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Swift rise, dramatic fall: 1915 Phillies great Grover Cleveland Alexander

Second in an occasional series on the 100th anniversary of the Phillies' first pennant.

The late-inning drama that produced the Yankees' 3-2 win in Game 3 of their 1950 World Series matchup with the Phillies was enough to occupy the sportswriters in Yankee Stadium's press box. The strange visitor seated in a back-row corner hardly crossed their radar.

Some of those who noticed the old man were spooked. His right ear was missing. His face was an angry red, his scowl embedded. A thick shock of white hair was as disheveled as the clothes he wore.