Roger Maris made three nice plays in the field in the 1964 Fall Classic. He was actually not playing his regular position.
Mickey Mantle, with his knees failing, was moved from centerfield to right late in the '64 season. It seemed to work as both Mickey and Roger hit well. Maris was all over the place in the field, too. And fortunately for New York, it continued in the World Series.
Maris was helping the Yankees with his bat, as well. Although he hit only .200 in the World Series, he came up with several crucial hits, as well as some well it balls that the St. Louis Cardinals' fielders had to be good to come up with.
Roger got a hit and a walk in game one, in St. Louis, but neither of them led to a runner touching home. In game two, vs. Bob Gibson, Maris looked overmatched. Gibby fanned him in grand fashion in the top of the first with one on and one out. Maris then stranded a pair in the top of the third as Gibby rose to the occasion. Roger could only fly out to short left in the top of the fifth. But Roger wasn't about to let the Yankees lose this game.
In the top of the sixth, Mantle walked and Joe Pepitone walked with one out. Tom Tresh singled to break a 1-1 deadlock. The Cardinals though, were at home and had The Big Guy on the hill. A tie game favours the home team.
In the top of the seventh, Phil Linz singled. Gibson threw a wild pitch and Bobby Richardson singled off a pitch that shattered his bat. Roger was back to the plate and Gibby needed to keep it 3-1. But Roger came through with a single to get Richardson to third. Mantle grounded out, but Richardson scored and it was 4-1, Yankees.
But with one out in the bottom of the frame, Tim McCarver sent a liner between Maris and Mantle. This thing looked destined for a double. But Roger caught up to it and hauled it in! A great play! Eventually, it was St. Louis with a run in the bottom of the eighth, but in the top of the ninth, Linz hit a home run off Barney Schultz. Then Maris singled. Mantle lashed a sharp double to left and Roger trotted on home with New York's sixth run. The Yankees had pulled away from the Cards and ended up 8-3 winners.
In game three, in New York. Maris and hit mates could do little with Curt Simmons through eight innings. In the top of the ninth, with the score 1-1, St. Louis looked like they had it. McCarver reached on an error by Linz. Mike Shannon sacrificed him to second. Carl Warwick batted for Dal Maxville and walked. Then, Curt was pinch hit for. The batter was Bob Skinner, who'd faced Maris and his teammates in the 1960 World Series as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skinner got a hold of one, and sent it all the way to the warning track. Roger Maris had to race back to make the catch. Mickey Mantle almost misses a fly ball on the third out. But in the bottom of the ninth, he golfed Schultz's first pitch to deep right for a tape-measured home run! New York was up, two games to one.
The game started out well for Roger. With New York up 1-0, his single sent Bobby Richardson to third. Then Mantle sliced a single to right, and it was 2-0. Mickey saw Mike Shannon bobble the ball in right and raced for second. But Mike recovered and threw him out. Maris made it to third. An Elston Howard single scored him. 3-0, New York.
Alas, New York seemed to lose steam after that. Roger Craig and Ron Taylor shutout New York on just two hits over the last 8 2/3 innings of the game. Ken Boyer hit a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning to win it, 4-3, for St. Louis. Maris almost got a hit in the bottom of the eight. His hot grounder hit Taylor and looked like it was into centerfield for a hit. But Dick Groat, in short, made a fine play to flag it down and then nipped Roger at first.
In the next game, Bob Gibson was back, but it took him ten inning to beat the Yankees, 5-2. Tim McCarver broke a 2-2 deadlock with a three-run home run in the top of the 10th. Bobby Richardson singled with two down in the bottom of the frame. Maris popped it foul to third. It looked like it would reach the seats. But Ken Boyer reached in and made a fine play to end the game! The Cardinals were up, three games to two heading back to St. Louis for game six.
But there was no robbing Maris in the sixth game. Actually, he did all the thievery. In the bottom of the third, Lou Brock sent one to short centre and it looked like a hit. But Maris charged in and kept the speedster off the basepaths with a nice catch. The game was tied at one going into the top of the sixth. Here's where Roger untied it!
He homered off Curt Simmons to put New York ahead for good. Mantle followed that with one of his own. Later, a grand slam by Joe Pepitone sealed another 8-3 win by New York. This thing was destined for a seventh and deciding game. Back to Bob Gibson.
The Yankees seemed doomed as it was 6-0 Cards after five. But Richardson and Maris singled to start the sixth. When Mantle followed with a three-run home run, it was 6-3. Gibby started to fade.
Richardson singled his next trip to the plate in the top of the seventh. Two down, Maris up, Mantle the tying run on-deck. Gibson threw a pitch and Maris got a hold of this. Alas, it was right to Mike Shannon in right. Mantle got a good hold of one himself the next inning, but it was right to Brock in left. Gibby had to keep going. He got a home run from Boyer to extend the lead, but Ken's brother Clete hit one of his own in the top of the ninth. Then, with two down, it was Phil Linz with his second. Richardson was back at the dish with Maris on-deck. But Bob got 'em to pop out.
Maris didn't have a memorable Fall Classic in '64, his last with the Yankees and fifth in a row. But he had made some nice plays and forced the Cardinals to be on their heels whenever he came to the dish. St. Louis knew that one bad pitch to him could be a real problem. Their fine pitching managed to keep him in check. But it didn't stop him from proving that there was more to Roger Maris then just his slugging! New York had their problems in the field this Fall Classic. Maris was not one of them.
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.
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.
Netherton, Bob. “Allen Craig, Meet Carl Warwick.” On the Outside Corner. Wordpress. 20 Oct. 2011. Web. 04 Jan. 2015. https://ontheoutsidecorner.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/allen-craig-meet-carl-warwick/.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 04 Jan. 2015.
Mickey Mantle, with his knees failing, was moved from centerfield to right late in the '64 season. It seemed to work as both Mickey and Roger hit well. Maris was all over the place in the field, too. And fortunately for New York, it continued in the World Series.
Maris was helping the Yankees with his bat, as well. Although he hit only .200 in the World Series, he came up with several crucial hits, as well as some well it balls that the St. Louis Cardinals' fielders had to be good to come up with.
Roger got a hit and a walk in game one, in St. Louis, but neither of them led to a runner touching home. In game two, vs. Bob Gibson, Maris looked overmatched. Gibby fanned him in grand fashion in the top of the first with one on and one out. Maris then stranded a pair in the top of the third as Gibby rose to the occasion. Roger could only fly out to short left in the top of the fifth. But Roger wasn't about to let the Yankees lose this game.
In the top of the sixth, Mantle walked and Joe Pepitone walked with one out. Tom Tresh singled to break a 1-1 deadlock. The Cardinals though, were at home and had The Big Guy on the hill. A tie game favours the home team.
In the top of the seventh, Phil Linz singled. Gibson threw a wild pitch and Bobby Richardson singled off a pitch that shattered his bat. Roger was back to the plate and Gibby needed to keep it 3-1. But Roger came through with a single to get Richardson to third. Mantle grounded out, but Richardson scored and it was 4-1, Yankees.
But with one out in the bottom of the frame, Tim McCarver sent a liner between Maris and Mantle. This thing looked destined for a double. But Roger caught up to it and hauled it in! A great play! Eventually, it was St. Louis with a run in the bottom of the eighth, but in the top of the ninth, Linz hit a home run off Barney Schultz. Then Maris singled. Mantle lashed a sharp double to left and Roger trotted on home with New York's sixth run. The Yankees had pulled away from the Cards and ended up 8-3 winners.
In game three, in New York. Maris and hit mates could do little with Curt Simmons through eight innings. In the top of the ninth, with the score 1-1, St. Louis looked like they had it. McCarver reached on an error by Linz. Mike Shannon sacrificed him to second. Carl Warwick batted for Dal Maxville and walked. Then, Curt was pinch hit for. The batter was Bob Skinner, who'd faced Maris and his teammates in the 1960 World Series as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skinner got a hold of one, and sent it all the way to the warning track. Roger Maris had to race back to make the catch. Mickey Mantle almost misses a fly ball on the third out. But in the bottom of the ninth, he golfed Schultz's first pitch to deep right for a tape-measured home run! New York was up, two games to one.
The game started out well for Roger. With New York up 1-0, his single sent Bobby Richardson to third. Then Mantle sliced a single to right, and it was 2-0. Mickey saw Mike Shannon bobble the ball in right and raced for second. But Mike recovered and threw him out. Maris made it to third. An Elston Howard single scored him. 3-0, New York.
Alas, New York seemed to lose steam after that. Roger Craig and Ron Taylor shutout New York on just two hits over the last 8 2/3 innings of the game. Ken Boyer hit a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning to win it, 4-3, for St. Louis. Maris almost got a hit in the bottom of the eight. His hot grounder hit Taylor and looked like it was into centerfield for a hit. But Dick Groat, in short, made a fine play to flag it down and then nipped Roger at first.
In the next game, Bob Gibson was back, but it took him ten inning to beat the Yankees, 5-2. Tim McCarver broke a 2-2 deadlock with a three-run home run in the top of the 10th. Bobby Richardson singled with two down in the bottom of the frame. Maris popped it foul to third. It looked like it would reach the seats. But Ken Boyer reached in and made a fine play to end the game! The Cardinals were up, three games to two heading back to St. Louis for game six.
But there was no robbing Maris in the sixth game. Actually, he did all the thievery. In the bottom of the third, Lou Brock sent one to short centre and it looked like a hit. But Maris charged in and kept the speedster off the basepaths with a nice catch. The game was tied at one going into the top of the sixth. Here's where Roger untied it!
He homered off Curt Simmons to put New York ahead for good. Mantle followed that with one of his own. Later, a grand slam by Joe Pepitone sealed another 8-3 win by New York. This thing was destined for a seventh and deciding game. Back to Bob Gibson.
The Yankees seemed doomed as it was 6-0 Cards after five. But Richardson and Maris singled to start the sixth. When Mantle followed with a three-run home run, it was 6-3. Gibby started to fade.
Richardson singled his next trip to the plate in the top of the seventh. Two down, Maris up, Mantle the tying run on-deck. Gibson threw a pitch and Maris got a hold of this. Alas, it was right to Mike Shannon in right. Mantle got a good hold of one himself the next inning, but it was right to Brock in left. Gibby had to keep going. He got a home run from Boyer to extend the lead, but Ken's brother Clete hit one of his own in the top of the ninth. Then, with two down, it was Phil Linz with his second. Richardson was back at the dish with Maris on-deck. But Bob got 'em to pop out.
Maris didn't have a memorable Fall Classic in '64, his last with the Yankees and fifth in a row. But he had made some nice plays and forced the Cardinals to be on their heels whenever he came to the dish. St. Louis knew that one bad pitch to him could be a real problem. Their fine pitching managed to keep him in check. But it didn't stop him from proving that there was more to Roger Maris then just his slugging! New York had their problems in the field this Fall Classic. Maris was not one of them.
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.
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.
Netherton, Bob. “Allen Craig, Meet Carl Warwick.” On the Outside Corner. Wordpress. 20 Oct. 2011. Web. 04 Jan. 2015. https://ontheoutsidecorner.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/allen-craig-meet-carl-warwick/.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 04 Jan. 2015.
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