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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 24, 2023 16:29:07 GMT -5
In a nutshell, Ralph Terry, along with his skipper Ralph Houk, decided to pitch to Willie McCovey after a brief meeting on the mound. The tying run was on third base. The winning run was on second base. McCovey had just tripled in his previous at-bat and hit a home run off Terry during Game 2. Orlando Cepeda, whom Terry had already struck out twice in the game, was waiting in the on-deck circle. McCovey smashed the first pitch Terry served up foul, down the right field line. Pitch number two, McCovey whacked a screaming liner that Bobby caught with no effort prompting him to say, "People often suggest that I was out of position on that play, but McCovey hit two hard ground balls to me earlier in the Series, so I played where I thought he would hit the ball." A few feet higher or defensively placed elsewhere and the San Francisco Giants would have won the Series... It would be unthinkable today to leave a tired, right-handed Ralph Terry on the mound in Game Seven with a 1-0 lead, two outs and runners on second and third and a left-handed slugger like Willie McCovey at bat. It just couldn't happen. Terry would have been gone certainly by the eighth inning at the latest. Plus just two years earlier, pitching in relief in the ninth inning of a tied Game Seven, Terry had allowed Bill Mazeroski's series-winning HR. Houk never seemed to seriously consider taking him out. It's well known that the only reason Matty Alou did not score the tying run on Willie Mays' double was that Roger Maris, running like a demon to his left, got to the ball so quickly and made a fast relay to Bobby Richardson, who had run out to mid-RF for the relay and then threw a perfect peg home. Maris' arm was bothering him, but the Yanks were able to conceal it with great relay work from Richardson. The wind was blowing in at gale force throughout that game. Tom Tresh, playing LF, actually called for a fly ball that he wound up catching on the infield dirt. He had also made a spectacular catch in the corner in the seventh inning that saved another Giants run. That game was probably the most dramatic Game Seven in Yankee history. I know that Richardson caught the ball chest-high, but in watching it I could have sworn it was going to go over his head. Had it done so, the Giants would have won the World Series. Before the play, Kubek joked to Richardson that he hoped the ball wasn't hit to second because Richardson had already made a couple of errors in the Series. It was only a joke -- they were great friends -- but it did make Willie Mays laugh. Also the second base umpire asked Bobby before the play that if he caught the final out, could he give him his cap as a souvenir. Which Richardson did after the out. There was a lot of levity on the field while I was sweating blood watching on TV. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 24, 2023 16:34:38 GMT -5
Bobby Richardson struck out only 243 times during his entire 12-year career. He struck out less than 5% of his plate appearances and finished in the top three for at-bats per strikeouts eight times in the American League (including first overall in 1964, 1965 & 1966). Bobby Richardson played in 1,412 regular season baseball games and 36 World Series games (including a record 30 consecutive World Series games) - and in EXACTLY one game, he struck out three times. On October 2, 1963, Sandy Koufax struck him out three times during Game 1 of the 1963 World Series, the first and only time Richardson had more than two-strikeouts in any big league game he ever played... Bobby Richardson was a wonderful player. As I've said before, my favorite Yankee who was not one of the greats. He also rose to the occasion in the World Series, with a .303 BA playing in seven of them (including three where he batted .367 or higher.) And in 1960, he became the only Series MVP to play for the losing team. He was also durable. Once the second base job became his in 1960, he never played in fewer than 149 games in his last seven seasons. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 24, 2023 18:23:36 GMT -5
On October 15, 1964, during Game 7 of the 1964 World Series, Clete Boyer hit a home run off Bob Gibson in the 9th inning. The Yankees were trailing the Cardinals 3-7 and the homer helped, but Ken Boyer had already homered in the 7th inning, off Steve Hamilton, to help put the game out of reach. The brothers were the first in history to hit home runs in the same World Series game... Sadly, I can remember that game much more vividly than any game of the most recent Yankee World Series. A rookie Mel Stottlemyre and veteran Bob Gibson were matched up in games 2,5 and 7. Mel had about seven weeks of big league experience at that point and started three games in the series. Whitey Ford had started Game One, but he had arm problems and was finished for the duration. Gibson had had to pitch the final game of the regular season to win a tight NL pennant race, so he wasn't available for Game One. Both Stottlemyre and Gibson were pitching on two days' rest in Game Seven. Mel worked the first four innings, allowed three runs, and was gassed. Al Downing came in for the fifth and had nothing -- three batters, three runs scored. The Yanks were behind 6-0 going into the sixth inning against Bob Gibson. Prospects were dim. But even Gibson could get tired, and in the sixth inning Mickey Mantle hit a three-run homer to make it 6-3. As you noted Ken Boyer hit one out in the seventh to make it 7-3. It was clear Gibson was laboring -- it was unthinkable that he would be removed. In that ninth inning he was like a marathon runner nearing the finish line. With one out, Clete hit the home run you mentioned, making it 7-4. Then pinch hitter Johnny Blanchard went down, making it two outs. But Phil Linz, starting at SS in the series because of a wrist injury to Tony Kubek, hit a rare home run to make it 7-5. Bobby Richardson, who had had another great series -- in fact set a record with 13 hits -- was up next against an obviously exhausted Gibson. Maris and Mantle were on deck, so if Bobby reached base there was genuine hope. But it was not to be. He popped up weakly, causing me severe anguish and ushering in ten years of frustrating baseball. That was another winnable series -- don't get me started on Game Four -- and it was the last hurrah of the Mantle-Ford-Berra-Maris-Richardson-Kubek-Boyer-Howard era. |
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Post by chiyankee on Mar 24, 2023 18:48:02 GMT -5
When Tony Kubek won the 1957 American League Rookie of the Year, he had only played shortstop in forty-one games that season (Tony also had 38 games played at third base, 31 games in left field, 22 games in center field, and one at second base)… Oswaldo Cabrera wants to be the modern day Tony Kubek. |
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Post by inger on Mar 24, 2023 18:55:36 GMT -5
Tony Kubek was not know for his HR hitting, but on 10-3-65 he became the first Yankee to homer in his final MLB at bat… First I heard that one, Inger. I recall in his rookie season (he was ROY) of 1957, in the first World Series I clearly remember, Kubek hit two HRs in his first game in his hometown of Milwaukee. I also remember when Kubek came back from military service in 1962, he hit a HR in his first game back and the home plate umpire shook his hand when he crossed the plate! He didn't hit many, but he had his moments. One of the cool things about the WS. There was Kubek with 3 HR all season, and hitting 2 when it counted the most… |
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Post by inger on Mar 24, 2023 19:02:01 GMT -5
On October 15, 1964, during Game 7 of the 1964 World Series, Clete Boyer hit a home run off Bob Gibson in the 9th inning. The Yankees were trailing the Cardinals 3-7 and the homer helped, but Ken Boyer had already homered in the 7th inning, off Steve Hamilton, to help put the game out of reach. The brothers were the first in history to hit home runs in the same World Series game... Sadly, I can remember that game much more vividly than any game of the most recent Yankee World Series. A rookie Mel Stottlemyre and veteran Bob Gibson were matched up in games 2,5 and 7. Mel had about seven weeks of big league experience at that point and started three games in the series. Whitey Ford had started Game One, but he had arm problems and was finished for the duration. Gibson had had to pitch the final game of the regular season to win a tight NL pennant race, so he wasn't available for Game One. Both Stottlemyre and Gibson were pitching on two days' rest in Game Seven. Mel worked the first four innings, allowed three runs, and was gassed. Al Downing came in for the fifth and had nothing -- three batters, three runs scored. The Yanks were behind 6-0 going into the sixth inning against Bob Gibson. Prospects were dim. But even Gibson could get tired, and in the sixth inning Mickey Mantle hit a three-run homer to make it 6-3. As you noted Ken Boyer hit one out in the seventh to make it 7-3. It was clear Gibson was laboring -- it was unthinkable that he would be removed. In that ninth inning he was like a marathon runner nearing the finish line. With one out, Clete hit the home run you mentioned, making it 7-4. Then pinch hitter Johnny Blanchard went down, making it two outs. But Phil Linz, starting at SS in the series because of a wrist injury to Tony Kubek, hit a rare home run to make it 7-5. Bobby Richardson, who had had another great series -- in fact set a record with 13 hits -- was up next against an obviously exhausted Gibson. Maris and Mantle were on deck, so if Bobby reached base there was genuine hope. But it was not to be. He popped up weakly, causing me severe anguish and ushering in ten years of frustrating baseball. That was another winnable series -- don't get me started on Game Four -- and it was the last hurrah of the Mantle-Ford-Berra-Maris-Richardson-Kubek-Boyer-Howard era. I remember that pop out all too well. In fact, my little ten year old brain was fearing the he would pop up, and then he did… I wanted to be wrong so bad… |
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Post by inger on Mar 24, 2023 19:21:43 GMT -5
Bobby Richardson struck out only 243 times during his entire 12-year career. He struck out less than 5% of his plate appearances and finished in the top three for at-bats per strikeouts eight times in the American League (including first overall in 1964, 1965 & 1966). Bobby Richardson played in 1,412 regular season baseball games and 36 World Series games (including a record 30 consecutive World Series games) - and in EXACTLY one game, he struck out three times. On October 2, 1963, Sandy Koufax struck him out three times during Game 1 of the 1963 World Series, the first and only time Richardson had more than two-strikeouts in any big league game he ever played... Bobby Richardson was a wonderful player. As I've said before, my favorite Yankee who was not one of the greats. He also rose to the occasion in the World Series, with a .303 BA playing in seven of them (including three where he batted .367 or higher.) And in 1960, he became the only Series MVP to play for the losing team. He was also durable. Once the second base job became his in 1960, he never played in fewer than 149 games in his last seven seasons. Pipps, it pleases me so to see you all over the players from this era. It was a great time to be a Yankees fan… until it wasn’t. Yet, I always knew that someday they’d rise again… |
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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 24, 2023 19:36:32 GMT -5
Bobby Richardson was a wonderful player. As I've said before, my favorite Yankee who was not one of the greats. He also rose to the occasion in the World Series, with a .303 BA playing in seven of them (including three where he batted .367 or higher.) And in 1960, he became the only Series MVP to play for the losing team. He was also durable. Once the second base job became his in 1960, he never played in fewer than 149 games in his last seven seasons. Pipps, it pleases me so to see you all over the players from this era. It was a great time to be a Yankees fan… until it wasn’t. Yet, I always knew that someday they’d rise again… Thank you for bringing up all these gems of information, Inger. Your supply seems inexhaustible. For sure, when you are digging around in that timeframe those are my fondest memories. At least you got to see the tail-end of that period. Any recollection of the 61-62 teams? |
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Post by inger on Mar 24, 2023 19:44:14 GMT -5
Pipps, it pleases me so to see you all over the players from this era. It was a great time to be a Yankees fan… until it wasn’t. Yet, I always knew that someday they’d rise again… Thank you for bringing up all these gems of information, Inger. Your supply seems inexhaustible. For sure, when you are digging around in that timeframe those are my fondest memories. At least you got to see the tail-end of that period. Any recollection of the 61-62 teams? No direct memories at all, unfortunately. I started seeing baseball cards a bit more in ‘63, so the names and stats… reading about the ‘62 WS… It kills me that I missed the ‘61 home run chase, but I wasn’t educated on the sport, nor interested due to my life situation. Sometimes I think I could have been more enriched I’d reared by wolves 🐺 with wolf siblings that were at least aware I was alive. I did see my older sister until I was 3-4 years old. She hated being stuck with changing my diapers early on. Then once that chore was gone she got her own room at someone’s house to get away from my mom when she was only 14… |
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Post by pippsheadache on Mar 24, 2023 19:52:43 GMT -5
Thank you for bringing up all these gems of information, Inger. Your supply seems inexhaustible. For sure, when you are digging around in that timeframe those are my fondest memories. At least you got to see the tail-end of that period. Any recollection of the 61-62 teams? No direct memories at all, unfortunately. I started seeing baseball cards a bit more in ‘63, so the names and stats… reading about the ‘62 WS… It kills me that I missed the ‘61 home run chase, but I wasn’t educated on the sport, nor interested due to my life situation. Sometimes I think I could have been more enriched I’d reared by wolves 🐺 with wolf siblings that were at least aware I was alive. I did see my older sister until I was 3-4 years old. She hated being stuck with changing my diapers early on. Then once that chore was gone she got her own room at someone’s house to get away from my mom when she was only 14… Well you still got into it pretty early. And quickly made up for lost time. Hard to blame anybody for not wanting to change diapers! |
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Post by inger on Mar 24, 2023 23:18:18 GMT -5
When Tony Kubek won the 1957 American League Rookie of the Year, he had only played shortstop in forty-one games that season (Tony also had 38 games played at third base, 31 games in left field, 22 games in center field, and one at second base)… Oswaldo Cabrera wants to be the modern day Tony Kubek. But he’d like to do so while being a much better hitter… The Yankees have had a few stars that changed positions back and forth through their careers. Tom Tresh (more coming on him soon). Gil McDougald, Mantle, Berra, Ellie Howard… Much of it due to the visionary success of Casey Stengel who was one of the first (of not the first) to see the wisdom of platooning. Casey was miles ahead of other baseball managers and smart enough to give a deposition to the Supreme Court that even they couldn’t comprehend… |
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Post by inger on Mar 24, 2023 23:23:27 GMT -5
No direct memories at all, unfortunately. I started seeing baseball cards a bit more in ‘63, so the names and stats… reading about the ‘62 WS… It kills me that I missed the ‘61 home run chase, but I wasn’t educated on the sport, nor interested due to my life situation. Sometimes I think I could have been more enriched I’d reared by wolves 🐺 with wolf siblings that were at least aware I was alive. I did see my older sister until I was 3-4 years old. She hated being stuck with changing my diapers early on. Then once that chore was gone she got her own room at someone’s house to get away from my mom when she was only 14… Well you still got into it pretty early. And quickly made up for lost time. Hard to blame anybody for not wanting to change diapers! I don’t blame her at all. She was smart to move away. Mom was verbally abusive to her. Yep. As I’ve said before, we take our lessons and if they’re bad lessons you take note and avoid such behavior. If they’re good lessons, you continue the behavior. Joyce is 80 now and is setting the new standard for longest living Ingerson / Lajuenesse every day. She seems quite well and has adapted to condo living since she lost her husband. Charleston. SC. She loves that life. Freezes to death when it drops below 60… |
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Post by inger on Mar 24, 2023 23:31:54 GMT -5
No direct memories at all, unfortunately. I started seeing baseball cards a bit more in ‘63, so the names and stats… reading about the ‘62 WS… It kills me that I missed the ‘61 home run chase, but I wasn’t educated on the sport, nor interested due to my life situation. Sometimes I think I could have been more enriched I’d reared by wolves 🐺 with wolf siblings that were at least aware I was alive. I did see my older sister until I was 3-4 years old. She hated being stuck with changing my diapers early on. Then once that chore was gone she got her own room at someone’s house to get away from my mom when she was only 14… Well you still got into it pretty early. And quickly made up for lost time. Hard to blame anybody for not wanting to change diapers! It was awkward for a while. Being the only kid at recess that didn’t know how to play. No glove, bat, ball. No clue of the rules. Learning the game may have turned my life around. It made me tougher, stronger, smarter. Rounded me out. Made be competitive. I was at an age where I could have easily become one of those bullied kids that gets jammed in lockers, which also was a reason I took the short term interest in boxing with some other lads. I was only in my third round of sparring when a couple guys told me that they were surprised at my punching power. Quick learner… Then learning how to take a punch and how to make the other guy miss… that came a little later. If I were to watch a boxing match now, I wouldn’t have a rooting interest. Same with golf. It’s pretty much baseball or nothing for me now… |
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Post by desousa on Mar 25, 2023 7:54:45 GMT -5
On FB I'm friends with the daughter of Earl Torgeson. We grew up in the same town, but I didn't really know her as she was a few years ahead of me. I was friends with her late brother. She loves to post old pictures of her dad and other players, which is really fascinating. She was also Miss Florida in 1966. I once said it must of been cool for her dad to play on that 61' with Mantle, Berra, Ford, etc and she replied, it must have been cool for them to play with her dad. I liked that.
I have a question for pipps and bearman if he's around. I was wondering if you have any recollections of Torgeson as a player?
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Post by inger on Mar 25, 2023 8:51:42 GMT -5
On FB I'm friends with the daughter of Earl Torgeson. We grew up in the same town, but I didn't really know her as she was a few years ahead of me. I was friends with her late brother. She loves to post old pictures of her dad and other players, which is really fascinating. She was also Miss Florida in 1966. I once said it must of been cool for her dad to play on that 61' with Mantle, Berra, Ford, etc and she replied, it must have been cool for them to play with her dad. I liked that. I have a question for pipps and bearman if he's around. I was wondering if you have any recollections of Torgeson as a player? "Unlike my boyhood hero, Earl Averill, I'll never be voted into the Hall of Fame. But I had 15 enjoyable years and accomplished things that most players would like to achieve. Even though we lost the 1948 World Series to the Indians, I led both teams in hitting with a .389 average. And I played in three World Series in three different decades - with the Braves in 1948, the White Sox in 1959 and the Yankees in 1961." - Earl Torgeson in Baseball Digest (January 1978)… |
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