The 1948 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1948 season. The 45th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians and the National League (NL) champion Boston Braves. The Braves had won the National League pennant for the first time since the "Miracle Braves" team of , while the Indians had spoiled a chance for the only all-Boston World Series by winning a one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox for the American League flag. Though superstar pitcher Bob Feller failed to win either of his two starts, the Indians won the Series in six games to capture their second championship (as well as their most recent) and their first since .
It was the first World Series to be televised beyond the previous year's limited New York-Schenectady-Philadelphia-Baltimore-Washington network and was announced by famed sportcasters Red Barber, Tom Hussey (in Boston) and Van Patrick (in Cleveland). This was the second appearance in the Fall Classic for both teams, with the Indians' lone previous appearance coming in a 1920 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Braves' lone previous appearance coming in a 1914 win against the Philadelphia Athletics. Consequently, this was the first, and to date only, World Series in which both participating teams had previously played in, but not yet lost, a previous World Series. Currently, this phenomenon can only be repeated if the Miami Marlins or the Washington Nationals play against the Los Angeles Angels in a future World Series.
Television coverage of the World Series increased this year, but due to the medium still being in its infancy coverage was strictly regional. The series was open to any channel with an affiliation with one of the national broadcast networks: NBC, CBS, ABC, or DuMont. But games played in Boston could only be seen in the Northeast, while when the series shifted to Cleveland those games were the first to be aired in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Detroit and Toledo.
This was the only World Series played between and not to feature a New York team, and the last not won by a New York team until the 1957 Series (which the Braves, having relocated to Milwaukee, won over the Yankees). The two teams would meet again in the 1995 Series, with the Braves—by then relocated to Atlanta—winning. This was the first World Series, and the last until , in which both teams scored the same number of total runs. This would be the final World Series to feature a team helmed by a player-manager. This is also the only World Series pre-1967 in which the winning team had not won at least one Commissioner's Trophy after its introduction in the 1967 World Series.
As of , this is Cleveland’s last World Series victory, and they now hold the longest championship drought in the majors.
Summary
Matchups
Game 1
thumb|right|150px|[[Johnny Sain]]
Braves pitcher Johnny Sain and Indians pitcher Bob Feller were engaged in a scoreless pitchers' duel when the Braves came to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning. Feller walked Braves catcher Bill Salkeld to open the inning. Braves manager, Billy Southworth then replaced the slow-footed Salkeld with Phil Masi, who entered the game as a pinch runner. Mike McCormick followed with a sacrifice bunt, advancing Masi to second base. Feller issued an intentional walk to Eddie Stanky, who was replaced by Sibby Sisti. Feller then tried to pick off Masi at second base. Indians' shortstop Lou Boudreau appeared to tag Masi out, but umpire Bill Stewart called him safe. Tommy Holmes proceeded to hit a single that allowed Masi to score the only run of the game, giving the Braves a 1–0 victory. Although Feller allowed only two hits, he took the loss in what would be the closest he came to winning a World Series game.
Game 2
thumb|right|150px|[[Bob Lemon]]
The second game also made television history when a live broadcast of the Indians–Braves matchup was shown aboard the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Marylander passenger train travelling between Washington, D.C., and New York City, using a receiver operated by Bendix Corporation technicians. An Associated Press reporter observing the demonstration said, "Technically, it was surprisingly good."
Notes
References
Further reading
External links
- Baseball's Best: 1948 World Series
- Audio: Game 5 radio broadcast, part 1
- Audio: Game 5 radio broadcast, part 2
- Audio: Game 5 radio broadcast, part 3
- Audio: Game 5 radio broadcast, part 4