The Dodgers won another pennant this year, beating out Milwaukee by one game and Cincinnati by two. It was the last pennant they would win in Brooklyn; a year later, the team was moved to Los Angeles. True to form, the Dodgers were defeated in the World Series by their rivals, the Yankees, in seven games. Don Newcombe, a big right-handed pitcher, won 27 games for Brooklyn, and won the MVP Award. We'll consider the top players.

         This was one year, I think, when Duke Snider had the best season among National League outfielders. It was a difficult task, in a league that included Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Frank Robinson, not to mention Richie Ashburn and Roberto Clemente, among others. Snider was a complete offensive player; he led the league in homers, walks and OPS, and was among the leaders in almost everything else. His team won the pennant; I think he is the natural choice for MVP. Curiously, Snider only finished 10th in the MVP vote, behind teammates Newcombe, Jim Gilliam and Pee Wee Reese. But I feel confident that Snider was the best that the Dodgers had this season.
        The three New York teams were famous for their centre fielders in the 1950's; the Yankees had Mickey Mantle and the Giants had Mays, and Brooklyn fans were also proud of Edwin Snider. The Duke broke in as a rookie with the Dodgers in 1947, the same year as Jackie Robinson; Snider's debut was less impressive, as he batted .241 with zero home runs in 40 games. The Duke, however, would hit more home runs in the 1950's than any other player; from 1953-57 he hammered out 40+ home runs in five consecutive seasons. Strangely, he had his last season as a regular at age 30; the last eight years of his career were a long, slow decline with diminished playing time. Snider played for 18 years, all but two with the Dodgers, and he hit 407 home runs in his career.
        The Silver Fox also left behind a legacy as one of the greatest post-season performers of any era. Snider's first Series appearance in 1949 was forgettable, but he followed up with some great ones. He hit four home runs in the 1952 Series, though the Dodgers lost in seven games to their hated rivals from the Bronx. When the Dodgers finally won in 1955, Snider again hammered out four home runs in seven games. Snider retired with NL records for World Series home runs (11) and RBI (26).
        Joe Adcock probably had his best season, mashing 38 home runs. Adcock played for 17 seasons, and had his best ones with the Milwaukee Braves. He was a slugger who hit 336 home runs in his career; in 1954 against Brooklyn, he had one of the most greatest games ever by a hitter, belting four home runs and a double for a record 18 total bases (the record was broken by Shawn Green in 2002).
        (In 1959 Adcock also figured significantly in one of the greatest games ever by a pitcher. After Harvey Haddix threw 12 perfect innings against the Braves, Milwaukee got a pair of baserunners in the 13th inning, and Adcock ended the game with a home run. But because he passed Hank Aaron on the basepaths, he was only credited with hitting a double).
        Adcock studied agriculture at Louisiana State University; he was a huge man, listed at 6'4", 220 lbs., and excelled at both baseball and basketball in school. When he debuted with Cincinnati in 1950, he was forced to play left field because first base was occupied by Ted Kluszewski. In 1951 he broke his ankle during the season, and the next year quarreled with manager Rogers Hornsby. He was dealt to Braves in 1953, their first year in Milwaukee.
        Adcock soon became famous for his long home runs; this year, he became the first player to hit a ball into the centre field bleachers at the Polo Grounds during a game. In 1954, he hit nine home runs at Ebbets Field, tying a record for a visiting player. After his four-homer game on July 31, he was beaned in the head by Dodgers' hurler Clem Labine; fortunately, the Braves had started wearing batting helmets a couple of months earlier. In September he was hit in the hand by Don Newcombe, ending his season and the Braves' pennant hopes.
        Adcock liked to crowd the plate, and was hit often. A Jim Hearn pitch broke his arm in 1955, ending his season in July. This season, he was batting under .200 in mid-May and spent some time on the bench; manager Charlie Grimm was replaced by Fred Haney, who put Adcock back in the lineup. Joe responded by homering in five straight games, then eight of nine. Adcock could fall into deep slumps, but when he was hot, he hit home runs far and he hit them often.
        Joe was having another big year in 1957 when he slid awkwardly into second base in June, breaking his leg and tearing some knee ligaments. Adcock returned to the lineup in September, and played in the World Series. But he spent the rest of his career in and out of the lineup, often forced to play in a platoon role. He played his last full season in 1961, when he slugged 35 home runs; after struggling in the first half that season, Adcock had one of his blazing hot streaks, batting .330 with 21 home runs in the second half.
        Adcock was prone to injuries, and they played a large role in his career. But the Milwaukee Braves also played in a terrible park for home run hitters, and Adcock suffered badly. Of his 336 homers, 137 were hit at home, 199 on the road. He is famous for his home runs in Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds, but he had no such luck at home. In another park, he would likely have had close to 400 home runs.
        This was Frank Robinson's rookie season, age 20. His 38 homers are still an NL rookie record. Robinson would play another 20 years, and belt out 586 homers in his career. The Senior Circuit seemed to be producing a great young outfielder every year at this time, first Mays and then Aaron and then Robinson, and also Clemente. On the other hand, Stan Musial was 35, and proved that he could still swing a bat by winning his second RBI title.
        Junior Gilliam had his best year at the plate, splitting time between second base and the outfield. It was Gilliam's job to replace Jackie Robinson at second base. It was a job he did well for a few years, before both his offense and defense began to decline. Gilliam managed to play 14 years, all of them with the Dodgers. He collected over 1800 hits in his career, and was a contributor to seven Dodger pennants and four World Series victories.
        I'm not sure who was better at third, Eddie Mathews or Ken Boyer. Mathews had better power numbers, and he played in a tough hitters' park. His team almost won the pennant. Boyer was a great defensive player, and a good hitter in only his second season. I'll give Mathews a slight edge.