I Didn't Know He Played For: Boston Red Sox

This is the third article in the series "I didn't know he played for..."  Don't forget to check out the first two articles in the series:  Reading, PA and the Baltimore Orioles.

The Boston Red Sox are one of the most successful teams in the history of the game.  Starting with their win in the first ever World Series through their stunning 2013 win the Red Sox are essential to telling the history of the game.  Along with that healthy history comes an association of key players wearing the Red Sox uniform:  Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, David Ortiz and many more.

Here are some players throughout the history of the organization you may have forgotten or never knew they wore the crimson hose:

Fred Mitchell:
As the Tinker, Evers and Chance era in Chicago ended, Fred Mitchell took over.  Each of the famous double play combo had taken a chance at the top of the team but only Chance was truly successful as a manager.  In 1917, Fred Mitchell took over as manager ending the most successful era of Cubs baseball officially.  Mitchell would manage the Cubs for four years, including an appearance in the 1918 World Series.  Before he became a manager Fred Mitchell  was a mediocre (to be kind) pitcher, his best year coming in 1903 with the Phillies (11-16, 4.48).  His professional career started with Boston in the newly formed American League.  Boston finished 6 games behind the White Sox in that first AL year and Mitchell went 6-6.  Apparently Boston thought little of his potential since after just 1 appearance (0-1, 11.25 ERA) he was "loaned" to the Philadelphia Athletics for the rest of the season.

Nick Altrock:
Nick Altrock came to be known as the "Clown Prince" of baseball for the comedy acts he would perform at stadiums around the American League after he retired.  Before that he was known as the White Sox ace on the staff of their first World Series winner in 1906.  Altrock had three straight tremendous years pitching for the Pale Hose but first he wore socks of a different color.  Altrock pitched in a total of four games for Boston (3 in 1902 and 1 in 1903).  In July of 1903 his contract was sold to the White Sox. The Red Sox would go on to win the World Series based on the pitching of their stars Bill Dinneen and Cy Young.  Altrock would go on to help the "Hitless Wonders" of Chicago beat the powerful crosstown Cubs.

Eddie Cicotte:
Eddie Cicotte, in the words of the Three Amigos, is "more than famous, he's infamous".  Cicotte will forever be known as the ace of the Black Sox staff.  He was one of the leaders of the World Series fix and one of the few who were known to have gotten paid what they asked.  But before his socks where white or black they were crimson.  Cicotte played four full seasons and part of a fifth in Boston before moving on to Chi-town.  He left Boston with a 52-46 record and 2.69 ERA.  In July of 1912, as the Red Sox rode the arm of Smokey Joe Wood to a pennant, they sold Cicotte to the White Sox where he would meet up with his co-conspirators.

Bill Wambsganns

Photo of Bill Wambsganss Courtesy of Boston Red Sox Wallpaper.com

Known to his teammates as "Wamby" for obvious reasons, Bill Wambsganns did something in the 1920 World Series that no one before or after him accomplished.  He turned an unassisted triple play.  But Wamby's career was more than that.  He was the double play partner of Ray Chapman.  He was a base stealing threat for the Indians first World Series Champions.  And, what few remember, he played for the Red Sox.  Wamby played 13 years in the league, 10 of those in Cleveland.  In January 1924 as Cleveland started to look for a younger group, Wamby was sent to the Red Sox along with Dan Boone, Joe Connelley and Steve O'Neill.  In exchange the Tribe received George Burns, Chick Fewster and Roxy Walters.  He played two full years with Boston but with the team still reeling from the fire sale to the Yankees there was little success.

Joe Judge:
When the Washington Senators were finally able to overcome that old joke about Washington (First in War, First in peace and Last in the American League) and win the American Leaue pennant two straight years, Joe Judge was their power hitting First Baseman in the middle of the lineup.  As that group of players started to age the Senators went with a youth movement and Judge was dispensed with.  He landed in Brooklyn for part of 1933 before being released.  After playing 2084 games in the Nation's capital and 42 in Brooklyn, Judge finished his career with 45 games in Boston (35 in 1933 and 10 in 1934).

Nels Potter:
As the Red Sox started to build their young team around Williams, Doerr, Pesky and DiMaggio, pitching always seemed to be the missing element.  Turns out they may have had it and let it get away.  Nels Potter was 22-41 in his five seasons with the Athletics but the record was partially a reflection of the terrible team behind him in Philadelphia.  The Red Sox purchased Potter's contract during the 1941 season where he went 2-0 in finishing 6 games.  He was sent to AA Louisville for the 1942 season and before returning to the Red Sox was chosen by the St.Louis Browns in the Rule 5 draft.  In 1944 as the Browns were charging to their first (and only) pennant, Potter was the ace of the staff winning 19 games.

Ken Keltner:
Ken Keltner had a long and successful career.  He is known as the man who stopped Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak.  He made 7  All Star Games and when the Indians won the 1948 World Series Keltner was the lineup's power.  He played 1526 games in his career.  1513 of those were with the Tribe.  As the Indians groomed young Al Rosen to take over at Third Base Keltner's playing time dipped.  At the end of the 1949 season Keltner was released and Rosen named the full time Third Baseman.  Keltner signed with the Red Sox who were looking for one last piece to put them ahead of the Yankees (they had lost to the Yanks on the final day of the 1949 season). He saw action in only 13 games.  He hit .321 in that time but his power was gone.  He had 0 Home Runs and drove in only 2.  By June 6 Keltner was released and gone from the game as a player.

Bobby Thomson
Bobby Thomson hit one of the most famous Home Runs in history, certainly the most famous in the Dodgers-Giants rivalry.  After leaving the Giants he played several years with the Braves in Milwaukee.  At the end of his time there he was sent back to the Giants for Red Schoendienst, who jump started the Braves to their only World Series title in Milwaukee.  Thomson then spent some time with the Cubs before being sent to the Red Sox before the 1960 season.  He played 40 games for Boston that year before being released in June.  He hit .263 there that year with 5 Home Runs but the Red Sox were starting to move toward a youth movement as Williams got ready for his final year.

Wilbur Wood

Photo of Wilbur Wood Courtesy of Boston.com

In the late 1960s and early 1970s Wilbur Wood was the face of the Chicago White Sox.  The team was not very competitive as the AL West was dominated by the A's and Royals (and even the Twins for a while).  For four straight years (1971-1974) Wood won more than 20 games.  He finished in the top 5 in Cy Young voting three times and made three All Star Games.  Before he became a star in Chicago, he was starting his career in Boston.  From the end of the 1961 season to the middle of the 1964 season Wood wore Red Sox not White Sox.  In his four years in Boston, Wood had a total record of 0-5.  In September of 1964 his contract was sold to the Pirates who would eventually trade Wood to the White Sox.

Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver is of course known today as the play by play announcer for FOX over the last several decades (and ABC before that).  Before heading into the broadcast booth McCarver was known for being an All Star Catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals when they dominated the mid 1960s and later for the Phillies in the mid 1970s. What few know is that after leaving the Cardinals he made a stop in Boston.  After leaving St.Louis he was sent to Philadelphia who then sent him to Montreal and a brief stop back in St. Louis.  In September 1974 the Red Sox purchased McCarver's contract as an insurance policy for an often injured Carlton Fisk.  He played in 11 games that year and stayed with the team to start 1975 and played 12 games with the team before being released.  He was signed by the Phillies where he would end his career.

Juan Marichal
The Hall of Famer Dominican Dandy made nine All Star Games, won 242 games and was the first Giants' ace on the west coast.  As the Giants offensive stars of Mays, McCovey and Cepeda moved on the talent level at Candlestick needed a revamp.  Marichal became expendable.  In December of 1973 the Giants sold Marichal's contract to the Red Sox.  Marichal pitched in 11 games for the Sox and went 5-1 but was released in October of that year.

Jack Clark:

Photo of Jack Clark Courtesy of Boston.com

Jack Clark played for the Giants at the time Frank Robinson was the manager and was known for being in Frank's doghouse.  He was an All Star Firstbaseman and went on to be an All Star for the Cardinals in the late 1980s.  He had a well known big contract from the Yankees who were less than pleased with his results and shipped him to San Diego.  What few people remember is that he finished his career with the Red Sox.  Clark signed as a free agent for the 1991 season but couldn't help the Red Sox repeat as AL East Champs.  He hit only .249 but did blast an impressive 28 Home Runs.  Clark stuck around for the 1992 season but hit only .210 with 5 Home Runs.  His playing time dripped to 80 games as Boston got ready for their new young star, Mo Vaughn.

Frank Viola:
Frank "Sweet Music" Viola pitched the Twins to the 1987 World Series.  Two years later the Twins were looking to rebuild.  They traded Viola to the Mets in a shocking blockbuster trade that netted Minnesota Rick Aguilera, David West and Kevin Tapani.  Viola would be part of a dysfunctional, expensive and underachieving Mets team that imploded.  After the 1991 season Viola became a free agent and signed with the Red Sox.  During the 1992, 1993 and 1994 seasons Viola was 25-21 but this was the era of the Blue Jays and the Sox were not able to make the playoffs.  Viola left for Cincinnati following the strike year but was never able to pitch another full year.

Byung Hyun Kim

Photo of Byung Hyun Kim Courtesy of CBS Sports

The press had a field day with Byung-Hyun Kim.  Their jokes were constant.  When Kim gave up game winning Home Runs in back to back games during the 2001 World Series he was devastated and it was seen by the entire world.  The headlines were brutal.  "Byung Hung a Curve", "There's No Crying in Baseball". Although the Diamondbacks went on to win the World Series over the Yankees, his career was remembered for two pitches.  But did you remember that Byung-Hyun Kim actually continued on a fairly successful career afterwards?  He stayed with Arizona through 2002 and the first part of 2003.  In late May 2003 with the Red Sox looking for a closer, they sent infielder Shea Hillenbrand to Arizona in exchange for Kim.  Kim would have a decent year working out of the pen going 8-5 with a 3.15 ERA.  Kim would appear in the ALDS for the Red Sox against the A's and would throw 2/3 of an inning.  Heading into the bottom of the 9th in Game 1 with a 4-3 lead Kim was brought in to protect the lead.  He faced four batters.  The first batter flew out to left field.  He then walked the second batter, hit the third with a pitch and struck out Mark Ellis.  With two out he was replaced by Alan Embree who gave up a run scoring single to tie the game.  The run was charged to Kim.  Kim stayed with Boston for 2004 but appeared in only 7 games.

Hanley Ramirez
Hanley Ramirez is a supestar in this league without question.  He was the 2006 Rookie of the Year, three time All Star, a batting champion, two time Silver Slugger winner and has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting three times (finishing second to Albert Pujols in 2009). Ramirez has done most of this with the Marlins (where he wore out his welcome and forced a trade) and the Dodgers.  This season he signed with the Red Sox, although it could be called a return, as Ramirez was once a member of Red Sox nation.  As a late season call up from the minor leagues in 2005, Ramirez appeared in 2 games.  He went 0-2 with 2 strikeouts in those two games.  In November of 2005 the Red Sox sent Ramirez, along with Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia and Anibal Sanchez to the Marlins.  In exchange they got Guillermo Mota, Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett.  Despite the way Beckett's time in Boston ended most Red Sox would likely say the trade was a success, with Lowell and Beckett both playing a big role in the 2007 World Series title.

Justin Masterson

Photo of Justin Masterson with Jason Varitek Courtesy of Boston.com

Over the last few seasons Justin Masterson had developed into the ace of the Indians' pitching staff.  As the tribe began to rebuild they did so with Masterson in mind (until they traded him at the deadline this year).  Just as they have with Hanley Ramirez, Boston has brought Masterson back in to the fold, resigning him this offseason. Masterson debuted with the Red Sox in 2008 and appeared in a few post season games for the Sox.  Masterson even won Game 5 of the ALCS in relief against Tampa Bay.  As the Red Sox tried to make a push for the playoffs in 2009, they were looking for offense.  They sent Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price to the Indians in exchange for Victor Martinez.  It didn't quite work out the way Red Sox fans had planned.  They missed the 2009 post season.

TRIVIA QUESTION:

Byung Hyun Kim gave up Home Runs in Games 4 and 5 of the 2001 World Series against the Yankees.  These three famous Home Runs were hit by three key members of the Yankees dynasty and allowed the Yankees to take a 3 games to 2 lead in the Series.  What three Yankee legends hit these Home Runs?

Answer to Last Week's Question:

The Orioles traded for First Baseman Glenn Davis before the start of the 1991 season.  Davis hurt his back before ever playing a game for the Orioles and due to the injury was never truly effective.

The players given up by the Orioles went on to strong careers.

Curt Schilling made 6 All Star Games (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004) and was a member of World Series teams with the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Red Sox.

Pete Harnisch, at one point considered the best player given up in the trade, made only one All Star Appearance in 1991, although he pitched in the league for another ten years.  Harnisch had several very strong years with the Astros, Mets and Reds but only made the All Star team once.  He did not reach a World Series.

Steve Finley made an impact in every city he played and was one of the most under rated outfielders of his time.  Finley would play in the post season with the Padres, Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Angels and hit one of the biggest Home Runs in Dodgers history.  He was a member of the 1998 Padres World Series team and the 2001 Diamondbacks World Series team.  Finley was a tremendous defensive outfielder and won 5 Gold Gloves.  Surprisingly, he only made two All Star teams in 1997 and 2000.

That gives us 6 for Schilling, 2 for Finley and 1 for Harnisch.  Davis had made two All Star Games (1986 and 1989) before being traded to Baltimore.  He made 0 after the trade.

Forgiving Baseball's Scapegoats: Ralph Branca

Don't forget to check out other articles in the "Forgiving Baseball's Scapegoats Series:"

Fred Merkle, Fred Snodgrass, Hack Wilson and Johnny Pesky

"1 out, bottom of the ninth, Branca pitching.  Bobby Thomson takes a strike call on the inside corner.  Bobby hitting at .292.  He's had a single and a double and he drove in the Giants' first run with a long fly to center..Brooklyn leads it 4-2...Branca throws..."  Everything was calm, matter of fact with just an edge of desperation in the voice of Russ Hodges to this point.  Not even a full beat later all hell broke loose at the Polo Grounds and the lives of two baseball players would forever be changed.

Some of the Dodgers questioned how it had ever gotten to this point.  In the first game of a doubleheader on August 11th, Ralph Branca beat the Braves to increase the Dodgers' first place lead to 13 games.  With just over a month and a half left the Dodgers started looking forward to their match up with the American League in the World Series.  They went 10-10 over the next 20 games.  Not terrible but it should be just fine to keep a fairly sizable lead in a pennant race.  The only problem was that during that time the Giants played 18 games and won 17 of them, including 16 in a row, and three head to head against the Dodgers.  Just a few weeks after reaching the 13 game lead the Giants were just six back and charging fast.  The lead hovered around five or six games for the next few weeks but on September 16th, with a doubleheader sweep of the Cubs, the Giants got it down to 4 1/2 games.  Then down to three, to two, to one and finally, on September 29th, the second to last day of the season the league was tied at the top.  The Giants had gone 12-1 to finish out the year and the season ended with a  tie for first.  The Dodgers had blown a 13 game lead and would have to play a best of three playoff against the Giants to see who would go on to the World Series. 

The first two games were a split so the entire year came down to these nine innings.  Don Newcombe entered the 9th inning with a 4-2 lead.  He had allowed only 4 hits and 2 walks to this point in the game and it looked like the Dodgers were in the clear.  Newcombe could have made our list of Baseball's scapegoats but the arguments against him are too ridiculous to even address at length.  Suffice it to say a few idiots decided to unfairly give him the reputation of being unable to win the big game.  So entering the 9th he was cruising to a win and the World Series. 

Photo of Don Newcombe Courtesy of Sports Illustrated for Kids

Just like the regular season the Giants kept after it.  The inning started with a single, followed by another single.  Brooklyn needed just three more outs without giving up two runs and they would be NL champs.  Newcombe had a history of tiring late in the game so Charley Dressen called to the bullpen after the two singles.  Clyde Sukeforth answered, listened, gave a quick answer and yelled out.  "Branca, Roe and Labine get loose."

There was immediate activity in the Brooklyn pen.  Seven bodies moved.  The jackets came off.  The arms started twisting and catchers masks got pulled on.  Fans in the outfield, Giants fans likely, hung over the wall of the outfield and taunted the Dodgers pitchers as the ball popped into the catchers gloves.  On the field, Newcombe got a pop out to Gil Hodges for the first out and everything seemed fine.  The pitchers, if they were watching the game, may have relaxed a bit but kept throwing to get loose.  When Whitey Lockman doubled to score Alvin Dark, Dressen had seen enough.  The phone in the bullpen rang again.  Dressen had little time.  "What do you got?"  Sukeforth knew the drill.  He gave a quick, succinct answer.  "Branca's throwing ok.  Labine just bounced a curve ball."

Cover Photo of Clem Labine Courtesy of Sports Illustrated

There was very little choice for Dressen.  "Gimme Branca."  Dressen ambled out to the mound and took the ball from Newcombe.  "Hell of a job Newk." He patted Newcombe on the ass as he walked off the mound, frustrated, knowing this would again go down as "another Newcombe collapse". Branca made the slow, very long walk from the bullpen in the Polo Grounds.  Standing at the mound, a welcoming committee, were the Dodger legends: Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, and Gil Hodges.  They were waiting to hear the strategy. How do we pitch this guy?  What does he like to hit?  Dressen's suggestion.  "Go get this guy."  That was it.

Photo of Ralph Branca Courtesy of USA Today

Cue Russ Hodges:  "1 out, bottom of the ninth, Branca pitching...Branca throws..."  Everything was calm, matter of fact with just an edge of desperation in the voice of Russ Hodges to this point.  Not even a full beat later all hell broke loose at the Polo Grounds and the lives of two baseball players would forever be changed.  "There's a long drive.  It's gonna be, I believe... The Giants won the pennant!  The Giants won the pennant!  The Giants won the pennant!  The Giants won the pennant!  Bobby Thomson hit one into the lower seats of the left field stands!  The Giants won the pennant! and they're going crazy. they're going crazy!"

Photo of Bobby Thomson Courtesy of Huffington Post

There was silence in the Dodgers locker room.  It was another year of hearing "wait until next year."  Branca didn't make it to the locker room.  He tore uniform number 13 off and sat on the clubhouse steps weeping.  Whether he knew how long he would be remembered for the one pitch or whether it was just the emotion of another lost season, Branca had been with the Dodgers since 1944 and had struggled to get rid of the label of "Bums" with the rest of the Dodgers legends.

Similar to Pesky, Branca was a gracious, humble man who dealt well with the attention over the years.  Unfortunately for Branca, he did not become the living legend that Pesky did in Boston.  There are many reasons you can't blame Ralph Branca, here are just a few:

1.  The Dodgers blew a 13 game lead.  For a pitcher that only plays once every few days Branca cannot blow every game by himself.  Branca lost seven times between the first game of the August 11th double header (which he won putting the Dodgers up by 13 games) and the end of the season.  He also won three.  During his seven losses the team scored only 16 runs (4 times only scoring one run).

2.  Dodger pitchers were tired by that point.  The Dodgers only had three starting pitchers make more than 20 starts throughout the season.  Newcombe made 36 starts, Preacher Roe made 33 starts and Branca made 27 starts.  The next closest was Carl Erskine with 19.  Further, while most pitchers today have a pitch count or a season inning limit, pitchers of this era would pitch until their arm would break.  Newcombe ended the season with 272 innings pitched, Roe had 257 innings pitched and Branca 204 innings pitched.  Branca himself said years later "we had a short pitching staff.  Charley Dressen...had five guys who he used extensively, and the pitchers ran out of gas."

3. The two big hitters in the Dodgers lineup slumped at the same time.  Pee Wee Reese, the leadoff man, was hitting .314 as Branca won game two of the August 11 double header. From that point on his average would drop as low as .281 before rebounding for a .286 final season average.  Reese also hit a total of 10 Home Runs for the year (he was not a power hitter) but all of them came before August 11.  Duke Snider was, however, the power hitter in the lineup.  He would hit a total of 29 Home Runs in 1951, including one in each game of the August 11 double header.  After August 11, he would hit only three more for the season and only one during September.  Snider admitted in his autobiography that this helped the collapse:  "The Giants started coming like gangbusters, and at that same time, Pee wee and I both started to slump.  When a baseball team has its leadoff hitter and its number thee hitter in slumps at the same time, its not going to score many runs."  Snider's accuracy can be seen in Branca's low run support after August 11.  Snider also said in an interview years later: "I had a very bad September, felt very bad about it.  A couple of hits here, a couple of hits there, and we wouldn't have had a playoff.  You take it personally.  I think everyone did.  Pee Wee didn't have a good September and he and I would talk about it and try to analyze the situation driving to and from the ballpark.  It was something you had no control over; still at the time, I was very concerned."  I am definitely not implying that the blame should all shift to Snider and Reese.  I am just saying that in the overall collapse, their simultaneous slumps played a big part.

4. The Dodgers woke the sleeping Giants.  Charlie Dressen, Dodgers manager, was a disciple of Leo Durocher, from Leo's days with Brooklyn.  Dressen wanted nothing more than to prove that he had surpassed his former mentor.  On July 4 the Dodgers beat the Giants in both games of a double header.  Dressen made a comment after the game "Those two beatings we gave them knocked them out of it.  They'll never bother us again."  The real turning point again came in the first week of August.  The Dodgers swept the Giants in three games before facing off against Boston for the August 11 double header.  One of the quirks of Ebbetts Field was that the ventilation system allowed some conversation to be overheard from locker room to locker room.  It was a league wide "secret".  After the three game sweep the Giants' locker room was a somber place.  New York wasn't making a sound so the noise coming from the Dodger clubhouse was easily audible.  Several of the players took advantage of the situation and made sure their comments about how bad the Giants were (especially targeting Durocher) were spoken in the direction of the vents.  The Giants were angry and became determined on payback.  Add to that Dressen's published comment "the Giants is dead" and the sleeping Giant was definitely starting to wake up.

5.  Charley Dressen changed his pattern when Branca came into the game.  Dressen was a great strategist.  He would often tell his team "just hold them until the 7th inning.  I'll figure something out."  More often than not, he did.  In the years to come Gene Mach (keep reading this series of articles and you'll get there) would be accused of over managing a game.  Dressen may have been guilty of the same.  The pitchers coming in from the bullpen were used to the routine.  Dressen would take the ball from the pitcher.  Wait on the mound for the reliever to arrive and then discuss the batter before starting their warm ups.  Dressen would tell them where the hitter liked the ball, what type of pitch he liked and where to pitch him.  It happened every time...except this time.  The wording of his short statement to Branca vary from "Go get 'em." to "Get 'im out." but he not only didn't give Branca the normal information he didn't wait for him to reach the mound.  In his autobiography, Snider gave his view from Centerfield. "When Branca got about five feet from Charlie, Dressen flipped the ball to him...and headed back to the dugout...I noticed Dressen's absence and I'm sure some other Dodger players did too, and I thought to myself, 'Oh-oh. Charlie's worried'.  That made me worried too."  The problem wasn't just the broken routine, it was the difference in personnel.  Roy Campanella, one of the greatest Catchers to ever play the game, had one of the great baseball minds and could control a game from behind the plate as well as anyone in history.  Campanella had the complete confidence of the pitching staff and if he called a pitch the pitchers knew it was the right pitch to throw.  But Campy was not in the game.  He was injured and couldn't play so Rube Walker, the back up Catcher who would play in a total of 36 games in 1955 (including this one), was handling the catching duties.  Walker was a good Catcher but there was only one Campy.  Knowing that Branca and Walker had worked together so little Dressen needed to take charge and tell them both what Thomson would be looking for.  The talk may or may not have changed the course of history, but it likely would have helped steady the situation and bring some normalcy to the abnormal moment.

6.  Campy was not the only injured player. While many other players were out there despite the aches, pains, knicks and bruises that come with the long baseball season, others just couldn't make it through the year.  Campanella was a tough guy.  He won an MVP award while catching with a broken hand so severe that he couldn't squeeze the glove closed or grip the bat properly.  If he couldn't play you knew it was severe.  The important one (other than Campanella) was Clyde King.  The term closer didn't exist yet.  Relief pitchers were not "specialists" they were pitchers not good enough to start.  The late 1940's and 1950's saw the emergence of relief pitchers with players like Joe Page of the Yankees but the everyday use of relievers was over two decades away.  Clyde King appeared in 48 games for the 1951 Dodgers, the most of any of their pitchers, and only started three games.  King would save only six games that year but he went 14-6.  "I was 13-4 in early August.  I had a chance to win twenty games that year, and I came down with tendinitis...If I hadn't hurt my arm, I would have been the guy who would have pitched to Bobby Thomson."

7.  Probably the most important of all, the Giants were stealing signs.  Ever been at a game where the Catcher goes out to visit the mound, then after the next pitch goes right back out?  There's a reason for it.  Ever wonder why the Catcher drops so many different signs down before the pitcher decides to throw? There's a reason for it.  The other team is always trying to get an advantage and stealing signs is one of the oldest tricks to get the advantage.  Teams can develop some pretty elaborate systems to steal signs.  The Philadelphia Phillies, in the early 1900's, had a telegraph wire running from centerfield through the third base coach's box.  A Phillies' employee with a telescope would operate the system and give one pulse for a fastball and two pulses for a breaking ball.  This system was eventually discovered and the Phillies were punished (the punishment may have been that they had to still be the Phillies for the next 80 years).  The 1940 pennant winning Detroit Tigers used a rifle scope to steal signs.  Hank Greenberg (that's right, another Hank Greenberg reference, get used to it) told how they had a man standing at the bullpen wall "watching the game".  If he kept his right arm on top of the wall the batter could expect a fastball and if the right arm dropped down the batter could expect a curveball.  Some batters don't want signs.  The Tigers at the start of the 1900's had their own system and told Ty Cobb what to look for.  He told them he could hit without the help and, of course, he did.  Back to the 1951 Giants.  The Dodgers were convinced they were stealing signs.  Dodgers coach Cookie Lavagetto was positive:  "Hell, we knew they were getting them.  I talked about it with Charley Dressen.  I said 'Charley, you notice when we come here, we never fool anybody?  We throw a guy a change of pace, he seems to know what's coming.....Whatever he had out there he had a good system."