World Series 1950 and 1951 What if . . .

[strummer]

What if the dodgers would have won the pennant in 1950 and 1951? Wouild they have beat the Yankees in the World Series? They only lost the pennant on the last day of each of those seasons, so this hypothetical is not that far out. If they had won those two years, they would have won five pennants in a row from 1949 to 1953. Would the Yankees have swept all five series, or would the Brooks have won their first WS a few years earlier than 1955?

On paper, the Yanks and Dodgers were pretty close in 1950, with about the same teams they had in 1949. But the Dodgers look like a much better team than the Yankees in 1951, especially with Preacher Roe haveing a real career year. (If only Dressen had used him in the playoff?)

[LouGehrig]

Since the Yankees swept the Phillies, and the Phillies edged Brooklyn, the Yankees, with Ford, Reynolds, Raschi, and Lopat would have probably won.

Nineteen fifty one might have been differerent. If it hadn't rained the day Game 4 was supposed to have been played, Reynolds would not have pitched Game 4 because the rain out gave him the day's rest he needed. That rain out might have turned the Series around.

Of course, it probably rained in Brooklyn that day as well, but who knows?

Look at the 2006 Cardinals. No way to know what will or would have happened.

[The Real McCoy]

In '50, of course, the Dodgers would have had to win 2/3 from the Phillies before going against the Yanks and that would have been a decided disadvantage, against, what on paper, may have been a slightly better club. The next year, a case can be made, had the Dodgers gotten a 1-2-3 ninth in the Polo Grounds, they probably wouldn't have gone into the Series with the momentum that the Giants carried over to Game 1, but it's inarguable that the two pitchers at the top of the Dodger staff, Newcombe and Roe, would have come up a lot bigger than Jansen and Maglie who were 0-3 in the Series. Definitely '51 was the better shot.

[musial6]

I think the '50 team would have had a better chance. They closed at 13-4, while the '51 club finished the regular season at 9-11 (and then dropped two of three in the playoff). Momentum is huge.

[musial6]

Incidentally, the Phillies finished 11-16 in '50. They were lucky to hang on. The Dodgers were a MUCH better club than the Whiz Kids at the end.