Denny, Pop, and the 1950 World Series
The Game: The date is Saturday, October 7, 1950 and Pop (age 35) and Denny (age 10) are on their way to the World Series in Yankee Stadium. They can’t remember where the tickets came from but my guess is they were provided by someone at Kerby Saunders, Inc. The temperature is in the mid 60s with some high clouds; a perfect day for a ball game. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:05 PM and 68,098 fans wait anxiously for the fourth game of the fall classic to get underway. The Yankees have won the first three games versus the Phillies and want to the close out the series. The Yankees start Whitey Ford who is a little known rookie who was called up mid-year and has nine wins during the regular season. The Phillies counter with Bob Miller who has 11 wins in his first full season in the majors and finishes second in the Rookie of the Year balloting for the National League. The Yankees are loaded with future hall of famers: Manager Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Whitey, Johnny Mize, Phil Rizzuto, and the great Joe DiMaggio. The Phillies are known as the “Whiz Kids” because they are young and very confident. Philly teammates Robin Roberts and Richie Ashburn would also be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Announcing the game that day was Dizzy Dean the great pitcher for the Cardinals who would also be inducted into the Hall three years later.
The Story: Pop and Denny are on Rt. 17 in Teteboro at a traffic light looking at their tickets when a big Cadillac pulls up next to them. Inside are two well dressed men who see that Pop and Denny have tickets for the game. One man leans out the window and confirms with Pop that they are headed to the game. Then he asks “Why don’t you guys park your car and come to the game with us?”. Hard to imagine such an offer in 2014 but this was 1950. They pulled the car over, parked in a gas station and hopped in the Caddy. The gentlemen were both attorneys for several of the Yankees and suggested that Denny and Pop meet them at the locker room door following game so they could meet the team. As Pop says below “We were speechless”.
The Yankees shut down a ninth inning rally and win the game five to two and sweep the series in four games. Denny and Pop head to the locker room as agreed, knock on the door, and wait…and wait..and wait. Now they are starting to think not only will they not be meeting the Yankees but they also don’t have a ride back to Jersey. Finally the door opens, the attorneys appear and they are ushered into the locker room. Some players have left but most are there and celebrating raucously. Pop rips off a piece of a cardboard box and Denny starts making the rounds to get autographs. He gets: Johnny Mize, Casey Stengel, Phil Rizzuto. Yogi, Joe Di, Gene Woodling, Cliff Mapes, Tommy Ferrick, Billy Martin, and announcer Dizzy Dean. But one autograph he doesn’t get is Whitey Fords, but more on that later. Not much is remembered about the ride back to the gas station and the drive home but in Denny’s possession are the autographs of the world champion NY Yankees. Not a bad day for a 10 year old baseball fan. Years later the autographs were framed and hang in Denny’s home office today.
Though I was only one at the time and clearly not involved I’ve been telling this story since I was a kid. I try to imagine how excited Denny must have been and how good Pop felt about such a great day with his oldest son. My guess is he was probably pretty happy as well to have an afternoon off and leave the other six kids at home. (I didn’t forget Barb as she arrived a year later.)
The Epilogue: So, back to Whitey Ford. In 2005, 55 years after the series game is played, Ricoh is conducting a national meeting in Las Vegas and we hired three former/current professional athletes to host a dinner and sit with our largest customers. Rod Gilbert, Freddy Couples, and Whitey Ford are all on hand. I am one of three guys chosen to co-host with our celebrity athletes and I successfully lobby for Whitey. We are seated, introductions are made and the dinner is served. The discussion is fluid and the wine is flowing. As we conclude dinner I see my opportunity and tell the 1950 World Series story. I have everyone’s undivided attention and conclude with the fact the one of the few autographs Denny didn’t get that day was Whitey’s. I produce the letter Pop wrote describing what happened that day and ask Whitey to sign it. Whitey looks at me and says “Sure, but it will cost you $100″. The thing is he doesn’t seem to be joking and we now have total silence at the table. I know we paid Whitey $10,000 and all expenses to show up and have dinner but I also know he can be a little prickly about signing his autograph. I hesitate, then take a chance. I look at Whitey and say “I’m really hoping two things are gonna happen right now. One, you are going to sign this autograph for my dad and my brother and two, I’m not gonna pay you $100.” Whitey looks at me a moment longer then cracks a smile and asks me to give him the letter. Phew! He was messing with me! Anyway, here is what he wrote:
Whitey and yours truly. He’s wearing a world series ring which I like to think is was from 1950.Dad’s Letter: Below is a letter Pop wrote in the mid 1990s at Denny’s request to document, as best he could, what happened. Whitey’s note is at the bottom of page 2. This letter resides in an envelope taped to the back of the frame holding the autographs. Enjoy:
1950 World Series video: The link below is to a short video of the series. Towards the end you see the Yankees heading into the locker room after winning the fourth game. Makes me happy to think Pop and Denny were in the room just a few minutes later.
That is a great story.!..I would guess that the seats might have been the ones from Kerby Saunders Inc.? which if I remember were about 6 rows behind the Yankee Dugout..I went there as a “Youngin” in the 50’s when Bobby Shantz was a relief pitcher on the Yanks…and believe it or not, He was traded to the Pirates later,and STAYED A FEW HOUSES AWAY FROM MY FAMILY IN FT. MYERS BEACH where the Pirates trained ..I was hanging out with his son when he took us over to his house .and there was his Dad Bobby throwing in the driveway to Hal Smith,,a journeyman catcher….This story pales in comparison, But I thought you’d like the Ft. Myers connection
J