1! I guess things had worked out fine for Hamner. What about Woodling? Would he ever get into the game? Time was running out for him and New York.
In the bottom of the eighth, New York not only tied things up, but they loaded the bases. Before that Gene batted for Lopat and was retired.
Then, with two outs, Hamner made an error on a Bobby Brown grounder that allowed the tying run to score. Jim Konstanty, brought in to put out the first, managed to retire Johnny Mize to prevent any further damage. Woodling would stay in the game as he went out to play left field.
But Hamner came through with a double to lead off the top of the ninth. As was the case in game two, a two-bagger by Granny had the potential to win the game. Again, though, Philly blew this one!
Hamner made it to third on a sac bunt. When Goliat was walked intentionally, runners were on the corners with just one out. Philadelphia sent up Dick Whitman to pinch hit again, this time for Konstanty. He hit a grounder to first that Hamner tried to score on. But he was cut down at the dish. Then, with runners on first and second and two out, Eddie Waitkus flied out to right.
The first two Yankee batters were retired in the bottom of the ninth. There was still Woodling. Gene kept the inning alive with a single. When Phil Rizzuto followed with a single of his own, the winning run was on second. Jerry Coleman, continued to come up big as he hit the third straight single of the inning. Woodling trotted home from second and New York won the game 3-2, and led the 1950 Fall Classic, three games to zero.
In game four, Gene Woodling was back in the starting lineup. Back in left and batting leadoff. And he made an immediate impact.
He started things by reaching on an error. Then, Yogi Berra scored him with a single. A wild pitch moved Yogi to third. When DiMaggio followed with a double, it was 2-0, New York. They were just getting started, however.
Hamner, for his part, got a single in the top of the fourth off Whitey Ford. That put runners on the corners with only one out. But The Chairman Of The Board, who was making his first World Series start, got out of the inning via a double play. Andy Seminick hit a grounder to first, where Johnny Mize mad the putout. The Big Cat then fired home to nail Del Ennis, trying to score from third!
Woodling got a single in the bottom of the bottom of the fifth, but was stranded. But New York scored three more times the next inning off Jim Konstanty. The game looked hopelessly over for Philadelphia, with Ford fanning Hamner to start a 1-2-3 seventh.
Woodling continued the onslaught in the bottom of the seventh. He rapped at one-out single off Konstanty. But he got too greedy and tried to steal second. He was a dead duck.
The defiant Phillies came up to bat, behind still by five, in the top of the ninth. Willie Jones led off with a single. Del Ennis was hit by a pitch. But Ford, looking for the shutout, got Dick Sisler to force Ennis at second. Hamner batted for the last time in the 1950 Fall Classic and Whitey fanned him again. Seminick batted again and lofted one to Woodling in left. It should have been the last out. New York should have won, 5-0.
But Woodling made an error on the fly, and the shutout was lost. Actually, two runs scored for Philly, who still had life. Just to leave no doubt about that, Goliat followed with a single. Allie Reynolds was brought in to relieve Ford, who had been cruely robbed of a blanking. Thus are the breaks of the World Series.
Reynolds though, had no intention of letting the Phillies win this game. He fanned pinch-hitter Stan Lopata, and the game was won by New York, 5-2. That completed a four-game sweep!
Despite that, this Fall Classic was close. Every game was one that you would not bet the farm on the winner. In Woodling and Hamner, it was sort of fitting that each batted the same, for their efforts led to many of those close moments being decided or almost decided. While Jerry Coleman won the MVP of the World Series and Jim Konstanty was the MVP of the National League that year, the efforts of Gene and Granny provided some tremendous excitement!
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