Both Roger Craig and Sandy Koufax of the 1959 Dodgers missed out on leading the league in two important categories! They also both pitched in game one, an 11-0 loss! For good measure, they each started a game at home as Los Angeles battled Chicago in a very entertaining Fall Classic that year.
Sam Jones of the San Francisco Giants led the National League with an ERA of 2.83. But it was Craig posting a 2.01. Alas, he had tossed just 153 innings that year. Not enough for the requirements. Actually, since the Dodgers played 156 games, he needed three more innings pitched. The interesting thing is, Craig's ERA was less than Amercian League leader Hoyt Wilhelm's 2.19! So Craig was that close to leading all pitchers that year.
Sandy Koufax fanned 173 batters that season in 153 1/3 innings pitched. The K's alone were good enough for third in the National League in 1959. But he also averaged 10.2 K's per 9 innings. That would have led not only the NL, (teammate Don Drysdale averaged about 8 to top the Senior Circuit), but also the majors, as Herb Score led the AL in that department with 8.2
So Craig started game one of the 1959 World Series against the Chicago White Sox. It was over almost as soon as it had began. The White Sox scored twice of Craig in the bottom of the first, then scored seven more runs in the bottom of the third. Craig gave up five of them.
Koufax took over in the bottom of the fifth. By then, it was 11-0, Chicago. Sandy pitched well, getting the side in order in his two innings of work. And his replacement, Johhny Kippstein, also tossed two shutout innings. So the White Sox did not score a run in their last four innings. But it was, of course, too late. Chicago shutout Los Angeles for all nine innings of this game and won, 11-0.
After Los Angeles took the next two games, they were in a situation where if Craig and Koufax could come through, this Fall Classic would suddenly be over. The World Series had shifted to the west coast for games three, four and five. Some pitching here would insure that it would not return to Chicago!
Roger took the hill in game four, which was huge. He carried a 4-0 lead into the top of the seventh inning, and looked in complete control. But three singles and a home run by Sherman Lollar tied the game. Craig got Billy Goodman on a K, but now the Dodgers needed some offence again.
They got it, in the form of one run. And Los Angeles held on to win, 5-4. But the run scored in the bottom of the eighth, and by then it was Larry Sherry pitching for the Dodgers. Craig was left with the no decision. But with the win, it was Los Angeles up on Chicago, three games to one in the 1959 World Series.
Koufax pitched better in his first start than Craig did in either of his, but came away even worse. Sandy went seven strong innings. He gave up just five hits, one walk and fanned six. In the top of the fourth with runners on the corners and no outs, Sandy induced Sherman Lollar to hit into a double play. Nellie Fox, on third, scored on the play. It proved to be the only run despite a performance from Sandy and a two-inning shutout, hitless relief stint from Stan Williams. Bob Shaw, who gave up nine hits for Chicago, got the shutout with some help of his own from Dick Donovan. Chicago was heading home down three games to two.
Los Angeles wrapped it up in the Windy City by taking game six, 9-3.
Sandy Koufax and Roger Craig are unlikely to be remembered as contributors to the Los Angeles triumph of 1959. For Craig, it was his third World Series appearance. But for Koufax it was his first. Both would go on to pitch more in the Fall Classic. Sandy in 1963, 1965 and 1966. Craig helped St. Louis win in 1964. Maybe Los Angeles could have won without them, but they both got valuable experience out of this.
And with Craig's fine ERA and Sandy's unprecedented strikeouts per nine innings mark, the Dodgers had the two best in both those areas, even if they were not the recognized leaders in either! Both also showcased some tremendous pitching in Craig's first six innings of his second start and in Koufax's two outings!
References
“baseball_otr : Free Download & Streaming.” Internet Archive. Old Time Radio / Internet Archive/ Major League Baseball. Web. 3 Sept. 2014. <archive.org/details/baseball_otr>.
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. 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.
Sam Jones of the San Francisco Giants led the National League with an ERA of 2.83. But it was Craig posting a 2.01. Alas, he had tossed just 153 innings that year. Not enough for the requirements. Actually, since the Dodgers played 156 games, he needed three more innings pitched. The interesting thing is, Craig's ERA was less than Amercian League leader Hoyt Wilhelm's 2.19! So Craig was that close to leading all pitchers that year.
Sandy Koufax fanned 173 batters that season in 153 1/3 innings pitched. The K's alone were good enough for third in the National League in 1959. But he also averaged 10.2 K's per 9 innings. That would have led not only the NL, (teammate Don Drysdale averaged about 8 to top the Senior Circuit), but also the majors, as Herb Score led the AL in that department with 8.2
So Craig started game one of the 1959 World Series against the Chicago White Sox. It was over almost as soon as it had began. The White Sox scored twice of Craig in the bottom of the first, then scored seven more runs in the bottom of the third. Craig gave up five of them.
Koufax took over in the bottom of the fifth. By then, it was 11-0, Chicago. Sandy pitched well, getting the side in order in his two innings of work. And his replacement, Johhny Kippstein, also tossed two shutout innings. So the White Sox did not score a run in their last four innings. But it was, of course, too late. Chicago shutout Los Angeles for all nine innings of this game and won, 11-0.
After Los Angeles took the next two games, they were in a situation where if Craig and Koufax could come through, this Fall Classic would suddenly be over. The World Series had shifted to the west coast for games three, four and five. Some pitching here would insure that it would not return to Chicago!
Roger took the hill in game four, which was huge. He carried a 4-0 lead into the top of the seventh inning, and looked in complete control. But three singles and a home run by Sherman Lollar tied the game. Craig got Billy Goodman on a K, but now the Dodgers needed some offence again.
They got it, in the form of one run. And Los Angeles held on to win, 5-4. But the run scored in the bottom of the eighth, and by then it was Larry Sherry pitching for the Dodgers. Craig was left with the no decision. But with the win, it was Los Angeles up on Chicago, three games to one in the 1959 World Series.
Koufax pitched better in his first start than Craig did in either of his, but came away even worse. Sandy went seven strong innings. He gave up just five hits, one walk and fanned six. In the top of the fourth with runners on the corners and no outs, Sandy induced Sherman Lollar to hit into a double play. Nellie Fox, on third, scored on the play. It proved to be the only run despite a performance from Sandy and a two-inning shutout, hitless relief stint from Stan Williams. Bob Shaw, who gave up nine hits for Chicago, got the shutout with some help of his own from Dick Donovan. Chicago was heading home down three games to two.
Los Angeles wrapped it up in the Windy City by taking game six, 9-3.
Sandy Koufax and Roger Craig are unlikely to be remembered as contributors to the Los Angeles triumph of 1959. For Craig, it was his third World Series appearance. But for Koufax it was his first. Both would go on to pitch more in the Fall Classic. Sandy in 1963, 1965 and 1966. Craig helped St. Louis win in 1964. Maybe Los Angeles could have won without them, but they both got valuable experience out of this.
And with Craig's fine ERA and Sandy's unprecedented strikeouts per nine innings mark, the Dodgers had the two best in both those areas, even if they were not the recognized leaders in either! Both also showcased some tremendous pitching in Craig's first six innings of his second start and in Koufax's two outings!
References
“baseball_otr : Free Download & Streaming.” Internet Archive. Old Time Radio / Internet Archive/ Major League Baseball. Web. 3 Sept. 2014. <archive.org/details/baseball_otr>.
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 produced by A&E Home Video.
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.
Grabowski, John F. Sandy Koufax. Chelsea House, 1992.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 3 Sept. 2014.
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