Unlike Kubek, Richardson had a memorable 1960 World Series where, to put it mildly, he did all he could to help the Yankees win. They still ended up losing, anyway.
Hitless in the season opening 6-0 loss in Minny, he managed to pick up his first hit four days later against the Athletics.
But it was a big hit, as it scored Elston Howard and Clete Boyer to put the game out of reach, 4-0 for the Yankees. They would go on to win 5-3.
His first two hit game in the second game of a April 20th doubleheader against the Angels nabbed him another RBI. In the opener on the day, he got his only April walk.
It was against Baltimore two days later that:
1) Another doubleheader
2) Held hitless in the opener
3) Two hits in the nightcap
4) Another RBI
In a wild 13-11 win over Detroit, Richardson collected 3 hits, plus another RBI and two runs scored on April 26th. The batting average was an April best .222.
But just three hits in the next four games to round out April dropped it back to .220.
May began with an 0-4 performance against Minnesota on the 2nd. But Richardson followed it up with a 3 hit game the next day to power the Yankees to a 7-3 win. Then he picked up two more hits, an RBI, a run scored and a walk on the 4th.
After struggling against the Angels in a 3 game set, Bobby was 2-3 with a walk and an RBI on the 9th.
Then the wheels came off the chariot in the next 13 games, as he batted .118 (6-51) with just 2 walks, 2 runs scored and only 1 RBI.
On the 24th, though, it was time for another 2 hit game. This one again included an RBI.
The next day was still another doubleheader, against the Chi Sox.
In the first game, Richardson was 1 for 4. The nightcap was no better as Bobby was 0 for 4, but he had an RBI.
May ended on a positive, as Richardson was 2-4 with a double and a run scored against the Red Sox. But his average was still only .211.
June saw Bobby Richardson raise his average 13 points by going 3-4 with a double, plus he also got a walk on the 1st. But in the next 8 games he could do no better than one hit each game.
After struggling in the opener (1-4) in the opener of a June 8th doubleheader against the Athletics. But in the nightcap, all Bobby did was collect 3 hits in 4 at bats, walk (intentional), an RBI and a run scored.
He could again only collect one hit the next game, but it was a triple. And he scored a run.
His next multi-hit game was on June 11th in the second game of a doubleheader against the Angels. Actually, overall in doubleheader he went 3-6 with a double. Yet he failed to get either an RBI or a run scored.
Two more "oh for.." games followed, but then came a 3 game against Cleveland on the 14th.
Bobby's sixth inning single scored Moose Skowron. Then in the seventh, he hit his first first homerun on the season, a three run blast off Johnny Antonelli, as the Yanks went on to a 11-5 win. Richardson singled and eventually scored in the ninth. This help Whitey Ford reach double digits in wins.
That seemed to cue another slump as Bobby managed only 3 hits in the next 5 games. But in the last of those 5 games, he managed to hit a double and score.
A double was among his two hits on the very next day, June 20th. And again he scored a run. The Yankees beat the Kansas A's, 6-2.
He hit a triple the next game, but it didn't result in a run scored or an RBI. It was his only hit of the game. And it was the same for the next two games, 1 hit each.
On June 24th, he collected two hits and two runs scored, plus an RBI for good measure, as the Yankees topped the Twins, 10-7. In the next two games he was 2-5 in each game, with a run scored.
Then Bobby was down to just one hit against the Angels, but he again scored a run, on the 27th.
Then, a hitless game.
But then, another two hit to cap off the month against the Senators, resulted in two runs scored an a 5-1 Yankee win.
July started out slow, as Bobby had two hits in the first six games of the month.
Richardson found his stroke again, as he collected 3 hits, 3 RBIs, 2 runs scored and a double against the Boston Red Sox on July 7.
And Bobby stayed hot as two days later the Yanks and Sox played a doubleheader.
In it Richardson collected 5 hits, 2 walks, 4 RBIs and a run scored.
In the second game, the Yankees trailed 9-1 in the bottom of the 6th, but Richardson blasted a 3 runs shot off Don Schwall and the Yankees clawed back into the game, but eventually lost 9-6.
He stayed hot in his next game (July 13th) as he got two hits against the other Sox team. Among those was a double, as Richardson scored twice. This pushed his average to .250 for the first time since May 5th.
Two more hits followed the next game, but Chicago won easily, 6-1.
The Yankees needed 10 innings to eek out a 9-8 win over the Sox in the finale, Richardson only 1-5, but he also had a walk. Bobby scored the tying run the top of the ninth on a Maris double.
After going just 1-9 in a two game set against the Orioles, Richardson faced the Senators next.
Bobby helped the Yankees to a 5-3 win the opener as he collected two more hits, among those a double. Plus he had an RBI and a run scored.
Washington took the second game and held Richardson hitless.
In the third game, Bobby was back with still another two hit game, a run scored, plus a sacrifice bunt. But the Yankees lost big time 12-2.
Richardson next went 2-6, but no RBIs or runs scored in an 11-8 win over Boston on July 21st. He was even better the next day as he went 3-6.
This time there was RBIs.
Facing the Red Sox's Tracy Stallard (who would give up Roger Maris' 61st homerun on the last day of the season), Richardson's second inning single scored Moose Skowron, his third inning single scored Elston Howard, then his ninth inning single score Arroyo with the winning run. Tony Kubek's double scored Richardson with an important insurance run. The Yankees won 11-9. Richardson also helped turn two double plays.
The Yankees couldn't make it three straight over the Sox as they lost 5-4. But Richardson was 2-5 with a walk and a run scored.
New York then swept a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on July 25th. Richardson had 2 hits, 3 walks and 3 runs scored, pushing his average up to .260
In the next two games he scored a run in each to extend his streak of scoring a run a game to 6.
The Baltimore Orioles then stopped the Yanks 4-0 and also held Richardson hitless. The next game, though, the Yankees were back in the win column and Bobby was back in the two hit mode. He also knocked in two runs and scored one himself.
The O's though, continued their mastery of the Yanks as they swept a doubleheader, 4-0 and 2-1 and held Bobby hitless. The best he could do is draw a walk, his 10th of the month.
August began with a 2 hit (including a double), 1 run scored game against Kansas in the first game of a doubleheader on the 2nd. The Yankees then smoked the Athletics 12-5 in the nightcap. Richardson had a hit and a walk.
After getting just one more hit in the finale of the three game set, it was back to the 2 hit effort on the 4th. Richardson hit his second double of the month, knocked in a run and also scored. The Yankees topped the Twins 8-5 in 10 innings.
Two days later, it was time for another doubleheader. And for Richardson it was a day to remember.
1st game: 3-8 with 2 runs scored
2nd game: 2-4 with 1 run scored
New York won each game against Minnesota by a single run.
The Yanks then beat the Angels with Richardson going 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored. He also got a walk.
Held hitless the next day, Richardson nontheless scored a win after drawing a walk in the first. Yogi Berra would score Richardson with a sacrifice fly. This was the 5th straight (and 7th time in 9 games) that Bobby had scored a run.
Then after failing to score a run on the 9th, Richardson was 2-4 against the Angels on August 10th.
In that game, Richardson led off the bottom of the first against Jim Donohue. He would slam a pitch deep into the left field bleachers for his third of the year. I bet no one noticed because Skowron hit his 20th and Berra his 16th. The Yankees took the game, 3-1.
Then it was off to Washington for a four game set. The Yankees took the opener 12-5 as Richardson went 2-6 with 2 runs scored and an RBI for good measure.
Just when things were looking up...
...came a two game slump of no hits. But in the second game of the Aug 13th doubleheader, Bobby Richardson was 2-5 with a run scored an an RBI.
Two more sub par games followed before Richardson was 2-5 in the first game of a August 20th doubleheader. Richardson scored twice. In the nightcap, he was just 1-5 but he scored still another run.
August 24: New York vs Los Angeles
Richardson: 5-5, 1R, 2RBI
Suddenly, his average soared to a more than respectable .265
2-5 the next day against KC made it .267.
Richardson was only 1-4 on the 26th, but he also drew a walk, scored and knocked in a run.
2 more hits on the 27th pushed his average up to .268, as he again got an RBI.
He finished off August with a pair of 1-4 days.
In 31 August games, Richardson batted .303 (42 hits) with 22 runs scored, 1 homerun and 10 RBIs, 6 walks, and 5 times reached on error.
September started the way August ended: two 1-4 days.
But then two 2-4 days meant Richardson was now batting .270.
Richardson slipped back to a pair of 1 hit games, but did managed to pick up 2 RBIs in a 6-1 win over Washington on September 5th.
His next two hit game was two days later against Cleveland. He scored a run this game and in the next three games.
In a short, 6 inning game on September 12 in Chicago, Richardson was 3-4 with run scored, as he finished the day batting .273. A season high.
He fell back a bit but remained productive.
And an 0 for 9 doubleheader on the 14th followed, and the Yankees lost twice to the White Sox.
The 15th was another doubleheader, this time against Detroit. Richardson got two hits and a walk, scored once and drove in a run. One of his two hits was a double. But he did all that in the opener. The Yanks won it 11-1, but lost the second game to Detroit, who refused to go away in the pennant quietly. Pitcher Bud Daley took his 17th loss on the year.
The Tigers then closed to within 9 1/2 games (with 13 to play) of the Yankees with a resounding 10-4 win the next day. Maris hit his 57th homerun, Howard his 20th, and Kubek smacked a double. Richardson himself was 2-5 with a run scored.
But, alas, Frank Lary, who always beat the Yankees, went the distance. The last two runs that scored against him were meaningless. This was his 21st win on the year against only 9 defeats. The Yankees, as a team batted .282 against him, but were 2-4 against him in 1961.
The Yankees took the next game against the Tigers in extra innings and Richardson was 2 for 6.
New York then split a doubleheader against the O's, and did likewise in the last two games of the four game set against Baltimore. Richardson managed just 2 hits and 1 walk (in his only plate appearance in the fourth game), yet also reached base 3 times on an error.
That walk was his 4th of the month, 30 of the season, and also last of the regular season.
The Yankees beat Boston 8-3 on September 23rd as Richardson scored a run but didn't get a hit or a walk. Nor did he reach on an error. He was hit by a pitch for just the second time, not only in this season but in his entire career. He had been hit by a pitch back on April 17th, and had gone a stretch of 153 games without that happening again.
Bobby Richardson had also hit his 10th and final sacrifice bunt in the regular season in that game. But his batting average had dropped to .266.
He got into a game as a pinch hitter on September 27th, but failed to produce, and the Yankees lost 3-2 to Baltimore. And it was more of the same two days later, as Richardson was hitless, although the Yankees won 2-1 over Boston.
The Yankees followed that up with another win on September 30th, 3-1 over the Red Sox.
In the bottom of the 5th against Don Schwall (The AL Rookie Of The Year, and 15 game winner) Richardson got his last regular season hit and RBI (49) when he tripled (5th of the year) to drive in Bill Gardner, who replaced Bobby at second base in the top of the ninth.
He had helped defuse an early rally when Chuck Schilling led off the game with a double for the Sox. The next batter, Gary Geiger, smacked one to Richardson, who caught it in the air, and fired to Clete Boyer (playing shortstop) for the double play.
In the bottom of the third , Schwall had struck out Bobby, just the Yankees second sacker's 23rd K on the season.
Richardson finished the 1961 regular season by playing in 162 regular season games. But that doesn't mean he didn't miss a game, as the Yankees played one tie.
In any event, he was third in the league in games played. 662 At Bats was enough for 3rd place. And his 706 plate appearances placed him 6th among AL hitters.
Despite finishing with just a .261 average, his 173 hits was good enough for 5th in the AL.
Of his 162 games played, he appeared just once as a pinch hitter (groundout ). All the other games, he played at second base.
Of those hits, 148 were singles, which was tops in the American League. His 10 sacrifice hits placed him 7th. And he was one of toughest to strikeout, as he averaged 28.8 At Bats per strikeout.
On the negative side, Richardson, despite his 80 runs scored, 17 doubles, 5 triples and 3 homeruns and 49 RBIs, 10 sacrifice hits and only 23 strikeouts, Bobby lead the league in outs made, 523, and was 9th in the league in caught stealing, with 7.
As for he defence, 1961 was the first of 5 straight Gold Gloves. He was second in the AL in games at second base, with 161. Only Detroit's Jake Woods played more games at second.
Bobby tied Nellie Fox for putouts as a second basemen (413). His 376 assists was good enough for 5th among second basemen in the AL. Bobby's 136 double plays turned topped every American League second baseman. He was also 6th in the AL in fielding percentage among AL second basemen with .978. And finally, Bobby was 5th in Range Factor Per Game with 4.90 at second.
Now for the negative: Bobby Richardson committed 18 errors as second base. Only Wood's 25 were more in the AL.
He got 1 MVP vote, good enough for 24th.
How about the World Series. Would 1960's World Series performance be a fluke for Bobby.
In game 1, he led off with a single off the Reds Jim O'Toole. When Kubek walked, it looked like a big inning. Richardson, in fact, made it all the way to third as the Yankees would load the bases with two outs, before Berra popped out.
Later, he singled in the third, only to be gunned down trying to steal second as Roger Maris struck out.
Bobby singled in the bottom of the seventh with one out. Alas, he was stranded.
The Yankees really didn't need anything from this, however, as Whitey Ford blanked Cincy, 2-0, on a methodical 2 hitter.
But they would need it and then some in the second game. They didn't get it, though!
In game 2, Bobby Richardson again singled to improved his batting average to .800 (4/5). And again, it led nowhere, Kubek erasing Richardson with a fielder's choice.
Bobby did nothing else at the plate on this day against the Reds Joey Jay. But he wasn't alone. The Yankees lost convincingly, 6-2.
The World Series scene shifted for games 3, 4 and 5 to Cincinnati.
Bob Purkey started for the Reds, and Richardson this time led off the game with a groundout.
After grounding out in the third and then lining out in the top of the 6th, Richardson singled in the top of the eighth with the game tied at 2. This time he succeeded in stealing second.
But, it was not to be, as again, Richardson was stranded. Maris' dramatic homerun in the ninth helped the Yankees take this one, barely, 3-2.
O'Toole tried to tie the Series by taking the mound in game 4.
Richardson was retired on a grounder to start. But he doubled in the top of the third. O'Toole bared down and got Kubek out to end the inning. Can anyone help Bobby?
The Yankees finally scored a run in the 4th, and in the 5th, Richardson singled Whitey Ford to second. Kubek's single scored Ford, Richardson to third, Kubek to second on the throw home.
But that is where Bobby stayed.
In the 7th, with the Yanks up 4-0, Richardson led off with a single. A fly ball, and an intentional walk to Maris moved Richardson to second. A wild pitch put runners on second and third with one out.
Hector Lopez, subbing for Mickey Mantle, shot a single to center that not only scored Richardson, but Maris as well. New York scored another run that inning for good measure.
Bobby Richardson lined out in the ninth, but the Yankees won the game 7-0, and Bobby was now batting .471!
For the third time in the Series, the Bronx Bombers began the game (batting) with Richardson singling.
It looked like nothing would come of it as the next two men were retired by Jay, back in search of another win over the Yankees. Richardson was picked off first, but he made it to second on Gordy Coleman's error.
When Johnny Blanchard hit a homerun, the Yankees were up 2-0. They never looked back.
After 1 inning it would be 5-0, Yankees.
After 2 innings it was 6-0, Yankees.
Richardson didn't help this time by flying out to right.
In the third inning, with Clete Boyer on first, Richardson grounded out.
In the fifth, he led off with groundout to Bob Purkey, the Reds' sixth pitcher on the day.
Richardson ended the 6th inning with a popup to catcher Johhny Edwards.
In the 8th, he batted for the last time in the Series. He grounded out.
In the bottom of the frame, he made his last fielding play by retiring Jerry Lynch, who was pinch hitting.
The Yankees had ran away with the game while all this was going on. The final score was 13-5.
The Yankees had finished first, while Bobby Richardson was always stuck on second.
No that he minded.
In the 1961 World Series, Richardson had come to bat 23 times (23 at bats, actually, no walks), gotten 9 hits, scored twice, hit a double, steal a base, get caught stealing, bat .391, and have an OBP of .391.
But if only the World Series had ended after his first at bat of game 5.
Bobby was batting .500 at the time!
Golenbock, Peter. "1961." Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print, pp. 405-445.
Mantle, Mickey, and Mickey Herskowitz. "The M&M Boys." All My Octobers: My Memories of Twelve World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print, pp. 129-145.
Smith, Ron. The Sporting News Presents 61*: The Story Of Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle And One Magical Summer. St. Louis: Sporting News, 2001. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 23 Dec. 2011.
The World Series Of 1961. Dir. Lew Fonseca. Prod. Dick Borden. Perf. New York Yankees Cincinnati Reds 1961. Major League Baseball Productions Inc, 1961. DVD. DVD Released in 2006.
Hitless in the season opening 6-0 loss in Minny, he managed to pick up his first hit four days later against the Athletics.
But it was a big hit, as it scored Elston Howard and Clete Boyer to put the game out of reach, 4-0 for the Yankees. They would go on to win 5-3.
His first two hit game in the second game of a April 20th doubleheader against the Angels nabbed him another RBI. In the opener on the day, he got his only April walk.
It was against Baltimore two days later that:
1) Another doubleheader
2) Held hitless in the opener
3) Two hits in the nightcap
4) Another RBI
In a wild 13-11 win over Detroit, Richardson collected 3 hits, plus another RBI and two runs scored on April 26th. The batting average was an April best .222.
But just three hits in the next four games to round out April dropped it back to .220.
May began with an 0-4 performance against Minnesota on the 2nd. But Richardson followed it up with a 3 hit game the next day to power the Yankees to a 7-3 win. Then he picked up two more hits, an RBI, a run scored and a walk on the 4th.
After struggling against the Angels in a 3 game set, Bobby was 2-3 with a walk and an RBI on the 9th.
Then the wheels came off the chariot in the next 13 games, as he batted .118 (6-51) with just 2 walks, 2 runs scored and only 1 RBI.
On the 24th, though, it was time for another 2 hit game. This one again included an RBI.
The next day was still another doubleheader, against the Chi Sox.
In the first game, Richardson was 1 for 4. The nightcap was no better as Bobby was 0 for 4, but he had an RBI.
May ended on a positive, as Richardson was 2-4 with a double and a run scored against the Red Sox. But his average was still only .211.
June saw Bobby Richardson raise his average 13 points by going 3-4 with a double, plus he also got a walk on the 1st. But in the next 8 games he could do no better than one hit each game.
After struggling in the opener (1-4) in the opener of a June 8th doubleheader against the Athletics. But in the nightcap, all Bobby did was collect 3 hits in 4 at bats, walk (intentional), an RBI and a run scored.
He could again only collect one hit the next game, but it was a triple. And he scored a run.
His next multi-hit game was on June 11th in the second game of a doubleheader against the Angels. Actually, overall in doubleheader he went 3-6 with a double. Yet he failed to get either an RBI or a run scored.
Two more "oh for.." games followed, but then came a 3 game against Cleveland on the 14th.
Bobby's sixth inning single scored Moose Skowron. Then in the seventh, he hit his first first homerun on the season, a three run blast off Johnny Antonelli, as the Yanks went on to a 11-5 win. Richardson singled and eventually scored in the ninth. This help Whitey Ford reach double digits in wins.
That seemed to cue another slump as Bobby managed only 3 hits in the next 5 games. But in the last of those 5 games, he managed to hit a double and score.
A double was among his two hits on the very next day, June 20th. And again he scored a run. The Yankees beat the Kansas A's, 6-2.
He hit a triple the next game, but it didn't result in a run scored or an RBI. It was his only hit of the game. And it was the same for the next two games, 1 hit each.
On June 24th, he collected two hits and two runs scored, plus an RBI for good measure, as the Yankees topped the Twins, 10-7. In the next two games he was 2-5 in each game, with a run scored.
Then Bobby was down to just one hit against the Angels, but he again scored a run, on the 27th.
Then, a hitless game.
But then, another two hit to cap off the month against the Senators, resulted in two runs scored an a 5-1 Yankee win.
July started out slow, as Bobby had two hits in the first six games of the month.
Richardson found his stroke again, as he collected 3 hits, 3 RBIs, 2 runs scored and a double against the Boston Red Sox on July 7.
And Bobby stayed hot as two days later the Yanks and Sox played a doubleheader.
In it Richardson collected 5 hits, 2 walks, 4 RBIs and a run scored.
In the second game, the Yankees trailed 9-1 in the bottom of the 6th, but Richardson blasted a 3 runs shot off Don Schwall and the Yankees clawed back into the game, but eventually lost 9-6.
He stayed hot in his next game (July 13th) as he got two hits against the other Sox team. Among those was a double, as Richardson scored twice. This pushed his average to .250 for the first time since May 5th.
Two more hits followed the next game, but Chicago won easily, 6-1.
The Yankees needed 10 innings to eek out a 9-8 win over the Sox in the finale, Richardson only 1-5, but he also had a walk. Bobby scored the tying run the top of the ninth on a Maris double.
After going just 1-9 in a two game set against the Orioles, Richardson faced the Senators next.
Bobby helped the Yankees to a 5-3 win the opener as he collected two more hits, among those a double. Plus he had an RBI and a run scored.
Washington took the second game and held Richardson hitless.
In the third game, Bobby was back with still another two hit game, a run scored, plus a sacrifice bunt. But the Yankees lost big time 12-2.
Richardson next went 2-6, but no RBIs or runs scored in an 11-8 win over Boston on July 21st. He was even better the next day as he went 3-6.
This time there was RBIs.
Facing the Red Sox's Tracy Stallard (who would give up Roger Maris' 61st homerun on the last day of the season), Richardson's second inning single scored Moose Skowron, his third inning single scored Elston Howard, then his ninth inning single score Arroyo with the winning run. Tony Kubek's double scored Richardson with an important insurance run. The Yankees won 11-9. Richardson also helped turn two double plays.
The Yankees couldn't make it three straight over the Sox as they lost 5-4. But Richardson was 2-5 with a walk and a run scored.
New York then swept a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on July 25th. Richardson had 2 hits, 3 walks and 3 runs scored, pushing his average up to .260
In the next two games he scored a run in each to extend his streak of scoring a run a game to 6.
The Baltimore Orioles then stopped the Yanks 4-0 and also held Richardson hitless. The next game, though, the Yankees were back in the win column and Bobby was back in the two hit mode. He also knocked in two runs and scored one himself.
The O's though, continued their mastery of the Yanks as they swept a doubleheader, 4-0 and 2-1 and held Bobby hitless. The best he could do is draw a walk, his 10th of the month.
August began with a 2 hit (including a double), 1 run scored game against Kansas in the first game of a doubleheader on the 2nd. The Yankees then smoked the Athletics 12-5 in the nightcap. Richardson had a hit and a walk.
After getting just one more hit in the finale of the three game set, it was back to the 2 hit effort on the 4th. Richardson hit his second double of the month, knocked in a run and also scored. The Yankees topped the Twins 8-5 in 10 innings.
Two days later, it was time for another doubleheader. And for Richardson it was a day to remember.
1st game: 3-8 with 2 runs scored
2nd game: 2-4 with 1 run scored
New York won each game against Minnesota by a single run.
The Yanks then beat the Angels with Richardson going 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored. He also got a walk.
Held hitless the next day, Richardson nontheless scored a win after drawing a walk in the first. Yogi Berra would score Richardson with a sacrifice fly. This was the 5th straight (and 7th time in 9 games) that Bobby had scored a run.
Then after failing to score a run on the 9th, Richardson was 2-4 against the Angels on August 10th.
In that game, Richardson led off the bottom of the first against Jim Donohue. He would slam a pitch deep into the left field bleachers for his third of the year. I bet no one noticed because Skowron hit his 20th and Berra his 16th. The Yankees took the game, 3-1.
Then it was off to Washington for a four game set. The Yankees took the opener 12-5 as Richardson went 2-6 with 2 runs scored and an RBI for good measure.
Just when things were looking up...
...came a two game slump of no hits. But in the second game of the Aug 13th doubleheader, Bobby Richardson was 2-5 with a run scored an an RBI.
Two more sub par games followed before Richardson was 2-5 in the first game of a August 20th doubleheader. Richardson scored twice. In the nightcap, he was just 1-5 but he scored still another run.
August 24: New York vs Los Angeles
Richardson: 5-5, 1R, 2RBI
Suddenly, his average soared to a more than respectable .265
2-5 the next day against KC made it .267.
Richardson was only 1-4 on the 26th, but he also drew a walk, scored and knocked in a run.
2 more hits on the 27th pushed his average up to .268, as he again got an RBI.
He finished off August with a pair of 1-4 days.
In 31 August games, Richardson batted .303 (42 hits) with 22 runs scored, 1 homerun and 10 RBIs, 6 walks, and 5 times reached on error.
September started the way August ended: two 1-4 days.
But then two 2-4 days meant Richardson was now batting .270.
Richardson slipped back to a pair of 1 hit games, but did managed to pick up 2 RBIs in a 6-1 win over Washington on September 5th.
His next two hit game was two days later against Cleveland. He scored a run this game and in the next three games.
In a short, 6 inning game on September 12 in Chicago, Richardson was 3-4 with run scored, as he finished the day batting .273. A season high.
He fell back a bit but remained productive.
And an 0 for 9 doubleheader on the 14th followed, and the Yankees lost twice to the White Sox.
The 15th was another doubleheader, this time against Detroit. Richardson got two hits and a walk, scored once and drove in a run. One of his two hits was a double. But he did all that in the opener. The Yanks won it 11-1, but lost the second game to Detroit, who refused to go away in the pennant quietly. Pitcher Bud Daley took his 17th loss on the year.
The Tigers then closed to within 9 1/2 games (with 13 to play) of the Yankees with a resounding 10-4 win the next day. Maris hit his 57th homerun, Howard his 20th, and Kubek smacked a double. Richardson himself was 2-5 with a run scored.
But, alas, Frank Lary, who always beat the Yankees, went the distance. The last two runs that scored against him were meaningless. This was his 21st win on the year against only 9 defeats. The Yankees, as a team batted .282 against him, but were 2-4 against him in 1961.
The Yankees took the next game against the Tigers in extra innings and Richardson was 2 for 6.
New York then split a doubleheader against the O's, and did likewise in the last two games of the four game set against Baltimore. Richardson managed just 2 hits and 1 walk (in his only plate appearance in the fourth game), yet also reached base 3 times on an error.
That walk was his 4th of the month, 30 of the season, and also last of the regular season.
The Yankees beat Boston 8-3 on September 23rd as Richardson scored a run but didn't get a hit or a walk. Nor did he reach on an error. He was hit by a pitch for just the second time, not only in this season but in his entire career. He had been hit by a pitch back on April 17th, and had gone a stretch of 153 games without that happening again.
Bobby Richardson had also hit his 10th and final sacrifice bunt in the regular season in that game. But his batting average had dropped to .266.
He got into a game as a pinch hitter on September 27th, but failed to produce, and the Yankees lost 3-2 to Baltimore. And it was more of the same two days later, as Richardson was hitless, although the Yankees won 2-1 over Boston.
The Yankees followed that up with another win on September 30th, 3-1 over the Red Sox.
In the bottom of the 5th against Don Schwall (The AL Rookie Of The Year, and 15 game winner) Richardson got his last regular season hit and RBI (49) when he tripled (5th of the year) to drive in Bill Gardner, who replaced Bobby at second base in the top of the ninth.
He had helped defuse an early rally when Chuck Schilling led off the game with a double for the Sox. The next batter, Gary Geiger, smacked one to Richardson, who caught it in the air, and fired to Clete Boyer (playing shortstop) for the double play.
In the bottom of the third , Schwall had struck out Bobby, just the Yankees second sacker's 23rd K on the season.
Richardson finished the 1961 regular season by playing in 162 regular season games. But that doesn't mean he didn't miss a game, as the Yankees played one tie.
In any event, he was third in the league in games played. 662 At Bats was enough for 3rd place. And his 706 plate appearances placed him 6th among AL hitters.
Despite finishing with just a .261 average, his 173 hits was good enough for 5th in the AL.
Of his 162 games played, he appeared just once as a pinch hitter (groundout ). All the other games, he played at second base.
Of those hits, 148 were singles, which was tops in the American League. His 10 sacrifice hits placed him 7th. And he was one of toughest to strikeout, as he averaged 28.8 At Bats per strikeout.
On the negative side, Richardson, despite his 80 runs scored, 17 doubles, 5 triples and 3 homeruns and 49 RBIs, 10 sacrifice hits and only 23 strikeouts, Bobby lead the league in outs made, 523, and was 9th in the league in caught stealing, with 7.
As for he defence, 1961 was the first of 5 straight Gold Gloves. He was second in the AL in games at second base, with 161. Only Detroit's Jake Woods played more games at second.
Bobby tied Nellie Fox for putouts as a second basemen (413). His 376 assists was good enough for 5th among second basemen in the AL. Bobby's 136 double plays turned topped every American League second baseman. He was also 6th in the AL in fielding percentage among AL second basemen with .978. And finally, Bobby was 5th in Range Factor Per Game with 4.90 at second.
Now for the negative: Bobby Richardson committed 18 errors as second base. Only Wood's 25 were more in the AL.
He got 1 MVP vote, good enough for 24th.
How about the World Series. Would 1960's World Series performance be a fluke for Bobby.
In game 1, he led off with a single off the Reds Jim O'Toole. When Kubek walked, it looked like a big inning. Richardson, in fact, made it all the way to third as the Yankees would load the bases with two outs, before Berra popped out.
Later, he singled in the third, only to be gunned down trying to steal second as Roger Maris struck out.
Bobby singled in the bottom of the seventh with one out. Alas, he was stranded.
The Yankees really didn't need anything from this, however, as Whitey Ford blanked Cincy, 2-0, on a methodical 2 hitter.
But they would need it and then some in the second game. They didn't get it, though!
In game 2, Bobby Richardson again singled to improved his batting average to .800 (4/5). And again, it led nowhere, Kubek erasing Richardson with a fielder's choice.
Bobby did nothing else at the plate on this day against the Reds Joey Jay. But he wasn't alone. The Yankees lost convincingly, 6-2.
The World Series scene shifted for games 3, 4 and 5 to Cincinnati.
Bob Purkey started for the Reds, and Richardson this time led off the game with a groundout.
After grounding out in the third and then lining out in the top of the 6th, Richardson singled in the top of the eighth with the game tied at 2. This time he succeeded in stealing second.
But, it was not to be, as again, Richardson was stranded. Maris' dramatic homerun in the ninth helped the Yankees take this one, barely, 3-2.
O'Toole tried to tie the Series by taking the mound in game 4.
Richardson was retired on a grounder to start. But he doubled in the top of the third. O'Toole bared down and got Kubek out to end the inning. Can anyone help Bobby?
The Yankees finally scored a run in the 4th, and in the 5th, Richardson singled Whitey Ford to second. Kubek's single scored Ford, Richardson to third, Kubek to second on the throw home.
But that is where Bobby stayed.
In the 7th, with the Yanks up 4-0, Richardson led off with a single. A fly ball, and an intentional walk to Maris moved Richardson to second. A wild pitch put runners on second and third with one out.
Hector Lopez, subbing for Mickey Mantle, shot a single to center that not only scored Richardson, but Maris as well. New York scored another run that inning for good measure.
Bobby Richardson lined out in the ninth, but the Yankees won the game 7-0, and Bobby was now batting .471!
For the third time in the Series, the Bronx Bombers began the game (batting) with Richardson singling.
It looked like nothing would come of it as the next two men were retired by Jay, back in search of another win over the Yankees. Richardson was picked off first, but he made it to second on Gordy Coleman's error.
When Johnny Blanchard hit a homerun, the Yankees were up 2-0. They never looked back.
After 1 inning it would be 5-0, Yankees.
After 2 innings it was 6-0, Yankees.
Richardson didn't help this time by flying out to right.
In the third inning, with Clete Boyer on first, Richardson grounded out.
In the fifth, he led off with groundout to Bob Purkey, the Reds' sixth pitcher on the day.
Richardson ended the 6th inning with a popup to catcher Johhny Edwards.
In the 8th, he batted for the last time in the Series. He grounded out.
In the bottom of the frame, he made his last fielding play by retiring Jerry Lynch, who was pinch hitting.
The Yankees had ran away with the game while all this was going on. The final score was 13-5.
The Yankees had finished first, while Bobby Richardson was always stuck on second.
No that he minded.
In the 1961 World Series, Richardson had come to bat 23 times (23 at bats, actually, no walks), gotten 9 hits, scored twice, hit a double, steal a base, get caught stealing, bat .391, and have an OBP of .391.
But if only the World Series had ended after his first at bat of game 5.
Bobby was batting .500 at the time!
References
Golenbock, Peter. "1961." Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print, pp. 405-445.
Mantle, Mickey, and Mickey Herskowitz. "The M&M Boys." All My Octobers: My Memories of Twelve World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print, pp. 129-145.
Smith, Ron. The Sporting News Presents 61*: The Story Of Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle And One Magical Summer. St. Louis: Sporting News, 2001. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 23 Dec. 2011.
The World Series Of 1961. Dir. Lew Fonseca. Prod. Dick Borden. Perf. New York Yankees Cincinnati Reds 1961. Major League Baseball Productions Inc, 1961. DVD. DVD Released in 2006.
No comments:
Post a Comment