Baseball in the 1960's

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Thurman Munson's Debut

TRIVIA WINNER: The answer to our most recent question was thew longest double-header in MLB history was between the Giants and Mets on May 31, 1964, almost 10 hour. And they didn't even get a cartoon with this double feature. 10 points toward the person's total.

NEW TRIVIA CONTEST: You will still be required to enter the drawing as usual. However, through June 2025 you will get points depending on the complexity of the questions. Enter each week and correct answers will get those points-one guess per person per week. The reader with the most points after June's final column will get a $50 Starbucks Gift Card. Ties will be placed into a drawing. Tell your friends and sports fans who like trivia. We will keep track of your points. - YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN.

NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: How many shutouts did Thurman Munson catch? TOTAL 10 POINTS.

Making a major league debut often means an at-bat as a pinch-hitter and usually ends up with not much happening. It wasn't that way for Yankee catcher Thurman Munson. Munson's debut on August 8, 1969 was exceptional. It came in the second game of a double header at home against the Oakland A's and Catfish Hunter, a future Yankee teammate.

Munson's assignment was to catch pitcher Al Downing and do what he could at the plate. He was masterful at both, giving an inkling of what was to come from this beloved Yankee. His first at bat against Hunter he drew a walk, the second he grounded out and the third he singled.

Then in the bottom of the eighth, facing Marcell Lachemann who had relived Hunter and with the Yankees leading 3-0, Munson came to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out. The future All-Star singled in two runs and took second on a throwing error. The Yankees won the game 5-0 with Munson going two-for-three, two RBI and to boot his first game in the Bigs, he caught a shutout from Downing. Now that's a debut.

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Sunday, February 2, 2025

The End of the True Double-Header

TRIVIA WINNER: The answer to our most recent question was the four Dodger infielders who were switch hitters, the first time it was done, were Wes Parker, Jim Gilliam, Maury Wills and Jim Lefebvre. 10 points toward the person's total.

NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: The longest double header in MLB history lasted almost 10 hours. Who were the two teams? TOTAL 10 POINTS.

May 18th, 1969 marked a very unusual day in the annals of baseball in the 1960s. First, it was a day which had something we don't see anymore and we may never see again; the true Double Header. Even more, two true Double Headers in one day, scheduled for nine innings.

It was a Sunday which is when most double dips were played. Teams got in those two games before one of them had to leave town. Monday was usually a travel day so playing two was not a real drawback.

The interesting thing about these two twin bills however, was that the winning teams scored a combined total of 10 runs! Four games, 10 runs total for the winners; The Yankees and the Senators. The Senators took two from the White Sox by the same scores of 3-2. New York swept the California Angels 3-1 and 1-0. It was all about Joe Pepitone that day. None of the four teams involved at the time were over .500 with the White Sox at the 50-50 mark.

In the first game, the Angels' Andy Messersmith was off to one of the worst starts of his career. The loss dropped him to 0-3 and the only runs the New Yorkers got was a three run blast in the 7th by Pepitone. It backed the eight-hit pitching of Mel Stottlemyre who went the distance to run his record to 6-3.

In the night cap hard luck George Brunet failed to yield a run in six innings and gave way to Hoyt Wilhelm. Hurling for the Yankees was Bill Burbach who gave up only two hits in six innings before calling it a night. Steve Hamilton took over. With no score going into the bottom of the ninth, Wilhelm faced lead off hitter Pepitone, who promptly blasted his 11th homer of the young season and second of the day. And 18,000 people, or what was left of them, went home happy from Yankee Stadium.

New York swept the two games with all four runs driven in by two swings from Pepitone. Pepitone would end the season with 27 homers and 70 RBI in his final year with New York. He was sent to Houston for the 1970 season.

In the other Double Header, an error by normally sure handed shortstop Luis Aparicio spoiled a magnificent pitching performance by Joel Horlen. With score tied at two, the Senators Hank Allen opened the 10th with a grounder which Aparicio muffed. Del Unser sacrificed him to second, an infield hit by Ed Stroud put runners at the corners before Mike Epstien drove home the winning run with a single to right. Horlen went nine innings plus giving up seven hits and took the loss.

In the nightcap it was all over pretty early. With the score tied 1-1 in the third, the Senators Allen led off with a walk. Gary Peters gave up a single to Frank Howard and after striking out Ken McMullen, Brent Alyea singled to drive in Allen. Tim Cullen singled to load the bases and then Peters did what pitchers hate; he walked the light hitting Unser to score Howard with the go ahead run. It proved to be the winning run as the Sens took the second game by the same score as the first, 3-2. Most of the 6274 fans at Comiskey Park that day, went home sad.

Unser, a career .258 hitter was the key to the twin bill wins. It was only his second season in the bigs and he finished a respectable .286. The speedy outfielder led the AL in triples with eight.

Sunday, January 26, 2025

The Day Double D and the D died on the Vine

TRIVIA WINNER: The answer to our most recent question was the four catchers who were traded for Bob Uecker were Jim Coker, Pat Corrales, Gary Kolb and Gene Oliver. It should be noted both Kolb and Oliver were multi-positional players but did catch at some points. 20 points toward the person's total.

NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: Name the four switch-hitters who played for the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers? TOTAL 10 POINTS.

August 8th, 1965 is a day every ballplayer dreams of and every ballplayer dreads. It's when one team so blasted the other they could only hope to go home early. The game started harmlessly enough with the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers going 1-2-3 against Jim Maloney and the Cincinnati Reds. When the Reds came to bat it was obviously going to be a rough day for Don Drysdale.

Tommy Harper started it off with a bunt single and rode home on a Pete Rose double. Before the inning was over, Drysdale walked a batter, followed by an error, a flyball and an error. It was 4-0 Reds. After another perfect inning the Reds went up 6-0 after Drysdale hit Tommy Harper and Vada Pinson and Gordy Coleman got hits to drive in more.

Los Angeles finally got a man on based and wasted a triple by Wes Parker in the third but the Reds continued to pound out the hits with another run. This time it was Jim Brewer. Drysdale was long gone. Before the contest was over Pinson, Rose and Harper had homered and Maloney was masterful. He allowed just four hits, four walks and pitched a 12-0 shutout. It should be noted this was a Dodger club which won the pennant and went on to beat the Twins in the World Series.

It was not because of their hitting however, with the likes of Drysdale, Sandy Koufax and Claude Osteen on the hill. On this day however, they were the inferior team.

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