Bob Gibson gave up the last postseason hit of Mickey Mantle's and Eddie Mathews career.
The two greats, born just a week apart (October 13th and 20th of 1931) had some interesting things in common. In addition to their birth year, they were both from the south west. Mantle from Oklahoma and Mathews from Texas. They both hit over 500 home runs. They faced off against each other in back-to-back Fall Classics in 1957-58. They both retired in 1968. They both faced Bob Gibson in games where the right-hander fanned thirteen or more batters.
Oh, as mentioned, they both got their last World Series hits off Bob Gibson. But Gibby won both of those games, too!
The Mick was having no luck in the "H" department against Hoot in the 1964 World Series. The Cards took game one, and Gibby took the hill in game two at home. Bob Gibson fanned Mickey the first time he faced him. Mantle then took strike three in the fourth. In the sixth inning, however, Mickey drew a walk and eventually scored the winning run. Gibby was out of the game by the ninth inning and didn't face Mantle again in the game, which New York won.
In game five of that Series in the Big, Bad, Bronx, Gibson fanned thirteen batters. The Mick drew a walk in his first plate appearance in the bottom of the second. A hit batter and an intentional walk and the bases were loaded with just one out. But Bob Gibson fanned Clete Boyer and Mel Stottlemyre to get out of that jam. Mantle swung and missed on a Gibby fastball in the bottom of the fourth. Hoot got The Commerce Comet again on a K in the sixth.
But Mantle made it to first on an error in the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees, behind 2-0, tied the game on a two-run home run by Tommy Tresh that inning. The Cards managed to win it in the tenth.
In game seven back in St. Louis, Bob Gibson started out on the right foot by fanning Mantle in the top of the second. However, it was not an easy inning as New York loaded the bases before Gibson K'd Stottlemyre. Gibson retired Mantle on a comebacker in the top of the fourth. St. Louis took advantage of the situation by scoring three times of Stottlemyre in the bottom of the fourth and three more times off Al Downing in the bottom of the fifth. With a six-run lead, Gibby must have felt home-free!
The Yankees, however, got three of their own in the top of the sixth. Bobby Richardson hit an infield single to start the inning. Roger Maris hit a bouncer that made it through the infield minefield. Mantle hit an outside Gibson offering over Lou Brock's head in left. The ball made it to the seats and it was 6-3, St. Louis. The Mick also hit the ball hard to left in his next plate appearance in the seventh, but he got a little under it and Brock caught this one. Aided by a Ken Boyer solo shot in the bottom of the seventh, Gibson was leading 7-3 going into the top of the ninth. Solo home runs by Clete Boyer and Phil Linz made it 7-5 before Gibson got the last out. He managed not to face Mantle again. St. Louis had the 1964 World Series in seven games.
The Mick played his last season in 1968 and watched as Detroit, with Eddie Mathews, clinch the pennant. But Mathews was only a reserve on that team. For a while, he got a first-hand look at a Gibson masterpiece in game one. Eddie hadn't played in a Fall Classic game in ten years. Sure had missed a lot, eh?
Bob fanned seventeen batters in the game. Mathews pinch hit for Don Wert in the top of the eighth with Detroit behind the eight ball, 4-0. Gibson got Eddie to whiff. It was strikeout number fourteen for Bob Gibson in the game. He fanned the side in the ninth.
With St. Louis leading two games to one, Bob Gibson took the hill in game four in Detroit. Eddie Mathews was a bit of a surprise starter at third base. He batted in the seventh slot. It would prove to be Eddie's last game.
Detroit was losing 2-0 in the bottom of the second. Willie Horton led off with a walk. Then, with one out, it was Mathews with a single. But Gibson got the next two batters out, and the Tigers' one chance to tie this game had been stifled.
St. Louis kept adding to the lead, and Gibson finally gave up a run. Jim Northrup went yard on a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, but St. Louis was up, 6-1. Eddie Mathews was the next batter and Bob Gibson got him to ground out.
In the bottom of the seventh, with Detroit still trailing 6-1, Mathews came to the plate for the last time in his major league career. There was one out and nobody on. Gibson, perhaps thinking back to the days of Eddie on the Braves, walked him. That might not have been a good move if it Bob was actually facing the Milwaukee team. Hank Aaron batted next, you see!
But Bob Gibson got Bill Freehan, the catcher, to fan. Tommy Matchick batted for Fred Lasher, the pitcher. Gibby got him on a fly ball to Curt Flood in centre. St. Louis would scored four more runs to the Tigers' zero the rest of the game.
It looked like Mathews would get one last plate appearance in this game. The Tigers had a runner on with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Northrup grounded into a game-ending double play. Mathews ended the game standing in the on-deck circle. St. Louis won it 10-1. They were up three games to one in the 1968 Fall Classic.
Mathews did not get into the remaining three games, even as a defensive replacement. Amazingly enough, the pitching of Mickey Lolich and Denny McLain brought Detroit three straight wins to steal the World Series.
Bob Gibson had also played in his last World Series in 1968. But it had been quite a run for him, as he won three games in the 1967 Fall Classic, as well. And having to face aging, but still effective, stars like Mantle and Mathews certainly cemented his reputation as a big-game pitcher, especially in the World Series.
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. pp. 538-539.
Halberstam, David. October 1964. New York: Villard, 1994. Print. pp. 348-359.
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.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. 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.
The two greats, born just a week apart (October 13th and 20th of 1931) had some interesting things in common. In addition to their birth year, they were both from the south west. Mantle from Oklahoma and Mathews from Texas. They both hit over 500 home runs. They faced off against each other in back-to-back Fall Classics in 1957-58. They both retired in 1968. They both faced Bob Gibson in games where the right-hander fanned thirteen or more batters.
Oh, as mentioned, they both got their last World Series hits off Bob Gibson. But Gibby won both of those games, too!
The Mick was having no luck in the "H" department against Hoot in the 1964 World Series. The Cards took game one, and Gibby took the hill in game two at home. Bob Gibson fanned Mickey the first time he faced him. Mantle then took strike three in the fourth. In the sixth inning, however, Mickey drew a walk and eventually scored the winning run. Gibby was out of the game by the ninth inning and didn't face Mantle again in the game, which New York won.
In game five of that Series in the Big, Bad, Bronx, Gibson fanned thirteen batters. The Mick drew a walk in his first plate appearance in the bottom of the second. A hit batter and an intentional walk and the bases were loaded with just one out. But Bob Gibson fanned Clete Boyer and Mel Stottlemyre to get out of that jam. Mantle swung and missed on a Gibby fastball in the bottom of the fourth. Hoot got The Commerce Comet again on a K in the sixth.
But Mantle made it to first on an error in the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees, behind 2-0, tied the game on a two-run home run by Tommy Tresh that inning. The Cards managed to win it in the tenth.
In game seven back in St. Louis, Bob Gibson started out on the right foot by fanning Mantle in the top of the second. However, it was not an easy inning as New York loaded the bases before Gibson K'd Stottlemyre. Gibson retired Mantle on a comebacker in the top of the fourth. St. Louis took advantage of the situation by scoring three times of Stottlemyre in the bottom of the fourth and three more times off Al Downing in the bottom of the fifth. With a six-run lead, Gibby must have felt home-free!
The Yankees, however, got three of their own in the top of the sixth. Bobby Richardson hit an infield single to start the inning. Roger Maris hit a bouncer that made it through the infield minefield. Mantle hit an outside Gibson offering over Lou Brock's head in left. The ball made it to the seats and it was 6-3, St. Louis. The Mick also hit the ball hard to left in his next plate appearance in the seventh, but he got a little under it and Brock caught this one. Aided by a Ken Boyer solo shot in the bottom of the seventh, Gibson was leading 7-3 going into the top of the ninth. Solo home runs by Clete Boyer and Phil Linz made it 7-5 before Gibson got the last out. He managed not to face Mantle again. St. Louis had the 1964 World Series in seven games.
The Mick played his last season in 1968 and watched as Detroit, with Eddie Mathews, clinch the pennant. But Mathews was only a reserve on that team. For a while, he got a first-hand look at a Gibson masterpiece in game one. Eddie hadn't played in a Fall Classic game in ten years. Sure had missed a lot, eh?
Bob fanned seventeen batters in the game. Mathews pinch hit for Don Wert in the top of the eighth with Detroit behind the eight ball, 4-0. Gibson got Eddie to whiff. It was strikeout number fourteen for Bob Gibson in the game. He fanned the side in the ninth.
With St. Louis leading two games to one, Bob Gibson took the hill in game four in Detroit. Eddie Mathews was a bit of a surprise starter at third base. He batted in the seventh slot. It would prove to be Eddie's last game.
Detroit was losing 2-0 in the bottom of the second. Willie Horton led off with a walk. Then, with one out, it was Mathews with a single. But Gibson got the next two batters out, and the Tigers' one chance to tie this game had been stifled.
St. Louis kept adding to the lead, and Gibson finally gave up a run. Jim Northrup went yard on a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, but St. Louis was up, 6-1. Eddie Mathews was the next batter and Bob Gibson got him to ground out.
In the bottom of the seventh, with Detroit still trailing 6-1, Mathews came to the plate for the last time in his major league career. There was one out and nobody on. Gibson, perhaps thinking back to the days of Eddie on the Braves, walked him. That might not have been a good move if it Bob was actually facing the Milwaukee team. Hank Aaron batted next, you see!
But Bob Gibson got Bill Freehan, the catcher, to fan. Tommy Matchick batted for Fred Lasher, the pitcher. Gibby got him on a fly ball to Curt Flood in centre. St. Louis would scored four more runs to the Tigers' zero the rest of the game.
It looked like Mathews would get one last plate appearance in this game. The Tigers had a runner on with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Northrup grounded into a game-ending double play. Mathews ended the game standing in the on-deck circle. St. Louis won it 10-1. They were up three games to one in the 1968 Fall Classic.
Mathews did not get into the remaining three games, even as a defensive replacement. Amazingly enough, the pitching of Mickey Lolich and Denny McLain brought Detroit three straight wins to steal the World Series.
Bob Gibson had also played in his last World Series in 1968. But it had been quite a run for him, as he won three games in the 1967 Fall Classic, as well. And having to face aging, but still effective, stars like Mantle and Mathews certainly cemented his reputation as a big-game pitcher, especially in the World Series.
References
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. pp. 538-539.
Halberstam, David. October 1964. New York: Villard, 1994. Print. pp. 348-359.
Major League Baseball. World Series Of 1964. DVD.
Major League Baseball Productions, 1964. DVD. World Series Of 1968. Dir. Dick Winik. Perf. Curty Gowdy. Major League Baseball Productions., 1968. DVD. Narrated by Curt Gowdy.
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.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. 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.
Retrosheet. Web. 30 Jul. 2014. <www.retrosheet.org>
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 30 Jul. 2014.
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