Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 37

the bullpen. Jim Konstanty, a bespectacled late bloomer at age 33 with a mild mannered demeanor and a palm ball that did wonders on its slow journey across the plate, was called upon to pitch in a record 74 games, all of them in relief. He made the most of his diligence, winning 16 games, saving 22 others, another NL record, and posting a 2.66 ERA that would have led the NL had he pitched two more innings to meet the minimum eligibility requirements. Opposing batters, confounded, could only hit .205 against Konstanty, who became the first reliever to win a Most Valuable Player award.

The Phillies’ pennant winning success in 1950 was, if anything else, long overdue satisfaction for Philadelphia baseball fans who spent the 1940s cowering their heads in disgrace over the complete incompetence of both the Phillies and A’s, the two major league teams which, by the record, were the worst of the decade.

The Whiz Kids stormed into first place and stayed there throughout the long, hot summer. By the middle of September, with a luxurious cushion at hand over second place Brooklyn, the NL pennant appeared to be in the bag. But the invincibility quickly began to erode in the waning weeks with a serious run of

bad luck. Pitcher Curt Simmons, a 21 year old lefty who like Roberts exploded on the scene with a 17-8 record, became the