Billy Pierce was only 14-15 for the 1959 Chicago White Sox. He did not get a start in the World Series that year. He did, however, appear in three games. The Los Angeles has two pretty good lefties named Podres and Koufax to shell out. Chicago should have used their only one a little more!
I've always thought Pierce, who finished his career with a 211-169 and a 3.27 ERA, should be in the Hall Of Fame. And you have to wonder if a start or two in the 1959 Fall Classic would have made a difference. Chicago lost, four games to two.
But Pierce did not appear until game four. And even there, it looked like it was far too late.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, leading two games to one, dispatched Early Wynn early with a four run uprising in the bottom of the third. Turk Lown finally got Chicago out of there. But those four runs for the LA and zero for Chicago made it look all over. Norm Cash batted for Lown in the top of the 4th and Roger Craig fanned him.
So Pierce was on the hill in the bottom of the frame. The first batter he faced was pitcher Craig. Roger and out, to right. Jim Gilliam grounded out to Luis Aparicio at short. Charlie Neal made it a 1-2-3 inning when he grounded out to second sacker Nellie Fox.
Craig retired the White Sox in order in the top of the 5th, as he continued to pitch well. Pierce matched that when he got Warren Moon to fan. Then Carl Furillo, an old relic from the Brooklyn years, pinch-hit for Norm Larker. Pierce made him a strikeout victim. The inning ended when Gil Hodges flied out to left.
It looked like Chicago might finally get on the board against Craig in the 6th. Ted Kluszewski hit a single to start things. With two away, Al Smith walked. But Jim Rivera ended the inning by popping out to second.
Then Jimmy had to extricate himself from some danger in the bottom of the inning. Don Demeter got on with a walk to lead things off. Johnny Roseboro put down a bunt, that Pierce could not handle it. The error made it first and second with nobody out. Maury Wills flew out, but Craig got both runners to scoring position with a bunt. Gilliam popped out to end the inning.
Earl Torgeson batted for Pierce in the top of the 7th and was out on a groundball. But if you can believe it, the White Sox tallied four runs of Craig in the inning to tie it. Pierce's hard work paid off. Alas, the Dodgers won the game with a run in the bottom of the 8th on a Gil Hodges' long ball. Los Angeles was now one win away from a World Series crown!
Game five of the 1959 Fall Classic was one fine pitching duel between Chicago's Bob Shaw and Los Angeles' Sandy Koufax. The White Sox scored the game's only run in the top of the 4th. And even there, it was on a double play.
Neither starter finished the game, however. Koufax was removed for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 7th inning, despite having allowed Chicago only five hits and one run. Shaw was removed in the bottom of the 8th with runners on second and third and only one out. That was because of an interesting scenario.
Don Demeter was slated to bat. The Dodgers, needing a run, sent up pinch hitter Ron Fairly, a left-hander. But Chicago countered that by bringing in Billy Pierce, who was also a lefthander! Chicago then made another change. Rip Repulski, a right-hander, came in to bat for Fairly. Pierce threw four pitches. All balls. All intentional.
Dick Donovan, who had pitched well for Chicago in game three, came in. He got out the final five Dodger batters. The White Sox had managed to survive, 1-0. The Series would head back to The Windy City.
Game six was back in Chicago, but it was Los Angeles that surged ahead early. Duke Snider hit a 2-run home run in the top of the second to put the Dodgers' up, 2-0. Then, six more runs against Wynn and Donovan in the top of the fourth made it, 8-0.
The White Sox got three runs back in the bottom of the frame. Ted Kluszewski, continuing his onslaught of Dodger pitching, hit a three-run home run off Johnny Podres. That knocked LA's lefthander out of the game in favour of Larry Sherry.
Pierce would finally get into the game in the top of the 8th. It was still 8-3, Los Angeles. So it was too late.
Wills was out on a ground ball to Klu at first. Larry Sherry, who just stopped the White Sox cold on this day, connected on a single. Gilliam lined out, but Neal singled to right. Sherry stopped at second. Pierce fanned Warren Moon.
Ray Moore replaced Pierce in the top of the 9th. The very first batter he faced, Chuck Essegian, went yard. That made it 9-3, Chicago. That was also the final score.
Billy Pierce had pitched 3 games and tossed 4 innings. The Dodgers did not score against him. LA manged just 2 hits and 2 walks of Pierce. But Early Wynn started 3 games, Bob Shaw 2 and Dick Donovan 1.
Sometimes, even a great pitcher like Pierce has to play fourth fiddle to guys.
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Fonseca, Lew, director. 1959 World Series. Performance by Vince Scully, Major League Baseball Productions, 1959. DVD.
Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
I've always thought Pierce, who finished his career with a 211-169 and a 3.27 ERA, should be in the Hall Of Fame. And you have to wonder if a start or two in the 1959 Fall Classic would have made a difference. Chicago lost, four games to two.
But Pierce did not appear until game four. And even there, it looked like it was far too late.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, leading two games to one, dispatched Early Wynn early with a four run uprising in the bottom of the third. Turk Lown finally got Chicago out of there. But those four runs for the LA and zero for Chicago made it look all over. Norm Cash batted for Lown in the top of the 4th and Roger Craig fanned him.
So Pierce was on the hill in the bottom of the frame. The first batter he faced was pitcher Craig. Roger and out, to right. Jim Gilliam grounded out to Luis Aparicio at short. Charlie Neal made it a 1-2-3 inning when he grounded out to second sacker Nellie Fox.
Craig retired the White Sox in order in the top of the 5th, as he continued to pitch well. Pierce matched that when he got Warren Moon to fan. Then Carl Furillo, an old relic from the Brooklyn years, pinch-hit for Norm Larker. Pierce made him a strikeout victim. The inning ended when Gil Hodges flied out to left.
It looked like Chicago might finally get on the board against Craig in the 6th. Ted Kluszewski hit a single to start things. With two away, Al Smith walked. But Jim Rivera ended the inning by popping out to second.
Then Jimmy had to extricate himself from some danger in the bottom of the inning. Don Demeter got on with a walk to lead things off. Johnny Roseboro put down a bunt, that Pierce could not handle it. The error made it first and second with nobody out. Maury Wills flew out, but Craig got both runners to scoring position with a bunt. Gilliam popped out to end the inning.
Earl Torgeson batted for Pierce in the top of the 7th and was out on a groundball. But if you can believe it, the White Sox tallied four runs of Craig in the inning to tie it. Pierce's hard work paid off. Alas, the Dodgers won the game with a run in the bottom of the 8th on a Gil Hodges' long ball. Los Angeles was now one win away from a World Series crown!
Game five of the 1959 Fall Classic was one fine pitching duel between Chicago's Bob Shaw and Los Angeles' Sandy Koufax. The White Sox scored the game's only run in the top of the 4th. And even there, it was on a double play.
Neither starter finished the game, however. Koufax was removed for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 7th inning, despite having allowed Chicago only five hits and one run. Shaw was removed in the bottom of the 8th with runners on second and third and only one out. That was because of an interesting scenario.
Don Demeter was slated to bat. The Dodgers, needing a run, sent up pinch hitter Ron Fairly, a left-hander. But Chicago countered that by bringing in Billy Pierce, who was also a lefthander! Chicago then made another change. Rip Repulski, a right-hander, came in to bat for Fairly. Pierce threw four pitches. All balls. All intentional.
Dick Donovan, who had pitched well for Chicago in game three, came in. He got out the final five Dodger batters. The White Sox had managed to survive, 1-0. The Series would head back to The Windy City.
Game six was back in Chicago, but it was Los Angeles that surged ahead early. Duke Snider hit a 2-run home run in the top of the second to put the Dodgers' up, 2-0. Then, six more runs against Wynn and Donovan in the top of the fourth made it, 8-0.
The White Sox got three runs back in the bottom of the frame. Ted Kluszewski, continuing his onslaught of Dodger pitching, hit a three-run home run off Johnny Podres. That knocked LA's lefthander out of the game in favour of Larry Sherry.
Pierce would finally get into the game in the top of the 8th. It was still 8-3, Los Angeles. So it was too late.
Wills was out on a ground ball to Klu at first. Larry Sherry, who just stopped the White Sox cold on this day, connected on a single. Gilliam lined out, but Neal singled to right. Sherry stopped at second. Pierce fanned Warren Moon.
Ray Moore replaced Pierce in the top of the 9th. The very first batter he faced, Chuck Essegian, went yard. That made it 9-3, Chicago. That was also the final score.
Billy Pierce had pitched 3 games and tossed 4 innings. The Dodgers did not score against him. LA manged just 2 hits and 2 walks of Pierce. But Early Wynn started 3 games, Bob Shaw 2 and Dick Donovan 1.
Sometimes, even a great pitcher like Pierce has to play fourth fiddle to guys.
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Fonseca, Lew, director. 1959 World Series. Performance by Vince Scully, Major League Baseball Productions, 1959. DVD.
Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
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