Johnny Kucks Positions: Bats: R Throws: R Height: 75 Weight: 170 Born: Wednesday, July 27, 1932 in Hoboken, NJ USA Died: 10 31 2013 in Saddle River, NJ USA Debut: 4/17/1955 Last Game: 9/25/1960 Full Name: John Charles Kucks
The Yankees top Kansas City, 3 – 0, behind Bob Turley’s four-hit shutout. Mickey Mantle has a homer off Alex Kellner, the 11th time in his last 12 at-bats he’s reached base safely. That night a group of Yankees celebrate Billy Martin’s 29th birthday in raucous fashion. An ensuing fight at Manhattan’s Copacabana Club leads to $5,500 in fines and the eventual trade of Billy to Kansas City. Hank Bauer allegedly starts the fight by hitting a patron, although Bauer denies it. The Yanks fine Whitey Ford, Bauer, Yogi Berra, Mantle and Martin $1,000 each and Johnny Kucks $500.
In Game 7 of the World Series, Johnny Kucks, allowing just three singles, blanks Brooklyn, 9-0, to give the Yankees their 17th World Championship in franchise history. In the last postseason game played at Ebbets Field, the 24 year-old right-hander ends the game by striking out Jackie Robinson, which turns out to be the Dodger infielder’s final major league at-bat when he decides to retire after being traded to the Giants in the off-season.
After losing the first two contests in the Bronx, the Dodgers even the World Series at a pair of games apiece when they defeat the Yankees at Ebbets Field, 8-5. Brooklyn will make it three victories in a row tomorrow with a 5-3 win over the Bronx Bombers, but it will take a dramatic Game 7 for the ‘Bums’ to capture their first World Championship.