Baseball in the 1960's

Monday, June 14, 2021

MUDCAT GRANT AND NUMBER 20

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Steve Wade of McKinney TX, who correctly stated Whammy Douglas had two Topps cards which is one more than seasons played in the big leagues. And several of you commented on his glass eye. The Prize: Starbucks Gift Card.

NEW TRIVIA CONTEST: By answering the TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTLY you are automatically 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 if you win we can send you the gift card in the mail.

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NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: Which Dodger pitcher gave up the home run to Mudcat Grant in the 1965 World Series? (HINT: You can see it in the video below)

ANSWER to the Trivia question in the previous column: Whammy Douglas had two Topps cards which is one more than MLB seasons played.

On September 25, 1965 a mere 9373 people witnessed history in the nation's capitol. And what they saw was the best a man could give in a momentous moment. Up until that day, no Black pitcher had ever won 20 games in the American League. That is until the man they called Mudcat. Jim Grant had toiled in the big leagues seven previous seasons and while winning in double figures five times he never came close to winning 20. He would never come close again.

Grant was in the perfect place at the perfect time. The Twins were laden with sluggers Harmon Killebrew, Jimmie Hall, Don Mincher and Bobby Allison. Shortstop Zoilo Versalles was having an AL MVP season matched by few at his position at the time. The Twins were dominating while the Yankees had fallen on hard times and the Red Sox were yet to be a force to reckon with in 1965.

Sitting on 19 Wins, Grant only had one nemesis in this particular game; Don Blasingame, the light hitting second-sacker for Washington who would hit .223 on the season. He led off with a walk. In the fifth inning catcher Jim French also drew a walk. In the third, usually sure handed Frank Quilici booted a ground ball at second base allowing the runner to get on board. Two ground ball outs later Blasingame blasted a double for the only hit of the game for the Senators. Grant would force batters to hit 15 ground balls. All but one were recorded for outs including a double play.

It can be surmised that if Quilici fields the ball cleanly, Blasingame never comes to the plate in that situation. No runners scored and Grant got Ken McMullen to ground out to end the inning. Meanwhile Versalles and the Twins were rocking. The shortstop banged a homer, a triple and a pair of singles for a four hit, 2 RBI day. Sandy Valdespino drove in a pair with a pinch hit and Tony Oliva plated another. Grant had singled before the shortstop came to the plate and scored on the home run.

When the dust had cleared Mudcat had faced 30 batters, three over the minimum, allowed only the one hit, walked two and struck out seven to run his record to 20-6 with a one-hit shut out of the Senators 5-0. When Willie Kirkland hit a ground ball to Quilici with two outs in the ninth and Don Mincher recorded the out at First, James "Mudcat" Grant's name was written into the record books 18 years after Jackie Robinson broke into big league baseball. Larry Doby broke the AL color barrier three months after Robinson on July 5, 1947 for Cleveland.

Grant died this past week at the age of 85. He would retire 145-119 with 54 Saves as he became a dynamite reliever. Grant was 2-1 in four World Series games (3 with Minnesota, one with the A's), and he even blasted a 3-run homer in the 1965 Series, leading the Twins in a 5-1 decision. A Series they eventually lost to the Dodgers.

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Monday, June 7, 2021

Harvey Haddix Final Win

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to Ken Levasseur of Amherst, NH, who correctly identified Steve Bilko as the hitter who banged the last home run of the 1961 Angels inaugural season. It came as a pinch hitter. The Prize: Starbucks Gift Card.

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NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: How many mainstream Topps baseball cards did Whammy Douglas have?

ANSWER to the Trivia question in the previous column: Steve Bilko was the hitter who banged the last home run of the 1961 Angels inaugural season.

Most baseball fans know one thing about Harvey Haddix; he pitched a 13 inning near perfect game and lost. Harvey Haddix was much more than that. From his early days as a Cardinal to the days when he was traded to Pittsburgh in a deal which brought one of the best names in baseball history to St. Louis, Haddix was special. Very few people remember one season pitcher Whammy Douglas. He had more baseball cards than years played.

Few people remember how good Haddix (known as The Kitten) really was over a stretch of 14 years. Those years included 18 and 20 win seasons. Haddix was traded four times and over the stretch of just a couple of days he was sent from one team to another and back again. On August 30, 1965 the Orioles sold him to the Braves, only to get him back three days later. Imagine how that must have felt. There is much, much more to the life of Harvey Haddix but we will focus on one aspect here.

While his first win came in the 1952 season, his last victory on July 16, 1965 was a genuine achievement. Pitching for Baltimore he was no longer a starter but a trusted reliever who performed many roles in his final season. His last start came in 1963 with Pittsburgh. In mid July, 1965 with a 2-0 record, The Kitten found himself in a tight battle with Tigers in Detroit.

Milt Pappas and Denny McLain started the contest but after three, Pappas was gone while McLain stuck around into the eighth inning. Dave McNally and Stu Miller followed Pappas. With the score tied 1-1 in the ninth, Haddix was called upon to keep Detroit at bay. The only O's run by this time was a long blast by Boog Powell.

Haddix entered the ninth and with one out issued a walk to Jake Woods. He got Dick McAulliffe to hit into a double play. That was unusual because McAulliffe rarely hit into twin killings.

In the 10th Norm Cash hit a one out double and after an intentional walk to Al Kaline, Willie Horton hit into a double play.

In the top of the 11th Brooks Robinson doubled to lead things off and then the roof fell in on pitcher Larry Sherry. Facing Curt Blefary, Sherry uncorked TWO wild pitches and Robinson came around the score to make it 2-1. The 5'9" Haddix would enter the game for the last time as a pitcher with a win on his record.

After a pair of fly ball outs by George Thomas and Don Wert, he issued a walk to Bill Freehan. Don Demeter followed with a pinch-hit single and the dangerous McAuliffe strode to the plate. As if he were back on the mound in his heyday, Harvey reached back and sent three strikes past the Detroit second sacker and the game was over. Haddix was 3-0. He would finish 3-2 on the season and his lifetime record of 136-113 with a respectable 3.63 ERA came to a close a few months later. Harvey Haddix died in 1994 at the age of 68.

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Big Klu Slugs Two in Angel Debut

TRIVIA WINNER: Congrats to David Rolfes of Las Vegas, NV, who correctly identified George Culver as the Reds pitcher who tossed a no-hitter in 1968. The Prize: Starbucks Gift Card.

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NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: It came in the 9th inning of the last game of the 1961 season. Who hit the final home run for the Los Angeles Angels?

ANSWER to the Trivia question in the previous column: George Culver was the Reds pitcher who tossed a no-hitter in 1968.

With a team full of everyone else's castoffs and few rookies, the 1961 Los Angeles Angels made their debut on their way to becoming one of the most successful expansion franchises in baseball history. With an impressive win in their very first game 7-2 over Baltimore, half the line-up would be out of baseball the next season or playing for different teams.

Eli Grba, the former Yankee got the call. His battery-mate was Del Rice who broke in, in 1945 with St. Louis and spent many years with the Braves. The most impressive player on the day along with Grba however, was the aging 36 year old Ted Kluszewski. The big former Reds slugger known for his sleeveless baseball card, homered in his very first Angel at bat with a man on in the first inning to give the Halos a 2-0 lead. He did it again in the third with two men on. Klu would go on to smash 13 more on the year. It was his final season in the big leagues.

Also impressive was Bob Cerv, another former Yankee who gave the Angels their very first back-to-back home runs following Kluszewski in the third. Outfielder Cerv would hit five more all season. The rest of the line-up on the first Angels Opening Day looked like this.

Eddie Yost at third, Ken Aspromonte at second, Fritz Brickell at short with an out field of Albie Pearson and Ken Hunt. Both Lou Johnson and Julio Becquer also played. Yost played his 18th and last season in 1962 with L-A, Aspromonte was waived in July and picked up by Cleveland, Brickell played only 21 games for the Angels and was out of baseball, Pearson became an Angel regular and led the AL in runs scored in 1962. He retired after the 1966 season, Hunt finished his career in 1964 with Washington, Johnson moved across town to the Dodgers and led them to the 1965 World Series where he hit two home runs and Becquer was sold to Philadelphia one month after his Angel debut.

Grba (11-13 in 1961), along with Big Klu, stole the show that opening day. Eli went the distance in pitching a six-hitter allowing the O's four walks while striking out five, in beating ace Milt Pappas. The 7-2 victory on April 11, would be the Angels last until April 28th as the Halos dropped eight in a row after the initial win.

The club would finish a respectable 70-91 in 8th place. However, Bill Rigney's club would storm ahead the following season. They finished 86-76 to finish in third place. Grba started Opening Day in 1962 and pitched well but got a no decision in a 2-1 loss to the White Sox.

The 1961 club was a power club. The top five smacked 118 homers between them with each eclipsing 20 homers. Hunt hit 25 and despite not being in the line-up on opening day Earl Averill hit 21, Steve Bilko hit 20, Lee Thomas had 24 and Leon "Daddy Wags" led the club with 28.

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