Steve Hamilton is the only player to lose an NBA Finals and two Fall Classics.
Steve, a tall player, found himself on the 1958/59 Minnesota Lakers. The team Elgin Baylor, but Jerry West was not there until the move to Los Angeles in 60/61. But Minny was up against the Boston Celtics in '59. Boston was appearing in their third straight NBA finals. Minny was appearing in their last.
Hamilton, a rookie that season, averaged just 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds as a small forward. He was dead last on the team in minutes played. The Celtics made short work of the Lakers, winning 4-0 in the finals. But Hamilton did get into three games after not seeing any action in game one.
In game two, Hamilton poured in 12 points for fourth on the team. Boston won, however, 128-108. Then, in Los Angels for game three, they won easily again, 122-110. Hamilton failed to connect for any field goals and never went to the line.
In game four, Hamilton could only go 2-2 from the line. Elgin Baylor, though, scored 30 points. It was, however, a Boston win, 118-113. Hamilton came back the next year before embarking on a baseball career.
And it was one that saw him play in game one of a sweep, unlike his NBA final appearance. Alas, the game was a little past the point of interest by then.
Hamilton was pitching for the New York Yankees, at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers. But Los Angeles would get a 15-strikeout performance from Koufax, who took a 5-2 lead into the ninth. Hamilton was on to replace Stan Williams, who fanned five batters in three innings for New York.
The very first batter Hamilton faced was Sandy Koufax himself, and Steve fanned him. Maury Wills then flied out to Roger Maris in right, Jim Gilliam grounded out to Tony Kubek in short. Hamilton had done his job and held the Dodgers in check. But Koufax pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve it. The Dodgers won the next three games for good measure and Hamilton did not get into any of those.
But in 1964, Hamilton and the Yankees were back in the World Series. This time, it was against the St. Louis Cardinals. But for a while, it looked like Hamilton was not going to pitch at all.
He warmed up and ready to go in game five in Yankee Stadium, as the Yankees and Cardinals were tied going into the top of the tenth. The Cardinals had two men on, there was only one out, and Tim McCarver was at the dish. But manager Yogi Berra did not go to the 'pen for Hamilton. When McCarver ripped a three-run home run to win the game for St. Louis, it made you wonder why Berra did not make the call. With that win, the Cardinals led the 1964 Fall Classic, three games to two. New York would have to win both the games in St. Louis.
But Hamilton did pitch in game six. And the Yankees blew open a deadlocked game with two runs in the top of the sixth to break a 1-1 tie. Then, in the top of the eighth, they crossed the plate five more times to make it an 8-1 route. Jim Bouton gave up a run in the bottom of the frame. And when the Cardinals got two singles in the bottom of the ninth, Hamilton finally made it to the mound.
Bob Skinner singled to score Mike Shannon and make it 8-3. But then Curt Flood grounded to Phil Linz at short, who turned a double play with Bobby Richardson and Joe Pepitone. Although not a save by today's standards, Hamilton was given one there.
In game seven, New York was behind 6-0 after five. But they clawed back with three runs in the top of the sixth on a three-run home run by Mickey Mantle. Bob Gibson, St. Louis' started, sort of staggered from there. He was tiring. But Hamilton was needed to hold the fort and give the Yankees a chance. He came on to pitch the bottom of the seventh after Gibson gave up Bobby Richardson's thirteenth hit in the top of the frame.
He fanned Lou Brock in a lefty-lefty matchup. Then he did the same to Bill White in another southpaw battle. Ken Boyer, right-handed, stepped in. Hamilton looked poised for another K but Boyer smacked a home run to left to make it 7-3.
The bottom of the eighth inning did not go well for Steve. Tim McCarver singled. And when Mike Shannon reached on an error by Clete Boyer, things looked pretty grim. Dal Maxville bunted, and all Hamilton could do was go to first. That ended up being the last batter Steve faced.
The Yankees got out of the inning via some nice pitching from Pete Mikkelsen and some slick defence. In the top of the ninth, a pair of solo home runs by Boyer and Phil Linz (who hit his with two down) brought the Yankees to within two, but Richardson popped out to end it.
Hamilton never made it back to the World Series. And on the big stage of both the NBA and MLB, he's 0 for 3, lifetime. Nonetheless, it took the likes of men like Bill Russell, Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson to stop his teams from winning. Three very good competitors right there. It was just Steve's misfortune to run into them on the floor and on the diamond!
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Mantle, Mickey, and Mickey Herskowitz. All My Octobers: My Memories of Twelve World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. 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.
Steve, a tall player, found himself on the 1958/59 Minnesota Lakers. The team Elgin Baylor, but Jerry West was not there until the move to Los Angeles in 60/61. But Minny was up against the Boston Celtics in '59. Boston was appearing in their third straight NBA finals. Minny was appearing in their last.
Hamilton, a rookie that season, averaged just 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds as a small forward. He was dead last on the team in minutes played. The Celtics made short work of the Lakers, winning 4-0 in the finals. But Hamilton did get into three games after not seeing any action in game one.
In game two, Hamilton poured in 12 points for fourth on the team. Boston won, however, 128-108. Then, in Los Angels for game three, they won easily again, 122-110. Hamilton failed to connect for any field goals and never went to the line.
In game four, Hamilton could only go 2-2 from the line. Elgin Baylor, though, scored 30 points. It was, however, a Boston win, 118-113. Hamilton came back the next year before embarking on a baseball career.
And it was one that saw him play in game one of a sweep, unlike his NBA final appearance. Alas, the game was a little past the point of interest by then.
Hamilton was pitching for the New York Yankees, at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers. But Los Angeles would get a 15-strikeout performance from Koufax, who took a 5-2 lead into the ninth. Hamilton was on to replace Stan Williams, who fanned five batters in three innings for New York.
The very first batter Hamilton faced was Sandy Koufax himself, and Steve fanned him. Maury Wills then flied out to Roger Maris in right, Jim Gilliam grounded out to Tony Kubek in short. Hamilton had done his job and held the Dodgers in check. But Koufax pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve it. The Dodgers won the next three games for good measure and Hamilton did not get into any of those.
But in 1964, Hamilton and the Yankees were back in the World Series. This time, it was against the St. Louis Cardinals. But for a while, it looked like Hamilton was not going to pitch at all.
He warmed up and ready to go in game five in Yankee Stadium, as the Yankees and Cardinals were tied going into the top of the tenth. The Cardinals had two men on, there was only one out, and Tim McCarver was at the dish. But manager Yogi Berra did not go to the 'pen for Hamilton. When McCarver ripped a three-run home run to win the game for St. Louis, it made you wonder why Berra did not make the call. With that win, the Cardinals led the 1964 Fall Classic, three games to two. New York would have to win both the games in St. Louis.
But Hamilton did pitch in game six. And the Yankees blew open a deadlocked game with two runs in the top of the sixth to break a 1-1 tie. Then, in the top of the eighth, they crossed the plate five more times to make it an 8-1 route. Jim Bouton gave up a run in the bottom of the frame. And when the Cardinals got two singles in the bottom of the ninth, Hamilton finally made it to the mound.
Bob Skinner singled to score Mike Shannon and make it 8-3. But then Curt Flood grounded to Phil Linz at short, who turned a double play with Bobby Richardson and Joe Pepitone. Although not a save by today's standards, Hamilton was given one there.
In game seven, New York was behind 6-0 after five. But they clawed back with three runs in the top of the sixth on a three-run home run by Mickey Mantle. Bob Gibson, St. Louis' started, sort of staggered from there. He was tiring. But Hamilton was needed to hold the fort and give the Yankees a chance. He came on to pitch the bottom of the seventh after Gibson gave up Bobby Richardson's thirteenth hit in the top of the frame.
He fanned Lou Brock in a lefty-lefty matchup. Then he did the same to Bill White in another southpaw battle. Ken Boyer, right-handed, stepped in. Hamilton looked poised for another K but Boyer smacked a home run to left to make it 7-3.
The bottom of the eighth inning did not go well for Steve. Tim McCarver singled. And when Mike Shannon reached on an error by Clete Boyer, things looked pretty grim. Dal Maxville bunted, and all Hamilton could do was go to first. That ended up being the last batter Steve faced.
The Yankees got out of the inning via some nice pitching from Pete Mikkelsen and some slick defence. In the top of the ninth, a pair of solo home runs by Boyer and Phil Linz (who hit his with two down) brought the Yankees to within two, but Richardson popped out to end it.
Hamilton never made it back to the World Series. And on the big stage of both the NBA and MLB, he's 0 for 3, lifetime. Nonetheless, it took the likes of men like Bill Russell, Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson to stop his teams from winning. Three very good competitors right there. It was just Steve's misfortune to run into them on the floor and on the diamond!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Mantle, Mickey, and Mickey Herskowitz. All My Octobers: My Memories of Twelve World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. 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.
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.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web.20 Dec. 2014.
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