It has been 59 years since baseball has had a Yankees-Phillies World Series.

In 1950, New York won 98 regular season games and Philadelphia 91 in seizing pennants—the Yanks by three games in the American League and the Phils by two in the National League. A young group of players known as the “Whiz Kids,” the Pennsylvania crew had to wait until the final day to pocket the franchise’s first flag in 35 years.

Because he had made three starts in five days including the finale, Phillies pitching ace Robin Roberts, a 20-game winner, could not take the mound in Game 1 of the World Series. Number 2 starter Curt Simmons had won 17 that season, but he was called to active military service because of the Korean War a month before the end of the schedule.

1950 World Series magazine cover

Philadelphia manager Eddie Sawyer startled everyone when he selected his bullpen star Jim Konstanty to open the Series although he had not made a start that year, winning 16 in relief with a 2.66 earned run average. New York went with 21-game winner Vic Raschi, and he was brilliant, giving up only two hits. In his 75th game of the season, Konstanty only let the Yankees collect four hits, but a run in the fourth inning was all the Bombers needed for a 1-0 triumph.

Roberts was rested and prepared for Game 2. But so was Allie Reynolds of the Yankees, and he got a run in the second. The Phillies deadlocked it in the fifth. Both pitchers figured in the decision as Joe DiMaggio’s leadoff homer in the top of the 10th gave New York a 2-1 verdict.

Double Play

The scene shifted to Yankee Stadium for Game 3. Philadelphia pitched Ken Heintzelman, who had a 3 and 9 record, against Eddie Lopat, and Heintzelman did well, leading 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth. After recording two outs, he walked three batters, and when shortstop Granny Hamner booted a ground ball, the tying run crossed the plate. In the last of the ninth, with two away, the Yanks strung together three straight singles with Jerry Coleman delivering the winning hit to defeat Russ Meyer, 3-2.

Three successive one-run games with the Yankees taking them all.

To avert a sweep, the Phillies started Bob Miller against Whitey Ford in a matchup of rookies.

Whitey Ford

Ford had been 9 and 1 in Triple A when New York called him up. In Game 4, the Yanks scored two runs in the first and Yogi Berra’s home run was the key hit in a three-run sixth. Whitey would have thrown a complete-game shutout, but his left fielder Gene Woodling dropped a fly ball which should have been the final out, and two runs scored. Reynolds was brought in, and struckout Stan Lopata to finish a 5-2 win and complete the sweep.

Yankee pitchers compiled a 0.73 ERA in the World Series.

It was the seventh time in 24 years the New York club had swept a Series.

The winning player’s share was $ 5, 738 while the losing player’s share was $ 4,081. In those days, players had off-season jobs.