1948

Two games have been played in Cleveland and the Series is tied 1-1. According to MLB, the last 1 home teams who won game 1, went on to win the Series.  But this is its own Series- historic and anything could happen. I wouldn't count either team out until one of them wins the 4th game.

Earlier this week I looked at the last World Series that each of this year's teams played in- and lost- 1997 for the Indians; 1945 for the Cubs. Today I thought I would look at the last time the Indians won. As I said when in an earlier post, I was two months old the last time the Indians won the World Series win 1948. In other words you have to be an early Baby Boomer or older to have been alive. So who were the 1948 Indians?

They had six future Hall of Famers on the team.

• Lou Boudreau SS, also their player-manager
• Larry Doby OF
• Bob Feller P
• Joe Gordon 2B
• Bob Lemon P
• Satchell Paige P

A quick look at that list would tell you that there was history made at the game itself. Larry Doby, the first African-American to play in the American League, joined the immortal Satchell Paige to be the first African-American players to be on the winning team in a World Series.

That and Paige appeared in Game 5 for the Indians, becoming the first black pitcher to take the mound in World Series history.

They beat the Boston Braves in six games.

From Wikipedia:

The Braves had won the National League pennant for the first time since the "Miracle Braves" team of 1914, while the Indians had spoiled a chance for the only all-Boston World Series by winning a one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox for the American League flag. Though superstar pitcher Bob Feller failed to win either of his two starts, the Indians ... capture[d] their second championship and their first since 1920 (as well as their last to the present date).

It was the first World Series to be televised on a nationwide network and was announced by famed sportcasters Red Barber, Tom Hussey (in Boston) and Van Patrick (in Cleveland).

This was the second appearance in the Fall Classic for both teams, with the Indians' lone previous appearance coming in a 1920 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Braves' lone precious appearance coming in a 1914 win against the Philadelphia Athletics.

This was the only World Series from 1947 to 1958 not to feature a New York team, and also the last World Series until 1957 not won by a New York team.