Books and articles about Joe Page

The highly visible success of Page, a star reliever for three Yankee World Champions, hastened the widespread use of the relief specialist. Page succeeded Johnny Murphy as the Yankee bullpen ace, and while not as good or as durable as Murphy, he worked more games per season. In 1949 (although the statistic did not officially exist at the time), he set a ML save record of 27 that stood until 1961, and his 14 relief wins in 1947 was the AL record until Luis Arroyo broke that one too in 1961. He led the league twice each in saves, relief wins, and appearances (but three times in relief losses).

RELATED LINKS Around the Web » Joe Page from baseball-reference.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Page spent his first three seasons as a struggling starter before Bucky Harris put Page into the bullpen in 1947. Page had just two starts that year and one final start in 1948, and he went 14-8 with 17 saves and a 2.48 ERA (2.15 in relief). Page saved Game One of the 1947 World Series, lost Game Six, and won the clincher, holding the Dodgers to one hit in five scoreless innings. In 1949 he was even better, saving the record 27 while going 13-8 with a 2.59 ERA. In the World Series, he won Game Three and saved the clincher. He dropped off the next year and failed in a comeback attempt with the Pirates in 1954. (SFS)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 13, 1944: Joe Page, just called up from Newark, throws a 5-hitter, as the Yankees defeat the Indians 5–1. » May 24, 1946: Co-owner and GM Larry MacPhail fires Joe McCarthy as Yankee manager, and Bill Dickey replaces him. As prove that McCarthy had lost control of his players, MacPhail cites a confrontation between the manager and Joe Page during a May 21st flight from Cleveland to Detroit. McCarthy, whose health is ailing, leaves the team with a 22–13 record. » August 31, 1948: At Yankee Stadium, the Yanks score four runs in the 8th but the Browns come back with five in the 9th off Joe Page to make it close. But New York prevails, 10–9. 1B Henrich has a home run and an unassisted DP to help Allie Reynolds to the win. The Yanks remain a game behind the Red Sox. » May 5, 1949: Before the start of a series with the Yanks, the White Sox abandon their trick LF fence. The 5-foot chicken wire fence, erected to cut the distance by 20 feet, resulted in 11 home runs in eight games, but opponents hit seven of them. The American League will subsequently rule that fences cannot be moved more than once a season. The Yanks still win today, 7–5, to go 13–3. Tommy Henrich has the only homer, while Johnny Lindell, Yankee left fielder, twice makes catches that would've cleared the wire fence. Allie Reynolds, with help from Joe Page, is the winner. » October 1, 1949: The Red Sox need to win just one of the final 2 games against New York to clinch the title. Before a crowd of 69,551 at Yankee Stadium, New York overcomes a 4-0 deficit, as Joe Page is nearly untouchable in 5 innings of relief. Johnny Lindell's HR wins it 5-4. » November 25, 1949: Ted Williams, who lost the Triple Crown when his batting average was .0002 below that of George Kell, wins the MVP vote in a landslide. Phil Rizzuto and Joe Page finish 2nd and 3rd in the voting. » April 18, 1950: At Fenway, Happy Chandler gives Ted Williams his MVP Award, and then Governor Paul Dever tosses out the first ball. To the delight of 31,822 fans, Boston rips starter Allie Reynolds with a five-run 4th inning to drive the Chief from the game and take a 9–0 over the Yankees. But the Yanks score four in the 6th off Mel Parnell and then, down 10–4, New York unloads for nine runs in the 8th. 2B Billy Martin (2-for-2) becomes the first player in history to get two base hits in one inning in his first ML game. He doubles against Mel Parnell on his first at bat in the 8th inning, and singles off Al Papai. Walt Masterson gives up Tommy Henrich's 2nd triple of the game before giving way to four more Sox hurlers. Boo Ferriss, pitching in his last game, allows the last two runs in the 9th inning as the Yanks chalk up a 15–10 win, the biggest blown lead the Sox have ever had at Fenway (June 4, 1989, they'll blow a 10-run lad at home). DiMaggio, Berra, Vern Stephens, and Doerr each have three hits. Don Johnson is the winner, his last one for New York, with Joe Page pitching a perfect 8th and 9th in relief. » May 25, 1950: The Athletics make some changes. Connie Mack's son, Earle Mack, who had been assistant manager, assumes the duties of chief scout. Earle, who had hoped to succeed his father as manager, is replaced by Jimmie Dykes. Mickey Cochrane is named general manager. It doesn't help today as the Yanks extend their winning streak to nine games by defeating the A's, 2–0, behind Ed Lopat and Joe Page. » June 23, 1950: Eleven home runs—a ML record—drive in all the runs scored in a 10–9 Tiger win over the Yankees before 51,000 Detroit fans. Detroit has four home runs in the 4th inning as Dizzy Trout, Gerry Priddy, Vic Wertz, and Hoot Evers connect. Pitcher Dizzy Trout's home run, off Tommy Byrne, is his 2nd lifetime grand slam. Hoot Evers hits another home run, an inside-the-park 2-run game winner in the 9th off Joe Page to win it. For New York, Hank Bauer connects for two homers, including one in the 4th inning. Joe DiMaggio, Jerry Coleman, Yogi Berra, and pinch hitter Tommy Henrich also belt round trippers. It is the first time that nine different players connect for homers in a game.