The World Series Read Online Free PDF Page A

September 30 in Yankee Stadium before a capacity crowd that included such baseball dignitaries
     as Babe Ruth, TyCobb, and Cy Young. Rookie pitcher Francis Joseph Shea, better known as “Spec” because of his freckles, jogged out to the
     mound for the Yankees. He got the Dodgers' first batter, Eddie Stanky, to fly out.
    Now Jackie Robinson stepped into the batter's box. Six pitches later, he had a free ticket to first base. He tossed the bat
     aside and trotted down the line amidst thunderous applause. Moments later, he stole second. But he didn't stay there for long.
     When Dodger Dixie Walker singled into left, Robinson dashed past third on his way to home — and into the history books as
     the first African-American to score a run in the World Series.
    That was Brooklyn's only run that inning, but their pitcher, Ralph Branca, held their lead by retiring the first three Yankees
     in order. Amazingly, he did the same thing again in the second inning — and the third, and the fourth!
    Branca's perfect game came to an end in the fifth. First Joe DiMaggio clubbed a grounder between short and third that landed
     him safely at first. That single was followed by two walks. With the bases loaded and no outs, the next batter, Johnny Lindell,socked a double behind third base. Two runs had been scored and there were still no outs. Then Phil Rizzuto walked, and the
     bases were loaded again!
    After four no-hit innings, Branca was suddenly falling apart. The Dodgers' manager pulled him from the game. Now it was up
     to reliever Hank Behrman to shut down the Yankees.
    But Behrman handed New York another run when he walked the batter he faced. Before the inning was over, the score had jumped
     from 1–0 to 5–1. Although Brooklyn managed to add two runs, it wasn't enough. New York took the game, 5–3.
    The next day, the Yankees lit up four Brooklyn pitchers for fifteen hits, including three triples and a home run. Defensively,
     the Dodgers looked like rank amateurs. They dropped balls, overran easy grounders, and threw wildly. When the dust finally
     settled, the Yankees had ten runs. Brooklyn had only three — and by all accounts, they were lucky to have gotten them.
    Game three, however, the Dodgers drew first blood, scoring six runs in the second inning! New York managed to cough up a pair
     during their turn at bat but then saw the Dodgers pull further aheadwith yet another run in the bottom of the third. Going into the fourth inning, it was Brooklyn 7, New York 2.
    The Yankees roared back to draw within two, and then within one. With the score teetering at 9–8 at the top of the ninth,
     their momentum slowed and finally stopped. The Dodgers retired the side one-two-three to win game three.
    Anyone who left game four after eight innings the next night undoubtedly believed New York had added another win to their
     side. But they were wrong — and they missed one of the most exciting endings of any World Series game yet.
    Going into the bottom of the ninth, the score was Yankees 2, Dodgers 1. Brooklyn hadn't taken the lead once that game; it
     seemed doubtful they would take it in their last raps. But, as Yankee Yogi Berra would one day observe, “It ain't over it's
     over” —and New York still needed to get three outs before it was over for Brooklyn.
    They got one when Brooklyn's first batter hit a long fly ball to left field that Johnny Lindell caught near the wall. Pitcher
     Bill Bevens walked the next batter, Carl Furillo. Furillo was not known for hisspeed, so the Dodgers had fleet-footed Al Gionfriddo run for him.
    Gionfriddo waited at second while the next batter fouled out. With two outs and only one man on, the Dodgers needed a hit
     — badly.
    Manager Burt Shotton had a choice. He could have pitcher Hugh Casey hit. Or he could have Pete Reiser pinch-hit. Usually he
     wouldn't have hesitated to put in Reiser. But Reiser had injured his ankle the previous game. Unless he really belted the
     ball in just the