Game 1

Bill Hopkins vs. Tom Seaver

At Chicago, October 4^th, 1952

Washington	0	Boxscore
Chicago	4

Win	Bill Hopkins
Loss	Tom Seaver
Save

Though the Dictators entered the playoffs having finished a distant 14 games behind Chicago, their record against the Claymores suggested they weren’t quite the underdogs they might have seemed. But the Dictators had to hope the tone for the series hadn’t already been set in their final regular season series, where they were swept by the Claymores. Game 1 featured a match up of two of the DMLs best, Bill Hopkins and Tom Seaver. Hopkins got in trouble right away, giving up back-to-back one-out singles in the first to put runners on the corners. But a strikeout by Buck Chandler and a harmless one hopper to the catcher ended the threat.

Seaver then took the hill and was immediately torched by three straight hits, a single by AL-MVP Jeff Campusano, a Cuke Jackson double, and another double by Amos Cooper, which put Chicago up 2-0. It proved to be more than enough for Chicago, as Hopkins settled in and tossed eight more innings of one-hit ball, racking up an impressive three-hit, no walk shutout performance that put Chicago up 1-0.

Game 2

Toots Wilson vs. Deacon Phillipe

At Chicago, October 5^th, 1952

Chicago Leads 1 game to 0

Washington	1	Boxscore
Chicago	2

Win	Allen Schlueter
Loss	John Curtis
Save

Game 2 was enough to make Washington fans scream.

The tone for this game was set in the top of the first, when after Tom Whitehurst led off with a single, Kent Hrbek immediately grounded into a double play. It was the first of many missed opportunities for Washington. In the third, a Bill Fauver double, Phillippe walk, and Whitehurst infield single loaded the bases with one out, but a strikeout by Hrbek and groundout by Samuel Adams ended the threat. Washington put two-on with two-out in fifth but did not score, and had runners at first and second with one-out in the seventh when Whitehurst ended the inning with a double play ball.

Chicago struggled to find clutch hits too, to the point that Toots Wilson had to assist his own cause. In the fifth, back-to-back one-out walks to Corcoran and Gonzalez brought Wilson to the plate. After failing to lay down a sacrifice, he blooped a singled that loaded the bases. Jeff Campusano then hit a slow roller to short that left Tom Whitehurst with his only play at first, allowing Corcoran to score.

In the eighth, still down 1-0, Washington got a chance to break the game open. After a leadoff single by Kent Hrbek, Samuel Adams flew out to center. Then Buck Chandler and Charlie Tate singled back-to-back to load the bases. That brought up Fred Clarke, who could only manage to lift one deep enough to bring home Hrbek and tie the game. Cuke Jackson then snagged a rocket off the bat of Hank Davis to end the inning. Though the game was tied, it proved to be another huge missed opportunity for Washington.

Chicago missed an opportunity of their own in the 9^th, when Billy Sloan held at third on a two-out double by Ed Page. Mike Gonzalez then flew out to center, sending the game to extra innings. In the top of the tenth, Hrbek and Adams opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Chandler flew out to left, and then Charlie Tate blooped a single, again loading the bases with one-out for Fred Clarke. This time, Clarke couldn’t get the ball out of the infield—he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Time finally ran out for Washington in the bottom of the tenth, when with two-out and nobody on, Cuke Jackson blasted a game-winning walk-off shot to put the Claymores up 2-0 in the series. In all, Washington left 11 men on base, and grounded into an astounding four double plays.

Game 3

Chris Fletcher vs. Babe Adams

At Detroit, October 7^th, 1952

Chicago Leads 2 games to 0

Chicago	4	Boxscore
Washington	6

Win	John Curtis
Loss	Allen Schlueter
Save

Already down 2-0, Washington needed some kind of boost if they had any hope of getting back in this series. It looked like another tough day was in store, though, as Babe Adams was nearly untouchable through eight solid innings of one-run ball. A two-run shot by Jeff Campusano put Chicago up 2-0 in the sixth, and then Tom Whitehurst homered in the bottom of the inning for the only run Washington got off Adams. Home runs by Jackson and Sloan put Chicago up 4-1 heading into the ninth, when Chicago turned the game over to closer Allen Schlueter.

But what should’ve been an easy save turned out to be anything but. Tom Whitehurst walked to open the inning, and then Hrbek walked, putting two on. Samuel Adams struck out, but Buck Chandler singled, loading the bases. Schlueter then gave up his third walk of the inning to Charlie Tate, forcing home Whitehurst and cutting the lead to 4-2. That brought up Fred Clarke, whose failure to come up big with the bases loaded had hurt Washington twice in Game 2. Clarke decided to make up for it in the biggest way possible, hitting a walk-off grand slam to give Washington a win and a serious shot in the arm.

Game 4

Joe Milchin vs. Jack Rivera

At Washington, October 8^th, 1952

Chicago Leads 2 games to 1

Chicago	0	Boxscore
Washington	5

Win	Joe Milchin
Loss	Jack Rivera
Save	John Curtis

Looking to build on their momentum from the day before, Washington got a big boost early, as Joe Milchin was able to quiet two-on, nobody out Claymores’ threat in the first. Milchin was solid thereafter, allowing just five hits over seven and a third. Charlie Tate got Washington a lead in the second with a solo blast, and that held until the sixth, when the lead was pushed to three on a two-run shot by Buck Chandler. The Chicago bats stayed silent, and John Curtis worked an inning and two thirds for the save, tying the series at two.

Game 5

Tom Seaver vs. Bill Hopkins

At Washington, October 9^th, 1952

Series tied at 2

Chicago	1	Boxscore
Washington	2

Win	Tom Seaver
Loss	Bill Hopkins
Save	Ted Abernathy

Game 5 turned out to be the classic pitcher’s duel Game 1 was supposed to be. Both Seaver and Hopkins were excellent, and in the end, the game turned on a pair of costly mistakes by the Claymores.

Scoreless going into the sixth, Hopkins made the first mistake, hitting Tom Seaver with a pitch. With one-out, a Hrbek single put runners at first and second. Adams flew out, but Buck Chandler drove a single that brought home Seaver with Washington’s first run. Then Arlas Corcoran committed a costly fielding error that allowed Hrbek to score the second run.

In the ninth, Jeff Campusano led off with a single for Chicago, which brought Ted Abernathy into the game. He walked Cuke Jackson, which put runners at first and second, but got Amos Cooper to ground into a double play. Tim Laudner then singled home Campusano, making it a one-run game, but Billy Sloan lined out to end the game and put Washington up 3-2 in the series.

Game 6

Toots Wilson vs. Deacon Phillipe

At Chicago, October 11^th, 1952

Washington Leads 3 games to 2

Washington	0	Boxscore
Chicago	5

Win	Toots Wilson
Loss	Deacon Phillipe
Save

After having a 2-0 lead in the series, the Claymores found themselves on the brink of elimination coming into Game 5. They needed Toots Wilson to live up to his Cy Young fame, and he did, blanking the Dictators with a three-hitter. Chicago took the lead in the second on a Tim Laudner solo home run, and then blew it open in the fourth, scoring four times. An RBI single by Arlas Corcoran, a two-run single by Mike Gonzalez, and a sac-fly by Jeff Campusano did the damage. The win forced a decisive Game 7.

Game 7

Babe Adams vs. Chris Fletcher

At Chicago, October 12^th, 1952

Series tied at 3

Washington	3	Boxscore
Chicago	9

Win	Babe Adams
Loss	Chris Fletcher
Save

Having missed their first opportunity to get to the World Series, Washington found themselves in that position early, when the Claymores’ Joe Delahanty handed them a run by tossing one into the stands. In the second, Chicago loaded the bases with nobody out, but managed to score only once on a double play ball. Washington then immediately retook the lead in the third, scoring on a Hrbek single and a two-run Buck Chandler single.

Up to that point, The Dictators had been able to keep the mighty Claymores’ offense down, but the dam finally burst in the fourth inning. Amos Cooper led off with a single, followed by a Tim Laudner walk. That brought up Billy Sloan, who blasted a three-run shot to put the Claymores ahead 4-2. Arlas Corcoran added a solo blast two batters later to make it 5-2. In the fifth, Sloan doubled home another run, and Delahanty added another with a single. Amos Cooper added two more with a double in the sixth. By then, Babe Adams was in control. Though he scattered ten hits, Washington never made any serious attempt to get back in the game. The win sent the Claymores to their second World Series in as many years, and ended the two-year saga of the Dictators del Mundo, who took the DML by storm and now find themselves under new ownership.