NEW TRIVIA CONTEST: You will still be required to enter the drawing as usual. However, through the end of 2024 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 the years final column will get a $50 Starbucks Gift Card. Ties will be placed into a drawing. Questions will be worth anywhere from 10-25 points depending on degree of difficulty. Questions will be more difficult as the year goes on, so you are never really out of the mix. 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: Roberto Clemente played in 14 World Series Games. In how many of those games did he get at least one hit? Total 30 Points.
This past week the Pirates celebrated Roberto Clemente Day. There is no doubt to his greatness and his legacy and as a Pittsburgh native, I hold him in the highest esteem. Perhaps that is why one game stands out in my life, in which I saw the Great One in person, in a setting where he did shine and he did not shine.
It was the rarest of rare events when Roberto Clemente made a major error. It was even more unusual when it cost his team a game. However, that was exactly what happened on August 14th, 1965. It was a memorable night to begin with because it was right in the middle of the Watts Riots and it happened at Dodger Stadium. Attendance was only 29, 237, mainly because people were afraid to leave their homes. The city was on fire and people were dying. Baseball however, witnessed one of it's great pitching match-ups and a game which few will remember except those who were there. I was.
Sandy Koufax squared off against Don Cardwell. The former in his prime, the latter heading toward the end of a decent career. The Bucs were headed for sixth place in a ten team league. The Dodgers would go on to defeat the Twins in the World Series. For Koufax he was looking for win no. 21 in a season where he would dominate again.
The Pirates were a good hitting team as usual back then, but a team in transition. Clemente was still in his prime and batting .342 and was backed by Donn Clendenon's 28 homers, Willie Stargell's long taters and the amazing defensive play of Bill Mazeroski and Gene Alley up the middle. Catching Cardwell that night was journeyman, Jim Pagliaroni.
For Los Angeles it was the switch hitting infield of Parker, Gilliam, Lefebvre and Kennedy and the speed of Willie Davis backed by Lou Johnson and Ron Fairly. Johnny Roseboro as usual was catching Koufax.
The game was scoreless and a real pitchers duel. I remember Mazeroski getting the Bucs' first hit, a single in the second. With two out in the bottom of the second Davis hit a shot to deep right field. Clemente, the ever graceful outfielder, leaned into the ground level box seats and robbed Davis of a home run. Without that the Dodgers would have had a 1-0 lead and the game would have ended in nine. Not to be.
To show you this was the 1960's, with two out in the top of the tenth and the game scoreless, Pirate manager Danny Murtaugh let Cardwell, the pitcher, bat. He struck out. The Dodgers would have their chance in the bottom of the tenth.
The inning began harmlessly. Roseboro flied out to Clemente followed by Kennedy also hitting a line drive out to Clemente. Then came the ultimate mistake. With two out in the bottom of the 10th, Cardwell walked Koufax. The mortal sin in baseball is to walk the opposing pitcher. Koufax was not a great hitter and manager Walt Alston chose to let his ace bat. Wes Parker followed with another walk and Murtaugh did not take Cardwell (who would pitch a no-hitter in his career) out.
Jim Gilliam hit a line drive to Clemente in right. The Great Roberto charged in for what looked like a routine final out. The ball hit off his glove and bounced away for an error. Koufax, running on contact, scored easily despite a good throw to the plate. Dodgers win 1-0.
It was an amazing game, both pitchers throwing 10 innings and a lot of unusual things you will never see again, or even before that. It was a night to remember and both men are now in the Hall of Fame.
TRIVIA CONTEST;