Books and articles about Carl Erskine

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Carl Erskine, who teamed with Don Newcombe to anchor the pitching staff for the powerful post-WWII Brooklyn teams, won 61% of his decisions in 12 years with the Dodgers. The 5'10" righthander injured his shoulder during his rookie season and pitched with pain most of his career. Because he couldn't throw a lot between starts, he never developed any specialty pitches. He remained a fastball/curveball/changeup pitcher who was able to change speeds on the curve. "Oisk" went 20-6 in 1953 to lead NL pitchers in winning percentage (.769). His 14 strikeouts as the winner of Game Three of the '53 WS set a Series record that stood for 14 years. He had two no-hitters: on June 19, 1952 against the Cubs, and on May 12, 1956 against the Giants. (TJ)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » October 8, 1929: Howard Ehmke (7-2), who has been scouting the Cubs for a week, is the Athletics' surprise starter in Game One of the World Series at Chicago. A crowd of 50,740 Cubs fans watches Ehmke strike out a World Series-record 13 that will stand until Brooklyn's Carl Erskine fans 14 Yankees in 1953. He holds the Cubs scoreless until the 9th for a 3–1 win. Charlie Root (19-6) yields just three hits, but one is a home run by Jimmie Foxx in the 7th. » August 5, 1948: Dodger Gene Hermanski hits three successive home runs to offset six Brooklyn errors as the Dodgers beat the Cubs, 6–4. The win moves the Dodgers into 2nd place. Carl Erskine starts his first game and earns his 3rd win. » September 12, 1950: Ewell Blackwell gives up just one hit, a run-scoring double in the fourth to Gene Hermanski, but the Dodgers whip the Reds ace, 2–1. Carl Erskine allows three hits, including a double by Blackwell and a home run by Ted Kluszewski. Hermanski and Snider drive in the two runs for Brooklyn. » June 15, 1951: Just before game time at Wrigley Field, the Cubs and Dodgers make a 4-for-4 trade: OF Andy Pafko, P Johnny Schmitz, C Rube Walker, and IF Wayne Terwilliger go to Brooklyn for C Bruce Edwards, OF Gene Hermanski, IF Eddie Miksis, and P Joe Hatten. To the surprise of fans, the 8 appear in their new uniforms. The Cubs get the best today as Bruce Edward knocks in 4 runs, three on a homer, off Carl Erskine, and Miksis fields well. Pafko hits his 13th homer in a losing cause and will incur an injury in this series that will sideline for three weeks in July. But the New York Post expresses the sentiment of most, calling it "the most barefaced swindle in years." » June 17, 1951: In Boston, the Dodgers win the first of two, 3–1, behind Carl Erskine's 2-hitter. Gil Hodges hits his 34th homer in support. The Braves jump on Johnny Schmitz for three runs in the first inning and take the nitecap, 4–3. Jackie Robinson leaves 13 baserunners in the two games. » August 7, 1951: In a day-night doubleheader the Dodgers sweep a pair from the Giants, taking the first game 7–2 behind the solid relief of Carl Erskine. Gil Hodges, Duke Snider and Carl Furillo homer. Brooklyn takes the nitecap, 6–5, in 10 innings after jumping on Maglie for a 5–1 lead. Snider and Furillo homer again, while Bobby Thomson goes deep for the Giants. Cox's RBI single wins it, giving the Dodgers an 11 1/2 game margin, the greatest lead in Brooklyn history. » September 3, 1951: At Ebbets Field, the Dodgers sweep the Braves, winning both games 7–2, behind Carl Erskine and Clem Labine. Roy Campanella collects six straight hits, including his 30th and 31st homers, before being stopped. The Dodgers (84–47) lead is six games over the Giants (79–54). » September 12, 1951: In Cincinnati, Lloyd Merriman hits a bases loaded triple in the 7th, off Carl Erskine, to give the Reds a 6–3 win. Dodger starter Don Newcombe leaves in the 1st inning with a pulled muscle in his pitching arm and Erskine takes the loss. The Dodgers are now five 1/2 ahead of the idle Giants. » September 20, 1951: Carl Erskine pitches the Dodgers to a 4–3 win over the Cardinals. Brooklyn's magic number is reduced to 5. » June 19, 1952: After four straight losses to the Cubs, Carl Erskine of the Dodgers no-hits them 5-0. The only base runner is relief P Willard Ramsdell in the third. Erskine is now 6-1 for the first-place Dodgers. » October 2, 1952: The Yanks tie up the WS behind the masterful 3-hit pitching of Vic Raschi, who defeats Carl Erskine 7-1. Raschi strikes out 9. » October 5, 1952: At Yankee Stadium, the seesaw WS battle continues as Brooklyn wins 6-5 in 11 innings when Duke Snider doubles home Billy Cox. Carl Erskine goes all the way for the win. » May 15, 1953: At St. Louis, the Cardinals pound Preacher Roe for six runs in the 2nd enroute to a 9–3 win over the Dodgers. It is the Cards first win against Roe after 10 straight losses: they last beat him August 28, 1950. Last night they beat Carl Erskine after losing seven straight to the lefty. » May 17, 1953: In the first game of a doubleheader, the Reds outslug the Dodgers, 13–5. In game 2, Carl Erskine of the Dodgers allows only one hit—Gus Bell's 6th-inning bunt single—in a 10–0 victory over the Redlegs. » August 11, 1953: Brooklyn slugger Duke Snider hits his second slam in 3 days, accounting for all the runs in the Dodgers 4-0 win over the Giants. Carl Erskine allows New York just two hits. » September 12, 1953: Carl Erskine defeats the Braves 5-2, as the Dodgers clinch the pennant earlier than any other team in history. » September 30, 1953: The Yanks defeat Brooklyn 9-5 in the first game of the WS. Carl Erskine is ineffective, walking the first 3 batters who score on a Hank Bauer triple. The Dodgers tie it up 5-5, and Clem Labine gets the loss in relief. » October 2, 1953: The WS moves to Ebbets Field as Carl Erskine establishes a new Series strikeout record by fanning 14 Yanks, including Mickey Mantle and Joe Collins 4 times each. Roy Campanella breaks a 2-2 tie with a game-winning solo HR in the 8th for a 3-2 Brooklyn win » May 2, 1955: At Ebbets, Carl Furillo raps his 8th home run with Jackie Robinson on base in the 12th inning to give the Dodgers a 2–0 win over the Braves. Carl Erskine wins his 4th straight, beating Gene Conley, as both pitchers go the distance. » May 7, 1955: Behind Carl Erskine, the Dodgers beat Robin Roberts and the Phils, 6–3, for their 9th straight win. All the Phils scoring is on solo homers -- two by Willie Jones and one by Del Ennis. For the Phils, it is their 8th loss in a row while the Brooks have now won 20 out of 22 games. The game is almost forfeited in the 7th after plate ump Art Gore chases Roberts, Earl Torgeson, and Jack Meyer from the Phils bench. Fans rain dozens of beer cans down on Gore and fellow ump Jocko Conlan. » June 25, 1955: Miseries plague the Dodger pitching staff. Russ Meyer goes on the disabled list with a broken collarbone, and Carl Erskine has arm trouble. » May 12, 1956: Carl Erskine pitches his 2nd no-hitter for the Dodgers four years after his first, a 3–0 wipeout of the Giants. Two walks gave New York their only base runners. » May 28, 1956: Dale Long of the Pirates connects against the Dodgers Carl Erskine at Forbes Field for his 8th home run in eight games, a record that will stand until the Yankees Don Mattingly equals it in 1987. Pittsburgh wins, 3–2, behind Bob Friend's 2-hitter. » September 23, 2000: Former Dodger Carl Erskine fires up the crowd by playing the national anthem on the harmonica and then Kevin Brown fires a 2-hitter to give the Dodgers a 2–1 win over the Padres. Brown strikes out 13 in beating Woody Williams.