The year 1949 consisted of Sports Championship winners Minneapolis Lakers (NBA), New York Yankees (MLB), Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
HIGHLIGHTS
The
1949 NBA Championship Final Series was a best-of-seven series between the
Minneapolis Lakers and the
Washington Capitols. The Lakers, led by George Mikan, defeated the Capitols four games to two to win the championship. The series featured some of the best players of the era, including Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen, and Jim Pollard for the Lakers and Bones McKinney and Bob Feerick for the Capitols. The series was close, with the Lakers winning the first two games and the Capitols winning the next two to even the series. The Lakers, however, were able to take the last two games to secure the championship. The series ended with a 108-94 victory for the Lakers in Game 6.
The
1949 MLB World Series was a classic showdown between the
New York Yankees and
Brooklyn Dodgers. The Yankees had won the American League pennant for the fifth consecutive year, while the Dodgers had won the National League pennant for the second consecutive year. The series went the full seven games, with the Yankees eventually coming out on top. Game 1 was won by the Yankees, who then went on to win Games 3 and 4 as well. The Dodgers won Games 2 and 5, tying the series at three games apiece. The decisive Game 7 was won by the Yankees, who clinched the series 4-3. The Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio was named MVP of the series, batting .346 with two home runs and eight RBIs. The Yankees would go on to win the next two World Series as well, making them the first team to win three consecutive World Series titles.
The
1949 NHL Stanley Cup Championship Series was a best-of-seven series between the
Toronto Maple Leafs and the
Detroit Red Wings. The Maple Leafs won the series 4–0, becoming the first team to sweep a Stanley Cup final since the
NHL adopted the best-of-seven format in
1939.
Toronto's Ted Kennedy scored the Cup-winning goal in the third period of the fourth game, securing the Maple Leafs' 11th Stanley Cup title.
Detroit's goalie Harry Lumley was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. The series was also notable for the "Production Line" of the Red Wings, which featured Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, and Sid Abel. Despite their efforts, the trio was unable to prevent the Maple Leafs from clinching the championship.