WEBVTT 1 00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:29.980 The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, host of the 2 00:00:29.980 --> 00:00:32.720 sixth annual Babe Ruth League World Series. 3 00:00:33.060 --> 00:00:37.180 To the campus of this great university come the eight regional champions of the United 4 00:00:37.180 --> 00:00:44.180 States. The 13 to 15 year old baseball stars of the country, winnowed from some 1,100 Babe Ruth 5 00:00:44.180 --> 00:00:50.100 Leagues with about a hundred thousand boys playing on standard-sized diamonds from coast to coast. 6 00:00:50.480 --> 00:00:56.400 They represent 47 states, seven Canadian provinces, even one European country. 7 00:00:58.140 --> 00:01:02.120 Charlie Geringer, one of the greatest second basemen who ever lived, delivers the first 8 00:01:02.120 --> 00:01:07.840 ball and the five-day championship is on. Pensacola, Florida, southeastern champion 9 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:18.320 versus New Orleans, Louisiana, southwest winner. Glenn Danley cracks out a hit for the boys from 10 00:01:18.320 --> 00:01:23.440 the alligator state and drives Terry Jenkins home in a seventh inning game clinching assault. 11 00:01:25.940 --> 00:01:30.760 Floyd Blackman, Pensacola third baseman, comes through with a bases-loaded single that brings 12 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:40.540 in two more runs and climaxes the attack. After allowing New Orleans the first run of the game, 13 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:46.340 Lou Vickery, Pensacola left-hander, is airtight. He bans the last New Orleans batter and the 14 00:01:46.340 --> 00:01:51.680 Florida team wins the opener six to one. Vickery's the hero and he fits the entire 15 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:59.220 game with an upset stomach that almost put him out of the series. The same afternoon, 16 00:01:59.440 --> 00:02:04.460 Sherman Oaks, California carrying the Pacific Southwest banner against Lindhurst, New Jersey 17 00:02:04.460 --> 00:02:11.880 of the Middle Atlantic region. Joe Tita pitching for Lindhurst and this game would be a thriller 18 00:02:11.880 --> 00:02:17.800 in any big league world series. Inning after inning, the batters are mowed down in a scoreless duel. 19 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:28.100 Gary Graham going for Sherman Oaks. Just watch the sharp fielding of these young fellows. 20 00:02:35.180 --> 00:02:42.580 Tita still has a shutout going in the seventh. Then it happens. Dennis Monahan belts one to left 21 00:02:42.580 --> 00:02:49.340 far over Tom Lungo's head. His cap flies off as he chases it madly while Monahan races around the 22 00:02:49.340 --> 00:02:58.980 races. It's a home run. The whole Sherman Oaks team mobs him. One run looks like a mountain in 23 00:02:58.980 --> 00:03:10.440 this pitching battle. It's a happy Oaks team that trots out for the last half inning and Graham 24 00:03:10.440 --> 00:03:23.160 marches out to protect that run. Jim Fanchina punches a single to right. 25 00:03:26.900 --> 00:03:31.960 Tom Lungo connects for another hit. Say, maybe this Lindhurst team isn't out of it yet. 26 00:03:36.340 --> 00:03:43.280 Ed Wasick bunt. It's a beauty. The only play is to first and Wasick beats it out. The bases are full 27 00:03:43.280 --> 00:04:01.940 and nobody out. That Lindhurst bench is really up now. Pat Honey cracks one past third, a clean 28 00:04:01.940 --> 00:04:07.600 hit. Fanchina and Lungo come charging over the plate and Honey crashes right into our cameraman. 29 00:04:08.360 --> 00:04:13.580 Lindhurst has pulled it out of the fire two to one and they don't come more exciting than this one 30 00:04:13.580 --> 00:04:23.880 in any league. Pat Honey is the hero of the hour, but if you ask me, they're all heroes in that rally. 31 00:04:34.040 --> 00:04:40.180 Next afternoon on Perry Field and two more eliminations coming up. Stamford, Connecticut, 32 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:46.480 New England winner versus Wallace, Idaho from the Pacific Northwest. It starts out like a knockdown 33 00:04:46.480 --> 00:05:00.100 drag out affair. Each team scoring four runs in the first inning. Then Powerpacks Stamford takes 34 00:05:00.100 --> 00:05:05.520 over. Jim Masurak drives one deep to right. It's all the way out to the tennis courts and a home run 35 00:05:05.520 --> 00:05:18.680 for Masurak. Masurak comes up again in the sixth with a runner on. The big first baseman hits 36 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:24.120 another screamer down the right field line. It bounds past the right fielder for his second homer 37 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:29.900 of the game. Tradition Steve Stamford, winner of the first three Babe Ruth World Titles, 38 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:36.680 overpowers the Idaho team 16 to 6, setting a new series record of 18 hits in one game. 39 00:05:38.400 --> 00:05:43.000 Another game the same day as the series grinds towards its climax. Mount Healthy, 40 00:05:43.020 --> 00:05:47.980 Ohio is coached by a gritty survivor of polio, Don Hazelbush. 41 00:05:54.840 --> 00:06:00.360 This game sees the most enthusiastic routers of the competition. Parents and friends from West 42 00:06:00.360 --> 00:06:05.820 Des Moines, Iowa, back their Midwest Plains champions against Mount Healthy from the Ohio Valley. 43 00:06:07.760 --> 00:06:13.780 But Mount Healthy isn't entirely without support. Willard Havlin of Mount Healthy in trouble in the 44 00:06:13.780 --> 00:06:20.020 third. Bill Cooper tries to squeeze a run home. Johnny Nesham is trapped. In the rundown, Johnny 45 00:06:20.020 --> 00:06:23.300 tags him and drops the ball and Nesham scores. 46 00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:28.340 Now Havlin's really in a jam. 47 00:06:31.060 --> 00:06:34.860 Tom Bell pounds one out to right. It's down the line for extra bases. 48 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:40.280 The hit drives in two more West Des Moines runs and Bell winds up with a three-bagger. 49 00:06:42.760 --> 00:06:47.420 That's more than enough runs for Nesham. He wraps up a six to one victory for West 50 00:06:47.420 --> 00:06:51.960 Des Moines over Mount Healthy and now the semi-final lineup is complete. 51 00:06:57.880 --> 00:07:03.160 Two days later they're at it again. The excitement is mounting with every contest and it's further 52 00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:09.100 heightened when Bob Feller, the greatest pitcher of his era, drops in to show the boys how a master does it. 53 00:07:14.860 --> 00:07:19.020 First semi-final Pensacola, Florida versus Lindhurst, New Jersey. 54 00:07:21.660 --> 00:07:23.840 Don Griffey going for Pensacola. 55 00:07:27.340 --> 00:07:39.320 Bill Montesara connects. Jim Bankers trying to cut it off kicks it over the line and Lindhurst is 56 00:07:39.320 --> 00:07:39.760 in the lead. 57 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:46.740 For Lindhurst it's John Schaber. 58 00:07:48.460 --> 00:07:52.460 Lloyd Blackman paced one and that Lindhurst lead doesn't last very long. 59 00:07:52.740 --> 00:07:56.520 The hit is good for a double driving in two runs for Pensacola. 60 00:08:01.420 --> 00:08:01.800 Fourth inning. 61 00:08:05.370 --> 00:08:10.250 Blue Victory who pitched Pensacola's first victory playing first base in this one 62 00:08:10.250 --> 00:08:16.710 slashes out a single that drives in two more runs. It's all Pensacola and the Florida team goes into 63 00:08:16.710 --> 00:08:22.690 the final with a nine to two victory over Lindhurst. Feller takes part in a special attraction, 64 00:08:23.070 --> 00:08:29.350 something new added this time a beauty contest. Six girls chosen by six Michigan-Babe Ruth leagues 65 00:08:29.350 --> 00:08:30.870 are the entrants. 66 00:08:32.130 --> 00:08:37.270 Nice work when you can get it but sometimes even tougher than pitching a tight game. 67 00:08:37.650 --> 00:08:44.130 They reach a decision and Bob announces the winner and is she surprised. It's Carol Kaiser 68 00:08:44.130 --> 00:08:48.970 of Ypsilanti, Michigan the first beauty queen of the Babe Ruth World Series. 69 00:08:52.130 --> 00:08:57.390 The second semi-final brings together Stamford, Connecticut and West Des Moines, Iowa. 70 00:08:59.170 --> 00:09:04.650 Stamford goes to work in the second inning. Raleigh Wall hits one out to center field. 71 00:09:04.830 --> 00:09:07.550 Bill Cooper can't quite catch up to it. 72 00:09:09.350 --> 00:09:14.910 And there's a tough break. These kids are just trying too hard. Two Stamford runs check in. 73 00:09:15.770 --> 00:09:22.730 Stamford not out yet. Jim Sabia cracks out another hit. Ted Frith charges this and cuts 74 00:09:22.730 --> 00:09:29.110 a fine throw home. It's close on the second runner but two more Stamford runs score and 75 00:09:29.110 --> 00:09:35.110 those West Des Moines routers aren't doing much cheering. The Stamford attack still going in the 76 00:09:35.110 --> 00:09:42.790 fourth. Sabia pulls one far out to left with the bases full. Frith chases it hard but it's a three 77 00:09:42.790 --> 00:09:51.970 bagger driving three more runs home. A happy day for the New England boys. Stamford's heavy hitters 78 00:09:51.970 --> 00:09:57.570 crush West Des Moines 13-7 and they look like strong favorites for the championship again. 79 00:10:00.210 --> 00:10:06.130 So now the day of decision. The big one. The final game for the Babe Ruth League World Championship 80 00:10:06.130 --> 00:10:10.310 with the eyes of television, the press and newsreels on them. 81 00:10:10.710 --> 00:10:14.210 It's slugging Stamford, Connecticut versus Pensacola, Florida. 82 00:10:16.970 --> 00:10:19.090 For Stamford, southpaw Bill Sabia. 83 00:10:20.890 --> 00:10:25.930 Floyd Blackman hammers one over right fielder Ed Blum's head in the fourth inning for three bases. 84 00:10:26.450 --> 00:10:32.670 This boy is the batting king of the series setting a new record with eight hits in three games. 85 00:10:37.230 --> 00:10:43.270 His twin brother Lloyd Blackman delivers a single that scores Floyd. Pensacola is pulling out front. 86 00:10:45.770 --> 00:10:54.610 It's Pensacola packing the power this time. Jim Backus crashes one over Blum's head and Lloyd Blackman scampers around the bases ahead of him. 87 00:10:59.030 --> 00:11:05.510 It's gonna be close. He's safe. A home run for Backus and Pensacola's lead is piling up. 88 00:11:09.890 --> 00:11:14.390 What happened to those Stamford sluggers? We'll show you what happened to them. 89 00:11:16.190 --> 00:11:22.010 Lou Vickery, a southpaw with speed, control and savvy. He has a shutout within grasp as he fans 90 00:11:22.010 --> 00:11:26.050 Jim Sabia in the seventh. Pensacola leading nine to nothing. 91 00:11:28.010 --> 00:11:37.430 Heading for the last wind up. Bill Sabia lifts a fly to left. Al Grimes closes in on it and squeezes it for the final out. 92 00:11:37.850 --> 00:11:46.850 Lou Vickery throttled Stamford's heavy hitters with two hits and wraps up the title for Pensacola with a nine to nothing shutout for his second victory of the series. 93 00:11:48.010 --> 00:11:53.430 Lou Vickery, outstanding star of the 1957 Babe Ruth League World Series. 94 00:11:54.150 --> 00:12:02.110 So ends the sixth annual championship. The title heads south to Florida after a week of hard fought but friendly competition. 95 00:12:02.590 --> 00:12:08.830 From thousands of Babe Ruth teams all over the country emerges one, Pensacola, Florida.