1957 Milwaukee Braves: Gifted Talents

1957 Milwaukee Braves: Gifted Talents

1957 Milwaukee Braves: Gifted Talents

The Milwaukee Braves went 95-59 in 1957, finishing 8 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals to win the National League pennant. The Braves went 11-11 against the Cardinals in head-to-head play. The Braves went 45-32 at home and 50-27 on the road. The Braves made a key trade on June 15 when they acquired second baseman Red Schoendienst from the New York Giants in exchange for pitcher Ray Crone, second baseman Danny O’Connell and left fielder Bobby Thomson. Schoendienst batted .310 with 122 hits and 23 doubles in 93 games.

The young emerging star of the Braves was 23-year-old right fielder Hank Aaron, who batted .322 with 44 home runs and 132 RBI’s off 198 hits, 27 doubles and 6 triples. Third baseman Eddie Mathews batted .292 with 32 home runs and 94 RBI’s off 167 hits, 28 doubles and 9 triples. Left fielder Wes Covington batted .284 with 21 home runs, 93 hits and 8 triples in 96 games.

Center fielder Bill Bruton batted .278 with 85 hits, 16 doubles, 9 triples and 11 stolen bases in 79 games. Shortstop Johnny Logan batted .273 with 10 home runs, 135 hits, 19 doubles and 7 triples. First baseman Frank Torre batted .272 with 99 hits and 12 doubles. Catcher Del Crandall had 15 home runs, 97 hits and 11 doubles. Outfielder Andy Pafko had 61 hits in 83 games.

Starting pitcher Warren Spahn was a gifted talent on the mound as he went 21-11 with 111 strikeouts and a 2.69 ERA, recording 18 complete games and 4 shutouts. Lew Burdette went 17-9 with a 3.72 ERA, recording 14 complete games and 1 shutout. Bob Buhl went 18-7 with 117 strikeouts and a 2.74 ERA, recording 4 complete games and 2 shutouts. Gene Conley went 9-9 with a 3.16 ERA, recording 6 complete games and 1 shutout.

Closer Don McMahon had 8 saves and a 1.54 ERA. Relief pitcher Bob Towbridge went 7-5 with a 3.64 ERA, recording 3 complete games, 1 shutout and 1 save. Taylor Phillips went 3-2 with 2 saves. Ernie Johnson went 7-3 with 4 saves and a 3.88 ERA.

Hank Aaron would be named a starter in the All-Star Game as well as being named the National League Most Valuable Player. Warren Spahn, Lew Burdette, Johnny Logan, Eddie Mathews and Red Schoendienst all made the All-Star Game as reserves.

The 1957 World Series featured the Milwaukee Braves returning to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1948 when they were still in Boston, and the American League Champion New York Yankees, a dominant Fall Classic mainstay of the early 20th Century. The Yankees would take Game 1 on October 2 at Yankee Stadium I by the score of 3-1. Whitey Ford pitched a gem for New York, pitching a complete game and giving up 5 hits, 4 walks and 1 run, but recording 5 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 5th inning right fielder Hank Bauer had an RBI double, and in the bottom of the 6th third baseman Andy Carey had an RBI single, followed by an RBI bunt groundout by second baseman Jerry Coleman. Red Schoendienst had an RBI single in the top of the 7th, but that would be all for Milwaukee.

The Braves rebounded to win Game 2 on October 3 by the score of 4-2. In the top of the 2nd inning first baseman Joe Adcock had an RBI single, and in the bottom of the 2nd Coleman had an RBI single. In the top of the 3rd Johnny Logan hit a solo home run, and in the bottom of the 3rd Bauer hit his own solo home run. Wes Covington broke the tie with a 2-run single in the top of the 4th.

Going to County Stadium for Game 3 on October 5, the Braves were pounded by the Yankees 12-3. In the top of the 1st inning left fielder Tony Kubek hit a solo home run, shortstop Gil McDougald had a a sacrifice fly, and first baseman Harry Simpson had an RBI single. After an RBI single by Schoendienst in the bottom of the 2nd, third baseman Jerry Lumpe had a 2-run single in the top of the 3rd. In the top of the 4th center fielder Mickey Mantle belted a 2-run home run, and after Hank Aaron’s 2-run home run shot in the bottom of the 5th, Bauer had a 2-run single and Kubek slammed a 2-run home run in the top of the 7th.

The Braves rebounded again to win Game 4 on October 6 by the score of 7-5. In the top of the 1st inning McDougald had an RBI single, but in the bottom of the 4th Aaron launched a 3-run home run, and first baseman Frank Torre hit a solo home run. In the top of the 9th catcher Elston Howard tied the game up with a booming 3-run home run shot, and in the top of the 10th the Yankees appeared to steal the game when Hank Bauer had an RBI triple. However, Milwaukee responded in the bottom of the 10th with an RBI double by Logan and a walk-off 2-run home run by Eddie Mathews.

Game 5 on October 7 was only a 1-0 affair, but thankfully Milwaukee came out on top. Lew Burdette pitched a complete game, giving up 7 hits and recording 5 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 6th inning Joe Adcock had an RBI single, and that would be it for the scoring.

Returning to Yankee Stadium I for Game 6 October 9, the Yankees pulled out a 3-2 victory to even the series. In the bottom of the 3rd inning catcher Yogi Berra crushed a 2-run home run, but home runs came in Milwaukee’s response as Torre hit a solo home run in the top of the 5th, and Hank Aaron hit a solo home run in the top of the 7th. Hank Bauer’s solo home run in the bottom of the 7th clinched the victory for New York.

The deciding Game 7 was certainly decisive in favor of the Milwaukee Braves, who gave Milwaukee, Wisconsin its first ever World Series championship, blanking the Yankees 5-0 on October 10. Winning both the Babe Ruth Award and the World Series Most Valuable Player award, Lew Burdette pitched a complete game, giving up 7 hits and 1 walk while recording 3 strikeouts. Eddie Mathews had a 2-run double in the top of the 3rd inning, Hank Aaron had an RBI single to follow, and Frank Torre grounded into a forceout at second base to score a run. Del Crandall topped it all off with a solo home run in the top of the 8th.