Elston Howard, a great catcher, made an outstanding catch playing left field for the Yankees in the 1958 World Series. It led to the World Championship.
Braves' manager Fred Haney: "That was it, I thought. If he hadn't caught the ball and then doubled Aaron (sic) at first base it might have been different."
Yankees' center fielder Mickey Mantle: "That was the turning point. It was the greatest catch I've ever seen. Why, I never dreamed Ellie had half a chance to get that ball Red Schoendienst hit."
Yankees' right fielder Hank Bauer: "Howard turned in the key play. He woke us up, brought us to life. Turley pitched great and Gil hit and both were great, but I don't know what would have happened if Ellie hadn't done what he did for us."
Haney, Mantle, and Bauer Were Referring to Howard's Great Play
Milwaukee Braves' manager Fred Haney, Yankees' center fielder Mickey Mantle, and Yankees' right fielder Hank Bauer were referring to one of the greatest defensive plays in World Series history, a play few fans even know about. As a matter of fact, many fans have never even heard of Elston Howard, the Yankees' catcher who made the play that turned the 1958 World Series around.
Yogi Was the Catcher
Elston Howard became a Yankee in 1955. Since the Yankees had Yogi Berra as their catcher, Howard appeared in only 9 games behind the plate, playing 75 games in the outfield. In 1958, Howard caught 67 games, making only 1 error. He also played the outfield but appeared in only 24 games as an outfielder since Bauer was set in right, Mantle in center, and Norm Siebern had taken over as the regular left fielder.
The Braves Led the Series, 3 Games to 1
The Milwaukee Braves beat the Yankees in the 1957 World Series. The teams repeated as pennant winners in 1958, with the Yankees thirsting to avenge the previous year's defeat, but the Braves won the first two games. The Yankees, behind Don Larsen's shut out pitching and Hank Bauer's two home runs, won Game 3, but Warren Spahn pitched a shut out in Game 4 to give the Braves a commanding 3-1 Series lead. Only the 1925 Pirates had ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series.
Turley Against Burdette
The next day, a clear, crisp New York autumn Monday, Bob Turley, whom the Braves had belted around in Game 2, faced former Yankee Lew Burdette, who had beaten the Yankees three times in the 1957 World Series, the last two times by shut outs, and who had beaten Turley in Game 2 in this Series. In the third inning, Gil McDougald hit a high Burdette pitch 301 feet to left field. The ball struck the foul pole and the Yankees had the lead.
Howard Makes the Catch
With the score still 1-0 in the sixth inning, Braves' fleet footed center fielder Billy Bruton led off with a single through the left side of the infield. Schoendienst then hit a looping fly ball to short left field. Yogi Berra muttered to himself, "uh-uh, here we go again." But Elston Howard turned things around. Howard had to move far and fast to get to the ball. He never doubted that he would make the catch."I thought I had it all the way. I got a good jump on the ball, which Schoendienst rapped with the end of his bat. It was on a hit and run and I move with contact. I dived when I had to and I scraped my stomach, knees, everything, but I didn't mind. Then I looked up and saw the runner and said to myself, 'he belongs to me.' He did, after my throw in for the double play."
Siebern Had a Bad Day
Howard was playing left field because regular left fielder Norm Siebern had set up all three of the Braves' runs the day before when he lost two fly balls in the sun. Unlike the present Yankees' manager, who puts loyalty to one player ahead of putting the most effective team on the field, Stengel benched Siebern and replaced him with Elston Howard, despite the fact that Howard had a stiff knee.
Howard Was a Great Defensive Catcher
Elston Howard was one of the best defensive catchers of all time yet he made his most important, greatest defensive play as a left fielder. Mickey Mantle, who made some good World Series catches (see Don Larsen, Gil Hodges, and Game 5 of the 1956 World Series), didn't think Howard had a chance to make the catch. He made it and the Yankees went on to win the game, 7-0.
Only the Second Time a Team Came Back From a 3-1 Deficit
The teams returned to Milwaukee, where the Yankees won Games 6 and 7 to become only the second team in baseball history to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the Series. Howard's catch was as important, if not as spectacular, as Willie Mays' catch of Vic Wertz' drive in the 1954 World Series, a catch that deserves all the acclaim and publicity it has received. It would be nice if, once in while, someone mentioned Elston Howard's catch.
References:
- Effrat, Louis. "Turley Supplies Pitching, McDougald Power, Howard Protection for Yanks; Outfielder Wins Praise of Mates; Howard's Diving Catch for Yanks in Sixth is Rated Game's Turning Point." New York Times. 7 October 1958, p. 44.
- McGowen, Roscoe. "Braves Frolic in Clubhouse After Loss But Haney and Burdette Are Gloomy." New York Times. 7 October 1958, p. 45
- Retrosheet.org
