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Post by inger on Dec 31, 2023 16:53:31 GMT -5
Too bad MrG isn’t hers to see this. He was a Super Chief fan beyond all others… Ah, Grandforks. We rued your absence many times. So glad you’ve come back home where you belong… Welcome back Your dreams were your ticket out Welcome back To that same old place that you laughed about Well, the names have all changed Since you hung around But those dreams have remained And they've turned around Who'd have thought they'd lead you (Who'd have thought they'd lead you) Back here where we need you? (Back here where we need you?) Yeah, we tease him a lot 'Cause we got him on the spot Welcome back Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back Welcome back, welcome back… grandforks |
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Post by fwclipper51 on Dec 31, 2023 16:54:58 GMT -5
Bobby Shantz
Written by Mel Marmer, Edited by Clipper
Almost every scout considered him too short (5-feet-6½) to be a MLB pitching prospect. One scout was not deterred, however, and dared to sign the left-hander, setting off Bobby Shantz on a 16-year odyssey in the MLB. Shantz reached the heights of success early in his career by winning the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1952. He also bore the depths, nearly quitting baseball in midcareer because of serious arm injuries.
During 4 seasons (1953-1956) nursing those injuries, Shantz won just 13 games against 26 losses. He was traded by the Kansas City Athletics to the New York Yankees before the 1957 season, Shantz would enjoyed success again working mostly as a relief pitcher. He pitched in 2 World Series and except for a freakish bad break he might have been a surprise hero of the 1960 Series. In 1964, his career came full circle when he returned to Philadelphia, where he had begun. Shantz figured in that season’s dramatic conclusion, though hardly for the expected reasons.
Robert Clayton Shantz was born on September 26,1925, to Wilmer and Ruth Eleanor (Ebert) Shantz in Pottstown, Pennsylvania a city of 20,000 people 40 miles northwest of Philadelphia. His father worked at a Bethlehem Steel mill. In 1927 brother Wilmer Jr. (Billy) was born, and in 1929 the family moved to larger quarters in the suburbs with a big back yard where they could play sports. Wilmer Sr. loved baseball and was considered a good semipro 3rd baseman. Offered a minor-league contract by the Chicago White Sox, he was advised by his father, Clayton, to “turn it down, and play for the love of the game instead.” Clayton had played baseball, too, and had had a bad experience as part-owner of a local baseball team.
Wilmer taught his sons to play baseball and football when they were toddlers. One of Bobby’s favorite games was devised by Wilmer to reward throwing strikes. Perhaps this early training was responsible for the excellent control Bobby demonstrated in the MLB; in 9 of his 16 seasons he struck out more than twice as many batters as he walked.
At the age of 6 Bobby suddenly became sick one day. He was sent to the hospital with a high fever and was not expected to live through the night. He survived, and his mother remained by his bedside for a week. Bobby recovered completely and enjoyed a happy childhood. In addition to baseball and football, his favorite pursuits were fishing at nearby Sanatoga Lake, taking part in family snowball fights, and trapping small animals. Despite tough economic times, the Shantzes were able to obtain sports equipment by redeeming hundreds of cereal box tops given to them by that a friend of the family, a cook at a local school.
Young Bobby helped to organize a baseball team called the Sanatoga Pee Wees. As a 4-foot-4-inch teenager he pitched for a neighborhood team, Lower Pottsgrove. The family took trips to Philadelphia to watch the Athletics play, and Bobby’s only dream was to play baseball. Could he play baseball professionally one day, being so much smaller than the other boys?
Shantz made the Pottstown High School baseball team as an outfielder. His manager told him to forget about being a pitcher because he was too small. He never showed off the snappy curveball he’d been practicing for years with his brother in their backyard. He played well for the high-school team though it did not have a good record. He was also a fine diver on the varsity swim team. Perhaps Bobby’s serious childhood illness had impaired his growth, for when he graduated from high school in 1943, he was still less than 5 feet tall. He got a job as a busboy in the cafeteria of the nearby Jacobs Aircraft plant, and he made the plant baseball team, though he sat on the bench.
The family moved to Philadelphia when Bobby’s father took a job at a shipyard there. The family’s relocation was a good break for Bobby and Billy. Their new neighborhood was a hotbed of sports activities and gave the brothers more opportunities to play ball. Bobby played sandlot baseball and Pop Warner football, and continued to grow. In 1944, he got a $75-a-week job at the Disston Saw Company as a glazer, shining saws. His draft board called him in, but he was rejected for military service because he was 1 inch below the minimum 5-foot height requirement. Though Bobby was short, his hands were comparatively large and strong which helped him to excel at athletics.
In the spring of 1944, Bobby played for the Holmesburg Ramblers, a youth baseball team that played in the competitive Quaker City League. He played center field, and his brother Billy, who had dropped out of high school in the 10th grade, was a catcher.
One day Bobby threw batting practice, and the team’s manager saw his fine overhand curveball with its sharp downward break and immediately added him to the pitching staff. Bobby compiled a 9-1 record and played the outfield in games he didn’t pitch, batting .485 from the cleanup spot. Shantz continued to excel in other sports besides baseball. “Shantz was a ‘big star’ in the neighborhood who could throw, kick, and run,’ according to Brud Williamson, the son of the Holmesburg Ramblers’ coach. “Without question, he was the most modest guy I ever met. Boulevard Pools used to put on diving exhibitions with professional divers. We talked them into letting Bobby dive one summer, and he stole the show. He was a great gymnast too, and he could beat anyone in ping-pong or bowling, any sport he tried".
Meanwhile, Shantz had grown an inch, enough to pass his Army physical, and was sworn in on December 28, 1944. After 3 months of basic training, he headed to Fort Knox, Kentucky, to be trained to drive tanks. But his feet barely reached the pedals and he was transferred to a mortar outfit. In June of 1945, 2 months before the end of World War II, he arrived in the Philippines. At camp in Batangas, he had played inter-divisional ball, sharing pitching duties with the White Sox’ Gordon Maltzberger. Later, he played against a team of touring major leaguers at Rizal Stadium in Manila. Shantz pitched and lost the game, 4-2, but his performance against established MLB players helped to build his confidence. Shantz also pitched well in games against the highly regarded service team the Manila Dodgers. (The Dodgers gave Shantz a tryout but rejected him, which only inspired him to work harder) Discharged from the Army in 1946, Corporal Shantz had grown to 5-feet-6½ and weighed 139 pounds. He returned home to work at the saw company in the fall of 1946. He had played quarterback and punted for a Pop Warner League football team, but hurt his back and quit football for good so he would not jeopardize his baseball career.
In 1947 Shantz signed to play sandlot baseball for the Souderton, Pennsylvania His Nibs team in the East Penn League, rated equivalent to a Class-B minor league. He went 8-0, and 1-1 in the postseason. In the championship game, Shantz had pitched a 4-hitter, hit a double and scored a run. Fans held a Bobby Shantz Day and showered him with cash and gifts. Shantz’s reputation spread. Admirers arranged a game against a team featuring Curt Simmons, another highly touted left-handed pitcher, who had just signed for a large bonus with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Fans from the East Penn League and their counterparts from the Lehigh Valley League set up the match game for charity. Bobby and his team from the East Penn League faced Simmons and his former team from the Lehigh Valley League. A left-hander from upstate Egypt, Pennsylvania, Simmons had recently signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $65,000, and had spent the last few months in Class-B ball. The Phillies had called him up the week before and he had pitched a complete-game 3-1 win, a 5-hitter, over the New York Giants.
On the big day, October 6, 1947, fans filed into the stadium. The exhibition game benefited a memorial park, and all 2,500 seats were sold out. Shantz had injured his wrist playing touch football the day before. It was swollen and he had difficulty throwing. Manager Glick worked on the wrist and bandaged it. Bobby asked Glick to warm him up out of sight of the fans, and said that if he felt okay, he’d try to pitch. The thought of disappointing the fans who had come to watch him pitch made him uneasy. After warming up for a while, Shantz was ready to call it quits. Glick, however, got an idea. He produced a book and told Bobby to rest his hand on a flat surface. To Bobby’s surprise, Glick lifted the book and thwacked Bobby’s swollen wrist with it. “Perhaps he figured I had something like carpal tunnel syndrome, and that the sudden smack would fix it. I don’t know. But, it worked! I was able to go out on the mound and pitch.” Shantz won the game, 4-1. He allowed 5 hits, struck out 14, and walked 1. Simmons allowed 8 hits, struck out 9, and walked 3. Bobby and Curt later became good friends and golf buddies.
Scouts from all of the MLBteams admired Bobby’s competitiveness but passed him up because of his height. Phillies’ scout Jocko Collins liked Shantz very much but felt he was too small for the rigors of major-league baseball. “He thought I had one heck of a curve ball but was just too small,” Shantz told a biographer. “When he met me years later, he apologized. ‘I sure made a mistake with you, Shantzy,’ he said. “I told him I didn’t blame him, that I had doubts myself.” The Tigers and Browns offered contracts to play in the Class-D minor leagues, but Shantz was not interested in them. Tony Parisse, a former Athletics catcher and Bobby’s batterymate on the Souderton His Nibs, warned him not to sign a “D-Ball contract,” fearing that teams that offered that wouldn’t take him seriously. Tony recommended Shantz to A’s scout Harry O’Donnell, as did Souderton’s 3rd baseman, Bill Hockenbury.
O’Donnell signed Shantz to an “A-Ball” contract in November 1947. Bobby convinced the A’s that his brother Billy was a good catcher and that they should sign him, too, as a part of the deal. At least he wouldn’t be lonely in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the Class-A Western League. Bobby was 22 years old and Billy was 20. The A’s accepted. Billy was soon sent down to Class-C ball, but Bobby wasn’t lonely very long. He went out on a date with Shirley Vogel of Lincoln, a student at the University of Nebraska, and they hit it off very well. They married a year and a half later. The couple had 4 children: Bobby, born in 1954, followed by Kathy, Teddy, and Danny, born in 1965.
In his 1st year of pro baseball, with the Lincoln A’s, Shantz was the talk of the league. He pitched in 28 games and went 18-7 with a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.093, struck out 212 batters in 214 innings, and had an ERA of 2.82. In a game against Des Moines, he had faced 32 batters and threw only 17 pitches for balls.
After just the 1 minor-league season, Shantz went north from spring training with Philadelphia in 1949. He was sent down for more experience, but was quickly recalled when another pitcher was injured. After a brief relief appearance on May 1st, Shantz would relieved Carl Scheib on May 6th against the Detroit Tigers with the bases loaded and none out in the 4th inning and held the Tigers hitless for the next 9 innings, though he walked 7. In the top of the 13th inning the A’s went ahead, 5-3. Shantz allowed 2 hits and a run in the bottom half of the inning, but won his 1st MLB game, by the score of 5-4.
Shantz would finished his rookie season with a 6-8 record and a 3.40 ERA. In 1950, he was 8-14 (the A’s were 52-102). For the 1st half of 1951, he was a so-so, going 8-8, then he won 10 of his next 12 games, and was the American League’s most effective pitcher for the 2nd half of the season. He was chosen for the American League team in the All-Star Game, but didn’t get in the game.
In his 1st 3 MLB seasons Shantz improved from year to year. He was doing very well with a fastball, curve, and change up, but felt he needed another pitch. That pitch was the knuckleball. Shantz had experimented with it since he was a boy throwing to his father and his brother in their backyard. Athletics Manager Connie Mack had forbidden him to throw the knuckler in a game, but when Jimmie Dykes, who had succeeded Mack in 1952, he told Shantz, “Throw the knuckleball. I am not Mr. Mack.” Shantz credited A’s Catcher Joe Astroth with helping him perfect the pitch. Some contemporary writers assumed that Chief Bender, the Athletics’ great pitcher, who was working with Shantz at the time, helped him with the knuckleball, but Shantz said in an interview in 2011 that it wasn’t true. “Mr. Bender helped me to become a more confident pitcher, Joe Astroth helped me with the knuckleball,” he said. Shantz also threw a few varieties of the curveball. He was best known for his classic over-the-top curve that broke sharply down, and as much as a foot across. But he also threw a tighter-breaking curveball, and on occasion, what was then called a “nickel curve,” thrown more from the side than a regular curve, and which came to be called a slider. Shantz once said he felt the slider was dangerous to throw because if it did not move as expected, it would come over the plate and be easy to hit.
Shantz had a breakout year in 1952. After 18 starts, he was 15-3. By his 16th complete game, he had racked up 3 shutouts. A person’s size was fair game back then, and sportswriters referred to him in terms like “the midget southpaw” and “toy pitcher.” The press speculated that he could become the 1st 30-game winner in 18 years. Named to the American League All-Star team for the 2nd time, Shantz pitched in the All-Star Game, played that year in Philadelphia. He entered the game in the bottom of the 5th inning and struck out Whitey Lockman looking, Jackie Robinson swinging and Stan Musial looking. Shantz wanted to see if he could duplicate Carl Hubbell’s 1934 feat of striking out the side twice in an All-Star Game, but rain came and washed out the game with the National League ahead, 3-2.
Shantz would finished the season with a 24-7 record and was named the American League MVP with 83% of the vote. Five days before the end of the season, on September 23rd, he broke his left wrist when he was hit by a fastball from the Senators’ Walt Masterson. Connie Mack had warned Shantz that batting right-handed and leaving his pitching hand “exposed” could result in just such an injury. Shantz had tried batting left-handed, but have gave up the idea because he could not control the bat as well. The injury would healed over the offseason.
Shantz started 33 games, completed 27, and pitched 5 shutouts. In 279 innings, he had struck out 152 batters and allowed 77 earned runs, for a 2.48 ERA.
On May 21, 1953, while pitching against the Red Sox, Shantz would injured his left shoulder. A tendon had separated from the bone, and it was the beginning of 3 difficult years. His shoulder eventually healed, but it would require treatment for the remainder of his MLB playing career. Among treatment possibilities, a novel experimental surgery was proposed: A tendon would be taken from another part of the body to replace the one that had separated. Shantz rejected this idea and opted to let nature take its course. Until his body healed completely, it was rough going. Shantz made only 16 starts in 1953 and was 5-9 with a 4.09 ERA.
On Opening Day 1954, Shantz had a 5-2 lead over the Red Sox, when he would re-injured his shoulder. He pitched in only 1 other game that season. In 1955, the Athletics’ 1st year in Kansas City, he was 5-10 and in 1956, in which he pitched almost entirely in relief, he was 2-7, There were occasional flashes of brilliance. On April 29, 1955, Shantz pitched a shutout, his 1st since 1952, before a crowd of 33,471 fans in Kansas City to defeat the Yankees, 6-0. On April 19, 1956, in one of only 2 starts, that he made that season, Shantz 5-hit the Tigers and the A’s won, 4-1. After that, he experienced pain in his right side, and Manager Lou Boudreau made him a reliever. Trainer Jim Ewell wrapped hot water bottles around Shantz’s arm between innings to prevent it from stiffening which helped for a long time.
Before the 1957 season, Shantz was part of a 13-player trade between the Athletics and the Yankees. Yankees Manager Casey Stengel intended to use him exclusively as a relief pitcher but an injury to left-hander Whitey Ford forced him to use Bobby as a starter. While Ford was out and other Yankees pitchers struggled, Shantz, healthy for the 1st time in years, kept the Bronx Bombers in contention. He had a record of 9-1 at the All-Star break with an ERA of 2.25. He completed 7 games and earned his 3rd selection as an All-Star, though he did not pitch in the game. Bobby finished the season with a record of 11-5 and led the American League in ERA at 2.45. He had started 21 games, completed 9 and saved 5 games. He was awarded the 1st Major League Gold Glove Award given to a pitcher. Yankees pitching coach Jim Turner advised Shantz to throw the sidearm curve less often because it consumed too much energy, and to follow through more on his fastball. Most of all, Turner harped on Shantz to keep his pitches down. He also taught him to throw the sinker.
In the 1957 World Series against the Milwaukee Braves, Shantz had started the 2nd game in Yankee Stadium. He struck out the side in the 1st inning, but gave up a run in the 2nd and 3 runs in the 4th, and was the losing pitcher in the Braves’ 4-2 win. In the bottom of the 2nd inning with the score tied 1-1 and 2 men on base, Shantz drove a Lew Burdette pitch toward the left-field corner that left-fielder Wes Covington made a miraculous catch on. Covington snared the ball backhanded to end the inning and change the complexion of the game. Shantz pitched in relief in 2 other games as the Yankees fell to the Braves in 7 games.
Shantz was considered one of the game’s finest fielding pitchers, “The kind that managers dream of and so seldom find. He goes with the Brecheens, Burdettes, and Haddixes,” broadcaster Mel Allen said of him during the 1960 World Series. He won the American League Gold Glove for a pitcher in 1958, 1959, and 1960. Traded to the National League, he won National League Gold Glove Awards in 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1964. After the award began, Shantz won it every year he played. Only pitchers Bob Gibson, Jim Kaat, and Greg Maddux have won more.
Shantz pitched solely in relief in 1960, appearing in 42 games and posting 11 saves. The Yankees won the pennant and Shantz figured in one of the most dramatic World Series games played. He pitched an inning in relief against Pittsburgh in Games 2 and 4. Bob Turley had started for the Yankees in Game 7, at Forbes Field. Shantz began warming up in the 1st inning in case he’d be needed. Turley was roughed up early and the Yankees trailed 4-0, when Shantz entered to begin the 3rd inning. He held the Pirates to 1 hit for 5 innings as the Yankees took a 7-4 lead. (During the 1960 season Shantz hadn’t gone more than 4 innings in a game.) Leading off the bottom of the 8th, pinch-hitter Gino Cimoli got the 2nd hit off of Shantz, a bloop single to short right-center field. Bill Virdon followed with a sure double-play ball toward shortstop Tony Kubek. But the ball took a bad hop and struck Kubek in the Adam’s apple. Kubek went down, unable to make the play. Dick Groat drove in Cimoli with a single to left field. Jim Coates would relieved Shantz and the Pirates eventually went ahead, 9-7. The Yankees tied it in the top of the ninth but in the bottom of the inning, Bill Mazeroski hit his famous HR off of Ralph Terry to win the World Series for the Pirates. Instead of becoming a hero, Shantz had wound up responsible for 3 Pittsburgh runs. Ironically, after Stengel had lifted Shantz, Jim Coates failed to cover 1st base on a ground ball hit to the 1st baseman by Clemente. It was the type of play that Shantz routinely made and which helped to earn him 8 Gold Gloves. Coates, then gave up a 3-run HR to Hal Smith.
Still, Shantz said that while his fondest memories occurred early in his career with the Athletics, his time with the Yankees was the most satisfying because the team went to the World Series 3 of the 4 years he was there, 1957, 1958, and 1960. He did not participate in the 1958 World Series because of an injured finger.
The 1961 season found Shantz pitching for his erstwhile World Series foes. The major leagues held an expansion draft in the offseason and Shantz was left unprotected by the Yankees. He was selected by the new American League expansion Washington Senators, and 2 days later the Senators would traded him to the Pirates. Shantz began the season in the bullpen, but between May 23rd and July 22nd, he had started 6 games. In the 1st start, he was out-dueled by Lew Burdette of the Braves, 1-0. Shantz was 6-3 as the Pirates finished in 6th place.
Another expansion draft was held after the season and Shantz moved again, selected by the National League Houston Colt .45’s. On April 10, 1962, he started Houston’s 1st-ever game, defeating the Chicago Cubs with a complete game 5-hitter. After each inning, trainer Jim Ewell placed a steam-heated pad on Shantz’s pitching arm to keep it from stiffening. A week later, on April 17th, he had a no-decision against the Mets and on the 27th, he lost a 2-1 decision to the Braves in what turned out to be the last start of his MLB pitching career.
On May 7th, Shantz was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Pitcher John Anderson and OF Carl Warwick. Reunited with his buddy Curt Simmons, Shantz pitched out of the bullpen in 28 games, with a 5-3 record, 4 saves, and a 2.18 ERA with the Cardinals. He pitched a season-high 6 innings on August 26,1962 to earn a win over Pittsburgh. In 1963, Shantz made a career-high 55 appearances with a 2.61 ERA and 11 saves. He was adept at shutting down the opposition and was brought into crucial situations at any time in a game. Left-hander Shantz and 25-year-old right-hander Ron Taylor were the mainstays of the Cardinals’ dependable bullpen. The Cardinals won 93 games yet finished 6 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In January 1964 Bobby’s father died suddenly on a bitterly cold night. Bobby was playing in an alumni/faculty basketball game at Pottstown High School. The PA announcer had just told the crowd a car in the parking lot had its headlights on. Wilmer Shantz realized it was his car and ran out to the lot to turn off the headlights. He ran back to the gym, settled into a seat and collapsed with a fatal heart attack, in Bobby’s arms.
Taylor and Shantz were not as effective in 1964 as they had been in 1963. Taylor regained his 1963 form for a while, but Shantz, now 38 years old, did not, and starting pitchers were pressed into duty for relief chores. On June 15th, Shantz was dealt to the Cubs in the 6-player trade that netted the Cardinals speedy 25-year-old outfielder Lou Brock.
Bobby did not pitch well for the Cubs. The team fell out of contention quickly, and sold Shantz to the Phillies on August 15th. The city where he began in the MLB was gripped in pennant fever, and then disbelief as the Phillies blew a 6 1/2 game lead down the stretch and finished in a tie for 2nd place, 1 game behind the Cardinals.
Shantz’s finest performance of 1964 came on September 17th, when he defeated the Dodgers’ Don Drysdale, 4-3. He relieved Rick Wise in the 1st inning and allowed just 3 hits and 1 run in 7⅔ innings. However, by exhausting Shantz in long relief, Phillies Manager Mauch left his bullpen short-staffed and had to use a left-hander just up from AAA two days later with dire results; a game-ending steal of home plate. During the Phillies’ epic 10-game collapse, Shantz had lost to the Braves on September 26th, giving up a bases-loaded triple to Rico Carty in the 9th inning. Three days later, he made what turned out to be his final appearance in Organized Baseball, pitching two-thirds of an inning in relief against the Cardinals. Shantz was asked to return to the Phillies for 1965, but instead he retired from baseball.
His MLB odyssey ended with a career record of 119-99 and a 3.38 ERA.
After his baseball career, Bobby managed a dairy bar and restaurant in Chalfont, Pennsylvania next to the bowling alley he co-owned with his former A’s catcher, Joe Astroth. The bowling alley was sold in 1966, but Shantz worked at the restaurant until he retired in 1986. After retiring, Shantz golfed regularly at a course owned by his baseball friends Curt Simmons, and Robin Roberts. In 1994 Bobby received the 1st of a number of honors in his retirement. He became the 41st member to be inducted into the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame. His plaque hung in Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, but is now located in the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society in Hatboro, Pennsylvania. In 2009, Shantz was invited to attend the showing of a previously unknown film of the 7th game of the 1960 World Series, but declined to attend, saying, “I’d rather face a tough hitter with the bases loaded than speak in public. It’s not my forté.”
In 2010, Bobby had received 2 additional honors. He was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame and Pottstown High School renovated its baseball field and dedicated it in his honor: Bobby Shantz Field. A metal plaque with a photograph of Shantz can be seen by the entrance to the field.
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Post by fwclipper51 on Dec 31, 2023 17:31:42 GMT -5
Yankees 3B Clete BoyerThis article was written by Joseph Wancho Edited by Clipper
It was Game 6 of the 1964 World Series. The Mayor and the town Treasurer of Alba, Missouri were relaxing in box seats behind the St. Louis Cardinal’s dugout at Busch Stadium. Both His Honor and the Treasurer enjoyed a singular advantage over all of the other spectators in the ballpark on this autumn day. While most of the partisan crowd was cheering for the hometown Redbirds over the visiting New York Yankees, the visitors from Jasper County were guaranteed a victory no matter the outcome on the diamond. The Mayor and the Treasurer were none other than Mr. and Mrs. Vern Boyer. Their sons were Ken and Clete, opposing 3rd baseman for St. Louis and New York respectively. “We’ll just be rootin’ for each of the boys every time he’s involved in a play. This is something we have wished would happen,” said Mabel Boyer. Vern concurred with his wife; “Oh gosh, we couldn’t favor 1 team over the other,” added Pop.
The 1964 Fall Classic was a 7-game classic between two iconic major league teams. For Clete Boyer, this was his 5th consecutive series. His record thus far was 2 up and 2 down. As far as his older brother was concerned, it was his 1st taste of meaningful October baseball. “Well, you can imagine we’re particularly happy for Ken, it’s his 1st time in the Series, but we’re rooting for both of them,” said Vern.” But now that the Series had reached the 7th game, Mabel felt a bit melancholy. “When it got to the 7th game, I got to feeling unhappy. One of my boys had to lose,” explained Mabel.
Game Seven was a bit of an oddity as both the Boyer brothers homered in the game. They were the first in major league history to accomplish the feat. Ken hit a solo shot off of Steve Hamilton in the seventh inning that pushed the Cards to a 7-3 lead. Clete and Phil Linz both went yard in the ninth inning off a tiring Bob Gibson. But they each hit theirs with the bases empty and the Cards wrapped up the game, 7-5, and the World Championship.
Earlier in the series, Ken Boyer smacked a grand slam in Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. It ended up being the difference as St. Louis won, 4-3. “When he hit that HR, I loved it,” recalled Clete. “In my heart, I think I was pulling for him because it was his 1st Series.”
Cletis Leroy Boyer was born on February 9, 1937 in Cassville, Missouri. He was 1 of 14 children (7 boys and 7 girls, although 1 daughter died in infancy) born to Vern and Mabel Boyer. Before Vern took to his political aspirations, he made his living as a marble cutter. The Boyers raised their family in Alba, Missouri, tucked away in the southwest corner of the state. Alba was a small town, the population around 350 people. All of the Boyer boys were exceptional athletes, and each one would sign a professional baseball contract. Cloyd, a pitcher, was 10 years older than Clete. He broke into the major leagues in 1949 with the St. Louis Cardinals. But arm problems curtailed his career and 1955 was his last season in the major leagues. Ken broke into the major leagues in 1955 as a 3rd baseman for St. Louis. He was named the National League’s MVP in 1964, played in several All-Star Games and won numerous Gold Gloves. Later, he served as the Cardinals manager from 1978-1980. The other sons (Lynn, Ron, Wayne and Len) did not advance beyond the minor leagues.
Clete was a two-sport star at Alba High School. He was a dead-eye shooter in basketball and a shortstop on the baseball team. Scouts came from everywhere to take a gander at the prospect. In the end it was Kansas City that signed Clete to a reported bonus of $35,000 on May 30, 1955. Because of the “Bonus Baby” rule of the time, Boyer was required to stay on the Athletics’ roster for a minimum of 2 years. If not, the club would surrender their rights to Clete. Each team was limited to signing 2 “bonus baby” players per year. The Athletics had been sold and relocated to Kansas City from Philadelphia. There was much speculation about the relationship between the new owners of the Athletics and the Yankees. The signing of Boyer is one such example. There were those who believed that perhaps it was the Yankees who put up the $35,000 to sign Boyer, since they had already exceeded their bonus limit. What may give this story some credence is that the Yankees did not make a bonus offer for Boyer. This was in spite of legendary Yankee Scout Tom Greenwade living in close proximity to the Boyer clan. But for the present time, Boyer would wear the Athletics jersey and report to K.C. Manager Lou Boudreau.
Over the next 2 seasons, Boyer was stationed at shortstop, 2nd and 3rd base at various times. He did start 34 games at 2nd base in 1956, his most extended time in the A’s lineup. But like many young players, both those who had the benefit of playing in the minors and those who had not, he was overmatched by big league pitching. The Athletics tried to include Boyer in a trade to the Yankees on February 19,1957. But Commissioner Ford Frick vetoed the trade, ruling that it would violate the 2-year agreement. It is curious that a team such as the Athletics, who were short on talent, would try to rid themselves of a prospect in whom they had allegedly invested a large sum of cash, especially before his required 2-year apprenticeship on the varsity was up. Regardless, the 13-player swap was legally consummated on June 4,1957, with Boyer going to New York.
From 1955 to 1959, the Athletics and Yankees made 16 transactions that involved 61 players. Ryne Duren recalled that when Cleveland traded Roger Maris to Kansas City in March,1958, the New York clubhouse was jubilant. “Well, we just got Maris,” shouted Yogi Berra, Gil McDougald and Hank Bauer. Indeed the Yankees did, as they acquired Maris in December, 1959. Perhaps Bauer was not so gleeful as he was headed to Kansas City as part of the 7-player deal.
The Yankees did not need to keep Boyer on their big league roster, sending him instead to Class A Binghamton of the Eastern League. Years later, Boyer was inducted into the Binghamton Baseball Shrine and recounted fond memories of his time there. “It’s a big thrill, it really is,” said Clete of the induction. “(Binghamton) was the first place I started playing regularly. I got my start there. I think it’s a place that will always mean a lot to me.”
He was promoted to Class AAA Richmond of the International League the following season, and showed some power as he tallied 22 HRs and drove in 71 runs. He began the 1959 season with the Yankees. But Tony Kubek was the starting shortstop, so Boyer’s playing time was limited. He saw some action at 3rd base, and he returned to Richmond in early June to get more comfortable playing the hot corner.
In 1960, the Yankees began a string of 5 straight pennants. They had a formidable lineup with Moose Skowron at 1st base, Bobby Richardson and Kubek at 2nd and short, and Boyer at 3rd base. Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Hector Lopez and Roger Maris manned the outfield. Elston Howard was an outstanding catcher. Towards the end of the string they added Joe Pepitone and Tom Tresh. Whitey Ford, Jim Bouton and Ralph Terry anchored the pitching staff. New York was the cream of the crop in the American League. Boyer started 93 games at 3id base and 20 more at shortstop as he was integrated into the starting lineup. Gil McDougald was in his final season that year and Manager Casey Stengel, known for his penchant for using a platoon system, ran whatever lineup onto the field that gave him the best chance of winning.
Boyer was not as enamored with Stengel as perhaps the veterans were. In Game 1 of the World Series against Pittsburgh, the Yankees found themselves in a 3-1 hole after the 1st inning. Berra and Skowron led off the top of the 2nd with consecutive singles. Boyer strode to the plate for his initial at-bat in the series, but was called back to the dugout in favor of a pinch hitter, Dale Long. Boyer was so humiliated that he retreated to the clubhouse, inconsolable. “If the world had ended the next minute, I wouldn’t have cared,” said Clete. Long flied out to right field and Richardson lined out to left field for a double play. Stengel received much criticism but defended the move, saying he was playing for the big inning. The Pirates ultimately won the Series in 7 games, and Stengel was let go at the end of the year. Ralph Houk, who had joined Stengel’s staff in 1958, replaced him.
Boyer was known for his defense and strong throwing arm. He adapted to playing 3rd base rather quickly and often played shallow to take bunt attempts away. However, the New York Yankees were not dubbed the “Bronx Bombers” for no reason. Because of the tremendous power on the club, Boyer was continually placed in the 8th hole on Houk’s lineup card. Hitting in front of the pitcher did not allow Boyer to see many good pitches. A spacious Yankee Stadium was also not conducive for Boyer to hit the long ball.
While the M&M boys were chasing Babe Ruth’s single season home run record in 1961, Boyer continued to hone his craft at third. He led the league in assists (353), and that was never more evident than on the big stage of the World Series. The Yankees breezed through the American League, headed for a matchup with Cincinnati. In Game One, Whitey Ford shut out the Reds on a 2-hitter in the Yanks’ 2-0 win. But as good as Ford was, it was the defense behind him that had the Reds buzzing. “Clete always made great plays,” said Ford, “But, no 3rd baseman ever played better than Clete did in the 1961 Series.” In the 2nd inning, Gene Freese whistled a liner down the 3rd base line. Clete dove to his left, fielded the baseball on the short hop in foul territory and from his knees, threw out Freese by a couple of steps. Likewise in the 8th inning, pinch-hitter Dick Gernert sent a ground ball between shortstop and 3d base. Boyer dove to his left, snagged the ball and again made the strong throw from his knees to get Gernert. “The guy is a switch-diver,” said Gernert. “I was sure my hit was through the hole. He threw the ball from his knees. I couldn’t believe it, and he got me at 1st easy.” Gernert’s teammate Vada Pinson added,”Clete Boyer gets more on the ball from his knees than a lot of 3rd baseman do while standing up.”
Gernert and Pinson may have been witnessing Boyer’s majesty for the first time. But their comments echoed what Yankee great and current coach Frank Crosetti knew all along. “I came up too late for Joe Dugan,” said Crosetti, “but I have seen everybody who played third base for this club since 1932, and this man is the best. What can’t he do? He has tremendous arm power. He not only throws hard when he is down, but he throws strikes to first base.”
Clete Boyer had his best all-around season in a Yankee uniform in 1962. Defensively, he again led the league in assists (396), but also in putouts (187) and double plays (41). His bat came alive as he smacked 18 HRs and drove in 68 runs. He also set career marks in runs (85), hits (154), doubles (24), batting average (.272) and OBP (.331). The Bombers needed a strong September (17-9) to hold off the Twins and win the pennant by 5 games. Then they topped the San Francisco Giants in 7 games in the Series. Boyer’s fine season carried over to the World Series, as he was 2nd on the team in hitting with a .319 average. He hit 1 of 3 Yankee HRs in the Series. In Game 1, with the score knotted at2 apiece, Boyer connected off of Billy O’Dell on a line drive round- tripper to left field. The blast gave the Yankees a lead they did not relinquish in the 6-2 victory.
Although New York won the pennant in the junior circuit the following 2 seasons, they could not take the next step to winning a World Championship. They were swept in 1963 by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 4 games as Sandy Koufax would beat them twice, striking out 15 batters in Game 1. Then they lost in 7 games to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964.
Starting in 1965 the Yankees were getting a little long in the tooth. Their production slipped and so did their place atop the standings. In 1966, they found themselves on the bottom looking up as they finished in last place, 26½ games behind pennant-winner Baltimore. It was time to tear it down in New York and build it back up. The farm system was not producing the players it had decades earlier.
For his part, Boyer remained consistent. He had played between 144 and 152 games and drove in between 52-58 runs from 1963-1966. However, Boyer was part of the housecleaning and was shipped to Atlanta for OF prospect Bill Robinson and pitcher Chi-Chi Olivo November 29,1966. The Braves had just relocated to Atlanta from Milwaukee for the 1966 season. With Hank Aaron, Joe Torre, Rico Carty and Felipe Alou, the Braves had a solid nucleus in place. The Braves were delighted to obtain a player of Clete’s ability. “I’m glad he’s finally on my side,” said Atlanta skipper Billy Hitchcock. He beat me enough times when I was managing at Baltimore. But I tell you, he can swing the bat pretty good, and you’re going to see some real defensive plays with Boyer at third base.”14 Atlanta President John McHale simply said, “We’re happy to get Boyer. He’s a real major league player, a pro.”
Eddie Matthews, who had been a stalwart for years at 3rd base since the last year the Braves were located in Boston, was dealt a month later to Houston. The Braves home park, Fulton-County Stadium, was a more hitter-friendly park then Yankee Stadium. Boyer smacked a career-high 26 HRs and drove in 96 runs. Elevated to the 5 hole in the batting lineup, he hit behind Torre and Aaron and found the spot more to his liking. “I wanted the trade to look good,” said Boyer. “I wanted to do well because I was taking the place of a player like Matthews. You take the place of someone like him, then you feel the pressure.
In 1969, both leagues expanded by 2 more teams and they each went to a 2-division format. This created a round of playoffs before the World Series. No longer was the team with the best record guaranteed a spot in the Fall Classic. The Braves were placed in the National League West Division and edged out San Francisco for the inaugural division title. But they faced the New York Mets who had made an amazing run to overtake Chicago and win the East Division. The Mets, truly a team of destiny, mowed down the Braves in 3 straight to win the pennant and eventually the World Series.
Boyer’s 1968 season had ended prematurely when he was hit on the hands, 1st by the Giant’s Juan Marichal and then by the Dodgers Don Drysdale. But he would bounced back in 1969 to help lead the Braves into the playoffs. He was also the recipient of his 1st and only Gold Glove Award in 1969. “Any time I see the ball hit toward Clete, I know it’s a sure out,” said Braves pitcher Phil Niekro. “He is amazing.”
In the early stages of the 1971 season, Boyer made public his dissatisfaction with Braves General Manager Paul Richards and Manager Lum Harris. In spite of Boyer’s fine year in 1969, Richards had slashed Clete’s salary by $2,500 in 1970. In 1971, he wanted to trim a little more of Boyer’s pay. When Boyer inquired as to why, Richards offered no explanation other than to say that there were reasons. But it was Richards who raised Boyer’s salary from $30,000 to $47,000 in Boyer’s 5 years as a Brave. “I hate to admit that I pay that much to such a sorry player,” said Richards, “particularly one who is as scared as he is at home plate.”
“There shouldn’t be a place for a guy like Richards in baseball, and the manager Lum Harris wouldn’t be here unless he was one of Paul’s pals. Eddie Matthews (Braves coach) should be the manager – that’s how much I think of him,” said Boyer. Of course, these comments caused controversy as Matthews never asked to be the head man and it looked like Eddie was undermining Harris. Matthews was quite satisfied being a coach. Harris had instituted a midnight curfew before day games. For a person like Boyer, who was characterized as a carouser, any curfew would be tough to follow. “We decided to put it in because some of the things these players were doing right in front of me,” said Harris. “I’m tired of being shown up by those things, and I am not going to stand for it.” Richards and Boyer worked out an agreement, with Boyer basically buying his release from Atlanta for $10,000.
But a bigger story was brewing when Bowie Kuhn levied a $1,000 fine on Boyer for gambling on college and pro football games in 1968 and 1969. “It is true that a couple of years ago I made a few bets on football games with a man I thought was my friend,” said Boyer. “I have never bet on baseball and I have never made any kind of bet with anyone I know to be a bookmaker. There are parlay cards all over the locker rooms, with guys putting up a buck here and a buck there. They are as guilty as I am.”
Any interest in Boyer cooled and he was suddenly on the outside looking in. Clete suspected that he was being blackballed by the rest of the teams. At 1st Oakland showed some interest, but their interest cooled. Marvin Miller, who was Executive Director of the Player’s Association, worked with the commissioner’s office and Boyer’s $10,000 buyout price was returned. Boyer would finished out the 1971 season playing for the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League.
With no offers coming his way, Clete’s 16-year MLB came to an end. His lifetime batting average was .242 with 162 HRs and 654 RBI. He fielded his 3rd base position at a .965 clip.
From 1972 to 1975, Boyer moved on to Japan, playing for the Taiyo Whales. He was well compensated, making a reported $96,000 a year, which doubled his salary the last year he was with Atlanta. “Japanese pitchers don’t have much speed but I’ve found they have extremely good control,” said Boyer. “Probably five or six pitchers in the United States throw sinkers. Here, they all pitch sinkers.”22 That style of pitching must have agreed with Boyer, as he clubbed 71 HRs in his 4 seasons in Japan.
After his playing days, Boyer did not stray far from the ball diamond. He was the 3rd base coach in Oakland for Billy Martin, Steve Boros and then Jackie Moore from 1980-1985. He later would joined Martin again in 1988 in New York. Boyer would returned to the Yankees coaching staff under Buck Showalter from 1992-1994. He also spent time as a roving infield instructor for the Yankees minor league teams.
Boyer lived outside of Atlanta in retirement, making his summer home in Cooperstown, New York. There he owned a restaurant, Clete Boyer’s Hamburger Hall of Fame. Boyer also attended baseball card and memorabilia shows when his schedule allowed.
Clete Boyer passed away on June 4, 2007 in Atlanta from a stroke. He was survived by his children, Mickey, Brett, Valerie, Colette, Stephanie and Jerran.
As good a defensive player as Clete Boyer was, he had the misfortune to play in the same era as Baltimore’s Brooks Robinson. Robinson, generally regarded as the greatest defensive 3rd baseman ever to play the game, won 15 straight Gold Glove Awards from 1960-1975.
“He (Boyer) never got the publicity because he didn’t hit for a lot of power or a high average,” said Crosetti. “The only difference between Brooks and Clete was that Brooks was a better hitter, not fielder.”
Robinson may have agreed with Crosetti’s assessment. “In terms of catching the ball and throwing, Clete Boyer was the best defensive 3rd baseman I played against,” he said.
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Post by rizzuto on Dec 31, 2023 17:46:55 GMT -5
My late friend Joe Simas loved Allie Reynolds and Vic Raschi. The Chief was 7-2 in 77.1 World Series innings with an ERA of 2.79. No one is sneezing at those results.
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Post by bigjeep on Dec 31, 2023 17:55:34 GMT -5
I remember Clete Boyer as the Vacuum cleaner at 3rd base! His brother Ken was the hitter! That St Louie team was one of the best hitting teams! Stan the man was also there! I remember them winning something like 20 games in a row and got within 3 games of the Dodgers near seasons end! We were all waiting for the big 3 game set with the Dodgers. ST Louie was like scoring double digits in runs. Then they ran into Kofax, Drysdale and Tommy John? They got swept! Now this is all from memory, not google! What year? I forget!  |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jan 1, 2024 12:43:43 GMT -5
I remember Clete Boyer as the Vacuum cleaner at 3rd base! His brother Ken was the hitter! That St Louie team was one of the best hitting teams! Stan the man was also there! I remember them winning something like 20 games in a row and got within 3 games of the Dodgers near seasons end! We were all waiting for the big 3 game set with the Dodgers. ST Louie was like scoring double digits in runs. Then they ran into Kofax, Drysdale and Tommy John? They got swept! Now this is all from memory, not google! What year? I forget! Excellent recall, bigjeep. You don't need no stinking Google. You certainly had the essence right, and I can fill in a few details. I knew from your description that the year had to be 1963 -- but I did have to look up the particulars for sure. The Cardinals had cut the Dodgers' lead from seven games on August 30 down to one game on September 16 when Los Angeles came into Busch Stadium for a three-game series. The Cards had won ten in a row. In game one, Johnny Podres outdueled Ernie Broglio in a 3-1 game. Podres allowed only one run and three hits in eight innings, while Ron Perranoski got a one-inning save. The game was tied 1-1 going into the ninth when Willie Davis, Ron Fairly and Tommy Davis combined for base hits off of Bobby Shantz to put LA up. The Cardinals' only run came on a Stan Musial home run. Stan was in his last season and had only two more weeks to play. In game two, Sandy Koufax threw a four-hit shutout to beat Curt Simmons 4-0. The big blow for the Dodgers was a two-run home run off the bat of Frank Howard in the eighth against Simmons. In game three, the Dodgers completed a sweep with a 6-5 win in 13 innings. Actually lefty Pete Richert started this game for LA against Bob Gibson. Richert was knocked out in the third after allowing four runs. Bob Miller pitched 4 2/3 allowing one run. Then Perranoski again (he had a great year) pitched six scoreless innings in relief to get the win and go to 16-3! Gibson went 7 1/3 and allowed four runs. He was relieved by Shantz, Ron Taylor and finally Lew Burdette who was tagged with the loss after working four innings and allowing one run. The Dodgers won in their typical way of a few well-timed singles, a walk and a throwing error. So after that series LA went up by four games and were never threatened again by St. Louis. It certainly would have helped the Yankees if St. Louis had taken the pennant that year, because we know what a disaster that World Series was. Koufax was unhittable. As you noted, that was a good St. Louis team (and one which would win the WS next year in seven games against the Yankees. Yanks should have won that one.) Not only Stan the Man, still batting third, but Ken Boyer hitting cleanup. They had Bill White at first, Julian Javier at second, Dick Groat at SS, Tim McCarver behind the plate and an OF that featured Musial, Curt Flood and George Altman. Of course at the trade deadline of the 64 season the Cards would obtain Lou Brock from the Cubs for Ernie Broglio, widely considered one of the worst trades ever made, plus Mike Shannon came up to fill the other OF slot. Just because I love doing this, here are some songs that were popular in September of 63 when the Dodgers swept the Cardinals -- "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes, "Sugar Shack" by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, "Blue Velvet" by Bobby Vinton, "Sally Go 'Round The Roses" by the Jaynetts, "Washington Square" by The Village Stompers, "Busted" by Ray Charles, "Mean Woman Blues" by Roy Orbison, "I Can't Stay Mad At You" by Skeeter Davis, "Then He Kissed Me" by The Crystals, "Surfer Girl" by The Beach Boys and "Donna The Prima Dona" by Dion. Among many others that I would be happy to write about at any time! Anyway thanks for bringing this up bigjeep. It keeps us other veterans on our toes. |
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Post by bigjeep on Jan 1, 2024 12:50:35 GMT -5
Wow, is my memory bad! Time sure fogs the memory!  |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jan 1, 2024 12:58:13 GMT -5
Wow, is my memory bad! Time sure fogs the memory! Nah, you had the main issues right. You remembered the Cards made a late charge with a long winning streak and then were skunked by the Dodgers. Who is going to remember a Pete Richert start from 60 years ago? I had to look it up for sure. BTW did you know that Ron Perranoski and another great 60s reliever, Dick "The Monster" Radatz, were teammates at Michigan State in the late 50s? Like many Dodgers, Perranoski managed to get on a TV show. In his case it was "Branded" which starred ex-Dodger and ex-Boston Celtic Chuck Connors. It was his show after "The Rifleman." |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jan 1, 2024 13:21:43 GMT -5
My late friend Joe Simas loved Allie Reynolds and Vic Raschi. The Chief was 7-2 in 77.1 World Series innings with an ERA of 2.79. No one is sneezing at those results. What I have noticed is that people who actually saw Allie Reynolds pitch (I did not) were invariably greatly impressed by him. That tells you something even beyond the numbers. You can see him on YouTube in one of the rare full-game kinescopes from the 1952 World Series. I believe it is the oldest-surviving complete TV broadcast. In fact there are very few after that until you get well into the 1960s, although Larsen's perfect game (I watched it just a few days ago) and Game Seven of the 1960 series (what Yankee fan wants to watch that?) are available. |
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Post by bigjeep on Jan 1, 2024 14:19:10 GMT -5
I saw the "monster" pitch in the 1964? All-Star game Shea had just opened and they got the game! We went from the Worlds fair to the game! We were behind and, sure enough, Willie "say, Hey" Mays won or got the key hit off the monster that wasn't a monster that day! When the game meant something!  I think I got it right this time! BTW-- I think St Louie was behind by around 20 games at some point in that season! Could be wrong! |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jan 1, 2024 15:09:56 GMT -5
I saw the "monster" pitch in the 1964? All-Star game Shea had just opened and they got the game! We went from the Worlds fair to the game! We were behind and, sure enough, Willie "say, Hey" Mays won or got the key hit off the monster that wasn't a monster that day! When the game meant something! I think I got it right this time! BTW-- I think St Louie was behind by around 20 games at some point in that season! Could be wrong! Hi Jeep -- I remember that game very vividly. I was with my best friend in the TV department at Sears watching the end of that game on one of those big consoles. We drifted over there after a big haul of albums -- I still remember what I bought -- "A Hard Days Night" by The Beatles had just been released and I got "Pain In My Heart" by Otis Redding and "Meet The Temptations" and "The Rolling Stones-- England's Newest Hit Makers" and "Glad All Over" by The Dave Clark Five. I associate everything with music. You're right the game was played at Shea, and you're right that Radatz was victimized by the NL and you're right that Willie Mays scored the tying run in the bottom of the ninth. However the big hit came after that with a three-run HR by Johnny Callison of the Phillies to give the NL a 7-4 win. I was apoplectic because I was a serious AL fan and because I grew up in the burbs of Philly they made a huge deal about Callison. Back then fans really cared about the All Star game and the NL was horribly dominant at that time. Man, I loved the World's Fair. Another thing that was a big deal. Were you a Queens kid? |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jan 1, 2024 15:21:21 GMT -5
Jeep -- I just re-read your post and I see that you were actually at the game in person. Didn't catch that first time around. How cool! That was quite a day -- World's Fair in the morning and All Star game in the afternoon. They were always in the afternoon in those days. For sure it was 1964.
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Post by bigjeep on Jan 1, 2024 15:27:49 GMT -5
I saw the "monster" pitch in the 1964? All-Star game Shea had just opened and they got the game! We went from the Worlds fair to the game! We were behind and, sure enough, Willie "say, Hey" Mays won or got the key hit off the monster that wasn't a monster that day! When the game meant something! I think I got it right this time! BTW-- I think St Louie was behind by around 20 games at some point in that season! Could be wrong! Hi Jeep -- I remember that game very vividly. I was with my best friend in the TV department at Sears watching the end of that game on one of those big consoles. We drifted over there after a big haul of albums -- I still remember what I bought -- "A Hard Days Night" by The Beatles had just been released and I got "Pain In My Heart" by Otis Redding and "Meet The Temptations" and "The Rolling Stones-- England's Newest Hit Makers" and "Glad All Over" by The Dave Clark Five. I associate everything with music. You're right the game was played at Shea, and you're right that Radatz was victimized by the NL and you're right that Willie Mays scored the tying run in the bottom of the ninth. However the big hit came after that with a three-run HR by Johnny Callison of the Phillies to give the NL a 7-4 win. I was apoplectic because I was a serious AL fan and because I grew up in the burbs of Philly they made a huge deal about Callison. Back then fans really cared about the All Star game and the NL was horribly dominant at that time. Man, I loved the World's Fair. Another thing that was a big deal. Were you a Queens kid? Lived in Springfield NJ at the time, just graduated High School! I was still a Giants and Mays fan at the time alone with my father, so the game was big for us ! We did the fair and then walked to the Stadium! |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jan 1, 2024 15:49:48 GMT -5
What a great day that had to be. The World's Fair was so much fun. First time I ever saw Animatronics with the Small World thing at the Pepsi Pavillion. First time I ever had Belgian Waffles at the Belgian exhibit. The Mexican cliff divers. All the 7Up you could drink at their exhibit in the giant bottle. Ford, GM, duPont all had wonderful exhibits. Michelangelo's Pieta that you watched from a conveyor belt. All very Jetson-like futuristic.
Springfield is where Baltusrol is, right? We went to the PGA Tournament there a few years ago. Beautiful place.
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Post by bruner4329 on Jan 1, 2024 16:03:44 GMT -5
I actually got to meet him a while back in Cooperstown. He was a nice guy. He had a restaurant up there called I believe the Hamburger Hall of Fame. He took the time to talk to us and autographed a couple of pictures for us as well as the menu.
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I think I got it right this time! 