Product Details

• Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Polygram USA Video
• VHS Release Date: May 26, 1998
• Run Time: 40 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: 6304963343
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #403,685 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the back cover

If you were on the '54 Cleveland Indians, you might not want to see this video. The Indians won a league-record 111 games, but heroes Willie Mays and Dusty Rhodes led the New York Giants to perhaps the biggest upset in World Series history, and left baseball with some of its greatest memories. It's all here in this classic home video--May's unforgettable catch, Rhodes' pinch-hit run, and the Giant's wholly unexpected sweep.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Willie Mays makes the catch and Dusty Rhodes gets the hits, May 17, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: 1954 World Series - New York vs Cleveland [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The 1954 Cleveland Indians discovered the secret of ending the New York Yankees streak of five straight American League pennants and World Championships: all they had to do was win a record 111 games. However, despite that monumental success Al Lopez's team did not win a single game in the World Series, being swept by Leo Durocher's New York Giants. It was the first time a National League team had won with a sweep since the Boston Braves in 1914. The signature play of the series game in the eighth inning of the opener in the Polo Grounds when Giant center fielder Willie Mays made a historic Series catch, running flat out towards the center field wall with his back to the plate for an over the shoulder catch 460 feet from the plate of Vic Wertz's blast. Watch the play closely: when Willie taps his glove that means he knows he has the ball all the way.

The hitting hero for the series ended up being Giants' pinch-hitter Dusty Rhodes. In Game 1 he pinch-hit a 3-run home run in the tenth to break a 2-2 tie. In Game 2 he came back with another pinch hit to tie the game at 1-1, stayed in the game and hit another home run. In Game 3, Rhodes got yet another pinch-hit to drive in two runs. They did not start giving out the World Series MVP award until the following year, but Rhodes would have had to have been the choice. Actually, his success was not that surprising: during the regular season the platoon player batted .341 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs in only 164 times at bat. But a .667 bating average in the Series is still pretty impressive. Meanwhile, the Indians starting rotation of Jim Lemon, Early Wynn, and Mike Garcia could not win a game and Bob Feller did not even get to pitch. Wertz was the only bright spot for Cleveland, with a .500 average for the Series. The Yankees would win eight of the next nine AL pennants again, the only pump in the road being the 1959 Chicago White Sox--also managed by Al Lopez.

So the winningest team in American League history lost the World Series in four straight and the Giants of Mays, Monte Irvin, John Antonelli, and Ruben Gomez had their first World Championship since 1933. Giant fans probably have the great catch by Mays on several videos already in their home library, but this 40-minute black & white video gives you all of Rhodes's heroics as well. Besides, unless you are a Giants fan who happen to be in your 70s, this would be the only Giant title in your lifetime. Videos of Giant losses in the World Series are available for the 1951, 1962, 1989, and 2002 seasons as well.