Ken and Clete Boyer both got their first RBIs of the 1964 World Series with the sacrifice fly. They both got their last RBI on the long ball! Two brothers, doing the same thing first time and last! The same opening and closing act! Another reason that the 1964 World Series was so exciting and so memorable, 50 years later. To the old baseballs fans (and to ones like me, not alive yet!), St. Louis and New York put on quite a show. The two brothers at the hot corner were quite a nice touch!
Ken actually batted first in game one, despite it being played at home. Ken was considered to be the better hitter, and batted in the cleanup position. Clete was the better fielder.
The Yankees went down quickly in the top of the first against starter Ray Sadecki. Phil Linz grounded out. Bobby Richardson popped up. Roger Maris walked, but Mickey Mantle flied out to Mike Shannon in rightfielder.
The guys to Mike Shannon then started things for St. Louis in the bottom of the frame. Whitey Ford, the all-time World Series leader in wins with 10, wasn't quite on his game here. But he did get Curt Flood, the centerfielder, to ground out. Lou Brock singled. Dick Groat followed suite, Brock going to third. Ken Boyer was up at the dish. He sent a fly to right. Mantle (playing right because of his knees) made the catch, but Brock tagged and scored.
The Yankees actually came right back in this game in the top of the 2nd. Elston Howard singled. Tom Tresh then belted a 2-run home run, and the Yankees took a 2-1 lead. Just like that, eh? This was New York, again, so it was never easy!
And Clete Boyer helped continue to made it that way. After Joe Pepitone grounded out, Clete singled. With Ford at the plate, Clete showed his wheels and stole second. That was crucial, for Ford singled to right. Boyer scored and it was 3-1, Yankees. Linz walked. Richardson singled, but Ford was out as he tried to score the Yankees' fourth run. The inning finally ended when Sadecki got Maris on a K. But three runs and five hits was one tough inning for any pitcher!
Ken watched as St. Louis cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the 2nd. The next inning, he walked. But St. Louis failed to score.
Clete had an interesting game from there. He grounded out in the top of the fourth. But New York ended up getting that fourth run after all! In the top of the 5th, Tresh doubled home Mantle, who had singled. 4-2. The next inning, Boyer was out on a fly to deep center.
In the bottom of the frame, it was the older brother that helped the Cardinals get it all together. He singled to lead things off. He made it to second as Bill White batted, but not on a steal. Elston Howard let a ball get past him and was charged with a passed ball. Mike Shannon hit a tremendous home run to left. This thing seemed to go a mile! It kept going until it hit the Budweiser sign. And it hit the "B", which was fitting since it tied the score and started the Cards be-lieving! Ford was done for the day as Tim McCarver hit a double. St. Louis scored twice more to take a 6-4 lead.
Ken fanned in the bottom of the 7th against Al Downing, who had come in to replace Ford. Clete grounded out in the top of the 8th, but the Yankees got a run back. It was the Yankees' run.
With Rollie Sheldon now pitching for the Yankees, Clete made an error on a grounder off Shannon. The Cardinals pounced on that miscue and scored three runs that inning to put the game out of reach. Ken was the last batter of the inning and game for St. Louis. He popped out to Clete. The Cardinals would win it, 9-5.
In game 2, the Yankees were again behind 1-0, but this time it was the top of the fourth when they came back. They only scored one run. But guess who drove it in?
Clete had grounded out in the top of the 3rd against Bob Gibson, who was starting his first World Series game. In the top of the 4th, with runners on second and third and only one out, Gibby walked Tresh intentionally. It seemed like a smart move. Clete Boyer was considered a weak hitter. Tresh? Ever so dangerous in this Fall Classic. Clete flied out to Flood in center. But the drive was deep enough to score the tying run. Another Boyer SF, but this time from Clete! The Yankees won this game 8-3, but both brothers failed to get a hit! That would not be the case as this thing went the distance.
In game 7 in St. Louis, with the Cards up 6-3 but Bob Gibson tiring, Ken helped seal the deal. Facing Steve Hamilton with two down (both via the strikeout), Ken got a hold of one, and sent it to the seats in left. 7-3, Cards. It was Ken Boyer's last plate appearance in the 1964 World Series. For all time, as it turns out. But the elder Boyer had hit 2 home runs in the this Fall Classic, one of them a grand slam.
In the top of the 9th, with the score still 7-3, St. Louis, a tired Gibson needed to put the Yankees to rest for good here. Tresh was still looking dangerous and led things off. But Gibby fanned him. Clete, though, proved to be no easy push over. He rocketed a Gibson pitch to left. It found the seats. One out later, it was Phil Linz who went yard as well. It was suddenly only 7-5, St. Louis. Gibson got Bobby Richardson to pop up to end it.
The Boyer brother may not have been as big a story as Bob Gibson, Mickey Mantle, or Whitey Ford. But their contributions to the 1964 World Series should not be forgotten. Each started this thing with some tame hitting to get runners home. But their last at bats were long, loud and legendary! It's that old saying: It runs in the family!
Ken actually batted first in game one, despite it being played at home. Ken was considered to be the better hitter, and batted in the cleanup position. Clete was the better fielder.
The Yankees went down quickly in the top of the first against starter Ray Sadecki. Phil Linz grounded out. Bobby Richardson popped up. Roger Maris walked, but Mickey Mantle flied out to Mike Shannon in rightfielder.
The guys to Mike Shannon then started things for St. Louis in the bottom of the frame. Whitey Ford, the all-time World Series leader in wins with 10, wasn't quite on his game here. But he did get Curt Flood, the centerfielder, to ground out. Lou Brock singled. Dick Groat followed suite, Brock going to third. Ken Boyer was up at the dish. He sent a fly to right. Mantle (playing right because of his knees) made the catch, but Brock tagged and scored.
The Yankees actually came right back in this game in the top of the 2nd. Elston Howard singled. Tom Tresh then belted a 2-run home run, and the Yankees took a 2-1 lead. Just like that, eh? This was New York, again, so it was never easy!
And Clete Boyer helped continue to made it that way. After Joe Pepitone grounded out, Clete singled. With Ford at the plate, Clete showed his wheels and stole second. That was crucial, for Ford singled to right. Boyer scored and it was 3-1, Yankees. Linz walked. Richardson singled, but Ford was out as he tried to score the Yankees' fourth run. The inning finally ended when Sadecki got Maris on a K. But three runs and five hits was one tough inning for any pitcher!
Ken watched as St. Louis cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the 2nd. The next inning, he walked. But St. Louis failed to score.
Clete had an interesting game from there. He grounded out in the top of the fourth. But New York ended up getting that fourth run after all! In the top of the 5th, Tresh doubled home Mantle, who had singled. 4-2. The next inning, Boyer was out on a fly to deep center.
In the bottom of the frame, it was the older brother that helped the Cardinals get it all together. He singled to lead things off. He made it to second as Bill White batted, but not on a steal. Elston Howard let a ball get past him and was charged with a passed ball. Mike Shannon hit a tremendous home run to left. This thing seemed to go a mile! It kept going until it hit the Budweiser sign. And it hit the "B", which was fitting since it tied the score and started the Cards be-lieving! Ford was done for the day as Tim McCarver hit a double. St. Louis scored twice more to take a 6-4 lead.
Ken fanned in the bottom of the 7th against Al Downing, who had come in to replace Ford. Clete grounded out in the top of the 8th, but the Yankees got a run back. It was the Yankees' run.
With Rollie Sheldon now pitching for the Yankees, Clete made an error on a grounder off Shannon. The Cardinals pounced on that miscue and scored three runs that inning to put the game out of reach. Ken was the last batter of the inning and game for St. Louis. He popped out to Clete. The Cardinals would win it, 9-5.
In game 2, the Yankees were again behind 1-0, but this time it was the top of the fourth when they came back. They only scored one run. But guess who drove it in?
Clete had grounded out in the top of the 3rd against Bob Gibson, who was starting his first World Series game. In the top of the 4th, with runners on second and third and only one out, Gibby walked Tresh intentionally. It seemed like a smart move. Clete Boyer was considered a weak hitter. Tresh? Ever so dangerous in this Fall Classic. Clete flied out to Flood in center. But the drive was deep enough to score the tying run. Another Boyer SF, but this time from Clete! The Yankees won this game 8-3, but both brothers failed to get a hit! That would not be the case as this thing went the distance.
In game 7 in St. Louis, with the Cards up 6-3 but Bob Gibson tiring, Ken helped seal the deal. Facing Steve Hamilton with two down (both via the strikeout), Ken got a hold of one, and sent it to the seats in left. 7-3, Cards. It was Ken Boyer's last plate appearance in the 1964 World Series. For all time, as it turns out. But the elder Boyer had hit 2 home runs in the this Fall Classic, one of them a grand slam.
In the top of the 9th, with the score still 7-3, St. Louis, a tired Gibson needed to put the Yankees to rest for good here. Tresh was still looking dangerous and led things off. But Gibby fanned him. Clete, though, proved to be no easy push over. He rocketed a Gibson pitch to left. It found the seats. One out later, it was Phil Linz who went yard as well. It was suddenly only 7-5, St. Louis. Gibson got Bobby Richardson to pop up to end it.
The Boyer brother may not have been as big a story as Bob Gibson, Mickey Mantle, or Whitey Ford. But their contributions to the 1964 World Series should not be forgotten. Each started this thing with some tame hitting to get runners home. But their last at bats were long, loud and legendary! It's that old saying: It runs in the family!
No comments:
Post a Comment