Common Denominator: Pitched To Mantle In The Postseason, Guarded Wilt In The Postseason

That would be Gene Conley, star pitcher for the Milwaukee Braves in the 1950s and later for the Boston Red Sox. Conley was also a forward on the Boston Celtics. But in 1959/60, he had to help centre Bill Russell guard Wilt! Wilt seemed like a super imposing figure on the Philadelphia Warriors the way Mantle was an imposing figure on the Yankees.

In 1957, it was the Milwaukee Braves vs. Mickey Mantle's Yankees in the Fall Classic. The Yankees seemed like the better team, and it was going to take a group effort to beat them. The Braves had Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews' big bats.

By the time Conley took over the hill in the top of the third inning of game three, it was already 5-1 New York. One out. Mantle had walked and scored in the top of the first. Walked and was forced out at home in the third. The home town Braves were in for a long day.

Conley got Jerry Coleman to pop out to Mathews at third for the second out. Pitcher Don Larsen (Making his first appearance on the hill in the World Series since his perfect game in game five of '56) then grounded out to end that.

The top of the fourth saw Conley retire Hank Bauer for the first out. But then Tony Kubek singled. Mantle was back at the dish. And he deposited a 3-1 Conley offering over the wall in right-centre to make it a 7-1 ballgame. Gene got out of there without further damage, but in the bottom of the frame, he left for a pinch hitter.


Conley did not make another appearance in the 1957 World Series, which the Braves eventually won. In 1959, he was on the Boston Celtics of the NBA, when the big rookie was Wilt Chamberlain. The Big Guy got 30 points on Russell (22 points himself) in their first ever head-to-head meeting on November 7, 1959. Conley did not do much. Wilt seemed even more dominating in their next meeting, just eighteen days later. Wilt put up 45 points to Russell's 15. Conley did much better this time out, however. He scored 17 points himself. But Wilt's team won. This team was a worthy opponent.

The very next day, November 26, Conley scored 24 points vs. Wilt's Warriors. It proved to be a season high. The Celtics first opponent in the playoffs was Philadelphia, of course. Philly had beaten Syracuse in the first round.

Wilt got 42 in the first game vs. Boston, although the Celtics won. Wilt scored only 29 in the second game as the Warriors knotted things. Boston blew 'em out by 30 in game three, however. Six Celtics scored 10 or more points, with Conley getting exactly 10. Gene failed to score a point in the crucial game four, but the Celtics won anyways as Wilt got only 24 compared to Russell's 17.

But when things went back to Boston, Wilt assumed a God-like mode in this game five. It was a must-win situation. And Wilt won the game for his team. 50 points. Russell got only 22. Conley, 15. The series finally ended with a close 119-117 win in game six in Philadelphia, as the first Russell / Chamberlain matchup lived up to it's billing. Wilt scored 26, but Russell stayed right with him with 25 of his own. Conley added sixteen.

The Celtics then needed seven game to beat the St. Louis Hawks for the NBA crown. Conley fouled out in the final game and scored only five points, but Boston won.

References

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 19 August 2015.

Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com - Basketball Statistics and History. http://www.basketball-reference.com/. Web. 19 August 2015.

World Series: Did You Know?

Game three of the 1957 Fall Classic set a record for most walks in a nine-inning contest. That is, for both teams with 19. The New York Yankees won this in a rout over Milwaukee, but no matter. There were a lot of baserunners.

The World Series of '57 was all square after two games in New York. On to a Brave New World! Pitching game three for Milwaukee was Bob Buhl. Neither he nor New York starter Bob Turley lasted. Turley was gone after 1 2/3 innings. His control problem was obvious, as he walked four.

Buhl had problems of his own. He didn't make it out of the first inning. Tony Kubek hit a home run with one out, and the Yankees were on top to stay. But they didn't stop there. Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra walked. A failed pickoff of Mantle at second moved both runners into scoring position. Then a sac fly by Gil McDougald made it 2-0. Harry Simpson drove in Berra with a single. Buhl was out of the game.

The Braves managed to score a run off Turley in the bottom of the second due to his wildness. And when he walked Eddie Mathews, Bob headed towards the showers. In came Don Larsen, no stranger to wildness, but also a perfect game pitcher his last World Series appearance. Larsen got out of the inning.

Juan Pizzaro came in to pitch after Buhl left. He walked two more batters, plus he was tagged for four runs in his outing. Mantle singled off him. He'd later add a home run off Gene Conley, who only walked one batter in 1 2/3 innings. That's how far Pizzaro got. It was 5-1 by the time Conley was on the hill, and Mantle's blast scored two more runs. McDougald drew the walk of Conley.



Larsen walked a batter, but fortunately, it was after Hank Aaron hit a two-run home run off him in the bottom of the fifth. Ernie Johnson was the Braves' fourth pitcher (coming in to pitch the top of the fifth) and walked The Mick in the top of the sixth. Larsen gave up two hits and a walk in the bottom of the frame, but got out of it without allowing a run.

Bob Trowbridge came in to pitch the top of the seventh and it was a disaster. The Yankees coaxed three walks off him, and much more. Hank Bauer singled home two. Tony Kubek added his second home run of the game, and it was now 12-3, New York. There was nothing left to play for, now.

Don McMahon pitched the top of the eighth, and it was a scoreless inning, but no without drama. He allowed a walk and threw a passed ball. Larsen also permitted a walk, to the first batter of the bottom of the frame, but proceeded to retire the next three hitters. When Larsen batted for himself in the top of the ninth, McMahon walked him. Don walked Don. Don then got Bauer to hit into an inning-ending double play, which erased Don at second.

Eddie Mathews drew his third walk of the game in the bottom of the ninth, as Milwaukee came up for it's last stand. Aaron singled. Andy Pafko was also hit by a pitch later. But Don Larsen got out of this jam to. New York had won this game to go up two games to one.



The 1957 World Series had some of the all-time greats. Aaron, Mantle, Mathews, Berra. Plus, on the pitching side, Warren Spahn and Whitey Ford. And this game has been preserved in kinescope for good measure. Fitting that it was. Milwaukee overcame this setback and ended up winning it all in seven. Even when they lost, they were part of World Series history. 19 freebies to first!


References

Major League Baseball. World Series Official Programs 1992 & 1993. Print.

“Rare Spots Films - Vintage Baseball Video Sports Audio Events .” Rare Sports Films - Vintage Baseball Video Sports Auto Racing Events. RARE SPORTSFILMS, INC. (Raresportsfilms.com), <www.raresportsfilms.com/1957world.html>.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 25 May. 2015.

Youtube. Web. 25 May. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/>.