The World Series, GAME ONE, September 28, 1955, at Yankee Stadium.
The Brooklyn Dodgers vs New York Yankees.
This is the NBC TV broadcast with Vin Scully calling the play by play.
Jackie Robinson’s most famous time stealing home plate came against the New York Yankees in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the 1955 World Series. He was called safe, much to the dismay of Hall-of-Fame catcher Yogi Berra, who even in retirement insisted Robinson was out.
The Dodgers icon racked up 197 stolen bases in 1,382 career games. Robinson led the National League with 29 stolen bases when he was named Rookie of the Year in 1947, and he paced the Majors with 37 two years later en route to earning the MVP Award.
*This successful single straight steal of home in a World Series has been, to date, the last time this feat was accomplished, over 68 years ago (Hear Jackie Robinson state to Mel Allen why he stole home when the Dodgers were trailing the Yankees, in the 8th inning, during this game on ATA#107, July 29, 1961).
Top of the eighth inning, Carl Furillo singles to center field.
Gil Hodges flies out to left field.
Jackie Robinson gets on base when his ground ball goes through the legs of New York Yankee third baseman, Gil McDougald...Furillo advancing to third base and Jackie winding up at second base. Don Zimmer flies out to center field allowing Furillo to tag up from third base making the score now 6 to 4, in favor of the New York Yankees. Robinson tags up from second base and advances to third base. Frank Kellert pinch hits for Brooklyn Dodger pitcher reliever, Don Bessent. On the second pitch by Whitey Ford, Jackie Robinson steals home, only the fifth player to accomplish this feat in World Series history, and the last to do so.
NOTE: Not included in this air check is Kellert's single, after Robinson steals home. We pick up Vin Scully's play by play with Casey Stengel leaving in Whitey Ford to continue pitching and Don Hoak pinch running for Kellert, whose single is missing from this recording. Jim "Junior" Gilliam pops out to third base ending the inning. Mel Allen is heard doing a Gillette commercial with Casey Stengel.
Brooklyn Dodger Line-Up as described in
www.baseball-reference.com
Jim Gilliam LF
Pee Wee Reese SS
Duke Snider CF
Roy Campanella C
Carl Furillo RF
Gil Hodges 1B
Jackie Robinson 3B
Don Zimmer 2B
Don Newcombe P
Don Bessent P
Clem Labine P
Frank Kellert PH
Don Hoak PR
NOTE: In a phone conversation with Vin Scully (October 19, 2021), Phil Gries plays the steal of home by Jackie Robinson audio track to which Scully states that his "trademark was to call a play and then shut up."
This conversation between Vin Scully and Phil Gries can be heard on the ATA website Home Page (Scrawl down right column to locate).
When Jackie Robinson stole home Scully stated, "Robinson is dancing off third, shaking up the crowd. Robbie is coming to the plate. The throw to Berra. He steals it!"
Only the roar of the crowd can be heard for over a minute afterwards, with no additional commentary from the greatest baseball announcer of all time, Vin Scully, as agreed upon by most baseball journalist historians.
NOTE:
Angeles City Council on Friday officially renamed Elysian Park Avenue after the revered announcer, Vin Scully, who's been the voice of the Dodgers for 67 years. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
By: Ed Sherman
September 14, 2016
There are many ways to measure the incredible longevity of Dodgers announcer Vin Scully. Given my background, I will go with the sportswriter perspective.
When Scully made his debut in 1950, Grantland Rice, the most influential sportswriter of all time, was writing columns about Jackie Robinson for a Dodgers teams located in Brooklyn.
Now that is some longevity.
Well, it turns out old Vin couldn’t go on forever. After 67 years in the booth, he finally is hanging up the microphone at the end of the Dodgers season.
It truly has been an epic run for Scully, and the fanfare will be unprecedented for his final game broadcasts. In the vast pantheon of great announcers in baseball history, there is no debate about No. 1.
“He’s so much greater than anyone who has ever done this,” Cubs radio announcer Pat Hughes told me for a Chicago Tribune column on Scully. “It’s not even close. It’s an embarrassment of riches. He’s the best, he’s done it the longest and he’s been with one franchise. It’s amazing all of this can be said about one man.”
Scully will leave behind numerous lessons for current and prospective members of the media. First and foremost is his emphasis on preparation. Hughes and Cubs TV announcer Len Kasper each made a point of marveling at how much research Scully does for a broadcast.
Yet something Kasper said really gets to the essence of what makes Scully so great.
“It’s so striking that what he says, and the words he uses, plays as well on paper as it does on a broadcast,” Kasper said. “He’s like a great author. His pen is his voice.”
