Curt Simmons did not get to pitch for the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies against the New York Yankees. But he did get to pitch against the 1964 Yankees. But for Mickey Mantle, the result of both his starts might have been different. The lefty was nothing short of magnificent in these games. But what he came away with wasn't!
So, it was game 3 of the 1964 World Series, and Simmons was on the hill for the St. Louis Cardinals. It was also the Yankees' Jim Bouton (not the author, yet) first Fall Classic start. Was this ever a gem!
The Mick came up in the bottom of the second and was retired by Curt on a groundball. But then Elston Howard, who too many times the other teams' forgot about, singled. Tom Tresh fouled out. Joe Pepitone walked. 2 on, two out. Clete Boyer, whose older brother Ken was stationed at third for the Cards, doubled home Ellie. Bouton came to the plate and Simmons got out of there by retiring him.
For the next two innings, it was just 1-2-3 for both Bouton and Simmons. But Simmons the batter would do something about that.
Tim McCarver (not the announcer, yet) singled to right. Mantle, playing right with his pal Roger Maris in center, had the ball go through his legs. McCarver motored into second. Bouton dug down and got Mike Shannon and Dal Maxvill out. He now seemed safe. But Simmons himself lashed one to third that Clete Boyer got a piece off, but not enough. McCarver scored. It was all tied up at 1. The Yankees were having problems with the Cardinals speed and hot shots off batted balls!
Simmons had a 1-2-3 5th, and looked in complete control. In the top of the 6th, Bouton looked like he was breaking down, and so did the Yankees.
Lou Brock grounded out, but Bill White hit a roller that Boyer got to, but didn't get it to first in time. Ken Boyer was out on a long fly to Tresh in left. But Dick Groat kept the inning alive with a double. McCarver was walked intentionally. Bases loaded, two outs. The kind of situation we all dream about being involved with in the Fall Classic. But Mike Shannon grounded to Phil Linz, who tossed to Bobby Richardson at second for the inning-ending force.
But Simmons himself would then face a bump in the bottom of the frame.
And I need to remind you of something. I am well aware of what happend in the bottom of the frame is very much like what happend in the top of the frame.
Phil Linz grounded out, but Bobby Richardson connected for a single. Maris was out on a fly to right. Simmons seemed safe. But a double by Mantle, and suddenly he wasn't. Howard was walked intentionally. Bases loaded and two outs. Tresh popped out to Bill White at first.
Dal Maxvill openend the St. Louis 7th with a double to left-center. Simmons himself got Dal to third with a sac bunt. Runner on third and less than two outs. Flood flied to Maris, but it wasn't deep enough to score Maxy! Lou Brock grounded out to Boyer.
Joe Pepitone, Clete Boyer and Jim Bouton went down without a fight in the bottom of the frame. But Bouton would do the same to the Cardinals in the top of the 8th. After Simmons' had another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the 8th, it looked like St. Louis had it won in the top of the 9th!
Tim McCarver reached first when Clete Boyer made an error. Then it was Mike Shannon would laid down a bunt to get McCarver to second. Carl Warwick batted for Maxvill and walked. Curt Simmons was due up. Johnny Keane, the Cardinals' manager, sent up another pinch hitter. It was Bob Skinner. Skinner hit the ball to deep center, but Roger Maris got to it on the warning track. McCarver took third. Curt Flood was out on a liner to Mantle in right. Even there, The Mick almost didn't get to it. In any event, New York was out of the inning. It was on to the bottom of the 9th, where something dramatic was about to happen!
Barney Schultz came in, but the very first batter he had to face was Mantle. Schultz, who had a tough knuckleball, had played a huge role in the Cards' run to the pennant, fed Mantle one. But it wasn't a good pitch. Mickey, always clutch in situations like these, rocketed a long homerun to right, winning the game for New York, 2-1.
St. Louis overcame this setback and managed to win the next two games. But they were both close, with Bob Gibson having to go 10 innings to win a crucial game 5. St. Louis gave the ball to Simmons for game 6, with a chance to wrap it up!
The Cardinals struck first as Curt Flood scored in the bottom of the 1st on a double play. The fleet footed centerfielder scored all the way from second base. Simmons looked strong.
In the top of the first, Curt had fanned both Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. In the second and third, Simmons had a 1-2-3 inning. Bobby Richardson, who had singled and stolen second in the top of the 1st, got another hit in the 4th. But Bobby would be stranded again.
Jim Bouton, who had gotten the win in game 3, looked shaky here. The Cardinals got two hits in the first, one in the second, another in the third (by Simmons himself) and still another in the 4th.
But in the top of the 5th, Tom Tresh hit a ground rule double. Two outs later Bouton tied the game with a single of his own. St. Louis got a hit and walk from Flood and Brock in the bottom of the frame, but that was it.
Richardson popped out to start the Yankees' top of the 6th. But then, Simmons lost it, and the game!
First, came Maris' long ball to right that nicked the foul pole, otherwise carrying on over the pavillion. 2-1, New York. Then the Mick went the other way to right, 3-1 New York. Bouton had a 1-2-3 bottom of the frame.
In the 7th, with one out, Clete Boyer singled to right and took second on Lou Brock's error. Ron Taylor took the hill and got the Cardinals out of the frame. Bouton again had a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the inning.
Barney Schultz and Gordie Richardson could not hold the fort in the top of the 8th. Elston Howard singled home a run, and Joe Pepitone hit a grand slam to make it 8-1. The Cardinals would score twice more, but Bouton had the win.
Simmons, despite his second great, gutsy start, would be tagged with the loss. Very unfair that two great outings were wasted. But the Cardinals would win game 7 anyways. Still, I would rate Curt Simmons as the Cardinals best starting pitcher in the 1964 World Series.
Anderson, Dave. Pennant Races: Baseball At Its Best. New York: Doubleday, 1994. Print.
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print.
Halberstam, David. October 1964. New York: Villard, 1994. 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.
So, it was game 3 of the 1964 World Series, and Simmons was on the hill for the St. Louis Cardinals. It was also the Yankees' Jim Bouton (not the author, yet) first Fall Classic start. Was this ever a gem!
The Mick came up in the bottom of the second and was retired by Curt on a groundball. But then Elston Howard, who too many times the other teams' forgot about, singled. Tom Tresh fouled out. Joe Pepitone walked. 2 on, two out. Clete Boyer, whose older brother Ken was stationed at third for the Cards, doubled home Ellie. Bouton came to the plate and Simmons got out of there by retiring him.
For the next two innings, it was just 1-2-3 for both Bouton and Simmons. But Simmons the batter would do something about that.
Tim McCarver (not the announcer, yet) singled to right. Mantle, playing right with his pal Roger Maris in center, had the ball go through his legs. McCarver motored into second. Bouton dug down and got Mike Shannon and Dal Maxvill out. He now seemed safe. But Simmons himself lashed one to third that Clete Boyer got a piece off, but not enough. McCarver scored. It was all tied up at 1. The Yankees were having problems with the Cardinals speed and hot shots off batted balls!
Simmons had a 1-2-3 5th, and looked in complete control. In the top of the 6th, Bouton looked like he was breaking down, and so did the Yankees.
Lou Brock grounded out, but Bill White hit a roller that Boyer got to, but didn't get it to first in time. Ken Boyer was out on a long fly to Tresh in left. But Dick Groat kept the inning alive with a double. McCarver was walked intentionally. Bases loaded, two outs. The kind of situation we all dream about being involved with in the Fall Classic. But Mike Shannon grounded to Phil Linz, who tossed to Bobby Richardson at second for the inning-ending force.
But Simmons himself would then face a bump in the bottom of the frame.
And I need to remind you of something. I am well aware of what happend in the bottom of the frame is very much like what happend in the top of the frame.
Phil Linz grounded out, but Bobby Richardson connected for a single. Maris was out on a fly to right. Simmons seemed safe. But a double by Mantle, and suddenly he wasn't. Howard was walked intentionally. Bases loaded and two outs. Tresh popped out to Bill White at first.
Dal Maxvill openend the St. Louis 7th with a double to left-center. Simmons himself got Dal to third with a sac bunt. Runner on third and less than two outs. Flood flied to Maris, but it wasn't deep enough to score Maxy! Lou Brock grounded out to Boyer.
Joe Pepitone, Clete Boyer and Jim Bouton went down without a fight in the bottom of the frame. But Bouton would do the same to the Cardinals in the top of the 8th. After Simmons' had another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the 8th, it looked like St. Louis had it won in the top of the 9th!
Tim McCarver reached first when Clete Boyer made an error. Then it was Mike Shannon would laid down a bunt to get McCarver to second. Carl Warwick batted for Maxvill and walked. Curt Simmons was due up. Johnny Keane, the Cardinals' manager, sent up another pinch hitter. It was Bob Skinner. Skinner hit the ball to deep center, but Roger Maris got to it on the warning track. McCarver took third. Curt Flood was out on a liner to Mantle in right. Even there, The Mick almost didn't get to it. In any event, New York was out of the inning. It was on to the bottom of the 9th, where something dramatic was about to happen!
Barney Schultz came in, but the very first batter he had to face was Mantle. Schultz, who had a tough knuckleball, had played a huge role in the Cards' run to the pennant, fed Mantle one. But it wasn't a good pitch. Mickey, always clutch in situations like these, rocketed a long homerun to right, winning the game for New York, 2-1.
St. Louis overcame this setback and managed to win the next two games. But they were both close, with Bob Gibson having to go 10 innings to win a crucial game 5. St. Louis gave the ball to Simmons for game 6, with a chance to wrap it up!
The Cardinals struck first as Curt Flood scored in the bottom of the 1st on a double play. The fleet footed centerfielder scored all the way from second base. Simmons looked strong.
In the top of the first, Curt had fanned both Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. In the second and third, Simmons had a 1-2-3 inning. Bobby Richardson, who had singled and stolen second in the top of the 1st, got another hit in the 4th. But Bobby would be stranded again.
Jim Bouton, who had gotten the win in game 3, looked shaky here. The Cardinals got two hits in the first, one in the second, another in the third (by Simmons himself) and still another in the 4th.
But in the top of the 5th, Tom Tresh hit a ground rule double. Two outs later Bouton tied the game with a single of his own. St. Louis got a hit and walk from Flood and Brock in the bottom of the frame, but that was it.
Richardson popped out to start the Yankees' top of the 6th. But then, Simmons lost it, and the game!
First, came Maris' long ball to right that nicked the foul pole, otherwise carrying on over the pavillion. 2-1, New York. Then the Mick went the other way to right, 3-1 New York. Bouton had a 1-2-3 bottom of the frame.
In the 7th, with one out, Clete Boyer singled to right and took second on Lou Brock's error. Ron Taylor took the hill and got the Cardinals out of the frame. Bouton again had a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the inning.
Barney Schultz and Gordie Richardson could not hold the fort in the top of the 8th. Elston Howard singled home a run, and Joe Pepitone hit a grand slam to make it 8-1. The Cardinals would score twice more, but Bouton had the win.
Simmons, despite his second great, gutsy start, would be tagged with the loss. Very unfair that two great outings were wasted. But the Cardinals would win game 7 anyways. Still, I would rate Curt Simmons as the Cardinals best starting pitcher in the 1964 World Series.
References
Anderson, Dave. Pennant Races: Baseball At Its Best. New York: Doubleday, 1994. Print.
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print.
Halberstam, David. October 1964. New York: Villard, 1994. 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.
Major League Baseball. World Series Of 1964. Major League Baseball Productions, 1964. DVD.
Retrosheet. Web. 1 Mar. 2014. <www.retrosheet.org>
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 1 Mar. 2014.
Thorn, John, and Pete Palmer. Total Baseball. Vers. 1994. Portland, OR: Creative Multimedia Corp., 1994. Computer software. CD-ROM.
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