The last four home runs in 1964 were hit off pitchers with basketball experience. Bob Gibson and Steve Hamilton had some basketball history, as did Dick Groat, the St. Louis Cardinals' shortstop. But aren't we talking about baseball here?
Bob Gibson, the starting pitcher for the Cardinals in game seven of '64, went to Creighton University from 1954 to 1957 and played basketball, wearing his #45 that he would later been seen on the back of his Cardinal uniform. Gibby didn't stop there. He played with the famous Harlem Globetrotters later on in 1957, but in a St. Louis Cardinal uniform two season later. Hoot had found his home.
And Gibson was pitching with a 6-0 lead over the New York Yankees after 5 innings in the deciding game of '64. But then then great Mickey Mantle (Who coincidentally, also played some basketball at high school), hit his last ever World Series home run off him in the top of the sixth. Bobby Richardson and Roger Maris had singled before that. So the lead was cut in half. Gibby was pitching on just three days rest, and might have been tiring. Manager Johnny Keane kept him in there. However, the mighty Bronx Bombers kept coming at him, just like a point guard keeps bringing the ball up the court after you score a basket. Gibby gave up a two-out walk to Tom Tresh before the inning ended.
Rollie Sheldon, pitching in relief for the Yankees, retired the Cards 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame, to keep New York in the hunt. Hector Lopez batted for Rollie in the top of the seventh, only to fall victim to a Gibson K. After getting Phil Linz to fly out to Mike Shannon in right on the first pitch, it was time for Richardson to get his 13th hit of the 1964 Fall Classic. Eight of them had come off Gibson. Maris stepped in and hit the first pitch well, but right at Shannon in right. Gibson needed just six more outs.
Steve Hamilton, who played for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers for two seasons (1958/59 to 1959/60) came on to pitch for the Yankees. The big tall lefty looked overpowering. First, Lou Brock swung and missed for strike three. Then, Bill White took a called third strike. Ken Boyer, who'd collected two hits and two runs so far, came to the dish. Boyer was no stranger to basketball, either, having also played in high school. His younger brother Clete was right there at third base for the Yankees. Kenny was about to put his sibling's team down four as he took Hamilton out of the park to left on a 2-1 pitch. 7-3, St. Louis. Some more breathing room for the big tall right-hander pitching for the National Leaguers.
Gibson went back out in the top of the eighth and seemed to regain his form. Mantle flied out to Flood in centre. Bob then fanned Elston Howard. When Joe Pepitone popped out to Dal Maxvill at second, Bob Gibson had his first 1-2-3 inning since the top of the fourth. At this stage of the game, retiring the side in order is good for the arm. Hamilton would not be so lucky in the bottom of the frame.
Tim McCarver, Gibson's battery mate behind the plate for the Cardinals, greeted Steve Hamilton with a single to start the St. Louis half of the eighth. McCarver actually had to get it the hard way. He grounded to Pepitone at first. Pepi got to it and made the toss to Hamilton, but Tim beat the big pitcher to the bag. Mike Shannon reached on Clete Boyer's error. Maxvill got the bunt down. Were more runs on the way for Gibson? Pete Mikkelsen came in to stop the bleeding. Second and third, one out. Gibson was also just three outs away from nailing this thing down, so anything here was a nice bonus. And who better to get some more runs than Gibson himself. How about a three-pointer? No wait, wrong sport. How about a three-run home run? Gibson would go on to hit two home runs in the Fall Classic, but here, Bob failed to deliver.
He sent a grounder to third. Boyer was not going to make another mistake. But McCarver did. He headed towards home and New York had him in a rundown. Eventually, the shortstop Phil Linz made the putout. So now Shannon was on second and Gibson on first. They'd die there as Flood lined to Boyer to end it.
So, three more outs.
Gibson started it out on the right foot, getting Tom Tresh to fan. But Clete Boyer, who'd had quite an adventure in the field the previous inning, took Gibby to a full count. The payoff pitch was belted over Lou Brock's head in left for a home run. 7-4. Johnny Blanchard batted for Mikkelsen. Gibson fanned him, too. On a 1-2 pitch. Gibby's ninth of the game, thirty-first of the Fall Classic. His last.
Linz batted and was all that stood between the tremendous athlete and the complete game. Linz fouled one off. But Gibson's next pitch was sent to left. Over Brock's head, despite a tremendous effort to haul it in. Too far back and too high. 7-5. Bobby Richardson stepped up to the dish, with Roger Maris in the on-deck circle as the tying run. Gibson got him to pop up to Maxvill! Gibson had a complete game, and the St. Louis Cardinals were on top of the world in 1964.
But while this game seven was played on the baseball field, a lot of the men involved in it had spent at least some important moment of their lives on the basketball court some time prior.
References
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. 305. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 3 May 2016.
Sports Reference LLC Basketball-Reference.com - Basketball Statistics and History. http://www.basketball-reference.com/. 3 May 2016.
Perry, Dayn. "Just Because: Bob Gibson, Basketball Star." Sports - CBSSports.com Sports News, Fantasy Scores, Sports Video. CBS Sports, 5 Aug. 2013. Web. 3 May 2016. <http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/23028600/just-because-bob-gibson-basketball-star>.
Bob Gibson, the starting pitcher for the Cardinals in game seven of '64, went to Creighton University from 1954 to 1957 and played basketball, wearing his #45 that he would later been seen on the back of his Cardinal uniform. Gibby didn't stop there. He played with the famous Harlem Globetrotters later on in 1957, but in a St. Louis Cardinal uniform two season later. Hoot had found his home.
And Gibson was pitching with a 6-0 lead over the New York Yankees after 5 innings in the deciding game of '64. But then then great Mickey Mantle (Who coincidentally, also played some basketball at high school), hit his last ever World Series home run off him in the top of the sixth. Bobby Richardson and Roger Maris had singled before that. So the lead was cut in half. Gibby was pitching on just three days rest, and might have been tiring. Manager Johnny Keane kept him in there. However, the mighty Bronx Bombers kept coming at him, just like a point guard keeps bringing the ball up the court after you score a basket. Gibby gave up a two-out walk to Tom Tresh before the inning ended.
Rollie Sheldon, pitching in relief for the Yankees, retired the Cards 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame, to keep New York in the hunt. Hector Lopez batted for Rollie in the top of the seventh, only to fall victim to a Gibson K. After getting Phil Linz to fly out to Mike Shannon in right on the first pitch, it was time for Richardson to get his 13th hit of the 1964 Fall Classic. Eight of them had come off Gibson. Maris stepped in and hit the first pitch well, but right at Shannon in right. Gibson needed just six more outs.
Steve Hamilton, who played for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers for two seasons (1958/59 to 1959/60) came on to pitch for the Yankees. The big tall lefty looked overpowering. First, Lou Brock swung and missed for strike three. Then, Bill White took a called third strike. Ken Boyer, who'd collected two hits and two runs so far, came to the dish. Boyer was no stranger to basketball, either, having also played in high school. His younger brother Clete was right there at third base for the Yankees. Kenny was about to put his sibling's team down four as he took Hamilton out of the park to left on a 2-1 pitch. 7-3, St. Louis. Some more breathing room for the big tall right-hander pitching for the National Leaguers.
Gibson went back out in the top of the eighth and seemed to regain his form. Mantle flied out to Flood in centre. Bob then fanned Elston Howard. When Joe Pepitone popped out to Dal Maxvill at second, Bob Gibson had his first 1-2-3 inning since the top of the fourth. At this stage of the game, retiring the side in order is good for the arm. Hamilton would not be so lucky in the bottom of the frame.
Tim McCarver, Gibson's battery mate behind the plate for the Cardinals, greeted Steve Hamilton with a single to start the St. Louis half of the eighth. McCarver actually had to get it the hard way. He grounded to Pepitone at first. Pepi got to it and made the toss to Hamilton, but Tim beat the big pitcher to the bag. Mike Shannon reached on Clete Boyer's error. Maxvill got the bunt down. Were more runs on the way for Gibson? Pete Mikkelsen came in to stop the bleeding. Second and third, one out. Gibson was also just three outs away from nailing this thing down, so anything here was a nice bonus. And who better to get some more runs than Gibson himself. How about a three-pointer? No wait, wrong sport. How about a three-run home run? Gibson would go on to hit two home runs in the Fall Classic, but here, Bob failed to deliver.
He sent a grounder to third. Boyer was not going to make another mistake. But McCarver did. He headed towards home and New York had him in a rundown. Eventually, the shortstop Phil Linz made the putout. So now Shannon was on second and Gibson on first. They'd die there as Flood lined to Boyer to end it.
So, three more outs.
Gibson started it out on the right foot, getting Tom Tresh to fan. But Clete Boyer, who'd had quite an adventure in the field the previous inning, took Gibby to a full count. The payoff pitch was belted over Lou Brock's head in left for a home run. 7-4. Johnny Blanchard batted for Mikkelsen. Gibson fanned him, too. On a 1-2 pitch. Gibby's ninth of the game, thirty-first of the Fall Classic. His last.
Linz batted and was all that stood between the tremendous athlete and the complete game. Linz fouled one off. But Gibson's next pitch was sent to left. Over Brock's head, despite a tremendous effort to haul it in. Too far back and too high. 7-5. Bobby Richardson stepped up to the dish, with Roger Maris in the on-deck circle as the tying run. Gibson got him to pop up to Maxvill! Gibson had a complete game, and the St. Louis Cardinals were on top of the world in 1964.
But while this game seven was played on the baseball field, a lot of the men involved in it had spent at least some important moment of their lives on the basketball court some time prior.
References
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. 305. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 3 May 2016.
Sports Reference LLC Basketball-Reference.com - Basketball Statistics and History. http://www.basketball-reference.com/. 3 May 2016.
Perry, Dayn. "Just Because: Bob Gibson, Basketball Star." Sports - CBSSports.com Sports News, Fantasy Scores, Sports Video. CBS Sports, 5 Aug. 2013. Web. 3 May 2016. <http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/23028600/just-because-bob-gibson-basketball-star>.
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