Sunday, October 8, 1967 - World Series - Game 4 - At Busch Stadium II (Bob Gibson - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Boston Red Sox (Jose Santiago - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 54, 575
Bob Gibson - who allowed just one run in defeating the Red Sox at Fenway Park in Game One - trumped that effort in Game Four at Busch Stadium by blanking Boston, 6-0. It was his first career World Series shutout, and it gave St Louis a commanding three games to one lead in the best-of-seven Fall Classic.
Gibson got all the runs he needed in the first-inning off Boston starter Jose Santiago. After Lou Brock and Curt Flood both singled to start the frame, Roger Maris scored 'em both with a double to left field.
After advancing to third on Orlando Cepeda's fly ball deep to right field, Maris scored on Tim McCarver's single to right field - to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. One out later, Julian Javier singled to left - bringing up the weak-hitting Dal Maxvill with runners on first and second.
After Maxvill's single to left field scored McCarver to make it a 4-0 lead - manager Dick Williams had seen enough - yanking his beleaguered starter after just two-thirds of an inning. Gary Bell - one of Jim Bouton's buddies frequently mentioned in his controversial and entertaining memoir, Ball Four - restored order for the next 1.1 innings.
Bell's replacement - Jerry Stephenson - didn't fare so well.
In the third inning, Orlando Cepeda greeted Stephenson with a lead-off double to left field. With McCarver batting, Stephenson uncorked a wild pitch - moving Cepeda to third. McCarver's sacrifice fly to center padded the lead to 5-0 - but the Cardinals weren't quite through.
Mike Shannon then coaxed a base on balls, then a red-hot Javier brought him in with a double to left field, scoring the sixth and final run of the game.
Stephenson regrouped to pitch a scoreless fourth-inning - then the next two Boston relievers - Dave Morehead and Ken Brett - pitched a combined four-inning no-hitter which nobody really noticed.
Bob Gibson was on center stage today - scattering five hits and one walk to keep the Red Sox from scoring all day long. He struck out a relatively modest total of six batters - but Boston never threatened to score until their last turn at bat.
Carl Yastrzemski - the AL Triple Crown winner - stayed hot all throughout the World Series. He led-off the ninth-inning with a double into the right-center field gap - becoming the first runner in scoring position Gibson had allowed in the entire game. He got as far as third base but that's where he remained, as Gibson closed the door on the threat to preserve the shutout.
The Red Sox were down, but far from out. They would go on to win the next two games to force a seventh and deciding game back home at Fenway Park. When asked by a Boston beat writer what he expected for the classic Lonborg vs Gibson Game Seven duel, Dick Williams uttered the words which would become the rallying cry for the soon-to-be World Champion Cardinals: "Lonborg and champagne."
Gibson of course, had other ideas.
Showing posts with label Orlando cepeda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orlando cepeda. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
August 16, 1967 - Errors & Ejections Highlight Walk-Off Win Over Cubs
Wednesday, August 16, 1967 - At Busch Stadium II (Nelson Briles - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Chicago Cubs (Joe Niekro - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 42,228
The Cardinals completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a frenetic 4-3 walk-off win - scoring a pair of unearned runs in a ninth-inning that featured three Cubs' ejections stemming from three separate controversial calls - from three separate umpires. Ah, those were the good old days - before the technological advances enabled instant replay to settle disputes - because watching Leo Durocher go ballistic was generally quite entertaining.
Prior to the ninth-inning Chicago meltdown, the game began with a rare base running blunder featuring the game's premier stolen base artist - Lou Brock. The Cards' lead-off hitter singled off Cubs starter Joe Niekro to open the first-inning for St Louis - then with Curt Flood batting - Brock stole second. When Flood also lined a single to center, third base coach Joe Schultz gave Lou the "stop" sign as the throw from center fielder Adolfo Phillips was cut off by second baseman Glen Beckert - Brock, who had rounded third expecting to be waved home, looked back at Beckert, then decided to keep running for home. Unfortunately, the brief pause at third was costly, as Beckert made a perfect throw to catcher John Stephenson just in time to nail Brock.
Meanwhile, Flood was able to advance to second while all this was going on - and later scored when Orlando Cepeda lined another single to center. The Cardinals had a 1-0 lead, but may well have run themselves out of a big inning.
The Cubs tied it in the second-inning, although they also missed out on a big inning. Ron Santo led-off with a single off Cards starter Nelson Briles - then after Ernie Banks struck out, Clarence Jones singled - putting runners on first and second for Stephenson - who doubled to score Santo, as Jones stopped at third. Adolfo Phillips was intentionally walked to load the bases, hoping to induce a double play ground ball from the light-hitting pitcher - Joe Niekro. Niekro complied, hitting it to third baseman Mike Shannon, who quickly threw to catcher Tim McCarver for the force out at home - who in turn, had plenty of time to retire Niekro lumbering down to first.
In the fourth-inning, McCarver broke the 1-1 tie with a lead-off home run.
With the score still 2-1 in favor of St Louis as the Cubs hit in the seventh-inning, Briles retired the first two batters, but Don Kessinger kept the inning alive with a single - for Glen Beckert - who established a career high with five home runs in 1967. He got one of them here to suddenly give the Cubs a 3-2 lead - silencing the Cardinal fans - while the Cub fans became quite a bit more vociferous. In the stands, a few isolated fisticuffs broke out - but the real action happened on the field, as the Cardinals hit in the bottom of the ninth, still down by a run.
Bill Hands, who was brought in to relieve Niekro to start the seventh-inning, was still on the mound for Chicago to work the bottom of the ninth. He retired the first batter - Roger Maris - on a fly ball to right field - but Cepeda got a rare infield hit when his ground ball to shortstop Kessinger was too hot to handle. Next up - McCarver hit a ground ball to Ernie Banks at first base - and in his haste to try to turn the double play - booted the ball instead. McCarver was safe at first as Cepeda now occupied second.
As tensions rose, Shannon lined a bullet to Kessinger at short, who quickly threw to Beckert covering second to double up Cepeda - but Beckert dropped the ball. Cepeda was safe on the error, but Beckert was livid, insisting he had possession long enough to be ruled a catch. Second base umpire Augie Donatelli steadfastly disagreed, explaining the way it was - by this time - to the entire Cubs infield, along with their fiery manager - Leo Durocher. After several minutes of jawing back and forth, Donatelli decided to give Leo the Lip the rest of the night off - which further incensed Durocher for a few extra minutes of profanity and dirt kicking.
Meanwhile, there was still a baseball game to be decided - and more controversy to unfold. Next up - Julian Javier - grounded one in the hole at shortstop. As Kessinger fielded the ball, his only play was to attempt a force out of Cepeda at third - but somehow, Cepeda was ruled safe at third by third base umpire Stan Landis. It's not clear whether Landis ruled that Cepeda beat the throw, or whether Santo missed the bag or missed the tag. But what is clear is Santo thought Landis should have his eyes examined, and discussed the issue - vehemently - for several minutes. He too, was given the rest of the night off by Landis, as Paul Popovich was brought in to stand at third base for a few more minutes.
With the bases loaded - and the Cardinals down to their last out - Phil Gagliano managed to draw a game-tying base on balls - on four borderline pitches that drew the ire of Bill Hands - who vented his frustration with home plate umpire Al Barlick. He too, was given the rest of the night off, as Cepeda performed his patented "Cha cha" dance moves all over home plate - much to the delight of the Cardinal fans and much to the chagrin of the downtrodden Cub fans.
Chuck Hartenstein was the new pitcher - taking over for the ejected and dejected Hands - as pinch hitter Alex Johnson finished 'em off with a ground ball up the middle. Beckert managed to get a glove on the ball but had no play - everybody was safe - as McCarver raced home with the winning run.
Both runs the Cardinals scored - thanks to two errors - were unearned. There have probably been other games in major league history that featured back-to-back-to-back ejections - but this was the only time I can remember seeing it.
After this devastating series sweep, the Cubs were now twelve games behind the Cardinals - but the good news for Chicago - they were only a game and a half out of second place - although they never quite made it there.
The Cardinals completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs with a frenetic 4-3 walk-off win - scoring a pair of unearned runs in a ninth-inning that featured three Cubs' ejections stemming from three separate controversial calls - from three separate umpires. Ah, those were the good old days - before the technological advances enabled instant replay to settle disputes - because watching Leo Durocher go ballistic was generally quite entertaining.
Prior to the ninth-inning Chicago meltdown, the game began with a rare base running blunder featuring the game's premier stolen base artist - Lou Brock. The Cards' lead-off hitter singled off Cubs starter Joe Niekro to open the first-inning for St Louis - then with Curt Flood batting - Brock stole second. When Flood also lined a single to center, third base coach Joe Schultz gave Lou the "stop" sign as the throw from center fielder Adolfo Phillips was cut off by second baseman Glen Beckert - Brock, who had rounded third expecting to be waved home, looked back at Beckert, then decided to keep running for home. Unfortunately, the brief pause at third was costly, as Beckert made a perfect throw to catcher John Stephenson just in time to nail Brock.
Meanwhile, Flood was able to advance to second while all this was going on - and later scored when Orlando Cepeda lined another single to center. The Cardinals had a 1-0 lead, but may well have run themselves out of a big inning.
The Cubs tied it in the second-inning, although they also missed out on a big inning. Ron Santo led-off with a single off Cards starter Nelson Briles - then after Ernie Banks struck out, Clarence Jones singled - putting runners on first and second for Stephenson - who doubled to score Santo, as Jones stopped at third. Adolfo Phillips was intentionally walked to load the bases, hoping to induce a double play ground ball from the light-hitting pitcher - Joe Niekro. Niekro complied, hitting it to third baseman Mike Shannon, who quickly threw to catcher Tim McCarver for the force out at home - who in turn, had plenty of time to retire Niekro lumbering down to first.
In the fourth-inning, McCarver broke the 1-1 tie with a lead-off home run.
With the score still 2-1 in favor of St Louis as the Cubs hit in the seventh-inning, Briles retired the first two batters, but Don Kessinger kept the inning alive with a single - for Glen Beckert - who established a career high with five home runs in 1967. He got one of them here to suddenly give the Cubs a 3-2 lead - silencing the Cardinal fans - while the Cub fans became quite a bit more vociferous. In the stands, a few isolated fisticuffs broke out - but the real action happened on the field, as the Cardinals hit in the bottom of the ninth, still down by a run.
Bill Hands, who was brought in to relieve Niekro to start the seventh-inning, was still on the mound for Chicago to work the bottom of the ninth. He retired the first batter - Roger Maris - on a fly ball to right field - but Cepeda got a rare infield hit when his ground ball to shortstop Kessinger was too hot to handle. Next up - McCarver hit a ground ball to Ernie Banks at first base - and in his haste to try to turn the double play - booted the ball instead. McCarver was safe at first as Cepeda now occupied second.
As tensions rose, Shannon lined a bullet to Kessinger at short, who quickly threw to Beckert covering second to double up Cepeda - but Beckert dropped the ball. Cepeda was safe on the error, but Beckert was livid, insisting he had possession long enough to be ruled a catch. Second base umpire Augie Donatelli steadfastly disagreed, explaining the way it was - by this time - to the entire Cubs infield, along with their fiery manager - Leo Durocher. After several minutes of jawing back and forth, Donatelli decided to give Leo the Lip the rest of the night off - which further incensed Durocher for a few extra minutes of profanity and dirt kicking.
Meanwhile, there was still a baseball game to be decided - and more controversy to unfold. Next up - Julian Javier - grounded one in the hole at shortstop. As Kessinger fielded the ball, his only play was to attempt a force out of Cepeda at third - but somehow, Cepeda was ruled safe at third by third base umpire Stan Landis. It's not clear whether Landis ruled that Cepeda beat the throw, or whether Santo missed the bag or missed the tag. But what is clear is Santo thought Landis should have his eyes examined, and discussed the issue - vehemently - for several minutes. He too, was given the rest of the night off by Landis, as Paul Popovich was brought in to stand at third base for a few more minutes.
With the bases loaded - and the Cardinals down to their last out - Phil Gagliano managed to draw a game-tying base on balls - on four borderline pitches that drew the ire of Bill Hands - who vented his frustration with home plate umpire Al Barlick. He too, was given the rest of the night off, as Cepeda performed his patented "Cha cha" dance moves all over home plate - much to the delight of the Cardinal fans and much to the chagrin of the downtrodden Cub fans.
Chuck Hartenstein was the new pitcher - taking over for the ejected and dejected Hands - as pinch hitter Alex Johnson finished 'em off with a ground ball up the middle. Beckert managed to get a glove on the ball but had no play - everybody was safe - as McCarver raced home with the winning run.
Both runs the Cardinals scored - thanks to two errors - were unearned. There have probably been other games in major league history that featured back-to-back-to-back ejections - but this was the only time I can remember seeing it.
After this devastating series sweep, the Cubs were now twelve games behind the Cardinals - but the good news for Chicago - they were only a game and a half out of second place - although they never quite made it there.
Monday, August 4, 2014
August 4, 1967 - Cards Blank Reds, 5-0 on Jaster's 4-Hitter
Friday, August 4, 1967 - At Busch Stadium II (Larry Jaster - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Cincinnati Reds (Gary Nolan - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 33,533
A five-run sixth-inning was more than enough offense for the Cardinals tonight, as Larry Jaster blanked the Cincinnati Reds on four hits to log his first shutout of the '67 season. It was also the first time he pitched a complete game shutout against a team other than the Dodgers - who were victimized an unprecedented five times by the rookie lefty a year earlier.
Jaster even helped his own cause in that five-run outburst - driving in one run and scoring another. The inning started innocuously enough, when Reds starter Gary Nolan struck out Roger Maris. However, after hitting the next batter - Orlando Cepeda - with a pitch, things started unraveling. Nolan walked the next batter - Tim McCarver - then grooved a pitch to Mike Shannon, who drove in Cepeda with a single. Next up - Phil Gagliano - brought in McCarver with a double, as Shannon stopped at third. Nolan then intentionally walked the weak-hitting Dal Maxvill to load the bases - to set up a possible double play with Jaster the next scheduled hitter.
The strategy was foiled when Jaster's ground ball to the shortstop wasn't hit hard enough to turn two. Maxvill was forced out at second but Jaster easily beat the relay to first, as Shannon scored from third.
That kept the inning alive for Lou Brock - who came through with a double in the left center field gap to score both Gagliano and Jaster with the fourth and fifth runs of the inning. That finally prompted Reds manager Dave Bristol to remove his rattled starter - bringing in Don Nottebart - who retired the ninth batter in the inning - Curt Flood - on a line drive right to the first baseman.
Jaster's excursion around the bases didn't seem to affect his stamina. The Reds never threatened to score over the final three innings. In fact, the only perilous inning for the Redbird lefty happened to be the very first inning - when lead-off hitter Tommy Harper doubled to start the ballgame. After a sacrifice bunt advanced him to third, Jaster induced future all-time hits leader and gambler Pete Rose into hitting an easy ground ball right back to the mound. Harper broke immediately for home, then was caught in a rundown that lasted long enough for Rose to hustle all the way over to third as Harper was finally tagged out by catcher Tim McCarver. All that running back and forth was all for naught, as cleanup hitter Tony Perez was retired to end the threat.
This series was do-or-die for Cincinnati - and their pennant hopes essentially died when St Louis completed the three-game sweep with a Saturday walk-off extra-inning win, followed by a one-run win on Sunday. By then, the first-place Cardinals (67-41) would have an 11-game advantage over the Reds (57-53) - the team that actually occupied the top-spot in the National League in early June.
As we all know, much can happen in major league baseball over the course of two months. The Cardinals' next challenge would be to put second-place Chicago further back in the pack when they come to town in a couple of weeks. That mission would be accomplished.
A five-run sixth-inning was more than enough offense for the Cardinals tonight, as Larry Jaster blanked the Cincinnati Reds on four hits to log his first shutout of the '67 season. It was also the first time he pitched a complete game shutout against a team other than the Dodgers - who were victimized an unprecedented five times by the rookie lefty a year earlier.
Jaster even helped his own cause in that five-run outburst - driving in one run and scoring another. The inning started innocuously enough, when Reds starter Gary Nolan struck out Roger Maris. However, after hitting the next batter - Orlando Cepeda - with a pitch, things started unraveling. Nolan walked the next batter - Tim McCarver - then grooved a pitch to Mike Shannon, who drove in Cepeda with a single. Next up - Phil Gagliano - brought in McCarver with a double, as Shannon stopped at third. Nolan then intentionally walked the weak-hitting Dal Maxvill to load the bases - to set up a possible double play with Jaster the next scheduled hitter.
The strategy was foiled when Jaster's ground ball to the shortstop wasn't hit hard enough to turn two. Maxvill was forced out at second but Jaster easily beat the relay to first, as Shannon scored from third.
That kept the inning alive for Lou Brock - who came through with a double in the left center field gap to score both Gagliano and Jaster with the fourth and fifth runs of the inning. That finally prompted Reds manager Dave Bristol to remove his rattled starter - bringing in Don Nottebart - who retired the ninth batter in the inning - Curt Flood - on a line drive right to the first baseman.
Jaster's excursion around the bases didn't seem to affect his stamina. The Reds never threatened to score over the final three innings. In fact, the only perilous inning for the Redbird lefty happened to be the very first inning - when lead-off hitter Tommy Harper doubled to start the ballgame. After a sacrifice bunt advanced him to third, Jaster induced future all-time hits leader and gambler Pete Rose into hitting an easy ground ball right back to the mound. Harper broke immediately for home, then was caught in a rundown that lasted long enough for Rose to hustle all the way over to third as Harper was finally tagged out by catcher Tim McCarver. All that running back and forth was all for naught, as cleanup hitter Tony Perez was retired to end the threat.
This series was do-or-die for Cincinnati - and their pennant hopes essentially died when St Louis completed the three-game sweep with a Saturday walk-off extra-inning win, followed by a one-run win on Sunday. By then, the first-place Cardinals (67-41) would have an 11-game advantage over the Reds (57-53) - the team that actually occupied the top-spot in the National League in early June.
As we all know, much can happen in major league baseball over the course of two months. The Cardinals' next challenge would be to put second-place Chicago further back in the pack when they come to town in a couple of weeks. That mission would be accomplished.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
July 6, 1967 - Thrilling Come-From-Behind Walk-Off Winner Over Reds
Thursday, July 6, 1967 - At Busch Stadium II (Dick Hughes - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Cincinnati Reds (Mel Queen - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 26,131
The Cardinals had to overcome a pair of fielding miscues along with some poor base running - to walk-off with a thrilling 6-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds - a game that was loaded with rarities.
Cincinnati struck first, in shocking fashion - with one out in the third-inning. Back-up catcher Jim Coker - playing in his ninth and final major league season - shocked everybody - including himself - with a triple - his first since 1960 - and the last one he'd ever hit.
With pitcher Mel Queen now batting, Reds manager Dave Bristol put the squeeze play on; however, Queen's bunt was so well-placed, by the time Tim McCarver retrieved it, not only had the runner from third scored, Queen was safe at first with a single.
Next, Bristol immediately put Queen in motion, stealing second - as a befuddled shortstop Dal Maxvill completely missed the throw from McCarver - allowing Queen to ramble all the way in to score the second run of the inning on the error. Queen would steal one more base in '67 - and that would be his grand total for eight major league seasons.
However, the Cardinals were a resilient bunch in 1967 - striking back with long-ball power in the fourth-inning. After Roger Maris drew a lead-off walk, Orlando Cepeda hit one deep to left to tie the game, 2-2. Tim McCarver followed with a home run of his own, giving the Cardinals a temporary 3-2 lead on the back-to-back long balls.
The Reds - also a resilient bunch - bounced back in the sixth-inning, after the first two batters were retired. Pete Rose tripled, then Tony Perez hit a mammoth home run over the wall in left-center to suddenly make it a 4-3 Cincinnati lead. After Maxvill committed his second error of the game, on a ground ball off the bat of Deron Johnson, he was given the rest of the night off. Luckily, that error didn't lead to further scoring.
Unfortunately, Maxvill's replacement had trouble fielding the position, as well.
After St Louis failed to score off Queen in the sixth and seventh, Cincinnai added another unearned run in the eighth-inning - off reliever Ron Willis. With one out, Rose singled, then took third as the defensive replacement at shortstop - Eddie Bressoud - booted a ground ball off the bat of Perez. Johnson then singled to center field, scoring Rose with another unearned run, as Perez held up at second.
With the Reds already up by two runs, Cardinal manager Red Schoendienst brought in lefty Joe Hoerner to restore order - and he did - getting Art Shamsky on a popup to short and Dick Simpson on a called strike three.
With the Cardinals now trailing, 5-3 - Cepeda led-off the eighth-inning with a single to left field - but was out at second - unwisely trying to stretch it into a double. When McCarver was retired on a lazy fly ball to center for the second out of the inning, some of the fans started heading for the exits.
But then a tiring Queen hit Mike Shannon with a pitch, bringing Julian Javier to the plate. Javier, who hit a career-high 14 home runs in 1967, hit one of them here to tie the game - and send the crowd into a state of delirium - as many of those vacated seats once again became occupied.
After Hoerner (4-2) set the Reds down in order in their half of the ninth-inning, the Redbirds finished them off in the bottom half, off reliever Bob Lee (1-2). With one out, lead-off hitter Bobby Tolan - playing in place of Lou Brock, who was given a rare night off - singled, then promptly stole second. With first base open, Curt Flood drew a base on balls. Maris tried to end it with a line drive to left, but Shamsky made a nice catch for the second out.
But then Cepeda - seeking redemption for unwisely testing the arm of left fielder Shamsky one inning earlier - delivered the game-winning single to center field - easily scoring the speedy Tolan from second base - as Cards' broadcaster Harry Caray spewed his patented "Cardinals win!" summation a half dozen times to a blissful Cardinal Nation listening over the air waves.
Tonight's win earned the first-place Cardinals a split of the four-game series with the Reds - sending them packing, still four games back. Meanwhile, the second-place Cubs also lost, moving them a game and a half off the pace. For the Cardinals, this was the biggest win of the year - but there would be many more "biggest win of the year" games to follow in the not-too-distant future.
The Cardinals had to overcome a pair of fielding miscues along with some poor base running - to walk-off with a thrilling 6-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds - a game that was loaded with rarities.
Cincinnati struck first, in shocking fashion - with one out in the third-inning. Back-up catcher Jim Coker - playing in his ninth and final major league season - shocked everybody - including himself - with a triple - his first since 1960 - and the last one he'd ever hit.
With pitcher Mel Queen now batting, Reds manager Dave Bristol put the squeeze play on; however, Queen's bunt was so well-placed, by the time Tim McCarver retrieved it, not only had the runner from third scored, Queen was safe at first with a single.
Next, Bristol immediately put Queen in motion, stealing second - as a befuddled shortstop Dal Maxvill completely missed the throw from McCarver - allowing Queen to ramble all the way in to score the second run of the inning on the error. Queen would steal one more base in '67 - and that would be his grand total for eight major league seasons.
However, the Cardinals were a resilient bunch in 1967 - striking back with long-ball power in the fourth-inning. After Roger Maris drew a lead-off walk, Orlando Cepeda hit one deep to left to tie the game, 2-2. Tim McCarver followed with a home run of his own, giving the Cardinals a temporary 3-2 lead on the back-to-back long balls.
The Reds - also a resilient bunch - bounced back in the sixth-inning, after the first two batters were retired. Pete Rose tripled, then Tony Perez hit a mammoth home run over the wall in left-center to suddenly make it a 4-3 Cincinnati lead. After Maxvill committed his second error of the game, on a ground ball off the bat of Deron Johnson, he was given the rest of the night off. Luckily, that error didn't lead to further scoring.
Unfortunately, Maxvill's replacement had trouble fielding the position, as well.
After St Louis failed to score off Queen in the sixth and seventh, Cincinnai added another unearned run in the eighth-inning - off reliever Ron Willis. With one out, Rose singled, then took third as the defensive replacement at shortstop - Eddie Bressoud - booted a ground ball off the bat of Perez. Johnson then singled to center field, scoring Rose with another unearned run, as Perez held up at second.
With the Reds already up by two runs, Cardinal manager Red Schoendienst brought in lefty Joe Hoerner to restore order - and he did - getting Art Shamsky on a popup to short and Dick Simpson on a called strike three.
With the Cardinals now trailing, 5-3 - Cepeda led-off the eighth-inning with a single to left field - but was out at second - unwisely trying to stretch it into a double. When McCarver was retired on a lazy fly ball to center for the second out of the inning, some of the fans started heading for the exits.
But then a tiring Queen hit Mike Shannon with a pitch, bringing Julian Javier to the plate. Javier, who hit a career-high 14 home runs in 1967, hit one of them here to tie the game - and send the crowd into a state of delirium - as many of those vacated seats once again became occupied.
After Hoerner (4-2) set the Reds down in order in their half of the ninth-inning, the Redbirds finished them off in the bottom half, off reliever Bob Lee (1-2). With one out, lead-off hitter Bobby Tolan - playing in place of Lou Brock, who was given a rare night off - singled, then promptly stole second. With first base open, Curt Flood drew a base on balls. Maris tried to end it with a line drive to left, but Shamsky made a nice catch for the second out.
But then Cepeda - seeking redemption for unwisely testing the arm of left fielder Shamsky one inning earlier - delivered the game-winning single to center field - easily scoring the speedy Tolan from second base - as Cards' broadcaster Harry Caray spewed his patented "Cardinals win!" summation a half dozen times to a blissful Cardinal Nation listening over the air waves.
Tonight's win earned the first-place Cardinals a split of the four-game series with the Reds - sending them packing, still four games back. Meanwhile, the second-place Cubs also lost, moving them a game and a half off the pace. For the Cardinals, this was the biggest win of the year - but there would be many more "biggest win of the year" games to follow in the not-too-distant future.
Friday, June 20, 2014
June 20, 1968 - Time Management Lesson From Gibson & Jenkins
Thursay, June 20, 1968 - At Busch Stadium II (Bob Gibson - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Chicago Cubs (Fergie Jenkins - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 26,550
Whenever Gibson and Jenkins oppose each other, two things usually happen: (1) Very few runs are scored and (2) everything gets wrapped up in a couple of hours.
Very few runs had been scored in the first two games of this series, but they all scored when St Louis was batting - a 1-0 nine-hit shutout by Nelson Briles on Tuesday and a 4-0 one-hit shutout by Steve Carlton just the night before. Carlton walked none and struck out nine Cub batters - arguably, the most dominant single-game performance of his career - and that's saying something.
Now the Cubs were facing not only the best pitcher on the Cardinals' staff - Gibson was the best pitcher in baseball - and getting even better. His last three starts had all been shutouts, and Gibson realized he'd probably have to throw another one tonight, in order to beat the ace of the Cubs' staff - Fergie Jenkins.
And that's exactly what he did - 9 IP - 5 H - 0 R - 1 BB - 6 SO. His ERA dropped to 1.21 after this game, and it would drop a bit further by the time the season ended (1.12).
The only run of the game came in the bottom of the third-inning with two out - when Lou Brock tripled into right field - and scored on a Curt Flood single to left field. After Brock scored, he casually strolled over to where his pal, Gibby was seated in the dugout, and advised him, "There's your run." Gibson was in no mood for levity, as he glared at his mischievous teammate while Tim McCarver and Orlando Cepeda overheard the exchange, and roared their approval.
Brock was right. That was Gibson's run - as it was the only run allowed by Jenkins in his eight-innings of work. The Cardinals could only muster four hits all game off Jenkins. He walked two and struck out eleven. Coincidentally, when computing earned run averages - one earned run allowed in eight-innings pitched, comes out to precisely a 1.12 ERA. Imagine keeping that pace up for an entire season - 34 starts.
As expected, both pitchers provided us with a good lesson in time management: Work quickly and efficiently, don't waste time with needless visits to the mound - and above all else, don't waste time with needless pitching changes.
This one ran five minutes over the two hour mark. Just another typical Gibson - Jenkins ballgame.
Whenever Gibson and Jenkins oppose each other, two things usually happen: (1) Very few runs are scored and (2) everything gets wrapped up in a couple of hours.
Very few runs had been scored in the first two games of this series, but they all scored when St Louis was batting - a 1-0 nine-hit shutout by Nelson Briles on Tuesday and a 4-0 one-hit shutout by Steve Carlton just the night before. Carlton walked none and struck out nine Cub batters - arguably, the most dominant single-game performance of his career - and that's saying something.
Now the Cubs were facing not only the best pitcher on the Cardinals' staff - Gibson was the best pitcher in baseball - and getting even better. His last three starts had all been shutouts, and Gibson realized he'd probably have to throw another one tonight, in order to beat the ace of the Cubs' staff - Fergie Jenkins.
And that's exactly what he did - 9 IP - 5 H - 0 R - 1 BB - 6 SO. His ERA dropped to 1.21 after this game, and it would drop a bit further by the time the season ended (1.12).
The only run of the game came in the bottom of the third-inning with two out - when Lou Brock tripled into right field - and scored on a Curt Flood single to left field. After Brock scored, he casually strolled over to where his pal, Gibby was seated in the dugout, and advised him, "There's your run." Gibson was in no mood for levity, as he glared at his mischievous teammate while Tim McCarver and Orlando Cepeda overheard the exchange, and roared their approval.
Brock was right. That was Gibson's run - as it was the only run allowed by Jenkins in his eight-innings of work. The Cardinals could only muster four hits all game off Jenkins. He walked two and struck out eleven. Coincidentally, when computing earned run averages - one earned run allowed in eight-innings pitched, comes out to precisely a 1.12 ERA. Imagine keeping that pace up for an entire season - 34 starts.
As expected, both pitchers provided us with a good lesson in time management: Work quickly and efficiently, don't waste time with needless visits to the mound - and above all else, don't waste time with needless pitching changes.
This one ran five minutes over the two hour mark. Just another typical Gibson - Jenkins ballgame.
Monday, May 12, 2014
This Day in St Louis Cardinals History: May 2, 1971 - May 3, 1967 - May 4, 1964 - 2 Shutouts & Why Gibson Didn't Win 20 in '64
May 2, 1971 - Imagine a game with the two teams combining for 17 hits, two walks and four errors. That's what the St Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos produced on this beautiful Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium II, with a modest crowd of 10,320 to witness the action. The starting pitchers - Carl Morton for the Expos and Steve Carlton for the Redbirds - seemed to thrive on surviving peril; both pitched complete games and the only run scored in the game was of the "unearned" variety.
The offensive outburst happened in the bottom of the third-inning, as Lou Brock (who was 3 for 4 with a stolen base) singled to center, advanced to second on a Luis Melendez tapper back to the pitcher (Brock was trying to steal), then moved up to third (he was trying to steal again) when Ted Simmons just got a piece of the pitch to roll it into fair territory; the catcher made the putout. In case you were wondering, Brock had never successfully stolen home in his entire career. In this particular situation, it wasn't necessary.
Joe Torre then hit a routine grounder to the shortstop which was kicked for a costly error; no RBI for Torre (who led the league with 137 in '71), but a run nonetheless for the Redbirds, who now led 1-0. Curiously, Torre would be 0 for 4 in this game as his batting average dipped to .350; he'd end up at .363 to win the batting title as well as becoming the National League's MVP.
This single run would prove to be the lone tally for the entire game. The pitching lines for both starters were strikingly similar:
Morton - 8 IP - 8 H - 1 R - 0 ER - 1 BB - 3 SO
Carlton - 9 IP - 9 H - 0 R - 0 ER - 1 BB - 2 SO
Carlton allowed at least one hit in every inning, except the ninth, when he set the Expos down in order to secure the win; improving to 5-1 (1.82 ERA) on the young season. He would go on to win 20 games for the Cardinals that season, and at the age of 26, seemed destined to become the ace of the Cardinals staff, with the current ace, Bob Gibson already in his mid-thirties; Gibby would call it quits after the '75 season, shortly before his 40th birthday.
However, when Carlton had the audacity to ask for a $10,000 raise prior to the 1972 season, an outraged team owner, Gussie Busch ordered general manager Bing Devine to trade "the sob"; thus ensuring the Cardinals would be also-rans for the next ten years; until Busch had the good fortune to bring Whitey Herzog on board to run things in the early eighties. Before accepting the job, Whitey made it clear to the cantankerous Busch he alone would be running the show - no mandated trades or other such nonsense (like the Steve Carlton fiasco, for example).
May 3, 1967 - If Steve Carlton's 9-hit shutout of the Expos was somewhat nerve-wracking, the one spun by Cardinals starter Ray Washburn seemed like a walk in the park, by comparison. The first-place Cincinnati Reds were in town to take on the Cardinals at Busch Stadium II, with 14,879 on hand to witness a game that would be over in a snappy one hour and forty minutes.
The Cardinals only mustered six hits and one walk in this game, but half of the hits and the lone base on balls occurred in the fourth-inning, off Reds starter, Milt Pappas. The Redbird rally began with a one-out bunt single by Roger Maris - a guy previously known for hitting the long ball during his New York Yankees playing days. Orlando Cepeda then banged a double down the left-field line to move Maris to third base. After Tim McCarver was intentionally walked, Mike Shannon foiled the strategy by singling in Maris and Cepeda, to put the Cardinals up 2-0. That was all the scoring in this one.
For Cardinals starter Ray Washburn, two runs was more than enough; his complete game two-hit shutout of Cincinnati gave him his first win of the season (he had two losses) and improved the second-place Cardinals' record to 11-7 - two games behind the Reds (15-7). This would prove to be the only shutout Washburn would bag in '67, but it came at a time when the Cardinals were looking to stay close to a team that seemed poised to run away with things in the National League. As it turned out, it would be St Louis running away with things this year. But who knew?
May 4, 1964 - With 7,437 in attendance at Busch Stadium I, the Cardinals played host to the Philadelphia Phillies. Neither starting pitcher - Philadelphia's Dennis Bennett nor the Cardinals' Bob Gibson - lasted very long in this game; Bennett was knocked out after just 2.1 innings, allowing five hits (including one home run) and five runs; Gibson only pitched four innings, allowing three hits and just one run. His early exit from the game had nothing to do with his pitching performance. It had everything to do with getting drilled by a Jack Baldschun fastball as he was leading off the fourth-inning. As a precaution, manager Johnny Keane removed an irritated Gibson from the game, just one inning shy of qualifying for the win. The fact that the very next hitter, Carl Warwick, homered to give St Louis a 7-1 lead, made the fuming Gibson even more indignant about this early exit.
The Cardinals would go on to score nine runs in this contest, while reliever Roger Craig (5 IP - 5 H - 1 R - 1 BB - 2 SO) was the beneficiary of this easy win, improving to 2-0 on the young season. Curt Flood and Tim McCarver also homered in this game, while Ken Boyer had three hits good for four RBI, en route to a league leading 119 RBI for the year; while bagging the NL MVP Award to go with his World Series championship ring.
For Gibson, the '64 season was certainly a memorable one, capped off by a World Series MVP honor, featuring a brand spanking new Chevrolet Corvette as part of the package. However, his quest for attaining a 20-win season would have to wait another year. Thanks in large part to his early exit in this game, Gibby won just 19 games in '64.
The offensive outburst happened in the bottom of the third-inning, as Lou Brock (who was 3 for 4 with a stolen base) singled to center, advanced to second on a Luis Melendez tapper back to the pitcher (Brock was trying to steal), then moved up to third (he was trying to steal again) when Ted Simmons just got a piece of the pitch to roll it into fair territory; the catcher made the putout. In case you were wondering, Brock had never successfully stolen home in his entire career. In this particular situation, it wasn't necessary.
Joe Torre then hit a routine grounder to the shortstop which was kicked for a costly error; no RBI for Torre (who led the league with 137 in '71), but a run nonetheless for the Redbirds, who now led 1-0. Curiously, Torre would be 0 for 4 in this game as his batting average dipped to .350; he'd end up at .363 to win the batting title as well as becoming the National League's MVP.
This single run would prove to be the lone tally for the entire game. The pitching lines for both starters were strikingly similar:
Morton - 8 IP - 8 H - 1 R - 0 ER - 1 BB - 3 SO
Carlton - 9 IP - 9 H - 0 R - 0 ER - 1 BB - 2 SO
Carlton allowed at least one hit in every inning, except the ninth, when he set the Expos down in order to secure the win; improving to 5-1 (1.82 ERA) on the young season. He would go on to win 20 games for the Cardinals that season, and at the age of 26, seemed destined to become the ace of the Cardinals staff, with the current ace, Bob Gibson already in his mid-thirties; Gibby would call it quits after the '75 season, shortly before his 40th birthday.
However, when Carlton had the audacity to ask for a $10,000 raise prior to the 1972 season, an outraged team owner, Gussie Busch ordered general manager Bing Devine to trade "the sob"; thus ensuring the Cardinals would be also-rans for the next ten years; until Busch had the good fortune to bring Whitey Herzog on board to run things in the early eighties. Before accepting the job, Whitey made it clear to the cantankerous Busch he alone would be running the show - no mandated trades or other such nonsense (like the Steve Carlton fiasco, for example).
May 3, 1967 - If Steve Carlton's 9-hit shutout of the Expos was somewhat nerve-wracking, the one spun by Cardinals starter Ray Washburn seemed like a walk in the park, by comparison. The first-place Cincinnati Reds were in town to take on the Cardinals at Busch Stadium II, with 14,879 on hand to witness a game that would be over in a snappy one hour and forty minutes.
The Cardinals only mustered six hits and one walk in this game, but half of the hits and the lone base on balls occurred in the fourth-inning, off Reds starter, Milt Pappas. The Redbird rally began with a one-out bunt single by Roger Maris - a guy previously known for hitting the long ball during his New York Yankees playing days. Orlando Cepeda then banged a double down the left-field line to move Maris to third base. After Tim McCarver was intentionally walked, Mike Shannon foiled the strategy by singling in Maris and Cepeda, to put the Cardinals up 2-0. That was all the scoring in this one.
For Cardinals starter Ray Washburn, two runs was more than enough; his complete game two-hit shutout of Cincinnati gave him his first win of the season (he had two losses) and improved the second-place Cardinals' record to 11-7 - two games behind the Reds (15-7). This would prove to be the only shutout Washburn would bag in '67, but it came at a time when the Cardinals were looking to stay close to a team that seemed poised to run away with things in the National League. As it turned out, it would be St Louis running away with things this year. But who knew?
May 4, 1964 - With 7,437 in attendance at Busch Stadium I, the Cardinals played host to the Philadelphia Phillies. Neither starting pitcher - Philadelphia's Dennis Bennett nor the Cardinals' Bob Gibson - lasted very long in this game; Bennett was knocked out after just 2.1 innings, allowing five hits (including one home run) and five runs; Gibson only pitched four innings, allowing three hits and just one run. His early exit from the game had nothing to do with his pitching performance. It had everything to do with getting drilled by a Jack Baldschun fastball as he was leading off the fourth-inning. As a precaution, manager Johnny Keane removed an irritated Gibson from the game, just one inning shy of qualifying for the win. The fact that the very next hitter, Carl Warwick, homered to give St Louis a 7-1 lead, made the fuming Gibson even more indignant about this early exit.
The Cardinals would go on to score nine runs in this contest, while reliever Roger Craig (5 IP - 5 H - 1 R - 1 BB - 2 SO) was the beneficiary of this easy win, improving to 2-0 on the young season. Curt Flood and Tim McCarver also homered in this game, while Ken Boyer had three hits good for four RBI, en route to a league leading 119 RBI for the year; while bagging the NL MVP Award to go with his World Series championship ring.
For Gibson, the '64 season was certainly a memorable one, capped off by a World Series MVP honor, featuring a brand spanking new Chevrolet Corvette as part of the package. However, his quest for attaining a 20-win season would have to wait another year. Thanks in large part to his early exit in this game, Gibby won just 19 games in '64.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
May 2, 1967: Gibson Shuts Out Reds to End 4 Game Slide
May 2, 1967: Bob Gibson hates losing. In his previous start against Houston at the Astrodome, he was trying to protect a slim 2-0 seventh-inning lead. After two hits and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out in that fateful inning, Gibson's night was over. Unfortunately for Gibby and the Cardinals, the bullpen was unable to get out of this predicament, as the Redbirds went down to defeat. As if that weren't bad enough, that was the start of a four-game losing streak which knocked St Louis (9-7) out of first place.
The team that had taken over the top spot in the National League - the Cincinnati Reds (15-5) - just happened to be in town for a brief two-game series, with their ace, Jim Maloney matched-up against an extra-surly Bob Gibson. The Reds never had a chance.
The only run Gibson would need all night came across in the bottom of the second-inning when Tim McCarver led-off with a single to right field, moved up to second base on a Mike Shannon ground-out, stole third, then came home on one of three wild pitches Maloney would deliver in his 5.2 innings of futile work.
In the meantime, Gibson was mowing down the Reds as if they were little leaguers - striking out six in a row at one point, and not yielding a hit until Vada Pinson led off the top of the fifth with a double down the right field line. Pete Rose did his job by moving Pinson to third with a ground-out to second base. With the tying run 90 feet away, Gibson struck out Tony Perez for the second straight time, then retired Deron Johnson on an easy infield pop-up to end the threat.
The Redbirds blew the game open with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, when Maloney couldn't find the strike zone. Both Roger Maris and Orlando Cepeda walked. Maloney then uncorked the second of three wild pitches, before walking McCarver to load the bases. Mike Shannon then cleared them with a double down the left field line. Just for good measure, the Cardinals tacked on another run the next inning, when Roger Maris singled in Bob Gibson, who had walked.
The top of the sixth-inning was uneventful, with one oddity worth noting: Gordy Coleman pinch hit for Tony Perez - a future Hall of Famer who would be an RBI machine during the heyday of the Big Red Machine. Gordy Coleman was at the tail end of a nice career but he only had eight plate appearances all year, with one base on balls and no hits to his credit. Although he failed to get a hit off Gibson this night, at least he didn't strike out. Perez later admitted that whenever he came up to bat against Gibby over the years, his wife would always make a trip to the ladies room; she simply couldn't bear to watch it.
On this early-May evening in St Louis, Perez had lots of company - the entire Reds lineup could only muster four base runners all night off Gibson - two hits and two walks - and no runs. They struck out twelve times that night, while being shutout for the second time in the young season. It was Gibson's most dominant performance all year, and it came at a time when the team needed it the most.
The next evening, Cards pitcher Ray Washburn shut them out again, moving St Louis just two games behind Cincinnati - who were at least able to salvage three of the next five road games in Atlanta and New York, to limp home still hanging on to first place; at least for a while.
The team that had taken over the top spot in the National League - the Cincinnati Reds (15-5) - just happened to be in town for a brief two-game series, with their ace, Jim Maloney matched-up against an extra-surly Bob Gibson. The Reds never had a chance.
The only run Gibson would need all night came across in the bottom of the second-inning when Tim McCarver led-off with a single to right field, moved up to second base on a Mike Shannon ground-out, stole third, then came home on one of three wild pitches Maloney would deliver in his 5.2 innings of futile work.
In the meantime, Gibson was mowing down the Reds as if they were little leaguers - striking out six in a row at one point, and not yielding a hit until Vada Pinson led off the top of the fifth with a double down the right field line. Pete Rose did his job by moving Pinson to third with a ground-out to second base. With the tying run 90 feet away, Gibson struck out Tony Perez for the second straight time, then retired Deron Johnson on an easy infield pop-up to end the threat.
The Redbirds blew the game open with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, when Maloney couldn't find the strike zone. Both Roger Maris and Orlando Cepeda walked. Maloney then uncorked the second of three wild pitches, before walking McCarver to load the bases. Mike Shannon then cleared them with a double down the left field line. Just for good measure, the Cardinals tacked on another run the next inning, when Roger Maris singled in Bob Gibson, who had walked.
The top of the sixth-inning was uneventful, with one oddity worth noting: Gordy Coleman pinch hit for Tony Perez - a future Hall of Famer who would be an RBI machine during the heyday of the Big Red Machine. Gordy Coleman was at the tail end of a nice career but he only had eight plate appearances all year, with one base on balls and no hits to his credit. Although he failed to get a hit off Gibson this night, at least he didn't strike out. Perez later admitted that whenever he came up to bat against Gibby over the years, his wife would always make a trip to the ladies room; she simply couldn't bear to watch it.
On this early-May evening in St Louis, Perez had lots of company - the entire Reds lineup could only muster four base runners all night off Gibson - two hits and two walks - and no runs. They struck out twelve times that night, while being shutout for the second time in the young season. It was Gibson's most dominant performance all year, and it came at a time when the team needed it the most.
The next evening, Cards pitcher Ray Washburn shut them out again, moving St Louis just two games behind Cincinnati - who were at least able to salvage three of the next five road games in Atlanta and New York, to limp home still hanging on to first place; at least for a while.
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