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Tuesday, October 9, 2018

The Yankees First World Series Sweep as Losers

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  Only two players have ever played in the NBA Finals and the World Series. One of them played in the series discussed below. Name those two players.

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: The Cleveland Indians catcher who made his debut in 1969 but began an all-star career the following year was Ray Fosse. Fosse's career was really taking off until he was taken out by Pete Rose in an all-star game in a hard collision at home. He was never the same player after that.

The 1963 World Series was one for the record books for many reasons. It was the first time ever the New York Yankees were swept in a four game World Championship Series. The Yanks who many times swept their opponents, did not win a game against the New York Giants in 1922 but that series actually went five games. Game Two ended in a 10-inning, 3-3 tie. In 1963 they would face their old rivals; The Dodgers. It was the Dodgers homecoming of sorts. It was their first time back to Yankee Stadium since leaving Brooklyn for the West Coast in the late 1950's.

New York was favored to win, after leading the American League with 104 victories while the Dodgers corralled 99 to take home the NL Pennant. The Yankees had the sluggers. Even with Mickey Mantle limited to 65 games and 15 dingers, the club still smacked 188 to finish second in the league in round-trippers.

Four players hit at least 20 home runs led by Elston Howard's 28. Roger Maris hit 23 and while not one Yankee had 100 RBI, they did score 714 runs which was again second in the AL. Mantle was the only player to bat .300 with a .314 average while an aging Yogi Berra (38) hit .293 in a very limited role.

And they were solid on the mound with two 20 game winners; Whitey Ford won 24 and Jim Bouton went 21-7. A young (22 year old) Al Downing was 13-5 and Ralph Terry won 17. The team ERA of 3.07 was only bested by one club and despite a tremendous bullpen, Yankee starters led the league in complete games with an amazing 59, led by Terry's 18. 


The bullpen was headed by Save leader Hal Reniff with 18, Steve Hamilton and Tom Metcalf each had ERA's under 3.00. To boot, Downing had four shutouts, Bouton six.  Downing was amazing as well in the K department, striking out 171 batters in 175 innings. 

Los Angeles was not a team of slouches by any means.  Not a power team the Dodgers were really in the middle of a run which featured speed and pitching. Maury Wills batted .302 and stole 40 bases, while Tommy Davis hit .325, clubbed 16 homers and stole 15 bases. Willie Davis stole another 25 and former Brooklyn Dodger Jim Gilliam stole 19. Frank Howard led the team in homers with 28 but amazingly only drove in 64 despite a .273 BA. Tommy D., would lead the team in RBI with 88.

The pitching staff is where the Dodgers chose to shine. Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax were at the top of their games, starting 82 games between them and completing 37 and combining for over 500 innings pitched. Koufax was 25-5 with a 1.88 ERA while Big D., was 19-17, 2.64 ERA. Koufax was unbelievable in another category which wasn't a big deal back then, WhIP. His was 0.87.
Johnny Podres won 14 and Bob Miller another 10, but the ace in the hole was closer Ron Perranoski who finished 16-3, 1.67 ERA with 21 Saves. The Dodgers still were no match for the slugging New Yorkers when it came to the plate. On the Mound give a very slight edge to New York, too.

But in a short series pitching usually holds sway and it was no different in 1963. Game One was on a Wednesday, which meant Koufax would open against Ford. If a series started on Saturday, it would be Drysdale because the devoutly Jewish Koufax would not pitch on Saturday. No worries in 1963.

Koufax was magnificent, giving up but six hits while striking out 15 Yankees on his way to a 5-2 win. Tom Tresh did homer but so did Johnny Roseboro who took Ford deep in a four-run second inning. 

In Game Two it was Podres turn to shine and he did. He went eight and a third before giving way to Perranoski to close it out. The Dodgers jumped on Al Downing for two runs in the first and in the fourth inning former Yankee, Bill Skowron clubbed a homer and when the dust settled the Dodgers were 4-1 winners. 

Following the Friday off day, Los Angeles sent Drysdale to the mound against Bouton. It was a classic match-up and the big man was never better. He allowed only three hits. Tony Kubek had a pair and Mantle had the other. He also struck out nine while walking one. Bouton was also outstanding except for one inning. He walked Gilliam, then wild pitched him to second before Tommy Davis drove him home with a double for the only run of the game, and a 1-0 Dodger victory.
Up three games to none, Manager Walt Alston brought back Koufax on three days rest. Again he was matched up against 24 game winner, Ford. It was going to be a tight battle and it was all about the most mistakes. Ford actually out-pitched Koufax. 

The game was scoreless until the fifth when Frank Howard blasted his only homer of the series to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. It stayed that way until Mantle homered in the seventh to tie it up 1-1. It was then the big break came. Jim Gilliam led off the seventh with a ground ball to third baseman Clete Boyer who made a leaping catch of the high bouncer and threw directly onto first base for the apparent out. However, Joe Pepitone (apparently losing the ball in the white shirted background) couldn't handle the throw at first and the ball got by him down the line. By the time he got the ball, Gilliam ran all the way to third base. Willie Davis followed with a deep fly ball to center to drive home Gilliam on a sacrifice fly with the go ahead run. 
Koufax closed out the last two innings without the Yankees really mounting a threat and the Dodgers had their sweep. Koufax, who gave up only six hits, struck out eight and did not walk a batter was named MVP of the series with two wins. 

New York hit an anemic .171 in the series with only two home runs while Los Angeles didn't fare much better at .214 and two homers. Boyer and Tresh each struck out six times and Mantle, five. The key may have been; Yankee pitchers issued 11 walks.  New York was  outscored 12-4. Scoring an average of one run per game isn't going to win you any championships and that's how New York finished. 

The Yankees would be back in the Series in 1964 but despite taking the series to seven games, they still lost to the Cardinals, 4-3. It wouldn't be until 1976 the Yanks were blitzed again. This time by the Reds. However, in 1998 and 1999 they swept both series against the Padres and the Braves and added a 4-1 Series win the following year, winning 12 of 13.

 Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. It has been appreciated. 

Also: Please check out our new Western Short Film. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iron-gun-western-feature-film/#/

Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!!
Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.
  


Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Indians Don't Lose 100

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  Name the Indians catcher who would have a break-out year beginning the 1970's?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: When one astronaut took care of his expected business on the moon, he took his love for sports a step farther. During the Apollo 14 mission, Alan Shepard took a break from excavating to become the first person to play golf on the moon. Using a six-iron, he had smuggled in his personal items pocket, Shepard hit two golf balls across the moon. They are still there today.

As major league teams settle in for the post season we look back at a game which was the total opposite dating back to the first year of the divisional playoffs in MLB; 1969. It was the season the Orioles would rebound to win 109 games before going on to defeat the 97 win Minnesota Twins to make it to the World Series. 

It was also the year the Amazin' Mets won the East, and then beat the Braves to move on to play in one of the most memorable World Series ever. The Mets beat the O's and were kings of not only New York, but the baseball world. 
There was one team which was in danger of losing 100 games that initial playoff year; The Cleveland Indians. To lose 100 when playing in the first divisional season would be the ultimate embarrassment. The Indians were not a terrible team. They would finish the season both fifth in team hitting and team pitching. They were also fifth in fielding. 

They had power with both Ken "Hawk" Harrelson and Tony Horton blasting 27 homers with Duke Sims pitching in another 18. The clubs .237 team BA belied the fact only three starters batted above .250 with .278 topping the list. They only scored 573 runs and only two teams scored fewer. Clutch, they were not.
On the mound Sam McDowell won 18 but Luis Tiant lost 20, which is why perhaps the game on Tuesday September 23rd was so important. The Indians had 61 wins and 92 losses (44.5 games back of the Orioles) with seven games left. A loss to the Orioles on this date would mean if the Indians did not win another game to finish out the season, they would lose 100 games. 

The club had just beaten the Senators and was to face Baltimore in a three game set in Cleveland's final home stand of the year. McDowell would go the mound seeking his 18th win. He'd face 14 game winner Tom Phoebus and a line up packed with power hitters the likes of Frank Robinson (31 homers to date), Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell and Don Buford. 
The game started out with both pitchers breezing through the first two innings. In the third however, McDowell would not be denied. He led off the inning with a single and went to third when Jose Cardenal laid down a bunt, which catcher Andy Etcheberren mishandled. After Frank Baker walked to load them up, Harrelson and Horton both drew bases on balls to send in two runs, 2-0 Indians. When Chuck Hinton hit a sac fly to drive in the third run, it was all McDowell needed, leading 3-0.

Despite Frank Robby's 32nd homer, a solo shot, it was all the O's could muster off the masterful and determined Sudden Sam. McDowell went the distance, giving up three hits, walking none and striking out six for his 18th and final win of the season, 3-1. Final because as might be expected the Indians went onto lose the next seven games to finish out the season with 99 losses.

They dropped the next two to the O's, three to Washington and a pair to the Yankees to close out the season in New York. It was a long ride back to Cleveland after that final game, but the Indians could take heart; they did NOT lose 100 games.  Oh I forgot, the Cleveland faithful could have applied for stardom in the film "Major League." The Indians finished 11th out of 12 teams in attendance. Rachel Phelps would have been proud, if not ecstatic.
(The Above video was for the "original" version of the scene in "Major League" but we all know what happened and how she "hated that 'blink'ing song.)

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. It has been appreciated. 

Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!!

Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.
 

  

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Gaylord in Space

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  What was the first sport played on the moon?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Pete Lovrich was the first major league player to come out of Arizona State University. While he didn't fare well in his major league career, other Sun Devil Alumni did. Chief among the was Barry Bonds, the current all time home run leader, where he graduated with a degree in Criminology.

On May 25, 1961, in a speech before Congress, President John F. Kennedy predicted the United States would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade; the 1960's. We did that when Neil Armstrong took that Giant leap for Mankind onto the moon's surface on April 20, 1969. So what does this have to do with baseball?
Funny you should ask. It was 1963 when San Francisco Giants pitcher Gaylord Perry predicted "They'll put a man on the moon before I hit my first home run" in the big leagues. Perry's quote withstood the test of time.

He was an outstanding pitcher who pitched into the 1980's and for eight other clubs after the Giants gave up on the future Hall of Famer. While he was, as it turned out a great pitcher, he was never much of a hitter. Throwing in the American League in the 1970's was a blessing. He didn't need to hit because the AL instituted the Designated Hitter Rule. 


It wasn't he was a bad hitter. He just wasn't a good one. He actually hit well in his early days. He hit .231 and .222 in 1962 and 1963. When he became a full time starter in 1964 however, the hitting became very, very secondary. That season he hit .054 with only three hits in 46 AB's. Aside from a couple seasons where he flirted with .186 and in the .155 range, he had a lot of years flirting with .100 or less. In the 1960's he never approached .200 again.

But there was that prediction. A man on the moon before his first homer. Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon on July 20, 1969 at 20:17 UTC. It was about the same time the Giants were facing the Dodgers (who else) at Candlestick Park. Perry was on the mound up against an old nemesis, Claude Osteen. It was a familiar match up.

Osteen was marvelous for a short while. In the first he retired Bobby Bonds, Ron Hunt and Willie Mays in order. In the second he got Willie McCovey, Jim Davenport walked and Ken Henderson bounced into a double play. Meanwhile, Perry gave up three runs in the first and was trailing 3-0 when the third inning came around.

Hal Lanier led off the third followed by Bob Barton and both went down easily, bringing Perry to the plate, still homer-less in his career. He must have been waiting for this moment because just three hours earlier Armstrong set foot on the moon. It was Perry's first time at the plate after the moonwalk and he promptly took an Osteen pitch deep into the seats for his first home run ever. The prediction was sealed. 

It didn't matter what the rest of the game looked like although Perry would resume his old ways, grounding out and then striking out twice. The fact of the matter was, he was the Old Garylord Perry on the mound. He went the distance beating the Dodgers 7-3, giving up seven hits, striking out six and walking just two.

For the rest of his career, Perry despite a low average did hit five more homers over the next 12 years, including one each of the next three seasons. His final dinger came in 1981 while pitching for Atlanta. He had a career high that season batting .250. He closed out his career batting .131, with six homers and 47 RBI. 

Fortunately he was paid to pitch and not hit. Perry finished his career with 314 wins and a 3.11 ERA over 22 seasons. Neil Armstrong never went back to the moon. We're sure he remembered the day like it was yesterday. The same could be said for a fellow named Gaylord.

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. It has been appreciated. 


Also: Please check out our new Western Short Film and the Crowd Fund Campaign with a few days left. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iron-gun-western-feature-film/#/

Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!!

Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.
 

 
 


Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Yankees & A's; A Wierd Ending

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TRIVIA QUESTION:  Pete Lovrich became the first player from his university to reach the major leagues. Several others have made it since. Where did Lovrich go to school?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: In a career which spanned 19 seasons and seven different teams, Dick Schofield suited up in a Cardinal uniform three different times. He broke in as a St. Louis rookie in 1953 before being traded to Pittsburgh in 1958. He followed those years with stops with the Giants, the Yankees and the Dodgers before heading back to St. Louis in 1968 as a free agent. The Cards eventually traded him to Boston who traded him back to St. Louis two years later. After 34 games the Cards sent him away for good. This time to Milwaukee where he finished his career in 1971 at the age of 36. In all he spent eight years with St. Louis.

It was one of the wildest games of the 1960's. There were 21 runs were scored over 12 innings and both starting pitchers each gave up six runs before being pulled. The real story was it would end with the winning run scored without a hit, with the winning pitcher getting his only big league win ever. When the Yankees pulled into Kansas City on July 15, 1963 they were 20 games over .500 and up by 5.5 games on their way to winning the AL pennant by 10 full games.


It was a game in which New York should have dominated. They were starting Whitey Ford, who would lead the league in wins and finish 24-7. He was facing Dave Wickersham of the A's. He was a pretty good pitcher who would close out the year 12-15 for a lackluster team. 
Leading 1-0 on a Johnny Blanchard homer, Ford went into the third inning pitching well enough. A walk to Bobby Del Greco, a triple by Gino Cimoli and a bunt put two runs across and the A's led 2-1. Ed Charles hit the first of his two homers in the fourth and it was 3-1. New York scored three in the fifth off Wickersham and went ahead 4-3. 


The A's fought back, and on a pair of singles and a double went up 5-4. The Yankees scored two in the sixth and Wickersham was gone, with John Wyatt taking over. Charles hit his second homer in the bottom of the inning and manager Ralph Houk had seen enough. Ford was gone, relieved by Stan Williams.
Wyatt and Williams battled each other into the ninth. In the top of the inning Blanchard drove in a run to give New York a 7-6 lead but Norm Siebern came back and drove in a run to tie it in the bottom of the inning off reliever Marshall Bridges. Ed Rakow and Bill Kunkel pitched a scoreless 10th but in the 11th, New York broke through.


Tom Tresh led off with a walk and Joe Pepitone and Elston Howard followed with back to back doubles. Later in the inning Clete Boyer singled to drive in Howard the New York put up a three spot, leading 10-7. It looked like it was all over. Closer Hal Reniff was called on to wrap it up. The A's were having none of it.


A walk, an error, a Jerry Lumpe double and a Doc Edwards single brought home three and it was all tied up at the end of 11. It was now 10-10 and the faithful of the 16,000-plus fans who stayed around for nearly four hours, were being treated to a game.


Little known rookie, Pete Lovrich took the mound for Kansas City in the 12th. A one out single by Bobby Richardson and a walk to Tresh put the game in jeopardy again. Lovrich reached back and struck out Pepitone and got Howard to ground out. It was the A's turn and they faced Bill Stafford who had relieved Jim Bouton (normally a starter who pitched to one batter in the 11th) who had relieved Reniff.
After there was one out, Stafford hit Del Greco with a pitch putting him on first. Lovrich was left to bat and laid down a perfect bunt moving Del Greco into scoring position. Cimoli drew a walk as Stafford didn't want to give him anything good to hit. If he did walk it set up force plays on the bags. Then the unexpected. He walked Wayne Causey to load the bases. 


Jerry Lumpe strode to the plate with two out, the bases loaded and the score tied 10-10. Lumpe hung in there and when the dust was settled, he'd drawn a walk, Del Greco scored and the game ended with the winning run coming across without a hit. It was a true "walk off" win for the A's. In a game which featured 21 runs on 30 hits, it was three walks and a hit batter which brought the winning run across. 
In all there were 13 walks issued in a game which took 3:44 minutes to play. Lovrich got the win. It was the ONLY win in his career. Lovrich only played the one season, pitched in just 20 innings and gave up 18 earned runs, five homers and struck out 16. He finished 1-1. The 20 year-old came to the plate once in his major league career and it was to bunt Bobby Del Greco to second base to set up the winning run in the only game he ever won. It doesn't get any better than that.


Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column. It has been appreciated. 

Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!!

Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.