Record Crowds Cheer Indians in Title Season

Before the Dodgers began shattering baseball attendance records at the Coliseum and later Dodger Stadium, you spelled baseball attendance records C-L-E-V-E-L-A-N-D.

In postwar Cleveland, factories were humming and recently returned World War II servicemen had money in their pockets. And the Indians were packing them in at their late-1930s WPA-project stadium, Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

The Indians drew a then-record 2,620,627 in 1948, and for good reason--theirs was an entertaining and championship team.

The player-manager, 31-year-old shortstop Lou Boudreau, was the American League’s most valuable player. He had hit .355 and driven in 106 runs for a club deep in offense and pitching going into the postseason. In a one-game playoff with the Boston Red Sox, Boudreau led his team to the World Series by hitting two home runs in an 8-3 victory.

The pitching staff had two 20-game winners, Gene Bearden (20-7) and Bob Lemon (20-14), plus Bob Feller (19-15). Feller and Lemon each ended up in the Hall of Fame. Jim Hegan was one of the game’s premier catchers.

Outfielder Larry Doby, the first African-American player in the American League, hit .301 in his second season. And 42-year-old Satchel Paige became the first African-American pitcher in a World Series.

In the Series, the Indians beat the Boston Braves, four games to two, wrapping it up 51 years ago today with a 4-3 victory at Boston in Game 6, on a go-ahead home run by Joe Gordon in the sixth inning. Lemon won twice in the Series and Doby hit .318.

And in Game 5, at Cleveland, the Indians set a one-game attendance mark of 86,288 that stood as a Series record until the Dodgers and White Sox drew 92,706 in 1959 at the Coliseum.

Also on this date: In 1925, Walter Johnson, age 37 years, 11 months and 5 days, became the oldest pitcher to throw a World Series shutout when he beat the Pirates, 4-0. . . . In 1991, golfer Chip Beck shot a 59, with a 29 on the front nine, at the Las Vegas Invitational tournament.