1954 Indians flashback: Yankees and A's visit; George Strickland profile

A great 6-1 week prior had pushed the lead over the Yankees to 2.5 games and 7.0 over the White Sox. But as the schedule luck would have it, the Yankees were next to visit Cleveland Stadium, looking to make a dent into it. The Athletics would follow with four games over the weekend.

August 3-5, 1954

August 3: Yankees 2, Indians 1

August 4: Yankees 2, Indians 5

August 5: Yankees 5, Indians 2

With Monday being a scheduled off day, the Yankees arrived on Tuesday, with Whitey Ford taking the hill. Don Mossi made a spot start as Bob Feller was not ready to go. Larry Doby hit a solo shot in the first to give Mossi a quick 1-0 lead. But Mossi left the game after just one inning with a stomach ailment. Art Houtteman relieved and pitched six solid innings. Hi only rough inning was the third, where a two RBI single by Yogi Berra lost the lead. The Indian offense only managed three hits the rest of the way as Ford shut them down for a complete game victory.

With the lead down to 1.5 games, Bob Lemon was asked to slow the Yankees down. They scored two in the first on a pair of singles. Bobby Avila hit a three run homer in the third off Allie Reynolds to regain the lead. Vic Wertz homered in the sixth and Jim Hegan added an RBI single in the same frame. Lemon got into a groove after the first, yielding just three more singles through the seventh. Instead of going to Ray Narleski, manager Al Lopez called upon Mike Garcia to shut down the Yankees for the final two frames, which he did. And the Tribe was assured of staying in first no matter the outcome of the rubber game.

Early Wynn faced Bob Grim in the finale. Mickey Mantle homered in the fourth for the first run and Phil Rizzuto plated the second in the seventh with a single. The Tribe offense netted 6 hits off Grim through the seventh. Joe Collins and Mantle hit back to back shots off Narleski in the eighth and finished that inning up 5-0. Doby hit a two run shot off Johnny Sain in the eighth, but that was all she wrote. The Yankees had the series win and picked up one game in the standings.

August 6-8, 1954

August 6: Athletics 3, Indians 7

August 7: Athletics 1, Indians 5

August 8 (game 1): Athletics 2, Indians 7

August 8 (game 2): Athletics 2, Indians 5

With the Yankees gone, they Indians were looking to feast on the woeful Athletics over the weekend. On Friday, Garcia faced Al Sima. Three consecutive hits by the A's netted them two quick runs in first, but Garcia got on track and retired twelve of the next thirteen. Meanwhile, the offense jumped all over Sima and Marion Fricano in the second, opening up a 5-2 lead on six singles and two walks. The teams traded runs in the fifth and Doby double in an insurance run in the sixth.

On Saturday, Feller took the hill and the rest did him really well. He pitched a complete game and only gave up four hits and two walks. The big hit in this game was a three run bomb by Doby in the fifth to put the Tribe up 4-1. Dave Pope drove in the other two with RBI singles in the fourth and fifth.

Lemon made his second start of the week in the opener on Sunday. And he was just as good as he was against the Yankees. He hurled another complete game with seven hits, five walks and just two runs, both in the third. Lemon also helped himself, hitting a two run homer in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Four insurance runs in the eighth, broke it open.

The Indians again went for the doubleheader and series sweep in the nightcap. This time, Art Houtteman got the call. He breezed through the woeful A's lineup, giving up two runs on just six hits and no walks, giving the Tribe their fourth straight complete game. Doby's three run tater in the first would be all that he needed, but Houtteman also drove in a pair on a single and a sacrifice.

Player of the Week

This week's nod could have gone to Bob Lemon who pitched very well, but I wuill have to nominate Larry Doby again. He slashed 346/414/846 (1260 OPS) and drove in eleven on four homers.

Player Spotlight

Shortstop George Strickland

Originally signed by the Dodgers, the Pirates grabbed him in the Rule 5 draft in 1949 out of the Red Sox organization. He started for the Pirates in 1951 and 1952, and was dealt to the Indians midseason for Johnny Berardino. He supplanted Ray Boone as the starting shortstop in 1953. A noted glove man (career 70 oPS+), he had his best year in 1953, 284/362/379 103, OPS+. In the magical 1954 season, he hit 213/314/313. He satrted in 1955 and was a reserve in 1956 and 1957. He took 1958 off, was the starter in 1959 again and was released in August 1960. In his eight years in Cleveland, he hit 233/320/312 and racked up a 6.2 dWAR.

Summary

Although they lost the series to the Yankees in the first part of the week, the much needed sweep of the lowly Athletics, got them up to a four game lead because the Yankees were struggling with the Tigers. That was their biggest lead since July 8. Next week, a quick trip to Detroit and then back home to face the Orioles.