Monday, June 15, 2015

Yogi Berra and other managers in 7 game World Series.

Yogi Berra has gotten a lot of attention recently, which caused me to consider that Yogi had managed two teams into the seventh and ultimate game of the World Series only to lose both.  In his first and only season managing the Yankees prior to his awful experience managing them many years later for George Steinbrenner, Yogi's recent teammates lost game seven in 1964 in St. Louis 7-5, despite home runs by Mickey Mantle, Clete Boyer and Phil Linz, who had replaced the injured Tony Kubek at shortstop.
Photo of Yogi Berra
In 1973 Yogi managed the Mets to a game seven against the Oakland As who were managed by Dick Williams.  Williams managed three teams in four World Series, the first three going seven games:
1967: Red Sox lost to St. Louis
1972: As beat Cincinnati Reds
1973: As beat Mets.

In 1984 Williams managed the San Diego Padres, who lost to Detroit 4 games to 1.

Click this link to view summary WS data on all managers examined.

Here are some excepts from a document I wrote in 2007, which helps define the seven game series.

World Series (through 2007):

This material covers series starting in 1903 between the National League and the American League champions...

There was no WS in 1904 and 1994.  Four WS were best of nine.  The other ... WS were best of seven ...

Four WS were best of nine, none of which went nine:

- 1903 Boston Americans beat Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3;
- 1919 Cincinnati Reds beat Chicago White Sox 5-3;
- 1920 Cleveland Indians beat Brooklyn Robins 5-2;
- 1921 New York Giants beat New York Yankees 5-3.

In addition to 1903, 1919 and 1921 one other series went eight games: 

- 1912 Boston Red Sox beat New York Giant 4-3-1.  Game two ended in a tie.

________________________

So 1912 would be considered; Jake Stahl won his only pennant, leading Boston over John McGraw's Giants.  I was really only looking for managers who won at least two pennants and managed only in seven game World Series as Yogi had.  I wondered if Yogi was the only one who managed only in seven game WS and never won.  Yogi was the only one I found.  I wonder what his image would be today if he had won both those WS.  If he had won either, he would be seen differently as a manager, someone less clown like, more accomplished.  In 1964 if the Yanks had beaten the Cardinals Yogi would not have been fired.  My friend Eric points out that no manager has even been fired after winning the WS.

My document mentioned above has several sections, including one about seven game WS.  Through 2007 the St. Louis Cardinals had won the most seven game WS: 8.  Since then the Cardinals added a ninth: 2011 over the Texas Rangers.  Both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Yankees have won five WS that went seven games.

Most seven games WS lost: Yankees 6; Red Sox and Giants 4 each.

Terry Francona should get honorable mention even though his accomplishment is not the focus of this post: 2 WS, zero losses.  Francona's Red Sox swept both WS he managed:
2004 over St. Louis
2007 over Colorado.

Jimmie Collins managed Boston to the first modern WS win in 1903 and to the pennant in 1904 but there was no WS in 1904.

Pat Moran won the pennant in his first seasons managing both the Phillies (1915) and Reds (1919).  Moran lost the WS in 1915 and the Chicago White Sox had seven players who took money from gamblers to intentionally lose the 1919 WS, which they did 5 games to 3.

Casey Stengel both won and lost the most seven game WS: 3 each.  Stengel was 4-0 in shorter WS, including one sweep.  Ten WS, all with the Yankees: 7-3.

Joe McCarthy also managed the Yankees to 7 WS wins; his only WS loss was previously with the Cubs.  McCarthy never reached a game seven and won two sweeps.

Joe Torre managing the Yankees: 0-1 in 7 game WS; 4-2 overall, including two sweeps.

Walter Alston managing the Dodgers: 2-1 in 7 game WS; 4-3 overall, 1-1 in sweeps.

John McGraw managing the Giants: 0-2 in 7 game WS; 3-6 overall, one sweep.

Miller Huggins managing the Yankees: 0-1 in 7 game WS; 3-3 overall, 2-1 in sweeps.  Final out in 1926 game 7 v. Cardinals: Babe Ruth attempting to steal second with Bob Meusel, not Lou Gehrig, on deck.

Bill McKechnie managing three teams:
1925: Pirates beat Washington 4-3
1928: Cardinals swept by Yankees 4-0
1939: Reds swept by Yankees 4-0
1940: Reds beat Detroit 4-3.

As far as I know only Yogi and Leo Durocher won pennants for multiple teams in one city.  Durocher: Dodgers 1941, Giants 1951 (lost to Yanks 4-2 in WS), 1954 (swept Indians in WS).

In fact it's difficult to find managers who won pennants for multiple teams in the same state.  I noticed:
Al Dark: Giants 1962, As 1974
Dick Williams: As 1972, 1973, Padres 1984.

7 onlyWL
Bucky Harris21192419251947SenatorsYankees
Danny Murtaugh2019601971Pirates
Tom Kelly2019871991Twins
Whitey Herzog12198219851987Cardinals
Fred Haney1119571958Braves
Red Schoendienst1119671968Cardinals
Yogi Berra0219641973YankeesMets

These seven, including Yogi, are the only managers who met my criteria: managed in multiple modern World Series (WS) (since 1903) in which all went the maximum seven games as defined above.

Losses are shown in red.  Haney pitched both Lew Burdette and Warren Spahn on short rest in games 6 and 7 in 1958.  But Casey Stengel also did that with Whitey Ford in 1958 and 1960 in games 6.  Berra followed Stengel in 1964, pitching rookie Mel Stottlemyre in game seven on short rest but opposing manager and Berra successor Johnny Keane did the same with Bob Gibson.

Of these seven managers, only Yogi Berra lost all his 7 game WS.  Only Whitey Herzog also had a losing record and Herzog was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a manager in 2010.  Yogi is, of course, in the Hall of Fame as a player even though Yogi sucked batting in his first five WS.

Yogi may have played in more WS games 7 than anyone: 7.

Monday, October 6, 1947, Yankee Stadium I
Attendance: 71,548, Time of Game: 2:19
Yankees 5, Dodgers 2
Yogi, RF: 0 for 3

Bottom of the 6th, Yankees Batting, Ahead 3-2
Allie Clark pinch hits for Yogi Berra (RF) batting 3rd
Single to CF; Rizzuto Scores; Stirnweiss to 2B

Clark was a righty batter, Yogi lefty. Dodgers had just brought in lefty pitcher Joe Hatten

Tuesday, October 7, 1952, Ebbets Field
Attendance: 33,195, Time of Game: 2:54
Yankees 4, Dodgers 2
Yogi, C batting fifth: 0 for 4, GDP, SO


Tuesday, October 4, 1955, Yankee Stadium I
Attendance: 62,465, Time of Game: 2:44
Dodgers 2, Yankees 0
Yogi, C batting fourth, 1 for 4, double

Bottom of the 6th, Yankees Batting, Behind 0-2, Dodgers' Johnny Podres facing 2-3-4
Jim Gilliam moves from LF to 2B 
Sandy Amoros replaces George Shuba (PH) playing LF batting 8th
Double Play: Flyball: LF-SS-1B
Gil McDougald doubled off first on Yogi's fly out. LF Amoros had glove on right hand, which helped him catch Yogi's drive. Famous play.

Unmentioned through the years was that Mantle had only ten at bats in WS due to injury.

Wednesday, October 10, 1956, Ebbets Field
Attendance: 33,782, Time of Game: 2:19
Yankees 9, Dodgers 0
Yogi, C batting fourth, 2 for 3, 4 RBI, TWO HR, two IW

Yogi hit two run homers in innings 1 and 3 off NL MVP 27 game winner Don Newcombe after which they walked him twice intentionally.

Thursday, October 10, 1957, Yankee Stadium I
Attendance: 61,207, Time of Game: 2:34
Braves 5, Yankees 0
Yogi, C batting fourth, 0 for 3, IW.

Lew Burdette: 3-0

Thursday, October 9, 1958, County Stadium
Attendance: 46,367, Time of Game: 2:31
Yankees 6, Braves 2
Yogi, C batting fourth, 1 for 4, double, BB


Thursday, October 13, 1960, Forbes Field
Attendance: 36,683, Time of Game: 2:36
Pirates 10, Yankees 9
Yogi, LF batting fifth, 1 for 4, 4 RBI, HR, BB

9th inning RBI ties game 9-9

Tuesday, October 16, 1962, Candlestick Park
Attendance: 43,948, Time of Game: 2:29
Yankees 1, Giants 0
Yogi did not play.

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