1951 DANA Season
The Boston Unicorns may have won only four games in their first season in Beantown, but they still did better than the MLB Braves in attendance at Braves Field.
The Rochester Millers hoped a playoff appearance and a maybe a championship would keep the team in town, but it wasn't mean to be. An important game at home in Week 10 against Chicago went down to the wire, but the Gaels prevailed. The Millers, despite losing by 6 points, saluted the hometown fans after what could be their last game in Rochester.
It wasn't too long ago that the Mad Hatters went to two straight Frosty Mugs, winning the first in the DANA's inaugural season. This year, they've slipped further in the standings and general manager Maurice Hoffman warned that head coach Lyle Waring could be on the hot seat for 1952.
Also hitting the skids were the Buffalo Lakers, who reached the Frosty Mug last year, only to lose to a rising Philadelphia Spirits team.
The New York Heroes make their second straight playoff appearance after two straight losing seasons. The question now remains if they can win the big one.
Eastern Division
Y - Philadelphia Spirits 7-3
X - New York Heroes 6-4
X - Newark Bulldogs 6-4
Montreal Voyageurs 5-5
Boston Unicorns 4-6
Toronto Titans 2-8
Western Division
Y - Indianapolis Drivers 8-2
X - Chicago Gaels 6-4
Rochester Millers 5-5
Detroit Roadsters 4-6
Buffalo Lakers 4-6
Cleveland Mad Hatters 3-7
Y - Division Leader at season's end
X - Wild card
1951 DANA Playoffs
East Tiebreaker
June 9, 1951
Polo Grounds
New York City
Newark Bulldogs 36
New York Heroes 45
East Final
June 16, 1951
Franklin Field
Philadelphia, PA
New York 27
Philadelphia 9
West Final
June 17, 1951
Victory Field
Indianapolis, IN
Chicago 18
Indianapolis 54
Fourth Frosty Mug
June 23, 1951
Victory Field
Indianapolis, IN
New York 27
Indianapolis 45
The Drivers' home field advantage in the West Final prompted the construction of a temporary bleacher section in left and center field at Victory Field. When the Drivers wiped the floor with the Gaels in that playoff game, Indianapolis became party central for Driveball's growing fanbase. Anybody that doubted Indiana's readiness to support professional sports would be suddenly silenced when the Drivers took the field to welcome the New York Heroes for the Frosty Mug showdown.
The game was pretty much over at the opening siren. Drivers center Murray Fillion controlled the opening ballup. He then fired a thirty yard pass to half forward Bernie Berman to set up the Drivers' first score of the game. After that, the Drivers never looked back. The Heroes put up a valiant fight, but their efforts were too little, too late.
MVP: Murray Fillion (C, Drivers)
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