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FABULOUS CAREER
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Roberts One of Many
Slain by Yankee Dragon
of TheColumnists.com
The only way to start this column is to say, “Damn Yankees, damn Yankees, damn Yankees.” That’s because much of the misery and heartache suffered by opponents over the years would not have happened if not for the Yankees beating, frustrating, out-lucking them.
These thoughts were inspired by the recent death of Robin Roberts, the great Philadelphia Phillies pitcher. His death at 83 brought a flood of memories from admirers and recapitulations of his Hall of Fame career.
With all Roberts’ achievements--especially his 20 victories each of the six years from 1950 to 1955 and a record 305 complete games--there is one gnawing gap in that otherwise glorious career. He did not win the only World Series game he ever pitched. Damn those Yankees again.
Roberts pitched the second game of the 1950 World Series against the Yankees in Philadelphia. He allowed a run in the second inning and was tied, 1-1 after nine innings. He then gave up a home run to the until-then-hitless-in-the-Series Joe DiMaggio in the 10th inning. The Phils, who had been shut out, 1-0, in the opener of the Series, then had a mild threat in the 10th and failed to score.
Thus Roberts lost the only World Series game he ever would play in. He’s on the list of those who were frustrated one way or another by the Yankees over the years.
In 1939 catcher Ernie Lombardi of the Cincinnati Reds was knocked down by Charley Keller at home plate as Joe DiMaggio and Tommy Henrich also scored to complete a four-game Series sweep. The sight of Lombardi sprawled on the ground as the Yankees went by him is an indelible baseball image.
* In 1941 Dodger catcher Mickey Owen failed to catch what would have been a game-ending third strike. The Yankees went on to win the fourth and fifth game and the Series.
* The New York Giants’ 1951 playoff heroics winning the playoff over the Brooklyn Dodgers was tempered by their failure against the Yankees in the World Series. Giants fans believe Yankee outfielder Hank Bauer was playing out of position when he caught a line drive by Sal Yvars that might have capped a Giants rally and sent the Series into a seventh game.
* With two out and the bases loaded and the Dodgers behind, 4-2, in the seventh game of the 1952 World Series, Jackie Robinson hit a pop fly that looked as it if would drop safely until second baseman Billy Martin made a last second shoestring catch. It saved the Yankees and embittered Dodgers fans forever.
There are others. But back to the Roberts game.
I checked the archives to see if the Phils could have come up with an earlier run that would have enabled Roberts to win in nine innings--not be victimized by DiMaggio’s homer in the 10th.
In each of the first three innings off Allie Reynolds, the Phils had one-out extra base hits, but didn’t score.
In the first, Richie Ashburn got a double on a pop fly, but Dick Sisler struck out and Del Ennis grounded out.
In the second, after Granny Hamner tripled, he was stranded as Andy Seminick grounded out and Mike Goliat flied to center field.
In the third, Eddie Waitkus doubled, but Ashburn fouled out and Sisler grounded to second base.
The Phils’ solitary run came in the fifth. Goliat singled, Roberts popped to Reynolds on a failed bunt, Waitkus got a hit when his grounder took a bad bounce over second baseman Gerry Coleman. Goliat scored on a sacrifice fly by Ashburn.
John Drebinger wrote in The New York Times, “One might have thought from the terrific din, the blow had knocked Williams Penn’s hat off down at City Hall.”
The Phils had a chance to win in the ninth when Hamner hit a one-out double and Dick Whitman was given an intentional walk. But Goliat hit into a double play.
And in the 10th, pinch hitter Jack Mayo walked. He was sacrificed to second by Waitkus. A single would tie the game. But Ashburn popped out to first and Sisler took a called third strike.
Roberts was touched for the first run in the second inning. Coleman walked, went to third on a single by Reynolds and scored on an infield single by Gene Woodling because shortstop Hamner was unable to flip the ball to second for a force out.
Roberts later joked about DiMaggio’s game-winning homer into the upper deck in left field. He said, “It was a wind-blown fly. The wind was blowing in.”
Roberts had just turned 24. He would never have another chance to gain a World Series victory that would have been a highlight of a glorious career. The too-good Yankees, damn them, would keep on winning World Series and victimizing people.
©2010 by Stan Isaacs. The Stan Isaacs caricature is ©2001 by Jim Hummel. This column first posted May 17, 2010.
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