Game Four - The '65 Minnesota Twins vs. the '52 Brooklyn Dodgers

Game Four in our series of classic baseball match-ups sees the 1965 Minnesota Twins traveling to Brooklyn to take on the 1952 Dodgers.

Before listening to the broadcast, here are some things to know.

Ebbets Field

When Ebbets Field opened its doors for the very first time in 1913, there were a couple of problems.

First of all, Charles Ebbets, the owner of the Dodgers, forgot his keys and had to call a locksmith just to get into the park.

Oops.

Then, when gates were finally opened, people realized that something was missing.

Somehow, when drawing up plans and then during the year long construction of the park, no-one noticed that they forgot to include a press box.

Where were reporters going to sit?

Double oops.

The park seated roughly 32,000 spectators.

One of the fans was a woman by the name of Hilda Chester.

She called herself the "Mother of the Dodgers" and could be found most games sitting in the center field bleachers ringing a cowbell.

Over and over.

Again.

And again.

Seated in Section 8 were a group of musicians who called themselves the Dodger Sym-Phony Band.

What they lacked in talent, they more than made up for with enthusiasm.

Ebbets Field was also the first ballpark to have a full-time organist.

In other words, the place had character.

And characters.

On April 15, 1947 Ebbets Field was the site for one of the most important baseball games ever played.

On that date, Jackie Robinson played his very first game for the Dodgers becoming the first African-American to play in the major leagues.

By the mid-1950's, Ebbets Field had started to show its age.

It was too small and any thoughts of re-construction just weren't realistic.

So, at the end of the 1957 season, the Dodgers said goodbye to Brooklyn, packed up and moved to Los Angeles.

They left behind a ball park full of memories.

The Teams

The 1965 Minnesota Twins made it all the way to the seventh and deciding game of the World Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Along the way, they won 102 games during the regular season.

That's a lot.

In fact, no other Twins team has ever won that many games in a single year.

Their manager was Sam Mele (meal-ee).

Minnesota played their home games at Metropolitan Stadium.

Led by manager Chuck Dressen, the Dodgers entered the 1952 season with revenge on their minds.

The previous year, Brooklyn blew a huge lead and lost the National League pennant in a playoff against their cross-town rivals, the New York Giants.

The '52 regular season went well for the Dodgers.

They finished with a 96-57 record and won the pennant by four games.

In the World Series, Brooklyn led the New York Yankees three games to two and headed back home to Ebbets Field.

Unfortunately, the Dodgers lost the final two games of the series.

Heartbreak once more.

Key Players

Tony Oliva played his entire fifteen year major league career with the Minnesota Twins.

He was a right fielder but was also used as a designated hitter during his last couple of seasons.

Oliva posted a lifetime batting average of .304.

That's a very good career batting average, by the way.

Most players don't hit .300 or better for a season, let alone for an entire career.

In 1965, he was the American League's best hitter.

Tony Oliva was voted to the all-star team eight times and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.

Harmon Killibrew was another important player for the Twins.

He spent most of his 22-year career with the Twins playing third base, first base and the outfield.

He was known as a power hitter.

For his career, Killibrew hit 573 home runs.

Only 11 players in major league history hit more home runs than the Minnesota slugger.

In 1965, he dislocated his elbow mid-August but was able to return to the Twins' line-up late in the season.

Harmon Killibrew is also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

He was elected in 1984.

Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

He was a daring baserunner and won the Rookie of the Year award in his first season with the club.

Robinson played all infield positions except shortstop.

In 1952, he led the league with an on-base percentage of .440.

That means that for every 100 times at bat, Robinson either walked or got a base hit 44 times.

At the professional level, that is a remarkable statistic.

Robinson's career batting average was a sparkling .313.

He played 10 seasons with the Dodgers before hanging up his cleats.

Jackie Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

Every major league team has retired his uniform #42.

Quite an honour for the man who broke through baseball's colour barrier.

Without a doubt, Roy Campanella was one of the greatest catchers in the history of professional baseball.

After playing in the Negro Leagues and the Mexican League for nine years, Campanella joined the Dodgers in time for the 1948 season.

He immediately proved that he was, indeed, a major league catcher.

Campanella was excellent defensively and a terror at-bat.

From 1949 until 1956, Campy was voted to the National League's all-star team.

He also received the Most Valuable Player award three times.

Sadly, after the end of the 1957 season, Campanella was involved in a horrible car crash that left him paralyzed.

Roy Campanella was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.

Other Nuggets to Know

• The Twins first season in Minnesota was 1961
• In 1952, shortstop Pee Wee Reese led the league with 30 stolen bases for the Dodgers
• The Twins Mudcat Grant was the starting pitcher for the Montreal Expos in their very first game in 1969
• Relief pitcher Joe Black won 15 games for Brooklyn in 1952

By the Numbers

153 - the number of home runs the Dodgers team hit in 1952

150 - the number of home runs the Twins team hit in 1965

While You Listen

  See if you can find out:

• who managed the New York Mets in 1969
• if Roy Campanella ever hit 30 home runs in a single year
• the name of the avenue behind the rightfield wall at Ebbets Field
• the name of the Brooklyn center fielder

After You Listen

• Learn about Jackie Robinson's first year with the Dodgers
• Go to YouTube and watch Game Seven of the 1965 World Series

Now grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the game!