The1948 World Series was the championship series inMajor League Baseball for the1948 season. The 45th edition of theWorld Series, it matched theAmerican League (AL) championCleveland Indians and theNational League (NL) championBoston Braves. The Braves had won the National League pennant for the first time since the "Miracle Braves" team of1914, while the Indians had spoiled a chance for the only all-Boston World Series by winning aone-game playoff against theBoston Red Sox for the American League flag.^[1] Though superstarpitcherBob Feller failed to win either of his two starts, the Indians won the Series in six games to capture their second championship (as well as their most recent) and their first since1920.

It was the first World Series to be televised beyond the previous year's limited New York-Schenectady-Philadelphia-Baltimore-Washington network and was announced by famed sportcastersRed Barber,Tom Hussey (in Boston) andVan Patrick (in Cleveland).^[2] This was the second appearance in the Fall Classic for both teams, with the Indians' lone previous appearance coming in a 1920 win against theBrooklyn Dodgers and the Braves' lone previous appearance coming in a 1914 win against thePhiladelphia Athletics. Consequently, this was the first, and to date only, World Series in which both participating teams had previously played in, but not yet lost, a previous World Series. Currently, this phenomenon can only be repeated if theMiami Marlins or theWashington Nationals play against theLos Angeles Angels in a future World Series.

Television coverage of the World Series increased this year, but due to the medium still being in its infancy coverage was strictly regional. The series was open to any channel with an affiliation with one of the national broadcast networks:NBC,CBS,ABC, orDuMont. But games played in Boston could only be seen in the Northeast, while when the series shifted to Cleveland those games were the first to be aired inChicago,Pittsburgh,Milwaukee,St. Louis,Detroit andToledo.^[3][4]

This was the only World Series played between1947 and1958 not to feature aNew York team, and the last not won by a New York team until the1957 Series (which the Braves, having relocated toMilwaukee, won over the Yankees). The two teams would meet again in the1995 Series, with the Braves—by then relocated toAtlanta—winning. This was the first World Series, and the last until2016, in which both teams scored the same number of total runs. This would be the final World Series to feature a team helmed by a player-manager. This is also the only World Series pre-1967 in which the winning team had not won at least oneCommissioner's Trophy after its introduction in the1967 World Series.

As of 2025, this is Cleveland’s last World Series victory, and they now hold the longest championship drought in the majors.

ALCleveland Indians (4) vs. NLBoston Braves (2)

Braves pitcherJohnny Sain and Indians pitcherBob Feller were engaged in a scoreless pitchers' duel when the Braves came to bat in the bottom of the eighthinning. Fellerwalked Braves catcherBill Salkeld to open the inning. Braves manager,Billy Southworth then replaced the slow-footed Salkeld withPhil Masi, who entered the game as apinch runner.Mike McCormick followed with asacrifice bunt, advancing Masi tosecond base. Feller issued anintentional walk toEddie Stanky, who was replaced bySibby Sisti. Feller then tried topick off Masi at second base. Indians' shortstopLou Boudreau appeared to tag Masiout, butumpire Bill Stewart called himsafe.^[11]Tommy Holmes proceeded to hit asingle that allowed Masi to score the onlyrun of the game, giving the Braves a 1–0 victory.^[5]

The umpire's controversial ruling touched off heated debates among the media and fans,^[11] especially afterAssociated Press photographs of the play were published.^[12][13] Although Feller allowed only two hits, he took the loss in what would be the closest he came to winning a World Series game.^[11] Upon his death in 1990, Masi's will revealed that he really was out on the pick-off play.^[14]

The second game also made television history when a live broadcast of the Indians–Braves matchup was shown aboard theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad'sMarylander passenger train travelling between Washington, D.C., and New York City, using a receiver operated byBendix Corporation technicians.^[15] AnAssociated Press reporter observing the demonstration said, "Technically, it was surprisingly good."^[15] The Braves scored a run in the first offBob Lemon onBob Elliott's RBI single with two on, but Lemon held them scoreless for the rest of the game. After three shutout innings,Lou Boudreau hit a leadoff double in the fourth offWarren Spahn, then scored onJoe Gordon's single with Gordon advancing to second on the throw to home. One out later,Larry Doby's RBI single put the Indians up 2–1. Next inning,Dale Mitchell hit a leadoff single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Boudreau's single. The Indians scored one more run in the ninth offNels Potter whenJim Hegan reached on an error, moved to third on two groundouts and scored onBob Kennedy's single. The series was tied 1–1 heading to Cleveland.

For the third straight game, no home runs were hit by either team. This would not happen again in a World Series until2014. The game's two runs came onLarry Doby's groundout in the third after a double and walk andJim Hegan's RBI single after a single and walk in the fourth, both offVern Bickford.Gene Bearden pitched a complete shutout, allowing five hits while striking out four, as the Indians took a 2–1 series lead.

Steve Gromek of the Indians andJohnny Sain of the Braves pitched complete games each. The Indians struck first whenDale Mitchell hit a leadoff single in the first and scored onLou Boudreau's double, then added to their lead onLarry Doby's home run in the third.Marv Rickert's leadoff home run in the seventh cut the Indians' lead to 2–1, but they held on to take a 3–1 series lead.

Satchel Paige appeared for the Indians, becoming the first black pitcher to take the mound in World Series history. The previous day's single-game attendance record was broken with 86,288 fans. After two leadoff singles,Bob Elliott's three-run home run in the first off Indians starterBob Feller made it 3–0 Braves.Dale Mitchell's leadoff home run in the bottom half offNels Potter put the Indians on the board. Elliott's second home run of the game in the third made it 4–1 Braves, but in the fourth after a leadoff single and walk,Walt Judnich's RBI single made it 4–2 Braves, then one out later,Jim Hegan's three-run home run put the Indians in front 5–4 and knock Potter out of the game.Bill Salkeld's home run in the sixth tied the game. Next inning,Tommy Holmes hit a leadoff single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored onEarl Torgeson's RBI single.Ed Klieman relieved Feller and allowed a walk, two-runs single toMarv Rickert, and another walk.Russ Christopher then allowed RBI singles toMike McCormick andEddie Stanky.Warren Spahn's sacrifice fly off Paige capped the game's scoring at 11–5. Spahn pitched5+2⁄3 shutout innings of relief for the win, forcing a Game 6 in Boston.

The Indians struck first in Game 6 whenDale Mitchell hit a leadoff double in the third offBill Voiselle and scored onLou Boudreau's RBI double, but the Braves tied the game onMike McCormick's RBI single with two on offBob Lemon in the fourth. A walk loaded the bases, but Voiselle grounded out to end the inning.Joe Gordon's leadoff home in the sixth put the Indians back in front 2–1. After a one-out walk and single,Jim Hegan's RBI groundout extended their lead to 3–1. Three straight singles in the eighth byKen Keltner,Thurman Tucker andEddie Robinson made it 4–1 Indians. In the bottom of the inning, the Braves loaded the bases off Lemon on a single, double and walk.Clint Conatser's sacrifice fly andPhil Masi's RBI double offGene Bearden made it 4–3 Indians, but Bearden pitched a scoreless ninth for the save to give the Indians the championship.

To date, this is Cleveland’s last World Series victory, and they now hold the longest championship drought in the majors. The only team of the four major North American leagues with a longer championship drought are theNFL’sArizona Cardinals, who last won a championship in1947 as theChicago Cardinals, a year before Cleveland’s World Series victory.

1948 World Series(4–2):Cleveland Indians (AL) overBoston Braves (NL)

• Cohen, Richard M.; Neft, David S. (1990).The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 219–224.ISBN 0-312-03960-3.
• Reichler, Joseph (1982).The Baseball Encyclopedia (5th ed.). Macmillan Publishing. p. 2156.ISBN 0-02-579010-2.

• Epplin, Luke (2021).Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball. New York: Flatiron Books.ISBN 978-1-250-31379-9.

• 1948 World Series atWorldSeries.com viaMLB.com
• 1948 World Series atBaseball Almanac
• 1948 World Series atBaseball-Reference.com
• The 1948 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) atRetrosheet
• History of the World Series - 1948 atThe Sporting News. Archived fromthe original in May 2006.
• Baseball's Best: 1948 World Series
• Audio: Game 5 radio broadcast, part 1
• Audio: Game 5 radio broadcast, part 2
• Audio: Game 5 radio broadcast, part 3
• Audio: Game 5 radio broadcast, part 4

• World Series
• 1948 Major League Baseball season
• Cleveland Guardians postseason
• Boston Braves postseason
• 1948 in sports in Massachusetts
• 1948 in sports in Ohio
• 1940s in Boston
• 1940s in Cleveland
• October 1948 sports events in the United States
• Baseball competitions in Boston
• Baseball competitions in Cleveland

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