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Tuesday, July 30, 2019

At the Trade Deadline; Dick Stuart

TRIVIA QUESTION: Dick Stuart struck out more than 100 times in five different seasons. How many times did he lead the league in strikeouts? 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN:  In a game which now prides itself on players making millions of dollars early in their careers, 1964 was a different time and place. AL MVP Brooks Robinson made a salary of $35,000 while 33 year old NL MVP Ken Boyer made $70,000.

This past week and and a half we've heard nothing but who is going to be traded as the deadline approached and who were the "buyers" and "sellers." In the 1960's it wasn't as pronounced, but it was there as well. Smart GM's were looking for that one veteran who could help down the stretch and give the team just one more win than the other teams in the league. The Dodgers GM Buzzie Bavasi and Scouting Directer Al Campanis were masters at this.
  (Slugger Dick Stuart in Home Run Derby with HOFer Frank Robinson)

The 1966 season is a case in point. While they picked up Wes Covington at the end of his career, the former Phillie slugger had very little left in the tank. However, aging home run hitter Dick Stuart did. Looking for help in the second half Bavasi would give manager Walt Alston all the help he needed. Perhaps he didn't trust the Dodger bats, remembering how weak they were in 1965. He signed Stuart as a free agent in July. Doctor Strange-glove wasn't signed for his defense (they had Wes Parker for that), but he figured to spell Parker and add pinch hitting to his duties.
On Friday, July 15th before 50-thousand fans at Shea Stadium in New York, Stuart paid dividends and made it all worth while. With Don Drysdale and Jack Fisher locked in an early  pitching duel the two clubs went into the 9th tied at 3-3. By this time both starters had given way to relievers. Neither team could end it in regulation.

The Mets sent Jack Hamilton to the mound in the 10th facing Phil Regan. The 10th passed and into the 11th Hamilton got Parker to ground out. Ron Fairly drew a walk and Jim Lefebvre doubled sending Fairly around to third. Jim Barbieri drew an intentional walk to load the bases for Regan's spot. Alston sent Stuart up to pinch hit. Stuart, who had clobbered pitchers in Forbes Field for the Pirates and pounded the Green Monster in Boston, sent a pinch single to center scoring Fairly with the go-ahead run, 4-3. Nate Oliver ran for Stuart and Bob Miller held the Mets scoreless in the 11th to win it.

Now you may not think it was a big deal, but even if Stuart never got another hit, it was important because the Dodgers won the pennant in 1966 by just 1.5 games. 

But that wasn't all, six days later Stuart would drive in a run in a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh, on July 25th he homered off Chris Short to tie the game with Philadelphia before getting a single to drive in the go-ahead and eventual winning run. The following day he homered off Larry Jackson for one of his two hits in a 3-2 Dodger win. Two more hits in the next game which the Dodgers won, and on the final day of the month he homered off Steve Carlton, and had three hits and three RBI in a 6-4 Los Angeles win. 
Alston would have trouble keeping Stuart's bat out of the line-up as he continued to play well. By season's end Dick Stuart had banged 24 hits, three homers and nine RBI, while hitting .264. His hitting accounted for more than the two games the club needed to put them into the World Series. He would go 0-2 in the Series where the Orioles swept the Dodgers in four straight. And in case you were wondering, on defense Stuart handled 214 chances with only two errors for a .991 fielding percentage. It was his highest percentage in the 10 years he played. Covington would hit .121 with a homer and four RBI.

Stuart was released by the club in the winter and picked up by the Angels where he spent the first few months of the season before being released a final time and calling it quits. A key cog in the 1960 Pirates World Series run, he really did damage in Boston. He led the AL in RBI in 1963, hitting a career high 42 home runs. His 35 homers and 117 RBI in 1961 were added to a .301 batting average. His final season in Boston (1964) he cranked 33 homers, 114 RBI and a respectable .279. It must be noted he led his league seven times in errors committed at First Base.
 
"NEW SPECIAL OFFER"
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book
"Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"
for $15 Shipping Included 
Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column.

Also: Please check out our new Western Short Film. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iron-gun-western-feature-film/#/

 
Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!! Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.     


Tuesday, July 23, 2019

1964 Brooks & Boyer MVP's

TRIVIA QUESTION: During the 1964 season Brooks Robinson was 27 years old, Ken Boyer was 33. That season Robinson made $35,000. How much did Boyer make for the 1964 season? 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN:  In the game in 1969 when the Dodgers fell to the Giants 14-13, there were four players on the field who played for both teams during their career. Aside from Len Gabrielson, Tom Haller and Ron Hunt, the fourth player was Manny Mota. Mota began his 20-year career with the Giants and finished it with the Dodgers stopping in Pittsburgh in between. 

Its not often two players who work the same infield position become the Most Valuable Player in their respective leagues. In 1964 this was the case. The Oriole's Brooks Robinson and the Cardinals Ken Boyer were not only named the MVP of their leagues but they both played third base. Boyer went on to the World Series, Robinson's Baltimore club finished third despite winning 97 games and finishing just two games back of the pennant winning Yankees. 
 The two players had remarkably similar statistics. Robinson played in 1963 games (the club played a tie game during the season) and drove in 118 runs to lead the AL. Boyer played in all 162 games for the Cardinals and led the NL with 119 RBI.  

The other statistics are extremely close as well. Only 22 Plate Appearances separated them and when it came to official AB's Boyer had 16 more than Brooks. Boyer scored 100 runs compared to 82 for Robinson who didn't have quite the other hitters around him the Cardinals placed around Boyer.

Boyer's 185 hits fell closely behind Robinson's 194 and it led to Robinson's BA of .317 to Boyer's .295. In doubles Boyer had 30 to 35 for the AL MVP, and while Boyer led in triples 10-3 they were super close in homers. Robinson had 28 to 24 for the NL MVP.


Their On Base Percentage was as close as you can get; .368 for Robinson to .365 for the Cardinal third sacker and their slugging percentage was close too. Robinson was higher at .521 to .489. 

When it came to fielding both were known as among the best defensive third baseman of their era, if not all time. They had basically the same amount of chances. Boyer had 494 to Brooks 492 while Boyer made more errors with 24-14. Their Fielding Percentage was a little low that year with Boyer at .951 to the O's third baseman's .972.


The 1964 season would be the only time Boyer made it to the post season where he batted .222 in the Cardinals win over New York, but did hit a Grand Slam homer. Robinson would make it to the post season six times, including four World Series appearances. In 39 post season games Brooks Robinson would hit .303 with five homers and was named the 1970 World Series MVP. He also put on a defensive display unrivaled in modern times.
 They were two of the best at their positions and in one unbelievable season, they were about as close as you can get. 


"NEW SPECIAL OFFER"
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book
"Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"
for $15 Shipping Included 
Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column.

Also: Please check out our new Western Short Film. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iron-gun-western-feature-film/#/

 
Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!! Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.     

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Wild Night at the Stick 50 Years Ago

TRIVIA QUESTION:  Dodger-Giants series usually feature players who ended up playing for both teams in their career. In the game below there were four position players who achieved that status; Len Gabrielson, Tom Haller and Ron Hunt were three of them. Who was the fourth? 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN:  The player the 1960 Reds would replace at second base while trying out Eddie Kasko with Cliff Cook at third, was none other than controversial Yankee skipper, Billy Martin. From 1957-1961 when he retired as a player, Martin ended up playing for seven different teams. Almost as many times as he was hired and fired by the Yankees as manager. A total of 26 players were involved in those transactions. 

A funny thing happened this week 50 years ago in major league baseball, specifically on July 17th. The Dodgers and Giants did battle; nothing new. They went crazy at Candlestick; not unusual. They scored 27 runs between them? Wow! Even more impressive, Maury Wills and Ron Hunt had 9 RBI between them for opposing teams.
 When the dust settled before less than 14,000 fans that Thursday afternoon, both teams would have 52 wins on the year, with the Dodgers a full game ahead in the loss column. The game started simply enough with Joe Moeller facing Ron Herbal. Neither would make it out of the fourth inning. Moeller gave up nine, while Herbal offered up four and his replacement, Ray Sadecki chipped in with another six. 


Everyone should have figured this was going to be an unusual day when Wills led off the game with a home run. He would triple in the second inning with men on and the Dodgers led 4-2.  In the bottom of the second a pair of singles and two doubles (one by Hunt with men on) gave the Giants a 5-4 lead.

In the fourth the roof caved in on Moeller. With two out he gave up a single to the pitcher; Sadecki. Teddy Sizemore booted a Dave Marshall ground ball and Hunt doubled in another run followed by Bobby Bonds smash over the wall. It was his 19th. Number 20 would come two innings later. No matter what Moeller was leaving losing 9-4.  Al McBean came on to end Moeller's day. 
This was far from over. Things settled down until the sixth when the Dodgers scored on a Ken Boyer double to make it 9-6. In the bottom of the inning Bonds popped his 20th off John Purdin and the Giants surged 11-6. 

The seventh saw the Boys in Blue come roaring back. Eight consecutive men reached base with a pair of Don Mason errors (2b, one fielding, one throwing) and a wild pitch mixed in, with a Wes Parker home run and the local fans were left stunned. It started 11-6 Giants and when the inning came to a close it was 13-11 Dodgers! Also included in the inning was Wills second triple, again with men on base.

Jim Brewer was now on to relieve for Los Angeles and Ron Bryant took over for San Francisco. The Dodgers were ahead and Brewer was looking for a Save, for now. Then with two out and two on in the bottom of the seventh, Bob Burda, who had come in for Willie McCovey blasted a deep drive to right for three runs and a 14-13 Giant lead.


And that was that. Aside from a lone single and a hit batter in the eighth, Bryant dominated in shutting down the Dodgers over the last two innings. He struck out both Bill Russell and Tom Haller looking. 

Only 10 of the 27 runs were scored off the five homers in the game. Wills had 4 RBI, Hunt 5 and Bonds had 5. Brewer took the loss and Bryant got the win. The two clubs likely used up all their hits that day, because the following night in just 2:35 minutes the Dodgers beat the Giants 3-2 behind Bill Singer.


"NEW SPECIAL OFFER"
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book
"Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"
for $15 Shipping Included 
Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column.

Also: Please check out our new Western Short Film. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iron-gun-western-feature-film/#/

 
Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!! Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.