Dusty Rhodes the NY Giants pinch hitter extraordinaire, dies at at 82. It was a very good year!

The Giants’ World Series opponents in 1954, the Cleveland Indians,had won 111 games and lost only 43 that season and were heavy favoritesto handle the Giants. But in the 10th inning of the opener — a gamealready marked in baseball history by Mays’s astonishing catchof a long fly by Vic Wertz — Rhodes pinch-hit a game-winning three-runhomer that just cleared the short right-field fence in the Polo Grounds.

In Game 2, he pinch-hit a single that tied the score and later homeredagain, securing the Giants’ 3-1 victory. And in Game 3, he pinch-hitonce again, driving in two runs with a single.

All told, Rhodes batted six times and had four hits, including two home runs — off pitchers Bob Lemon and Early Wynn, both future Hall of Famers. He knocked in seven runs.

Oddlyenough, playing another hunch, Durocher elected not to use Rhodes atall in Game 4, which the Giants won anyway, completing an unlikelysweep.