Sports
 

 

"Baseball is the word."

     While the United States was tied up in the Korean War and the Cold War, the people were kept entertained through sports. Sports provided a release from the problems of the world, where fans could forget about their lives momeritarily and celebrate in the accomplishments of talented athletes.
     Baseball was a huge sport in the fifties. Many sports hadn't developed yet and therefore were not broadcasted as much as baseball. In addition to this, there were three events in particular which captured the awe and attention ofspectators nationwide: these were Bobbie Thomson's home run, Willie Mays's "Catch", and Don Larson's perfect game.
     In the World Series in 1951, during the final game of the final round between the Dodgers and the Giants, Bobbie Thomson won the game for the Giants with his home run. They were down 4 - 2 with men on second and third with one out in the nith inning, and fans were nervous seeing that Thomson, who had let up two runs for the Dodgers earlier in the game, was up.  Much to everyone's surprise and delight though, he hit a home run! His hit was later called "the shot heard 'round the world", taken from a poet's description of the first gunfire at Lexington in 1775 (Brondfield 99). In the '50s, baseball was important enough that it could be compared to a famous moment in the American Revolution.
     Another great moment in baseball history was Willie Mays's catch. Only three years after Thornson's home run, the Giants were up against the Cleveland Indians. With a tie game, two men on base for Cleveland in the eighth inning, Vic Wertz hit what would have been a home run in most stadiums, but the Polo Grounds measured 483 feet to the very center, and in some places had a 50-foot wall. This made it hard to hit home runs, but also very difficult for the center-fielder to cover that area (Brondfield 100). Willie Mays though, the centerfielder for the Giants, was able to. As soon as the ball was hit, he began sprinting to where the ball would land. With his back to the diamond, he reached out and, amazingly, caught the ball. Right away he swung around and threw the ball to the infield, keeping the runners from scoring.The Giants then went on to winning the World Series. This went down as the greatest catch ever made in the World Series.
 Lastly, in 1956, Don Larson of the Giants threw a perfect game against their rival the Dodgers in the fifth game of the World Series. He was not famous before this, and many fans wondered why he was even on the team. He was known as an erratic pitcher, and he used a unique, no-wind-up technique that had not worked well for him so far. Everyone was amazed with Larson's perfect game, especially because it was the first one ever. After this game though, he went back to his old self, and continued to not be very good.
     Baseball was also becoming more publicized. With two out of every three families owning televisions, many more people were exposed to the games. Although this was good for the Major Leagues, the Minor Leagues and local baseball teams suffered, because no one wanted to watch them if they could see professionals play (Brondfield 95).
     With the popularity of televisions growing tremendously in the fifties, and as more households were able to afford them, sports such as football and boxing also became more prominent. Boxing was shown every Wednesday and Friday night, and Sunday afternoons became dedicated to pro-football.
     Football gained popularity not only through television, but through a player named Johnny Unitas. He led the Colts to victory against the New York Giants on December 28, 1958 in the NFL championship game. First, behind with ten seconds left of the game, his team was able to score a field goal to tie the game. Then in a sudden death overtime, he got the Colts moving and made an excellent string of passes which led to a touchdown and victory. After this exciting game, Sunday afternoon football became a ritual for many families, and now is one of the most followed spectator sports in America.
     Ben Hogan had all the golf fans of the late forties and early fifties in a trance, with his amazing comeback abilities. He became a pro golfer at the age of nine-teen, but left the U.S. to fight in World War II. When he returned in 1945, the fans had all forgotten him. He regained his reputation through tournaments though. Then, on February 2, 1949, he was in a nearly fatal car crash, and many people thought he would never recover. Even if he did survive, they still believed that he would never walk again, let alone ever play golf. He started to build himself back up though, and within, eleven months of the crash, he came back and tied for first place with Sam Snead in the official Los Angeles tournaments in January, 1950. Everyone was amazed with his strength and persistence. Throughout the tournament they kept expecting him to drop out, seeing his apparent pain, but he kept going. Ben Hogan's willpower and determination showed Americans all over that anything was possible if you really wanted to do it.
     Another breakthrough in sports which affected the American public was during the Indianapolis 500. The record speed for this race in 1952 was an average of 130 mph. In '53, a man called Bill Vukovich won the race, but was disappointed with his speed, just under an average of 129 mph. He was determined to beat the record, and so he trained intensely over the winter. As the Indianapolis 500 approached, he was also fixed on winning again, a feat only two other drivers had ever accomplished. Despite car trouble, he was able to win for the second consecutive time, and this time he even broke the record by .84 mph. He was overjoyed with his time and the win, and the fans all celebrated with him. The following year though, he was killed in a traggic collision with an opponent at the same race. Fans were stunned, and it brought them back to the reality that anything can happen.
     Thus, through these sports and events, America was able to divert its gaze from the problems of the nation and focus on lighter issues. Athletes such as Willie Mays, Johnny Unitas, and Ben Hogan provided new role-models, instead of ones with political issues attached.