Gordon Richardson posted an ERA of 40.50 in the 1964 World Series?
Yes, the ugliest ERA of the '64 Fall Classic belonged to Gordie. The left-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals had his hands full against the Yankees. But this came after he had a pretty good regular season. All Richardson did was go 4-2 and post an ERA of 2.30 in 47 innings pitched. Gordon got a crucial save on a win by Curt Simmons on September 30th of that year, as the Cards came back to overtake the Philadelphia Phillies.
St. Louis took the first game, 9-5. But in game two at home, Bob Gibson sort of met his match. He didn't pitch too bad. In 8 innings pitched, he gave up 4 (earned) runs, 8 hits and fanned 9. But Gibson was removed for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 8th. The Cardinals, trailing 4-1, got one run back.
So it was up to Barney Schultz (who got a save in game one) to try and hold the fort in the top of the 9th. But Phil Linz greeted him with a home run to left to lead things off. It was Phil's third hit of the game. Bobby Richardson lined out, but Roger Maris slapped a single to right. Mickey Mantle was the next hitter.
Gibson had noticed that Mantle had trouble shifting his weight while batting left-handed, but Gordon Richardson was brought in to turn Mantle around to bat from the right side. The strategy backfired, of course.
Mantle lashed a sharp double to left. Maris scored and it was now 6-2, New York. Elston Howard, who had doubled earlier, was walked intentionally. But Joe Pepitone singled to right, Mantle scoring. The Mick sat down next to Ralph Terry and said, "You know my double? I wish it had gone foul. I'd have hit the next one out of here!" Classic Mick!
Richardson's troubles were not over. Tom Tresh flied out to right-center, but that scored Elston Howard with the 8th Yankee run of the afternoon. Pepitone took second on the throw home. Clete Boyer, who had driven in the Yankees' first run of the game, was walked intentionally by Richardson. Finally, Roger Craig came in and struck out pitcher Mel Stottlemyre to end that. New York went on to win this game, 8-3 and tie the 1964 World Series at a win apiece.
St. Louis took 2 of the next 3 games, though. In game 6, the score was tied at 1. Just like in games two and three. But Maris and Mantle went yard back-to-back in the 6th inning. The Yankees were ahead to stay. But there was a lot more on the side where that came from!
Barney Schultz came in the top of the 8th, and the first batter he faced was Phil Linz. Does this sound familiar?
Linz only singled this time. The other Richardson, Bobby, bunted him to second. Tim McCarver made the play unassisted. Roger Maris then grounded out. St. Louis looked safe. But when the batter is Mickey Mantle, things are never safe!
The Mick was walked intentionally, but Elston Howard singled to center. 4-1, Yankees. New York had all the runs they needed.
But Tom Tresh, who had a great series, walked to load the bases. Gordon Richardson came it. Joe Pepitone was the batter. Richardson's first pitch was a tough inside slider, and Pepi popped it up behind home plate. Tim McCarver, whose 10th inning 3-run home run won game 5, raced back and got under it. But Tim dropped it. Given a reprieve, Joe blasted an 0-1 slider over the right-field roof for a grand slam. It was now 8-1 for the Bronx Bombers. Clete Boyer was retired on a fly.
The Cardinals managed to get one run back in the bottom of the 8th. Bob Humphreys had a 1-2-3 9th for St. Louis. Another run in the bottom of the frame made it an 8-3 final for New York, who turned a nice double play off Curt Flood to end it. The Cards ultimatley won game 7 on Bob Gibson's complete game.
Richardson was traded on December 7th of that year (with Johnny Lewis) to the Mets for Elio Chacon (famous 1962 Met) and Tracy Stallard (famous for giving up Roger Maris' 61st home run of 1961). He left baseball after the 1966 season, so he never again got to pitch in the World Series. That 40.50 ERA in the 1964 World Series ended up being his lifetime ERA in the Fall Classic.
References
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Retrosheet. Retrosheet. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <www.retrosheet.org>.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
Yes, the ugliest ERA of the '64 Fall Classic belonged to Gordie. The left-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals had his hands full against the Yankees. But this came after he had a pretty good regular season. All Richardson did was go 4-2 and post an ERA of 2.30 in 47 innings pitched. Gordon got a crucial save on a win by Curt Simmons on September 30th of that year, as the Cards came back to overtake the Philadelphia Phillies.
St. Louis took the first game, 9-5. But in game two at home, Bob Gibson sort of met his match. He didn't pitch too bad. In 8 innings pitched, he gave up 4 (earned) runs, 8 hits and fanned 9. But Gibson was removed for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 8th. The Cardinals, trailing 4-1, got one run back.
So it was up to Barney Schultz (who got a save in game one) to try and hold the fort in the top of the 9th. But Phil Linz greeted him with a home run to left to lead things off. It was Phil's third hit of the game. Bobby Richardson lined out, but Roger Maris slapped a single to right. Mickey Mantle was the next hitter.
Gibson had noticed that Mantle had trouble shifting his weight while batting left-handed, but Gordon Richardson was brought in to turn Mantle around to bat from the right side. The strategy backfired, of course.
Mantle lashed a sharp double to left. Maris scored and it was now 6-2, New York. Elston Howard, who had doubled earlier, was walked intentionally. But Joe Pepitone singled to right, Mantle scoring. The Mick sat down next to Ralph Terry and said, "You know my double? I wish it had gone foul. I'd have hit the next one out of here!" Classic Mick!
Richardson's troubles were not over. Tom Tresh flied out to right-center, but that scored Elston Howard with the 8th Yankee run of the afternoon. Pepitone took second on the throw home. Clete Boyer, who had driven in the Yankees' first run of the game, was walked intentionally by Richardson. Finally, Roger Craig came in and struck out pitcher Mel Stottlemyre to end that. New York went on to win this game, 8-3 and tie the 1964 World Series at a win apiece.
St. Louis took 2 of the next 3 games, though. In game 6, the score was tied at 1. Just like in games two and three. But Maris and Mantle went yard back-to-back in the 6th inning. The Yankees were ahead to stay. But there was a lot more on the side where that came from!
Barney Schultz came in the top of the 8th, and the first batter he faced was Phil Linz. Does this sound familiar?
Linz only singled this time. The other Richardson, Bobby, bunted him to second. Tim McCarver made the play unassisted. Roger Maris then grounded out. St. Louis looked safe. But when the batter is Mickey Mantle, things are never safe!
The Mick was walked intentionally, but Elston Howard singled to center. 4-1, Yankees. New York had all the runs they needed.
But Tom Tresh, who had a great series, walked to load the bases. Gordon Richardson came it. Joe Pepitone was the batter. Richardson's first pitch was a tough inside slider, and Pepi popped it up behind home plate. Tim McCarver, whose 10th inning 3-run home run won game 5, raced back and got under it. But Tim dropped it. Given a reprieve, Joe blasted an 0-1 slider over the right-field roof for a grand slam. It was now 8-1 for the Bronx Bombers. Clete Boyer was retired on a fly.
The Cardinals managed to get one run back in the bottom of the 8th. Bob Humphreys had a 1-2-3 9th for St. Louis. Another run in the bottom of the frame made it an 8-3 final for New York, who turned a nice double play off Curt Flood to end it. The Cards ultimatley won game 7 on Bob Gibson's complete game.
Richardson was traded on December 7th of that year (with Johnny Lewis) to the Mets for Elio Chacon (famous 1962 Met) and Tracy Stallard (famous for giving up Roger Maris' 61st home run of 1961). He left baseball after the 1966 season, so he never again got to pitch in the World Series. That 40.50 ERA in the 1964 World Series ended up being his lifetime ERA in the Fall Classic.
References
Burns, Ken,
director. Ken Burns' Baseball.
PBS, 1994. DVD.Ward, Geoffrey C., and Ken Burns.
“A Whole New Ballgame.” Baseball,
season 1, episode 8, PBS, 27 Sept. 1994. Television.
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Golenbock,
Peter. "1964." Dynasty: The New York Yankees,
1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print. pp, 533-539.
Stahl, John. “Gordie Richardson.” Gordie Richardson | Society for American Baseball Research, Society For American Baseball Research. <sabr.org/bioproj/person/5dc835f2>.
Major League Baseball. World Series Of 1964.
Major League Baseball Productions, 1964. DVD.
Mantle,
Mickey, and Mickey Herskowitz. All My
Octobers: My Memories of Twelve World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball.
New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.
Retrosheet. Retrosheet. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <www.retrosheet.org>.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
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