1948 World Series MVP

The MVP of my World Series replay is Marv Rickert, a player who wasn't even on the Boston roster until the last week of the 1948 regular season. After the Braves lost their regular left fielder Jeff Heath to an ankle injury in late September, Boston made an urgent call to Rickert to join the team. Though Marv played in only three games for the Braves, the team made a successful appeal to Commissioner Happy Chandler to make him eligible for the World Series (Boston had already lost another starting outfielder, Jim Russell, to bacterial endocarditis earlier in the season).

Rickert played well in the actual 1948 World Series and he was the Braves top offensive star in my series replay. He batted .500 with four extra base hits and five RBI. Despite sitting on the bench in Game 3, Rickert led all players with 5 runs scored in the series. Other key contributors to Boston's victory included Eddie Stanky (.421, 5 RBI), Alvin Dark (.333, 4 runs scored), and Bob Elliott (.316, 1 HR, 4 RBI). On the mound, Johnny Sain posted a 1.53 ERA in his two starts and Nels Potter picked up two wins while not allowing an earned run in his 9 2/3 innings. Warren Spahn tossed a shutout in his only appearance.

Lou Boudreau led the offensive attack for Cleveland, batting .529 with three walks. Though he was continually on base, his teammates failed to drive him in for even a single run scored in the series. Wally Judnich was the only other Indian to excel at the plate, batting .357 with a homer and three runs scored. Bob Feller pitched well in his two starts (3.27 ERA), but received little run support. Gene Bearden allowed only one earned run in eight innings while picking up Cleveland's only win.