Billy Martin was the first player to collect twelve hits in less than seven games. That had been the standard for "Most hits in one World Series".
It was the 1953 October Classic between New York and Brooklyn. Another Yankees / Dodgers Fall Classic battle. Martin could not have picked a better team to do it against.
Game one was in Yankees Stadium, and Martin's Yankees had things well under control. They put a "4" on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. The Dodgers charged back and eventually tied it in the top of the seventh, but you had a feeling the hometown team was gonna pull it off. Allie Reynolds and Johnny Sain (Who actually blew a save), had pitched better then in this game, but were stopping the Dodgers from taking the lead. Joe Collins put the mighty Bronx Bombers up for good with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh. Three more runs the next innings ended the suspense. Martin was amazing: 3 hits, 3 RBIs!
In game two, New York won again, but it was more their pitching then their hitting. New York, as a team, collected just five hits, but used them to produce four runs to Brooklyn's (who had nine hits) two. Martin collected two hits, one of them a home run. His pal, Mickey Mantle, drove home two runs with a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth. That broke a 2-2 tie. Is their any wonder why manager Casey Stengel loved Martin and Mantle so much, along with pitcher Whitey Ford. Games like this, eh?
But in game three at Ebbets Field, the Dodgers won 3-2. Mantle was held hitless and Martin got just one hit. Brooklyn was right back in it, down two games to one. Game four was not much better as the Dodgers went out and ended Whitey Ford's day after just one inning. The great lefty gave up three runs. Martin collected two hits and an RBI, Mantle a hit and an RBI. Far too little, as Brooklyn had this thing all the way, 7-3. The 1953 Fall Classic was all knotted at two games apiece. Game five, was, needless to say, a crucial one.
And the Yankees went out and won a slugfest, 11-7. Martin had two hits, bringing his total to ten. It was a game of home runs, as the team's combined for six. But New York hit four of them, Martin getting one himself. The biggest was Mantle's, however. It was a grand slam. New York was heading home up three to two, and needed just one of the two at home to win this thing.
Martin drove in Hank Bauer as his ground ball resulted in an error. But because there was only one out, and the run would have scored anyways, Billy had an RBI. Later, he collected a single that did nothing. Brooklyn, however, came back to tie this thing. The teams headed into the bottom of the ninth, tied at three.
Hank Bauer drew a walk off Clem Labine. Yogi Berra was out on a liner. Mantle singled. Billy Martin batted next. He singled back through the box, Bauer came around to score. With the win, the Yankees had their fifth straight World Series.
Billy Martin wasn't in the class of guys like Mantle and Ford, although they were good buddies. Yeah, they had a lot of fun, which included a beer or two. But when the Fall Classic came around, Martin always seemed to shine on the big stage. Years later, Paul Molitor and Roberto Alomar would collect six hits in the 1993 World Series, which also was six games. So Martin would hold this record for forty years. Marquis Grissom would also turn the trick in 1996. I'm not sure if Martin, who died in 1989 in a car accident, would mind sharing the record or spotlight with other players, just as long as they were on his team and the team won. The Brooklyn / New York Fall Classics of the 1940s and 50s seemed to all be classics, even if they were only six or five games. Martin's name in the record book, along with his walk-off single in 1953, made that Fall Classic, another one for the ages!
References
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
http://www.retrosheet.org/
http://www.mlb.com
http://www.youtube.com/
It was the 1953 October Classic between New York and Brooklyn. Another Yankees / Dodgers Fall Classic battle. Martin could not have picked a better team to do it against.
Game one was in Yankees Stadium, and Martin's Yankees had things well under control. They put a "4" on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. The Dodgers charged back and eventually tied it in the top of the seventh, but you had a feeling the hometown team was gonna pull it off. Allie Reynolds and Johnny Sain (Who actually blew a save), had pitched better then in this game, but were stopping the Dodgers from taking the lead. Joe Collins put the mighty Bronx Bombers up for good with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh. Three more runs the next innings ended the suspense. Martin was amazing: 3 hits, 3 RBIs!
In game two, New York won again, but it was more their pitching then their hitting. New York, as a team, collected just five hits, but used them to produce four runs to Brooklyn's (who had nine hits) two. Martin collected two hits, one of them a home run. His pal, Mickey Mantle, drove home two runs with a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth. That broke a 2-2 tie. Is their any wonder why manager Casey Stengel loved Martin and Mantle so much, along with pitcher Whitey Ford. Games like this, eh?
But in game three at Ebbets Field, the Dodgers won 3-2. Mantle was held hitless and Martin got just one hit. Brooklyn was right back in it, down two games to one. Game four was not much better as the Dodgers went out and ended Whitey Ford's day after just one inning. The great lefty gave up three runs. Martin collected two hits and an RBI, Mantle a hit and an RBI. Far too little, as Brooklyn had this thing all the way, 7-3. The 1953 Fall Classic was all knotted at two games apiece. Game five, was, needless to say, a crucial one.
And the Yankees went out and won a slugfest, 11-7. Martin had two hits, bringing his total to ten. It was a game of home runs, as the team's combined for six. But New York hit four of them, Martin getting one himself. The biggest was Mantle's, however. It was a grand slam. New York was heading home up three to two, and needed just one of the two at home to win this thing.
Martin drove in Hank Bauer as his ground ball resulted in an error. But because there was only one out, and the run would have scored anyways, Billy had an RBI. Later, he collected a single that did nothing. Brooklyn, however, came back to tie this thing. The teams headed into the bottom of the ninth, tied at three.
Hank Bauer drew a walk off Clem Labine. Yogi Berra was out on a liner. Mantle singled. Billy Martin batted next. He singled back through the box, Bauer came around to score. With the win, the Yankees had their fifth straight World Series.
Billy Martin wasn't in the class of guys like Mantle and Ford, although they were good buddies. Yeah, they had a lot of fun, which included a beer or two. But when the Fall Classic came around, Martin always seemed to shine on the big stage. Years later, Paul Molitor and Roberto Alomar would collect six hits in the 1993 World Series, which also was six games. So Martin would hold this record for forty years. Marquis Grissom would also turn the trick in 1996. I'm not sure if Martin, who died in 1989 in a car accident, would mind sharing the record or spotlight with other players, just as long as they were on his team and the team won. The Brooklyn / New York Fall Classics of the 1940s and 50s seemed to all be classics, even if they were only six or five games. Martin's name in the record book, along with his walk-off single in 1953, made that Fall Classic, another one for the ages!
References
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
http://www.retrosheet.org/
http://www.mlb.com
http://www.youtube.com/
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