[Nick Soulis]

Series #220

Broadcast For This Series:
Bob Costas and Jim Kaat



Capital Gains: Senators Write History
Tax Phillies in 5-Game Triumph Behind Newsom/Chapman



Game 1
At Griffith Stadium
1959 Philadelphia Phillies 5
1937 Washington Senators 8
WP: G. Newsom (1-0) LP: G. Conley (0-1) S: S. Cohen (1)
HR: None
POG: Carl Sawatski (4-4, RBI, 2B, R)

“On a golden afternoon beneath the blue Washington sky, history came alive in the most theatrical of ways — and the Senators, long defined by frustration, gave their faithful something worth dreaming about.”
Ladies and gentlemen, what we witnessed today was the essence of baseball’s unpredictable poetry — a tale of momentum, missed chances, and a late-inning resurgence that could've been penned by a screenwriter.
The 1959 Philadelphia Phillies jumped out with the urgency of a team possessed, scoring four runs in the first two innings and looking like they might run away with Game 1. Richie Ashburn set the tone with two hits and a stolen base. Carl Sawatski — who, for one afternoon, looked more like Mickey Cochrane than a backup catcher — went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, singlehandedly trying to will Philadelphia to a win.
But then came the seventh inning. The air shifted. The ghosts of Griffith Stadium stirred.
With Washington trailing 5–0 and little to show against Gene Conley, the Senators — known more for their grit than their glamour — erupted for six stunning runs. It was a carousel of clutch hitting: Bruce Campbell and Cecil Travis bringing runners home, Buddy Lewis giving them the lead with a cool two-out single, and a pinch-hit RBI knock by Jackie Hill that sent the home fans into rapture.
“Buddy Lewis, a kid with the swagger of a star and the humility of a soldier, may have just delivered the defining hit of this series.”
Bobo Newsom, never a stranger to drama, gutted through 7 innings despite allowing 12 hits. Stan Cohen calmly slammed the door with two clean frames to preserve the 8–5 victory.
This wasn’t just a win — it was a message. The 1937 Senators, often overlooked in the annals of baseball history, just reminded us they’re not here to play the role of underdog. They’re here to win.
And so, as the sun dips below the façade of Griffith Stadium, we look ahead to Game 2. One team searches for answers. The other, for momentum. As always in the Field of Dreams, time bends, and the past breathes again.

Game 2
At Griffith Stadium
1959 Philadelphia Phillies 0
1937 Washington Senators 9
WP: J. Krakauskas (1-0) LP: J. Owens (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Joe Krakauskas (9 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 134 P)
1937 Senators Lead Series 2-0

Baseball can be a cruel game. One day, you're on the cusp of a comeback win. The next, you're walking off the field wondering if you’ll even have a chance to salvage pride. Today, here in the shadowed grace of Griffith Stadium, the 1937 Washington Senators left no doubt. With a 9-0 throttling of the 1959 Philadelphia Phillies, they didn’t just win—they imposed their will."
Joe Krakauskas was not merely dominant—he was masterful. With a fastball that darted and dipped like it had a mind of its own, and a poise far beyond his years, the young southpaw spun a complete game shutout, allowing only 4 hits while striking out 8. It wasn’t just a performance—it was a message. The Phillies were never in this one. And when the dust settled, Krakauskas had earned every bit of the thunderous ovation echoing through this old park.
Offensively, the Senators were relentless. Cecil Travis, the elegant shortstop with a swing as smooth as Sinatra’s voice, tallied four hits and drove in a run. Jake Stone and Buddy Myer added two RBIs apiece, while Krakauskas even helped himself at the plate with two hits—including a ringing double—and an RBI. For Philadelphia, it was a day they’ll want to forget. Their bats never woke up, and starter Jim Owens, despite a gallant effort, was undone by a fourth-inning flurry and a seventh-inning collapse. Carl Sawatski, the Game 1 hero, went hitless with three strikeouts, a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes shift in October.
The Senators now lead this best-of-seven series 2-0, and as the teams shift to Shibe Park for Game 3, the pressure is squarely on the Phillies. Can they rally behind their home crowd, or will Washington’s vintage momentum carry them to the cusp of a sweep?
For now, the stars belong to the Senators—and a young left-hander named Krakauskas, who reminded us all what greatness looks like when it takes the mound and dares a lineup to beat it.

Game 3
At Griffith Stadium
1937 Washington Senators 2
1959 Philadelphia Phillies 1
WP: K. Chase (1-0) LP: R. Roberts (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Ken Chase (9 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 129 P)
1937 Senators Lead Series 3-0

Baseball, at its purest, often resists the grandiose. Sometimes, it's not the towering home runs or the deafening crowds, but rather the quiet defiance of a pitcher on an overcast afternoon that becomes the soul of a series.
And today in Game 3 of the Field of Dreams Series #220, Ken Chase etched his name into the story of the 1937 Washington Senators—a team on the verge of sweeping away the 1959 Philadelphia Phillies—by delivering a complete game gem in a tightly wound 2–1 victory.
There was no thunderous crack of the bat that echoed through Shibe Park. There were no momentum-swinging innings. Just a left-handed craftsman named Chase, sculpting outs with each measured pitch across nine painstaking frames. He faced 37 Phillies batters, scattered six hits, walked four, struck out two, and above all, exuded calm—a calm that must now feel like a blizzard to the trailing Phillies.
The Senators scored both of their runs before some fans had settled into their wooden seats. After Cecil Travis laced a double in the first and Al Simmons drove him home, John Stone came through with a two-out RBI single—an understated but fateful blow. From that point on, Washington's offense vanished... and so did Philadelphia’s hope of overtaking them.
Chase’s duel with Robin Roberts was one for the purists. The Phillies' ace matched Chase pitch-for-pitch, his own complete game punctuated by nine hits allowed and just two runs. Roberts did his part. His team simply could not solve the riddle of Washington's rhythm: timely doubles, pressure on the basepaths, and defensive poise.
The Phillies, now down 3–0 in the series, are left staring at elimination. They’ve not been outslugged, but out-executed. They’ve now been outscored 19–6 across three games, and what once looked like a tightly matched affair has unraveled into a Senators march.
Make no mistake—this has been a clinic in vintage baseball. Baserunning artistry from B. Chapman and John Stone. Quiet leadership from Bucky Harris in the dugout. And now, with one more game, the 1937 Senators could close the book on this series before the leaves even finish turning on the Pennsylvania trees.
Tomorrow, the Phillies have one last chance to summon the spirit of Robin Roberts, Richie Ashburn, and the pride of a city that’s seen its share of fight. But today belongs to Ken Chase—a name you may not find in Cooperstown, but one that belongs in the lore of this tournament.
This is Bob Costas, from a drizzly Shibe Park, reminding you that baseball’s poetry isn’t always written in thunder... sometimes, it’s whispered in control, in conviction, and in complete games.

Game 4
At Shibe Park
1937 Washington Senators 8
1959 Philadelphia Phillies 9
WP: R. Gomez (1-0) LP: J. DeShong (0-1) S: T. Farell (1)
HR: None
POG: Ed Bouchee (4-5, 4 RBI, 2 R)
1937 Senators Lead Series 3-1

Baseball, like life, rarely follows a neat and predictable script. Just when the curtain seemed ready to fall on the 1959 Philadelphia Phillies—down three games to none and trailing early in Game 4—they rose from the ashes of a dismal start and wrote a new chapter in this unfolding Field of Dreams drama.
Hello again, I’m Bob Costas, and what we witnessed at Shibe Park today was the kind of rollercoaster contest that keeps this old game forever young. The Senators of 1937 looked poised to deliver the knockout blow. A 3-run first inning, a triple by Buddy Myer in the third, and a steady barrage of run production had Washington up 6-0 early, chasing starter Don Cardwell before the 4th inning was even underway. It was clinical, it was precise—and it felt like déjà vu.
But then, like flipping a switch in the heart of Philadelphia, the Phillies refused to go quietly.
They chipped away, one run in the fourth, then a furious rally in the fifth—sparked by back-to-back triples from Dave Philley and Gene Freese. Suddenly, it was a ballgame again. And in the seventh, with the bases loaded and two outs, up stepped Ed Bouchee.
Bouchee, who had already collected a couple of base hits, lashed a 2-run single to right—his third and fourth RBIs of the day. The crowd, which had spent most of the afternoon in uneasy silence, erupted. It was 8-6, and you could feel the tide fully turning.
They weren’t done. Richie Ashburn doubled in the eighth to set the table, and Bouchee again came through—his fourth hit, his second run scored, and his fingerprints all over this comeback victory.
And still, Washington didn’t fold. Down 9-6 entering the ninth, they mounted a last gasp, with Bruce Lewis’ RBI double cutting the lead to one. But Turk Farrell dug deep, recording the final outs to preserve a 9-8 win and keep the Phillies alive in this best-of-seven series.
You want heroes? Ed Bouchee went 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs. Richie Ashburn reached base four times and scored three runs. Even the Phillies bullpen—so often a weak spot—stood tall, with Ruben Gomez and Farrell combining for five critical innings of relief after Cardwell faltered.
On the other side, the Senators’ bats were again potent—11 hits, 8 runs—but their pitching, especially starter Joe DeShong, finally cracked. It took 105 pitches, 15 baserunners, and a barrage of extra-base hits from the Phillies to finally loosen their grip on this series.
So here we are. The Senators still lead 3 games to 1. They are still the more balanced team. But now they must contend with a Philadelphia lineup that suddenly remembers it can hit—and a fanbase that just remembered how to believe.
Game 5 awaits tomorrow, back here at Shibe Park. If this one was any indication, the heart of the '59 Phillies still beats strong. The Senators would be wise not to assume the final nail has been hammered in just yet.
From the City of Brotherly Love, this is Bob Costas saying goodnight—and good luck explaining this game to anyone who thinks baseball is boring.

Game 5
At Shibe Park
1937 Washington Senators 5
1959 Philadelphia Phillies 3
WP: B. Newsom (2-0) LP: G. Conley (0-2)
HR: None
POG: Ben Chapman (3-4, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI, R, SB)

"There are moments in baseball when history doesn’t just whisper — it roars."
And today, it roared from the ivy-draped walls of Shibe Park, as the 1937 Washington Senators claimed their place in the annals of the Field of Dreams with a 5-3 victory over the 1959 Philadelphia Phillies, clinching Series #220 in five tightly contested games. This was no coronation stroll. It was a hard-fought finale — a game shaped by grit, by timely hitting, and by the enduring brilliance of a man named Ben Chapman. Already the centerpiece of this series, Chapman put an emphatic stamp on his MVP performance with three more hits, including a leadoff triple in the 1st and a clutch two-out double in the 5th. He finished the series batting .381, but numbers alone can’t capture his impact. Chapman was the firestarter, the tone-setter, the relentless heartbeat of a team playing for something bigger than themselves — for the dignity of a franchise long overshadowed in the dusty pages of baseball lore.
It was fitting, too, that Bobo Newsom, known as much for his colorful personality as his durability, went the distance on the mound. Throwing 151 pitches, Newsom danced in and out of trouble all afternoon. He scattered 12 hits, stranded 10 runners, and twice induced double plays when the Phillies threatened to break the game wide open. This wasn’t domination — it was survival, executed with cunning and heart.
And what of the Phillies? They didn't go quietly into this October afternoon. Ed Bouchee, their breakout performer, had another three-hit game and drove in his fifth run of the series. But as was the case in three of their four losses, Philadelphia struggled to capitalize on opportunities, stranding runners in scoring position and getting outmaneuvered in the little moments — the infield shifts, the two-strike approaches, the shallow fly balls that never quite found the grass.
This series wasn’t won with towering home runs or no-hitters. It was won with fundamentals — clutch doubles, efficient defense, smart baserunning. The Senators turned two key double plays, executed a sacrifice fly, and delivered four two-out RBIs. These are the cornerstones of championship baseball — subtle but surgical.
And so, for the first time in this dreamscape tournament, the 1937 Washington Senators are champions of a series. In a land where legends walk and eras collide, they have carved their chapter — a team that many forgot, now impossible to ignore.
“When you wear Senators on your shirt, you're good at something,” said manager Bucky Harris after the final out. Today, that "something" was everything. Heart, hustle, and a memory that will live far beyond the cornfields.
From Shibe Park, I’m Bob Costas. And this... was a game to remember.

1937 Washington Senators Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:

(.381, 6 RBI, 3 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 SB, .459 OBP, .667 SLG)