Bob Feller lost both his starts in the 1948 Fall Classic. His Cleveland Indians won in six over the Boston Braves, but it seems had to imagine that Rapid Robert would perform the worst among the Indians' pitching!
Feller was in a jewel of a pitcher's duel in game in game one. So well pitched was the tilt, that it took only 102 minutes to play it. It was Feller vs. Johhny Sain. Sain was no pushover. No, he wasn't quite Warren Spahn. But he lead the National League in wins in 1948 with 24.
Feller would finish with a two-hitter - and a loss! Sain allowed four hits himself, but scattered them nicely enough. Bob, in fact, retired the first eleven batters, yet strangly wasn't getting the K's. Through four he would have only two. Through eight innings, he was held to just two strikeouts: Earl Torgeson in the bottom of the first and Bill Salkeld in the bottom of the second!
When Torgeson batted next in the bottom of the fourth, the ball was again not put into play. Feller walked him. Earl stole second but was stranded! Feller's control would not be an issue. He walked only three batters, and one of them was Eddie Stanky intentionally. The next inning saw Boston collect their first hit, but Bob made sure the Braves were denied a run.
But Salkeld singled to start the bottom of the eighth in this scoreless deadlock. Phil Masi came in to pinch run. A bunt moved Phil to second. Stanky batted, and here's where Bob walked him. There must be something with the first name, "Eddie" and the ability to draw walks in this era. For soon, Eddie Yost and Eddie Mathews would do their share of leading their respective leagues in that department.
But for 1948, it was Eddie Stanky not leading the league in walks. It was actually Bob Elliott, with 131. And he was on Boston. Feller retired him all three times. But as Johnny Sain himself batted, Feller tried to pick Masi off second. It appeared to get him, but Phil was called safe. But from the looks of pictures I've seen in numerous books, I'm not alone in thinking this was a blown call. Would it impact the final outcome? Sain lined out, two away. But Tommy Holmes singled to score the game's only run. Ken Keltner, whose two famous plays at third stopped Joe DiMaggio's streak at third (On one of them, he got The Yankee Clipper by an eyelash at first), reached first on an error in the ninth, but Sain retired the other three batters that came to the dish. Boston had won this stunner, 1-0! Could Feller come back and win his next start?
Cleveland went ahead and won the next three games, so Feller was there in game five at home to put the nail in the Braves' coffin. It did not turn out that way.
Feller was tagged for three runs in the top of the first, while Cleveland could only come back with a single tally in the bottom of the frame. Another run in the top of the third seemed to spell the end. Feller got settled down and held Boston scoreless in the fourth and fifth, meanwhile Cleveland tied it with four in the bottom of the fourth.
But a run by Boston in the top of the sixth put Boston up for good. Then the routed Feller and two more relief pitchers by scoring six times in the top of the next inning. Boston won, 11-5 to hand Feller another Fall Classic loss. It turned out to be Bob's last World Series appearance. Cleveland won game six back in Boston to clinch it.
The Indians made it back in 1954, only to be swept by the New York Giants. I well remember my father not being able to remember if Feller was there, but he sure was. 13-3. That paled in comparison to Early Wynn, Bob Lemon and Mike Garcia. Art Houtteman went 15-7. I guess that explains why Bob did not make it to the mound in '54.
We always love it to see our favourites conquer the opposition in the postseason. After all, they do it time and time again over the course of 154 (now 162) games. But the World Series is a different story. Two seasons earlier, Ted Williams and Stan Musial failed to produce in what turned out to be their final World Series. Ty Cobb failed in his first and third try their (Never winning it all, for that matter!). The Fall Classic is just a whole new ball game for even the all-time greats!
References
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/
http://sabr.org/
https://www.youtube.com
Feller was in a jewel of a pitcher's duel in game in game one. So well pitched was the tilt, that it took only 102 minutes to play it. It was Feller vs. Johhny Sain. Sain was no pushover. No, he wasn't quite Warren Spahn. But he lead the National League in wins in 1948 with 24.
Feller would finish with a two-hitter - and a loss! Sain allowed four hits himself, but scattered them nicely enough. Bob, in fact, retired the first eleven batters, yet strangly wasn't getting the K's. Through four he would have only two. Through eight innings, he was held to just two strikeouts: Earl Torgeson in the bottom of the first and Bill Salkeld in the bottom of the second!
When Torgeson batted next in the bottom of the fourth, the ball was again not put into play. Feller walked him. Earl stole second but was stranded! Feller's control would not be an issue. He walked only three batters, and one of them was Eddie Stanky intentionally. The next inning saw Boston collect their first hit, but Bob made sure the Braves were denied a run.
But Salkeld singled to start the bottom of the eighth in this scoreless deadlock. Phil Masi came in to pinch run. A bunt moved Phil to second. Stanky batted, and here's where Bob walked him. There must be something with the first name, "Eddie" and the ability to draw walks in this era. For soon, Eddie Yost and Eddie Mathews would do their share of leading their respective leagues in that department.
But for 1948, it was Eddie Stanky not leading the league in walks. It was actually Bob Elliott, with 131. And he was on Boston. Feller retired him all three times. But as Johnny Sain himself batted, Feller tried to pick Masi off second. It appeared to get him, but Phil was called safe. But from the looks of pictures I've seen in numerous books, I'm not alone in thinking this was a blown call. Would it impact the final outcome? Sain lined out, two away. But Tommy Holmes singled to score the game's only run. Ken Keltner, whose two famous plays at third stopped Joe DiMaggio's streak at third (On one of them, he got The Yankee Clipper by an eyelash at first), reached first on an error in the ninth, but Sain retired the other three batters that came to the dish. Boston had won this stunner, 1-0! Could Feller come back and win his next start?
Cleveland went ahead and won the next three games, so Feller was there in game five at home to put the nail in the Braves' coffin. It did not turn out that way.
Feller was tagged for three runs in the top of the first, while Cleveland could only come back with a single tally in the bottom of the frame. Another run in the top of the third seemed to spell the end. Feller got settled down and held Boston scoreless in the fourth and fifth, meanwhile Cleveland tied it with four in the bottom of the fourth.
But a run by Boston in the top of the sixth put Boston up for good. Then the routed Feller and two more relief pitchers by scoring six times in the top of the next inning. Boston won, 11-5 to hand Feller another Fall Classic loss. It turned out to be Bob's last World Series appearance. Cleveland won game six back in Boston to clinch it.
The Indians made it back in 1954, only to be swept by the New York Giants. I well remember my father not being able to remember if Feller was there, but he sure was. 13-3. That paled in comparison to Early Wynn, Bob Lemon and Mike Garcia. Art Houtteman went 15-7. I guess that explains why Bob did not make it to the mound in '54.
We always love it to see our favourites conquer the opposition in the postseason. After all, they do it time and time again over the course of 154 (now 162) games. But the World Series is a different story. Two seasons earlier, Ted Williams and Stan Musial failed to produce in what turned out to be their final World Series. Ty Cobb failed in his first and third try their (Never winning it all, for that matter!). The Fall Classic is just a whole new ball game for even the all-time greats!
References
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/
http://sabr.org/
https://www.youtube.com
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