History

At the conclusion of play on May 1, 1954, the New York Giants were in fifth place with an 8-7 record, but in the closely bunched National League, the future World Champions were but a single game out of the top spot.

The Giants traveled from Chicago, where they had split a two game series with the Cubs to St. Louis, to face the Cardinals in a Sunday twin bill. It would turn out to be a doubleheader that would go down in baseball history.

This slideshow is a tribute to baseball's all-time team. The players have been selected due to their enduring accomplishments and achievements.

I must note that no players who have been involved in a steroid scandal are included in this slideshow.

However, there are several players who endured off the field controversies. I chose to include these players because I felt that these off-field scandals neither increased nor hampered their performances.

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The New York Yankees front office was faced with some problems following the team’s outstanding 1937 season in which they won the pennant by 13 games and defeated the New York Giants in the World Series.

Joe DiMaggio received $15,000 in 1937 and intimated that $25,000 would not be sufficient in 1938. Of course, the reality of the situation was that Joe had only two choices—play for the Yankees or don’t play.  Joe didn’t have the option of becoming a free agent.

There was much more.

The New York Yankees won the 1936 World Series in five games over their cross-town rivals, the New York Giants.

Joe DiMaggio had a good Series, batting .346 with three doubles and three RBIs. He received a warm reception when he returned to his home in San Francisco and was surprised when he was taken to city hall in the mayor’s car and was carried on the shoulders of admirers into the mayor’s office.

Blood dripped from Zombie Frank Cashen’s chin.  He sat across from Fred Wilpon, sole owner of the New York Mets since 2002, who squirmed uncomfortably in his chair behind a large, dark brown desk spattered with crimson droplets.

“Argghh,” growled Zombie Frank Cashen (which translated to "Do it now”).  He nodded at the desk.

“OK,” Fred peeped.  He picked up the phone and dialed ESPN. 

The 27 New York Yankees World Series Championships span over 87 years, hitting every decade but the 1980's.

I scoured YouTube for the best video representation for each of the Yankee Championship years and this is what developed - everything from Ken Burns to old Newsreels to television and radio broadcasts to fan video.

Arthur Daley was a sports columnist for the New York Times from 1942-73. In 1956, he became the first sportswriter to win a Pulitzer Prize. Daley knew baseball, but this is not about him. It is about his take on the upcoming 1954 baseball season.

The New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers had met in the World Series in both 1952 and 1953. They were the popular picks of most fans and "experts" to meet again in 1954, but Daley had doubts.

It may be difficult to believe today, but in 1954, many "experts" considered Tris Speaker the greatest center fielder of all time.

Tris played from 1907-1928. He batted .345 with a .428 on-base average and, despite playing much of his career in the dead ball area, slugged .500.

On April 4, 1954, Speaker spent his 66th birthday watching the New York Giants and Cleveland Indians play an exhibition game in Arizona.

Getting an opportunity to play in Major League Baseball doesn’t come without sacrifice and hard work. Everyone that gets there goes a different route in realizing their dreams.

Some players have more obstacles in front of them than others, which make the success of San Francisco Giants’ second baseman Freddy Sanchez quite remarkable.

On Wednesday, the San Francisco Giants will be taking the field against the Texas Rangers in the 106th edition of baseball's World Series. The players will be trotting out to their respective positions, digging into the batter's box and toeing the pitcher's mound with only one thing on their minds: winning.