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The 1948 World Series gave fans an unusual showdown--neither of the contestants had seen the Fall Classic for a generation. The Cleveland Indians had last won the American League pennant in 1920. The Boston Braves had not been atop the National League since 1914. Both teams featured excellent pitching. Boston's aces were Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain. Cleveland had stalwarts of the mound Bob Feller and Bob Lemon, and surprise knuckleball phenom Gene Bearden. Despite being prohibitive favorites, Cleveland battled through six hard-fought games for the championship. This book recounts every at-bat of the 1948 Series, along with key moments of the regular season, including the antics of colorful Indians' owner Bill Veeck and a near fatality on the diamond.
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction
¿1.¿Returning to Prominence: The Resurrection of the Boston Braves
¿2.¿The 1948 Cleveland Indians: Baseball's Biggest Drawing Card
¿3.¿Down to the Wire: The 1948 American League Pennant Race
¿4.¿Game #155: A One-Game Playoff Decides the American League Pennant
¿5.¿Esoterica: A Collection of Happenings from the 1948 Baseball Season
¿6.¿Anticipation: Braves vs. Indians
¿7.¿Game One Scuttlebutt: Question Marks
¿8.¿World Series Game One: Picked Off? No, Ticked Off!
¿9.¿Game Two Scuttlebutt: Pressure Now on Cleveland
10.¿World Series Game Two: Cleveland Gets Some Lemon-Aid
11.¿Game Three Scuttlebutt: Bearden's Boast, Puzzled Paige, and Bickford Under Pressure
12.¿World Series Game Three: Bearden Blanks the Braves
13.¿Game Four Scuttlebutt: Boudreau Cautious, Gromek Disrespected, Absent Offense
14.¿World Series Game Four: Doby's Homer Does It
15.¿Game Five Scuttlebutt: Boudreau Still Cautious, Rickert Gets No Share
16.¿World Series Game Five: Brave Resistance
17.¿Game Six Scuttlebutt: Feller's Second Failure, Veeck Eying Chisox, Railroad Woes
18.¿World Series Game Six: Indian Summer Concludes
19.¿Why Cleveland Won
20.¿Postscripts
21.¿The Decline and Relocation of the Boston Braves
22.¿Whatever Became Of...
23.¿Has Anyone Seen the 1948 World Series Pennant Recently?
24.¿1948 World Series Composite Statistics
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
John G. Robertson is a private tutor and sports historian who lives in Cambridge, Ontario. He is the author of numerous books on baseball, hockey and boxing history.Carl T. Madden lives in Welland, Ontario and is the author of multiple books on the history of sports.
Summary
The 1948 World Series gave fans an unusual showdown - neither of the contestants had seen the Fall Classic for a generation. This book recounts every at-bat of the 1948 Series, along with key moments of the regular season, including the antics of colourful Indians’ owner Bill Veeck and a near fatality on the diamond.
