Special Sub-Topic: 1950s World Series at Large! Click Here To Play: 1950s World Series at Large!

The decade of the 1950s belonged to the New York Yankees, going to eight World Series. They went up against the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1950 promised land. Although the Phillies were skunked four games to none, this was the Phillies' first World Series appearance since what season?

1915. The Phillies franchise began in 1883, and they had never been in a championship series until the 1915 World Series, which they lost to the Red Sox of Boston. The Phillies never had any momementum against the Yankees in the 1950 series. The Phillies could muster only 12 strikeouts in the entire series against the New York bats. Granny Hamner topped the Philadelphia roster with .429 average, the only one to bat over .300. Gene Woodling led the Yankees with a .429 average of his own. Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio hit the only two home runs in the series.

The 1951 World Series beginning was still echoing, "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!", from the finish of the National League playoffs between them and the Dodgers. The New York club faced the other New York club in the World Series, and it was the Yankees' third consecutive appearance. The Yankees would win again, this time four games to two. Who was the World Series MVP?

There wasn't one. The others never won a World Series MVP, mainly because the award did not begin until 1955 when Dodger pitcher Johnny Podres won the inaugural award. The Yankees blew out the Giants in game five with a 13-1 win, then finished them off with a 4-3 win in game six.

With three consecutive World Series titles under their belt, the 1952 Yankees moved on to play their crosstown rival Dodgers from Brooklyn. The series would go seven games, with only one game being won by more than two runs. Each team alternated wins. First the Dodgers, then Yankees, then Dodgers, etc, until game seven was won by the Yankees 4-2. Johnny Mize of the Yankees hit three home runs in the series. Which Dodger hit four home runs?

Duke Snider. The others were Dodgers, but they didn't hit any home runs in the series. Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle also hit two for the Yankees, but to take away Mize's limelight, Snider hit one in games one and five, then two in game six. Snider totaled eight RBIs in the series, falling short by one of tying a series record set by Danny Murphy and Lou Gehrig. Duke's four home runs in a World Series tied the record of Gehrig and Babe Ruth.

The 1953 World Series would be a repeat of the previous season, pitting the Yankees against the Dodgers. The results would be similar with the Yankees winning it all, four games to two. Whose single in the bottom of the ninth inning in the game six final, gave the win and the series to the Yankees?

Billy Martin. After the Dodgers scored two runs in the top of the ninth to tie it up, the Yankees faced starter Clem Labine of the Dodgers in the bottom of the inning. Labine made the Brooklyn fans gasp when he opened the inning by walking Hank Bauer. After an out by Yogi Berra, Mantle singled with Bauer taking second. With one out, Billy Martin's single to centerfield scored Bauer, and the Yankees had won their fifth consecutive World Series title.

The 1954 World Series was missing something big. Missing was the New York Yankees, and after five consecutive appearances, this time it was another American League team who had a shot at the promised land to go up against the National League representative. Which American League team was it?

Cleveland Indians. The series was not 'New Yorkless', as the Giants won the NL pennant. Why was this series so memorable some might ask? It was because the Indians won an amazing 111 games in the season, the most since the 1906 Chicago Cubs. The Indians were heavy favorites to easily dispose of the Giants, but the series proved that anyone can beat anyone on any given day, and many days at that. The Giants not only won, but they skunked the star-studded Indians four games to none. The Indians had seven players who hit home runs in double-figures during the season, but could only muster three in the series. Also, with four Indians starters who totaled 80 wins between them in the season, they could not stop the Giants from scoring 21 runs in those four games. The Giants' Dusty Rhodes hit two home runs in the series.

Making their eighth World Series appearance was the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955, who were still looking for their first World Series title. The Yankees were back for their fifth appearance in the decade, and looking for their 16th World Series crown. The Dodgers would finally stand on top of the promised land, winning the crown in seven games. Which Dodger hit four home runs in the series?

Duke Snider. The Dodgers lost the first two games, then decided to play baseball by winning the next three. After a 5-1 game six win by the Yankees, the pinstripes would go down in a 2-0 shutout via the series MVP Johnny Podres. This was the first time in history that the World Series MVP Award was presented. Snider's shots came in games one and four with one each, then two in game five. He batted .320 in the series with eight hits. Duke apparently liked to play the Yankees. He had already hit four home runs in the 1952 series against the Yankees also.

The 1956 World Series would be a repeat of combatants, pitting the defending champion Dodgers against the Yankees. The Yankees won the series four games to three, but that was all overshadowed by which pitcher who threw a perfect game?

Don Larsen. Game five belonged to Larsen, throwing his 2-0 perfecto while striking out seven Dodgers. The Dodgers weren't intimidated and came back with a 1-0 shutout in game six to tie the series. The Yankees, showing superiority, turned around and shutout the Dodgers 9-0 in game seven to win their 16th World Series crown.

The World Series in 1957 was yet another appearance by the Yankees to represent the American League, and was in search of their 17th World Series crown. They went up against a National League team looking for their second crown, and their first in over 40 seasons. This team had the NL MVP in the name of Hank Aaron. Which team was this?

Milwaukee Braves. The Braves won it all four games to three, throwing two shutouts in the series. Both shutouts and also a game-three win were provided by the series MVP Lew Burdette. Aaron hit .393 and cracked three home runs in the series also.

1958 would find the Yankees make their final and eighth unprecidented appearance in a World Series during the decade. They would go on to win another crown in a four games to three victory. Which team did they defeat?

Milwaukee Braves. The series was a repeat of the previous series, pitting the Yankees against the Braves, but the Yankees would win this one behind two wins by Bob Turley, and the rest of the Yankee staff striking out 56 Braves batters. The Braves won the first two games, including a 13-5 game two blowout. The Yankees came back 4-0 in game three, then the Braves returned the shutout favor with a 3-0 in game four. The Yankees had the last shutout word in game five, shutting Milwaukee out 7-0. The Yankees were down three games to one before winning the final three for the crown. Bob Turley was the series MVP.

The Dodgers would bring a World Series to the west coast for the first time in 1959. They would go up against the Chicago White Sox, who had not seen a World Series game since the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. The White Sox had the AL MVP in Nellie Fox, and would face the wrath of Dodger pitching who threw 1077 strikeouts in the season. Although the Dodgers would win the series four games to two, which White Sox slugger hit three home runs in the series?

Ted Kluszewski. Nicknamed "Big Klu", 1959 was Kluszewski's only World Series, and he made it count. Ted hit two shots in the 11-0 opening day shutout against the Dodgers, then another one in game six. The White Sox outscored the Dodgers 23-21 in a series that saw Dodger pitcher Larry Sherry take home the MVP with his two wins.