The Yankees were held to six or less hits in games three, four and five of the 1964 World Series. All three games were at home. They wasted two fine pitching efforts in the process! The St. Louis Cardinals pitchers took advantage of Yankees Stadium being a pitcher's ballpark. Their pitching seemed to click in a New York minute in the Bronx! The World Series was tied at one going there. Someone had to be ahead in it by the end of game five.
To get home, New York had salvaged a split in St. Louis in the first two contest. Game 2 was won by rookie Mel Stottlemyre.
In game three of the '64 Fall Classic, Curt Simmons of the Cardinals and Jim Bouton really kept the batter's quiet. The Yankees scored first in the bottom of the second on a single by Elston Howard and a two-out double by Clete Boyer. Simmons settled down after that. Bobby Richardson hit a single in the sixth and then Mickey Mantle hit a two-out double, but Curt held the fort there and everywhere!
Bouton, meanwhile, looked like he was about to lose the game on more than a few occasions. He gave up a hit and a walk himself in the top of the second. The Cardinals, behind 1-0, tied it in the fifth inning. Tim McCarver singled past first basemen Joe Pepitone, who was playing way off the bag, and still could not get to it! The ball then got by Mickey Mantle, who was playing rightfield, with Roger Maris in centre. McCarver ended up on second. Curt Simmons, who was doing it all on this day, then came to the dish. Simmons, who batted and threw left, went the other way. The ball deflected off third baseman Clete Boyer's glove and got away from him. McCarver motored home. The game was tied at one.
The Cardinals also threatened in the top of the sixth and again in the top of the ninth, but were unable to get anyone home. Although the Cards themselves were held to just six hits, they also were issued three walks. New York didn't help their own cause as well, and they made two errors in the game.
In the bottom of the ninth, it was time for Mantle to win the game. His walk-off home run off Barney Schultz was just the Yankees' fifth hit of the afternoon, but it gave the Bronx Bombers the win, 2-1. They were also up two games to one in the 1964 World Series.
In game four, the Yankees lashed out against St. Louis starter Ray Sadecki, who had won game one for the Cards. He made it to the sixth inning in the opening tilt. But here, he was gone after just 1/3 of an inning. Phil Linz hit a double to start the game for New York. Then Phil made it to third on Ken Boyer's throwing error when he was trapped on a pickoff play. Bobby Richardson hit a double to send Linz home. 1-0, New York. Roger Maris hit a soft single to right, Richardson holding at third. Mantle, batting right-handed against Sadecki, also went to right on a single, scoring Richardson. Mickey tried for second when Mike Shannon bobbled the ball. Shannon threw The Mick out at second, but it was 2-0 now and Ray was gone from the game. Maris was on third. When Elston Howard greeted new pitcher Roger Craig with a single to centre, it was 3-0 Yankees. That was five hits, right there!
Craig seemed to settle down, getting the next two men out, then fanning the side in the second. The Cardinals went quietly in the first two innings against Yankee starter Al Downing. In the top of the third, they got a walk from Dal Maxvill and a single from Curt Flood (and failed to score), but went down 1-2-3 in the first, second, fourth and fifth against Downing, who seemed to have the Cardinals number with his lightning-quick fastball and great curveball!
The Yankees didn't seem to be worried about Craig. In the bottom of the third, they coaxed two walks off him, but Roger then picked Mantle off second base to end the inning. In the next frame, New York got another walk, and Clete Boyer added a single. There was only one out. But Craig fanned the next two batters. When he was removed for a pinch-hitter in the top of the sixth, he had fanned eight batters in 4 2/3 inning. Roger Craig had also held the Yankees scoreless!
But it was St. Louis that was scoreless in the game and behind 3-0 in the top of the sixth. Carl Warwick led off with a pinch-hit single. Flood then got his second hit of the game, but Lou Brock went out on a fly ball to Roger Maris in centre. When Dick Groat hit a roller to Bobby Richardson at second, it looked like an inning-ending double play. Richardson seemed to have problems extracting the ball from his glove, and threw wide of second, Phil Linz also being dumped by a Flood slide. The bases were loaded and there was one out.
Ken Boyer took an outside slider for ball one from Downing, then hammered a changeup just fair in left for a grand slam. That turned a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 lead for St. Louis. The Cards were held to just two more hits by Downing, Pete Mikkelsen and Ralph Terry the rest of the way. But New York, with five hits after just one inning, were held to just the Boyer single the rest of the way by Roger Craig and Ron Taylor. Taylor threw four innings of scoreless, no-hit ball. Ron also allowed just one walk. The series was tied at two.
Bob Gibson then took over from there in game five. He needed no relief pitching. The game was scoreless into the top of the fifth. Then, with one out, Gibson himself got a single that landed just in from of shortstop Phil Linz, charging into the outfield, and leftfielder Tommy Tresh. Tresh made a desperate dive for it at the last minute, but came up empty. Curt Flood send a roller to Bobby Richardson at second. This was another double play ball. And with one out, this should have been the end of the inning. But the ball took a bad hop at the end, and jumped up and hit Richardson on the wrists. Both runners were safe!
Lou Brock then singled home Gibson and Flood made it to third. 1-0, St. Louis. Bill White then sent another roller to Richardson. This time, Bobby had no trouble with it. Getting it off in plenty of time to Linz at second, New York looked destined to get out of this mess down only one run. Linz, in a hurry, threw it in the dirt to Joe Pepitone at first. Pepi, a little two carefree at times, nonetheless made an acrobatic scoop of it! New York thought the inning was over. But Al Smith, the first base umpire, called White safe as Flood scored. 2-0, St. Louis.
Gibson, with the lead, had survived a scare in the second as the Yankees loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter. But entering the bottom of the ninth inning, and still ahead 2-0, he took a four-hitter with him. Mickey Mantle started the inning by sending a ground ball to Dick Groat. And Groat made a critical error, just as Richardson had earlier in the afternoon and in game four. Elston Howard fanned. But when Pepitone, who got the Yankees' fourth hit off Gibby back in the seventh, smashed a liner off Gibson's leg, trouble brewed! Bob Gibson, who was such an athlete that he once played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters, charged after the ball, and made a basketball-like play to nip Pepitione at first. Sort of like a fadeaway jumper, only it was almost an underhanded throw to first. Al Smith called Joe out at first on the play. Pepitone, Yogi Berra (now managing the Yankees) and first-base coach Jim Gleeson all were furious! Watching the play on the World Series highlight film, I have to say it appears that Pepitone made it to the bag at the same time that Gibson's throw did. Pepitone later said he heard Bill White (playing first for St. Louis) make the catch after he touched the bag with his foot. In any event, the call stood. New York, with just four hits now in 8 2/3 innings, were down to their last out!
But Tommy Tresh then hit a dramatic, game-tying home run. Obviously, Bob Gibson's big play had saved St. Louis from losing the game, 3-2. Now it was 2-2, as this amazing game headed to extra innings. The Cardinals then pounced on the situation!
Pete Mikklesen, who had pitched well the day before, had come in to pitch the top of the eighth for New York. After Hal Reniff had come in to pitch after hard-luck starter Mel Stottlemyre (who allowed zero earned runs in seven innings of work) had been removed for a pinch-hitter. Reniff got the first batter out but proceeded to give up two straight hits. Mikklesen, like a superman, came in and got the next five batters out. That was another reason this game was going past the ninth!
Bill White led off with a walk. Ken Boyer tried to bunt them over. He got it off to the right side of the infield. Both Mikkelsen and Joe Pepitone weren't on the same page here. Both of them decided that the other person should field it, while they had a race towards first base. Alas, that is useless if neither of you has the ball! Boyer was credited with a single. Dick Groat came to bat, and his assignment was much the same as Boyer: 1) Keep the rally going and 2) Prevent the Yankees from turning two!
So on a bunt attempt, Mikkelsen threw one of his patented sinker balls. The Cardinals had been having problems with that all day from Stottlemyre and now Mikkelsen. Sure enough, Dick missed it. Bill White had taken off towards third, too! Elston Howard noticed this, and Bill knew he would not make it to third. White started back to second. Howard took immediate action on this and threw to shortstop Linz, covering ready at second. Bill then reversed things and sprinted towards third. Linz got the ball and fired towards Clete Boyer at third, but the throw was late. White had a stolen base! But Groat, now swinging away, grounded to Clete Boyer at third. Bill White had to hold there. Clete tossed to second, and his older brother was out on the force. Now, New York could get out of this if they could turn a double play. Let's face it, they weren;t about to fail to turn two if they got another chance, right? But Tim McCarver had no intentions of hitting into one. Timmy got ahead in the count 3-1. Tim fouled off a fastball, and that ran the count full. But when Mikkelsen tried to throw him another fastball, McCarver was ready and waiting! It was also right where Tim wanted it. He hammered it over the head of Mantle in right, and the ball dropped in to the seats for a tie-breaking three-run home run! St. Louis led 5-2, and needed just three more outs to go ahead three games to two in the 1964 World Series!
Bob Gibson, now working on a five-hitter, got pinch-hitter Mike Hegan to fan to start the bottom of the tenth. It was his thirteenth strikeout, just two shy of Sandy Koufax's record of fifteen set in game one of the 1963 World Series. Phil Linz popped to Ken Boyer at third. Bobby Richardson (2-4 off Gibson in this game so far) stroked a clean single to centre, as this game continued. Roger Maris was the batter. This was going to be no easy out. Gibby needed to get him out. If Bob Gibson didn't, he would have to face Mickey Mantle. And The Mick, in the on-deck circle, represented the tying run!
Gibson threw Roger a pitch that moved in on his hands. Maris lifted a pop fly to third. But the ball was in foul territory and looked like it was going end up in the stands. That would give Roger another chance at Bob Gibson. The ball was just past the Cards' dugout in left. Ken Boyer, playing third base like his brother, raced over to get it. He reached towards the railing, reaching in as far as he could. And Kenny made a great catch on ball that looked like it was going to hit National League President Warren Giles! St. Louis had the game 5-2, and also were up three games to two in this classic!
St. Louis went on to win the 1964 Fall Classic in seven games. It was not easy from here, either. Their pitching seemed to fall apart. They lost 8-3 in game six and had to hold off a tremendous Yankee onslaught in game seven. The 7-5 finale was not Gibson's finest performance of the World Series that year, but it did give St. Louis the World Series.
But games three, four and five, all at Yankee Stadium, were the crucial ones in this World Series, now approaching it's half-century mark. It was enemy territory for this Cardinal club, and many a pitcher had become rattled. New York, as you can see, also got some good pitching in those three games. And that forced the Cards' pitchers to match that. They did. It would help give St. Louis the confidence they needed, and it also propelled them to victory over tremendous opposition!
References
Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print.
To get home, New York had salvaged a split in St. Louis in the first two contest. Game 2 was won by rookie Mel Stottlemyre.
In game three of the '64 Fall Classic, Curt Simmons of the Cardinals and Jim Bouton really kept the batter's quiet. The Yankees scored first in the bottom of the second on a single by Elston Howard and a two-out double by Clete Boyer. Simmons settled down after that. Bobby Richardson hit a single in the sixth and then Mickey Mantle hit a two-out double, but Curt held the fort there and everywhere!
Bouton, meanwhile, looked like he was about to lose the game on more than a few occasions. He gave up a hit and a walk himself in the top of the second. The Cardinals, behind 1-0, tied it in the fifth inning. Tim McCarver singled past first basemen Joe Pepitone, who was playing way off the bag, and still could not get to it! The ball then got by Mickey Mantle, who was playing rightfield, with Roger Maris in centre. McCarver ended up on second. Curt Simmons, who was doing it all on this day, then came to the dish. Simmons, who batted and threw left, went the other way. The ball deflected off third baseman Clete Boyer's glove and got away from him. McCarver motored home. The game was tied at one.
The Cardinals also threatened in the top of the sixth and again in the top of the ninth, but were unable to get anyone home. Although the Cards themselves were held to just six hits, they also were issued three walks. New York didn't help their own cause as well, and they made two errors in the game.
In the bottom of the ninth, it was time for Mantle to win the game. His walk-off home run off Barney Schultz was just the Yankees' fifth hit of the afternoon, but it gave the Bronx Bombers the win, 2-1. They were also up two games to one in the 1964 World Series.
In game four, the Yankees lashed out against St. Louis starter Ray Sadecki, who had won game one for the Cards. He made it to the sixth inning in the opening tilt. But here, he was gone after just 1/3 of an inning. Phil Linz hit a double to start the game for New York. Then Phil made it to third on Ken Boyer's throwing error when he was trapped on a pickoff play. Bobby Richardson hit a double to send Linz home. 1-0, New York. Roger Maris hit a soft single to right, Richardson holding at third. Mantle, batting right-handed against Sadecki, also went to right on a single, scoring Richardson. Mickey tried for second when Mike Shannon bobbled the ball. Shannon threw The Mick out at second, but it was 2-0 now and Ray was gone from the game. Maris was on third. When Elston Howard greeted new pitcher Roger Craig with a single to centre, it was 3-0 Yankees. That was five hits, right there!
Craig seemed to settle down, getting the next two men out, then fanning the side in the second. The Cardinals went quietly in the first two innings against Yankee starter Al Downing. In the top of the third, they got a walk from Dal Maxvill and a single from Curt Flood (and failed to score), but went down 1-2-3 in the first, second, fourth and fifth against Downing, who seemed to have the Cardinals number with his lightning-quick fastball and great curveball!
The Yankees didn't seem to be worried about Craig. In the bottom of the third, they coaxed two walks off him, but Roger then picked Mantle off second base to end the inning. In the next frame, New York got another walk, and Clete Boyer added a single. There was only one out. But Craig fanned the next two batters. When he was removed for a pinch-hitter in the top of the sixth, he had fanned eight batters in 4 2/3 inning. Roger Craig had also held the Yankees scoreless!
But it was St. Louis that was scoreless in the game and behind 3-0 in the top of the sixth. Carl Warwick led off with a pinch-hit single. Flood then got his second hit of the game, but Lou Brock went out on a fly ball to Roger Maris in centre. When Dick Groat hit a roller to Bobby Richardson at second, it looked like an inning-ending double play. Richardson seemed to have problems extracting the ball from his glove, and threw wide of second, Phil Linz also being dumped by a Flood slide. The bases were loaded and there was one out.
Ken Boyer took an outside slider for ball one from Downing, then hammered a changeup just fair in left for a grand slam. That turned a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 lead for St. Louis. The Cards were held to just two more hits by Downing, Pete Mikkelsen and Ralph Terry the rest of the way. But New York, with five hits after just one inning, were held to just the Boyer single the rest of the way by Roger Craig and Ron Taylor. Taylor threw four innings of scoreless, no-hit ball. Ron also allowed just one walk. The series was tied at two.
Bob Gibson then took over from there in game five. He needed no relief pitching. The game was scoreless into the top of the fifth. Then, with one out, Gibson himself got a single that landed just in from of shortstop Phil Linz, charging into the outfield, and leftfielder Tommy Tresh. Tresh made a desperate dive for it at the last minute, but came up empty. Curt Flood send a roller to Bobby Richardson at second. This was another double play ball. And with one out, this should have been the end of the inning. But the ball took a bad hop at the end, and jumped up and hit Richardson on the wrists. Both runners were safe!
Lou Brock then singled home Gibson and Flood made it to third. 1-0, St. Louis. Bill White then sent another roller to Richardson. This time, Bobby had no trouble with it. Getting it off in plenty of time to Linz at second, New York looked destined to get out of this mess down only one run. Linz, in a hurry, threw it in the dirt to Joe Pepitone at first. Pepi, a little two carefree at times, nonetheless made an acrobatic scoop of it! New York thought the inning was over. But Al Smith, the first base umpire, called White safe as Flood scored. 2-0, St. Louis.
Gibson, with the lead, had survived a scare in the second as the Yankees loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter. But entering the bottom of the ninth inning, and still ahead 2-0, he took a four-hitter with him. Mickey Mantle started the inning by sending a ground ball to Dick Groat. And Groat made a critical error, just as Richardson had earlier in the afternoon and in game four. Elston Howard fanned. But when Pepitone, who got the Yankees' fourth hit off Gibby back in the seventh, smashed a liner off Gibson's leg, trouble brewed! Bob Gibson, who was such an athlete that he once played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters, charged after the ball, and made a basketball-like play to nip Pepitione at first. Sort of like a fadeaway jumper, only it was almost an underhanded throw to first. Al Smith called Joe out at first on the play. Pepitone, Yogi Berra (now managing the Yankees) and first-base coach Jim Gleeson all were furious! Watching the play on the World Series highlight film, I have to say it appears that Pepitone made it to the bag at the same time that Gibson's throw did. Pepitone later said he heard Bill White (playing first for St. Louis) make the catch after he touched the bag with his foot. In any event, the call stood. New York, with just four hits now in 8 2/3 innings, were down to their last out!
But Tommy Tresh then hit a dramatic, game-tying home run. Obviously, Bob Gibson's big play had saved St. Louis from losing the game, 3-2. Now it was 2-2, as this amazing game headed to extra innings. The Cardinals then pounced on the situation!
Pete Mikklesen, who had pitched well the day before, had come in to pitch the top of the eighth for New York. After Hal Reniff had come in to pitch after hard-luck starter Mel Stottlemyre (who allowed zero earned runs in seven innings of work) had been removed for a pinch-hitter. Reniff got the first batter out but proceeded to give up two straight hits. Mikklesen, like a superman, came in and got the next five batters out. That was another reason this game was going past the ninth!
Bill White led off with a walk. Ken Boyer tried to bunt them over. He got it off to the right side of the infield. Both Mikkelsen and Joe Pepitone weren't on the same page here. Both of them decided that the other person should field it, while they had a race towards first base. Alas, that is useless if neither of you has the ball! Boyer was credited with a single. Dick Groat came to bat, and his assignment was much the same as Boyer: 1) Keep the rally going and 2) Prevent the Yankees from turning two!
So on a bunt attempt, Mikkelsen threw one of his patented sinker balls. The Cardinals had been having problems with that all day from Stottlemyre and now Mikkelsen. Sure enough, Dick missed it. Bill White had taken off towards third, too! Elston Howard noticed this, and Bill knew he would not make it to third. White started back to second. Howard took immediate action on this and threw to shortstop Linz, covering ready at second. Bill then reversed things and sprinted towards third. Linz got the ball and fired towards Clete Boyer at third, but the throw was late. White had a stolen base! But Groat, now swinging away, grounded to Clete Boyer at third. Bill White had to hold there. Clete tossed to second, and his older brother was out on the force. Now, New York could get out of this if they could turn a double play. Let's face it, they weren;t about to fail to turn two if they got another chance, right? But Tim McCarver had no intentions of hitting into one. Timmy got ahead in the count 3-1. Tim fouled off a fastball, and that ran the count full. But when Mikkelsen tried to throw him another fastball, McCarver was ready and waiting! It was also right where Tim wanted it. He hammered it over the head of Mantle in right, and the ball dropped in to the seats for a tie-breaking three-run home run! St. Louis led 5-2, and needed just three more outs to go ahead three games to two in the 1964 World Series!
Bob Gibson, now working on a five-hitter, got pinch-hitter Mike Hegan to fan to start the bottom of the tenth. It was his thirteenth strikeout, just two shy of Sandy Koufax's record of fifteen set in game one of the 1963 World Series. Phil Linz popped to Ken Boyer at third. Bobby Richardson (2-4 off Gibson in this game so far) stroked a clean single to centre, as this game continued. Roger Maris was the batter. This was going to be no easy out. Gibby needed to get him out. If Bob Gibson didn't, he would have to face Mickey Mantle. And The Mick, in the on-deck circle, represented the tying run!
Gibson threw Roger a pitch that moved in on his hands. Maris lifted a pop fly to third. But the ball was in foul territory and looked like it was going end up in the stands. That would give Roger another chance at Bob Gibson. The ball was just past the Cards' dugout in left. Ken Boyer, playing third base like his brother, raced over to get it. He reached towards the railing, reaching in as far as he could. And Kenny made a great catch on ball that looked like it was going to hit National League President Warren Giles! St. Louis had the game 5-2, and also were up three games to two in this classic!
St. Louis went on to win the 1964 Fall Classic in seven games. It was not easy from here, either. Their pitching seemed to fall apart. They lost 8-3 in game six and had to hold off a tremendous Yankee onslaught in game seven. The 7-5 finale was not Gibson's finest performance of the World Series that year, but it did give St. Louis the World Series.
But games three, four and five, all at Yankee Stadium, were the crucial ones in this World Series, now approaching it's half-century mark. It was enemy territory for this Cardinal club, and many a pitcher had become rattled. New York, as you can see, also got some good pitching in those three games. And that forced the Cards' pitchers to match that. They did. It would help give St. Louis the confidence they needed, and it also propelled them to victory over tremendous opposition!
References
Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print.
Halberstam, David. October 1964. New York: Villard, 1994. Print.
Major League Baseball. World Series Of 1964. Major League Baseball Productions, 1964. DVD.
Retrosheet. Web. 19 Aug. 2014. <www.retrosheet.org>.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 19 Aug 2014.
Youtube. Web. 19 Aug. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com>.
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