Baseball in the 1960's

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

22 Shutouts the Wrong Way

FOR MORE GENERAL TRIVIA CHECK OUT MY YouTube Channel !

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Philip Engel, of Plymouth, MN, who correctly identified Frank Quilici as the man who replaced Bill Rigney as the Twins field manager during the 1972 season. 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. DON'T FORGET TO PUT YOUR MAILING ADDRESS IN WITH THE ANSWER SO WE CAN SEND YOUR GIFT IF YOU WIN.

================================================================
TRIVIA QUESTION: When the Dodgers and Senators made the Osteen/Howard trade in December 1964, who was the player the Senators received as the Player to be Named later?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Frank Quilici, the light hitting former Twins infielder of the 1960's was the man who replaced Bill Rigney as manager during the 1972 season.

The 1964 season started off on the wrong foot for the Washington Senators with a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. By the end of the season on October 4th, there would be 21 more shutout losses. When it all ended the hapless, Gil Hodges led Senators would finish 37 games out of first place with the right to "look up to see down." While the 22 Shutouts in a season was far from the record of 33, it was an embarrassing year for Washington.

In that first game ace Claude Osteen (who later that year would end up in Los Angeles with the Dodgers) pitched a really good game. He tossed seven strong innings giving up just three runs. His counterpart on the mound however, Ken McBride pitched the game of a lifetime. McBride went 6.1 innings of magnificent baseball before giving way to Julio Navarro. McBride gave up one lone hit - to Osteen. It was a double to center in the third. He did walk five batters but was never in trouble until the seventh.

In the seventh inning with one out, McBride lost his control. He walked Don Lock, Ken Retzer and John Kennedy in succession. Bill Rigney had seen enough and brought in Navarro who struck out Dick Phillips and got Don Blasingame to ground out, ending the inning. That was pretty much it and the Angels went on to record their opening day win in the nations capitol before 40,000 fans.

What followed was an horrendous season for the national team. In June they lost 20 of 25 at one point, dropping 10 more games off the pace approaching 20 games back of the league leaders. No one expected the Senators to compete in 1964. They would lose at least 100 games in a season four years running. However, this was the final year of that run. Finishing 62-100. The next year they would only lose 92.

Lock led the team in 1964 with 28 homers but hit only .241 and he struck out 137 times. Only two players bettered .270 with Bill Skowron (.271) and Chuck Hinton (.274) besting the mark. Osteen's 15 wins (15-13) were pretty remarkable when you consider the team only won 62. With starters Buster Narum, Bennie Daniels and Dave Stenhouse in the rotation this team was not going far. Ron Kline Saved 14 to lead the bullpen.

By the end of the season ownership had had enough and sent their best pitching packing to Hodges former team. The Dodgers received Osteen, Kennedy, $100,000 and a player to be named later for Frank Howard, Ken McMullen, Phil Ortega and Pete Richert. Those players formed the foundation of a Senators team for most of the rest of the decade

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.

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Bill Rigney, the Players Manager

FOR MORE GENERAL TRIVIA CHECK OUT MY YouTube Channel !

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Brent Bourrel, of Grand Forks, BC, Canada, who correctly identified 1966 as the year Brooks Robinson was named MVP of the MLB All-Star Game. The Prize this week: Starbucks Gift Card.

================================================================
TRIVIA QUESTION: Which former Minnesota Twins infielder replaced Bill Rigney as manager during the Twins 1972 season?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Brooks Robinson was named MVP of the 1966 All Star Game. Robinson went 3 for 4, scored a run and hit a triple off Sandy Koufax in the AL's 2-1 loss to the NL. Robinson scored the first run of the game when he came home on a Koufax wild pitch after hitting the triple. It was the only run of the game for the Junior Circuit which lost on a Maury Wills RBI single in the 10th.

If ever there was a manager who utilized his players to get the most out of them, it was Bill Rigney of the Los Angeles Angeles in 1964. While some managers such as Earl Weaver look basically at the same eight guys every day there are those like Jim Leyland of the Pirates and many others who used every player as if he was a starting player. In 1964 Rigney did the extraordinary for the day.

Of the 25 men on the roster, 13 of those Angels batted more than 200 times. Only four of them batted over 400 times. Catcher Buck Rodgers interestingly enough played in 148 games and batted 572 times. For a catcher to play that much puts them in iron man status. The infield combo of Jim Fregosi (591 AB) and Bobby Knoop (162 games played) were the team leaders.

Aging Joe Adock, the former Braves slugger showed he still had the pop with a team leading 21 homers in 366 AB. Outfielders Willie Smith and Lou Clinton rolled into the mid 300's, while Ed Kirkpatrick, Albie Pearson, Tom Satriano, Jimmy Piersall, Felix Torres, Bob Perry and Vic Power all had more than 200 AB's with Billy Moran just under at 198.

It can be argued Rigney didn't have much to work with. The club only hit 102 homers (last in the AL) and batted a lowly .242 (8th in the 10 team league). He still managed an 82 win season good for 5th in the American League. For an expansion team in it's fourth season this was a strong finish, even for one just two years removed from ending up in the top three teams in the AL.

And it wasn't only with the offensive players. He managed the pitchers the same way. Five pitchers started 114 of the 162 games. The other 48 were spread out among eight others. Dean Chance was the lone 20 game winner (20-13) while Freddie Newman was 13-10 and Bo Belinsky went 9-8. A total of 19 pitchers graced the mound for Los Angeles that season and Rigney made the most of them. Bob Lee led in Saves with 19 but also started five games on his way to 137 workhorse innings.

Team owner Gene Autry chose Rigney over Leo Durocher feeling he had the patience to develop an expansion team of young players and former greats. It worked for most of the decade. He took over the club in 1961 the first year of it's existence, and was fired after a disastrous 11-28 start in 1969. In his eight full seasons managing an expansion club, Rigney teams finished in the first division three times. He never did win a pennant, finishing first only once in 1970 managing the Twins, but losing in the playoffs to Baltimore.

Bill Rigney died in 2001 at the age of 83, having spent eight years as a player and 19 as a manager. In 1948 he was named to the NL All-Star team.

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Brooks the Iron Man

FOR MORE GENERAL TRIVIA CHECK OUT MY YouTube Channel !

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Steven Tighe of Bridgeville, PA, who correctly identified Lew Krause as the Oakland A's pitcher to start the very first A's home game in Oakland April 17, 1968. The Prize this week: Starbucks Gift Card.

================================================================
TRIVIA QUESTION: In what year did Brooks Robinson win the MVP of the Major League All-star game?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: The Oakland A's pitcher who started the A's first home game in the bay area was Lew Krause. The A's opened at home in game six on April 17th, losing to Baltimore and Dave McNally 4-1. They also lost their Road opener to Baltimore on April 10, 3-1

The fact Brooks Robinson was destined to be a Hall of Famer, is a well known fact. Few doubt he is among the best fielding third basemen ever. He was a clutch hitter and a team leader. Four times in his career he either hit above .300 or flirted with it. Six times he cranked at least 20 homers in a season in an era where 20 was considered an accomplishment. What you may not realize is that he was truly an iron man.

(Brooks and Frank in the 1966 World Series)

From 1961-1968 he played in every single game of the season in four of the eight years. In 1963 he played in 161 of the 162. All five times he either led or tied for the league lead in games played. In two of those years he played in 163 games when the schedule called for 162. That in itself may be a record.

In 1961 he led the AL in at bats with 668 while in 1964 he led the league in RBI with 118. It was his finest season batting .317 and banging 28 homers. All three were career highs. For his efforts he was voted the American League's Most Valuable Player. The team finished over .500 but fourth in the AL, 18.5 games behind the Yankees.

When 1966 rolled around and he was teamed with Frank Robinson under Hank Bauer, there was no stopping the Birds. The first World Series against the Dodgers showed complete dominance over a very strong Dodger club.

For all his cat like reactions on the field he left all of that behind on the base paths. Not built for speed he owns the record he wished he did not; hitting into four triple plays in a career, two in one season. Twice he led the league in double plays grounded into. No one said he could run, but he could field, oh how he could field. The 1970 World Series, won by the Orioles over the Reds was a Robinson clinic on fielding.

If ever there was any doubt he belonged at the top of the fielding charts for third basemen, they were erased in that series.

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Hunter Makes the Grade in Final KC Home Game

FOR MORE GENERAL TRIVIA CHECK OUT MY YouTube Channel !

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Dave Hubert of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, who correctly identified Bobby Shantz as the former 24-game winner who was tossed in the deal for Lou Brock with Ernie Broglio. The Prize this week: Starbucks Gift Card.

================================================================
TRIVIA QUESTION: While Jim Catfish Hunter as you expect started the Opening Day game for the 1968 Oakland A's, who started the first Home Game for the 1968 Oakland A's (it was not Hunter)?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: The Cubs sent Lou Brock to the Cardinals for a few players but mainly Ernie Broglio but few remember the Cubbies also got former 24 game winner Bobby Shantz in the deal. Shantz, who won 24 years earlier with Philadelphia never came close again in his career.

The final game the Kansas City Athletics ever played at home showed off what the future would hold for a future Hall of Famer. Jim Catfish Hunter took the mound on September 27, 1967 before a robust crowd of the faithful in Kansas City's Municipal Stadium against the Chicago White Sox. Only 5,325 people showed up to say good-bye to Charlie Finley's A's who would move on to Oakland after wrapping up the season on the road against the Yankees in New York. But this day belonged to the Hunter.

(Jim Catfish Hunter at his Best)

Backed by a line-up of guys who at the time were less than spectacular at the plate, Hunter had to be at his best and he was. With lead off man Ted Kubiak carrying a .149 average to the plate along with John Donaldson, Mike Hershberger, Ramon Webster, Rick Monday, Jim Gosger, Sal Bando and Phil Roof, Hunter knew runs would be scarce. While Monday and Bando would go on to have "careers," the others were like the fifth card in a poker hand when you have four Aces. They were place holders.

The Catfish didn't allow a hit until the fifth when Ron Hansen singled. Don Buford singled in the 6th and Tommy McCraw doubled in the 7th. Aside from walks to Buford and Ken Berry, that was it for the White Sox. When Tommie Agee, Ken Boyer and McCraw weekly hit the ball into the air for outs in the ninth, it was all over in KC.

Fortunately, the A's bats came into play. And it was Jim Hunter who got it started. Facing a scoreless duel between himself and Sox Ace Joel Horlen, Hunter led off the 6th with a single. Kubiak singled and Donaldson singled home Hunter who was running for all he was worth to score any run. It was 1-0. That would have stood up, but the A's were inspired.

After Hershberger grounded out moving up the runners, Webster singled in two more, 3-0. Knuckle-baller Wilbur Wood replaced Horlen to face Monday. Monday hit a ground ball to second which Buford muffed. Gosger singled but Ken Berry, playing right field this day instead of center, rifled a throw to the plate to cut down Webster to save a run.

Bob Locker replaced Wood and sent a pitch which the catcher could not handle for a passed ball and Monday scored the unearned run to finish the scoring at 4-0. And it all started and ended with Jim Catfish Hunter. Make no mistake about it, the A's finished 62-99, 29.5 games out of first and last in the American League but their last game in KC was one of their best.

Hunter would complete the shut out to go 13-16, striking out two, walking two and allowing only three hits. He would lose the final game of the season for the KC A's, the final game ever for the KC A's, a few days later in New York, 4-3. He finished the season 13-17. He would go on to win 131 more games with the Oakland A's, reeling off four straight 20 win seasons, before signing with the Yankees and winning 23 in his first season there.

Hunter would finish 224-166 with a 3.26 ERA in an even 500 games. His lifetime WHip was 1.13 which is pretty solid. the Hall of Famer died in 1999 at the age of 53 of Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Followers