by Owner Bill Veeck was called a showman by the media and the rest of the owners in the league. He ran such promotions as free nylon night to boost female attendance. Another highlight was free TV night and even free washer and dryer night. He went as far to allow midget auto races on the field track due to high pressure from the Cleveland mayor, Mr. Burke. He did whatever it took to get fans in his stadium and behind his ballclub.
His love for baseball started early in life when his dad was the general manager of the Chicago Cubs. The young Veeck got his start by planting ivy on the walls of Wrigley Field at the age of just fifteen. Veeck would make it a point to sit in the stands with the fans. He did his best to build excitement by relating to the common man as much as possible. He never wore a traditional tie and appeared as common as the average blue-collar worker in the mills. Despite all of this, he still had the flair about him that sparked enthusiasm wherever he went.
The chance to play in the 1948 World Series came down to a one-game playoff between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox. The beloved Indians traveled to Fenway Stadium, and chose knuckleballer, Gene Beardon, to take the mound for this crucial game. The Red Sox manager, Joe McCarthy, made an odd choice going with Denny Galehouse, who had only won eight games that season, to start. On the strength of Ken Keltner’s incredible game, in which he clubbed three hits including a three run homerun off the famed Green Monster, the Indians cruised to victory and a trip to the World Series.
It was also on this day that DeLuca and his classmates learned that their principal and teachers were actually normal people. He was shocked when he arrived at school and heard the announcement from the principal that the game would be played over the loudspeaker. Christmas had come early to him and his classmates when hearing this unthinkable announcement. When the Indians won, all the children ran out of the school screaming in celebration. “Church bells were ringing and factory whistles blaring”, recalls DeLuca.
The last celebration of that magnitude had come in 1945 when World War II had ended. Later that evening, Joe’s parents tried to take him and sister, Marie, downtown to celebrate the victory, but they were unable to make it all the way downtown because the streets being were so jam-packed with people celebrating. It was almost impossible to wait for the morning paper to arrive the next day and read the article written by his favorite sports columnist, Gordon Cobbledick.
The 1948 World Series was played against another team from Boston, the Boston Braves of the National League. Game one was decided when a beautiful pick-off play at second base between pitcher Bob Feller and second baseman Joe Gordon was called safe, even though the runner was clearly out. The runner was able to stay on base and came home to score shortly thereafter giving the Braves an eighth inning 1-0 lead that they would not surrender.
“The Indians were down but not out,” remembers DeLuca. The next two games were Indian victories due to excellent pitching performances by Bob Lemon and Gene Beardon. Game two was a victory against phenomenal Boston Brave pitcher, Warren Spahn. Cleveland went on to win game four thanks to a great pitching effort by Steve Gromek as well as a homerun by Larry Doby. After a rare shaky performance by Bob Feller, the Indians lost game five by the score of 11-5, taking the series back to Boston.
October 11, 1948 was the last time Cleveland celebrated a World Championship in baseball. It came on the heels of another great performance by pitcher, Bob Lemon, where the Indians beat the Braves by the score of 4-3. Cleveland had held off a Boston two-run rally in the eighth inning to hold on for the win and the World Championship.
The next day, Cleveland Public Schools were closed so that the children could join in the celebration that was going to be held downtown. The parade route was led by a twenty-car escort. Bill Veeck and Lou Boudreau sat in the lead car while the crowds of people along the parade route screamed in pure joy. In the mass of people DeLuca found himself standing alongside none other than visiting team bat boy, Alan Broyles. For the first time all season, he was actually showing emotion as DeLuca saw a single tear trickle down his cheek. It turned out that he was a fan after all.
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