It has taken almost 56 years, but I have just discovered that my friends and I were more upset that the New York Yankees lost the 1955 World Series than they were.
Less than two minutes after Gil Hodges caught a low throw from shortstop Pee Wee Reese to retire Elston Howard, the Yankees were in their dressing room at Yankee Stadium.
They were a group of players in dishabille, certainly not sad and seemingly relieved that the grueling seven-game Series was finally over. As they prepared to shower and dress, the Yankees moved about with a quiet dignity.
The popular conception that the players on the team that has just lost the seventh game of the World Series sit at their lockers, stare into space and are filled with regret was shattered.
One Yankees player, who requested anonymity, told reporter Louis Effrat that he could explain the lack of anguish.
“Maybe we expected this. Forget about our being crippled. Maybe that was or was not a factor, but we went as far as we could.
“Most of us felt that we were lucky even to have been in the series. We didn’t deserve to win the pennant. The Cleveland club had better pitching and in the series, the same was true about Brooklyn’s pitching.
“They played better ball than we played, so how can we feel sad?”
The Yankees had an excellent chance to win the seventh game whether or not the Brooklyn Dodgers played better ball.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Billy Martin drew a walk off left-hander Johnny Podres. Gil McDougald beat out a bunt, moving Martin to second. Yogi Berra was the batter.
Many thought that Casey Stengel would have Berra sacrifice. Forget that Berra was the clean up hitter. It was not unusual, even for the third, fourth or fifth hitters to bunt in such a situation.
Stengel explained why he had Berra hit, which resulted in left fielder Sandy Amoros making one of the greatest and most memorable plays in World Series history.
“I never for an instant wanted Yogi to sacrifice. I was playing to win, not tie.”
Berra hit a deep drive close to the left field line. Amoros, who had been put in for defense and threw with his left hand, lunged at the last second to rob Berra of a double.
He fired to Reese who fired to Hodges to double McDougald, who thought Berra had a sure hit and had rounded second, off first.
“I didn’t think that Amoros would catch the ball. I thought he might shy away from the left field fence…If Amoros had not caught the ball, I would have scored from first,” McDougald said after the game.
The Yankees loss was the first I had ever experienced. From the time I started my “career” as a fan, I had watched the Yankees win the World Series in 1951, 1952 and 1953.
I was sad, upset and couldn’t wait for the 1956 World Series. It was a long winter. It took me until today to learn how most of the Yankees felt.
Reference:
Bombers, conceding better team won, show no sadness in dressing room. (1955, ). New York Times (1923-Current File), pp. 44-44. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/113191462?accountid=46260