From the Archives: Dodgers win 1959 World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 1959 World Series, beating the Chicago White Sox in six games.

Games 3, 4 and 5 were the first World Series games played on the West Coast. The three games averaged over 90,000 fans — at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Game 5’s attendance of 92,706 is still a World Series record.

October 6, 1959:The Los Angeles Coliseum duriing the fifth game of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. 92,706 people attended the game to set a new World Series attendance record.

(Associated Press)

The 1959 World Series was the first in which a starting pitcher — for both teams — failed to toss a complete game. Dodgers relief pitcher Larry Sherry won most valuable player honors. With two wins and two saves, Sherry appeared in all four Dodgers wins. Only three months earlier, he was pitching in the minor leagues.

Oct. 8, 1959: Dodger Larry Sherry hurls final pitch, turns to watch fly hit to outfield, then grabs catcher John Roseboro’s hand for a victory shake. Dodgers win 1959 World Series against the Chicago White Sox.

(Associated Press)

On Oct. 8, 1959, the Dodgers won Game 6 by the score of 9-3. Times staff representative Frank Finch reported in the Oct. 9, 1959, Los Angeles Times:

CHICAGO, Oct. 8 – Boyish-looking Larry Sherry, who began his baseball career as a second baseman for good ol’ Fairfax High, today earned a place in the front row of the majestic parade of pitching giants who hurled their way into World Series immortality.

In his fourth appearance of the 56th series, the 24-year-old native Angeleno pitched 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball as the Dodgers crushed the Chicago White Sox, 9-3, to capture their second world championship.

With homers by Duke Snider, Wally Moon and Chuck Essegian more than compensating for mighty Ted Kluszewski’s third round-tripper of the set, the Dodgers took the series, four games to two.

A six-run spree in the fourth inning clinched the Dodgers’s most rewarding victory of all time.

And they did it right here in Comiskey Park, where the now long-gone Sox vowed that they’d win it all after their harrowing experiences in the Los Angeles Coliseum.

The Dodgers took two out of three games in the “real” ball park and took two out of three in their own bailiwick so the Sox have no excuses now.

The better team won.

When Klu powered his three-run home in the fourth inning to take a big bite out of Johnny Podres’ 8-0 lead, the iron-armed Sherry was waved in from the bull pen by manager Walt Alston, who also was the Dodger boss when they won their first World Series from the Yankees in 1955.

Larry was greeted by Bubba Phillips’ single as the turn-away mob of 47,653 fans whooped it up, but they didn’t get many chances to cheer their heroes after that introductory swat.

Chicago was to get only three more hits and a walk from Sherry, who pitched his way into his second World Series win. Sherry also won the fourth game for the Dodgers. ...

During the Dodgers’ drive to the pennant Sherry posted seven consecutive victories and saved three other games. In relief, his earned-run average was a microscopic 0.74.

And in tying a series record with two wins in relief against Chicago, Sherry lowered his ERA to an even more minute 0.71.

In four appearances the kid with the blazing fast ball, big curve and sinker gave up only eight hits, one run and a base on balls in 12 2/3 innings. He also fanned five. …

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Oct. 1, 1959: Ball pops out of glove of Dodger center fielder Duke Snider, right, as he and left fielder Wally Moon collide in the third inning of opening game in 1959 World Series. They were trying to catch White Sox’s Sherm Lollar fly ball. The White Sox won the first game 11-0.

(Associated Press)

Oct. 2, 1959: Chicago White Sox outfielder Al Smith is drenched by a cup of beer as fans try to catch Los Angeles Dodgers’ Charlie Neal’s fifth inning home run during the World Series game in Chicago. Neal’s home run tied the game 2-2. The Dodgers won 4-3.

(Charles E. Knoblock / Associated Press)

Oct. 4, 1959: Dodger third baseman Gim Gilliam (19) and shortstop Maury Wills chase White Sox Jim Rivera’s high foul in fourth inning of Game 3 in the 1959 World Series. Gilliam makes a back-handed catch. A fan pats him on back. The right three photos were taken by The Times’ Art Rogers. The left photo is from Associated Press. This four-photo combo appeared in the Oct. 5, 1959, Los Angeles Times.

(Art Rogers / Los Angeles Times)

Oct. 5, 1959: White Sox Luis Aparicio steals second ahead of throw to Maury Wills, left, from Wally Moon. Game 4 of the 1959 World Series.

(Art Rogers / Los Angeles Times)

Oct. 6, 1959: In a three photo sequence, Chicago White Sox infielders Nellie Fox, right, and Luis Aparicio are on a collision course as they race into short left field in pursuit of Dodger Gil Hodges’ second-inning fly. Players collided, but Aparicio, after falling backward, held on to the ball for the out.

(Larry Sharkey / Los Angeles Times)

Oct. 8, 1959: Dodger Maury Wills scores from first base on fourth inning double by Johnny Podres. White Sox catcher Sterm Lollar waits for ball. The Dodgers scored six runs in inning for 9-3 victory in Game 6 of the 1959 World Series.

(Associated Press)

Oct. 9, 1959: The Los Angeles Dodgers are greeted at Los Angeles International Airport by 5,000 fans after winning the 1959 World Series.

(Ben Olender / Los Angeles Times)

Larry Sherry played with the Dodgers until 1963. In 2006, he died. Sherry’s Los Angeles Times obituary is online: Larry Sherry, 71; Dodgers’ MVP in 1959 World Series. http://arstechnica.netblogpro.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-dec-19-me-sherry19-story.html

This post originally was published on Sep. 14, 2016.

April 17, 1960: Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick, left, presents the 1959 World Championship pennant to the Los Angeles Dodgers, from left: Charlie Neal, Gil Hodges, Wally Moon and manager Walt Alston.

(Art Rogers / Los Angeles Times)