1948 Boston Braves season

1948 Boston Braves
1948 National League Champions
Major League affiliations
National League (since 1876)
Location
Braves Field (since 1915)
Boston, Massachusetts (since 1871)
Results
Record	91–62 (.595)
League place	1st
Other information
Owner(s)	Louis R. Perini
General manager(s)	John J. Quinn
Manager(s)	Billy Southworth
Local television	WBZ-TV/WNAC-TV
Local radio	WHDH (Jim Britt, Tom Hussey)
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The 1948 Boston Braves season represented the 73rd consecutive year for the Major League Baseball franchise in the National League (where the Boston club was a charter member) and produced its second NL pennant of the 20th century, its first since 1914, and its tenth overall league title dating to 1876.

Led by starting pitchers Johnny Sain and Warren Spahn (who combined for 39 victories), and the hitting of Bob Elliott, Jeff Heath, Tommy Holmes and rookie Alvin Dark, the 1948 club captured 91 games to finish 6 ¹⁄₂ paces ahead of the second-place St. Louis Cardinals. It also attracted 1,455,439 fans^[1] to Braves Field, a high-water mark for the team's stay in Boston. The 1948 pennant was the fourth National League championship in seven years for Braves' manager Billy Southworth, who had won three NL titles (1942–44, inclusive) and two World Series championships (1942 and 1944) with the Cardinals. Southworth would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 2008.

However, the Braves fell in six games to the Cleveland Indians in the 1948 World Series, and would experience a swift decline in both on-field success and popularity over the next four seasons. Attendance woes (the Braves would draw only 281,278 home fans^[1] in 1952) forced the team's relocation to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in March 1953. (It has played in Atlanta since the 1966 season.)

After playing .500 baseball in April and May 1948, the Braves vaulted into first place on the strength of a 39–21 record during June and July. The club slumped slightly in August, going only 14–17 and falling out of the lead August 29, but then righted itself to win 21 of its final 28 games, regain the top spot September 2, and clinch the NL flag on the 26th. Meanwhile, the city's American League team, the Red Sox, ended their season in a tie with the Indians and lost a playoff game to Cleveland at Fenway Park on October 4, ruining the prospect of what would have been the only all-Boston World Series in MLB history.

Offseason

• October 28, 1947: Hoyt Wilhelm was purchased by the Braves from the Mooresville Moores. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)^[2]
• November 20, 1947: Hoyt Wilhelm was drafted from the Braves by the New York Giants in the 1947 minor league draft.^[2]
• March 6, 1948: Bama Rowell, Ray Sanders, and $40,000 were traded by the Braves to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Eddie Stanky.^[3]
• Prior to 1948 season: Carl Sawatski was acquired from the Braves by the Chicago Cubs.^[4]

Regular season

Postcard showing the team.

Season standings

National League	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
Boston Braves	91	62	0.595	—	45–31	46–31
St. Louis Cardinals	85	69	0.552	6½	44–33	41–36
Brooklyn Dodgers	84	70	0.545	7½	36–41	48–29
Pittsburgh Pirates	83	71	0.539	8½	47–31	36–40
New York Giants	78	76	0.506	13½	37–40	41–36
Philadelphia Phillies	66	88	0.429	25½	32–44	34–44
Cincinnati Reds	64	89	0.418	27	32–45	32–44
Chicago Cubs	64	90	0.416	27½	35–42	29–48

Record vs. opponents

1948 National League Records Sources:
Team	BOS	BR	CHC	CIN	NYG	PHI	PIT	STL
Boston	—	14–8	16–6–1	13–8	11–11	14–8	12–10	11–11
Brooklyn	8–14	—	11–11	18–4	11–11–1	15–7	9–13	12–10
Chicago	6–16–1	11–11	—	10–12	11–11	7–15	8–14	11–11
Cincinnati	8–13	4–18	12–10	—	10–12	11–11	9–13	10–12
New York	11–11	11–11–1	11–11	12–10	—	14–8	12–10	7–15
Philadelphia	8–14	7–15	15–7	11–11	8–14	—	12–10–1	5–17
Pittsburgh	10–12	13–9	14–8	13–9	10–12	10–12–1	—	13–9–1
St. Louis	11–11	10–12	11–11	12–10	15–7	17–5	9–13–1	—

Roster

1948 Boston Braves
Roster
Pitchers 34 Johnny Antonelli 13 Red Barrett 17 Johnny Beazley 24 Vern Bickford 16 Glenn Elliott 37 Bobby Hogue 25 Al Lyons 11 Ray Martin 22,25 Nels Potter 38 Jim Prendergast 33 Johnny Sain 26 Clyde Shoun 21 Warren Spahn 39,96 Bill Voiselle 29 Ernie White 16 Ed Wright		Catchers 11 Paul Burris 10 Phil Masi 15 Bill Salkeld Infielders  2 Al Dark  3 Bob Elliott  6 Frank McCormick  8 Connie Ryan  7 Sibby Sisti 12 Eddie Stanky 14 Bobby Sturgeon  9 Earl Torgeson		Outfielders 19 Clint Conatser 4,36 Jeff Heath  1 Tommy Holmes  7 Danny Litwhiler 31 Mike McCormick  4 Marv Rickert  5 Jim Russell Other batters 5,20 Ray Sanders		Manager 30 Billy Southworth Coaches 28 Johnny Cooney 27 Freddie Fitzsimmons 36 Si Johnson 35 Bob Keely

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
2B	Stanky, EddieEddie Stanky	67	247	79	.320	2	29

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Sain, JohnnyJohnny Sain	42	314.2	24	15	2.60	137
Spahn, WarrenWarren Spahn	36	257	15	12	3.71	114

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Barrett, RedRed Barrett	32	128.1	7	8	3.65	40
Prendergast, JimJim Prendergast	10	16.2	1	1	10.26	3

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
Antonelli, JohnnyJohnny Antonelli	4	0	0	0	2.25	0

1948 World Series

Game 1

October 6, 1948, at Braves Field in Boston, Massachusetts

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cleveland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Boston	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	X	1	2	2
WP: Johnny Sain (1–0)   LP: Bob Feller (0–1)

Game 2

October 7, 1948, at Braves Field in Boston, Massachusetts

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cleveland	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	1	4	8	1
Boston	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	3
WP: Bob Lemon (1–0)   LP: Warren Spahn (0–1)

Game 3

October 8 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	1
Cleveland	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	X	2	5	0
WP: Gene Bearden (1–0)   LP: Vern Bickford (0–1)

Game 4

October 9, 1948, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	7	0
Cleveland	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	X	2	5	0
WP: Steve Gromek (1–0)   LP: Johnny Sain (1–1) Home runs: BOS: Marv Rickert (1) CLE: Larry Doby (1)

Game 5

October 10, 1948, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston	3	0	1	0	0	1	6	0	0	11	12	0
Cleveland	1	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	5	6	2
WP: Warren Spahn (1–1)   LP: Bob Feller (0–2) Home runs: BOS: Bob Elliott 2 (2), Bill Salkeld (1) CLE: Dale Mitchell (1), Jim Hegan (1)

Game 6

October 11, 1948, at Braves Field in Boston, Massachusetts

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cleveland	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	1	0	4	10	0
Boston	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	3	9	0
WP: Bob Lemon (2–0)   LP: Bill Voiselle (0–1) Home runs: CLE: Joe Gordon (1) BOS: None

Farm system

Level	Team	League	Manager
AAA	Milwaukee Brewers	American Association	Nick Cullop
A	Hartford Chiefs	Eastern League	Earl Browne
B	Evansville Braves	Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League	Bob Coleman
B	Pawtucket Slaters	New England League	Hughie Wise
B	Jackson Senators	Southeastern League	Willis Hudlin
C	Kingston Ponies	Border League	Ben Lady
C	Eau Claire Bears	Northern League	Andy Cohen
C	Leavenworth Braves	Western Association	Dutch Dorman
D	Bluefield Blue-Grays	Appalachian League	George Lacy
D	Marysville Braves	Far West League	Ed Wheeler, James Keller and Spencer Harris
D	Mount Vernon Braves	Illinois State League	Creepy Crespi
D	Owensboro Oilers	KITTY League	Rex Carr
D	High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms	North Carolina State League	Jim Gruzdis
D	Richmond Braves	Ohio–Indiana League	Ollie Byers

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Evansville

Notes

1. Baseball-Almanac.com
2. Hoyt Wilhelm at Baseball-Reference
3. Eddie Stanky at Baseball-Reference
4. Carl Sawatski at Baseball-Reference

References

• Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.
• 1948 Boston Braves season at Baseball Reference