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BaseballLibrary.com
Copyright © 2002
by The Idea Logical
Company, Inc.

All rights reserved.

1960: The Last Pure Season
by Kerry Keene

Sports Publishing, Inc, 2000 | Buy the book

« 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8 »

Chapter Sixteen

Now, the outcome of this most unusual 1960 World Series came down to one day, one game, and subsequently one inning. Murtaugh had no doubt that Law, winner of Games One and Four would be his starter in the finale. "All I want from Vern today is five good innings. If he can give me that I'll have Face and Friend ready," said the Bucs skipper. Stengel was less definitive about his choice of starter, reserving the right to change his mind at game time. He was leaning towards Bob Turley, but also named Stafford, Bobby Shantz, and Ralph Terry as possibilities, in that order. A couple of hours before the first pitch was to be thrown, Turley went to his locker and found a brand new ball tucked inside one of his baseball spikes, indicating to him that he would be getting the nod.

Law set the Yankees down in order to open the game, and after retiring the first two batters in the bottom half, Turley walked Skinner. First baseman Rocky Nelson then put Pittsburgh on the board with a home run into the right field stands to the sheer joy of the Forbes Field crowd. After a one-two-three Yankee second inning, Turley gave up a lead off single to Burgess, and out came Stengel with the quick hook. Not wanting to let things get out of hand, he brought in the 21-year-old Stafford, who pitched five innings of scoreless relief in Game Five. He proceeded to load the bases, but then got Law to hit into a double play that forced Bur gess at home. Virdon, however, slashed a single to right center, scoring both Hoak and Mazeroski for a 4-0 lead.

New York broke into the scoring column with Skowron's opposite-field home run off Law to lead off the fifth inning. They came right back in the sixth, driving Law from the game and taking a 5-4 lead. After Richardson had opened the sixth with a single and Kubek walked, Murtaugh brought Face in from the bullpen. With one out, Mantle came through with an RBI single, and Berra smacked a tremendous three-run home run down the right field line that landed in the second deck.

Going into the top of the eighth with Face still pitching for Pittsburgh, the Yanks still clung to a 5-4 lead. Face retired the first two batters, Mantle and Maris, but then found himself in more trouble. He walked Berra, allowed an infield single to Skowron, and gave up a single to back-up catcher John Blanchard that scored Berra. Clete Boyer then doubled into the left field corner scoring Skowron before the third out was finally recorded. Things looked bleak for Pittsburgh, trailing 7-4 going into the bottom of the eighth. At this time, cases of champagne were being moved into the Yankee clubhouse in anticipation of a victory celebration.

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From 1960: The Last Pure Season by Kerry Keene.
Copyright © 2000 by Kerry Keene. Reprinted with permission.