Game 1, 1954 World Series

Somewhere an audio tape exists of game 1 of the 1954 World Series and on it, one can hear Dusty Rhodes’ game winning home run for the Giants vs you guessed or knew it, the Cleveland Indians. The play was called on national radio by Al Helfer, who also was on the radio airwaves, as the Tigers built a big lead in game 7, the last time the Cubs lost a World Series, that in 1945, as it has been for 71 straight years and counting.

However, now the Cubs have won the World Series, as you probably know, for the first time in 108 years.

The Indians have now lost 4 straight World Series, the streak beginning with Helfer on the air, I do believe for two of the key plays in game 1/1954, certainly the momentum building game, as the underdog Giants swept the mighty (111-43) Indians.

Of course that tape proved mirage like, as one hears Helfer talk of Mays’ greatness just after, but not the call of his catch and throw.

Baseball Reference.com does a great and I am pretty sure accurate job of preserving baseball history, something that will neither keep me warm at night nor relieve my loneliness, but is in its own way, a priceless gift.

However, the by definition, dry recitation of countless? plays can not possibly tell the whole story. An example below, regarding the play on which Mays made the catch and throw on a drive hit by Vic Wertz, the Indians batter, who had 4 hits in that game and of course was “robbed” of another.

“Dusty” Rhodes pictured above.