Klapisch: The 1956 World Series and the end of a rivalry
From Bob Klapisch at The National Pastime Museum on October 25, 2016:
The year was 1954, when anyone paying close attention might’ve realized the Dodgers had their eye on the door, ready to leave Brooklyn. Not that team president Peter O’Malley came out and said so, but in retrospect the hints were everywhere.
The Dodgers had just played in another World Series against—who else?—the Yankees, and even though they went down to defeat again, these were still heady times in Brooklyn. Or should have been. After all, the Dodgers had won the pennant four times in the previous eight years, a dynasty in their own right. They were a tough band of ballplayers, and even though they couldn’t beat the Yankees, no team in the National League seemed to be a match.
Yet, the ticket buyers seemed unimpressed. O’Malley was perplexed.
“We have given the fans the finest baseball possible, still our attendance declines,” O’Malley said at the time. “I don’t know what the solution is.”
Read the full article here: http://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/article/1956-world-series-end-era-and-rivalry
Originally published: October 25, 2016. Last Updated: October 25, 2016.