Remembering Roberto

 

TRIVIA WINNER: The answer to last weeks question is nine times Robin Roberts gave up at least 30 homers in a season in his career.  The Prize: 10 points toward the person's total.

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; 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.

                              brillpro@gmail.com 
 ==========================================================
I've written more than a dozen books including at least two sports books. You can find these at my Amazon page or at my own website www.bobbrillbooks.com. Please take a look at the sports books, the western novel series or the "Tattoo Murder," which is a crime book set in Ventura, CA.

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 books after reading this column.  

Just a note to add; If you look at the top right hand corner of the side bar you will see a link to daily sports scores. We made an agreement with Baseball 24 in a mutual sharing situation. Hope its helpful to fans of several sports.

 

Robin Roberts Final Game

 

TRIVIA WINNER: The answer to last weeks question was the St. Louis Stars finished 5-32 and Tommy Johnson was the starting pitcher who won two games.  The Prize: 30 points toward the person's total.

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:  How many times in his career did Robin Roberts give up at least 30 homers in a season? Total 10 Points.

 Robin Roberts had one of the best careers of the last half of the 20th century but like so many players of the era, he may have stayed a little too long. His career started in 1948 and during the 1950s won at least 20 games six straight seasons. From 1960 to 1966 when he retired, he won 65 games, leaving the Phillies in 1962. He played for the Oriole's, the Astros and the final season with the Cubs.

On September 3, 1966 he was in the Cubs bullpen when Ken Holtzman started against Tommie Sisk of the Pirates. Sisk was ON that day, Holtzman was not. With the Bucs leading the Cubs 5-1 in the eighth, Holtzman was pulled and Roberts with his 2-3 record and 6.00 plus ERA, was called in to hold them. It wasn't to be.

Bill Mazeroski tripled and came home on a Bob Bailey single. He walked Jim Pagliaroni and Willie Stargell took him deep for his 29th homer of the season. He struck out his opposing position Sisk, but Matty Alou singled. With four runs in, the last player he would ever face in the big leagues was Gene Alley who mercifully grounded into a double play. Sisk would set the Cubbies down 1-2-3 in the ninth to complete a complete game four-hitter.

For Roberts it was over. He had a career 286 wins, 245 losses, 45 shutouts and 25 Saves in a 19 year career which took him to the 1950 World Series with the Philadelphia Whiz Kids. Robin Roberts died in 2010 at the age of 83, and a Hall of Fame career to his credit.

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.

                              brillpro@gmail.com 
 ==========================================================
I've written more than a dozen books including at least two sports books. You can find these at my Amazon page or at my own website www.bobbrillbooks.com. Please take a look at the sports books, the western novel series or the "Tattoo Murder," which is a crime book set in Ventura, CA.

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 books after reading this column.  

Just a note to add; If you look at the top right hand corner of the side bar you will see a link to daily sports scores. We made an agreement with Baseball 24 in a mutual sharing situation. Hope its helpful to fans of several sports.

 

Three PITCHERS Best at Age 30 in the 1960s

 

TRIVIA WINNER: The answer to last weeks question was 19 times Cy Young either won or lost 20 games in a season and at least in one case he did both. The Prize: 10 points toward the person's total.

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:  In 1937 which Negro League team finished with the worst record, recording only 5 wins, and who was the starting pitcher who tied for the team lead in wins? Total 30 Points.

Last week we looked at the three best offensive players in the major leagues at age 30 during the decade of the 1960s. But what about the best pitchers at age 30 during the era? Arguably the top three would include Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal and Sandy Koufax. The case could be made for Don Drysdale, Jim Bunning and several more so we'll  give them honorable mentions here.

Bob Gibson was the king of the 1960s. At age 30 he was still two years away from his immaculate season where he posted a 1.12 ERA. At 30 he went 20-12 for the St. Louis Cardinals with a 2.44 ERA over 280 innings. In 1966 he tossed five shutouts among his 20 complete games and posted a 1.027 WHIP. The All-Star struck out 225 batters and walked only 78. He would pitch from 1959 into the 1970s and every player who ever faced him would talk about being intimidated by Gibson.  

At the plate he had four doubles, a home run, while driving in eight runs, batting .200. Oh, and he stole three bases. In addition to all of that he won a Gold Glove for fielding. Pretty remarkable.

Juan Marichal was nothing short of amazing. 1968 at age 30 Marichal had his best season. He went 26-9 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.047 WHIP. It can be argued his best season was a couple of years earlier when he won 25 with a WHIP under 1.00 but the added win at age 30 cannot be underestimated. He started 38 games and completed 30 with five shutouts and 325 innings pitched. 

It was his seventh straight All-Star season and he even finished fifth in the MVP voting. Hitters were baffled by the Giants right-hander because he threw all different kinds of pitches from multiple angles which confused hitters especially at night. 

Sandy Koufax. You really need say no more. Age age 30 Koufax would pitch his last season in the big leagues and it was absolutely his best. Few pitchers in baseball had a season like Koufax did in 1966. Unfortunately, it was his last due to extreme arthritis in his left arm.  

At age 30 the Dodger hurler won the Cy Young Award and finished second to Roberto Clemente in the MVP voting. His 27-9 record showed how many of the Dodgers 95 wins he had in leading the club to the National League Pennant. Over 323 innings he struck out 317 batters and gave  up only 241 hits, while compiling a 1.73 ERA and a 0.985 WHIP, adding five shutouts. 

Koufax led the league in starts (41), Wins, Innings, Strikeouts, Complete Games (27), and among other things strikeouts per nine innings (8.8). Truly amazing in that he also made only one error while on the mound for over 300 innings.

From 1961 until the end of his career in 1966 he went 129-47 and in 1965 he set a new record with 382 strikeouts, 3 times surpassing 300 K's in his career.

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.

                              brillpro@gmail.com 
 ==========================================================
I've written more than a dozen books including at least two sports books. You can find these at my Amazon page or at my own website www.bobbrillbooks.com. Please take a look at the sports books, the western novel series or the "Tattoo Murder," which is a crime book set in Ventura, CA.

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 books after reading this column.  

Just a note to add; If you look at the top right hand corner of the side bar you will see a link to daily sports scores. We made an agreement with Baseball 24 in a mutual sharing situation. Hope its helpful to fans of several sports.