October 1955, Yankee Stadium, the Bronx, New York. For the first time in their existence, the Brooklyn Dodgers today became Champions of the baseball world, defeating the New York Yankees 2-0 behind the stellar pitching of young Johnny Podres.
That is not the original headline in Brooklyn. It is just one I made up. But it is a fact that the members of that historic team are almost gone. Hodges, Reese, Robinson, Snider, Furillo, Campy, Alston, Amoros, all have passed away.
With the recent passing of Roger Craig, only Koufax and Erskine are still living. Erskine is now 96 and Koufax is 87. Sandy still shows up at Dodger Stadium now and then. Sandy lives with his third wife in Vero Beach. Erskine still lives in Indiana.
Koufax’s first wife was Richard Widmark’s daughter, Anne. He retired from the Dodgers front office job in 2016. When hosted at the White House for Jewish-American Heritage Month, President Obama quipped, ” Sandy and I have something in common, we are both lefties. He won’t pitch on Yom Kippur, and I can’t pitch.
“Erskine was one of the more popular players to ever wear a Brooklyn uniform. He was affectionately called ” Oisk” by the Brooklyn faithful. And he held the record for strikeouts in a World Series game until Sandy broke it in 1963.
Like our WWII vets, the people involved in that series are now down to just a few. We were all awed by what they accomplished. And it is a part of history that we will never forget.
06-28-2023 MiLB Game Summary Reports
Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston) 4 – OKC Dodgers 3
OKC drew 1st blood in the first. Drew Avans singled, stole 2nd and scored on a Kole Calhoun single. 1st two batters and OKC has a 1-0 lead. Sugar Land tied the score thanks to a pair of errors and an unearned run. That would be the only run scored against Mike Montgomery in his 4.0 IP.
Devin Mann homered to lead off the 2nd and OKC retook the lead. Hunter Feduccia homered with one out in the 4th to give OKC a 3-1 lead.
Sugar Land scored a pair of runs off Mark Washington in the fifth to tie the score. They scored an unearned run in the 7th on what would be the OKC 4th error of the game. 2 batters singled off Gus Varland. With one out, Varland got a ground ball back to himself, made the throw to 2nd for an out, but Jahmai Jones threw the ball away and the tie breaking and eventual winning run scored.
- Hunter Feduccia – 2-4, HR (6)
- Devin Mann – 1-4, HR (12)
- Justin Yurchak – 1-3, double (8)
Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona) 6 – Tulsa Drillers 4
River Ryan started and completed 5.0 innings. He di1d not dominate, but he did not pitch poorly, allowing 1 run on 4 hits, 3 walks, and 3 Ks. The lone run was a 2nd inning HR. He was in a position to get the win as Tulsa scored three in the 3rd.
Kody Hoese led off the 3rd with a triple (1). Austin Gauthier drew a BB. Hoese scored on a Jorbit Vivas sac fly. Imanol Vargas slugged a 2-run HR (10) for the 3-1 lead.
Ryan Sublette relieved Ryan and offered up a double and 2-run HR to the 1st two batters he faced to tie the score.
Austin Gauthier led off with a HR (3) in the 8th to retake the lead.
Tanner Dodson entered the 8th trying to protect a one run lead. He allowed 2 doubles to lead off the 8th. With one out, a single allowed the go-ahead run. Braydon Fisher relieved Dodson and immediately gave up a run scoring double for the 6th run.
- Austin Gauthier – 1-3, 2 Runs, 1 RBI, 1 BB, HR (3)
- Eddys Leonard – 2-4, double (12)
- Kody Hoese – 2-4, triple (1), 1 Run
- Imanol Vargas – 1-4, 1 Run, 2 RBI, HR (10)
- José Ramos – double (9)
Great Lakes Loons 4 – Lansing Lugnuts (A’s) 0
Ronan Kopp (3.1 IP) and Jerming Rosario (2.2 IP) pitched the first 6.0 scoreless innings. Kopp allowed 2 hits and 2 BBs and 7 Ks. Rosario allowed 1 hit, no BB, and 3 Ks. Rosario is beginning to get very comfortable in High A. In his last three appearances, Rosario has completed 10.1 IP, 1 run, 5 hits, 2 walks, and 15 strikeouts.
Four Loons relievers followed and completed the combined shutout.
Dalton Rushing hit a solo HR (8) to open the scoring in the 4th. In the 6th, Damon Keith doubled (13) and scored on a Dalton Rushing single and E8. Luis Yanel Diaz singled, and both Rushing and Diaz scored on a Taylor Young double (11).
- Damon Keith – 2-3, 1 R, double (13)
- Dalton Rushing – 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, HR (8)
- Taylor Young – 2-3, 2 RBI, double (11)
- Jake Vogel – double (11)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5 – Visalia Rawhide (Arizona) 1
Jared Karros continued his mastery over California League teams. He faced 16 batters and retired 15 of them in his 5.0 IP. He allowed a single, and struck out 3 Rawhide batters. In his 11th game and 8th start, Karros lowered his ERA to 2.57, his WHIP to 0.95, and his BAA to .193. He has 47 strikeouts against just 11 BB. IMO, Karros is deserving of a promotion to High A.
RC scored an unearned run in the 1st. With Kyle Nevin reaching on a 2-out error, he scored after a pair of singles by Jesus Galiz and Rayne Doncon. In the third, back to back to back singles by Nevin, Galiz, and Doncon plated a 2nd run.
A walk and a pair of singles off RC reliever Jonathan Edwards brought Visalia to within one.
In the bottom of the 7th, Dayton Dooney led off with a double (11). Kenneth Bettencourt singled Dooney to 3rd. Josue De Paula doubled (6) to scored Dooney with Bettencourt taking 3rd. Kyle Nevin reached on a fielder’s choice as Bettencourt was out a home. Nevin stole 2nd. Both De Paula and Nevin scored on Galiz’s single.
- Jesus Galiz – 3-4, 3 RBI
- Rayne Doncon – 2-4
- Kyle Nevin – 1-3, 3 R
Born in Brooklyn, and having been raised on the Dodgers, I remember that special feeling that coursed through our neighborhood, East New York. The noise coming from other apartments, from the street, from the TV and radios made it all the more poignant, A Great Day. HISTORIC. All those names you mentioned are burned into my brain cells and get awakened when I read stuff like this. To beat the Yankees was the dream of every Dodger fan. It was the Holy Grail.
Thanks Jeff. Reese firing to Hodges to end the game. Gil was one of my all-time Dodger favorites and in picking an all-time Dodger team, many of those guys are on it. I felt Hodges should have been in the Hall of Fame long before he finally made it in. Bullpen still sucks. They should not lose games like they did last night.
We used to listen to the World Series on the radio in grade school and junior high. Those days are gone.
Recently reread Roger Kahn’s “The Boys of Summer”. Another fun read, if it’s still in print, is “The Man Who Brought The Dodgers Back To Brooklyn” by David Ritz.
I’m done with Vargas and his utter laziness. Trade him and Grove for something worthwhile. Adding Bickford/Vesia to any deal would be OK with me as well.
Also, We may need to trade Badger since his ‘score eight runs’ reasoning failed us last night.
Great book. I especially loved the chapter on George “Shotgun” Shuba. How he hung a ball from the ceiling and then swung hundreds of times a day at it.
I only watched bits and pieces of the game yesterday. What did Vargas do that showed laziness. He has a reputation of working hard.
Trade Badger? I never thought about that. Hmmm. He’s a righty bat so I like that but he says we need pitching.
A base hit to CF and Outman made the throw to Vargas who haphazardly threw up his glove to make the catch of the relay , missed it and walked over to pick it up and the runners moved up to 2nd and 3rd. They did not score, but it was sure a TOTAL lack of effort.
As I was watching the game with my wife, I told her that I am okay with the struggles at the plate and even errors in the field. But what is not acceptable is lack of effort. The one thing a player CAN CONTROL is his effort. I told her that IMO that play alone should send Vargas back down.
For me, after that play, I would send him down and bring up Jorbit Vivas (he is on the 40 man), and keep him with LAD until Michael Busch is eligible to be recalled.
That is one of the problems I had with Alex Verdugo. There was no doubt about his talents. I witnessed first hand his lack of effort on multiple occasions when he was in AAA playing at Sacramento while with OKC. Cora recently benched him for lack of hustle. Does lack of effort ever leave one’s DNA? Send Vargas back down and let’s find out.
I have to admit I agree with you this morning. Vargas looks disconnected.
Trade Badger? First of all, you wouldn’t get much in return. Secondly, I have a no trade clause.
Gotta score 8. Was presented in that case as comically facetious. We did score 8 and lost. Gotta score 10? That’s asking a lot.
Scoring 8 is asking a lot also.
How ’bout we just say “score one more than they do.”
I have no problem with sending Vargas down for a reset, but I wouldn’t do it because of that play last night. That’s the first time I’ve heard of him not giving a full effort. Players and management have gone out of their way to say he’s one of the hardest workers on the team. I think he’s just really downcast and frustrated right now. A good talking to by one of the vets might go a ways to get him back on the right track mentally. As far as his hitting goes, I’m pretty sure this is the first time he’s ever failed for such a long period. Might actually help him in the long run, but as I said, I’d have no problem with a little time for him at OKC.
We agree with each other, again. Now let’s talk about Muncy.
1955. I was 7. Big year for me. I got my first bike. Freedom!
Yes. The bullpen still sucks. If it’s it a bullpen game, does Grove’s 4 earned in 5 count against the bullpen? Probably not. But the other 5 earned in 3 would. Ouch. I wonder if a right handed bat would have helped? We had one up with the bases loaded and he struck out, so, guess not.
The box score says Robertson BS. I would agree.
Maybe a couple of Dons,Drysdale and Newcomb, could get the Dodgers both righty bat and pitching.
We don’t need righty bats. We have DeLuca and Vargas.
1955 and I was 7 as well. I was into that WS and was already a Dodger fan. However in the 1956 Series I remember saying to my Dad that the Dodgers were going to win again because they had won the first two games. He reminded me the Yankees won the first two games in 1955 so as much as I was into the 1955 Series, I wasn’t old enough to remember the details.
I was in Southern California and those games started earlier than I was accustomed to getting up on weekends. My Dad would turn up the advertisement for Gillette Blue Blades and I would jump out of bed. I still think of that commercial when it is World Series time.
I was still in Kansas City, was an A’s and Bob Cerv fan. But…I will never forget Mickey Mantle coming to the plate in the first game I ever saw live. The entire stadium was buzzing and he hit one louder and farther than any I’ve seen since. I was immediately a Mantle fan. Just for good measure he hit another one later in the game, from the other side of the plate . This was after ‘55, ‘58 I believe.
If Vin can be a Mays fan then I am sure Blue will allow you to be a Mickey fan.
Very nice.
I have both of those. 57’s are still one of my favorite Brooklyn cards though.
Bear, thank you for all you do to keep us engaged with our Dodgers.
Curious… where is that picture from at the bottom of your post?
Sandy Koufax & Don Drysdale served six months in Army Reserve at Fort Dix, after the end of
57 season and before spring training in58.Hard to believe and tragic that Big D has been gone for 30 years.
Thanks Ohio. I neglected to say where and when the photo was taken.
Great photo. I had not seen it before.
I forget where I found it, but it was probably when I typed in Koufax photos on yahoo.
Somewhere on TV sports programs there was talk about whether SD should trade Soto. They would probably want a shortstop. They collect those.
Yes San Diego should trade Soto, and yes they do collect SS. They could get another SS and put him in the OF with Tatis.
We should offer them Rojas !
Trade Soto? Yes. Anything that weakens a Division rival is fine with me.
Clayton Kershaw has been diagnosed with shoulder inflammation. He is hopeful that he will make his next start. He is day to day. His next start is due Monday at home against Pittsburgh. We will wait and see.
I would let him skip a start. Better safe than sorry.
Shoulder inflammation? IL.
MLB in Portland Oregon getting traction.
https://www.johncanzano.com/p/canzano-portland-poised-for-swing
Red Tail Golf Course is an easy 15 minute drive from my home so I would opt for that location.
The Sunset Highway would be a parking lot.
Easy side streets for me.
Honestly, I don’t see it happening. I don’t see the interest. City is tied to basketball and soccer.
If it does happen, great. I’ll be the first in line for season seats and you will be welcome to join me any time.
Justin Bruihl has been recalled and Michael Grove has been optioned to OKC.
Anyone interested in the Japanese pitcher Yamamoto if he is posted this winter? He is listed as the third best available free agent.
Yes!!! I do think LAD will be in on Yamamoto if he is posted.