1957 World Series

Baseball's 1957 World Series featured the defending champions, the New York Yankees (American League), playing against the Milwaukee Braves (National League). The Braves had just won their first pennant since moving from Boston in 1953. The Braves won the Series in seven games.

Managers: Casey Stengel (Yankees) and Fred Haney (Braves)

Umpires: Joe Paparella (AL), Jocko Conlan (NL), Bill McKinley (AL), Augie Donatelli (NL), Nestor Chylak (AL: outfield only), Frank Secory (NL: outfield only)

MVP: Lew Burdette

Television: NBC (Mel Allen and Al Helfer announcing)

Series Overview

 * Game 1: Yankees 3, Braves 1
 * Game 2: Braves 4, Yankees 2
 * Game 3: Yankees 12, Braves 3
 * Game 4: Braves 7, Yankees 5
 * Game 5: Braves 1, Yankees 0
 * Game 6: Yankees 3, Braves 2
 * Game 7: Braves 5, Yankees 0

Note: It was the Braves' first championship since the "Miracle Braves" of 1914.

Game 1
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 baseman Red Schoendienst grounded out. By the end of the fifth inning, the Braves had left four men on base, with the score still at 0-0.

The Yankees broke through that inning with a leadoff single by Jerry Coleman, followed by two groundouts which moved the runner to third base, and then a triple by slugger Hank Bauer making 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 utilized 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. The final score was Yankees 3, Braves 1.

Game 2
Hank Aaron led off the second inning with a triple, then made it safe at home on Adcock's single. The Braves got another run that inning; 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 Covington and with two runs in, Yankees manager Casey Stengel replaced Shantz with reliever Art 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 McDougald at short stop 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 McDougald forced out Richardson.

Game 3
New York's Kubek began the scoring with a one-out solo homer in the first inning. After that, things quickly fell apart for Buhl, who had pitched quite well in the regular season (18-7, 2.74 ERA). He walked Mantle and Berra, then made an error attempting to pick Mantle off at second base. After a sacrifice fly by McDougald and a single by first baseman Harry Simpson, manager Haney pulled Buhl and brought in rookie Juan Pizarro. Pizarro got the final out in the first inning, and folowed 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 Howard, who was pinch-hitting for 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 Mathews flied to left. Hank Aaron stepped to the plate and hit one of his six postseason homers to make the game 7-3. After a Covington walk, 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 in to the bottom of the seventh.

There was only one more hit in the rest of the game, a single by Aaron in the ninth. Del Crandall made the last out and the series was on to Game 4 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.

Game 4
After a game with 2 homers and 4 RBIs, Kubek led off the first inning for the Yankees. Kubek bunted, which ultimately led to a run after Mantle reached on a fielder's choice, Berra walked, and McDougald singled.

The second inning started with a single by Aaron and then a stolen base by Covington, but they could not convert. The fourth inning began with a walk to Logan. Mathews doubled 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 solo shot off the bat of Frank Torre, a part-time first baseman who was giving 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. 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 3-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 10th. Kubek got his second hit in the top of the 10th, followed by a triple by Beaur to score a run. After Mantle flied to right, the Braves got ready for the bottom of the 10th down 1. 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 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 Donatelli that he was hit on the shoe.

The inning continued with Felix Mantilla running for Jones. Schoendienst hit a sacrifice bunt to advanced 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 tie the series at two games apiece.

Game 5
With two top pitchers, Whitey Ford and Lew Burdette, Game 5 was expected to be low-scoring. However, the game started out with the Yankees looking to score in the first inning. After a leadoff single by Bauer and a sacrifice bunt by Kubek, McDougald hit a line drive that turned into the second out of the inning. 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, Mathews, Aaron, and Adcock singled, scoring Mathews and giving the Braves a 1-0 lead.

The Yankees' best scoring chance came in the eighth inning after a hit by Coleman to right field. Mantle pinch-ran for Coleman, and was caught stealing at second base by catcher Crandall. Ford was then taken out and Yankees reliever Bob Turley earned two strikeouts and gave up no hits in the inning.

Berra made the last Yankee out in the 1-0 complete-game shutout by Burdette, and the Braves took the series lead three games to two.

Game 6
Buhl was the starter for the Braves. In the first two innings, no one scored, although there were some opportunities, including the Yankees' first inning when Slaughter reached third and Berra got to second on a Buhl wild pitch. However, Buhl then struck out McDougald to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 3rd, 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.

The Braves cut the lead in half in the fifth on a Torre solo home run. They then tied it in the top of the seventh with a solo homer by Aaron. The game was now tied and Braves' pitcher Johnson was holding the Yankees to just one hit in 3 and 1/3 innings. Leading off the seventh, pitcher Turley was out on a bunt attempt with two strikes. Then, right fielder Bauer hit a solo home run off the left-field foul pole to give the Yankees a one-run lead.

In the Braves' ninth, after a Mathews walk, Turley got lefty Covington to ground into a 1-6-3 double play to end the game and force a deciding Game 7.

Game 7
After two scoreless innings, the Braves broke through in the third, started by a Hazle single and an error by Kubek at third base, one of three Yankee errors in the game. The inning continued with a hard-hit Mathews double, which prompted Stengel to take out starter Larsen and bring in lefty Shantz. Shantz then gave up an RBI single to Aaron and a single by Covington advancing Aaron to third. Torre grounded into a fielders' choice which scored Aaron. Mantilla then flied to 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 Mantle single and an error by Mathews at third. McDougald then grounded Mantle into a force play at third to end the inning.

In the ninth, after Milwaukee made it 5-0 on a Crandall homer, the Yankees attempted to mount a rally. With two outs and McDougald on first base, Coleman singled to right. Then, Byrne singled to load the bases for Skowron. With the tying run on deck, Burdette retired Skowron on a groundout to third. Mathews made the final out.

In the game, the Yankees were limited to seven hits and one walk. Burdette was named series MVP after pitching three complete games and two shutouts.



Burdette's Series Statistics

 * Games - 3
 * Games started - 3
 * ERA - 0.67
 * Wins - 3
 * Losses - 0
 * Complete games - 3
 * Shutouts - 2
 * Innings pitched - 27 (3 CG)
 * Hits - 21
 * Earned runs - 2 (both in Game 1)
 * Walks - 4
 * Strikeouts - 13

Quotes of the Series

 * "I exploit the greed of all hitters." - Lew Burdette (on how he was able to start three games, win three games, and throw two shutouts)
 * Prior to Game 7, the Milwaukee media asked Lew Burdette about pitching on two days rest. He replied, "I'll be all right. In 1953, I once relieved in sixteen games out of twenty-two. I'm bigger, stronger and dumber now."

Trivia

 * The Milwaukee Braves become the first team to win a Championship after relocating.
 * The Braves' win in Game 2 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).
 * Of the previous 10 World Series, the Yankees had participated in eight of them and won seven.