1954 – Veteran pitcher Murry Dickson is traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Andy Hansen and infielder Jack Lohrke. Dickson led the National League in losses the past two years (21 and 19) and will lead it again in 1954 (20).
Ernie Banks becomes the first black player to appear in a Cubs’ game. The former Kansas City Monarch infielder, who makes an error and is hitless in three at-bats, will go on to hit 512 home runs, as well as winning the MVP award twice during his 19-year Hall of Fame career.
Warren Spahn of the Braves allows just an infield hit to Richie Ashburn in the 4th in beating Philadelphia, 5 – 0. It is Spahn’s 31st career shutout.
Apr 19, 1952 – At Shibe Park, 20 year old Eddie Mathews of the Boston Braves hits his first homerun‚ off Ken Heintzelman of the Phillies, Mathews shot was a 3 run homerun in the 8th inning. It shrunk the Phillies’ lead to 7-6, the Braves will score 3 in the 9th to win 9-7….
Jackie Robinson hits an upper-deck home run in the 14th inning off Robin Roberts, who came on in the 8th, to give the Dodgers a critical 9 – 8 win over the Phils. Robbie saves the game in the 13th by making a great catch of an Eddie Waitkus line drive and throwing to second base for a double play. In the process, he injures his elbow. Reliever Bud Podbielan is the winner, the victory keeping Brooklyn in a first-place tie with the Giants. Catcher Andy Seminick of the Phils walks five times, the first Phillie to do so in a game. The Dodgers overcome a 6 – 1 deficit to win and set the stage for a playoff with the Giants.
Don Newcombe becomes the first black to win twenty games in a season. In a must win for the Dodgers, the right-hander bests Robin Roberts, also a 20-game-winner, when he blanks the Phillies at Shibe Park, 5-0.
Del Wilber hits three solo round-trippers in the Phillies’ victory over Cincinnati in the nightcap at Shibe Park, making it the first time that a player has accounted for all the runs in a 3-0 game with home runs. The 32 year-old catcher will hit a total of only 19 round-trippers during his major league career.
Against the Phillies, Cubs player-manager Phil Cavarretta earns his money by driving home three runs in a first-game win, 5 – 4, snapping the Cubs’ 10-game home losing streak. His triple in the 6th off Robin Roberts ends the Cubs’ scoreless inning skein of 31 innings, and the consecutive scoreless innings by Phils pitchers at 41. Cavarretta takes the bench in the second game but inserts himself as a pinch-hitter in the 7th when Roberts relieves, and hits a grand slam home run as the Cubs sweep, winning the nitecap, 8 – 6. The nitecap loss goes to Bubba Church, who put two runners on before giving way to Roberts. It is Church’s first and only career loss to Chicago after nine straight wins.
On May 20, 1951, Richie Ashburn of the Philadelphia Phillies collects four hits in each game of a doubleheader. he goes 4-for-6 and 4-for-5, all singles. The offensive barrage by the future Hall of Famer helps the Phillies sweep the rival Pittsburgh Pirates, 17-0 and 12-4, at Forbes Field.
Major League Baseball Season Recap 1950 World Series – New York Yankees AL over Philadelphia Phillies NL 4 games to 0 World Series MVP – Babe Ruth Award – Ferry Coleman Awards – Major League Cy Young Award Cy Young Award National League Cy Young Award American League MVP Awards – NL Kim Konstanty AL Phil Rizzuto Major League Rookie…
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