Henry Aaron in the World Series

Mickey Mantle and Henry Aaron met in the 1957 World Series, won by the Braves in seven games. Aaron hit .393 with three homers and seven RBIs. Mantle batted .263 with one homer and two RBIs. Photograph from 1958 spring training at St. Petersburg. (SABR-Rucker Archive)

 

In a career that spanned 23 major-league seasons and included appearances in 3,298 games, baseball great Henry Aaron played in only two World Series for a total of 14 games. In their own way they embody the rest of his Hall of Fame career – excellent performances but ones that did not get the attention they warranted or deserved. And so it was that in the World Series, like the rest of his record-breaking career, Henry Aaron spent much of his time underappreciated and in the shadow of more exciting or at least more publicized and hyped players like Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. Aaron simply did his job at the highest level, leaving the plaudits and judgments to others while taking quiet satisfaction in doing things the right way and to the best of his ability. That was the Aaron way. Why should the World Series, especially given his limited exposure on baseball’s brightest stage, be any different?

The 1957 World Series represented a matchup between two teams that had handily won their league pennants. The defending World Series champion New York Yankees took the American League crown easily, winning 98 games, while finishing eight games ahead of the Chicago White Sox. Meanwhile, in the senior circuit, the Milwaukee Braves, in only their fifth season in Wisconsin after moving from Boston just before the start of the 1953 campaign, were in and out of first place in a tight race with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cincinnati Redlegs, and the Brooklyn Dodgers until the first week in August, when the Braves moved into first place for good, ultimately finishing eight games in front of the Cardinals.

The Yankees came into the Series led by star center fielder Mickey Mantle, whose regular-season performance in 1957 would earn him a second consecutive Most Valuable Player Award, as well as perennial All-Star and MVP contender Yogi Berra. New York boasted a solid pitching staff headed by southpaw Whitey Ford and right-hander Bob Turley. The Braves countered with an MVP of their own as Aaron’s league-leading totals in home runs, runs batted in, and runs scored not only led the powerful Braves offense but would also garner him significant postseason hardware. Aaron had also burnished his credential as a big-game player with his two-run walk-off homer in the pennant-clinching game against the Cardinals in late September. But Aaron was not alone, getting major offensive help from sluggers Eddie Mathews and Joe Adcock, as well as midseason addition Red Schoendienst. Meanwhile, the Braves offered a rotation headed by Cy Young Award winner and left-hander Warren Spahn and right-hander Lew Burdette. As the teams headed for the Series opener in the hallowed Yankee Stadium on October 2, the baseball world prepared for an exciting matchup.

With both teams leading with their left-handed aces, the opening game of the Series started out as a pitchers’ duel. Spahn and Ford matched shutout innings through the first four frames before the Yankees broke through with a run in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead. In his first World Series at-bat, Aaron had grounded out to second in the second inning, but he then singled to right in the fourth, moving Mathews to third. However, the Braves’ threat was erased with a double play.

Aaron struck out swinging in the sixth with nobody out and two men on, and in his final at-bat in the eighth, he fared no better, popping out to short. Overall, the 3-1 loss was a disappointing opener for Braves fans as Ford held the Braves to just five hits while striking out five in a complete-game effort.

After a split on the road, the Braves headed home for Game Three, the first World Series game ever played in Milwaukee. The Yankees got off to a quick start, scoring three runs off starter Bob Buhl on two hits, a walk, and Buhl’s throwing error, but the Braves looked to get them right back as Schoendienst singled and Logan walked, giving the Braves men on first and second with nobody out and their big guns coming up. But Mathews and Aaron popped up to the infield and, after a walk to Wes Covington, Adcock struck out looking, squandering the best chance the Braves would have.

In the end, the final result of the inaugural Milwaukee World Series contest was nothing but a disappointment for the home fans. Aaron did give them something to cheer about when, in the bottom of the fifth, with the Braves trailing 7-1, the National League home-run champ hit his first World Series round-tripper. On a 3-and-1 pitch from the Yankees’ Don Larsen, Aaron launched a shot into the deep right-center-field stands, a blast that also drove in Johnny Logan, who had singled to lead off the inning. But it was a classic case of “too little, too late.” Aaron’s other at-bats, the pop fly to short in the first, an inning-ending fly out to right with the bases loaded in the second, a groundout to third in the sixth, and even the single to center in the ninth were more representative of the Braves’ offensive struggles in the Yankees’ 12-3 victory.

Game Four saw a different Braves team, one that showed the resilience that had marked their pennant-winning regular-season effort. They bounced back against the Bronx Bombers with Aaron coming alive to lead the club to a Series-tying victory. While his single in the bottom of the second represented the Braves’ only hit through the first three innings, in the bottom of the fourth, with the Yankees up 1-0, Aaron followed a walk to Johnny Logan and a double by Eddie Mathews with a three-run shot deep into the left-field seats to give the Braves a 3-1 lead. A Frank Torre homer added another run later that inning to give the Braves a 4-1 lead.

Aaron’s three-run blast off Yankees starter Tom Sturdivant is one that has gone down in Aaron lore, for on that windswept day, with two men on, when Yankee skipper Casey Stengel came out to the mound, Sturdivant is said to have asked if he should walk Aaron intentionally. Given the blustery conditions, Stengel is reported to have replied that Babe Ruth could not hit one out against that wind. Of course, Aaron did just that, launching the 1-and-1 pitch to deep left field, to give the Braves a two-run lead. Returning to the dugout at the end of the inning, Sturdivant reminded his manager of his earlier observation, a comment to which Stengel reportedly replied, “He ain’t Babe Ruth.”1

While the Yankees would come back to tie the game on a three-run homer by Elston Howard with two outs in the top of the ninth, the Braves refused to fold. Down a run going into the bottom of the 10th, they scratched out a tying run and then, with Aaron waiting in the on-deck circle, Mathews sent the Braves fans into delirium with a two-run shot into the right-field seats, giving the home team and a gritty Spahn a 7-5 win. Aaron for his part had followed his home run by striking out looking in the sixth and then in the eighth with a man on second, two outs, and the Yankees trailing 4-1, a careful Johnny Kucks walked Aaron on five pitches.

With the Series down to a best-two-out-of-three contest, the Braves sought to take advantage of their final home game of the season. Game Five quickly developed into a pitchers’ duel as Ford and Burdette took center stage, matching shutout innings until the bottom of the sixth when, after getting the first two batters, Ford gave up a single to Mathews. Then Aaron, who had lined out to left in the first and singled to left in the fourth, got his second hit of the day, stroking a single to short right field that sent Matthews to third. With men on first and third, Adcock hit a single to right, driving in Mathews with the game’s first run, while Aaron held at second. That run would hold up as Burdette went the full nine innings finishing with a seven-hit shutout that put the Braves a win away from the World Series title.

Back in New York for Game Six, Aaron went 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI as the Braves sought to close things out. Leading off the top of the second, he struck out swinging against Bob Turley, and in the fourth, with the Yankees up 2-0, he grounded to second, sending Mathews, who had doubled, to third, where he was left stranded as Covington popped out.

Leading off the seventh with the Yankees holding a narrow 2-1 lead, Aaron hit a 3-and-1 pitch over the fence in deep left field. His third home run of the Series, it was also his sixth run batted in. It was also the Braves’ last run of the day. After the Yankees’ Hank Bauer hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, the Braves were held hitless with Aaron striking out looking, in the top of the ninth.

In Game Seven, Aaron led the attack as the Braves sought the franchise’s first World Series title since their triumph as the Boston Braves back in 1914. Leading off in the top of the second, Aaron singled to left. Looking to get an early run, the Braves’ Wes Covington sacrificed Aaron to second and, after Frank Torre walked, Aaron, tagging on a fly ball to deep left by Felix Mantilla, advanced to third. But Larsen got out of the jam, getting Del Crandall to ground into a fielder’s choice.

But in the top of the third the Braves erupted and Aaron was right in the middle of the onslaught. With one out and two men on, Mathews hit a double to drive in two runs and Aaron followed with a single to center that drove in Mathews to make it 3-0. Two batters later, Aaron scored the fourth run on a fielder’s choice.

Leading off in the top of the fifth, Aaron switched gears and bunted, reaching first on an error, but the Braves were unable to capitalize. In the top of the seventh, Aaron struck out looking against Yankee reliever Tom Sturdivant, and in the top of the ninth with the lead up to 5-0, Aaron flied out to deep center field for the Braves’ final out.

Meanwhile, Lew Burdette made the five runs hold up, throwing another complete-game masterpiece, holding the Yankees to seven hits in pitching his second shutout of the Series while picking up his third victory as well as the Series MVP Award. For Aaron it was a joyous finish to a spectacular season, one that had showcased the full range of his skills. Indeed, in an era in which most sports news coverage was localized, the Series had represented Aaron’s introduction to a large part of the sporting public.

Aaron’s offseason would offer a greater sense of how he was perceived within the baseball community as he won what would be his only National League MVP Award. But for the moment, his World Series performance: a batting average of .393, tops among all starters, on 11 hits in 28 at-bats, five runs scored, seven batted in, and three home runs, was a clear indication of both what he could do as well as his value to the team. He also did a flawless job patrolling center field.

A year later, the 1958 World Series represented a rematch of the 1957 combatants, featuring a Braves team looking to defend its first Milwaukee-based title against a Yankees team in the unfamiliar position of looking to get back into the winner’s circle. While he would likely not have given it a thought, for Aaron in only his fifth major-league season, it proved to be the last time he would play in a World Series.

Both teams had again won their league championship in fine fashion. The Yankees finished 10 games ahead of the White Sox to capture the American League pennant, while the Braves again finished eight games ahead of their closest competitor, this time the Pittsburgh Pirates.

On a personal level, Aaron was coming off another strong season, although he posted offensive numbers that were for the most part generally a bit below the MVP-worthy totals of 1957. But at the same time, he reminded people of his all-around excellence as his defensive play would subsequently earn him the first of three consecutive Gold Glove Awards in right field.

As the Series opened, this time in Milwaukee, both the Yankees and the Braves sported lineups that closely resembled those of the previous year, but the anticipation was high as the rematch got under way.

In the opener, both clubs started their left-handed aces, Warren Spahn for the Braves and Whitey Ford for the Yankees with Spahn going the distance to secure the 10-inning walk-off win, 4-3. Aaron was comparatively quiet in the opener, going 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and a base on balls. But he did score the Braves’ first run after a leadoff walk in the fourth and some adept baserunning that allowed him to advance to second on a passed ball and to third on an infield out so that he could ultimately score on Del Crandall’s single to left. And his one hit, an eighth-inning double, was central to the Braves scoring the tying run as it followed a walk to Eddie Mathews, sending the slugging third baseman to third, positioning him to score the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Wes Covington.

Game Two was more of a slugfest with Aaron doing his part in the 13-5 Braves win that put the defending champions up two games to none. Going 2-for-4 with one base on balls, he scored two of the Braves runs. His first-inning walk off Yankees starter Bob Turley would translate into one of the seven runs the Braves scored in chasing Turley after he faced only five batters. Aaron grounded out to second in the second inning, advancing Mathews, who would later score, to third. After grounding out to third in the fourth, Aaron beat out an infield single in the seventh, ultimately coming around to score the team’s ninth run. He also singled to right in the eighth as the Braves took a 2-0 Series lead.

The Series headed to New York for what turned out to be three shutouts in a row. Don Larsen and Ryne Duren combined to hold the Braves to six hits. Aaron went hitless with a walk, a strikeout and two fly balls to the outfield in his four plate appearances. Game Four saw the tables turned as Warren Spahn threw a masterful two-hit shutout in a 3-0 win. Aaron went 2-for-4. He struck out in the second, but rebounded with a double in the fourth only to be left stranded on second base. He hit into a force out in the sixth and singled in the eighth as the Braves took a commanding 3-1 series lead.

With their backs against the wall the Yankees shut out the Braves 7-0 in Game Five, with Turley rebounding from his Game Two debacle to hold the Braves to five hits while chalking up 10 strikeouts. He struck out Aaron twice while inducing him to fly out to left field and then to center field in his other two at-bats.

In a crucial Game Six, back in Milwaukee, Aaron did all he could to help the team wrap up a second consecutive crown, but the Braves fell short in a 10-inning thriller. In the first inning, Aaron singled to right field to score Red Schoendienst with the first Braves run. The slugger switched things up in the third, reaching first on a bunt that was followed by a throwing error and a groundout that left him stranded on third base when the inning ended. He grounded out to third in the fifth and to second in the eighth before coming to bat in the bottom of the 10th with the Yankees, who had scored two in the top of the inning, holding a 4-2 lead. Facing reliever Ryne Duren, who had held the Braves scoreless since taking the mound in the sixth, and with Johnny Logan on second with two outs, Aaron stroked a single to left to score Logan and close the gap. After Adcock hit a single to center that allowed Aaron to reach third, Yankees manager Casey Stengel brought in Bob Turley to try to close the door. And Turley did just that, getting Frank Torre to line out to second, sending the Series to a seventh game.

In the climactic seventh game, Aaron went 1-for-3 with a base on balls in a matchup that saw Turley appear in his third consecutive game to seemingly will the Yankees to a 6-2 victory and their first World Series championship since 1953. Aaron walked in the first inning to load the bases with one out, but the Braves were able to get only one run out of the effort. Two Braves errors in the top of the second allowed the Yankees to score twice and they never trailed again. In the bottom of the third, Aaron singled to left, advancing Bill Bruton to second with one out, but the Braves could not capitalize. Aaron grounded into a double play in the bottom of the fifth and in the bottom of the eighth – in what would prove to be his final World Series at-bat – he fouled out on a pop fly to left field.

Like his team, Henry Aaron did not perform quite as well in the 1958 fall classic as he had in 1957, but he was still an offensive leader on a Braves team that as a group did not match its previous offensive output. Aaron hit .333 with 9 hits in 27 at-bats. He had two doubles, but no home runs, and he drove in only two runs. In the end, those numbers were telling and reflected the team’s diminished offensive output. Unlike 1957, when he had more often patrolled center field, he primarily played right field in 1958, with his play that year earning him a Gold Glove. But none of it was an issue in the Series.

As disappointed as Aaron was at the Braves’ failure to repeat, after a second stellar World Series performance the 24-year-old envisioned a bright future for himself and the team. Looking back years later, he recalled how he thought about “putting together a long history of hitting in the World Series,” only to discover that he would never again appear in the fall classic.2

In fact, for that reason and more, the 1958 defeat was a crushing loss. In allowing the Yankees to become one of the few teams in Series history to come back from a three-games-to-one deficit, the Braves had, as one writer observed, “become the one thing they detested the most, a chapter in the Yankee legend.”3 Aaron himself would often “lament that instead of being a team that won consecutive championships and dominated an era, they had been reduced to,” in his words, “just another team that won the World Series.”4

Even so, in what proved to be his only two World Series appearances, Aaron distinguished himself, making substantive contributions to the Braves’ cause. Overall, he played in 14 games and had a batting average of .364 on 20 hits in 55 at-bats. He scored eight runs and drove in nine, while hitting three home runs, two doubles, and a triple. It was an unquestionably strong combined performance even if it was a relatively small sample size. At the same time, it is worth taking a broader look at Aaron’s World Series record, especially as it compares to other baseball greats of the era. Those superstars must include Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, while Dodgers outfielder Duke Snider and Pirates star Roberto Clemente are also worthy of being included in the conversation.

Mickey Mantle, of course, played in many more Series than any of the others. The Yankees center fielder appeared in 12 World Series, in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1964, with the Yankees winning seven of them – in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, and 1962. Mantle appeared in 65 games and achieved a batting average of .257 on 59 hits in 230 at-bats. He scored 42 runs and hit six doubles and a Series-record 18 home runs while driving in 40 runs. Mantle’s batting average stats do not measure up to his regular-season record as he hit over .300 in only three of the 12 Series, with 1960 arguably being his best performance: .400 with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs.

In contrast, Mays appeared in four World Series, in 1951, 1954, and 1962 with the Giants (the first two in New York and the other in San Francisco), and then a final one with the New York Mets in 1973. Like Aaron, he was on one winner, in his case the 1954 team that triumphed over the Cleveland Indians in a four-game sweep highlighted by Mays’ iconic over-the-shoulder catch of Vic Wertz’s drive to the deepest reaches of the Polo Grounds. He appeared in 20 games and had a batting average of .239 on 17 hits, including three doubles, in 71 at-bats. He scored nine runs and drove in six despite not hitting a single World Series home run.

As a centerpiece of the 1950s Dodgers, Snider appeared in six World Series – in 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1959 – with the Dodgers winning in 1955 and 1959. Over the course of those six efforts, Snider played in 36 games. He compiled a batting average of .286 with 38 hits in 133 at-bats. Duke scored 21 runs and hit 8 doubles and 11 home runs while driving in 26 runs. He was impressively consistent, hitting over .300 in all but the first and last of his appearances.

Finally, like Aaron, Clemente played in only two World Series, both of which were also seven-game affairs, although his were separated by more than a decade. There was the epic win over the Yankees in 1960 and an equally memorable victory over the Baltimore Orioles in 1971. Clemente turned in a solid performance in 1960, hitting .310 on 9 hits in 29 at-bats with only a single run, three RBIs, and no extra-base hits. But in 1971 he was the star of the show, winning the Series MVP Award after hitting .414 with 12 hits, including 2 doubles, a triple and 2 home runs, in 29 at-bats. He also scored three runs and batted in four.

In the end, none of these numbers show anything definitive about any of these superstars. They do, however, add another perspective and additional context for comparative judgments about these baseball immortals. As for Aaron, his World Series efforts, however limited, only reaffirm the consistency and excellence that characterized his baseball career. He was, by any standard, and on any stage, one of the game’s true greats.

BILL PRUDEN has recently retired after over 40 years as a teacher of American history and government. A SABR member for over two decades, he has contributed to SABR’s BioProject and Games Project as well as a number of book projects. He has also written on a range of American history subjects, an interest undoubtedly fueled by the fact that as a 7-year-old he was at Yankee Stadium to witness Roger Maris’s historic 61st home run.

 

SOURCES

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author accessed Baseball-Almanac.com, Baseball-Reference.com, and MLB.com.

 

NOTES

1 Henry Aaron with Lonnie Wheeler, I Had A Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991), 177.

2 Aaron and Wheeler, 186.

3 Howard Bryant, The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron (New York: Pantheon Books, 2010), 250.

4 Bryant, 250.