|
 |
|
BOBBY STURGEON, BILLY
SOUTHWORTH,
& SIBBI SISTI |
BOSTON BRAVES
...
SPAHN & SAIN and PRAY FOR RAIN ...
The Braves rally for four
ninth inning runs in a walk-off win
July 31, 1948 ... A
base clearing triple by the almost forgotten Sibbi Sisti, in the
ninth-inning at Braves Field, kept the Braves 5 1/2 games in front of
the National League pennant contenders, in one of their greatest
uphill struggles of the season. Sisti hit a vicious line drive to the
extreme corner of right-center field, driving home three runs and
giving the Braves a 7 to 6 walkoff win over the Cardinals, sending
31,841 happy customers out of the tepee in celebration. As the
Braves came to bat in the finale, they trailed the Cardinals by three runs in a
sizzling seesaw battle, 6 to 3. To start it off, Bob Elliott drew his 90th walk
of the year against southpaw, Ken Johnson, the third of four Cardinals pitchers
thrown into the skirmish. Left-hander, Jeff Heath, was due to hit, but playing
the percentages, manager Billy Southworth yanked him in favor of Al Lyons. Lyons
had been rushed in from Milwaukee a few weeks ago, but for relief pitching
purposes. After Johnson had thrown two balls, he was taken out in favor of Jim
Hearn, a right-hander. Hearn ended up walking Lyons and that made the next
hitter Clint Conaster, the tying run. He had already scored one run and driven
in another, and once more he came through by lashing a wicked single to right to
load the bases.
There were none out, and the bottom of the Braves batting order was scheduled
to hit. Phil Masi came up and only popped the ball to second base on the first
pitch. Now, with one out, Bobby Sturgeon came to bat and dropped a single into
left-center, that brought Elliott home with the fourth Braves run.
Bobby Hogue, who had pitched the ninth-inning, was the next hitter, and the
only one left for Southworth to use was Sibbi Sisti. Sibbi had not been in a
game since June 18th, suffering from appendicitis, been operated upon for a
sinus condition and had been nursing a lame leg. Plagued with these injuries and
illness, Sibbi had a .183 batting average, having only driven across five runs.
So up to the plate he came and he fouled off the first pitch. Then he took a
ball and on the next pitch, a Hearn fastball, and slammed it in the hole between
Stan Musial and Terry Moore. All the baserunners were on the move and Lyons
scored easily from third, Conaster breezed home with the tying run from second,
and Sturgeon was running as fast as he can toward the plate. Bobby scored
without any trouble and the game belonged to the Braves.
Billy Southworth was the first one to run over to first base and grab Sisti
and give him a hug. Then a flock of Braves came storming out of the dugout to
surround him. The game proved to be the most dramatic one for the Tribe this
season.
The Braves had started off with a two run lead, which Warren Spahn couldn't
hold. A two-run home run by Stan Musial, his 24th of the year, a Whitey Kurowski
double, a sacrifice from Enos Slaughter, and a fly ball, put the Cardinals ahead
3 to 2. The Braves were next able to tie it up in the fifth when Conaster drove
home Torgeson.
But once more Spahn failed to hold the game. Musial opened up the sixth with
a triple and scored on a single by Slaughter, before Red Barrett was called on
and pitched brilliant relief ball. Unfortunately the redhead was the victim of
two unearned runs in the eighth, that gave St. Louis the 6 to 3 lead going into
the dramatic ninth. |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg)
.jpg)