- Americans are on the move. Moving to the suburbs. Moving across the country. They are, it seems, restless. Of course, if you're a baseball fan in New York, you don't want to move. You're in baseball heaven.
- The episode covers the 1950s and deals with several key events and issues: the dominance of the Yankees, the continuing integration of the game and the move to the West Coast of the Dodgers and Giants. The Yankees dominate baseball in the 1950s, winning 9 American League pennants and the World Series 5 times. For their rivals, particularly the Brooklyn Dodgers, every season proved to be a case of 'wait until next year'. The Dodgers year finally came in 1955 but with dwindling attendance, both the Dodgers and the NY Giants announce a few years later that they are moving to the West Coast. Integration of the game continued throughout this period but as one observer notes, the democratization of the game meant the end of the Negro leagues, at one time the largest Black-owned business in America.—garykmcd
- Inning 7 of 9 is titled "The Capital of Baseball". 1950-1960, and refers to the city of New York, and the three teams that fought it out, the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers. From 1949 to 1959, the Yankees won the pennant 9 times and the World Series 7 times. Time was spent talking about Casey Stengle. Jackie Robinson, after his first three years with the Brooklyn Dodgers, per his contract, was finally able to fight back, if someone abused him in some way. Yogi Bera first came to the Yankees in 1946 as seemingly an awkward player. But he was MVP 3 times over his illustrious career. Ken wrote about the rivalry between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the NY Giants. In 1951, they tied for the pennant, and went into a three game playoff. The Dodgers were ahead, but lost on Bobby Thompson's last inning 3-run homerun. One of the biggest home runs in baseball history. As Joe DiMaggio retired, Mickey Mantle took his place. But in the midst of his rookie season, Mickey was sent down to the minors, because of an extended slump. He eventually fought his way back to the big club. He became one of the best switch hitters in baseball history. But his legs were so bad it kept him from becomming perhaps the best hitter ever. His father died at age 39, in 1952, and soon after Mickey started to drink and carouse, in only his second season. With Jackie Robinson's assent to the majors, other African Americans soon followed. They won the MVP 9 of 11 years. But they still struggled with racial inequality. In 1952, Ted Williams again enlisted in the Marines for the Korean Way, much to the surprise of many. He essentially missed two years of his baseball career. His first game back at the end of the 1953 season, he hit one out. Throughout this episode, they showed several vingets of the terrific routine of Abbot and Costello's "Who's on First". In the mid-50s, baseball began struggling, because America was changing. Teams were leaving their cities, going to other cities. Willy Mays became a great player for the Giants. Both as a hitter and fielder. He made probably the best catch, certainly the most famous, in center field ever made, to save the game. In 1955, the Brooklyn Dodgers won their first World Series, after losing 8, five in a row to the Yankees. The Dodgers were behind 2 games to none, again against the Yankees, but came back. In 1956, the Yankees beat the Dodgers; the highlight being Don Larsen pitching the only World Series perfect game ever pitched. In 1957, the Giants announced they were moving to San Francisco. The people of New York were astonished and dismayed. Then the Dodgers announced they were moving to Los Angeles, CA. The outrage from the Brooklyn fans was enormous. But the city would not build them the new park the team asked for. Both teams leaving NY many felt was like a death in the family.
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