Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 369

Game 4. Brooklyn had a 4-3 lead, one out away from tying the Series. Henrich swung at a full count breaking curveball for strike three, but catcher Mickey Owen couldn't handle the ball, which got past him. Henrich began to move toward first base almost as soon as he saw the ball had dropped sharply, and when he saw it get past Owen he took off running. DiMaggio then singled, and Keller doubled to score both runners and take the lead. Gordon later doubled to bring in two more runs, and the Yankees had a 7-4 victory and a 3-1 Series lead. Henrich had a solo home run in Game 5 as the Yankees took the game 3-1, and won another championship.

Henrich made his first AL All-Star team in 1942, but again did not appear in the World Series. He went on to miss the 1943 through 1945 seasons while serving in the Coast Guard in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan during World War II. While there, he

volunteered as the girls' high school basketball coach at Loretto Catholic High School. Upon returning in 1946 he batted only .251, but finished among the league's top ten players in walks - 87, runs - 92, homers – 19, and RBI - 83. With Dickey and Gordon gone, he began to bear a greater share of the responsibility for the team's offense in 1947, and came through quite effectively as he formed one of the game's great outfields with Keller in left field and DiMaggio in center. He led the AL