1960 Deluxe Past Season with transaction and lineups available now!
1960: An End and A Beginning
by Steve Ehresman
Americans in the 1950s were on the move, enjoying unprecedented growth and prosperity, as well as a booming birth rate. More likely to be clothed in a gray flannel suit than to be “half naked [and] sweating” like Carl Sandburg’s personification of “Chicago,” we surged ahead, “under the terrible burden of destiny . . . as an ignorant fighter. . .who has never lost a battle.”
As General Electric bragged, “Progress is our most important product.”
When we turned the page and began writing a new chapter in our national narrative, few could have predicted the decade that lay ahead, ripe with promise and fraught with challenge. Perhaps we can think of 1960 as a moment when we looked back wistfully at what had seemed a time of innocence, then turned resolutely to face a future that would change how we thought about ourselves forever.
Kerry Keene wrote a baseball history called 1960: The Last Pure Season. It celebrates a season in the sun: one in which the Beaver got into and out of trouble, one in which Chubby Checker showed us how to Twist, and one in which the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series. Last wearing the World Series crown in 1925, the underdog Bucs faced baseball’s most storied franchise, the New York Yankees, and did something no team had done before them: win the World Series with a home run.
Lest we underestimate those Pirates, the Steel City’s 79th iteration of their Major League Baseball team, we must remember that the Bucs were not flukes. Finishing with a record of 95-59, seven games ahead of the second-place Milwaukee Braves, the Pirates earned the right to represent the National League in the World Series. With MVP Dick Groat, whose .325 average topped all of baseball, and Roberto Clemente, whose 16 home runs and 94 RBI led his team, the Pirates had star power. On the mound, Cy Young winner Vern Law (35 GS, 18 CG, 271.2 IP, 20-9, 3.08) and Bob Friend (37 GS, 16 CG, 275.2 IP, 18-12, 3.00) were durable and reliable. Elroy Face emerged from the Buc’s bullpen to do yeoman-like work (68 G, 61 GF, 24 SV, 114.2 IP, 3.28). For the season, the Pirates led the National League in runs scored (734) and tied for the fewest runs allowed (593).
The New York Yankees finished with a 97-57 record, winning their 25th pennant and finishing eight games ahead of the second-place Baltimore Orioles. With MVP Roger Maris (39 HR, 112 RBI, and a league-leading .581 SLG) and Mickey Mantle (40 HR, 94 RBI, and a league-leading 294 total bases) supplying the heavy ordnance, the Bronx Bombers outslugged the opposition. Deep and talented, the Yankee pitching staff featured four solid starters and one shut-down relief ace. Art Ditmar (28 GS, 8 CG, 200 IP, 15-9, 3.06), Whitey Ford (29 GS, 8 CG, 192.2 IP, 12-9, 3.08), Bob Turley (24 GS, 4 CG, 173.1 IP, 9-3, 3.27), and Ralph Terry (23 GS, 7 CG, 166.2 IP, 10-8, 3.40) made most of the starts for New York, while Bobby Shantz, listed at 5 feet, 6 inches and 139 pounds, enjoyed a superb year, appearing in 42 games, finishing 21, saving 11, pitching 67.2 innings, and posting a 2.79 E.R.A. New York led the American League in runs scored (746), home runs (193), earned run average (3.52), and saves (42), while allowing a record low 2.83 runs per game on the road.
The National League runner-up Milwaukee Braves had, arguably, the best one-two punch in baseball, as Hank Aaron blasted 40 home runs with a league-leading 126 RBI, while Eddie Mathews shocked 39 home runs with 124 RBI. Since Warren Spahn returned from World War II, he had been the leader of the Braves’ pitching staff. The 1960 season was no different, as the seemingly ageless Spahn pitched superbly (33 GS, 18 CG, 267.2 IP, 21-10, 3.50). Partnering with Spahn was the MVP of the 1957 World Series, control pitcher Lew Burdette (32 GS, 18 CG, 275.2 IP, 19-13, 3.36).
The third-place St. Louis Cardinals enjoyed fine seasons from pitchers Ernie Broglio (52 G, 24 GS, 9 CG, 226 IP, 21-9, 2.74), Larry Jackson (38 GS, 14 CG, 282 IP, 18-13, 3.48,) and Lindy McDaniel (65 G, 47 GF, 26 SV, 116 IP, 2.09). Slugging third baseman Ken Boyer (32 HR, 97 RBI, .304) was the offensive leader, while Redbird legend Stan Musial chipped in 17 home runs and 63 RBI.
For the defending World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Norm Larker hit .323; Maury Wills swiped a league-leading 50 bases; and Don Drysdale (36 GS, 15 CG, 269 IP, 15-14, 2.84) stood tall as the Dodger ace. For good measure, the 6-foot, 5-inch “Big D.” struck out 246 to lead the major leagues. Speaking of large, the Dodgers debuted a 6-foot, 7-inch All-American basketball star from The Ohio State University, Frank Howard, who socked 23 home runs, drove in 77 runs, and won the National League ROY Award.
The National League’s second division teams--only one of which finished above .500—could take solace in the exploits of their star players. In San Francisco, Willie Mays (29 2B, 12 3B, 29 HR, 103 RBI, 25 SB, .319) and Orlando Cepeda (36 2B, 24 HR, 86 RBI, 15 SB, .297) displayed excellent all-around firepower, while Mike McCormick (34 GS, 15 CG, 253 IP, 15-12, 2.70) was brilliant on the mound, leading the Senior Circuit in earned run average. Cincinnati enjoyed exceptional years from Frank Robinson (33 2B, 31 HR, 83 RB, 13 SB, .297I) and Vada Pinson (a major-league leading 37 2B, 12 3B, 20 HR, 61 RBI, 32 SB, .287). Chicago’s Ernie Banks, MVP in 1958 and 1959, was a one-man wrecking crew, leading the league in games played for a record fourth consecutive season. The finest shortstop of his era, Banks slammed 32 doubles, legged-out 7 triples, launched 41 home runs, and drove in 117 runs. Although Banks had little help offensively, veteran Richie Ashburn paced the league in walks (116) and OBP (.416). A couple of youngsters, Ron Santo and Billy Williams, seemed ready to make major contributions in the future. Finally, Philadelphia, 35 games off the pace, had little about which they could crow. Nevertheless, former Cub Tony Taylor (22 2B, 24 SB, .287) and Pancho Herrera (26 2B, 17 HR, 71 RBI) provided offense, despite Herrera’s record-setting 136 strikeouts in a 154-game season.
The American League runner-up Baltimore Orioles received offensive contributions from Brooks Robinson (27 2B, 9 3B, 14 HR, 88 RBI), and ROY Ron Hansen (22 2B, 22 HR, 86 RBI). In addition, Robinson won the first of his career 16 Gold Glove Awards, all at third base. Chuck Estrada (36 G, 25 GS, 12 CG, 209 IP, 18-11, 3.58), Milt Pappas (30 G, 27 GS, 11 CG, 206 IP, 15-11, 3.38), Hal Brown (30 G, 20 GS, 6 CG, 159 IP, 12-5, 3.06), Jack Fisher (40 G, 20 GS, 8 CG, 198 IP, 3.41), and Steve Barber (36 G,27 GS, 6 CG, 182 IP, 10-7, 3.21) gave the Birds a deep, talented, and versatile pitching staff. Knuckleball master Hoyt Wilhelm, who started 11 games himself, was effective coming out of the bullpen, as he appeared in 41 games, finished 24, and saved 7, en route to an 11-8 record, 147 IP, and a 3.31 E.R.A.
The defending American League Champion Chicago White Sox had a great deal more to offer than did their crosstown rivals, the Cubs. Roy Sievers (28 HR, 93 RBI), Luis Aparicio (a league-leading 51 SB), Al Smith (31 2B, .315), and Minnie Minoso (32 2B, 20 HR, 105 RBI, 17 SB, .311) provided reliable bats for the Pale Hose. On the mound, two familiar faces, Billy Pierce (30 GS, 8 CG, 196 IP, 14-7, 3.63) and Early Wynn (35 GS, 13 CG, 237 IP, 13-12, 3.49), and one newcomer from the Red Sox, Frank Baumann (47 G, 20 GS, 7 CG, 185 IP, 13-6, and a league-leading 2.67), supplied the quality pitching often associated with Chicago’s South Siders. In addition, Gerry Staley (64 G, 45 GF, 9 SV, 115 IP, 13-8, 2.43) was the star of the White Sox relief corps.
On April 17, 1960, the Cleveland Indians’ General Manager Frank Lane engineered one of baseball’s most memorable--if not most infamous--trades: the American League home run champion of 1959 (Rocky Colavito, who hit 42 homers.) for the American League batting champion of 1959 (Harvey Kuenn, who batted .353.). This trade formed the premise of Terry Pluto’s The Curse of Rocky Colavito. Whether one believes in curses or not, the trade did nothing to improve the fortunes of Cleveland or Detroit, as both squads failed to break even in 1960.
The Cleveland Indians finished fourth in the American League (76-78), 21 games behind the Yankees. Harvey Kuenn, wearing his new Cleveland uniform, hit .308; shortstop Woody Held connected for 21 homers; center fielder Jimmy Piersall smacked 18 long balls while swiping 18 bases; and left fielder Tito Francona enjoyed a solid all-around year (a league-leading 36 2B, 17 HR, 79 RBI, .292). The Tribe pitching staff featured Jim Perry (36 GS, 10 CG, 261 IP, 18-10, 3.62) and reliever Johnny Klippstein (49 G, 30 GF, 14 SV, 74 IP, 2.92).
All of the teams in the second division of the American League finished with records below .500. Washington, which would become Minnesota in 1961, enjoyed good production from Jim Lemon (38 HR, 100 RBI) and twenty-four-year-old Harmon Killebrew (19 2B, 31 HR, 80 RBI). Their pitchers carried the water, as Camilo Pascual (22 GS, 8 CG, 152 IP, 12-8, 3.02), Pedro Ramos (43 G, 36 GS, 14 CG, 274 IP, 11-18, 3.45), Jack Kralick (35 G, 18 GS, 7 CG, 151 IP, 8-8, 3.04), and Chuck Stobbs (40 G, 13 GS, 119 IP, 12-7, 3.33) labored to put wins into the record book. In Detroit, Rocky Colavito (35 HR, 87 RBI) adjusted nicely to his new team. Perennial star Al Kaline (29 2B, 15 HR, 68 RBI, 19 SB) produced solid numbers. The third Bengal outfielder, “Sunday Charlie” Maxwell, slugged 24 home runs and drove in 81 runners. Two veteran hurlers anchored Detroit’s pitching staff: Frank Lary (35 GS, 15 CG, 274 IP, 15-15, 3.51) and Jim Bunning (34 GS, 10 CG, 252 IP, 11-14, 2.79). Boston’s season was a farewell to Ted Williams--who arrived in 1939, who became an immediate star, who lost all or part of five seasons serving his country during war, and who hit a home run in his final at bat on September 28, 1960 at Fenway Park. Forty-one years of age, Williams dominated in limited at bats during the 1960 season: 310 AB, 15 2B, 29 HR, 72 RBI, 75 BB, .316 BA, .645 SA). Complementing Williams in the Sox lineup was American League batting champion Pete Runnels (29 2B, .320). Boston’s pitching staff was far from impressive, but Bill Monbouquette (30 GS, 12 CG, 215 IP, 14-11, 3.64) and reliever Mike Fornieles (a league-leading 70 G, a league-leading 48 GF, 13 SV, 109 IP, 2.64) posted good numbers amid mediocrity. Finishing 39 games behind New York, Kansas City enjoyed solid seasons from former Yankees, first baseman Norm Siebern (31 2B, 6 3B, 19 HR, 69 RBI) and second baseman Jerry Lumpe (19 2B, 8 HR, 53 RBI). On the mound, Ray Herbert (33 GS, 14 CG, 253 IP, 14-15, 3.27) pitched well in a losing cause.
The 1960 World Series bordered on the miraculous, as the Yankees outscored the Pirates 55-27, scored the most runs by one team in World Series history, and won three blow-out games (16-3, 10-0, and 12-0). Nevertheless, with the score tied 9-9 in the bottom of the 9th in Game Seven, Bill Mazeroski made history by smashing a 1-2 pitch from Ralph Terry over the left field wall at Forbes Field. Improbably, Mazeroski had just hit a game-ending home run to win the World Series. In another first, Bobby Richardson was named the Series MVP, the only time a player from the losing team has received this honor. For everyone except Yankee fans, the 1960 season had come to an historic and thrilling conclusion.
In 1960, Jim Brosnan’s The Long Season upset the conservative baseball community. Years later, Jim Bouton would truly shatter myths with Ball Four. The Philadelphia Phillies were no-hit twice by the Milwaukee Braves (Lew Burdette on August 18 and Warren Spahn on September 16). In addition, Juan Marichal one-hit the hapless Phillies in his debut on July 19. Don Cardwell no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals on May 15 in his Cubs debut. The innovative Paul Richards, manager of the Baltimore Orioles, devised a catcher’s mitt that was 50 inches in circumference to handle Hoyt Wilhelm’s knuckleball. Pitchers made history in 1960, whether on the printed page or on the baseball diamond.
Pitchers were not alone in their achieving memorable feats in 1960. George Crowe of the St. Louis Cardinals hit four pinch hit homers, giving him a Major League record of fourteen. Elmer Valo, splitting the season between New York and Washington, received a Major League record 18 walks as a pinch hitter. In the Junior Circuit, Pete Runnels went 6 for 7 in a 15-inning game on August 30. In the Senior Circuit, Dick Groat went 6-6 in a game on May 13.
The year 1960 was a memorable opening of a decade both for our nation and for Major League Baseball. We can never go back to those Sandlot days, but we can remember them. We can use them as a framework that entertains us, that inspires us, and that unites us. For America, the year 1960 was a watershed moment. For Major League baseball, the year 1960 was unmatched for its legendary personalities and events. Order the 1960 season from Diamond Mind Baseball, and in your replay, you just might save Casey Stengel’s job.
The 1960 Deluxe Past Season database contains everything you need to play games using teams and players from the 1960 season -- a full set of ratings and statistics for every player who appeared in the big leagues that year, plus team rosters, manager profiles, ballpark ratings and league schedules. Statistics include official batting, pitching and fielding totals with left/right splits for all batters and pitchers.
Also included is a complete set of real-life player transactions -- trades, disabled list moves, promotions, demotions, suspensions, and more -- plus the actual starting lineups for every regular-season game played.
If you are a registered owner of the 1960 Classic Past Season, you are eligible for upgrade pricing for this item. Send an email to dmb_info@imaginesports.com to request your discount promotion code.
** Important Note ** This season database is a companion product for the Diamond Mind Baseball version 11 game. To use this database, you must also have Diamond Mind Baseball version 11. The game software provides you with all of the tools you need to play simulated games, make roster moves, produce dozens of statistical reports, generate league schedules, and more.
1951 Deluxe Past Season with transaction and lineups available now!
1951: The Bums and the Jints Collide, but the Bombers Rule
by Steve Ehresman
Baseball in the 1950s is celebrated as The ERA: a time when three major league teams took the field in New York; when Willie, Mickey, and Duke were just embarking on their journeys to Cooperstown; when a western road trip meant games in Chicago and St. Louis; and when radio announcers brought baseball to life in America’s living rooms. Broadcasters like Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell, Mel Allen, Red Barber, Jack Buck, Harry Cary, Bob Prince, Jack Quinlan, and Russ Hodges, thanks to their distinctive voices and styles, created a generation of fans who cherished the time they spent listening to the play-by-play incantations of their favorite radio uncles during those long-ago summers.
Never was this magic more evident than on October 3, 1951, when Russ Hodges was at the mike to make the most famous home run call of them all: There’s a long drive . . . it’s gonna be . . . I believe. The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!
Hodges’ home run call summarized a season, galvanized a rivalry, and defined a decade.
Not bad for an autumn afternoon.
The Miracle of Coogan’s Bluff is a well-known baseball drama--part fact and part legend--replete with triumph, tragedy, and even a hint of scandal. Did the Giants steal signs? Did a stolen sign alert Bobby Thomson that Ralph Branca was about to deliver a second straight fast ball, this one high and inside?
Did it matter?
As both of the principal actors are deceased, we are left with a fact (The Giants won the 1951 pennant.) and a legend (The Shot Heard ‘Round the World). As a character in the western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance advises, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”
Bobby Thomson (27 2B, 32 HR, 101 RBI, .293) was not the only legend playing for the New York Giants in 1951. Five-time Negro League All-Star Monte Irvin was the big bat in New York’s line-up, as he scored 94 runs, collected 174 hits, swatted 24 home runs, drove in a league-leading 121 runs, swiped 12 bases, and led the Giants with a .312 batting average. Twenty-year-old Willie Mays, a star for the Birmingham Black Barons and the Minneapolis Millers, established himself as a major league regular, compiling 22 doubles, 20 home runs, and 68 RBI in 464 ABs, while playing a stellar centerfield. On the mound, the Giants relied, not on stolen signs, but on a trio of superb pitchers. Sal Maglie “The Barber” Maglie (42 G, 37 GS, 22 CG, 298 IP, 23-6, 2.93), Larry Jansen (39 G, 34 GS, 18 CG, 279 IP, 23-11, 3.03), and Jim Hearn (34 G, 34 GS, 11 CG, 211 IP, 17-9, 3.63) provided stability throughout the season, allowing the Giants to overcome a horrendous 1-11 start and to overtake the Dodgers, despite their trailing Brooklyn by 13 ½ games on August 12.
The star-crossed Dodgers led the National League in runs (855), hits (1511), doubles 249, home runs (184), runs batted in (794), batting average (.275), slugging average (.434), and even stolen bases (89). Their play-off loss is the stuff of Greek tragedy: larger-than-life heroes struggling against inexorable Fate (or Leo Durocher’s elaborate system for stealing signs). In any case, Dem Bums crashed and burned again, one year after they lost the pennant to Philadelphia’s Whiz Kids in the tenth inning on the final day of the season.
Nevertheless, the team identified as The Boys of Summer, thanks to Roger Kahn’s co-opting a line from Dylan Thomas (“I see the boys of summer in their ruin”), was largely intact in 1951. Young stars Duke Snider (29 HR, 101 RBI) and Gil Hodges (40 HR, 103 RBI) led the high -powered Dodger offense, as they would for most of the coming decade. Veterans Pee Wee Reese (94 R, 20 SB) and Jackie Robinson (106 R, 33 2B, 19 HR, 25 SB, .338) anchored the keystone with aplomb. Most of all, National League Most Valuable Player Roy Campanella (99 R, 33 2B, 33 HR, 108 RBI, .325) enjoyed one of the greatest seasons a backstop has ever put in the books. Led by two twenty-game winners, Preacher Roe (34 G, 33 GS, 19 CG, 258 IP, 22-3, 3.03) and Don Newcombe (40 G, 36 GS, 18 CG, 272 IP, a league-leading 164 K, 20-9, 3.28), the Dodgers looked like a team destined for greatness. Unfortunately, the Borough of Brooklyn would have to wait a few more seasons for that greatness to be realized.
The American League, almost eclipsed by the post-season play-off drama taking place in Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds, had much to offer baseball fans in 1951. As usual, the New York Yankees, defending World Series Champions, put a great team on the field. Anchored by The Big Three of Ed Lopat (31 G, 31 GS, 20 CG, 235 IP, 21-9, 2.91), Vic Raschi (35 G, 34 GS, 15 CG, 258 IP, a league-leading 164 K, 21-10, 3.28), and Allie Reynolds (40 G, 26 GS, 16 CG, 221 IP, 17-8, 2 no-hitters, 3.05), The Bronx Bombers withstood a stiff challenge from the Cleveland Indians to capture their fourth pennant in five years. Standing tall at 5’ 7”, Yogi Berra, in his third season as a regular behind the plate, captured the American League Most Valuable Player (92 R, 27 HR, 88 RBI, .294), while handling the Yankees’ veteran pitchers. Breaking into the Yankee line-up was nineteen-year-old Mickey Mantle (11 2B, 5 3B, 13 HR, 65 RBI in 341 AB), heir-apparent to Joe DiMaggio (22 2B, 12 HR, 71 RBI). With Mays, Mantle, and Snider finally ensconced as regulars in 1954, The ERA had its signature trio of Hall of Fame centerfielders: “Willie, Mickey, and the Duke.”
If New York was the epicenter of baseball in 1951, it did not have a monopoly on excellence. From New England to the Midwest, major league stars put up numbers that deserve recognition in any era.
In baseball’s outpost on the Mississippi River, Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals won the batting title, while tearing up the National League (a league-leading 124 R, 205 H, 30 2B, 12 3B, 32 HR, 108 RBI, .355). In Beantown, Warren Spahn (39 G, 36 GS, a league-leading 26 CG, 311 IP, a league-leading 164 K, 22-14, 2.98), Chet Nichols (33 G, 19 GS, 12 CG, a league-leading 2.88), and former Cleveland Buckeye Sam Jethro (29 2B, 10 3B, 18 HR, 35 SB) starred for the Boston Braves. Robin Roberts (44 G, 39 GS, 22 CG, 315 IP, 21-15, 3.03) and Richie Ashburn (a league-leading 221 H, 29 SB, .344) set the pace in Philadelphia, The City of Brotherly Love. Where the Ohio, the Monongahela, and the Allegheny rivers meet, Ralph Kiner crushed a major league-leading 42 home runs, while scoring 124 runs, swatting 31 doubles, driving in 109 runs, drawing a league-leading 137 walks, and batting .309.
On the shores of Lake Erie, where the Cuyahoga River flows, the Cleveland Indians pursued the New York Yankees (98-56) all summer, falling short of the American League pennant by 5 games (93-61). Featuring one of the best starting staffs in the 1950s, The Tribe put a star on the hill almost every night: Bob Feller (33 C, 32 GS, 16 CG, 250 IP, 22-8, 3.49), Mike Garcia (47 G, 30 GS, 15 CG, 254 IP, 20-13, 3.15), Early Wynn (37 G, 34 GS, 21 CG, 274 IP, 20-13, 3.02), and Bob Lemon (42 G, 34 GS, 17 CG, 263 IP, 17-14, 3.52). In addition to Cleveland’s tough pitchers, former Homestead Gray Luke Easter (27 HR, 103 RBI), former Newark Eagle and American League trailblazer Larry Doby (27 2B, 20 HR, .295), and slugging third baseman Al Rosen (30 2B, 24 HR, 102 RBI) provided sock for the Indians in their heavy-weight fight with the Yankees. In Boston, World War II veteran and soon-to-be Korean War fighter pilot, Ted Williams (109 R, 28 2B, 30 HR, 126 RBI, a league-leading 144 BB, .318) continued to make his case as “the greatest hitter who ever lived.” On Chicago’s South Side, former New York Cuban Minnie Minoso electrified the Windy City with 32 doubles, 14 triples, 31 stolen bases, and a .326 batting average. Sharing Shibe Park with the National League Phillies, the Athletics featured slugger Gus Zernial, who blasted 33 home runs to lead the American League and drove in 129 runs to lead all of baseball. The Athletics also celebrated batting champion Ferris Fain (.344), although he was limited to 425 Abs because of a broken bone in his foot. Pitching in obscurity, Ned Garver put together a fine year on the mound (33 G, 30 GS, a league-leading 24 complete games, 20-12, 3.73) for the St. Louis Browns, a team that finished with the worst record in baseball (52-102, 46 games behind the Yankees).
The 1951 Fall Classic proved to be somewhat anti-climactic, as the Yankees captured their third consecutive championship, even though the scrappy Giants extended the Series to six games. For the Yanks, Phil Rizzuto (.320) and Gil McDougald (7 RBI) stood out at the plate, and Ed Lopat was stellar on the mound (18 IP, 10 H, 3 BB, 4 K, 2-0, 0.50). For the Giants, Monte Irvin (.458) and Al Dark (.417) starred in a losing cause. Shut out of the World Series again, the residents of Brooklyn consoled themselves with a familiar refrain: Wait till next year.
In 1951, a new home cost $9,000. A new car was priced at $1,500. Gas was 19 cents a gallon. The average household made $3,700 a year. Unemployment dropped to 3.3%. In theaters, The Day the Earth Stood Still, directed by Robert Wise, debuted in September. I Love Lucy premiered on America’s fastest growing home entertainment medium, television.
In 1951, war loomed on the Korean peninsula. The United States began testing nuclear bombs in Nevada. The first commercial computer, UNIVAC, was dedicated for use at the United States Census Bureau. The American experiment moved forward: a half-step into the glow of Tomorrowland and a half-step into the chill of The Cold War.
Baseball was entering one of its most celebrated decades. New stars gathered backstage, awaiting their turn in the spot light. Old stars took their bows, savoring their final moments on stage. The 1951 season confirmed that baseball is a uniquely American drama that can change lives with one swing of the bat. Just as it did for two proud men on an October afternoon long ago in the Polo Grounds.
In “The Echoing Green” of our collective memory, we can still hear Russ Hodges, struck with incredulity by the probable impossibilities inherent in Our National Pastime:
“I don’t believe it. I don’t believe it. I DO NOT believe it.”
The next time a play on the diamond makes your jaw drop, the next time a play on the diamond takes your breath away, the next time a play on the diamond leaves you shaking your head, remember October 3, 1951, and BELIEVE IT.
The 1951 Deluxe Past Season database contains everything you need to play games using teams and players from the 1951 season -- a full set of ratings and statistics for every player who appeared in the big leagues that year, plus team rosters, manager profiles, ballpark ratings and league schedules. Statistics include official batting, pitching and fielding totals with left/right splits for all batters and pitchers.
Also included is a complete set of real-life player transactions -- trades, disabled list moves, promotions, demotions, suspensions, and more -- plus the actual starting lineups for every regular season game played.
If you are a registered owner of the 1951 Classic Past Season, you are eligible for upgrade pricing for this item. Send an email to dmb_info@imaginesports.com to request your discount promotion code.
Note: This season database is a companion product for the Diamond Mind Baseball version 11 game. To use this database, you must also have Diamond Mind Baseball version 11. The game software provides you with all of the tools you need to play simulated games, make roster moves, produce dozens of statistical reports, generate league schedules, and more.
- Tags: 1951 deluxe dps new release
1950 Deluxe Past Season with transaction and lineups available now!
1950: Baseball Enters a New Era
by Steve Ehresman
When the 1950s dawned, our nation was on the cusp of dramatic changes in life-style, popular culture, sporting events, and world affairs--all of which would lay the foundation for the world we live in today. The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (the G.I. Bill) had helped to create a post-World War II era in which more Americans could enjoy a standard of living undreamt of in the 1930s and 1940s. Big gas-guzzling cars, suburban houses, consumer goods, and—of course—babies were booming, as Americans felt confident that the future held nothing but peace and prosperity.
The 1950s were characterized by burgeoning industry, increased take-home pay, and a national mania to own the best gadgets our new-found expendable income could buy. Television signals could reach almost anywhere in America, creating a shared national experience. Celebrities such as Bob Hope made appearances on television, thus adding luster to America’s latest entertainment medium. Soon, sporting events would follow, with Bobby Thompson’s “Shot Heard ‘round the World” becoming the first coast-to-coast television broadcast of a baseball game on October 3, 1951.
In addition to the rise of television, 1950 was the year Charles Schultz published a new comic strip in nine newspapers, introducing America to Charlie Brown in “Li’l Folks” (later “Peanuts”). Rogers and Hammerstein lit up “The Great White Way” of Broadway, winning the Pulitzer Prize for “South Pacific.” Building on the success of “Snow White” and “Pinocchio,” Walt Disney debuted another animated feature-length film, “Cinderella.”
Although their impact was still in the future, professional football and basketball had begun jostling for positions in America’s sporting universe. The National-American Football League decided to shorten its somewhat unwieldy moniker to the more manageable National Football League (NFL). Thanks to rule changes implemented in January, the NFL opened the way for the 2-platoon system. Chuck Cooper (the man who integrated professional basketball), Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, and Earl Lloyd became the first black players in the National Basketball Association.
In the face of this all-American optimism, ominous forces were stirring in the world, setting the stage for conflicts that still resonate in the American consciousness. Despite grave misgivings by no less a personage than Albert Einstein, President Harry Truman supported development of the hydrogen bomb. The Israeli Knesset decided that Jerusalem was the capital of the newly-formed State of Israel. Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed to have a list of 205 communist government employees. Vietnamese forces led by Ho Chi Minh threatened peace in Southeast Asia. And, the United States committed combat troops to Korea, as Curt Simmons (17-8, 214.2 innings, 3.40), ace left-hander for the Philadelphia Phillies, was called to active military service in September 1950.
In the volatile world of 1950, baseball promised its own innovations and surprises. Jackie Robinson signed the highest contract in Brooklyn Dodger history (a whopping $35,000). On April 18, the first opening night game was played, with the St. Louis Cardinals downing the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2. Also on April 18, Sam Jethro (18 home runs, 35 SB, .273), the National League Rookie of the Year, became the first black ball player for the Boston Braves, and the New York Yankees roared from behind, overcoming a 9-0 deficit in the sixth inning, to defeat the Boston Red Sox 15-10, presaging a year of good old-fashioned slugging in the major leagues.
To use an anachronistic term, batters in 1950 simply “raked.” Billy Goodman of the Boston Red Sox led the American League with a batting average of .354, while Stan “The Man” Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals (41 2B, 28 HR, .346 BA, .596 SLG) paced the National League. George Kell of the Detroit Tigers compiled the best season of his Hall of Fame career, batting .340 with 218 hits and 56 doubles.
Al Rosen of the Cleveland Indians paced the Junior Circuit with 37 homers, while American League Rookie of the Year Walt Dropo slammed 34 long balls on his way to a .322 average and a league-leading 144 RBI to tie Vern Stephens of the Boston Red Sox. Over in the National League, Ralph Kiner launched 47 home runs, while Del Ennis of the surprising “Whiz Kid” Philadelphia Phillies accumulated 126 RBI.
Nevertheless, the 1950 American League season belonged to the Yankees beloved Phil Rizzuto, “The Scooter.” Outpacing a host of sluggers, including teammate Joe DiMaggio (32 home runs, .301 BA, 122 RBI, .585 SLG), Rizzuto made 735 plate appearances, batted .324, and played a nearly flawless shortstop.
Rizzuto’s MVP counter-part in the National League did not slam long balls. Rather Jim Konstanty of the Philadelphia closed out games for the pennant-winners. Combining with Robin Roberts (20-11, 39 starts, 304.1 IP, 21 CG, 5 SHO), Konstanty appeared in a record 74 games, finished 62, saved 22, and posted a sparkling 2.66 ERA in 152 innings, setting the Phillies up to clinch the pennant over the Brooklyn Dodgers on October 1 at Ebbets Field, thanks to a tenth inning 3-run home run by Philadelphia outfielder Dick Sisler. Konstanty’s year brought national attention to the value of relief pitchers to deliver pennants to their teams.
Although the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies were swept 4-0 in the World Series by the powerful New York Yankees, the grit shown by this version of “The Fightin’ Phils” belongs on the short list of Cinderella teams who made baseball history.
The 1950 baseball season was characterized by superb individual performances. On the mound, Bob Lemon (23-11, 37 starts, 22 CG, 288 IP) and Early Wynn (18-8, 213.2 IP, 3.20) of the Cleveland Indians, as well as Warren Spahn (21-17, 39 starts, 25 CG, 3.16) of the Boston Braves, added superlatives to their Hall of Fame careers. At the plate, Larry Doby (25 home runs, .326 BA, .442 OBP) of the Cleveland Indians, Andy Pafko (36 home runs, .304 BA, .591 SLG) of the Chicago Cubs, and Yogi Berra (28 home runs, .322 BA, 124 RBI, .533 SLG) of the New York Yankees supplied fire-power for their respective teams.
This list would not be complete without Ned Garver, toiling in near anonymity with the hapless St. Louis Browns. Garver (31 GS, 22 CG, 260 IP, 3.39) deserves more than a footnote when one remembers the stars of 1950.
In the new decade, three baseball teams--the Brooklyn Dodgers, the New York Giants, and the New York Yankees--would make New York “The Capital of Baseball.” For years, their exploits would be celebrated, and the names of their players would read like a “Who’s Who” of Olympians: Roy Campanella, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, and Duke Snider of the Dodgers; Al Dark, Monte Irvin, Sal Maglie, Eddie Stanky, and Bobby Thompson of the Giants; Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Whitey Ford, Vic Raschi, and Phil Rizzuto of the Yankees. If the 1950s started great for baseball, it would only get better when a young slugger from Spavinaw, Oklahoma and a Negro League star from Westfield, Alabama arrived in 1951 to elevate our national game to even greater heights.
For Major League Baseball and its millions of fans, the 1950 season supplied countless thrills and indelible memories. It showcased peak seasons by players who have long been forgotten. It highlighted all-star performances by players whose stars have only grown brighter as the years have passed.
As Roger Kahn says in The Era, the 1950s were “the most exciting time for baseball. You should have been there.” Now, with Diamond Mind’s updated 1950 season, you CAN be there to celebrate one of the greatest seasons and one of the greatest eras in the annals of our national pastime.
The 1950 Deluxe Past Season database contains everything you need to play games using teams and players from the 1950 season -- a full set of ratings and statistics for every player who appeared in the big leagues that year, plus team rosters, manager profiles, ballpark ratings and league schedules. Statistics include official batting, pitching and fielding totals with left/right splits for all batters and pitchers.
Also included is a complete set of real-life player transactions -- trades, disabled list moves, promotions, demotions, suspensions, and more -- plus the actual starting lineups for every regular season game played.
If you are a registered owner of the 1950 Classic Past Season, you are eligible for upgrade pricing for this item. Send an email to dmb_info@imaginesports.com to request your discount promotion code.
Note: This season database is a companion product for the Diamond Mind Baseball version 11 game. To use this database, you must also have Diamond Mind Baseball version 11. The game software provides you with all of the tools you need to play simulated games, make roster moves, produce dozens of statistical reports, generate league schedules, and more.
