Pitching for San Francisco in the 1962, Don Larsen was the winning pitcher in game four. There are several ironies. For one, it was October 8th, exactly six years after he threw the only perfect game (let alone a no-hitter) in World Series history. Two, it was against the very same team that he was on in '56, the Yankees. It was even in Yankee Stadium, the site of his 27 straight outs!
There were some of his old teammates to worry about in this game. Mickey Mantle, fresh off his MVP year. The Mick had amazingly also been MVP in 1956 (and 1957). Yogi Berra, 38, but still going strong. Elston Howard, one year away from an MVP of his own. Whitey Ford was the starting pitcher, always money in the postseason. There was Bill Skowron, who hit a grand slam in game 7 of the 1956 World Series. Bobby Richardson, who was called up briefly in 1956, was also there. Then there was the second basemen that came close to beating out the Mick for MVP honours in '62. That was Bobby Richardson. Amazingly enough, my father saw New York play a game August 8th, 1956 against the Red Sox. Ralph Terry had made his debut for the Yankees two days earlier. The Yankees would trade him to Kansas before reacquiring him in the 1959 season. Terry did not pitch this game. But still another 1956 Yankee got into this game to pitch later.
Actually, Larsen did not start this game, but a Hall Of Famer did. Juan Marichal took the hill for the Giants. However, it was Bobby Bolin on the hill in the bottom of the 6th inning when he let the Yankees claw back from 2-0 down to tie it. Don Larsen came in. The Yankees used some moneyball from their big guns to score twice. Mantle and Roger Maris walked. With two down, Skowron cashed in Mickey with a single. Maris, with two MVPs of his own, was plated when Clete Boyer singled. Two on, two out, score 2-2!
And the very first batter Donny faced? Why, the very man who caught the last pitch Larsen threw in the perfect game. Larsen finished with a strikeout. But Yogi Berra was actually only pinch-hitting here for Whitey Ford. And this was no perfect game here as Berra walked. Bases loaded and two outs. Score tied. Wow! Wish I could have been there!
Tony Kubek grounded to Orlando Cepeda at first. Cepeda tossed it to Larsen, who covered first for the putout on out number three. And the very next inning, it all came undone for New York.
The Yankees may have failed with the bases loaded and two outs, but the Giants had no intention of losing this game. Tied game here, but down 2-1 in the 1962 Fall Classic. San Fran needed some offence fast. And they got it via a rather unlikely hero.
Jim Coates came in to pitch. He had been strong in 1960 and 1961 for the Yankees, but 1962 was a disappointment. Amazingly enough, he had a two-game trial of his own with the Bronx Bombers in...1956!
Having gone 13-3 in '60 and 11-5 the next year, he looked like one of those very good spot starters / long relievers. But 1962 saw Jim go only 7-6 with a 4.44 ERA. He allowed too many hits: 119 in 117 2/3 innings pitched!
And here he was doing exactly what you should never do. Jim walked the other Jim! Davenport was on to lead it off. After a strikeout of the next batter, Matty Alou stroked a pinch-hit double. Coates was out of there. Marshall Bridges came in and walked Bob Nieman intentionally, loading the bases with only one out. But when the dangerous Harvey Kuenn was retired on a pop fly, the situation was much better. And a little dramatic, perhaps. Bases loaded, two outs, score tied. Here we go again!
The batter was Chuck Hiller. Home runs hit in 1964, 1. Home runs hit lifetime, 20. The amount that The Mick and the batter on-deck (The Say Hey Kid, who just turned 83 the other day!) hit in about half a season. A half season of an off-season!
Yet Chuck slammed it to right and out of the yard. It was suddenly 6-2, San Francisco. Willie Mays was retired, but the game seemed over. Larsen's day was over for sure. Bob Nieman had batted for Ed Bailey, who was the announced pinch hitter for Don Larsen. It had all been brilliant manoeuvring all along, right?
Billy O'Dell got the Yankees in order in the bottom of the 7th. Bridges got two strikeouts and survived a walk to Davenport in the top of the 8th. Maris popped out to the catcher, leading off the bottom of the 8th. Howard and Skowron failed to get the ball out of the infield.
Hiller expanded on his unlikely heroics in the top of the 9th. With two outs and a man on second, he beat out a single to second. Bobby Richardson made a bad throw to first that allowed Alou to score. Mays fanned. But now it was 7-2 for the Giants!
O'Dell got the first two batters out in the last of the 9th, but then New York woke up. Kubek singled. Richardson kept it going by following suit. When Rookie Of The Year Tom Tresh singled, Kubek scored. 7-3. Mickey Mantle could really help by going yard here. But it was not meant to be as he forced Tresh. The Giants had tied the 1962 Fall Classic at two wins apiece with a 7-3 win.
So Larsen got the win in this big game. It turned out to be the last game he ever pitched in the World Series. And Don had faced just two batters. Nonetheless, it was his fourth World Series game he had won, against only two losses. That was much better than his 81-91 lifetime win - loss record. But this had been a game where two unlikely heros had played a part! That's what makes the Fall Classic so magical and enduring. Everyone gets a chance to do something special. Larsen's moment had been six years prior. Hillers' was on this day! But October 8, 1962 went into the record books as a win by Larsen and a slam by Hiller!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Fonseca, Lew, director. World Series Of 1962. American And National Leagues Of Professional Baseball Club, 1962. DVD.
Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary Books, 2000. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Seaver, Tom, and Martin Appel. Great Moments in Baseball. New York, NY: Carol Pub. Group, 1992. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 15 May. 2014.
There were some of his old teammates to worry about in this game. Mickey Mantle, fresh off his MVP year. The Mick had amazingly also been MVP in 1956 (and 1957). Yogi Berra, 38, but still going strong. Elston Howard, one year away from an MVP of his own. Whitey Ford was the starting pitcher, always money in the postseason. There was Bill Skowron, who hit a grand slam in game 7 of the 1956 World Series. Bobby Richardson, who was called up briefly in 1956, was also there. Then there was the second basemen that came close to beating out the Mick for MVP honours in '62. That was Bobby Richardson. Amazingly enough, my father saw New York play a game August 8th, 1956 against the Red Sox. Ralph Terry had made his debut for the Yankees two days earlier. The Yankees would trade him to Kansas before reacquiring him in the 1959 season. Terry did not pitch this game. But still another 1956 Yankee got into this game to pitch later.
Actually, Larsen did not start this game, but a Hall Of Famer did. Juan Marichal took the hill for the Giants. However, it was Bobby Bolin on the hill in the bottom of the 6th inning when he let the Yankees claw back from 2-0 down to tie it. Don Larsen came in. The Yankees used some moneyball from their big guns to score twice. Mantle and Roger Maris walked. With two down, Skowron cashed in Mickey with a single. Maris, with two MVPs of his own, was plated when Clete Boyer singled. Two on, two out, score 2-2!
And the very first batter Donny faced? Why, the very man who caught the last pitch Larsen threw in the perfect game. Larsen finished with a strikeout. But Yogi Berra was actually only pinch-hitting here for Whitey Ford. And this was no perfect game here as Berra walked. Bases loaded and two outs. Score tied. Wow! Wish I could have been there!
Tony Kubek grounded to Orlando Cepeda at first. Cepeda tossed it to Larsen, who covered first for the putout on out number three. And the very next inning, it all came undone for New York.
The Yankees may have failed with the bases loaded and two outs, but the Giants had no intention of losing this game. Tied game here, but down 2-1 in the 1962 Fall Classic. San Fran needed some offence fast. And they got it via a rather unlikely hero.
Jim Coates came in to pitch. He had been strong in 1960 and 1961 for the Yankees, but 1962 was a disappointment. Amazingly enough, he had a two-game trial of his own with the Bronx Bombers in...1956!
Having gone 13-3 in '60 and 11-5 the next year, he looked like one of those very good spot starters / long relievers. But 1962 saw Jim go only 7-6 with a 4.44 ERA. He allowed too many hits: 119 in 117 2/3 innings pitched!
And here he was doing exactly what you should never do. Jim walked the other Jim! Davenport was on to lead it off. After a strikeout of the next batter, Matty Alou stroked a pinch-hit double. Coates was out of there. Marshall Bridges came in and walked Bob Nieman intentionally, loading the bases with only one out. But when the dangerous Harvey Kuenn was retired on a pop fly, the situation was much better. And a little dramatic, perhaps. Bases loaded, two outs, score tied. Here we go again!
The batter was Chuck Hiller. Home runs hit in 1964, 1. Home runs hit lifetime, 20. The amount that The Mick and the batter on-deck (The Say Hey Kid, who just turned 83 the other day!) hit in about half a season. A half season of an off-season!
Yet Chuck slammed it to right and out of the yard. It was suddenly 6-2, San Francisco. Willie Mays was retired, but the game seemed over. Larsen's day was over for sure. Bob Nieman had batted for Ed Bailey, who was the announced pinch hitter for Don Larsen. It had all been brilliant manoeuvring all along, right?
Billy O'Dell got the Yankees in order in the bottom of the 7th. Bridges got two strikeouts and survived a walk to Davenport in the top of the 8th. Maris popped out to the catcher, leading off the bottom of the 8th. Howard and Skowron failed to get the ball out of the infield.
Hiller expanded on his unlikely heroics in the top of the 9th. With two outs and a man on second, he beat out a single to second. Bobby Richardson made a bad throw to first that allowed Alou to score. Mays fanned. But now it was 7-2 for the Giants!
O'Dell got the first two batters out in the last of the 9th, but then New York woke up. Kubek singled. Richardson kept it going by following suit. When Rookie Of The Year Tom Tresh singled, Kubek scored. 7-3. Mickey Mantle could really help by going yard here. But it was not meant to be as he forced Tresh. The Giants had tied the 1962 Fall Classic at two wins apiece with a 7-3 win.
So Larsen got the win in this big game. It turned out to be the last game he ever pitched in the World Series. And Don had faced just two batters. Nonetheless, it was his fourth World Series game he had won, against only two losses. That was much better than his 81-91 lifetime win - loss record. But this had been a game where two unlikely heros had played a part! That's what makes the Fall Classic so magical and enduring. Everyone gets a chance to do something special. Larsen's moment had been six years prior. Hillers' was on this day! But October 8, 1962 went into the record books as a win by Larsen and a slam by Hiller!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Fonseca, Lew, director. World Series Of 1962. American And National Leagues Of Professional Baseball Club, 1962. DVD.
Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary Books, 2000. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Seaver, Tom, and Martin Appel. Great Moments in Baseball. New York, NY: Carol Pub. Group, 1992. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 15 May. 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment