1957 World Series and Finale

World Series Preparations

I have the lineups and pitching rotations from the actual World Series available, so that at least covers the Milwaukee side of the coin. The only real question for the White Sox is who plays first base and that is dependent upon a left or right-handed pitcher, so I will utilize their standard lineup and platoon accordingly. Both teams have a pretty set rotation that I will plug in, with Warren Spahn and Billy Pierce getting the game one, four, and seven assignments.

 

All of the regulars are hereby deemed healthy and ready to play, and I decided that Larry Doby was healthy enough to go full speed in the event of a World Series. He was "rested" for much of the last month of the season as it was, so I am going with "the White Sox were getting him ready for post-season play." I intend to bring a regular late-game defensive replacement for Doby, as needed.

 

When New York played Brooklyn in the 1949 World Series there were no off days. Of course, they were playing a crosstown series, but Milwaukee and Chicago are only 80 miles apart, so I will do the same. New York, the AL team, was the home team in 1949, and since the White Sox had the better W/L record anyway they will be home for games 1, 2, 6, and 7 (as needed), with Milwaukee hosting games 3, 4, and 5 (as needed).

 

The rosters are set, the rotations are set, the lineups are set, the schedule is set … I can't think of any reason to not get started. After an off day on Monday, it's time to get the 1957 World Series underway!

 

Tuesday, October 1, 1957 (Game One)

 

Milwaukee 7 Chicago (AL) (H) 3

 

It's the Opening Day of the 1957 World Series with the Milwaukee Braves playing the Chicago White Sox in Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. Both teams won their league in a convincing manner and all signs point to this being an exciting series. Warren Spahn will take the mound for the Braves and the White Sox will answer with Billy Pierce, the two aces for their respective teams. The stands are steaming with excited White Sox fans, not only happy to be in the World Series but especially happy because they finally defeated the mighty New York Yankees to get there.

 

Batting second, Johnny Logan poked a single to reach first and then Hank Aaron tripled him home for the first run of the game. Joe Adcock followed that up with a double off the center field wall and just like that, the Braves had a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning Luis Aparicio singled to lead off the Chicago first, stole second, and scored on a Minnie Minoso double, but Milwaukee had a 2-1 lead after the first.

 

Wes Covington always batted in the seventh slot when facing a left-handed pitcher, but his solo homerun in the second gave the visitors a 3-1 advantage. Aaron then hit his first homerun of the series in the third, and after a long discussion on the mound, it was decided to leave Pierce in the game. Pierce got an out, gave up two bloop singles, got another out, and then Spahn singled home a run, necessitating Pierce's removal. Gerry Staley immediately gave up an RBI single and then a walk, but finally got the third out, the Braves now on top 6-1 after the top of the third.

 

Staley gave up a solo homerun to Adcock in the fourth, but both pitchers had pretty much settled in at this point and things moved along quickly and quietly. Staley was soon batted for, and Bill Fischer came to the mound. Spahn was cruising at this point, Fischer pitched well until he was hit for and Dixie Howell took the mound.

 

Walt Dropo hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 7-3, but Spahn was undaunted and continued ahead getting out of the eighth with no more damage and then closing things out in the ninth for the 7-3 Milwaukee game one win.

 

Wednesday, October 2, 1957 (Game Two)

 

Milwaukee 3 Chicago (AL) (H) 1

 

Another beautiful afternoon in Chicago and the White Sox fans are taking yesterday's performance by Billy Pierce as an aberration and are sure the boys will get back on the winning track today before they head up the road to Wisconsin. Bob Buhl will be taking the mound versus Dick Donovan and a good game is expected in both quarters.

 

This was the pitcher's duel that everyone expected in game one. The White Sox didn’t get a hit until the fourth and their second hit as a solo homerun from Larry Doby in the sixth, giving the home team a 1-0 lead.

 

In the top of the seventh Del Crandall came to bat runners on first and second and two out and his bloop single allowed Wes Covington to score from second. It also gave Milwaukee the option of letting Buhl bat and then stay in the game, which they did, he struck out, but the score was now tied at 1-1.

 

Things stayed quiet until two outs in the top of the ninth when Bob Hazle singled Covington to third with two outs, bringing up Crandall again. The decision was made to intentionally walk Crandall this time and let Buhl come to the plate if they dared. Milwaukee instead sent up Carl Sawatski, and Sawatski came through with a clutch two-run single up the middle. Sawatski was thrown out trying to advance to second following the throw home, but the damage was done.

 

Don McMahon came in and got a 1-2-3 ninth and Milwaukee was leaving Chicago up 2-0 in the series with the next three games at home. Buhl got the win as he threw a two-hit masterpiece.

 

Note: Doby limped off the field after the ninth inning but announced he would be ready for tomorrow's game.

 

Thursday, October 3, 1957 (Game Three)

 

Milwaukee (H) 14 Chicago (AL) 3

 

With 45,000+ rabid fans in attendance the Braves came back north to County Stadium after talking two in Chicago, the hometown faithful seeing a World Series victory within their grasp. Veteran Jim Wilson will be going to the mound to take on Lew Burdette. Wilson threw a no-hitter this season, but no one is anticipating a repeat of that.

 

Doubles from Larry Doby and Jim Rivera gave the White Sox a quick 1-0 lead after the top of the second, but in the bottom half of the inning back-to-back homeruns from Hank Aaron and Wes Covington put the Braves back on top and brought the fans to their feet.

 

In the bottom of the third an Eddie Mathews single was followed by another Aaron homerun, his third of the series. Wilson was replaced by Gerry Staley and Staley got out of the inning, but in the Braves next at-bat Bob Hazle touched Staley for a solo homerun and the Braves commenced to load the bases, necessitating another pitcher change by Chicago, with Bill Fischer coming into the game.

 

Unfortunately for Chicago, Mathews was HBP, bringing in yet another run, and then bringing Aaron to the plate. Aaron didn't disappoint with homerun #4, this one a grand slam and giving the Braves a 10-1 lead. A single and a double later and Fischer was gone, and Bob Keegan took the mound only to have Hazle greet him with Hazle's second homerun of the game, this one a three-run blast. A nine-run fourth inning already, and there was still only one out.

 

The inning finally ended, Keegan was pinch-hit for and Jack Harshman became the next White Sox pitcher. He did get Aaron out finally, but Red Schoendienst took one out in the bottom of the seventh, the Braves now up 14-2. A double and a walk and it was time for Dixie Howell to face Aaron, but this time Howell had the advantage and Aaron popped up for out number three.

 

Burdette tired in the eighth and gave up a run and loaded the bases, bringing Doby to bat with the bases loaded.  Juan Pizarro was brought to the mound and he induced an inning ending double play from Doby. Pizarro stayed in to pitch the ninth as well, with both teams taking an opportunity to let several non-starters get some playing time.

 

Friday, October 4, 1957 (Game Four)

 

Chicago (AL) 7 Milwaukee (H) 6

 

If the 45,000+ Braves fans were rabid yesterday, they were even more so today. And if there was anyone in the country who didn’t know who Hank Aaron was before, they were certainly aware of who he was now as a three homerun / seven RBI World Series game is the stuff of legends. Billy Pierce was going to the mound for Chicago, hoping to make amends for his poor performance in game one, while Warren Spahn wanted a repeat of his game one performance and end this thing sooner rather than later.

 

The White Sox struck first with a three-run homerun from Walt Dropo in the top of the first. Then Minnie Minoso struck next with a three-run homerun of his own in the third, the Braves forced to bring in Gene Conley in long relief with Chicago up 6-0 after the top of the third.

 

Eddie Mathews hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the fifth to put the Braves on the board and that was followed by an Aaron double and a Joe Adcock single to get the Braves back to within 6-3. Pierce got out of the fifth with no more runs, and then sixth and seventh were scoreless as well.

 

In the bottom of the eighth Wes Covington struck again, this time with a two-out two-run homerun to get Milwaukee back to within 6-5. Gerry Staley made his third appearance and got the third out with White Sox fans still nervous about the ninth inning ahead.

 

A double and a short single put White Sox runners at first and third to start the top of the ninth, so the Braves brought in rookie relief ace Don McMahon. McMahon struggled and left the bases loaded, but got out of the inning with only one run having scored, Chicago now on top 7-5.

 

Dixie Howell came in to get the save, gave up a single to Bob Hazle, who then advanced to second on an infield out. Johnny Logan walked, putting runners on first and second with Mathews and Aaron coming to bat. Mathews drew a walk, loading the bases, and after another mound conference Howell was left in to face Aaron. Aaron hit a sacrifice fly to center, the Braves now within one and with Adcock at the plate. A pop-up to third ended the game though and the White Sox had their first win of the 1957 World Series.

 

Saturday, October 5, 1957 (Game 5)

 

Chicago (AL) 2 Milwaukee (H) 0

 

Maybe the Braves fans weren't quite as crazy as they had been previous to yesterday's game, but there was still a current of fan electricity that ran through the County Stadium. Bob Buhl and Dick Donavan had engaged in a pitcher's duel in game two and the fans fully expected more of the same in game five as well.

 

The Braves didn’t get their first hit until the fourth inning and the White Sox didn’t get theirs until the sixth when Jim Rivera stroked a solid single. Rivera quickly stole second, and a few batters later scored on a Luis Aparicio double, Aparicio's fifth double of the World Series. Nellie Fox singled home Aparicio and the White Sox had a 2-0 lead.

 

And that was all that Dick Donovan would need as he held the Braves to only three Red Schoendienst singles to get Chicago back to a 3-2 deficit and with the World Series heading back to Comiskey for the finale, anything could happen.

 

Sunday, October 6, 1957 (Game Six)

 

Chicago (AL) (H) 3 Milwaukee 1

 

Now it was the Chicago fans turn to be crazy, but they were certainly aware that no baseball team had ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a World Series, but there had to be a first time for everything didn't it? Don Larsen had thrown a no-hitter in last year's World Series against the Dodgers, so maybe, just maybe, this was the year for a miracle White Sox comeback. Lew Burdette and Jim Wilson would toe the rubber to start for their teams today, but after yesterday's pair of complete games both bullpens were rested and ready. At this point of the season it was all hands on deck regardless.

 

It was the White Sox who got on the board first when third baseman Bubba Phillips hit a two-out two-run homerun in the bottom of the second. The White Sox later had runners on second and third in the fourth with only one out, but couldn’t convert.

 

In the bottom of the fifth pitcher Wilson, still throwing shut-out ball, smoked a double, was sacrificed to third, Nellie Fox then drew a walk, but Burdette induced Minnie Minoso into hitting into a double play to end the threat.

 

The Braves finally got on the board in the top of the sixth when Red Schoendienst hit a solo homerun, leaving the White Sox with a slender 2-1 lead. Sherm Lollar answered back with a solo homerun of his own in the bottom half of the inning, giving Chicago its two-run lead back.

 

In the eighth Burdette was lifted for a pinch-hitter, but Wilson kept the Braves bats quiet yet again, in the bottom of the eighth Minoso led off with a walk and he successfully stole second, but died their when Braves reliever Bob Trowbridge was able to end the inning with no further damage.

 

In the ninth the Braves went down 1-2-3, Wilson going all the way for the 3-1 win. The series was now tied at 3-3 and there would indeed be a game seven tomorrow.

 

Monday, October 7, 1957 (Game Seven)

 

Chicago (AL) (H) 3 Milwaukee 2

 

The baseball world is agog. Could this really happen? Fans in both cities are especially besides themselves. Could the Braves really lose this way? Could the White Sox really win this way? Warren Spahn will face Billy Pierce in a battle of lefties, and the umpire just yelled "Play ball!"

 

Red Schoendienst opened the top of the first and then Johnny Logan put the Braves up 2-0 with a long homerun. The Braves went quietly after that, but then Luis Aparicio hit a triple to lead off the bottom half of the first and was then immediately plated by a Nellie Fox single, the inning soon ending with the Braves in front 2-1. Aparicio struck again in the third, this time leading off with a single, advancing on an infield out, and scoring on a Walt Dropo single to tie the score at 2-2 at the end of the third.

 

In the fifth a two-out hit-by-pitch put Minnie Minoso on first and Dropo came through again, scoring Minoso with a long double to left, giving the White Sox their first lead at 3-2.

 

The Braves thought about it, but let Spahn bat for himself with two in the top of the seventh, but a simple pop-up ended the inning. Schoendienst led off the top of the eighth by reaching first on an E-4, but there he stayed as Pierce was still in top form off the mound. Spahn allowed the first two batters in the bottom of the eighth to reach base, so Don McMahon was brought in to get out of the inning, which he did successfully.

 

Top of the ninth, White Sox up 3-2, and Pierce hadn’t allowed any runs since the second batter of the game. Joe Adcock flied to right - one out. Andy Pafko flied out to right as well - two outs. Wes Covington got caught looking, strike three, three outs and it's all over - the White Sox were able to complete the miracle and win the 1957 World Series.

 

The MVP vote elicited much discussion. Hank Aaron was a lock after game four, but then he went 1-for-11 with no runs or RBI’s in the final three games, despite numerous opportunities with runners on base. Billy Pierce got blown up in game one, got the win in game four but didn’t pitch especially well, but did come through in game seven. Dick Donovan got mentions for having had two good outings, but he did lose the first one in a close game. After much deliberation (and maybe even some fisticuffs) it was decided that Pierce would be the World Series MVP.

 

Conclusion

 

And with that, the 1957 is now completed. Tine to back everything up and put everything away. Of course, one never really knows how a replay is going to go, but I am really pleased at how this one played and played out. The players disk was very well done did a nice job of representing the players and the results show that. I mean, a seven game World Series, one team falling behind 3-0, but then storming back to win the series in seven games. How ya’ gonna beat that?

 

 1911 is next, so I should be back in a few months. Stay tuned.