At the halfway point, it wasn’t clear that anyone was going to hit the magic number of 21 — the 21 wins that all three previous league champions amassed. Eight games later, at the three-quarter mark, the 1953 New York Yankees have gotten hot and they are in good shape to hit the number and win the franchise their second straight title. At 16-8, the Yankees have a two-game lead with eight to play.
It’s a crowded race, with the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers, the 1954 New York Giants and the 1957 Milwaukee Braves all tied for second place. The Yankees, Dodgers and Giants all went 3-1 in week 6, while the Braves went 2-2 to drop a game in the standings.
The Yankees have won five of their last six and seven of their last nine, and they’ll have a chance to take another step toward the title in week seven when they take on one of the teams at the bottom, the 1954 Cleveland Indians. The rest of the contenders are all playing each other in what ought to be elimination series, with the rival Dodgers and Giants squaring off, and the Braves facing the fifth-place 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates. Looking even further ahead, week 8 features the Yankees and Dodgers in their final series.
Jackie Robinson (.372) dipped a bit this week but he’s still the league’s top hitter. He’s still being chased by Pittsburgh’s Bob Skinner (.355). Wes Covington of the Braves hit his 10th home run and he’s two ahead of Cleveland’s Al Rosen.
Two of the 32 starting pitchers are still unbeaten after six starts: New York’s Whitey Ford (5-0) and Milwaukee’s Gene Conley (4-0). Ford is the only pitcher with five wins. Only two starters have yet to win a game and they both play for the fading 1959 Chicago White Sox — Early Wynn and Billy Pierce, though Pierce does rank in the top 10 in ERA.
| Week 6 | W | L | PCT | GB | R | RA | +/- | AVG | ERA | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 New York Yankees | 16 | 8 | .667 | — | 95 | 87 | +8 | .220 | 3.38 | Stats |
| 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers | 14 | 10 | .583 | 2.0 | 103 | 87 | +16 | .220 | 3.47 | Stats |
| 1954 New York Giants | 14 | 10 | .583 | 2.0 | 98 | 99 | -1 | .236 | 3.59 | Stats |
| 1957 Milwaukee Braves | 14 | 10 | .583 | 2.0 | 100 | 103 | -3 | .244 | 4.12 | Stats |
| 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates | 12 | 12 | .500 | 4.0 | 90 | 87 | +3 | .244 | 3.26 | Stats |
| 1954 Cleveland Indians | 9 | 15 | .375 | 7.0 | 87 | 79 | +8 | .240 | 3.13 | Stats |
| 1959 Chicago White Sox | 9 | 15 | .375 | 7.0 | 68 | 99 | -31 | .199 | 3.75 | Stats |
| 1950 Philadelphia Phillies | 8 | 16 | .333 | 8.0 | 108 | 108 | 0 | .254 | 4.01 | Stats |
Week 6 results:
> Giants d. White Sox 3-1
> Yankees d. Pirates 3-1
> Dodgers d. Indians 3-1
> Phillies and Braves split 2-2
Week 6 recaps:
> Gameday #21
> Gameday #22
> Gameday #23
> Gameday #24
Week 6 featured YouTube broadcasts:
> 1953 Dodgers vs. 1954 Indians (Gameday #23)
> 1960 Pirates vs. 1953 Yankees (Gameday #24)
BATTING LEADERS
Average
.372 Jackie Robinson, 1953 Dodgers
.356 Bob Skinner, 1960 Pirates
.333 Willie Mays, 1954 Giants
.323 Roberto Clemente, 1960 Pirates
.322 Eddie Mathews, 1957 Braves
.319 Hank Bauer, 1953 Yankees
.313 Dick Sisler, 1950 Phillies
.305 Bill Virdon, 1960 Pirates
.305 Richie Ashburn, 1950 Phillies
.302 Wes Covington, 1957 Braves
Runs
21 Eddie Mathews, 1957 Braves
19 Pee Wee Reese, 1953 Dodgers
17 Willie Mays, 1954 Giants
17 Hank Bauer, 1953 Yankees
17 Wes Covington, 1957 Braves
17 Al Smith, 1954 Indians
Hits
32 Jackie Robinson, 1953 Dodgers
32 Bob Skinner, 1960 Pirates
31 Willie Mays, 1954 Giants
30 Dick Sisler, 1950 Phillies
30 Bobby Avila, 1954 Indians
30 Roberto Clemente, 1960 Pirates
Doubles
13 Willie Mays, 1954 Giants
10 Duke Snider, 1953 Dodgers
9 Bob Skinner, 1960 Pirates
9 Eddie Waitkus, 1950 Phillies
9 Frank Torre, 1957 Braves
Triples
6 Hank Bauer, 1953 Yankees
4 Red Schoendienst, 1957 Braves
4 Bill Virdon, 1960 Pirates
3 Bill Bruton, 1957 Braves
2 many
Home Runs
10 Wes Covington, 1957 Braves
8 Al Rosen, 1954 Indians
7 Eddie Mathews, 1957 Braves
7 Ray Katt, 1954 Giants
7 Andy Seminick, 1950 Phillies
7 Dick Stuart, 1960 Pirates
RBI
23 Willie Mays, 1954 Giants
22 Jackie Robinson, 1953 Dodgers
21 Wes Covington, 1957 Braves
21 Duke Snider, 1953 Dodgers
18 Andy Seminick, 1950 Phillies
Stolen Bases
9 Luis Aparicio, 1959 White Sox
6 Jackie Robinson, 1953 Dodgers
5 Duke Snider, 1953 Dodgers
4 Al Rosen, 1954 Indians
4 Pee Wee Reese, 1953 Dodgers
PITCHING LEADERS
Wins
5 Whitey Ford, 1953 Yankees
4 Vinegar Bend Mizell, 1960 Pirates
4 Johnny Sain, 1953 Yankees
4 Don Liddle, 1954 Giants
4 Gene Conley, 1957 Braves
ERA
1.88 Mike Garcia, 1954 Indians
1.93 Billy Loes, 1953 Dodgers
2.30 Don Liddle, 1954 Giants
2.30 Bob Friend, 1960 Pirates
2.58 Johnny Sain, 1953 Yankees
2.59 Bob Buhl, 1957 Braves
2.61 Eddie Lopat, 1953 Yankees
2.64 Vinegar Bend Mizell, 1960 Pirates
2.66 Whitey Ford, 1953 Yankees
2.70 Billy Pierce, 1959 White Sox
Complete Games
2 many
Shutouts
2 Billy Loes, 1953 Dodgers
Saves
7 Don McMahon, 1957 Braves
5 Roy Face, 1960 Pirates
4 many
Strikeouts
52 Curt Simmons, 1950 Phillies
36 Johnny Antonelli, 1954 Giants
31 Early Wynn, 1954 Indians
31 Sal Maglie, 1954 Giants
31 Early Wynn, 1959 White Sox
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 