Casey Stengel and Aaron Ward both hit .417, or 41666... in the 1923 Fall Classic. Tough time to determine who hit for the highest average in that World Series. Gotta go with both, I guess. Stengel was 5-12 and Ward 10-24.
Oh, the teams? Both from New York. It was, for the third year in a row, Giants vs. Yankees.
Stengel started the World Series off in dramatic fashion. His inside-the-park home run in the top of the ninth won game one at Yankee Stadium. The home team had led 3-0 early, but couldn't hold it. For his part, Ward was 2-4 at the dish. Hitting .500. But his team needed more offence.
Actually, same deal in game 2. Ward, 2-4. Yankees? 4 runs. However, the opposition only scored 2 runs, and this thing was level at 1 game each. It was Ward with a home run of his own to help the cause. The teams had alternated wins, as they had ballparks. Game 2 was played at the Polo Grounds. Unlike today where it's 2-3-2. Surprisingly, Casey Stengel, 2-3 in game 1, only saw time as a defensive replacement in centre field this game. So times at the dish for him.
In game 3 back at Yankee Stadium, Stengel and Ward were a combined 2-7. However, only one run scored this game. Guess how it was scored? Stengel, another home run.
Back at the Polo Grounds, the visitors won for the fourth time in this Fall Classic. The Yankees scored 6 runs in the top of the 2nd to put this one away, although the final score was sure a slug fest, 8-4. Aaron Ward was 2-4 for the 3rd time in the 1923 World Series, but was upstaged by Casey Stengel. Casey was a perfect 2-2, and even walked twice. For some bizzare reason, manager John McGraw pinch hit for Casey in the bottom of the ninth. That inning saw the Giants (Albeit too late) get another inside-the-park home run from Ross Young. Bill Cunningham, batting for Stengel one out later, fanned.
The first all-out rout in '23 was the pivotal game 5. The Yankees, led by Ward's fourth 2-4 game, won easily 8-1. Oddly enough, Babe Ruth didn't have an RBI. But he touched home twice (Ward didn't once despite his efforts). The home team had finally won. Stengel didn't get a hit, but collected the lone Giants' RBI.
Despite trailing 3-2, the Giants went home and appeared to have this Fall Classic sent back to the Stadium for game 7. Despite a home run by Ruth, it was 4-1 Giants after 7. In the top of the 8th, as Stengel watched helplessly from the dugout, the Yankees scored 5 runs on only 3 hits. That concluded the game's scoring.
Stengel came on to pinch hit in the bottom of the frame, but could only pop to third. Ward had just a hit to show for 4 trips to the plate. So the two didn't do much in the clincher. No matter, they'd topped everyone else in batting average over the course of the six-game World Series.
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Oh, the teams? Both from New York. It was, for the third year in a row, Giants vs. Yankees.
Stengel started the World Series off in dramatic fashion. His inside-the-park home run in the top of the ninth won game one at Yankee Stadium. The home team had led 3-0 early, but couldn't hold it. For his part, Ward was 2-4 at the dish. Hitting .500. But his team needed more offence.
Actually, same deal in game 2. Ward, 2-4. Yankees? 4 runs. However, the opposition only scored 2 runs, and this thing was level at 1 game each. It was Ward with a home run of his own to help the cause. The teams had alternated wins, as they had ballparks. Game 2 was played at the Polo Grounds. Unlike today where it's 2-3-2. Surprisingly, Casey Stengel, 2-3 in game 1, only saw time as a defensive replacement in centre field this game. So times at the dish for him.
In game 3 back at Yankee Stadium, Stengel and Ward were a combined 2-7. However, only one run scored this game. Guess how it was scored? Stengel, another home run.
Back at the Polo Grounds, the visitors won for the fourth time in this Fall Classic. The Yankees scored 6 runs in the top of the 2nd to put this one away, although the final score was sure a slug fest, 8-4. Aaron Ward was 2-4 for the 3rd time in the 1923 World Series, but was upstaged by Casey Stengel. Casey was a perfect 2-2, and even walked twice. For some bizzare reason, manager John McGraw pinch hit for Casey in the bottom of the ninth. That inning saw the Giants (Albeit too late) get another inside-the-park home run from Ross Young. Bill Cunningham, batting for Stengel one out later, fanned.
The first all-out rout in '23 was the pivotal game 5. The Yankees, led by Ward's fourth 2-4 game, won easily 8-1. Oddly enough, Babe Ruth didn't have an RBI. But he touched home twice (Ward didn't once despite his efforts). The home team had finally won. Stengel didn't get a hit, but collected the lone Giants' RBI.
Despite trailing 3-2, the Giants went home and appeared to have this Fall Classic sent back to the Stadium for game 7. Despite a home run by Ruth, it was 4-1 Giants after 7. In the top of the 8th, as Stengel watched helplessly from the dugout, the Yankees scored 5 runs on only 3 hits. That concluded the game's scoring.
Stengel came on to pinch hit in the bottom of the frame, but could only pop to third. Ward had just a hit to show for 4 trips to the plate. So the two didn't do much in the clincher. No matter, they'd topped everyone else in batting average over the course of the six-game World Series.
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.
Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 14 May. 2018.
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