September 19, 1954: Out with a whimper: Athletics play their final game in Philadelphia

As their 1954 season staggered toward its conclusion, the Philadelphia Athletics would host the New York Yankees in the home finale at Connie Mack Stadium. The game, however, was bereft of suspense for either team. For the Yankees, winners of the previous five World Series, their dethroning by the Cleveland Indians was complete. The day before, Cleveland clinched the AL pennant with a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees beat the Athletics, 6-5, to no avail. Few Philadelphians could be bothered to attend, with a mere 1,834 witnessing that game under overcast conditions. For the Athletics, their record stood at 49-98, an astounding 58 games behind the Indians, and their future in doubt. Reports of their likely relocation occupied almost as many column inches as their on-field activities, the off-field activities providing the only remaining uncertainty to a season of misery.

The Yankees owned a 15-game winning streak over the Athletics, and manager Casey Stengel sent Tom Morgan to the mound to extend it. Morgan had claimed a regular spot in the Yankees rotation over the past two months, and his personal record against Philadelphia included four of his 11 wins so far in the season. Art Ditmar, a 25-year-old right-hander, would see his first major-league action since June; he had struggled earlier in the season and his 0-4, 7.45 ERA mark awaited his return to the big leagues. Player-manager Eddie Joost had allowed nine players to end their seasons early and depart the team, which may have been responsible for Ditmar seeing some late-season action.

Ditmar opened the game by facing Gil McDougald, and the Yankee slapped the ball into right field for a leadoff single. McDougald’s effort came to naught, as Irv Noren’s liner to Bill Wilson in center field and routine groundouts by Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra closed the top of the first. Ditmar allowed back-to-back walks with one out in the second, but Jerry Coleman’s double-play ball ended the frame. Morgan led off the Yankees’ third with a single to right, but the top of the order went down in order. Mantle’s two-out bomb to right field, however, required Vic Power to make a “spectacular jumping catch with his back against the wall.”1 Meanwhile, Morgan did not allow a Philadelphia baserunner during the first pass through the home lineup, and the game remained scoreless through three.

The Athletics ended Morgan’s nascent bid for a perfect game when Pete Suder hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth. Lou Limmer followed with a single, and the Athletics appeared to be in business with Jim Finigan up next. A member of the Yankees organization at this time the previous season, Finigan had most productive season of any Philadelphia regular in 1954. Finigan enjoyed a solid rookie season in Philadelphia after injuries to Suder and Joost opened up third base for him. GM and co-owner Earle Mack said of the 26-year-old, “Why, if we wanted to trade or sell him, I’ll bet we could write our own ticket.”2 Finigan’s season would see him finish runner-up to Yankees pitcher Bob Grim for Rookie of the Year honors. In this at-bat, he lined out to Noren in right field. Gus Zernial’s grounder to Coleman at shortstop then triggered an inning-ending double play.

The Yankees almost broke the deadlock in the top of the fifth. Coleman and Morgan popped up for the first two outs, but McDougald and Noren each singled to center. Ditmar walked Mantle to load the bases with cleanup hitter Berra coming to the plate. Berra smacked the ball toward right field, but his line shot ended up in Power’s glove. The game was half-over and still scoreless. It seemed likely to stay that way when McDougald snared Power’s liner and Morgan struck out Wilson to start the Philadelphia fifth. Jack Littrell drew a walk from Morgan and Jim Robertson singled to keep the inning alive. Ditmar was due up next, but he had yet to collect a hit in his eight prior major-league plate appearances. Joost thus opted for pinch-hitter Don Bollweg, whose hopping groundball was too much for Yankees first baseman Eddie Robinson. Everyone was safe on the error. Suder’s single to center field broke the deadlock, with Littrell and Robertson crossing the plate. Limmer lined out to Robinson for the third out, but the Athletics now led, 2-0.

Joost gave the ball to Charlie Bishop to face the Yankees in the sixth. Robinson flied out to Power for the first out. After Bob Cerv and Andy Carey hit back-to-back singles, Stengel called on Enos Slaughter to bat in place of the weak-hitting Coleman. Slaughter flied out to Zernial in left field, bringing up Morgan. Searching for runs, Stengel selected Joe Collins as a pinch-hitter, but Collins flied out to Wilson for the final out of the New York sixth. Johnny Sain, now 36 and operating as a type of closer before that role was recognized, took the mound in the home half of the inning. The Athletics loaded the bases with one out through a walk to Zernial and singles by Power and Wilson, but the run scorers from the prior inning could not pad the lead. Littrell flied out to Willy Miranda, now playing shortstop in place of Coleman, and Robertson struck out to end the inning.

Bishop walked McDougald and Noren in the top of the seventh, which might have seemed ominous with Mantle and Berra due up. Mantle, however, popped up to first baseman Limmer in foul territory and Berra’s line out to Power doubled Noren off first base. In the bottom of the seventh, Berra muffed a two-out popup by Limmer in foul territory. With the reprieve, Limmer singled and stole second base. Finigan’s strikeout ended the frame.

Joost brought on Moe Burtschy for Philadelphia in the top of the eighth. The veteran right-hander had pitched commendably in relief during the season, but the Yankees would break through against him. Robinson led off with a single to right, and Stengel replaced the 33-year-old with pinch-running teenager and bonus baby Frank Leja. After Cerv lined out to Wilson, Carey “lashed to left”3 for a single that advanced Leja to second. Lou Berberet made his first major-league plate appearance hitting in place of Miranda, and the young catcher made the most of his opportunity. Berberet smacked a single to right for his first hit and first RBI, as Leja scored for New York. Rizzuto ran for Berberet, and Moose Skowron batted for Sain. Skowron was out on his grounder back to Burtschy, but the runners advanced to second and third. With the lineup turning over again, McDougald came to the plate. The second baseman “belted the ball”4 for a home run over the fence in upper left-center. Three runs scored, and the Yankees grabbed the lead, 4-2. Noren’s grounder to Suder provided the final out, but the result was academic. The damage was done.

Jim Konstanty had opened the season in Philadelphia with the Phillies. Four years removed from his MVP season with the 1950 pennant-winning Whiz Kids, the Yankees claimed the 37-year-old off waivers in August. Stengel gave Konstanty the assignment of securing the win. Konstanty did not allow a baserunner in the eighth or ninth to earn New York’s 100th win of the season, more wins than achieved during the prior five World Series-winning seasons.

The loss was the 99th of the year for the Athletics; they would finish the season with a mark of 51-103. The Sunday afternoon tilt drew a mere 1,715, easily the worst attended major-league game that day. That “crowd” resulted in an aggregate season attendance of 305,362, well below the 600,000 the club stated it needed to break even5 and less than half of the 738,991 who came out to watch the 75-79 Phillies. It should have been no surprise that stories persisted of the club’s impending relocation. Earle Mack would speak optimistically about 1955 despite the last-place finish: “I do not feel we need too much.”6 Days later, though, there were stories of Roy and Earle Mack attending meetings in Chicago with the intent to sell the club to a syndicate led by Arnold Johnson, and AL President Will Harridge signaling his assent to the transaction.7 Papers would need to be signed and votes would need to be lined up to support the sale to Johnson and relocation to Kansas City, but the Athletics had played their last game as a Philadelphia franchise.

SOURCES

In addition to the articles cited in the Notes, the author consulted baseball-reference.com.

NOTES

1 Art Morrow, “3-Run Clout by Gil Wins 100th Game for New York,” Philadelphia Inquirer, September 20, 1954: 22.

2 Morrow, “Rookie Jim Finigan Only Bright Spot in 18th Basement Finish by Athletics,” The Sporting News, September 29, 1954: 30.

3 Morrow, “3-Run Clout”: 24.

4 Louis Effrat, “Yanks Register 100th Victory as Rally Beats Athletics, 4-2,” New York Times, September 20, 1954: 27.

5 “Only 1,715 See A’s Finale; 305,362 Attendance for ’54,” The Sporting News, September 29, 1954: 30.

6 “Experience to Aid A’s Kids,” The Sporting News, September 29, 1954: 6.

7 Morrow, “American League Wants Fate of Athletics Settled This Week,” Philadelphia Inquirer, September 21, 1954: 26.