Southworth- MGR. Of 1948 NL Champ Boston Braves Makes Hall Of Fame

[philliesfiend55]

Billy Southworth, the manager of the '48 NL Champion Boston Braves and several outstanding St. Louis Cardinal teams finally was elected to the Hall Of Fame today 12/3/07 for induction 7/27/2008. He had the best career winning percentage of any manager not in the HOF (.597). His feisty Braves team took a much superior Cleveland Indians team to six games in the '48 World Series. While "Spahn & Sain and Pray for Rain" was a memorable rhyme,that season really was more like "Spahn & Sain and what rabbits will Southworth pull out of his hat today". The Braves were upset winners for the '48 NL pennant over a superior Brooklyn Dodger team and Boston,under Southworth's leadership put up a good fight against a a star-packed (Lemon, Feller, Garcia, Bearden, Boudreau, Hegan, Keltner, Doby, Mitchell, Paige) Cleveland club in the '48 Series.

[penncentralpete]

Billy Southworth

[penncentralpete]

Billy and Leo......

[EdTarbusz]

under Southworth's leadership put up a good fight against a a star-packed (Lemon, Feller, Garcia, Bearden, Boudreau, Hegan, Keltner, Doby, Mitchell, Paige) Cleveland club in the '48 Series.

When talking about the 1948 Indians, Satchel Paige should not be mentioned in the same breath as Lemon, Feller and Bearden. Paige was second tier on that club and it would be more appropriate to mention him with Steve Gromek and Russ Christopher.

[efin98]

It's too bad he will go in wearing at Cardinals cap since he had more winning years, more wins, and two World Series titles with the Cardinals...oh well, at least he made it in!

[philliesfiend55]

It's too bad that the recognition for Billy Southworth's excellent managerial career has come so belatedly. 2008 will be 64 years since Southworth managed his last World's Championship team, 60 years since he won his last NL pennant, and 57 years since his final mangerial year before retiring from the game. If his career had been a little longer than just his heyday from the late 30's to the early 50's, perhaps recognition would have come sooner. He was one of a few dominant managers, that any team would have loved to have in the 1940's, however.
It's still a great honor for his family despite the fact that its a bit late in the day for Cooperstown to bestow the title of "Hall Of Famer" to Southworth.
I know some people who are related to Vic Willis, a Hall Of Fame pitcher from the 1890's and 1900's. At least Southworth's family will not have to wait 85 years for Hall Of Fame recognition of their loved one as the Willis family did, who despite the long absence of recognition was still thrilled by the honoring of their forbearer. (Willis also played for the Boston National League franchise for a large part of his career, although I'm not sure if they were called the Braves at that time -team name aside, it was still the same franchise, however.). His Hall Of Fame recognition finally came in 1995 in a HOF Class that included Richie Ashburn, Mike Schmidt and Negro Leaguer Leon Day, whose careers took place generations after Willis's. Willis was finally immortalized by Cooperstown 85 years after he pitched his final major league game in 1910. I believe this may be the longest interim period between a player's final year of play and Hall Of Fame recognition. (At the very least it's one of the longest waits between the end of a player's career and HOF election, and its a Near-Record).

-philliesfiend55-

[Ralph Zig Tyko]

When talking about the 1948 Indians, Satchel Paige should not be mentioned in the same breath as Lemon, Feller and Bearden. Paige was second tier on that club and it would be more appropriate to mention him with Steve Gromek and Russ Christopher.

Satch contributed a ton to the success of the '48 Indians. He was 6-1 as a reliever/spot starter, completing 3 of 7 of his starts. He had a 2.48 ERA and was 42 years old.

[EdTarbusz]

Satch contributed a ton to the success of the '48 Indians. He was 6-1 as a reliever/spot starter, completing 3 of 7 of his starts. He had a 2.48 ERA and was 42 years old.

Paige contributed to the 1948, but he didn't contribute a ton. His legend with that team is overblown. He was a second line pitcher, who did much of his pitching against second division clubs.

[Ralph Zig Tyko]

I disagree, Mr. Ed.

[EdTarbusz]

I'm looking at the Indians 1948 season game by game, and Paige's role isn't as impressive as people seem to think it is. He had a good run for a few weeks and then either became ineffective or landed in Boudreau's doghouse, because he wasn't used much down the stretch, and pitched less then a full inning in the World Series in a mop up role.