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In 1951, O’Malley’s first season at the helm of the team ended as one for the history books. The Dodgers and archrival Giants were forced to play a three-game playoff series to determine the National League Pennant-winner. The Dodgers had led the Giants in the standings by 13 1/2 games in August until they hit a late-season slump and the Giants reeled off 16 straight wins. Tied at a game apiece in the playoffs, the Giants hosted the Dodgers at the old Polo Grounds on October 3, 1951 in what would become one of baseball’s most memorable moments, and one of the most painful for Dodger fans.
With the Dodgers leading 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Giants got a single by Alvin Dark and another base hit by Don Mueller. Monte Irvin popped out, but Whitey Lockman doubled in a run and made it 4-2 against a tiring Newcombe, who had pitched frequently in the last week and was lifted by Dodger Manager Charlie Dressen for Ralph Branca, as Bobby Thomson was coming to the plate. Erskine, also getting ready in the Dodger bullpen had bounced an overhand curve and Coach Clyde Sukeforth told Dressen on the bullpen phone that Erskine had bounced a pitch and that Branca looked sharp. On that basis, Dressen summoned Branca in to pitch. In a playoff game two days earlier, Branca had yielded a home run to Thomson. Once again, Thomson connected and electrified the crowd when he hit a dramatic three-run home run into the left field stands off the beleaguered Branca. The Giants prevailed, 5-4, crushing the hopes of Dodger fans, as Russ Hodges said repeatedly on the radio, “The Giants win the Pennant. The Giants win the Pennant...!”
The agony of that shocking defeat lingered for some time according to O’Malley.
“No, I didn’t get over it too quickly,” he said. “That bothered me practically all that year. And then a very interesting thing happened. In January of (19)52, a club in Brooklyn known as the Cathedral Club was trotting out a young politician from Boston and they were sort of trying him on for size with the Brooklyn people and they decided they needed somebody to honor at this dinner. So, the dinner was given in my honor, even though we had dropped the pennant, as you and I both well remember, the last day of the season. And this young fellow got up and gave quite a speech at the dinner. And as part of the concluding ceremony, as was customary of dinners at that time, he presented me with a watch. This one even had works in it! Well, that fellow, who was then a young politician, turned out to be the President of the United States. He later became President (John F.) Kennedy.”36
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The Dodgers’ phantom 1951 World Series press pin. |
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On Jan. 17, 1952, Walter O’Malley received a watch from a future United States President, John F. Kennedy at a Cathedral Club dinner. |
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