The 1957 World Series featured the defending champion New York Yankees of the American League playing against the Milwaukee Braves of the National League. After finishing just one game behind the N.L. Champion Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956, the Braves came back in 1957 to win their first pennant since moving from Boston in 1953. The Braves won the Series in seven games, behind Lew Burdette's three complete game victories. The Braves would be the only team besides the Yankees, Dodgers, or Giants to win a World Series title in the 1950s.
The Yankees had home field advantage in the series. Games 1, 2, 6, and 7 were played at Yankee Stadium, while Milwaukee County Stadium hosted Games 3, 4, and 5. This was the first time since 1946 that the Series included scheduled off days after Games 2 and 5.
Of the previous ten World Series, the Yankees had participated in eight of them and won seven. This was also the first World Series since 1948 that a team from New York did not win.
This is the first of four Yankees-Braves matchups, and the only Series that was won by the Braves; they lost in 1958, 1996 and 1999, with the last two instances occurring with the Braves based in Atlanta.
Hank Aaron led all regulars with a .393 average and 11 hits, including a triple, three home runs and seven RBI.
Milwaukee’s victory marked the first Wisconsin pro championship won by a team other than the Green Bay Packers.
In the third inning, the Yankees replaced first baseman Bill Skowron, who was complaining of back pain, with Elston Howard. In the fifth inning the Braves had a runner in scoring position after an error by Howard. The Braves did not manage to capitalize on this opportunity, as second basemanRed Schoendienstgrounded out. By the end of the fifth inning, the Braves had left four men on base, with the game still scoreless.
The Yankees broke through that inning with a leadoff single by Jerry Coleman, followed by two ground outs which moved the runner to third base, and then a triple by sluggerHank Bauer made the score 1–0. After three consecutive batters reached first base in the Yankees' half of the sixth inning, and a run scored on Andy Carey's single, Milwaukee manager Fred Haney pulled starter Warren Spahn and replaced him with Ernie Johnson.
The Yankees scored once more in the sixth inning when Coleman executed a squeeze play, allowing Yogi Berra to score from third base. The Braves managed to score only once, when Wes Covington scored in the seventh on a single by Schoendienst. Whitey Ford pitched a complete game for the Yankees.
Hank Aaron led off the second inning with a triple, then made it safe at home on Joe Adcock's single. The Yankees responded with one of their own in the bottom half of the second. Again in the third inning, the Yankees and Braves each scored one run, leaving the score 2–2 heading to the fourth inning. Both managers were worried about their starting pitchers, and after three straight singles from Adcock, Andy Pafko, and Wes Covington and with two runs in, Yankees manager Casey Stengel replaced Bobby Shantz with relieverArt Ditmar. Ditmar had finished the regular season with an 8–3 record, a 3.25 ERA and six saves.
Ditmar was able to prevent the Braves from scoring any more runs, but the score was 4–2 in favor of the Braves. After that, Braves starter Lew Burdette's pitching improved significantly. He only gave up four hits for the rest of the game, two of them coming in the ninth inning. After a ground out, Tony Kubek singled to right to start things off. Stengel decided to pinch hit lefty Joe Collins, who was 30–for–149 (.201) that year and was playing what turned out to be his final year, for the right-handed Coleman, who was a better 42–for–157 (.263) and also playing in his final season, to face right-handed pitcher Burdette. Collins popped to Johnny Logan at shortstop for the second out. Then, Stengel again opted to pinch hit for the pitcher, Bob Grim. Howard came up in his spot and singled to advance Kubek to second. Bobby Richardson pinch ran for Howard. Burdette recorded the final out as he got Bauer, the next batter, to ground to short, where Logan forced out Richardson.
The Braves' win in Game2 was the first World Series game won by a non-New York City team since 1948. In every World Series between 1948 and 1957, either both teams were from New York City or a New York City team won in a sweep (1950 and 1954).
New York's Tony Kubek began the scoring with a one-out solo homer in the first inning. After that, things quickly fell apart for Bob Buhl, who had pitched quite well in the regular season (18–7, 2.74 ERA). He walked Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, then made an error attempting to pick Mantle off at second base. After a sacrifice fly by Gil McDougald and a single by first basemanHarry Simpson, manager Fred Haney pulled Buhl and brought in rookieJuan Pizarro. Pizarro got the final out in the first inning, and followed that with a solid second inning. In the third inning, however, the Yankees began to capitalize on their lead. After allowing hits from Mantle, Berra and Jerry Lumpe, and a walk to Elston Howard, who was pinch-hitting for Harry Simpson, Pizarro was removed from the game. Gene Conley was called in to finish the inning. He did get the last two outs, but gave up a two-run home run to Mantle in the fourth inning.
By the bottom of the fifth inning, the score was 7–1 in favor of the Yankees. Logan led off with a single, and Eddie Mathewsflied to left. Hank Aaron hit one of his three postseason homers to make the game 7–3. After a Covington walk, Joe Adcock and Bob Hazle each made outs to end the fifth. Yankees relief pitcher Don Larsen had his comfortable lead cut down to just four runs.
In the seventh inning the Yankees secured their lead with a five-run inning against reliever Bob Trowbridge. The five runs started with a two-run bases-loaded single by Bauer and a three-run home run by Kubek. The score was 12–3 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
There was only one more hit the rest of the game, a single by Aaron in the ninth. Del Crandall made the last out and the series was on to Game4 with the Yankees up 2–1. Left fielder Kubek was only the second rookie in history to hit two home runs in a World Series game. This was the first World Series game played in the state of Wisconsin.
The second inning started with a single by Hank Aaron and then a stolen base by Wes Covington, but they could not convert. The fourth inning began with a walk to Johnny Logan. Eddie Mathewsdoubled to right field, which sent Logan to third. Aaron then hit a three-run home run which completely cleared the stadium. The next batter, Covington, grounded out. This was followed by a shot off the bat of Frank Torre, a part-time first baseman who was giving Joe Adcock a day off. The Braves were then up 4–1 against Yankees starter Tom Sturdivant.
The next four innings for the Yankees were plagued by double plays. Warren Spahn was getting ground out after ground out and the Yankees looked helpless until the ninth. With two outs and a three-run deficit in the top of the ninth, New York found new life in two back-to-back singles. Spahn gave up one to Berra, followed by one to McDougald. With two runners on, Howard hit a three-run homer to tie the game.
Left-handed Tommy Byrne had replaced right-handed Johnny Kucks in the eighth inning for New York. This prompted Haney to pinch hit Adcock for Torre. Adcock grounded to shortstop and Milwaukee went 1–2–3 that inning. The game thus went on to extra innings.
Milwaukee starter Spahn came out for the tenth. Kubek got his second hit in the top of the tenth, followed by a triple by Hank Bauer to score a run. After Mantle flied to right, the Braves got ready for the bottom of the tenth down one. Spahn was due up first for the Braves, and Haney opted to pinch hit with Nippy Jones, who had played in just 30 games that year. In what turned out to be his final appearance, Jones was part of a pivotal play in the inning. A wild Tommy Byrne pitch bounced near Jones, but umpire Donatelli initially called a ball. After an argument hinging on a spot of shoe polish on the baseball, Jones convinced umpire Augie Donatelli that he was hit on the shoe.
The inning continued with Felix Mantilla running for Jones. Red Schoendienst hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Mantilla, who scored the tying run on a double by Logan. Mathews followed with a towering two-run home run to win it for the Braves, 7–5, and tied the series at two games apiece.
With the opposing teams' top pitchers, Whitey Ford and Lew Burdette, facing each other, Game5 was expected to be a low-scoring affair. However, the game started out with the Yankees looking to score in the first inning. After a leadoff single by Hank Bauer and a sacrifice bunt by Tony Kubek, Gil McDougald hit a line drive that turned into the second out of the inning. Yogi Berra then grounded out. After that, Burdette only allowed multiple Yankee baserunners in the fourth inning.
At the start of the sixth inning, the game was still scoreless. In the bottom of the sixth with two outs and nobody on, Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, and Joe Adcock singled, scoring Mathews and giving the Braves a 1–0 lead that held up for the rest of the game.
The Yankees' best scoring chance came in the eighth inning after a hit by Jerry Coleman to right field. Mickey Mantle came in to pinch-run for Coleman, but was caught stealing at second base by catcherDel Crandall. Ford was then taken out and Yankee reliever Bob Turley came in, striking out two batters while giving up no hits in the inning.
Yogi Berra made the last Yankee out in the 1–0 complete-game by Burdette, and the Milwaukee Braves took the series lead three games to two.
Bob Buhl started for the Braves but did not last very long. In the first two innings, no one scored, although there were some opportunities, including the Yankees' first inning when Enos Slaughter reached third and Yogi Berra got to second on Buhl's wild pitch. Buhl struck out Gil McDougald to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third, the Yankees scored two runs to take the lead on a Berra two-run homer, scoring Slaughter. After that Ernie Johnson replaced Buhl. Johnson then held the Yankees scoreless until the seventh inning.
The Braves cut the lead in their half in the fifth on Frank Torre's home run, his second of the series. The Braves then tied it in the top of the seventh with a homer by Hank Aaron, his third. The game was now tied and Braves' pitcher Johnson was holding the Yankees to just one hit in 3+1⁄3 innings. Leading off the seventh, pitcher Bob Turley was out on a bunt attempt with two strikes. Then, right fielderHank Bauer hit a home run off the left-field foul pole to give the Yankees a one-run lead.
In the Braves' ninth, after an Eddie Mathews walk, Turley got lefty Wes Covington to ground into a 1–6–3 double play to end the game and force a deciding Game7.
Lew Burdette was called in to start game 7 for the Braves on two days' rest when the expected starter, Warren Spahn, was struck with the Asian flu.
After two scoreless innings, the Braves broke through in the third, started by a Bob Hazle single and an error by Tony Kubek at third base; one of three Yankee errors in the game. The inning continued with a hard-hit Eddie Mathews double, which prompted Casey Stengel to take out starter Don Larsen and bring in lefty Bobby Shantz. Shantz then gave up an RBI single to Hank Aaron and a single by Wes Covington advanced Aaron to third. Frank Torre grounded into a fielders' choice which scored Aaron. Felix Mantilla then flied to Hank Bauer in right to end the inning, ending the Braves' scoring at four runs.
The Yankees' best chance came in the sixth, when they had runners on first and second with two outs after a Mickey Mantle single and an error by Mathews at third. Gil McDougald then grounded out forcing Mantle at third to end the inning and the threat.
In the ninth, after Milwaukee made it 5–0 on a Del Crandall homer, the Yankees attempted to mount a rally. With two outs and McDougald on first base, Jerry Coleman singled to right. Then, Tommy Byrne singled to load the bases for Bill Skowron. With the tying run on deck, Burdette retired Skowron on a ground out to third with Mathews making the final out which secured the world championship for the Braves.
In the game, the Yankees were limited to seven hits and one walk. Burdette was named the Series MVP after pitching three complete games and two shutouts. He was the first pitcher since Christy Mathewson to pitch two shutouts in a World Series.
Despite the Yankees having made 17 more appearances in the World Series since this one, this game, to date, is the most recent time the team has hosted a World Series Game 7.
Composite line score
Hank Aaron clinched the NL pennant by hitting a walk-off home run on September 23. In the Fall Classic, Aaron batted .393 with 3 home runs.
Edwin Lee Mathews was an American professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 17 seasons for the Boston / Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1952–1966); Houston Astros (1967) and Detroit Tigers (1967–68). Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978, he is the only player to have represented the Braves in the three cities they have called home. He played 1,944 games for the Braves during their 13-season tenure in Milwaukee—the prime of Mathews' career.
Joseph Wilbur Adcock was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1950 to 1966, most prominently as a member of the Milwaukee Braves teams that won two consecutive National League pennants and won the 1957 World Series.
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League (NL) and the New York Yankees of the American League (AL) from October 5–13, 1960. In Game 7, Bill Mazeroski hit the series winning ninth-inning home run, the only time a winner-take-all World Series game ended with a home run, and the first World Series to end on a home run. Mazeroski's home run gave the Pirates their third title overall and their first since 1925.
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees of the American League and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League in October 1956. The series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series. It was the final Subway Series in the Fall Classic until 44 years later in 2000, as the Dodgers and the New York Giants moved to California following the 1957 season. Additionally, it was the last time a New York City team represented the National League in a World Series until 1969, when the New York Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles in five games.
The 1951 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the New York Giants, who had won the National League pennant in a thrilling three-game playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers on the legendary home run by Bobby Thomson.
The 1961 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1961 season. The 58th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees (109–53) against the National League (NL) champion Cincinnati Reds (93–61). The Yankees won in five games to earn their 19th championship in 39 seasons. Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford was named the World Series Most Valuable Player, having won two games while throwing 14 scoreless innings.
The 1958 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1958 season. The 55th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion New York Yankees and the National League champion Milwaukee Braves. In a reversal from 1957, the Yankees defeated the Braves in seven games to win their 18th title, and their seventh in 10 years. With that victory, the Yankees became only the second team in Major League Baseball history to come back from a 3–1 deficit to win a best-of-seven World Series; the first was the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1925. These teams would meet again in the fall classic 38 years later—by that time, the Braves had moved to Atlanta. As of 2023, this is the most recent World Series featuring the two previous Series winning teams.
The 1953 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1953 season. The 50th edition of the World Series, it matched the four-time defending champions New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a rematch of the 1952 Series, and the fourth such matchup between the two teams in the past seven seasons. The Yankees won in six games for their fifth consecutive title—a mark which has not been equalled—and their 16th overall. It was also the last of seven consecutive World Series wins by teams from the American League, the longest such streak for the AL in series history. Billy Martin won World Series MVP honors as he hit .500 with a record-tying 12 hits and a walk-off RBI single in Game 6.
The 1955 World Series was the championship series to conclude the 1955 Major League Baseball (MLB) season. The Series matched the National League (NL) pennant winner Brooklyn Dodgers against the American League (AL) pennant winner New York Yankees, with the Dodgers winning the Series in seven games to capture their first championship in franchise history. It would be the only Series the Dodgers won while based in Brooklyn, as the team relocated to Los Angeles after the 1957 season. This was the fifth time in nine years that the Yankees and the Dodgers met in the World Series, with the Yankees having won in 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953; the Yankees would also win in the 1956 rematch.
Fred Girard Haney was an American third baseman, manager, coach and executive in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a manager, he won two pennants and a world championship with the Milwaukee Braves. He later served as the first general manager of the expansion Los Angeles Angels in the American League. For years, Haney was one of the most popular baseball figures in Los Angeles. In 1974 he was presented with the King of Baseball award given by Minor League Baseball.
Delmar Wesley Crandall was an American professional baseball player and manager. Crandall played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1949 to 1966, most prominently as a member of the Boston / Milwaukee Braves where, he was an eleven-time All-Star player and was a member of the 1957 World Series winning team.
Cletis Leroy "Clete" Boyer was an American professional baseball third baseman — who occasionally played shortstop and second base — in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Athletics (1955–57), New York Yankees (1959–66), and Atlanta Braves (1967–71). Boyer also spent four seasons with the Taiyō Whales of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). In his 16-year big league career, Boyer hit 162 home runs, with 654 runs batted in (RBI), and a .242 batting average, in 1,725 games played.
The 1957 Milwaukee Braves season was the 5th season in Milwaukee and the 87th season of the franchise. It was the year that the team won its first and only World Series championship while based in Milwaukee. The Braves won 95 games and lost 59 to win the National League pennant by eight games over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals. This season was the best season for the Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) in terms of wins (95) and winning percentage (.617).
The 1958 Milwaukee Braves season was the sixth in Milwaukee and the 88th overall season of the franchise. The Braves finished first in the National League with a 92–62 record and returned to the World Series for the second consecutive year, losing to the New York Yankees in seven games. The Braves set a Major League record which still stands for the fewest players caught stealing in a season, with 8.
The 1956 Milwaukee Braves season was the fourth in Milwaukee and the 86th overall season of the franchise. The Braves finished in second place in the National League, just one game behind the Brooklyn Dodgers in the league standings, and one game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds. All three teams posted wins on the final day of the season; the Braves had entered the final three games with a game advantage, but dropped the first two at St. Louis while the Dodgers swept the Pirates.
The 1959 Milwaukee Braves season was the seventh season for the franchise in Milwaukee and its 89th season overall. The season's home attendance was 1,749,112, second in the majors and the eight-team National League, but the lowest to date in Milwaukee and the last over 1.5 million.
The 1957 Major League Baseball season was played from April 15 to October 10, 1957. The National League's Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants played their final seasons as New York City-based franchises before their moves to California for the 1958 season, leaving New York City without a National League team until the birth of the Mets in 1962.
The 1959 National League tie-breaker series was a best-of-three playoff series that extended Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1959 regular season to decide the winner of the National League (NL) pennant. The tiebreaker series was necessary after the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves finished the season with identical win–loss records of 86–68 (.558) on Sunday, September 27, three games ahead of the San Francisco Giants. It was the first tie-breaker in the majors in eight years, also in the National League.
On October 8, 1956, in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, pitcher Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Yankee Stadium. It was the only no-hitter in World Series history until the Houston Astros pitching staff of Cristian Javier, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly threw a combined no-hitter in the 2022 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. It remains the only perfect game in the history of the World Series.
On May 26, 1959, Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitched a perfect game for 12 innings against the Milwaukee Braves, but lost the no-hitter and the game in the 13th inning. The game was played at Milwaukee County Stadium.
References
Cohen, Richard M.; Neft, David S. (1990). The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp.265–269. ISBN0-312-03960-3.
Reichler, Joseph (1982). The Baseball Encyclopedia (5thed.). Macmillan Publishing. p.2165. ISBN0-02-579010-2.
Further reading
Kilma, John (2012). Bushville Wins!: The Wild Saga of the 1957 Milwaukee Braves and the Screwballs, Sluggers, and Beer Swiggers Who Canned the New York Yankees and Changed Baseball. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN1-250-00607-4.
Formerly the Boston Red Stockings, Boston Red Caps, Boston Beaneaters, Boston Doves, Boston Rustlers, Boston Bees, Boston Braves and the Milwaukee Braves
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