Baseball in the 1960's: February 2025

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Gordy Coleman - Just One of Those Guys

TRIVIA WINNER: The answer to our most recent question which asked how many shutouts did Thurman Munson catch, was a lot more difficult than first thought. Numbers were all over the place so I went to the source. Paul Olden, Yankee announcer is a long time friend and former colleague. I sought him out and the NYY stats guys for the answer. Munson caught 107 Shutouts in his Yankee career according to official NYY Records. 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: Who had a higher winning percentage as a ML Manager, Frank Robinson or Gene Mauch? TOTAL 10 POINTS.

I recently re-discovered Gordy Coleman while playing WhatIfSports.com. I play it more than I should but I really enjoy it. In my teams I platoon the lefty hitting Coleman with the 1958 righty Dick Stuart. It's paid off. So I decided to re-run a column on Coleman from November of 2021.

The 1960s were filled with guys who had solid careers, which if they played today they would be millionaires. Back then they were just "those guys" who made contributions to their teams. Gordy Coleman was one of those guys.

Coleman was a Cincinnati Red who was a slugger for a couple of years, a solid first baseman for several years and who homered in the only game his team won in the 1961 World Series. Still few people remember Coleman.

It took him six years to get to the big leagues and after a cup of coffee with the Indians he was traded in the winter of 1959 by Cleveland with Billy Martin and Cal McLish to the Cincinnati Reds for Johnny Temple. After a part time season in 1960 where he hit .271 he had a break out year in helping the Reds get to the Series in 1961. He slugged 26 homers and hit .287 in a lineup with featured Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson, Gene Freese and Wally Post. They were a power laden team but no match for the ultimate power team, the 1961 Yankees who beat them in five games. Coleman's two run homer came in the Reds lone victory.

Gordy continued to slug his way through the next season with 28 homers and a .277 BA but in 1963 his production waned trailing to 14 home runs and .242. By the time 1964 rolled around it was the beginning of the end for Coleman. The arrival of young clubbers Deron Johnson and Tony Perez forced him to the bench more and more often.

in 1965 he saw a resurgence batting .302 with 14 home runs in a limited role but two years later at the age of 32, his career had come to an end. His .271 career BA with 98 homers over nine years spoke of a solid if not remarkable baseball career. He never made an all-star team but in 1961 he did lead the NL in assists by a first baseman.

He retired to work in the Reds front office. He died of a heart attack in 1994 at the age of 59.

TRIVIA CONTEST; Enter via the following email. Send 1) your answer to the trivia question at the top of the column, 2) your name, address and email so where we know where to send the card if you win 3) any comment you have on the column. One winner will be selected at the end of the calendar year based on the total points acquired via weekly contests.

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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 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.

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.

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