Brooklyn Dodgers - The Golden Years (1946-1957)

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1950

Decade

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105

Titles:

Top Dodgers Players of the Golden Era

NL Champs 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1956 (Lost to Yankees each time)

World Champs 1955 (beat Yankees)

Pitchers:

World Champs 1959 (beat White Sox)

Don Newcombe (24) - 83

Carl Erskine (16.9) - 64

BallPark:

Preacher Roe (25.6) - 53

Ebbets Field

Ralph Branca (15.2) - 44

Joe Hatten (10.3) - 37

Team Name:

Clem Labine (10.1) - 27

Dodgers

Billy Loes (6.77) - 27

Johnny Podres (8.79) - 20

Owner:

Rex Barney (2.64) - 15

Walter O'Malley, Branch Rickey, John Lawrence Smith (1946-1950)

Don Drysdale (7.78) - 14

Walter O'Malley (1951-1957)

Vic Lombardi (5.79) - 14

Russ Meyer (0.93) - 13

General Manager:

Kirby Higbe (2.86) - 12

Branch Rickey (1946-1950)

Hugh Casey (1.91) - 11

Buzzy Bavasi (1951-1957)

Joe Black (4.02) - 11

Erv Palica (4.96) - 11

Managers:

Sal Maglie (6.78) - 9

Leo Durocher (1946, 1948)

Roger Craig (4.5) - 8

Clyde Sukeforth (1947)

Jim Hughes (4.51) - 7

Ray Blades (1947)

Ed Roebuck (1.58) - 6

Burt Shotton (1947-1950)

Don Bessent (4.56) - 4

Chuck Dressen (1951-1953)

Karl Spooner (1.63) - 3

Walter Alston (1954-1957)

Sandy Koufax (1.86) - 2

No Hitters:

Catchers:

Ed Head (1946)

Roy Campanella (34.13) - 98

Rex Barney (1948)

Bruce Edwards (6.02) - 14

Carl Erskine (1952)

Carl Erskine (1956)

First Basemen:

Sal Maglie (1956)

Gil Hodges (40.76) - 99

Chuck Connors (0.5) - 0

Hall of Famers:

Branch Rickey

Second Basemen:

Leo Durocher

Junior Gilliam (17.2) - 42

Walter Alston

Eddie Stanky (9.45) - 13

Gil Hodges

Charlie Neal (3.83) - 10

Sandy Koufax

Don Drysdale

ShortStop:

Roy Campanella

Pee Wee Reese (56.37) - 132

Jackie Robinson

Pee Wee Reese

Third Base:

Duke Snider

Jackie Robinson (61.4) - 133

Billy Cox (5.85) - 24

Rookie of the Year

Don Hoak (2.71) - 9

Jackie Robinson (1947)

Randy Jackson (2.27) - 6

Don Newcombe (1949)

Joe Black (1952)

Outfield:

Junior Gilliam (1953)

Duke Snider (57.93) - 120

Carl Furillo (34.25) - 96

MVP

Pete Reiser (7.55) - 25

Jackie Robinson (1947)

Gene Hermanski (9.24) - 24

Roy Campanella (1951)

Dixie Walker (8.19) - 15

Roy Campanella (1953)

Sandy Amoros (7.96) - 15

Roy Campanella (1955)

Andy Pafko (4.98) - 9

Don Newcombe (1956)

Gino Cimoli (2.54) - 7

Shotgun Shuba (3.02) - 4

Cy Young

Don Newcombe (1956)

Notable Events:

1951 - O'Malley promotes Buzzy Bavasi to GM of the Dodgers. He had been

GM of their top farm club in Montreal. While he was not Branch Rickey,

1946 - The Golden Era in New York baseball ran from after the war (1946)

nobody was, Bavasi was an exceptional General Manager in his own right

to the last year the Giants and Dodgers were in New York (1957),

and the Dodgers were in good hands as he carried them forward

a twelve year span. In the National League, during that period, the

Dodgers won six pennants and one world title and the Giants won

1951 - Brooklyn loses the pennant in a three game playoff with the Giants

two pennants and one world title. In the American League, the

as Bobby Thomson hits a three run homer with two outs in the bottom

Yankees won nine pennants and seven world titles. Every one of

of the ninth of game three to win it. To make things even worse,

the six Dodgers world series was played against the Yankees with

the Giants overcame a thirteen game deficit in August to force the playoff.

the Yankees winning five. The Giants and the Yankees played once

And to make things even worse than that, former Dodgers manager

with the Yankees winning. All in all, only 1946 and 1948 did not

Leo Durocher was the gloating skipper of the Giants.

include a New York team in the world series in those twelve years.

1952 - The Dodgers win the 1952 and 1953 pennants only to lose the World

The Dodger team of the Golden Age (1946-57) was one of the best ever

Series to the Yankees both years. The Dodgers had come thisclose to

assembled in baseball history.

matching the Yankees' five straight pennants from 1949-1953.

There was an eight player core of this team that was there pretty much

The difference, of course, being that the Yankees also won all five of

throughout the entire twelve years.

those World Series. Not only that, when you add in that the Dodgers

□ Three (Robinson, Campanella and Newcombe) were picked up from the

lost another playoff (with the Cards) in 1946 and that they also won the

Negro Leagues where GM Branch Rickey was recruiting players

1947 pennant, the eleven year run from 1946-1956, they could have easily

well before most other owners.

won nine pennants having won 6 titles, losing two playoffs and losing one

□ Two others (Hodges and Snider) were signed by Rickey as teenagers

pennant on the final day of the season (1950 to the Phillies).

during World War II when most other owners were reticent to do so.

Now, that's a dynasty.

□ Two of the others (Erskine and Furillo) were signed by Rickey

shortly after the war.

1953 - Lefty Johnny Podres, 20, is a rookie. He was signed two years earlier

□ The eighth (Reese) was traded for earlier by Larry MacPhail.

1953 - primo utility man Junior Gilliam, 24, is a rookie.

The awesome eight:

He was signed two years earlier

□ catcher - Roy Campanella - Hall of Fame 1948 - 1957

□ first base - Gil Hodges - 7 consecutive 100 plus rbi seasons 1946 - 1957

1954 - Manager Chuck Dressen demands a three year deal to manage the

□ second base - Jackie Robinson - Hall of Fame 1947- 1956

Dodgers. Walter O'Malley hires unknown Walter Alston to a one year

□ shortstop - Pee Wee Reese - Hall of Fame 1946 - 1957

deal instead. Nobody bullies O'Malley (except Robert Moses)

□ outfield - Carl Furillo - .284 hitter or better in 11 of 12 seasons 1946 - 1957

□ outfield - Duke Snider - Hall of Fame 1946 - 1957

1954 - Twenty three year old lefthander Karl Spooner debuts and hurls two

□ righthander - Carl Erskine - 117-71 W-L from 1948 - 1957

complete game shutouts allowing only seven hits total.

□ righthander - Don Newcombe - 123-60 W-L from 1949 - 1957

It looked like he and Cleveland lefty Herb Score would be the game's next

great pitchers. Spooner hurt his arm the following year in spring training

1946 - Outfielder Carl Furillo, 24, is a rookie. He was signed in 1941

and was essentially done.

Meanwhile, Score's brilliance only lasted a couple of years longer before a

1946 - The Dodgers and St. Louis tie for first and have a best of

line drive to the face in 1957 essentially finished his career.

three playoff which the Cardinals win 2-0

1955 - Lefty Sandy Koufax, 19, is a bonus baby.

1947 - Jackie Robinson breaks the color line. He will play first, second

Not to worry about Spooner, Dodgers fans, there was an even better young

and third during his Dodger Hall of Fame career.

lefty in the farm system altho' it would take a few years for him to blossom.

Jackie is twenty eight years old when he comes up to the Dodgers.

A Hall of Famer and one of the greats of all time.

He played earlier in the Negro Leagues.

1955 - Brooklyn finally wins the World Series, beating the Yankees in

1947 - Dodgers win the pennant and lose the World Series to the

seven games. The Dodgers had lost in World Series in

Yanks Cookie Lavagetto breaks up a no hitter by Bill Bevans of the

1916, 1920, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953 -

Yanks with two outs in the ninth in game 6.

the last five of those to the Yankees.

Not only that but the Dodgers end up winning the game.

They will lose another one to the Yankees in 1956.

1947 - Al Gionfriddo makes a spectacular catch against Joe DiMaggio

1956 - Righty Don Drysdale, 19, is a rookie. Forms a great one-two punch

in the World Series

for the Dodgers with Koufax for years to come.

1947 - Manager Leo Durocher was suspended for a year for making

1956 - Second baseman Charlie Neal, 25, is a rookie. He was signed

an inappropriate and erroneous comment about former Dodger

way back in 1950

President Larry MacPhail regarding consorting with gamblers.

1956 - The Dodgers win the pennant, but lose the World Series to the

1948 - Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella, 26, is a rookie signed

Yankees in 1956 .Don Larsen tosses a perfect game against the

out of the Negro Leagues.

Dodgers in game five as a punctuation mark

1948 - Righthander Carl Erskiine, 21, is a rookie. He was signed in 1946

1957 - Jackie Robinson is traded to the hated Giants and promptly

quits baseball

1948 - Ace righthander Preacher Roe, 32, and slick fielding third

baseman Billy Cox, 28, are obtained from the Pirates for

1957 - Catcher John Roseboro, 24, is a rookie. The heir apparent to

Hal Gregg, Vic Lombardi and Dixie Walker

Roy Campanella, he is pressed into a starting role way too soon.

He had been signed in 1952

1949 - Righthander Don Newcombe, 23, is a rookie.

He was signed out of the Negro Leagues.

1958 - Walter O'Malley moves the Dodgers to LA after the 1957 season.

O'Malley wanted to build a new ballpark in Brooklyn to capitalize on the

1949 - The Dodgers win the pennant but again lose the World Series

immense popularity of the Dodgers there, but failed. At the time,

to the Yankees

nothing got built in New York without Robert Moses's imprimatur

and Moses wanted the Dodgers in Queens. This hardly makes the

1950 - Brooklyn loses the pennant to Phillies on the last day of the season

greedy O'Malley a saint in this saga, just slightly less of an ogre

than Moses. The move literally cut the heart out of Brooklyn and, in

1951 - Branch Rickey leaves for the Pirates to work for his friend,

many ways, Brooklyn has never recovered. All involved should have

Pirates owner, John Galbreath. It was a breath of fresh air for

been ashamed of themselves, as O'Malley should have never taken

Rickey who battled and lost a fight for control of the Dodgers

the beloved Dodgers out of Brooklyn and Moses should have capitulated.

with Walter O'Malley. Rickey was a baseball genius, but was no

Knowing the two personalities, what ended up happening was pretty

match for the manueverings of lawyer O'Malley.

much inevitable.

1958 - Roy Campanella is paralyzed in a car accident after the 1957 season.