Today in Sports History: October 4th

After more than half a century of futility, the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the New York Yankees, 2-0, in the seventh game of the World Series, giving them their first World Series win in franchise history. It was try number eight for the perennially-awful Dodgers, who had lost their previous five World Series to the same Yankees. But at last, as the New York Daily News proclaimed on its front page, this was their year.

Brooklyn was lifted by the outstanding play of two players, the first being pitcher Johnny Podres, who threw a complete game shutout while allowing just eight hits, and the other being left fielder Sandy Amoros, who pulled off one of the greatest plays in World Series history. In the bottom of the sixth, Podres was in a bit of trouble.

With men on first and second, Yogi Berra was at the plate with nobody out and the Dodgers holding a 2-0 lead. Berra, batting left-handed, smacked an opposite field shot to the left field corner in what looked to be a sure double. But Amoros came sprinting from 50 yards away and at last caught up with the ball just before it dropped. He then threw the ball back to the infield, where he pulled off one of the greatest double plays anyone had ever seen.

“I don’t see how Amoros caught the ball,” an impressed Yogi said after the game. “If he misses, we have two runs and I’m on third with none out. It was that close.”

Podres, who had also won an earlier game, was named the first World Series MVP in history -- a title that also rewarded him with a new Corvette. Amoros didn’t do much after that; he played for a few more years before returning to Cuba, where he fell on hard times under the dictatorship of Fidel Castro. Jackie Robinson won the only World Series of his career, however he didn’t play in the final game; manager Walter Alston did not like the way 37 year-old was playing and replaced him with third baseman Don Hoak.

The city of Brooklyn celebrated wildly over the Dodgers’ dramatic victory, but it would be the last one they’d ever see. Just two seasons later, Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley moved the team to Los Angeles.