Baseball in the 1960's

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Jim Bunning = 4 X 19

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TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Nils Westholm, of Springfield, IL, who correctly identified Buzzie Bavasi as the General Manager of the San Diego Padres in 1969 when the team came into existence. The Prize this week: Starbucks Gift Card.

NEW TRIVIA CONTEST: IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A Starbucks Gift Card. YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN.

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TRIVIA QUESTION: The Pittsburgh Pirates sent two future All-Stars to the Phillies in what turned out to be an ill-fated trade for Jim Bunning. Who were those two players?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Buzzie Bavasi was the GM of the new San Diego Padres in 1969 and his son Peter was the Scouting Director on a team loaded with former Dodger players and execs.

Few pitchers in baseball history can make the claims Jim Bunning could. The future US Senator from Kentucky and baseball Hall of Famer was one of the most dominant pitchers of the 1960s. He never 20 twenty games during the decade; he did that in 1957 (20-8). He did however have four years out of five where he came as close as a pitcher can ever come; four times in five years he won 19 games. The saddest mark coming in the final stretch of 1964 (see final paragraph below).

(Jim Bunning's Perfect Game Final Out - K)

Bunning was an amazing pillar of consistency. From 1960-69 he only failed to win in double figures once which turned out to be the worst season of his career. It was the year the Pirates, looking to bolster a sagging starting staff to back it's Lumber Company powerhouse, acquired Bunning for four players. Bunning left them cold with injuries and was 4-14 in his only full year in Pittsburgh. The Bucs shipped him off to the Dodgers in mid-1969 where he ended with a 13-10 record.

In the 1960's he averaged 259 innings a season, 15 wins, with an ERA mostly in the 2.60 range and strong WHIP. In 1962 he was 19-10 with the Tigers. Two years later the Phillies acquired Bunning and from 1964-1966 he was one of the top right-handers in the big leagues. In those three years he was 57-31 and his WHIP was an amazing 1.03 (approximate), winning 19 games each season.

Bunning struck out 739 batters and walked only 163, in 889 innings. He was an intimidator, leading the league four times in Hit Batsman. He plunked 45 in those three years. It wasn't as if Bunning was wild. He was calculated, pitching inside. He had amazing control while at the same time leading the league in hitting batters was pretty much "I own the plate, don't even try it." The fact he is 13th All Time in hitting batters while striking out nearly three times as many batters as he walked, showed how hitters respected Bunning, or were forced to.

Known for throwing no-hitters in each league, Bunning was dominant pretty much through all of his career. The seven time all-star spent 17 seasons in the big leagues. He finished with 224 wins and 184 losses. A total of 51 of those losses came in his final four seasons as he was playing out the string and hanging on. He still managed to 32 games during that stretch. So if you were to discount those final four years he'd have finished 192-133, or 59 wins over the .500 mark.

(REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine)

Did we forget to mention he was an outstanding fielding pitcher who four times led his league in fielding his position? In a key modern day statistic, eight times he finished in the top 10 at his position in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) and is 196th overall in the category. On top of that he served six terms in the United States Congress and Two terms in the US Senate. Bunning, who died in 2017, is the only member of the Baseball Hall of Fame to serve in the Senate.

Unfortunately, he never got a taste of the post season. The year he came closest was the 1964 Phillies collapse. In that stretch, Bunning won no. 18 but the Phils dropped the next 10 games (three losses going to Bunning) before Bunning won his 19th on the final day of the season and the Cardinals captured the NL title.

TRIVIA CONTEST; After reading this column you can enter the weekly trivia contest for a chance to win a Starbucks Gift Card. 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 random each week based on correct answers with the odds being based on the number of correct entries. Please cut and paste or enter the following email into your email system.
SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO; brillpro@gmail.com
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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.

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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.

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Johnny Podres of the San Diego Padres

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TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Alan Beatty, of Bound Brook, NJ, who correctly identified Pete Ward as the 1964 White Sox home run leader with 23. The Prize this week: Starbucks Gift Card.

NEW TRIVIA CONTEST: IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A Starbucks Gift Card. YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN.

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TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1969 Padres were loaded with Dodger history including both players and executives. Who was the General Manager of the expansion Padres?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Pete Ward hit 23 home runs in 1964 to lead the Chicago White Sox in long balls.

If ever there was a pitcher whose career was more storied than successful, it was the pitching saga of Johnny Podres. When Podres stepped onto the mound on June 21st, 1969, he reached back for one last time, looking back on 15 years of Major League Baseball. It was not as a member of the historical Boys of Summer; the Brooklyn Dodgers of 1955. It was not as a member of the 1959 and 1963 World Series Los Angeles Dodgers. This time it was as a member of the pitching staff of the new San Diego Padres.

The Padres were brought into existence with the Montreal Expos in the final year of the decade and were loaded with the usual cast offs and young wannabees any expansion team is given. MLB has never been kind to expansion cities. The general feeling was "they got a team, what more do they want?' It was true.

Podres had been released by the Detroit Tigers two seasons earlier, sat out 1968 and for whatever reason was signed by San Diego in March, 1969. Maybe it was his Dodger roots (only a two hour drive from the new Padres playing field), maybe it was the nostalgia of seeing a player on the 1955 Brooklyn championship team, or maybe it was an opportunity to give a young pitching staff the expertise of a guy who'd been there and done that. Podres did go on to become the Padres pitching coach.

For whatever reason, Johnny Podres was going to the mound for one last time in a meaningless game with the Houston Astros. Pretty much every game the Padres played in 1969 was meaningless, and not much more could be said for the Astros. Houston would finish 81-81 and in fifth place in the six team NL West. The Padres would finish last in nearly every category including attendance (512,000) as they only won 52 games.

With Houston leading 4-0 manager Preston Gomez called on Podres to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning. He got Johnny Edwards and Curt Blefary easily which brought up opposing pitcher Tom Griffin. Whether he had to reach back on Griffin or whether he just faced down another pitcher, Podres struck out his opposite number and his career came to an end.

The Padres went down 1-2-3 in the ninth and that was that. At age 36 the career of John Joseph Podres was over. It was his 17th game pitched since the club signed him as a free agent exactly three months earlier. He'd started 9 games, completed one, tossed 64 innings while giving up 66 hits. He finished the season with a 4.31 ERA, striking out 17 batters.

It was Griffin's rookie season and striking out was a regular thing, 35 times in 62 AB's, and while Edwards and Blefary would go onto play into the 1970s, both were past their peak.

Hall of Fame Statue of Podres

Podres, who was named World Series MVP in 1955 and pitched in both the '59 and '63 Series could look back on some nice accomplishments. He was named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated and Sport Magazine gave him a Corvette for his 1955 Brooklyn Series. Overall, he would compile a 148-116 record with 1435 K's and a 3.68 ERA with 24 Shutouts. His best season might have been 1961 when he went 18-5 despite not pitching his best. In 1957 he tossed six shutouts and led the league in ERA at 2.66. After retiring from the Padres, Podres would go onto be a pitching coach for 23 seasons. He passed away at 75 in 2008.

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

The Ever So Close White Sox

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TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Prof. Herm Card of Syracuse, NY, who correctly answered the trivia question about the batter following Mickey Mantle in his last at bat; Roy White. This week a new Trivia Contest. The Prize this week: Starbucks Gift Card.

I'd like to point out we've been getting increasing numbers of entries from all over the country including Sparks, NV, Louisville, KY, McKinney, TX, Berkley, MI, Grand Prairie, TX, Punta Gorda, FL, Vero Beach, FL, Los Angeles and more.

NEW TRIVIA CONTEST: IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A Starbucks Gift Card. YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN.

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TRIVIA QUESTION: Who led the Chicago White Sox in home runs in 1964?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Mickey Mantle's last at bat, the subject of last week's column was a pop out. The batter to follow him was Roy White.

Oh what a helpless feeling and a lonely spot in a small corner of the world it can be when whatever you do, no matter how much you win, the baseball gods are against you. Such was one moment in time in 1964 when the red hot Chicago White Sox did everything they could but halfway across the country, one itsy, bitsy, 5-run inning, put the final nail in the coffin of the Chisox pennant hopes.

With some of the best pitching of all time, not just the AL of 1964, the White Sox were on fire. Beginning on September 22, the Sox began their run. They would peel off nine straight wins including back to back shutouts of the Kansas City A's on the final two days of the season. It did not matter.

The Yankees held a 2.5 game lead when the Sox began their run. New York would win 11 in a row until losing to Washington on September 27th. Two more wins followed by consecutive losses which gave Chicago some hope.

The Sox were led by three of the best starting pitchers in baseball and two workhorse relievers. Starters; Gary Peters (20-8, 2.50 ERA, 1.17 Whip), Juan Pizarro (19-9, 2.56 ERA, 1.03 Whip) and Joel Horlen (13-9. 1.88 ERA, .093 Whip). Relievers; Hoyt Wilhelm (12-9, 131 innings, 1.99 ERA, .094 Whip) and Bob Locker (125 innings, .094 Whip). This club did not hit much but they led the AL in most pitching departments.

The key game was the next to the last game of the season. While the Sox were shutting out KC, the Yankees were at home against Cleveland. If New York wins the season is over. If they lose to the Indians the Sox will be one game out with one to play. The Sox were not about to lose. What happened in NY mattered.

With the score tied in the bottom of the 8th at 3-3, New York came to bat against Lee Stange who had pitched a marvelous game. It looked like the eighth was going to be more of the same after lead off hitter Tom Tresh got out. A Clete Boyer single followed by a Johnny Blanchard fly out made the crowd of less than 15,000 at Yankee Stadium somewhat nervous.

Light hitting Phil Linz singled to left sending Boyer to third, bringing the crowd to it's feet. An infield single to Short by Bobby Richardson brought Boyer home with the go-ahead run, 4-3. A walk to Roger Maris loaded the bases bringing on Don McMahon who walked Mickey Mantle to bring in another run, and a two-run single by Elston Howard which made it 7-3 New York. Dick Donovan replaced McMahon and Joe Pepitone added another RBI single to make it 8-3 before Tresh, who led off the inning made the final out.

The Indians went weakly in the ninth and that put the cap on the Sox season. It didn't matter what Chicago did on the final day of the season, the Yankees had won the pennant. For good measure, the Sox fourth starter, John Buzhardt pitched a two-hit shutout and the Sox ended up a game back of New York which lost 2-1 to Sam McDowell in game 162.

The White Sox would win the same number of games in 1965 (95) but would finish in third behind the Minnesota Twins. Al Lopez managed both clubs.

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Mickey Mantle's Last At Bat

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TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Dan Taguchi of Los Angeles, who correctly answered the trivia question about the fact Mike Piazza was the only Dodger player to ever hit a home run completely out of Dodger Stadium. This week a new Trivia Contest. The Prize this week: Starbucks Gift Card.

NEW TRIVIA CONTEST: IF YOU ANSWER THE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A WEEKLY DRAWING FOR A Starbucks Gift Card. YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN.

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TRIVIA QUESTION: This column is about Mickey Mantle's last appearance. After Mantle popped out to shortstop, who followed him to the plate? HINT: He wore no. 21.

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Mike Piazza hit one of just five homers completely out of Dodger Stadium, and the only Dodger to do it. The others are Wilver Stargell (2), Giancarlo Stanton and Mark McGwire. Piazza hit his 478 feet in 1997. Stargell's remains the longest at 506 feet.

(I am writing this column today for my best friend Mary A., who I grew up with playing endless games of wiffle ball into the dusk hours, and who is celebrating his xxth birthday today. Maybe we are so close because he's just two days older than me. I can't forgive him for being a Yankee fan just like he can't forgive me for being a Pirate fan but it sure made for lots of great names in our line-ups as we became the Mickey Mantle and Bill Mazeroski of Wiffle Ball in his back yard.)

It was 75 degrees with a slight breeze at Boston's Fenway Park at 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon on September 28, 1968. The Red Sox were taking the field and the New York Yankees were coming to bat. Not everyone knew this was going to be the last time the great Mickey Mantle would put on a uniform and play for the team where he belonged. He belonged in history.

The great center-fielder who succeeded Joe DiMaggio way back in the early 1950's had been relegated to first base in recent years. His legs shot, his speed non-existent and his powerful bat carrying less oomph than ever. Years of drinking, injuries and battling had robbed the Mick of his prowess. Those who were not fans said he was only known for "arguing with the umpires," while those who watched him admired his great talent.

The Sox sent ace Jim Lonborg to the mound in this next to the last game of the regular season. The Yankees were long out of the race and would finish fifth. The Red Sox would finish fourth, four games ahead of the Yankees.

Lonborg, the 22 Game winner and Cy Young Award winner the previous season was struggling too. He was trying for win no.7 against 9 losses. The Red Sox won the pennant in 1967. This was 1968. This was the year Carl Yastrzemski came off his Triple Crown season when he hit .326 to win the batting title with the lowest average ever, .301. It was The Year of the Pitcher.

Mantle had battled injuries in his final season. This was nothing new. He was oft injured almost to legendary status. This year however, he was going to play in an amazing 144 games for the second year in a row. This after the 1966 campaign when he was limited to barely more than 100 games. It wasn't a bad season for any player. But Mickey Mantle wasn't just any player. He was The Mick. He'd bat 547 times, belted 18 home runs but only hit .237.

On this Saturday he started at first base and batted third behind Horace Clarke and Jake Gibbs. Clarke led off the game with a walk. Gibbs followed with a fly out to left. With Mantle at the plate. The Mick, batting left handed against the right handed Lonborg, then hit a weak pop up to shortstop Rico Petrocelli in short left field. The next batter also got out.

That was it, the last at bat for Mantle, Before he could hit a second time, Andy Kosco came into replace him. In the 8th inning Kosco belted his 15th home run of the year to make it 3-2 Red Sox. Joe Pepitone would also homer and in the end the Yanks bested the Sox 4-3. Longborg went all the way to lose it, Lindy McDaniel picked up the win in relief.

The final out recorded when Petrocelli grounded out to shortstop Tom Tresh who tossed it over to Kosco at first. That home run by Kosco was also his last as a Yankee. Over the winter New York shipped him off to the Dodgers for pitcher Mike Kekich. So Petrocelli not only ended the game but caught the final ball ever hit by Mickey Mantle.

For Mantle it brought an unceremonious end to an illustrious career. His final stat line:
18 years, 536 Home Runs, 1509 RBI, 1676 Runs Scored, and a lifetime .298 Batting Average. He hit .300 or better 10 times and made the All Star team in every year but one. The lone season he didn't make the team was 1966 when he played only 108 games. He even made it in his final season. A three time MVP he led the league in homers four times and in 1956 won the Triple Crown, batting .353. Twice he eclipsed 50 homers and in 1961 would likely have beaten Roger Maris and Babe Ruth for the single season HR title, but an illness ended his season early despite his 54 homers.

While The Mick was an extraordinary player, on this day though he was just ordinary and when it came to Mickey Mantle, ordinary was better than most, but not good enough for him. So it came to an end. Only 25,534 people saw that game at Fenway and no doubt most of them didn't realize they were watching the end of an era.

TRIVIA CONTEST; After reading this column you can enter the weekly trivia contest for a chance to win a Starbucks Gift Card. 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 random each week based on correct answers with the odds being based on the number of correct entries. Please cut and paste or enter the following email into your email system.
SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO; brillpro@gmail.com
==========================================================
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.

Followers

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Jim Bunning = 4 X 19

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Johnny Podres of the San Diego Padres

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

The Ever So Close White Sox

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Mickey Mantle's Last At Bat