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Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Angels Fall from Grace


TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the only Angel player who had more than 100 at bats, to hit over .300 during the 1967 season? 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN:  Despite leading the NL or the AL in strikeouts in five different seasons, slugger Dick Stuart only led the league in K's, once. Stuart who hit 228 homers in ten seasons with the Pirates, the Red Sox, the Mets, the Dodgers and the Angels, led the league with 121 whiffs while playing for Pittsburgh in 1961. He slugged 35 home runs that year but was traded to Boston after the following season where he belted 42 homers and struck out 144 times. He struck out 957 in 1112 big league games. 

August 1967 was a time of hope and a time of despair for the California Angels who came so close but yet in an instant fell from grace with hope fading with each major league day. The club was filled with promise but was streaky at best. A previous column described how starter George Brunet had one of the worst hard luck seasons ever and this team saw a lot of that.


July saw the Angels with winning streaks of six and seven games. They also had bouts where they lost 9 of 10, and 10 of 13. However it was the promise of hope in mid-August which finally ended the season prematurely for the boys of Anaheim.

It began with a win over the Yankees on August 9th, 7-0, but it was most meaningful the next three games. The Angels would only score six runs in the three contests but they would sweep the Red Sox who would go on to win the AL pennant. 

In the first game it was a wild pitch by Lee Stange which undid a fine pitching performance where the Red Sox starter allowed only four hits in seven innings. It was ace Jim McGlothlin's time to shine however, as the right-hander allowed only three singles in going the distance to shut out the powerful Red Sox.  He faced only three batters over the minimum with the lone run coming on singles by Don Mincher and Jimmie Hall followed by a wild pitch to Roger Repoz to score the run, 1-0. 


Game Two saw another pitching duel between the Halo's Jack Hamilton and Gary Bell. A Mincher home run would even the score until the sixth when Tom Satriano led off with a double and Rick Reichardt (who wasn't playing much at the moment) went in to pinch run. Jose Cardenal sacrificed Reichardt to third. He scored on a single by Jim Fregosi. It was the only other run of the game and the Angels won it 2-1 as Marvelous Minnie Rojas picked up his 21st save.

Game three provided a bit more offense, but not much. The Angels were in control from the start with an inside the park homer by Cardenal and a solo shot from Repoz giving Anaheim a 2-0 lead. In the fourth inning Repoz singled and moved to third on a pair of ground-outs, only to ride home on ace Jim Lonborg's wild pitch. It would be the second of the three games where the winning run was scored on a Boston wild pitch. The only Red Sox runs came on a two run shot in the ninth by Rico Petrocelli. Ricky Clark pitched shutout ball into the eighth before giving way to Jim Weaver. 

The sweep put the Angels to just 1.5 games out of first at 62-53. It would be the closest they would come. It would start to unravel with Brunet, who as usual pitched a masterful game, losing to Minnesota 2-1. Both unearned runs scored on a Fregosi error. The Twins Jim Perry would shut them out in the next contest 6-0, followed by a complete game performance by ex-Angel Dean Chance 5-1. It marked the return to the line up of Reichardt who went 1-4.

The team moved onto Fenway where the Red Sox found the friendly confines and returned the favor, winning 3-2 with Gary Bell tossing a 4-hitter. It was the Halo's 4th straight loss. The next game was a slugfest 12-11 and while the Angels out-homered the Sox (4-2), they still lost. Home runs by Reichardt (12th), Fregosi (8th), Repoz (6th) and Hall (16th) were not enough. 

Next up Brunet versus Stange. Brunet was uncharacteristic in this one, as the Sox came up with a 12-2 win (second straight game scoring 12 runs), led by MVP and Triple Crown winner, Carl Yastrzemski's 30th homer. Next up another loss as Boston continued to pound Angel pitching, 9-8. Rojas was called on to pitch three innings to save this one, but wasn't up to it. The final run coming on a Jerry Adair homer. Reichardt continued his torrid hitting going three-for-five, with 2 RBI. 

It was the seventh straight loss. The Angels fell to 62-60. A win at Cleveland would end the streak. However, the Angels went from 1.5 back to 6.5 back and would never get closer. The end had essentially come six weeks before the season officially ended. The team would put together some short winning streaks followed by short losing streaks and when the dust settled on the 1967 season they would finish 7.5 games back of Boston, 84-77 in 5th place. 

During the losing streak, Angel's Bonus Baby Reichardt, who only pinch ran during the winning streak, batted .400, 8-20 and 5 RBI with a homer. For the season he hit 17 dingers, good for second on the club behind Mincher whom he also trailed in RBI 76-69, in what was only his second full season in the big leagues.


"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.     

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

At the Trade Deadline; Dick Stuart

TRIVIA QUESTION: Dick Stuart struck out more than 100 times in five different seasons. How many times did he lead the league in strikeouts? 

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN:  In a game which now prides itself on players making millions of dollars early in their careers, 1964 was a different time and place. AL MVP Brooks Robinson made a salary of $35,000 while 33 year old NL MVP Ken Boyer made $70,000.

This past week and and a half we've heard nothing but who is going to be traded as the deadline approached and who were the "buyers" and "sellers." In the 1960's it wasn't as pronounced, but it was there as well. Smart GM's were looking for that one veteran who could help down the stretch and give the team just one more win than the other teams in the league. The Dodgers GM Buzzie Bavasi and Scouting Directer Al Campanis were masters at this.
  (Slugger Dick Stuart in Home Run Derby with HOFer Frank Robinson)

The 1966 season is a case in point. While they picked up Wes Covington at the end of his career, the former Phillie slugger had very little left in the tank. However, aging home run hitter Dick Stuart did. Looking for help in the second half Bavasi would give manager Walt Alston all the help he needed. Perhaps he didn't trust the Dodger bats, remembering how weak they were in 1965. He signed Stuart as a free agent in July. Doctor Strange-glove wasn't signed for his defense (they had Wes Parker for that), but he figured to spell Parker and add pinch hitting to his duties.
On Friday, July 15th before 50-thousand fans at Shea Stadium in New York, Stuart paid dividends and made it all worth while. With Don Drysdale and Jack Fisher locked in an early  pitching duel the two clubs went into the 9th tied at 3-3. By this time both starters had given way to relievers. Neither team could end it in regulation.

The Mets sent Jack Hamilton to the mound in the 10th facing Phil Regan. The 10th passed and into the 11th Hamilton got Parker to ground out. Ron Fairly drew a walk and Jim Lefebvre doubled sending Fairly around to third. Jim Barbieri drew an intentional walk to load the bases for Regan's spot. Alston sent Stuart up to pinch hit. Stuart, who had clobbered pitchers in Forbes Field for the Pirates and pounded the Green Monster in Boston, sent a pinch single to center scoring Fairly with the go-ahead run, 4-3. Nate Oliver ran for Stuart and Bob Miller held the Mets scoreless in the 11th to win it.

Now you may not think it was a big deal, but even if Stuart never got another hit, it was important because the Dodgers won the pennant in 1966 by just 1.5 games. 

But that wasn't all, six days later Stuart would drive in a run in a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh, on July 25th he homered off Chris Short to tie the game with Philadelphia before getting a single to drive in the go-ahead and eventual winning run. The following day he homered off Larry Jackson for one of his two hits in a 3-2 Dodger win. Two more hits in the next game which the Dodgers won, and on the final day of the month he homered off Steve Carlton, and had three hits and three RBI in a 6-4 Los Angeles win. 
Alston would have trouble keeping Stuart's bat out of the line-up as he continued to play well. By season's end Dick Stuart had banged 24 hits, three homers and nine RBI, while hitting .264. His hitting accounted for more than the two games the club needed to put them into the World Series. He would go 0-2 in the Series where the Orioles swept the Dodgers in four straight. And in case you were wondering, on defense Stuart handled 214 chances with only two errors for a .991 fielding percentage. It was his highest percentage in the 10 years he played. Covington would hit .121 with a homer and four RBI.

Stuart was released by the club in the winter and picked up by the Angels where he spent the first few months of the season before being released a final time and calling it quits. A key cog in the 1960 Pirates World Series run, he really did damage in Boston. He led the AL in RBI in 1963, hitting a career high 42 home runs. His 35 homers and 117 RBI in 1961 were added to a .301 batting average. His final season in Boston (1964) he cranked 33 homers, 114 RBI and a respectable .279. It must be noted he led his league seven times in errors committed at First Base.
 
"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.     


Tuesday, July 23, 2019

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.