Lucey: The 1964 World Series and the impact of Jackie Robinson

From SABR member Bill Lucey at The National Pastime Museum on October 9, 2014:

October 2014 marks the 50-year anniversary of the 1964 World Series, which pit the New York Yankees, the beast of the East, against the St. Louis Cardinals, the beneficiaries of the Philadelphia Phillies’ epic meltdown during the bruising pennant race.

At the time, few knew just how symbolic this fall classic would become. It ushered in a new generation of baseball players who smashed through the color barrier with a fury, while bidding a fond farewell to a generation of ballplayers: a motley crew of aging white players.

The Yankees entered the 1964 World Series having amassed 14 pennants and nine world championships since 1949, a truly unprecedented era of dominance in Major League Baseball that came to a screeching halt after the ’64 Series.

Bob Gibson (pitching on two days rest) outmuscled the Bombers in the decisive seventh game in St. Louis, which gave the Cardinals their seventh World Championship. The Yankees wouldn’t be seen again in a World Series until 1976. Plus, the ’64 Series was Mickey Mantle’s last.

Read the full article here: http://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/article/1964-world-series



Originally published: October 9, 2014. Last Updated: October 9, 2014.