The Heartbreak Seasons: When victory turned into defeat Part 1: Brooklyn

The Dodgers over the last several years have had tremendous success. But there have been a couple of stinkers in there too. LA is not the only place they have experienced the agony of defeat as the Wide World of Sports used to say. Brooklyn had occasion to feel the agony a few times.

1941: The Dodgers finally made it back to the World Series for the first time since 1920. For the first time in team history, they were facing the mighty New York Yankees. The 41 version of the Yankees had won 101 games. They had made it back to the series after their four-year run of consecutive titles was snapped in 1940 by the Hank Greenburg led Tigers, and they finished 3rd in the league, 2 games back of Detroit, and a back of the Indians. The 41-team finished 17 games ahead of the Ted Williams led Red Sox. That was the year Williams hit .406, the last player to hit .400 in the majors, and lost the MVP award to Joe DiMaggio, who hit in 56 consecutive games.

The Dodgers won 100 games that year, led by MVP Dolph Camilli and fiery manager, Leo Durocher. The Yankees won game 1, 3-2 behind Red Ruffing. Brooklyn won game 1, 3-2 behind Whit Whyatt who beat Spud Chandler. The teams went to Brooklyn for game 3. Freddie Fitzsimmons against Marcus Russo. Both pitchers shut down the other team through 7 innings. Hugh Casey relieved Fitz and gave up 4 hits and 2 runs while recording just 1 out. In the bottom of the 8th, Dixie Walker had a double and scored on a single by Reese. That was it, a 2-1 Yankee win.

Game 4 at Ebbets Field. Kirby Higby started for the Dodgers against Atley Donald. By the middle of the 4th inning, the Yanks had scored 3 and knocked Higby out of the game. Brooklyn scored 2 in the bottom of the 4th when Donald walked two and then Jimmy Waddells double. They scored 2 more in the bottom of the 5th on a 2-run homer by Pete Reiser to take a 4-3 lead. The score remained the same going into the top of the 9th inning. Hugh Casey, who had come in to pitch in the fifth inning, got Johnny Strum and Red Rolfe out to begin the ninth. Up to the plate came Tommy Heinrich. Heinrich was 0-3 at the time, only reaching base when hit by a pitch by Johnny Allen in the 5th. Heinrich worked the count to 3-2. Casey threw a low inside curve ball that Henrich swung at and missed, but catcher, Mickey Owen missed the ball and Heinrich reached first. After that, Casey melted down. DiMaggio singled, Keller doubled driving in Heinrich and DiMaggio. Dickey walked and he and Keller scored on a Joe Gordon double for the final 7-4 score. The following day, the Dodgers lost game five, 3-1 getting just 4 hits. Had they won game 4, the series would have been tied 2-2. In the photo, you can see the ball under Owens glove

1946: 1946 was a historic year for the Dodgers. WWII was over and many of the players who had been in the US military would be returning to action. In October of 1945, they had signed Jackie Robinson. Now as 1946 arrived, several players were signed as amateur free agents. They signed Carl Erskine, Irv Noren, Dee Fondy, Ken Lehman, Chris Van Cuyk, and two Negro League players, Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella.

The lineup included Billy Herman at 2nd, Reese at SS, Walker, Reiser and Furillo in the outfield, Eddie Stanky at 3rd, Bruce Edwarss behind the plate and 21-year-old ed Stevens getting the bulk of the time at first. He was backed up by Howie Schultz. The bench was a mix of veterans and kids, along with 34-year-old Joe Medwick, who got into 41 games and batted .312. The starting rotation was Kerby Higby, Joe Hatten, Vic Lombardi and Hal Gregg. Hugh Casey was still the closer. They would use 18 pitchers that year, some talented youngsters among them, Ralph Branca, Cal McLish, and Rex Barney.

The team dominated five of the seven other teams in the National League. They led the League for a large chunk of the year, having their largest lead of 7.5 games on July 2nd. By July 19th, they were tied with the Cardinals. A six-game winning streak got them back into first. By August 22nd, both teams were tied again. But the lead was never more than 2.5 games for the Cards all the way through the month of September. The Dodgers went 21-8 in September and on the last day of the season, both teams lost. Tied at 96-58, the Dodgers traveled to St. Louis for game 155.

Howie Pollet started for the Cards against Ralph Branca, who at 20 years old was in his third year with Brooklyn. The Dodgers went down in order in the first. Singles by Terry Moore and Slaughter, and a walk to Kurowski loaded the bases for the Cards in the bottom of the first with 2 outs. Garagiola singled driving in the first run but was thrown out trying to get back to the base. In the top of the third, Howie Schultz homered off of Pollet on the first pitch. Whitey Kurowski photo above.

Branca gave up 3 hits and a walk for 2 runs in the bottom of the third and was pulled for Kirby Higbe. The score stayed 3-1 until the top of the 7th when Reese, Edwards and Schultz singled with 1 out and Reese scoring on Schultz's single, but Edwards was thrown out at third by Slaughter. In the bottom of the inning, Vic Lombardi took over. Musial tripled and Slaughter flied out. Rube Melton took over, the Dodgers fifth pitcher, and Garagiola singled in Musial. Pollet shut down the Dodgers the rest of the way. The two teams traveled back to Brooklyn for game two.

Brooklyn scored in the bottom of the first after Galan singled, a walk to Walker, and then an RBI single by Ed Stevens. After that, it was all Cardinals as they scored 2 in the second, 3 in the fifth, 1 in the seventh and 2 in the eighth to lead 8-1 going into the bottom of the 9th. The Dodgers scored 3 runs off of starter Murray Dickson in the 9th, but Harry Breckeen came in to get the last two outs and the Cardinals advanced to the World Series against Ted Williams Red Sox. Joe Hatten took the loss.

1947: The Dodgers of 1947 were a historic team. It was Jackie Robonson's rookie season. He would be named the first ever Rookie of the year. The team won 94 games, lost 60 and bested the Cardinals by 5 games, getting some revenge for losing in 46. Six Dodgers received MVP votes, Bruce Edwards, Robinson, Reese, Stanky, Walker and Hugh Casey. The 47 team only hit 83 homers, but they scored 774 runs and hit .272 as a team. By comparison, todays 26 Dodgers after 106 games have 136 homers, 546 runs and are hitting .260. They also have struck out almost 300 times more than the 47 team did all year.

The Dodgers faced the Yankees in the 47 series. The 47 Yankees hit .271 and had 115 homers while scoring 794 runs. On paper, pretty even match offensively. The Yankees pitching though had an ERA about half a run lower. Brooklyn had 2 players with double figures in homers, Reese and Robinson both hit 12. The Yankees had six players with DiMaggio's 20 topping the list.

The Yankees would win games 1&2 at Yankee Stadium 5-3 and 10-3. The teams moved to Ebbets Field for the next 3 games. Brooklyn eked out a 9-8 win in game 3. They had led 6-0 then 6-2, 7-2, 7-4, 9-4. The Yankees scored 2 in the fifth, and one in the 6th and 7th to make it 9-8. Casey relieved Branca with one out in the 7th and shut the Yanks down the rest of the way for the win.

Game 4 was a nail biter. It was also historic. The Yankees had a 2-1 lead after five innings. Brooklyn had scored their only run on a fielder's-choice grounder by Reese. Meanwhile Yankee pitcher, Bill Bevwns was throwing a no hitter. Going into the bottom of the 9th, Bevens still had his no-hitter despite 8 walks. He got Edwards to fly out and then walked Furillo and Gionfriddo ran for Furillo. Spider Jorgensen fouled out. Reiser PH for the pitcher Hugh Casey. While Reiser was batting, Gionfriddo stole second. Bevens walked Reiser intentionally, Miksis ran for Reiser. Cookie Lavagetto then PH for Eddie Stanky. Lavagetto then lined a 1-0 pitch to right. The ball hit the ricocheted off the wall and hit Heinrich in the shoulder, Gionfriddo and Miksis raced around the bases and scored. The hit ended Beven's no-hitter and kept Brooklyn from being down 3-1 in the series. Gionfriddo, Bevens and Lavagetto would never play in the majors again after this series was over.

The Yankees won game five 2-1 as Spec Shea outdueled Rex Barney. Barney walked 8 but DiMaggio's homer in the 5th was the difference. Brooklyn had the tying run on second with 2 out in the 9th, but Lavagetto struck out. Back at Yankee Stadium for game six, Brooklyn went up 4-0 by the top of the 3rd. But starting pitcher, Vic Lombardi could not hold the lead, and he was knocked out of the game as the Yanks scored 4 in the bottom of the 3rd. The Yanks scored another in the 5th making it 5-4. In the top of the 6th, the Dodgers scored 4 runs off of Joe Page and Bo Bo Newsom made it 8-5 Dodgers.

In the bottom of the 6th, Al Gionfriddo went in to play LF as a defensive replacement. Joe Hatten came in to pitch. With 2 outs and 2 on, DiMaggio came up as the potential tying run. He hit a deep drive and Gionfriddo went back and snared the ball right in front of the bullpen alley fence, 415 feet from home plate. The threat was crushed and Di Maggio kicked the dirt when he realized Gionfriddo had caught the ball. It was said it was the only time anyone had seen him show his emotions on the field. Yanks loaded the bases in the 9th but score just once for the 8-6 final. Hugh Casey got the save. Brooklyn took a 2-0 lead in game 7 in the 2nd. But the Yankees chipped away and won 5-2. The Dodgers only homer in the series was hit by Walker in the game 2 loss.

1951: The 1951 Dodgers were a powerful team. Led by MVP Roy Campanella, they hit 184 homers and scored 855 runs. They hit .275 as a team and actually struck out just 46 more times than they walked 649-603. Their starting staff, Newcombe, Roe, Branca and Erskine, all had double digit wins with Roe 22-3 and Newcombe 20-9 the leaders. The closer, Clyde King, was 14-7 with 6 saves. By August 11th, they were 13 games ahead of the New York Giants.

The Dodgers actually played pretty well in August 19-13. They were 14-13 in September. The Giants though won 40 games and lost just 9 in those two months. The Dodgers were up 3 games with 7 to play. The Dodgers were crushed in a double-header loss to the Braves on the 25th, 6-3 and 14-2 with Branca and Erskine getting the losses. Newcombe salvaged one game of the series the next day with a 15-4 win. Roe lost the final game 4-3.

They went to Philadelphia to finish the season. They lost game one and that tied them with the Giants. Newcombe pitched a 5-0 shutout on Saturday. The Giants though won their sixth straight. The only reason they did not get eliminated on the last day was because they won a marathon 14-inning game on Sunday, 9-8 as NY won their seventh beating Boston 3-2. The two teams would meet in a best of 3 playoff.

Dodgers lost the first game at Ebbets Field 3-1 to Jim Hearn who won 17 that year. At the Polo Grounds the next day, Clem Labine shut out the Giants 10-0 behind four Brooklyn homers. Newcombe faced off against Sal Maglie in game 3. It was a close game all the way with the Dodgers going up 1-0 when Reese singled home a run after 2 walks. It stayed that way until the bottom of the 7th when Monte Irvin doubled and would score on a sac-fly. In the bottom of the 8th, the Dodgers got to Maglie for 3 runs. Reese and Snider singled. A wild pitch scored Reese. Robinson walked and Pafko singled in Snider. Cox singled scoring Robinson and it was 4-1 Dodgers. Newcombe retired the Giants in order in the 8th and Jansen, who relieved Maglie, got Brooklyn out in order in the 9th.

Dark led off the 9th with a single. Mueller also singled. After Irvin popped out to Hodges, Whitey Lockman hit a double scoring Dark. On sliding into third, Mueller sprained his ankle. As Mueller was being taken to the locker room, Dodger manager, Chuck Dressen, called for game 1 started Ralph Branca to come into the game in relief. Branca was working on one day's rest. Also warming up at the time was Carl Erskine. Reportedly, when Dressen called the pen, he asked who was ready, the BP coach said Erskine had just bounced a curve in the dirt. Dressen chose Branca even though the batter coming to the plate, Bobby Thompson, had homered off of him in game 1.

Thompson lined Branca's second pitch deep into the left field seats for a walk off homer. For Thompson it was redemption of sorts. Two of Brooklyn's runs in the 8th scored on balls he either missed played or just plain missed. He also had a base running gaff in the second when he was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double. It was a gut-wrenching loss for Brooklyn and elation for former manager, Leo Durocher.

Brooklyn would suffer another heartbreak when they lost the 52 series in 7 games. In the 7th inning of game 7 at Ebbets Field, the Dodgers loaded the bases down 4-2. Jackie Robinson came up with 2 outs. He hit a short pop up that seemed to confuse all the Yankee infielders, it looked like it would drop and score the tying runs. Billy Martin, the Yankees second baseman, made a lunging catch by the pitcher's mound ending the rally. The Dodgers went down in the 9th, and the Yankees had won their fourth World Series in a row. They would win #5 the next year beating Brooklyn in six games. That was the end for manager Chuck Dressen who would be replaced by Walter Alston, who led Brooklyn to its first and only title in 1955. In 1956, the Dodgers had a chance to go back-to-back.

After being no-hit in Larsen's perfect game in game 5 of the 56 series, they went home to Ebbets Field for games five and six. The Dodgers were 52-26 at their home field that year. The Yankees were 48-29 on the road. Clem Labine, who most remember as a closer or long reliever for the Dodgers started against Bob Turley. Labine would give up 7 hits and 2 walks, both intentional to Mickey Mantle, and strike out 5. He pitched 10 scoreless innings. Brooklyn won the game in the bottom of the 10th when Jackie Robinson singled home Pee Wee Reese.

The Dodgers had to feel good about their chances with their Ace, Don Newcombe, who would win the inaugural Cy Young that year, a 26-game winner on the mound against the Yankees Johnny Kucks. Kucks won 18 for New York that year. The Dodgers were never in the game. Yogi Berra hit a 2-run homer off of Newcombe in the first. He did it again in the 3rd. Newcombe gave up a 5th run in the 4th and was pulled. Kucks meanwhile held the Dodgers to 3 hits. The Yankees won the game and the series 9-0. It was discovered much later that Newcombe had a drinking problem. Whether or not that had any impact on his performance is not known. What is known is that Newcombe had a 0-4 record in Series play with an ERA of 8.59. In the 56 series alone, he allowed 11 earned runs. The Dodgers would leave Brooklyn for LA after the 57 season. Newcombe would be traded to the Reds in 1958 and finish his career with Cleveland in 1960.

OKC Comets 7 – Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 5

RHP Ryder Ryan was the SP for OKC.  He gave up a run in the 1st inning on a single, groundout, and RBI single.  In the 2nd, he gave up a leadoff HR.  In the 3rd, he gave up a third run before getting an out.  After 3 innings, LV had a 3-0 lead.

In the 4th, RF James Tibbs III doubled (24) and moved to 3rd when 2B Austin Gauthier singled.  3B Noah Miller hit a SF to score JT III. 

Down 3-1 in the 5th, DH Alek Thomas led off with a single.   (3).  After one out, Thomas stole 2nd and scored when JTIII hit a 2-out triple.  1B Ryan Fitzgerald singled to plate JTIII to tie the score 3-3.

OKC RHRP José Rodríguez pitched 3.0 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit, 1 BB, and striking out 4.

RHRP Ben Casparius entered in the 6th and walked 4 batters giving Las Vegas a 4-3 lead.  RHRP Nick Robertson inherited the bases loaded with 1 out and got a K and groundout to end the inning.  After getting the first two outs in the 7th, Robertson gave up a solo HR.

Down 5-3 in the 7th, CF Zach Ehrhard hit a one-out single.  After the 2nd out, Ehrhard stole 2nd and scored on a RBI single by JT111.

In the 8th, C Griffin Lockwood-Powell reached on an error.  Hyeseong Kim ran for GLP and moved to 3rd when SS Alex Freeland singled.  Freeland stole 2nd, and both runners scored when Thomas hit a 3-run HR (6) producing the eventual final score 7-5.

JTIII was a homer shy of the cycle.  Nice comeback win for OKC. 

·      Alex Freeland – 2-4, 1BB, 1 run

·      Alek Thomas – 2-5, 2 runs, 3 RBI, HR (6)

·      James Tibbs III – 3-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double (24), triple (3)

·      Austin Gauthier – 3-4 

Box Score 

Tulsa Drillers 14 – NW Arkansas Naturals (KC) 7

LHSP Zach Root made his AA debut, and it did not go as hoped for.  He was not able to get out of the 3rd inning, even with a 7-0 lead going into the 3rd inning.

Tulsa scored 4 in the bottom of the 1st inning.  LF Josue De Paula led off with a single.  He moved to 3B when CF Mike Sirota reached on a fielding error.  3B Jake Gelof hit a SF to score JDP.  DH Zyhir Hope hit a 2-run HR (22).  With 2 outs, 1B Chris Newell singled and stole 2nd.  Newell scored when C Frank Rodriguez singled.

In the bottom of the 2nd, 2B Jose Izarra doubled (3) to lead off the inning.  JDP followed with a 2-run HR (17).  Sirota singled, and with 1 out, Hope singled.  SS Elijah Hainline walked to load the bases.  Sirota scored on a WP, and Newell lined into a DP to end the inning.

Root ran into a buzz saw in the 3rd.  He gave up a lead off single, struck the next batter out, walked the next batter, and then got a F8.  Root was one out away from getting out of the inning, but the roof caved in.  He walked the next batter to load the bases, and then gave up a bases loaded double.  That runner scored when the next batter also doubled.  LHRP Miles Caba relieved Root and got the final out of the inning.  Caba allowed a single over the next two innings with no runs.

In the 5th, Hope hit his 2nd HR (23) of the game.  Hainline (13) and Newell (5) hit back-to-back doubles for a run.  With 2 outs, JDP hit his 28th double of the season to score Newell and a 10-4 lead. 

LHRP Christian Suarez entered for Caba in the 6th.  He was greet with double, HR, double before getting 2K.  But he gave up a run scoring single before getting the final out of the inning.

In the bottom of the 6th, Gelof singled and with one out, Hainline hit a 2-run HR (10).

Tulsa picked up 2 more in the 7th.  With 2 outs, JDP walked and Sirota hit a 2-run HR (9).

RHRP Kelvin Martinez pitched a clean 2.0 innings, striking out 5 of the 6 batters he faced. RHRP Carson Hobbs pitched a perfect 9th with a K.

·      Josue De Paula – 3-4, 1 BB, 3 runs, 3 RBI, double (28), HR (17)

·      Mike Sirota – 2-5, 3 runs, 2 RBI, HR (9)

·      Zyhir Hope – 3-5, 2 runs, 3 RBI, 2 HR (23)

·      Elijah Hainline – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double (13), HR (10)

·      Chris Newell – 2-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double (5)

·      Jose Izarra – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run, double (3) 

Box Score 

Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego) 5 – Great Lakes Loons 2

RHSP Brady Smith had a fantastic bounce back start after his disastrous Great Lakes debut.  Smith completed 5.0 scoreless innings.  In the 6th,  he hit the 1st batter.  He got the next batter on a ground out, and the runner moved to 2nd.  The next batter doubled home the first run of the game. 

Smith gave way to RHRP Nicolas Cruz with one out in the 6th, and a runner on 2nd.  Cruz picked off the runner at 2nd, but then allowed 2 singles before getting the final out.

GL took the lead in the bottom of the 6th without the benefit of a hit.  Leading off in the inning, C Gio Cueto, CF Eduardo Quintero, and SS Emil Morales all walked. Cueto scored on a PB, and Quintero scored on a SF, and GL had a 2-1 lead, and they still had not had a hit in the game.

LHRP Jakob Wright took over in the 7th.  He gave up a single, BB, and single to tie the score. 

RF Jaron Elkins got the Loons first hit of the night leading off in the 7th inning.  He moved to 2nd on a groundout but was stranded.

With Wright still pitching in the 8th inning, he gave up a leadoff single.  He allowed a one out BB, and then threw 2 WP to score one run.  He gave up a double to score another run. The next two batters singled and walked to load the bases. The next batter hit a RBI single, and Wright was removed for RHRP Alex Makarewich who inherited the bases loaded with one out.  Makarewich induced a GIDP to get out of the inning.  The TinCaps took a 5-2 lead.

With 2 outs in the 9th, Elkins got his 2nd hit of the night, and the only 2 hits for GL. 

Box Score 

Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado) 17 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 2

This was one of the ugliest pitched games I have seen outside of the ACL or DSL.  5 Ontario pitches allowed 17 runs, 12 hits, and 13 (THIRTEEN) BB.  They also had 3 errors giving way to 7 unearned runs.

·      DH Kellon Lindsey – 2-4, 1 run, double (5)

·      LF Ching-Hsien Ko – 2-3, 1 BB, 2 RBI

·      SS Joendry Vargas – 2-4

·      C Francisco Espinoza – 3-4 

Box Score

Maybe AF should bring up this guy.