1964 Brooks & Boyer MVP's

TRIVIA QUESTION: During the 1964 season Brooks Robinson was 27 years old, Ken Boyer was 33. That season Robinson made $35,000. How much did Boyer make for the 1964 season? 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN:  In the game in 1969 when the Dodgers fell to the Giants 14-13, there were four players on the field who played for both teams during their career. Aside from Len Gabrielson, Tom Haller and Ron Hunt, the fourth player was Manny Mota. Mota began his 20-year career with the Giants and finished it with the Dodgers stopping in Pittsburgh in between. 

Its not often two players who work the same infield position become the Most Valuable Player in their respective leagues. In 1964 this was the case. The Oriole's Brooks Robinson and the Cardinals Ken Boyer were not only named the MVP of their leagues but they both played third base. Boyer went on to the World Series, Robinson's Baltimore club finished third despite winning 97 games and finishing just two games back of the pennant winning Yankees. 

 The two players had remarkably similar statistics. Robinson played in 1963 games (the club played a tie game during the season) and drove in 118 runs to lead the AL. Boyer played in all 162 games for the Cardinals and led the NL with 119 RBI.  

The other statistics are extremely close as well. Only 22 Plate Appearances separated them and when it came to official AB's Boyer had 16 more than Brooks. Boyer scored 100 runs compared to 82 for Robinson who didn't have quite the other hitters around him the Cardinals placed around Boyer.

Boyer's 185 hits fell closely behind Robinson's 194 and it led to Robinson's BA of .317 to Boyer's .295. In doubles Boyer had 30 to 35 for the AL MVP, and while Boyer led in triples 10-3 they were super close in homers. Robinson had 28 to 24 for the NL MVP.

Their On Base Percentage was as close as you can get; .368 for Robinson to .365 for the Cardinal third sacker and their slugging percentage was close too. Robinson was higher at .521 to .489. 

When it came to fielding both were known as among the best defensive third baseman of their era, if not all time. They had basically the same amount of chances. Boyer had 494 to Brooks 492 while Boyer made more errors with 24-14. Their Fielding Percentage was a little low that year with Boyer at .951 to the O's third baseman's .972.

The 1964 season would be the only time Boyer made it to the post season where he batted .222 in the Cardinals win over New York, but did hit a Grand Slam homer. Robinson would make it to the post season six times, including four World Series appearances. In 39 post season games Brooks Robinson would hit .303 with five homers and was named the 1970 World Series MVP. He also put on a defensive display unrivaled in modern times.

 They were two of the best at their positions and in one unbelievable season, they were about as close as you can get. 

"NEW SPECIAL OFFER"
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.

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.     

Wild Night at the Stick 50 Years Ago

TRIVIA QUESTION:  Dodger-Giants series usually feature players who ended up playing for both teams in their career. In the game below there were four position players who achieved that status; Len Gabrielson, Tom Haller and Ron Hunt were three of them. Who was the fourth? 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN:  The player the 1960 Reds would replace at second base while trying out Eddie Kasko with Cliff Cook at third, was none other than controversial Yankee skipper, Billy Martin. From 1957-1961 when he retired as a player, Martin ended up playing for seven different teams. Almost as many times as he was hired and fired by the Yankees as manager. A total of 26 players were involved in those transactions. 

A funny thing happened this week 50 years ago in major league baseball, specifically on July 17th. The Dodgers and Giants did battle; nothing new. They went crazy at Candlestick; not unusual. They scored 27 runs between them? Wow! Even more impressive, Maury Wills and Ron Hunt had 9 RBI between them for opposing teams.

 When the dust settled before less than 14,000 fans that Thursday afternoon, both teams would have 52 wins on the year, with the Dodgers a full game ahead in the loss column. The game started simply enough with Joe Moeller facing Ron Herbal. Neither would make it out of the fourth inning. Moeller gave up nine, while Herbal offered up four and his replacement, Ray Sadecki chipped in with another six. 

Everyone should have figured this was going to be an unusual day when Wills led off the game with a home run. He would triple in the second inning with men on and the Dodgers led 4-2.  In the bottom of the second a pair of singles and two doubles (one by Hunt with men on) gave the Giants a 5-4 lead.

In the fourth the roof caved in on Moeller. With two out he gave up a single to the pitcher; Sadecki. Teddy Sizemore booted a Dave Marshall ground ball and Hunt doubled in another run followed by Bobby Bonds smash over the wall. It was his 19th. Number 20 would come two innings later. No matter what Moeller was leaving losing 9-4.  Al McBean came on to end Moeller's day. 

This was far from over. Things settled down until the sixth when the Dodgers scored on a Ken Boyer double to make it 9-6. In the bottom of the inning Bonds popped his 20th off John Purdin and the Giants surged 11-6. 

The seventh saw the Boys in Blue come roaring back. Eight consecutive men reached base with a pair of Don Mason errors (2b, one fielding, one throwing) and a wild pitch mixed in, with a Wes Parker home run and the local fans were left stunned. It started 11-6 Giants and when the inning came to a close it was 13-11 Dodgers! Also included in the inning was Wills second triple, again with men on base.

Jim Brewer was now on to relieve for Los Angeles and Ron Bryant took over for San Francisco. The Dodgers were ahead and Brewer was looking for a Save, for now. Then with two out and two on in the bottom of the seventh, Bob Burda, who had come in for Willie McCovey blasted a deep drive to right for three runs and a 14-13 Giant lead.

And that was that. Aside from a lone single and a hit batter in the eighth, Bryant dominated in shutting down the Dodgers over the last two innings. He struck out both Bill Russell and Tom Haller looking. 

Only 10 of the 27 runs were scored off the five homers in the game. Wills had 4 RBI, Hunt 5 and Bonds had 5. Brewer took the loss and Bryant got the win. The two clubs likely used up all their hits that day, because the following night in just 2:35 minutes the Dodgers beat the Giants 3-2 behind Bill Singer.

"NEW SPECIAL OFFER"
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.

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.     

Cook-ing Up A Big Red Storm

TRIVIA QUESTION:  In the game mentioned below, Cliff Cook started at third base because the regular third baseman, Eddie Kasko started at second base. Kasko, in replacing the regular second baseman just a few games earlier, was taking over for one of the most controversial managers ever to lead a team in baseball. Who was that second baseman who later managed many teams successfully?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN:  While Walter Alston won World Series titles in 1963 and 1965, his prowess began in 1955 when he managed the Boys of Summer taking Brooklyn to its long awaited first championship. His other World Series title was over the 1959 Go-Go Chicago White Sox. He won four World Series and three other NL pennants; 1956, 1966, 1974. He took over the Dodgers in 1954 and gave way to Tommy Lasorda with four games left in the 1976 season. He managed the club to 88 wins in his final season and passed away in 1984.

 The 1960 Reds were a strange team. They would finish in sixth place but over the course of the season they were involved in 17 games where either Cincinnati or it's opponent scored at least 10 runs. The Reds were on the winning side of 8 of those 17 games. None however were more bizarre than on Sunday August 7th against the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the first game of a double header.

It was a day little known Cliff Cook, a lifetime .201 hitter, would have a career day. The game started off harmless enough. The Reds sent seven game winner Jay Hook to the mound against the Cardinals Larry Jackson. Jackson was gunning for his 14th win. The Cardinals would strike first.

Stan Musial drew a walk leading off the bottom of the second and Walt Moryn took Hook deep to right for his sixth homer of the year. The Cardinals had staked Jackson to a 2-0 lead. It wasn't to last long. 

In the top of the third three straight hits including doubles by Vada Pinson and Wally Post, plus a fly ball by Gordy Coleman led to a pair of runs to tie the game. Cook singled in Post to put the Reds ahead of the Redbirds and before the dust settled both Leo Cardenas and Eddie Kasko got hits and drove in runs as the Reds batted around. Ron Kline relieved Jackson to end the inning but the Reds had scored seven to take a 7-2 lead.

Post doubled again the fourth, Ed Baily drove in a run and Cook hit a sacrifice fly to drive in another. The Cards scored a run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Kline who was destined to take the brunt of the Reds assault in game one.

Two innings later Post hit his third double of the game and Cook drove him in with a double of his own as the Reds upped their lead to 13-3. The eighth inning saw Cook slap a single for his fourth hit. He was forced out at second but singles by Frank Robinson, Roy McMillan and a walk to Harry Anderson loaded the bases for Jerry Lynch. Lynch promptly took Kline deep for a grand Slam and an 18-3 Reds lead. 

The Birds would score one in the ninth to make it 18-4 but not before Cook got the chance for a sixth plate appearance to which he promptly singled for his fifth hit of the game. 

For Cook, mainly a third baseman, the game constituted five of his 80 lifetime hits and 4 of his career 35 RBI. He'd finish the game 5-for-5, two runs scored and four RBI. The 1960 season was his most productive, batting 161 times. He was traded to the Mets in 1962 along with Bob Miller for Don Zimmer. He was out of baseball after the 1963 season after batting just .142. 

For Kline, a journeyman pitcher who started and relieved over 18 years for nine different clubs,  the game was a disaster. In five-plus innings, he gave up 11 hits, 11 runs, nine earned. At least he was spared the loos, suffered by Jackson. 

In the night cap, the Cards found revenge with a 4-2 win. Kline mercifully had the night off. Cook went 0-for-3 and was lifted for pinch-hitter Lynch in his fourth at bat. Interestingly enough, it was in the ninth when manager Fred Hutchinson sent three consecutive pinch-hitters to the plate with only limited success (Frank Robinson drew a walk).

The Reds would finish in 6th place in 1960, 67-87 and 28 games back of pennant winning Pittsburgh.

"NEW SPECIAL OFFER"
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.

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.