Books and articles about Hector Lopez

RELATED LINKS Book Excerpts » 1960: The Last Pure Season by Kerry Keene Greatest Teams » 1961 Yankees Around the Web » Hector Lopez from baseball-reference.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

The versatile Panamanian was traded from the A's to the Yankees during the 1959 season and was with New York for five straight pennants (1960-64). He played mostly third base for Kansas City, mostly outfield for New York, and he provided timely hitting as both a regular and pinch hitter. In the 1961 World Series against Cincinnati, he drove in seven runs - five in the final game, a 13-5 Yankee victory. (JK)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 28, 1956: White Sox SS Luis Aparicio hits his first ML home run, off Kansas City's Tom Lasorda, to open the Sox scoring in the 5th. With the score tied 4–4 in the 9th, reliever Billy Pierce walks Hector Lopez, and Enos Slaughter then wins the game with a home run. » July 27, 1956: 3B Hector Lopez and 1B Vic Power of the Athletics each have five hits in a 14-inning game 10-9 loss to New York. » June 26, 1958: Hector Lopez of the Kansas City Athletics hits three home runs in a 8–6, 12-inning home win against Washington. His 3rd homer is a 2-run shot to win the game. Roy Sievers almost matches Lopez with two homers. » May 26, 1959: In a trade that benefits the Yankees, New York send pitchers Tom Sturdivant and Johnny Kucks, SS Jerry Lumpe and that player to be named later to Kansas City. The Yankees get P Ralph Terry, who has been ripening on the vine, and Hector Lopez. Terry will win 73 games for NY and pitch in five straight World Series. » June 9, 1959: At the Stadium, the Yanks edge Kansas City, 9–8 in 13 innings. Mickey Mantle homers in the 4th, off Murry Dickson, but it is Hector Lopez's single that wins it in the 13th. » July 31, 1960: At Yankee Stadium, the A's push over three unearned runs in the 11th on two throwing errors by 3B Hector Lopez to top New York, 5–2. » October 8, 1961: Five more scoreless innings by Whitey Ford and four by Jim Coates silence the Reds. Hector Lopez and Clete Boyer each drive in two runs for a 7–0 win. Ford breaks Babe Ruth's World Series record of 29 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, running his streak to 32. » October 9, 1961: Super-subs Johnny Blanchard and Hector Lopez spark a 5-run first inning and 13–5 win for New York. Both hit home runs, and Lopez drives in five runs. Bud Daley's long relief effort wraps up the Series, as Ralph Houk becomes the 3rd rookie pilot to guide a World Series winner. » May 6, 1964: The Yanks hit four home runs -- two by Hector Lopez and one apiece by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris -- to back Jim Bouton's 9–2 opening win over the Senators. Washington comes back from a 4–0 deficit to win the nitecap, 5–4, despite a three-run Mantle homer off starter Claude Osteen. » May 9, 1964: At Cleveland, Pedro Ramos gives up four home runs to New York -- Tony Kubek, Mickey Mantle, Joe Pepitone, and Hector Lopez -- as the Yankees win 6–2. » April 12, 1965: In Minnesota, the Yankees drop their second straight 11th inning opener, as the Twins win 5–4. Twins starter Jim Kaat, stranded because of the ice and snow, is brought to Metropolitan Stadium by helicopter. Kaat is matched by Jim Bouton, who goes five innings, giving up two earned runs. Bob Allison's wind-blown fly ball in the 11th drops untouched for a three-base error by Hector Lopez, one of eight errors the two teams combine for. Cesar Tovar's 2-out single scores the winner off Pedro Ramos.