1950s Sports – 1952

by Candace RichComment — Updated August 3, 2023

1950s sports

FOOTBALL

  • NFL Championship:
  • Detroit Lions (17)   Cleveland Browns (7)
  • This is the third time that the Browns had won their American Conference Championship to lose in the NFL Championship
  • The Dallas Texans which was formed by the dissolving of the New York Yanks in 1951
    was again handed back to the NFL after posting a (1) and (11) season
  • Professional football does not return to Texas until 1960
  • Bill Wade, QB, Vanderbilt was the #1 draft pick of the year, he went to the Los Angeles Rams

1950s BaseballBASEBALL

  • World Series:
  • (in 7 games) New York Yankee’s (4 games)   Brooklyn Dodgers (3 games)
  • The Braves play their final season in Boston before being relocated to Milwaukee for financial reasons
  • Ted Williams hits a two run, home run in his last game before being drafted to serve in the Marines in Korea
  • The National League tops the American League, (3–2) in the All Star Game

1950s Basketball

BASKETBALL

  • NBA Championship:
  • (in 7 games) Minneapolis Lakers (4 games)  New York Knicks (3 games)
  • This is the Lakers third Championship in four years, they would go on to win six titles
  • George Mikan is the series MVP and the Sports Writers’ MVP for 1952
  • New York may have lost the finals but it was their 6th consecutive playoff season
  • NBA All-Star Game: Eastern Division wins (108) to Western Division (91)

1950s Tennis

Tennis

  • Wimbledon:
  • Mens Singles – (in a tie breaker) Frank Sedgman defeated Jaroslav Drobný (4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2)
  • Womens Singles – Mo Connolly bested Louise Brough (7–5, 6–3)
  • US (Open) National Championship:
  • Mens Singles – Frank Sedgman over Gardnar Mulloy (6-1, 6-2, 6-3)
  • Davis Cup:
  • United States won the Americas Zone but lost to Australia in the Challenge Round

1950s Golf

GOLF

  • The Masters: Sam Snead shot a (286) played at Augusta National Golf Club
  • U.S. Open: Julius Boros shot a (281) played at Northwood Club in Dallas, Texas
  • Boros was 32 years old and wouldn’t win another major until he was in his forties
    when he would win 16 more tournaments until he was 53
  • (webmaster note: Boros was a neighbor of my Father’s in Ft Lauderdale, FL and a very nice man)
  • PGA Championship: Jim Turnesa shot a (289) at Big Spring Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky
  • U.S. Women’s Open: Betsy Rawls shot (8 over par), she would go on to win 3 more majors

1950s Hockey

HOCKEY

  • Stanley Cup:  (in a sweep)  Detroit Red Wings (4 games) Montreal Canadians (0 games)
  • World Ice Hockey Championships:  Team Canada defeats Team USA for the fifteenth time  ..ouch!
  • Gordie Howe is again the league MVP as well as the scored points champ
  • The first televised Hockey game aired October 11, 1952 on CBC

1950s Olympics

WINTER OLYMPICS

  • Held in Oslo, Norway
  • Japan and (West) Germany were allowed to compete for the first time since WWII
  • Norway won the total Medal count with (16) including (7) Gold
  • The USA was second with (11) total and (4) Gold
  • Norwegian Hjalmar Andersen was the games biggest winner taking home (3) Gold Medals for Speed Skating
  • Dick Button of the United States performed the first ever triple jump to win Gold in Figure Skating

1950s Olympics

SUMMER OLYMPICS

  • Held in Helsinki, Finland from July 19, 1952 to August 3, 1952
  • The most number of world records were broken at these Olympic Games
  • The United States won the total medal count with (76) total including (40) Gold medals
  • The USSR was second with (71) totals including (22) Gold
  • This was the USSR’s first Olympic appearance and first medal
  • A total of (13) Countries made their Olympic debut including Bahamas, China, Ghana,
    Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Netherlands Antilles, Nigeria, Soviet Union (USSR), Thailand, and Vietnam
  • The Republic of China (Chinese Taipei/Taiwan) withdrew from the games in protest over The Peoples Republic of China (China) being admitted

1950s Nascar

CAR RACING

  • Indianapolis 500:  Troy Ruttman,
    Ruttman was the youngest driver (22 years old) to win the Indianapolis 500
  • The Hudson Hornet was the car of the year winning 27 of the 34 sanctioned races
    no other car company won over 3 races
  • Palm Beach Speedway both opened and closed the 1952 NASCAR season the only time a track would do that
  • Tim Flock won the Grand National Champion points competition
    after winning 8 of the 33 events driving of course, a Hudson

1950s Horse Racing

HORSE RACING

  • Kentucky Derby:  Hill Gail,  Jockey – Eddie Arcaro
  • Hill Gail was injured and couldn’t run in the other two legs of the Triple Crown
  • Belmont Stakes:  One Count,  Jockey – Eddie Arcaro
  • Preakness Stakes:  Blue Man,  Jockey – Conn McCreary

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