The 1947 World Series: Game 4 - The Most Exciting Game Ever Played at Ebbets Field!

While there have been 235 no-hitters thrown in major league baseball history, only one - Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956 -- has ever been pitched in the World Series.

But there was almost another one. Fittingly, it took place in Ebbets Field, where Babe Herman once doubled into a double play...where Casey Stengel tipped his cap to the fans only to have a sparrow fly out..and home of many other odd and improbable events.

It took place on October 3^rd, 1947, when New York Yankees pitcher Bill Bevens entered the 9^th inning of Game 4 of that year's World Series without having yielded a hit to the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Bevens was wild that day, and had given up a run in the 5^th inning on two walks, a sacrifice and a fielder's choice. So as the Dodgers came to bat in the bottom of the 9^th, they were trailing 2-1 and were still without a hit.

Dodger catcher Bruce Edwards opened the inning by flying out to deep center field.

Bevens then issued his 10^th walk of the game to centerfielder Carl Furillo. Third-baseman Spider Jorgensen, who had walked and scored the first Brooklyn run back in the 5^th inning, then fouled out to first-baseman Jackie Robinson. Two out, runner on first.

It was then that Brooklyn manager Burt Shotton and Yankees manager Bucky Harris each made decisions that would determine the game's outcome, with Shotton, in fact, making two key moves: He sent up Pete Reiser to hit for pitcher Hugh Casey, and speedy outfielder Al Gionfriddo to run for the slow-footed Furillo.

What happened next was either a daring move by Shotton, or a foolhardy gamble by Gionfriddo. Whether it was ordered or spontaneous, Gionfriddo, representing the tying run, stole second.

Now it was Harris's turn at the chessboard. As a 29-year-old player/manager, Bucky had led the 1924 Washington Senators to a World Series victory over the New York Giants. Now, with the game on the line, Harris ordered Bevens to walk the hobbled, but dangerous Reiser intentionally, thereby violating one of baseball's most cherished rules: Never put the winning run on base.

Shotton countered by sending Eddie Miksis in to run for the gimpy Reiser, and 35-year-old Cookie Lavagetto in to hit for Eddie Stanky. Two out, last of the ninth, tying and winning runs on base.

With the count 0-1, Lavagetto sent a drive over the head of Tommy Henrich and off the right-field wall, bringing in Gionfriddo with the tying run and Miksis with the winning run.

Thus Bevens not only lost his World Series no-hitter and a chance at baseball immortality, he lost the game as well - a game that has left us with these "what ifs":

- What if Gionfriddo had not stolen second? Would Bevens have pitched to Reiser?

Would Pete have been retired, ending the game, or would he have reached base? Would he have driven in Gionfriddo with the tying run?

-What if Harris, instead of defying convention, had pitched to Reiser instead of walking him
intentionally?

We don't know, of course. What we do know is that Game 4 of the 1947 World Series remains one of the closest and most exciting World Series games ever played, with the home team winning in its last at-bat on the only hit they managed in the entire game.

Reference: Chris Jaffe; Hardball Times; May 26, 2008.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194710030.shtml