TRIVIA WINNER: Bob Hazle scored the winning run in the 1957 World Series Game 7. Tim Fealy of Punta Gorda, FL, had the correct answer. The Prize: Starbucks Gift Card.
TRIVIA CONTEST: By answering the TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY you are automatically entered into a weekly drawing for a Starbucks Gift Card. YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN. Please put your mailing address in with the answer so if you win we can send you the gift card in the mail.
NEW TRIVIA QUESTION:What was the fewest number of games Ron Fairly played in any single season?
It is demoralizing when a team scores 10 runs and still loses. It's even worse when that team is an expansion team struggling to survive in the first year of divisional play; 1969. It occurred on August 10th and came at the hands of the other expansion team; the Montreal Expos. Talk about demoralizing.
It seemed from the early innings not one pitcher on either side could handle the opposing batters. In fact, it wasn't until the latter couple of innings a hurler on each side got anyone out consistently.
It was a weird game of back and forth. Coco Laboy and Ty Cline got things started for the Expos off Tommie Sisk taking a 2-0 lead in the first. The Friars came back an inning later with a run on an RBI by Cito Gaston. Montreal jumped on Sisk and Dave Roberts for five more in the second. A three run blast by Ron Fairly was the big blow.
It remained 7-1 until the fourth when the Padres scored five runs off Howie Reed and Claude Raymond. With the score 7-6 San Diego scored a run to tie in and then in the seventh jumped on Dan McGinn for three more to lead 10-7. In the bottom of the seventh, after a walk to Rusty Staub, Fairly took Frank Reberger deep for his second homer. Montreal scored another in the inning to lead 11-10.
After that it was Bill Stoneman and Jack Baldschun keeping both teams at bay. Stoneman picking up the win with two scoreless innings. It upped his record to 8-15. Gary Ross at 1-11 took the loss. On the day it was Fairly who was the hero with 3-for-5, three runs and 5 RBI on a pair of homers. Downtown Ollie Brown homered for the Pads.
It's why the call them expansion teams in what was very likely the most exciting game either team played in their debut seasons.
TRIVIA CONTEST;