Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 135

The Yankees won Games 4 and 5, and staked Vic Raschi to a 4–1 lead in Game 6 before Stengel had Johnny Sain pitch in relief. When Sain loaded the bases with none out in the ninth, Stengel brought in Bob Kuzava, a left hander, to pitch against the Giants, even though right handers Monte Irvin and Bobby Thomson were due to bat. The Giants scored twice, but Kuzava hung on, and the Yankees and Stengel had their third straight World Series championship.

DiMaggio's retirement after the 1951 season likely gave Stengel greater control over the players. Stengel moved Mantle from

right to center field in DiMaggio's place. The Yankees were not the favorites to win the pennant again in 1952, with DiMaggio retired, Mantle still recovering from his injury and several Yankees in military service, deployed in the Korean War. The Indians were favored. Younger players, some of whom Stengel had

helped to develop, came to the fore, with Martin the regular second baseman for the first time. Mantle proved slow to develop, but hit well towards the end of the season to finish at .311. The Yankee season was also slow to get on track; the team had a record of 18–17 on May 30th, but they improved thereafter. Stengel prepared nearly 100 different lineup cards for the 1952 season. The race was still tight in early September, and on September 5th, Stengel lectured the team for excessive levity on