1952 World Series

The 1952 World Series featured the three-time defending champion New York Yankees beating the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games. The Yankees won their fourth straight title—tying the mark they set between 1936 and 1939 under manager Joe McCarthy, and Casey Stengel became the second manager in Major League history with four (4) consecutive championships. It was the fifteenth championship in the Yankees' history, and the third defeat of the Dodgers in six years.
In Game 7, the Yankees' second baseman Billy Martin made a game-saving catch. Also, the home run hit by Mickey Mantle during the eighth inning of Game 6 was significant because it was the first of his record eighteen (18) career World Series home runs.

In what was now becoming expected, the New York Yankees returned for their eighteenth World Series appearance against their cross-town rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Bronx Bombers had finished off the Giants "Cinderella" season the year before and were determined to retain their title as the kings of the "Big Apple" baseball teams. Charlie Dressen's Dodgers were angered by the heavy favoritism that the Yankees received in the press and many fans had already crowned them as champions before the first pitch was even thrown. Their frustration was merited and inspired them to a 4-2 victory that featured a six-hit effort by Joe Black who was coming off a 15-4 season in which he made fifty-six appearances (the first fifty-four coming in relief). Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider and Pee Wee Reese all supported the rookie's debut effort with home runs of their own.

Perhaps now the press would give the National Leaguers some respect as Game 1 represented more than just an opening win. The Dodgers had made a statement and the Yankees were taking notice. Billy Martin was the standout in Game 2 and put the Dodgers back in their place with a three-run blast and a RBI single that backed up Vic Raschi's 7-1 performance. Not to be outdone, the Dodgers came back swinging and answered the Yankees challenge with a strong outing by Preacher Roe, who held the "Pinstripes" to a 5-3 loss. Once again, it was anybody's Series and pitching seemed to be the only deciding factor.

Allie Reynolds continued to tip the scales back and forth with a dominant 2-0 triumph in Game 4 that balanced the Series at two games apiece, but Carl Erskine answered back with a 6-5 win in the eleven-inning, Game 5. The Dodger ace allowed only four-hits and all five runs in the fifth inning, but permitted only one other hit which was a bunt-single by Mickey Mantle in the fourth. Duke Snider, who wound up with four homers and eight runs batted in during the Series, hit a two-run homer in the fifth to counter ...