October 11, 1948: The Cleveland Indians Win the World Series

Steve Gromek (left) and Larry Doby

October 11, 1948: The Cleveland Indians defeat the Boston Braves behind "rookie" 30-year-old knuckleballer Gene Bearden, 4-3 at Braves Field, and take Game 6 and win the World Series. It is their 2nd title, the 1st coming in 1920.

Team owner Bill Veeck had built this team. Larry Doby and Satchel Paige thus become the 1st black players to play on a World Series winner. Doby became the 1st black player to hit a home run in a World Series game. And Lou Boudreau, age 31, both shortstop and manager, becomes the last player-manager to win a World Series, or even a Pennant. Bob Feller would join Veeck, Doby, Paige and Boudreau in the Baseball Hall of Fame, although he ended up as the losing pitcher in both games the Indians lost in the Series: Game 1, to Johnny Sain; and Game 5, to another Hall-of-Famer, Warren Spahn.

A photograph of Doby being hugged by a white teammate, pitcher Steve Gromek, circulated, and was considered another step forward in black and white players working together.

The team has never won another World Series. They have had some close calls, some of them truly agonizing. And they're not even called the Indians anymore: In 2021, after years of complaints about their Native American name and its racist implications, they announced that, for the following season and thereafter, they would be named the Cleveland Guardians.

But at least they're still in Cleveland, despite a number of fears of having to move in the 1960s, '70s and '80s. In contrast, despite all their success in the 19th Century and winning Pennants in 1914 and 1948, that 1948 World Series Game 6 was the last late-season meaningful game the Boston franchise of the National League would ever play. The Braves would be in Milwaukee by the next time they reached the Series, in 1957.

The Indians' Eddie Robinson was the last surviving player from the 1948 World Series, living until 2021, age 100, 73 years later. Clint Conatser was the last survivor of the '48 Braves, living until 2019, at 98.

UPDATE: The Guardians have a team Hall of Fame. From the 1948 World Champion Indians, they have honored Lou Boudreau, Bob Feller, Satchel Paige, Bob Lemon, Early Wynn, Mike Garcia, Joe Gordon, Larry Doby, Al Rosen, Ken Keltner, Jim Hegan, team owner Bill Veeck, scout Cy Slapnicka, and broadcasters Jack Graney and Jimmy Dudley. Feller and Hegan have also been elected to the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.

*

October 11, 1948 was a Monday. This was also the day Thomas Merton publishes his memoir The Seven Storey Mountain. I have a separate entry for that event.

The baseball season had ended that day. Football was in midweek. And it was too soon for the NBA and NHL seasons. So there were no other scores on this historic day.

July 12, 1949: Baseball's 1st Black All-Stars

Left to right: Roy Campanella, Larry Doby,

Don Newcombe and Jackie Robinson.

July 12, 1949: Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, hosts the All-Star Game for the only time. This is the 1st All-Star game with black players. Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe of the Dodgers become the National League's 1st black All-Stars. Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians becomes the American League's 1st black All-Star. Newcombe and Doby had been teammates on the Negro League's Newark Eagles in 1944.

The starting pitchers are Warren Spahn of the Boston Braves for the National League, and Mel Parnell of the Boston Red Sox for the American League. The AL tagged Spahn for 4 runs in the top of the 1st, but the NL got 2 back in the bottom of the 1st, on a double by Robinson and a home run by Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals. Newcombe, a good hitter for a pitcher, scored Willard Marshall of the New York Giants with a sacrifice fly, and it was 4-3 AL after 2.

The NL took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the 3rd. Eddie Joost of the Philadelphia Athletics singled home 2 runs in the top of the 4th, and it was 6-5 AL. Joe's brother, Dom DiMaggio of the Red Sox, led off the top of the 6th with a double. George Kell of the Detroit Tigers drew a walk. Bob Dillinger of the St. Louis Browns pinch-ran for Kell. Ted Williams of the Red Sox flew to center. But Joe DiMaggio doubled his brother and Dillinger home, and it was 8-5. Kell would end up beating Williams for the batting title by .0002, and denying him the Triple Crown by the smallest margin ever.

Ralph Kiner of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit a home run in the bottom of the 6th, driving in Robinson ahead of him. But the AL tacked on 3 runs in the top of the 7th, and won, 11-7. Newcombe was the losing pitcher. The winning pitcher was Virgil Trucks of the Tigers, and Raschi got the save.

Robinson played the entire game, going 1-for-4 with a walk, and also reached base due to a fielder's choice. Campanella replaced Andy Seminick of the Philadelphia Phillies behind the plate for the 4th inning, and went 0-for-2. Doby pinch-ran for Joe DiMaggio in the 6th, and moved into right field, while Dom DiMaggio moved from right to center. Doby batted only once, grounding out.

So while there were black players in the All-Star Game for the 1st time, only 1, Newcombe, made much of a difference. He would still win the NL's Rookie of the Year award, while Robinson would win the NL's Most Valuable Player award, and lead the Dodgers to the Pennant, before losing the World Series to the Yankees. Doby had helped the Indians win the previous year's World Series.

*

July 12, 1949 was a Tuesday, as most All-Star Game days have been. There were no other scores on this historic day, as no other major league sport was in season. 

July 5, 1947: Larry Doby Becomes the 1st Black American Leaguer

July 5, 1947: The Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians, 6-5 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. In the bottom of the 7th inning, Larry Doby pinch-hits for Cleveland pitcher Bryan Stephens, against pitcher Earl Harrist. He strikes out. Nevertheless, it makes him the 2nd black player in the modern era of Major League Baseball, and the 1st black player in the American League.

Born on December 13, 1923 in Cmaden, South Carolina, and raised in Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey, Doby played in the Negro Leagues, with the Newark Eagles, from 1942 to 1947, helping them win a Pennant in 1946. In 1948, he would become the 1st black player to hit a home run in a World Series game, helping the Indians win the World Series. He helped them win another Pennant in 1954, remained in the major leagues until 1959, and last played in Japan in 1962.

He made 7 All-Star Games, led the AL in home runs in 1952, and led it in both homers and RBIs in 1954. His lifetime batting average was .287, and he hit 273 home runs, a pretty good total for a player with his length of service while playing most of his home games at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

In 1978, the White Sox would hire Doby as the 2nd black manager in MLB. The Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians) would go on to retire Doby's Number 14, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He lived until 2003.

*

July 5, 1947 was a Saturday. These other baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 5-1 at Yankee Stadium. Rookie Frank "Spec" Shea went the distance, Joe DiMaggio went 2-for-4, and rookie Yogi Berra went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

* The New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-0 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Johnny Mize hits 2 home runs, to support a 6-hit shutout by Clint Hartung.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers lost to the Boston Braves, 4-1 at Ebbets Field. Jackie Robinson went 2-for-4.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Senators, 7-6 at Fenway Park in Boston. Ted Williams went 2-for-3 with 2 walks.

* The Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Hank Greenberg went 1-for-3 with a walk. So did Ralph Kiner, but his hit was a 2-run home run.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-5 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Stan Musial went 0-for-3, although he did draw a walk.

* And the Detroit Tigers were supposed to play the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park, but were rained out. It was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on August 31. The Tigers swept, 11-2 and 10-1.