Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 86

Primarily on the strength of devastating pitching the 1954

Cleveland Indians ran away with the traditionally Yankee American League pennant and advanced to the World Series for the first time in six years. It was the team's third American League championship in franchise history. The Indians' 111–43 record is the all-time record for winning percentage by an American League

team - .721, while the reigning champion Yankees posted a 103-51- .669 record which was their best in the fifties, but it was nowhere near good enough in 1954. The Yanks didn’t help their own cause, splitting their season series with the Indians 11-11.

Bobby Avila of the Indians led the league in batting average at .341 with 15 home runs. He finished an eleven year career in 1959 at .281 and 80. Ted Williams actually topped him at .345 and 29, but did not qualify for the title having been 14 shy of