Saturday, January 4, 2014

World Series: Did You Know?

Whitey Ford pitched 2 2-hitters in his career.

But never a no-hitter, however. He never even tossed one in the regular season, either.

Of all the Yankees I would have thought tossed one during the 50s and 60s, Don Larsen would seem the least likely and Whitey Ford the most likely.

But it was not to be.

In any event, Ford was there to start game 1 of the 1961 World Series. This, after coming off 2 shutouts the previous World Series. This Fall Classic would again have a "0" under the "R" statistic next to Ford. As in "runs scored."

The Cincinatti Reds would spend the afternoon frustrated.

Eddie Kasko, the Reds' second batter of the game, singled. But Ford got Vada Pinson to fly out and Frank Robinson to K.

With one out in the top of the second, Gene Freese slammed one down the third base line. But Clete Boyer knocked the ball down on a fine play, and threw him out. Ford ended up with a 1-2-3 inning!

Another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third saw Ford get two more K's. Whitey was finding his rythem before the Reds were finding pitches to their liking!

But the Yankees themselves were having no such luck against Cincy's Jim O'Toole. After loading the bases with 2 outs and failing to score a run in the 1st, the Yankees were struggling. 1-2-3 in the second.

In the third, the Yankees' Bobby Richardson singled to lead off. Tony Kubek popped out and the man with 61 homeruns, Roger Maris, hit into an inning-ending double play.

Ford had his third straight 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 4th.

And here is where the Yankees finally got to O'Toole.

Elston Howard led off the bottom of the frame with a homerun. It looked like they might get more as a walk and a single brought Ford to the plate. But all Whitey could do is line out.

Wally Post led off the 5th with the Reds' second and final hit. But Wally got no further than second base.

O'Toole had a 1-2-3 5th, and then Ford did the same in the top of the 6th.

In the bottom of the 6th, it was Moose Skowron's solo blast that put the Yankees up 2-0. Yankees looked in the driver's seat.

Ford would allow just a Frank Robinson walk the rest of the way. Yet the Yankees needed this, as O'Toole and reliever (also future author) Jim Brosnan allowed the Yankees only 6 hits themselves.

Ford also needed another nice play by Boyer in the bottom of the 8th. Dick Gernert, pinch hitting, hit a smasher down the line. But it was down Clete Boyer Way. Boyer made the stop by diving to his left. Then, on both knees, he fired to first for the out. What a play!

But two years later, a 2-hitter by Ford was not enough.

The Yankees had fallen hopelessly behind 3 games to 0 of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 1963 World Series seemed all but over.

Ford was in fine form in game 4. Having lasted just 5 innings in the opening tilt with Sandy Koufax, Ford was more like Ford here.

Maury Wills led off the game for the Dodgers with a walk. But a double play stopped that. The next inning, Frank Howard hit a single. Again, the Yankees erased the baserunner with a double play.

Frank Howard came up again with no one on and one out in the bottom of the 5th. Ford threw what looked like a good pitch, and Howard had to reach for it. Indeed, Hondo ended up hitting it with one hand. But he got enough of it to go yard. It was 1-0, Dodgers.

Koufax was also also dominant from the get-go. Bobby Richardson hit a double off him in the 4th that landed around 3 Dodgers. That was New York's first hit off Sandy. But Bobby was stranded.

The other Howard, Elston, led off the 5th with a single. Ellie was then stranded.

Ford and Koufax retired the side in order in the 6th.

But in the top of the 7th, Ford's buddy Mickey Mantle tied the game. The Mick took Sandy right out of the park on a solo blast. 1-1.

In the bottom of the frame, Jim Gilliam rifled a shot to third. Clete Boyer, again playing the hot corner in terrific manner, stopped the sure double. On the throw to first, Joe Pepitone lost sight of the ball in the white shirts behind third. The first basemen missed the throw. By the time the Yankees got the ball back to the infield, Gilliam was on third.

And a long fly by Willie Davis scored Gilliam.

Ford left for pinch hitter Phil Linz in the top of the 8th. Linz came through with a single. But now it was time for the Dodgers to turn a double play to erase the runner.

Hal Reniff came in to pitch the bottom of the 8th for the Yankees. He kept the 2-hitter going with an easy 1-2-3 inning.

So it all came down to Sandy and the top of the 9th.

Richardson led off with his second hit of the day, a single. Koufax got Tom Tresh and Mantle out on K's. Howard hit what should have been a game-ending forceout at second. But Richardson was safe when Dick Tracewski dropped the toss.

Koufax next faced Hector Lopez. Sandy got him to ground out to Wills. The Dodgers had the sweep. Koufax finished with a 6-hitter and 10 strikeouts.

Ford (with help from Reniff) was left with the loss despite allowing just 2 hits. Other than Howard, he no-hit Los Angeles.

But even that was not enough to beat Koufax!


References

Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print, pp. 285-361.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print, pp. 328-345.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. Jan 1. 2014.

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