Although he allowed six hits in just 2 1/3 innings pitcher, Ralph Branca was the winning pitcher in game six of 1947. The Brooklyn Dodgers lived to fight another day.
Branca had started game one, and lost. He allowed a Yogi Berra home run in game three, but Brooklyn held on for a 9-8 win. But once it got to game six at Yankee Stadium, it was do-or-die for the Dodgers.
Well, the Dodgers dodged defeat. It wasn't easy.
Vic Lombardi started for the visiting Dodgers, and Brooklyn got up 4-0 going into the bottom of the third. Here's where New York woke up. They scored twice and had runners on first and second, with two down.
Branca came in and Billy Johnson singled. 4-3. Bobby Brown batted for Jack Phillips and singled. That scored the great Joe DiMaggio. Game tied, 4-4.
The next inning was tough, too. Branca gave up a single, got two strikeouts, then allowed another single. Yogi Berra singled to score the go-ahead run, but DiMaggio hit into a force. Brooklyn needed some offence.
They didn't get any in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the frame, Ralph Branca held the fort. Johnson grounded out. George McQuinn popped to second. Phil Rizzuto singled to keep the inning going, but Aaron Robinson grounded out to second to end that.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Dodgers scored four times to take an 8-5 lead. Branca had been removed for a pinch hitter. Joe Hatten took over on the mound for Brooklyn. He held the fort, but the Yankees still managed to get to him eventually.
In the last of the ninth, Johnson singled and McQuinn. Hugh Casey came in. Rizzuto flied out to centre. Robinson singled, however, and the bases were loaded.
Lonny Frey batted for Butch Wensloff, and singled home Billy Johnson. 8-6. Stuffy Stirnweiss grounded out to Casey, and the Dodgers had the game.
Alas, in game seven, the Dodgers couldn't hold an early 2-0 lead. It was the Yankees scored the game's final five runs, to take the 1947 World Series in 7 games. Branca was not done pitching in the Fall Classic, however.
Two years later, the two teams met again. Ralph pitched much better this time around. Given the ball for game three at Brooklyn, he allowed a third inning run, then seemed to settle down. The Yankees gave up the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Pee Wee Reese homered.
The game stayed tied at 1 going into the top of the ninth. New York pulled it out as Yogi walked with one out. When Joe DiMaggio popped out, Branca seemed safe. Bobby Brown singled Berra into scoring position. Gene Woodling walked to load the bases. And when Johhny Mize singled, Berra and Brown scored. Jack Banta came into relieve Branca, who'd allowed just four hits over eight and two-thirds innings pitched. Jerry Coleman singled to make it 4-1.
The Brooklyn Dodgers had quite a bottom of the frame. Three outs away from losing, they sure didn't quit. Gil Hodges was retired, but Luis Olmo, the left fielder, hit a solo home run. 4-2. Joe Page, pitching in relief and going for the win, fanned Duke Snider. Then, Roy Campanella hit a solo shot of his own, 4-3. Bruce Edwards went sent to the dish for Banta, but Page got him looking to end game three.
And Brooklyn lost the next two games.
Branca never pitched again in the World Series, although he was on the Dodgers' postseason roster in 1952, the year after famous Giants pennant win over Branca's team. The '52 World Series went seven, and again, Brooklyn lost. They'd finally win in 1955 (After suffering a six-game defeat in '53 and watching the Giants win again the next year.) but Ralph was no longer pitching for Brooklyn. Soon, he retired from baseball, not much past his 30th birthday.
The Dodgers suffered a lot of heartbreak, long before Ralph Branca arrived. Was 1947 especially hard? They were so close, yet the Yankees made 'em look so-close-yet-so-far in game seven. In '52 they had games six and seven at home, coming up just empty. Even after Brooklyn's big win in 1955, the New York Yankees took their revenge in seven the following season. The Dodgers headed west to Los Angeles and won in 1959, 1963 and 1965. By then their pitching staff was primarily Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, so the opposition didn't have a chance.
Branca passed away yesterday, age 90. The Dodgers haven't won since 1988 and the San Francisco Giants (Having also gone west in '58) have recently won the Fall Classic three times. The New York Yankees have 27 World Titles to their name, while Brooklyn / Los Angeles has had to settle for 6. The Giants are up to 9, tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the most of any National League team. But Ralph Branca was part of some great Brooklyn teams, and remembering him for Bobby Thompson's home run just doesn't seem right.
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York, 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 24 Nov. 2016.
Branca had started game one, and lost. He allowed a Yogi Berra home run in game three, but Brooklyn held on for a 9-8 win. But once it got to game six at Yankee Stadium, it was do-or-die for the Dodgers.
Well, the Dodgers dodged defeat. It wasn't easy.
Vic Lombardi started for the visiting Dodgers, and Brooklyn got up 4-0 going into the bottom of the third. Here's where New York woke up. They scored twice and had runners on first and second, with two down.
Branca came in and Billy Johnson singled. 4-3. Bobby Brown batted for Jack Phillips and singled. That scored the great Joe DiMaggio. Game tied, 4-4.
The next inning was tough, too. Branca gave up a single, got two strikeouts, then allowed another single. Yogi Berra singled to score the go-ahead run, but DiMaggio hit into a force. Brooklyn needed some offence.
They didn't get any in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the frame, Ralph Branca held the fort. Johnson grounded out. George McQuinn popped to second. Phil Rizzuto singled to keep the inning going, but Aaron Robinson grounded out to second to end that.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Dodgers scored four times to take an 8-5 lead. Branca had been removed for a pinch hitter. Joe Hatten took over on the mound for Brooklyn. He held the fort, but the Yankees still managed to get to him eventually.
In the last of the ninth, Johnson singled and McQuinn. Hugh Casey came in. Rizzuto flied out to centre. Robinson singled, however, and the bases were loaded.
Lonny Frey batted for Butch Wensloff, and singled home Billy Johnson. 8-6. Stuffy Stirnweiss grounded out to Casey, and the Dodgers had the game.
Alas, in game seven, the Dodgers couldn't hold an early 2-0 lead. It was the Yankees scored the game's final five runs, to take the 1947 World Series in 7 games. Branca was not done pitching in the Fall Classic, however.
Two years later, the two teams met again. Ralph pitched much better this time around. Given the ball for game three at Brooklyn, he allowed a third inning run, then seemed to settle down. The Yankees gave up the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Pee Wee Reese homered.
The game stayed tied at 1 going into the top of the ninth. New York pulled it out as Yogi walked with one out. When Joe DiMaggio popped out, Branca seemed safe. Bobby Brown singled Berra into scoring position. Gene Woodling walked to load the bases. And when Johhny Mize singled, Berra and Brown scored. Jack Banta came into relieve Branca, who'd allowed just four hits over eight and two-thirds innings pitched. Jerry Coleman singled to make it 4-1.
The Brooklyn Dodgers had quite a bottom of the frame. Three outs away from losing, they sure didn't quit. Gil Hodges was retired, but Luis Olmo, the left fielder, hit a solo home run. 4-2. Joe Page, pitching in relief and going for the win, fanned Duke Snider. Then, Roy Campanella hit a solo shot of his own, 4-3. Bruce Edwards went sent to the dish for Banta, but Page got him looking to end game three.
And Brooklyn lost the next two games.
Branca never pitched again in the World Series, although he was on the Dodgers' postseason roster in 1952, the year after famous Giants pennant win over Branca's team. The '52 World Series went seven, and again, Brooklyn lost. They'd finally win in 1955 (After suffering a six-game defeat in '53 and watching the Giants win again the next year.) but Ralph was no longer pitching for Brooklyn. Soon, he retired from baseball, not much past his 30th birthday.
The Dodgers suffered a lot of heartbreak, long before Ralph Branca arrived. Was 1947 especially hard? They were so close, yet the Yankees made 'em look so-close-yet-so-far in game seven. In '52 they had games six and seven at home, coming up just empty. Even after Brooklyn's big win in 1955, the New York Yankees took their revenge in seven the following season. The Dodgers headed west to Los Angeles and won in 1959, 1963 and 1965. By then their pitching staff was primarily Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, so the opposition didn't have a chance.
Branca passed away yesterday, age 90. The Dodgers haven't won since 1988 and the San Francisco Giants (Having also gone west in '58) have recently won the Fall Classic three times. The New York Yankees have 27 World Titles to their name, while Brooklyn / Los Angeles has had to settle for 6. The Giants are up to 9, tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the most of any National League team. But Ralph Branca was part of some great Brooklyn teams, and remembering him for Bobby Thompson's home run just doesn't seem right.
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York, 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 24 Nov. 2016.
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