MLB: The Day That 86,563 Fans Watched the Indians Finish the Yankees Season

Nineteen fifty four was different. It wasn't like 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955 or 1956.

In 1954 the Cleveland Indians, for the only time in a span of six seasons, didn't finish second to the New York Yankees. The Indians won an American League record 111 games.

The Yankees finished eight games behind the Indians. Ironically, the Yankees won more games when they finished second that season than they had won in any of their five consecutive World Championship seasons.

It gives Indians fans great pleasure that the 1954 Indians won more games than any of the Yankees teams ever won, at least until 1998.

Bob Lemon, Early Wynn,and Mike Garcia, backed up by Art Houtteman and Bob Feller were the starters.

Lemon and Wynn each won 23 games, Garica won 19, Houtteman won 15 and Feller won 13. So much for Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt.

Second baseman Bobby Avila led the American League with a .341 average and Larry Doby led the league with 32 home runs.

The Yankees have never been an easy team to bury. The Indians had their chance on Sept. 12, 1954 when the Yankees came to town for a "crucial" double header that really was important for both teams.

A split would be fine with the Indians, but they really wanted to put the Yankees eight and one-half games behind, which would basically relegate them to no better than second place.

Art Houtteman had just shut out the Boston Red Sox the day before at Municipal Stadium while the Yankees lost to the Chicago White Sox in Comiskey Park to give the Tribe a six and one-half game.

Eighty six thousand, five hundred and sixty three fans, a new regular season major league record, paid their way in, hoping to see the Indians reduce their magic number to three by sweeping their hated rivals. The fans were not disappointed.

Bob Lemon and his sinker kept the Yankees in check, but Whitey Ford matched him. After six innings, the score was 1-1.

Then the Indians might have received a break when Yankees manager Casey Stengel pinch-hit for Ford with left-handed slugger Eddie Robinson. The report was that Ford had injured his shoulder.

 Allie Reynolds came in to pitch the seventh inning. Don't get the wrong idea. Reynolds was not a downgrade, but on this day, he didn't have his best stuff.

Reynolds retired Lemon, who was a good hitter, on fly ball to Irv Noren in left center field. Al Smith followed with a bunt for a single, bringing up Bobby Avila. Reynolds walked him, moving the potential lead run to second.

Larry Doby pulled a Reynolds fast ball to first base, hitting a tricky hopper that Joe Collins bobbled, picked up and threw to Reynolds, covering the bag, for the second out.

Then the Yankees season just about ended.

Al Rosen blasted a line drive to center for a hit. When Mickey Mantle, who would achieve the dubious distinction of striking out for the 100th on this day, couldn't handle the crazy bounce, Rosen had a double and the Indians led, 3-1. 

Driving in Smith and Avila gave Rosen his 99th and 100th RBIs.

Lemon pitched a superb game, limiting the Yankees to six hits. He struck out Mantle three times.

Early Wynn faced Tommy Byrne in the nightcap. The Yankees scored twice in the first on a Yogi Berra home run, but that was all that they scored as Wynn pitched a three-hitter, striking out 12.

In retrospect, Indians fans are happy there was no designated hitter in 1954.

Weak-hitting George Strickland led off the Indians fifth by hitting a harmless fly ball to right fielder Hank Bauer. Jim Hegan popped up to shortstop Phil Rizzuto, bring up Wynn, who hit a change up to center field for a single.

Al Smith singled and Bobby Avila drove in Wynn with a single. Smith moved to third and Avila to second on the throw home (Note: The New York Times states that the runners moved up on the throw home, but Retrosheet has them at first and second).

Wally Westlake doubled in two runs and the Indians magic number was three.

Indians fans would have to wait until 1995 for another pennant.

References:

Effrat, Louis. "Indians Sink Yanks Twice Before Record 86,563; Magic Number is Three." New York Times. 13 Sept. 1954. P. 27.