Chuck Dressen
Charlie Dressen's panic attack helped cause the greatest collapse in baseball history. In 1951, with his Brooklyn Dodgers enjoying a 13-game lead in August, the New York Giants won 16 straight and 37 of 44 to force a three-game playoff for the National League pennant. As the Giants made their charge, Dressen leaned heavily on his top three pitchers: Don Newcombe, Preacher Roe, and Ralph Branca. When October came, those three were tired, and Branca allowed a dramatic homer to Bobby Thomson to lose the pennant.
Quotes About Dressen
"I think that Charley Dressen knows more about baseball than any manager I've ever had." — Al Kaline, 1964.
Played For
Cincinnati Reds (1925-1931)
New York Giants (1933)
Managed
Cincinnati Reds (1934-1937)
Brooklyn Dodgers (1951-1953)
Washington Senators (1955-1957)
Milwaukee Braves (1960-1961)
Detroit Tigers (1963-1966)
Born
Charles Walter Dressen was born on September 20, 1898, in Decatur, IL.
Died
August 10, 1966, Detroit, MI
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 3B
Primary Team: CIN
Major League Debut
April 17, 1925
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1925
Jimmie Foxx
Mickey Cochrane
Lefty Grove
Buddy Myer
Leo Durocher
Billy Rogell
Freddie Fitzsimmons
Mule Haas
Chuck Dressen
Largest Weakness as a Player
In Game Three of the 1951 playoff, Dressen made a huge mistake when he failed to order first baseman Gil Hodges to play farther off the line in the ninth inning with a runner on first. Don Mueller hit a ball that Hodges (had he been positioned properly) would have probabl converted into a 3-6-3 double play. However, he dove to his right and missed the ball, which went for a single. Two batters later, Bobby Thomson hit his pennant-winning home run.
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