. He hit more home runs between 1956 and 1960 than anyone in the bigs. His big year for RBIs was 1959. The year before that, he'd hit a career-high 45 round-trippers. But despite never playing in a World Series, he generally always had a flair for the dramatic. In 1959, he had one against a legend, who was not quite one yet!
Banks' Chicago Cubs were rarely in contention, sadly. In 1959, they finished fifth at 74-80. It was the Los Angeles Dodgers that won it all that year. And they crossed paths with the Chicago Cubs in early September in a pitcher's duel!
The Dodgers had a young and still-not-potential-fulfilling lefty, Sandy Koufax. Sandy had been on the Dodgers in Brooklyn in 1955 but never really pitched much. The staff was deep with pitchers like Johnny Podres, Don Newcombe and Don Drysdale. A move to Los Angeles in 1958 saw Sandy join the rotation. Although only 11-11 that season, it was a step forward. La-La land was helping this youngster!
1959 had started out rough for Sandy, at least at the start. It was Banks' Chicago Cubs that touched him up for three runs in three innings in his first start, April 12th. Things didn't get much better for Sandy. By May 2nd, he had pitched only five games and had an ERA of 12.27.
But things suddenly did get better. Koufax pitched well the rest of May and all of June. That ERA? Down to 3.58. Win-loss record? 5-1! Sandy had found it! Case and point, June 22nd vs. Philadelphia. All Sandy did was fan sixteen batters and surrender one run over a complete game win!
On July the 5th, he found himself on the mound in a relief appearance against Chicago. Koufax got into the action in the bottom of the seventh. Ernie Banks greeted him with a single. Although the Cubs eventually got another hit, Ernie watched in amazement as Koufax struck out the side. By the time he left the hill after 3 2/3 innings, Sandy had given up just one earned run and fanned six. Although he didn't get a decision or even a save, Sandy helped preserve a 5-3 win. Better still, his ERA was only 3.33 after this outing.
But a sore arm shelved Koufax not long after. He missed the rest of July, and it took him a bit to find his groove. But once he found it, watch out. The Los Angeles Dodgers really had something special in Koufax, and soon everybody knew that, too!
Sandy fanned thirteen batters and gave up just two earned runs in an 8-2 win over Philly on August 24. That upped his record to 7-4. And when Sandy fanned eighteen batters in his next start on August 31st, it was enough for a 5-2 win over the Giants. Koufax's record was a pretty-good 8-4. His ERA (At 4.06 on August 19th) continued to drop, and was now 3.76. The National League ERA that year would be 3.95, so Sandy was below that.
His next start was a week later on September 6th of that season was at home against Ernie Banks' Chicago Cubs. But what about Ernie? What was he doing well Sandy was putting his enormous talent together? Quite a lot, let me tell you!
Having driven in five runs on May 13th vs. Cincinnati, having hit two home runs on April 14th and again on July 29th, he was having quite the year. Through 133 games, Ernie had 38 home runs and 124 RBIs, plus a .296 batting average and 82 runs scored. That was one great year for anyone, and it wasn't over yet!
So Sandy took the hill in Banks' 134 game of the season. He was looking for another win, low-run, high K, game. And he got it. The only thing separating him from his ninth win was Ernie Banks, as it turns out!
Sandy seemed to have it. It was the first game of a double-header, and the Dodgers looked to Koufax to set the tone in the opener.
It wasn't easy in the top of the first. The Cubs put two men on, but Sandy fanned Ernie for the second out. When he threw wild on the very first pitch to the next batter, Alvin Dark tried to score from third. Alvin was out at home, and Sandy got 'em 1-2-3 the next three innings!
In the top of the fifth, the Cubs got two runners on via a double and an intentional walk, but Sandy K'd the side. That brought his strikeout total to six, already.
The sixth inning was also a struggle for Koufax. He got the first two batters out, including his seventh K, but then the trouble started. A walk brought Banks to the dish. And Sandy screwed up by committing a balk on the first pitch to Ernie. Koufax was forced to walk him intentionally. But Sandy got out of there with no further damage as he got Art Schult out on a fly ball.
The seventh inning saw Sandy dig deep again to get himself out of a jam. It was again, partly his fault. After getting the first batter out, he walked Bobby Thompson. Yes, that's the Bobby Thompson that hit the home run to win the pennant for the Giants in 1951. Back when they were in New York and the Dodgers were in Brooklyn. Flash forward to 2014 and the Giants won the pennant again with a home run. Some things don't change. But Koufax needed to change some of his bad habits at this point. Namely, throwing too hard. It left him prone to a lot of strikeouts but plenty of wildness.
A single moved Thompson to second as there was still only one out. Koufax again got out of the jam. But it seemed like only a matter of time before the Cubs got the knockout blow. And the win, for good measure.
Art Ceccarelli, who had a very short career and would win all of nine games in his career, was pitching well for Banks' Cubs. He, too, faced a jam in the seventh. But he matched his young counterpart. Amazingly enough, it was still a scoreless tie at this point, despite all those chances by Chicago.
Sandy Koufax, though, got his fourth 1-2-3 inning of the game in the top of the eighth. It was much needed. Ernie Banks himself was the last out of the inning. All he could do was ground out to the shortstop, who was a rookie and playing in just his 62nd career game. This game was going to the bottom of the eighth,
The Dodgers failed to score, although Wally Moon reached on a two-out walk. A flyball by Gil Hodges (A relic from the Brooklyn years) ended the inning. This game was officially going to be decided in the last at-bats of one of the two teams.
The top of the ninth saw Sandy get his eighth strikeout. But then a single by Earl Averill started a rally. Bobby Thompson reached on an error by third basemen Jim Gilliam, still another old Brooklyn Dodger player. But Sandy had no intention of letting the Los Angeles Dodgers lose this one. He fanned Cal Neeman on the minimum required pitches. Then, Sandy disposed of his mound adversary as well. 9 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 10 Ks! The Dodgers, needed a single tally now to wrap it up. Sandy would have his ninth win of the season. His ERA had now dropped to 3.51, which was more than respectable.
Los Angeles nearly won it in the bottom of the ninth. Don Demeter, who'd come into the game as a pinch runner in the bottom of the seventh, fanned himself. But Chuck Essegian walked and Don Zimmer came in to pinch run. Joe Pignatano then walked. A single wins this thing!
But Ceccarelli matched Koufax in K heroics by fanning Rip Repulski, who was batting for Wills. And it was on a 3-2 pitch. When Koufax himself went down on strikes, this thing was headed to extras. And that's where Ernie Banks helped the Chicago Cubs win it!
Sandy Koufax made a big mistake to start the top of the tenth. He walked Tony Taylor on four straight pitches. Then. he went 2-0 on Alvin Dark. Dark hit a sac bunt to move Taylor into scoring position with only one out. Koufax then went 2-0 again. It was on Lee Walls. Lee fouled off the next pitch, but Sandy then missed again. Another foul. 3-2. Alas, Sandy threw ball four and Ernie Banks was back at the dish.
Sandy missed with the first pitch. It was the fourth straight time that had happened. But Banks fouled off the next pitch, then completely missed the next one. It 1-2 and Koufax was back in control. Ernie had to avoid the double play.
But Banks didn't miss the next pitch. He slammed his 39th home run to give Chicago a 3-0 advantage. The next batter reached on an error, meaning the Cubbies had a chance for more. However, Walt Moryn grounded into an inning-ending double play.
It didn't end up mattering. The Dodgers managed just one hit in the bottom of the frame as Art Ceccarelli finished up a fine, 10-inning, 6-hit shutout. So Sandy would have to settle for an 8-5 record.
Koufax did not win another game that season. And he lost his lone Fall Classic start of that season. Banks finished with 45 home runs that season, just one back of Eddie Mathews league-leading 46. But Ernie led the senior circuit with 143 RBIs, 18 more than runner-up Frank Robinson. But his .304 final batting average was tenth, well back of Hank Aaron's league-leading .355!
On this September day, Banks proved to be clutch again. Koufax was starting to learn about that. He was also just beginning to learn about how to control his wildness. He'd walked seven batters this game. Against most other teams, a low-hit, high-walk total wouldn't have been so bad. But on a team with a batter of Ernie Banks caliber (And there were not many) up at the dish, walks are soon punished by long balls. It was needed and delivered against
The Left Arm Of God by
Mr. Cub himself!
References
Enders, Eric.
100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Grabowski, John F.
Sandy Koufax. Chelsea House, 1992. 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.
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.
