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Charlton's Baseball Chronology - 1963
January
| January 5 |
Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby dies at age 66 of a heart ailment. |
| January 10 |
The Cubs hire retired Air Force Colonel Robert V. Whitlow as athletic director. |
| January 26 |
The ML Rules Committee votes to expand the strike zone‚ restoring it to pre-1950 standards: from the top of the shoulders to the bottom of the knees. |
| January 29 |
James M. Johnston‚ James H. Lemon‚ and George M. Bunker purchase 80 percent of the Senators‚ buying out 5 of the original owners‚ including club president Pete Quesada. Johnston is elected chairman of the board. |
February
| February 20 |
Bob Kennedy is named manager of the Cubs‚ putting an end to the short-lived college of coaches. |
March
| March 10 |
In Tampa‚ non-roster player Pete Rose makes his first appearance with the Reds‚ doubling twice in two at bats against the White Sox. Rose enters in the 9th inning‚ and hits in the 11th and 14th‚ scoring the game's only run. |
April
| April 1 |
The Mets bring the Duke back to New York‚ purchasing Snider from the Dodgers for $40‚000. |
| April 2 |
The Pirates steal young OF Manny Mota from the Colt 45's‚ which had acquired him in December‚ sending Houston OF Howie Goss and cash. For 5 years‚ Mota will be a solid 4th outfielder for the Bucs, often platooning with lefthanded hitters Jerry Lynch, Willie Stargell and Matty Alou. |
| April 7 |
A public stock offering of 115‚000 shares in the Milwaukee Braves is withdrawn after only 13‚000 shares are sold to 1‚600 new investors. |
| April 8 |
With John F. Kennedy in attendance at the Opener in Washington D.C.‚ young Steve Barber starts the season for the O's against the Washington Senators. In the Nats lineup is Barber's high school teammate‚ Tom Brown‚ who goes on to football. Jim Gentile and Boog Powell homer for the Birds‚ who win 3-1. |
| April 10 |
The Yankees follow a 8-2 opening day victory yesterday with a 5-3 victory today at Kansas City. The 45-degree weather takes its toll‚ as Yankee starter Bill Stafford leaves in the 7th inning with a twinge in his right arm‚ and will never be quite the same. Mickey Mantle homers but pulls a muscle in his last at bat‚ that he will re-injure on the 13th‚ sidelining him for 2 weeks. |
| April 11 |
Warren Spahn's Opening Day‚ 6-1‚ victory over the Mets is his first win of the season and the 328th of his career. He thus moves ahead of yesteryear's great Eddie Plank as the all-time winningest lefthander. Except for Duke Snider's HR‚ no Met gets past 2B. |
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Baltimore's Milt Pappas spoils New York's home opener‚ beating them‚ 4-1. The only Yankee score is a Mantle homer. |
| April 13 |
After 11 hitless at bats‚ Cincinnati 2B Pete Rose records his first ML hit‚ a triple off Pittsburgh's Bob Friend. Increased enforcement of the balk rule produces a ML record 7 in the Pirates' 12-4 trouncing at Cincinnati. Friend is called for 4 balks. |
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Red Sox rookie Dave Morehead shuts out the Senators‚ 3-0‚ in his first ML start. He's the first Red Sox pitcher to debut with a shutout since Boo Ferriss in 1945. |
| April 14 |
Phillies reliever Jack Baldschun picks up both wins today as the Phils sweep a doubleheader from the Cards‚ 4-3 and 5-4. Baldschun pitches the 10th inning of the opener and another two innings of the nitecap. |
| April 16 |
In a 13-inning‚ 11-10 loss at Minnesota‚ the Angels use 9 pitchers‚ tying the ML record for an extra-inning contest. |
| April 18 |
Johnny Edwards has a grand slam and a sac fly to drive in all the runs in the Reds 5-0 victory over the Giants at Crosley Field. |
| April 21 |
Playing at Little Rock‚ C Rico Carty of the Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) hits two home runs in one at bat. With one on in the top of the second‚ the catcher's first blast is nullified because it's ruled time had been called-so 4 pitches later Carty hits a second shot over the fence. The victimized pitcher is Ferguson Jenkins of the Little Rock Travellers‚ who loses the game 5-1. |
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Cincinnati P Jim Owens sets a NL record as the first hurler in NL history charged with 3 balks in one inning (the 2nd) in a 7-0 loss at Los Angeles. |
| April 27 |
Pro basketballers Gene Conley of the Celtics and Dave DeBusschere of the Knicks oppose each other as Red Sox and White Sox pitchers. Conley hurls 4+ innings for Boston‚ while DeBusschere relieves for two-thirds of the 4th inning for Chicago. Boston wins the tip-off at Fenway 9-5. |
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At Washington‚ Dan Pfister pitches the Kansas City Athletics to a 7-3 win over the Senators. The Nats treat Pfister's batterymate‚ Billy Bryan‚ like Babe Ruth‚ intentionally walking him 3 times‚ tying a ML record. Bryan hit .158 and .149 the past 2 seasons‚ and will improve to .169 this year. |
May
| May 2 |
At Crosley Field‚ Milwaukee's Bob Hendley twirls a 3-hit shutout‚ winning 8-0. All three hits are by Leon Cardenas‚ who smacks a double and 2 singles. |
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The Twins trade P Jack Kralick (1-4) to Cleveland for P Jim Perry (0-0). Kralick was 13-11 and 12-11 in his last two years‚ and will finish with a 13-9 record this year for Cleveland. Perry will spend more than a decade with the Twins‚ posting two 20-win years to tie Pascual for a club record. He'll return to Cleveland in 1974. |
| May 3 |
In his 1st and only at bat as an Oriole‚ pitcher Les "Buster" Narum homers against Detroit's Don Mossi. Six days later‚ Narum is optioned to Rochester but will return to the majors next year with Washington where he'll hit two more. Narum is the first pitcher to have more homers than wins in a season‚ but he'll be matched on September 2 by Ed Hobaugh‚ and in 1992 by Dave Eiland. |
| May 4 |
The Braves Bob Shaw shatters the existing balk record when he is called for 5 in a 7-5 loss to the Cubs. Shaw is penalized 3 times in the 3rd inning alone‚ tying the ML record set the previous week by Jim Owens. |
| May 7 |
The major leagues approve a $50‚000 grant to the National Collegiate Baseball Foundation to operate the new Central Illinois Collegiate League. |
| May 8 |
Pirates LF Willie Stargell's first ML homer and Cubs P Bob Buhl's first ML hit in 88 at bats highlight a 9-5 Chicago win over Pittsburgh. |
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A Stan Musial HR against the Dodgers gives him 1‚357 extra-base hits‚ surpassing Babe Ruth's ML record. He will get 20 more and permanent possession of 2nd place lifetime. The Cards lose 11-5. |
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An 8-run 7th inning gives the White Sox an 8-3 win‚ a sweep of the A's‚ and the AL lead. |
| May 9 |
Ernie Banks becomes the first NL 1B to register 22 putouts (and 23 chances) in a game‚ as the Cubs beat Pittsburgh 3-1 on Dick Ellsworth's 2-hitter. Singles in the 2nd and 9th are the only Buc safeties‚ as they pound Ellsworth's slider into the ground. |
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Led by Frank Robinson's 7 RBIs‚ the Reds belt visiting Houston‚ 13-3. Robinson has 5 hits‚ including a homer and 2 doubles. |
| May 11 |
Sandy Koufax's comeback from a circulatory ailment in his left index finger continues with a no-hitter against the visiting first place Giants. He walks 2 and fans 4 to run his record to 4-1. Wally Moon homers off loser Juan Marichal in the Dodgers' 8-0 victory. |
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The Yankees trounce the Orioles‚ 13-1‚ beating Milt Pappas. Mantle and Maris each homer‚ the first time this year they've done it together. |
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Kansas City pitcher Ted Bowsfield takes a no hitter into the 9th against Minnesota‚ but a walk to Versalles is followed by the twins first hit‚ a single by Vic Power. Bowsfield allows another hit‚ but wins‚ 5-1. Jerry Lumpe's 3-run homer provides the offense. |
| May 12 |
At the Polo Grounds‚ the Mets win a see saw battle with the Reds‚ 12-11 in the nitecap of a doubleheader. The Reds battle back from a 5-0 deficit in the 3rd to tie the game at 6 apiece in top of the 5th. The Mets score 5 runs to go ahead 11-6‚ but Cincy plates 6 runs in the 6th to go ahead 12-11. The Mets score twice in the 8th to win. In the opener‚ the Reds win‚ 3-0‚ on a 3-run inside-the-park homer run by Leo Cardenas. The scoring comes off Galen Cisco and makes Bob Purkey a winner. |
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At Fenway‚ Dave Morehead pitches a one-hitter in game 2 to give the Sox a 4-1 win over Washington. Chuck Hinton homers for the Nats' lone hit. |
| May 14 |
The crackdown on balks by NL pitchers ends with a directive that umpires need not enforce the one-second stop from the stretch position. |
| May 15 |
Down 4-0 to the Twins‚ Mickey Mantle hits a two run homer off Pedro Ramos to put the Yankees on the board. Mantle later scores the winning run as New York wins‚ 4-3. |
| May 17 |
Don Nottebart pitches the first no-hitter in Houston's ML history with a 4-1 win against the Phils. Carl Warwick goes 4-for-4 with a HR to back Nottebart‚ now 5-1 for the 9th-place Colt 45s. |
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At Cleveland‚ the Twins Bob Allison cranks out 3 consecutive home runs to lead Minnesota to an 11-4 win over the Indians. |
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When a doubleheader between the Tigers and the Senators is washed out in the 2nd inning of the first game, the Senators' Bobo Osborne loses a grand slam. Al Kaline also loses a homerun to the rain, the second time this has occurred (as noted in Retrosheet). Kaline will end his career with 399 homers. |
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When a doubleheader between the Detroit Tigers and the Washington Senators is washed out in the 2nd inning of the first game, the Senators Bobo Osborne loses a grand slam. Al Kaline also loses a homerun to the rain, the second time this has occurred (as noted in Retrosheet). Kaline will end his career with 399 homers. |
| May 19 |
Billy Bruton ties a ML record for doubles in one game with 4 straight‚ and Bill Faul pitches a 3-hitter at Washington in his first ML start for Detroit‚ a 5-1 winner. |
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The Cubs beat the Braves‚ 3-2‚ behind Dick Ellsworth. Aaron's 2-run HR in the 8th breaks his shutout. |
| May 21 |
Jim Maloney ties the modern ML record with 8 consecutive strikeout‚ from the 1st to the 4th innings‚ against the Braves. Maloney finishes with 16 strikeouts in the 2-0 win‚ but needs relief help from Bill Henry‚ who retires the last 2 batters. |
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At Kansas City‚ Mantle homers in the first inning off Orlando Pena‚ then adds another in the 5th. Maris follows with another homer and New York wins‚ 7-4. |
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At Yankee Stadium‚ New York blows a 7-0 lead and allows Kansas City to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Mantle‚ leading off the 11th‚ is fooled by Bill Fischer on a slow curve‚ then cannons a 2-2 pitch that almost clears the RF roof. "The hardest ball I ever hit‚" Mantle later comments‚ a ball that‚ by some accounts‚ was still rising when it struck a foot below the top. It is conservatively estimated by Dr. James McDonald‚ a physicist who studies long-ball trajectories‚ that the ball would have traveled 620 feet if it had not struck the facade. "That was the only homer I ever hit that the bat actually bent in my hands‚" Mantle tells Dale Long‚ from whom he borrowed the bat. |
| May 23 |
Baltimore vet Robin Roberts two-hits the Senators to win 6-0. Both hits are by weak-hitting Eddie Brinkman. |
| May 26 |
Cleveland C John Romano suffers a fractured finger‚ which will keep him out of the lineup for 5 weeks‚ and the Indians compound the fracture by losing twice to the first-place Orioles 10-6 and 6-1. Baltimore reliever Wes Stock picks up both victories in the doubleheader with 5 innings of work. |
| May 28 |
The first-place Orioles win their 9th straight game‚ a Robin Roberts 4-2 victory over the A's. |
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Called out at 1B on a close play for the 2nd time‚ Roberto Clemente inadvertently strikes umpire Bill Jackowski. Clemente is ejected‚ fined $250‚ and suspended for 5 days. The Pirates lose 5-1 to the Phils. |
June
| June 3 |
Chicago White Sox 1B Joe Cunningham is sidelined until Labor Day after fracturing his right collarbone in a collision with Angels 1B Charlie Dees. The Sox are a 1/2 game ahead of New York. Cunningham‚ who hit .295 last year with 101 walks‚ will never be the same player after the injury. |
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The Braves make their first appearance in Boston since moving in 1953‚ losing a 5-3 exhibition game to the Red Sox. The game is for the benefit of the Jimmy Fund. |
| June 4 |
Oriole ace Steve Barber tops New York‚ 3-1. Mantle accounts for the only New York score with an opposite field homer into the RF bleachers. |
| June 5 |
Mickey Mantle fractures a bone in his left foot and suffers ligament and cartilage damage to the left knee running into the chain link fence at Baltimore chasing down a Brooks Robinson drive. The Mick will be out for 61 games. Whitey Ford beats Milt Pappas 4-3‚ as the Yankees return to first place. |
| June 6 |
With the bases loaded and one out in the 12th‚ Cubs reliever Lindy McDaniel picks Willie Mays off 2B and then strikes out Ed Bailey. McDaniel then hits a leadoff HR in the bottom of the 10th‚ off reliever Billy Pierce‚ to win 3-2. It was Lindy's first hit of the season. Chicago moves into a 3-way‚ first-place tie with St. Louis and San Francisco‚ its first taste of the lead since May 1958. |
| June 8 |
In Philadelphia‚ Jim O'Toole gives the Reds their 2nd 1-0 victory in a week when he beats the Phils today. |
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Baltimore P Chuck Estrada is finished for the season‚ with bone chips and a spur in his right elbow. |
| June 9 |
The Colt 45s beat the Giants 3-0 in the major leagues' first Sunday night game. The exception is made because of Houston's oppressive daytime heat. |
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Catcher Tim McCarver of the Cards hits an inside-the-park grand slam against the Mets to give St. Louis an 8-7 win. |
| June 11 |
At the Polo Grounds‚ Jim Maloney strikes out 12 batters to give the Reds an 8-3 victory over the Mets. |
| June 12 |
Rookie OF Vic Davalillo‚ batting .304‚ suffers a broken arm when hit by a Hank Aguirre pitch in Cleveland's 12-6 win against the Tigers. |
| June 13 |
At Candlestick‚ Willie Mays breaks up a pitching duel between Dick Ellsworth and Bill O'Dell by belting a one-out 10th inning HR to give San Francisco a 2-1 win over Chicago. Felip Alou accounts for the other Giant run with a homer‚ as the two collect all 4 of their team's hits. The Giants leave one on base. |
| June 14 |
Cleveland wins a 19-inning‚ 3-2 game 2 win over the Senators as Willie Kirkland blast two extra-inning homers. in the 11th and 19th. He matches Vern Stephens' ML record as the second ML player to accomplish the feat. The 19 innings matches the longest game ever played in Cleveland. |
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The Giants win their second in a row by a 2-1 score‚ winning with the same formula: one left on base. Tom Haller has a homer‚ one of three SF hits. The 2 men left on base ties the record for fewest left on base in two consecutive games. The NL mark was set by the Giants in 1960‚ also in two wins. |
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Al Downing's 9-2 win against Detroit puts the Yankees in first place. |
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Ernie Banks‚ with 15 HRs up till now‚ will hit just 3 after this date. He is diagnosed with sub clinical mumps‚ a disease that stays in his blood and leaves him rundown and sick. |
| June 16 |
After Los Angeles loses game 1 by an 8-3 score‚ Dodger rookie Nick Wilhite debuts with a 2-0 shutout over the Cubs. |
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The league-leading Giants maintain their half-game margin over the Cubs by splitting a pair with Houston. Houston takes the opener‚ 3-0‚ then loses‚ 4-3. Houston catcher Jim Campbell has a record tying 3 assists in the 3rd inning of game 2‚ the first NLer since Bruce Edwards in 1946. |
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Aberdeen (Northern League) 1B Jim Rouse turns an unassisted triple play in a 14-7 loss to Duluth-Superior. |
| June 19 |
Gates Brown becomes the AL's 11th player to hit a HR in his first at bat. Brown's blow is a pinch-hit blast in the 5th against Boston's Bob Heffner at Fenway in a 9-2 Tiger loss. |
| June 20 |
Larry Jackson allows just 4 Houston hits‚ and Billy Williams cracks 2 homers and a double‚ as the Cubs win‚ 5-0. Former Cub Dick Drott is the loser. |
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Behind Jim O'Toole (13-3)‚ the Reds whip the visiting Phillies‚ 13-3. O'Toole will lose his next 6 decisions and finish 17-14. The Cubs and Reds are tied for 4th place‚ 3 1/2 games behind the first place Cardinals. |
| June 23 |
Dropping a 4-0 shutout to Bob Purkey in the first of 2 games at Cincinnati‚ the Colt 45s tie a ML record with their 4th straight shutout loss. Houston finally breaks a 40-inning scoreless drought in the 2nd inning of the nightcap‚ but still loses 8-1. O'Toole and Maloney threw shutouts before Purkey. |
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Jimmy Piersall of the New York Mets hits the 100th HR of his ML career-and his only one in the NL-and celebrates by running around the bases backwards. Dallas Green of the Phillies‚ who gave up the HR‚ is not amused. Neither is Commissioner Ford Frick‚ who is in the stands. Nor are the Mets who will hand Jimmy his walking papers in a few days. The Mets whip the Phils twice‚ 5-0 and 4-1‚ behind Carlton Willey and Tracy Stallard. |
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A ML fielding record is set by Boston's 1B Dick Stuart as "Dr. Strange Glove" handles 3 first-inning grounders and tosses to P Bob Heffner for putouts. Stuart's teammates and Fenway fans give him a standing ovation. The Yankees beat the Sox 8-0. Heffner is just the second pitcher to have 3 putouts in an inning: Bosox Jim Bagby (1940) is the other. Rick Reuschel in 1975 will be the next to record 3 POs. |
| June 26 |
At New York‚ the Cubs break a 4-4 tie in the 14th when Billy Williams lines a 2-run inside-the-park home run. The 6-4 lead dissolves in the bottom of the inning when the Mets Tim Harkness hits a grand slam on a 3-2 pitch with two outs off of Cub reliever Jim Brewer. Brewer‚ in to relieve Paul Toth‚ walks Sammy Taylor to load the bases before Harkness homers to right. Cisco is the winner. |
| June 27 |
Detroit's Norm Cash achieves a rarity by playing an entire game at 1B without a chance‚ as the Twins win 10-6. |
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The Phillies Ray Culp (10-5) beats the Pirates 13-4‚ but CF Tony Gonzalez's streak of 205 straight errorless games ends with a 7th-inning muff. Johnny Callison hits for the cycle for the only time in his career. Callison adds a walk and a throw from RF to catcher Dalrymple in the 4th that nips a runner. Dalrymple homers in the 8th. |
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Chicago's Ray Herbert allows 5 Yankee singles to beat the Yankees‚ 6-0‚ and give the Sox a virtual tie for 1st. The Sox assault youthful pitching star Jim Bouton (10-3) for all their runs in the first 5 innings. |
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A meager crowd of 6‚497 fans at Fenway sees one of park's great catches. Cleveland OF Al Luplow races full tilt for Dick Williams's drive to right-CF‚ reaches over the fence‚ and gloves the ball while flipping over the barrier into the bullpen. Cleveland wins‚ 6-4. |
| June 28 |
At Los Angeles‚ the Braves Warren Spahn beats Don Drysdale‚ three-hitting the Dodgers‚ 1-0. It was the first time Spahn had beaten the Dodgers on their home grounds since Aug. 21‚ 1948 (15 years). He'd lost 14 straight: 9 at Ebbets; 4 at Memorial Coliseum; and one at Chavez Ravine. |
July
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In a classic pitching matchup in San Francisco between the 2 Hall of Famers‚ the Braves Warren Spahn gives up 9 hits in 15 1/3 innings‚ while Juan Marichal allows 8 hits in 16 innings while striking out 10. With the score tied at the end of 15‚ When asked by his manager at then end of 15 if he could go another inning Juan Marichal said‚ "If that old guy in the Braves dugout can do it‚ so can I." Willie Mays's round-tripper off Spahn at 12:31 A.M. in the bottom of the 16th gives Marichal a 1-0 win‚ the NL's longest win ended by a HR. Both pitchers go the distance in one of the greatest matchups ever. |
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In a split with the Orioles‚ Minnesota SS Zoilo Versalles ties an AL mark by making 5 errors. The Twins win 7-5‚ then lose 4-3. |
| July 4 |
The Reds drop a pair to Houston‚ losing 5-2 and 6-2. A bright spot is Vada Pinson‚ who extends his batting streak to 23 games. |
| July 7 |
3B Jim Ray Hart debuts with the Giants singling and doubling during a 15-inning‚ 4-3 squeaker over the Cards at Candlestick. In the 2nd game‚ Hart suffers a broken collarbone when hit by a Bob Gibson pitch. |
| July 8 |
Reports of Charlie Finley's intention to move the Kansas City A's to Oakland surface during the All-Star break at Cleveland. |
| July 9 |
Willie Mays is held to a single‚ but dominates a 5-3 NL win in the All-Star Game. He also walks‚ steals twice‚ scores twice‚ bats in a pair‚ and makes a great catch. It is Stan Musial's 24th All-Star appearance‚ a record. Musial's teammates comprise the starting infield for the NL: 1B Bill White‚ 2B Julian Javier‚ SS Dick Groat‚ and 3B Ken Boyer. Javier was chosen as the replacement for Pittsburgh's injured 2B‚ Bill Mazeroski. |
| July 11 |
Jim Maloney strikes out 13 in pitching the Reds to a 7-3 second-game win over the visiting Cubs. In the opener‚ the Cubs win 7-0‚ scoring 7 runs in the 11th inning. |
| July 13 |
At Kansas City in the 2nd game of a doubleheader‚ Cleveland's Early Wynn leaves with a lead after struggling through 5 innings. Four scoreless relief innings by Jerry Walker enables Wynn to score his 300th career victory 7-4. It has taken Wynn 8 tries to cop his 300th (and last) career win. |
| July 19 |
With one out and a man on in the 9th‚ Roy Sievers hits his 300th career HR to give the Phils a 2-1 win over the Mets. Roger Craig is the victim‚ his 13th straight loss. |
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Tommy Harper drives in all the runs in the Reds 5-2 win over the Giants. Harper has two home runs and a single for Cincinnati. |
| July 20 |
Both the Giants and Reds cancel batting practice (as noted by Rhodes and Snyder in Redleg Journal) because of a total eclipse of the sun. The Reds then win‚ 3-2‚ over the visiting Giants. |
| July 21 |
Jerry Lynch's ML record-tying 14th pinch-hit HR‚ a 3-run shot off the Cubs Lindy McDaniel in the 9th inning‚ ties the game‚ and the Bucs win 6-5 in 14 innings. The Cubs take the opener 5-1. |
| July 22 |
Diomedes Olivo‚ who will split his time between the Cards (5-6 in 1963) and Atlanta (International League) pitches a 1-0 no-hitter for Atlanta over Toronto. At "45 something" Olivo is likely the oldest pitcher in OB to toss a no-hitter. |
| July 23 |
At Wrigley‚ Jim Maloney pitches a one hitter as the Reds edge the Cubs‚ 1-0. Ellis Burton's single in the first inning is the only hit for Chicago. |
| July 24 |
The Royals sweep a pair at Fenway‚ winning 5-2 and 7-6. The A's Ken Harrelson homers over Red Sox bullpen in right CF‚ a rare feat for RH hitter. |
| July 28 |
The Mets' 8-2 loss at Houston is their 22nd straight away from the Polo Grounds‚ and matches the ML record by the 1890 Pirates. |
| July 29 |
Chicago's Joel Horlen flirts with a no-hitter against the Senators‚ going 8 /13 innings before giving up a bouncing single up the middle to Chuck Hinton. One out later‚ Don Lock keys a 2-1 Washington win with a home run. |
| July 30 |
The Phillies tally 11 hits off the Giants Billy O'Dell‚ but the Digger shuts them out‚ 5-0. |
| July 31 |
The Indians become the first AL club to hit 4 straight HRs. Number 8 hitter Woody Held begins with a 2-out blast off Paul Foytack‚ Pitcher Pedro Ramos follows with his 2nd of the game‚ Tito Francona makes it 3 straight‚ and rookie SS Larry Brown's first ML 4-bagger finishes the string. Foytack sets a dubious ML record-the only pitcher to give up 4 straight HRs and there won't be another reliever who surrenders 4 in an inning until Embree in 2001. The Indians win 9-5 in the second of 2 with the Angels. Fred Whitfield‚ who has a grand slam in game 2‚ hits a solo homer in game 1 off Newman for the only score. Barry Latman is the winner. |
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Ralph Terry of the Yankees‚ uses just 75 pitches in a five-hitter‚ winning 3-2 over the Kansas City A's. Terry has no walks and 5 strikeouts. |
August
| August 1 |
Ellis Burton becomes the 8th player to hit HRs left- and righthanded in the same game‚ helping the Cubs bury the Braves 10-2. |
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The Cubs edge the Giants‚ 12-11 in ten innings. The Cubs score 6 in the 8th to tie and win it in the 10th on Ron Santo's double and a single by Jimmy Schaffer. |
| August 4 |
After missing 61 games‚ Mantle returns to the Yankee lineup as a pinch hitter for Steve Hamilton. The Orioles are leading 10-9 in the 7th inning‚ when the stiff-legged Mantle golfs a line drive to tie the game at 10. The emotional Yankees win it‚ 11-10‚ after the O's take the opener‚ 7-2. |
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Dodger P Johnny Podres' bid for a no hitter is broken up with one out in the 9th inning by Johnny Temple who singles. Podres ends with a one-hit 4-0 win over Houston. |
| August 7 |
At Chicago‚ Sandy Koufax lock horns for the 2nd time this year with Dick Ellsworth‚ a battle that ends in a 1-1 draw. Koufax is removed with one out in the 10th inning‚ while Ellsworth is replaced after the 10th. The Dodgers go on to win‚ 3-1 over the Cubs with neither starter getting a decision. |
| August 8 |
Vern Law (4-5) is placed on the retired list with a sore arm. He will come back in 1964. |
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In the 5th inning‚ Frank Howard and Moose Skowron pinch-hit back-to-back HRs for the Dodgers‚ only the 2nd time this has ever occurred in the NL. Cub pitchers Bob Buhl and Don Elston are the victims. But the Cubs hold on to win 5-4 at Wrigley. |
| August 9 |
Roger Craig's NL record-tying 18-game losing streak (broken by teammate Craig Anderson) ends thanks to Jim Hickman's 9th-inning grand slam off Lindy McDaniel. New York beats the Cubs 7-3. Craig will be on the wrong end of a shutout 9 times this year: only Bugs Raymond (11 in 1908) and Walter Johnson (10 in 1909) have had more shutouts thrown at them in a year. |
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The longest game in 12 years‚ again at Forbes Field‚ takes place between the Colt 45's and the Pirates. Rain delays the start of the two games by an hour‚ then Houston outlasts the Bucs‚ 7-6‚ in 15 innings. The 2nd game is another struggle‚ this time the Pirates winning‚ 7-6‚ in 11 innings‚ on a bases loaded single by Clemente. Only 300 fans are on hand when the curtain comes down at 2:30 a.m. |
| August 10 |
In the A's 6-3 win‚ A's pinch-hit star George Alusik suffers a broken wrist when hit by the Indians' Pedro Ramos's pitch. |
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Benched for poor hitting‚ Brooks Robinson's streak of 463 straight games at third is stopped. Brooks pinch hits in the 8th inning‚ however‚ as the Senators edge the Orioles 6-5. Boog Powell smashes three homers in a losing cause. |
| August 11 |
In a New York-Penn League game at Batavia Auburn edges Batavia‚ 1-0. Paul Alspach of Auburn strikes out 24 Pirate batters. |
| August 12 |
Stan Musial announces he will retire at the end of the year. |
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Back in action for the first time since being beaned by Bob Gibson‚ the Giants' Jim Ray Hart returns to the hospital after Curt Simmons plunks him in the head. Simmons had an 0-2 count in the 9th on Hart during an easy 13-0 Cardinal win at San Francisco. |
| August 17 |
Oriole Dick Hall's perfect inning of relief against the Athletics gives him 28 consecutive batters retired since July 24th (5 appearances). The Orioles win‚ 6-1. |
| August 20 |
Mets 22-year-old rookie Grover Powell beats the Phils with a 4-0 shutout in his first ML start. In his next start he'll be hit on the cheek by a line drive off the bat of Pittsburgh's Donn Clendenon and never win another game. |
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For the second time in two weeks‚ Don Blasingame is the only thing between the Senators and a no-hitter. Blasingame's single off the A's Moe Drabowsky is the only hit for the Nats in a 9-0 game 1 loss. The A's complete the sweep with a 7-5 victory in game 2. Dave Wickersham is the winner. |
| August 21 |
Jerry Lynch's ML-record 15th pinch-hit HR gives the Pirates a 7-6 win in Chicago. |
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In the Orioles sweep of the Angels‚ Orioles SS Luis Aparicio becomes the first ML player since George Case in 1945 to reach 300 career steals. The O's win‚ 7-4 and 3-2. |
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Warren Spahn's 601st start is a modern NL record. Grover Alexander had the previous record of 600. The Braves beat the Dodgers‚ 6-1. |
| August 25 |
Cleveland batters suffer an AL-record 27 strikeouts in a doubleheader (24 innings) split against the Red Sox. The 44 strikeouts for both teams are also an AL record‚ with Dick Stuart chipping in with 6. Stuart now has 123 for the season‚ surpassing Jimmie Foxx's Sox record of 119. Bill Monbouquette fans 11 Indians in the opener and Bob Heffner 12 more in the nitecap‚ but the Tribe still manages a split‚ winning 2-1 after an 8-3 loss. |
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Jim Bouton (18-6) of the Yankees takes a no hitter into the 9th inning against the Red Sox‚ but PH Russ Nixon leads off with a single to break up the no-no. Bouton allows a 2nd single in winning‚ 5-0. |
| August 29 |
Minnesota matches the AL record with 8 HRs in a 14-2 opener with Washington‚ then wins the nightcap 10-1. In game 1‚ reliever Dwight Siebler makes his first ML start for the Nats. |
| August 30 |
The Twins' power continues in a 5-3 win over the White Sox. Minnesota has 19 HRs in 5 straight games‚ tying the ML record set by the Giants in 1954. |
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Ken Boyer's three-run homer leads the Cardinals to an 11-6 win over host Philadelphia‚ and start the Birds on a 9-game win streak. St. Louis will win 19 out of 20 to end up a game behind the Dodgers. |
| August 31 |
Trailing Houston 5-1 entering the 9th‚ Chicago's Ellis Burton clouts a dramatic 2-out grand slam off Hal Woodeshick to give the Cubs a 6-5 victory. |
September
| September 1 |
Yankees CF Tom Tresh joins teammate Mickey Mantle among 4 AL and 5 NL players to hit HRs left- and righthanded in one game. The Yanks beat Baltimore 5-4. A tired Mantle‚ who had partied the night before‚ adds a pinch homer in the 8th‚ jumping on the first pitch from Mike McCormick. |
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At Pittsburgh‚ Bill Virdon hits a 2-out game-ending grand slam to give the Bucs a 6-4 win over the Reds. |
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Tim Harkness cracks a 2-run game ending homer in the 16th to give the Mets a 6-4 win over the Braves. It is Harkness's 2nd homer of the game. |
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Cleveland takes a pair from the Tigers‚ winning 6-3 and 3-1. Mike De la Hoz hits a first inning grand slam ingame 1 for the margin. |
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P Curt Simmons of the Cardinals drives in a run with a triple in the second and then steals home on an aborted squeeze play. He also knocks in another run and beats the Phils 7-3. Simmons‚ who in his 20-year career will steal just 2 bases‚ is on 3rd base when a squeeze play goes awry‚ and beats a wide throw to home from P Chris Short. It is the last steal of home by a pitcher until 1983‚ and just the 4th in the NL in the last 40 years. Harry Dorish in 1950 stole home‚ the last time an AL pitcher did pull off a theft. |
| September 2 |
With the Senators ahead 5-3 on 4th-inning homers by Don Zimmer and Ed Brinkman‚ Nats starter Ed Hobaugh hits his only career home run in the same frame off Cleveland's Jerry Walker. The Tribe knocks out Hobaugh but the Senators hold on to win‚ 8-7. Hobaugh's homer comes on his last official at bat: in his one additional plate appearance‚ he draws a walk. Hobaugh joins Buster Narum this year as the first pitchers to have more homers than wins in a year. It'll be matched this century by Dave Eiland in 1992. |
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In game 2 of a twinbill at the Polo Grounds‚ Pete Rose hits the first pitch of the game from Jay Hook for a leadoff homer. It's the only score as the Reds win‚ 1-0. It is the first time in 29 years that a leadoff homer is the only score in a game. Jim Maloney strikes out 13 Mets in the win. The Mets win the opener‚ 5-3. |
| September 3 |
Cubs 3B Ron Santo ties the modern NL record for errors in an inning at 3B with 3 to help the Giants beat Chicago 16-3. |
| September 6 |
Baseball historian Lee Allen says the Indians-Senators game is the 100‚000th in ML history. Bennie Daniels celebrates by beating the Tribe 7-2. |
| September 8 |
Braves P Warren Spahn (20-5) ties Christy Mathewson's NL record with his 13th 20-win season by notching a 3-2 victory in Philadelphia. Gene Oliver's 2-run HR in the 8th‚ off Dallas Green‚ is the deciding blow. At 42‚ Spahn becomes the oldest 20-game winner. |
| September 10 |
Stan Musial hits a HR in his first at bat as a grandfather‚ and Bob Gibson (17-8) blanks the Cubs 8-0. |
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At New York‚ the Giants trail 3-0 after 7 innings when manager Alvin Dark sends up consecutive Alous to bat in the 8th. Pinch hitter Jesus grounds out‚ pinch hitter Matty strikes out‚ and leadoff hitter Felipe bounces back to P Carlton Willey. The Giants lose‚ 4-2. McCovey's 38th homer and Cepeda's 29th account for the SF scoring. |
| September 11 |
Angel's pitcher Aubrey Gatewood beats the Red Sox 4-1 for his first ML win. Gatewood was drafted by the Angel in the 1960 AL expansion draft‚ then drafted by the Mets a year later in the NL draft. |
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Whitey Ford tops the host A's‚ 8-2‚ as Mantle's homer in the first provides all the scoring Whitey needs. Mantle is 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs. |
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At Crosley Field‚ the Reds score 9 runs in the 4th enroute to a 14-3 thrashing of the Braves. Don Pavletich‚ batting 6th‚ hits a 2-run homer in the big inning as the Reds bat around. The bases are loaded when its his turn to bat again‚ but he's lifted for pinch hitter Gordy Coleman‚ who belts a grand slam. |
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Jim Bouton's 20th win‚ 2-0 at Minnesota‚ clinches the Yankees 28th pennant. |
| September 17 |
Sandy Koufax gets his 11th shutout‚ a modern ML season record for a lefty. His 8 strikeouts give him 306‚ an NL record‚ as the Dodgers top the Cards 4-0. |
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At Polo Grounds‚ Frank Thomas and Joe Hicks hit pinch HRs for the Mets‚ but they still lose to the Reds‚ 4-3. |
| September 18 |
Rookie Dick Nen crushes St. Louis's pennant hopes with a 9th-inning game-tying HR off reliever Ron Taylor. Ron Perranoski wins 6-5 in 13 innings for a 3-game sweep of the threatening Cards. Nen's HR is his only hit in 8 at bats with the Dodgers. |
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The last ML game at the Polo Grounds draws 1‚752 fans to see Philadelphia beat New York 5-1. Jim Hickman hits the final New York HR in the historic park‚ and Chris Short beats Craig Anderson. |
| September 20 |
The Yankees edge the Athletics‚ 5-4 in 13 innings. Rookie 2B Pedro Gonzalez helps the win by pulling the hidden ball trick in the 11th frame and tagging out A's OF Ken Harrelson‚ who had advanced to 2B after a single and a sac bunt. As noted by Bill Deane‚ Gonzalez plays only 7 games in the field this year. |
| September 21 |
Minnesota's Harmon Killebrew ties an AL record with 4 HRs in a doubleheader‚ a split with the Red Sox. Minnesota loses 11-2 after winning the opener 13-4. The Killer has 3 homers in the lid lifter. |
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Kansas City beats New York‚ 5-3‚ despite homers by Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle. For Yogi‚ it is his 358th and last home run. |
| September 22 |
For the first time‚ all three Alou brothers share the outfield. In the seventh inning‚ Matty is in LF‚ Felipe replaces Willie Mays in CF‚ and Jesus is in RF. In the 8th‚ the three are retired‚ 1‚ 2‚ 3. But the offense comes from Willie McCovey who hits three homers as the Giants whip the Mets‚ 13-4. |
| September 24 |
The idle Dodgers clinch their 2nd Los Angeles pennant when Chicago's Lindy McDaniel beats Bob Gibson and the Cards 6-3. |
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At Milwaukee‚ Jim Maloney strikes out 14 in winning his 23rd game of the year. The Reds beat the Braves‚ 4-2. |
| September 25 |
Stan Musial is named a vice president of the Cardinals by owner August Busch. His number 6 is retired. |
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At St. Louis‚ the Reds John Tsitouris pitches a 2-hit‚ 3-0 shutout over the Cardinals. Gary Kold triples in the 2rd and Dick Groat singles in the 9th. In his last 3 starts‚ Tsitouris has pitched 3 shutouts and allowed 8 hits. |
| September 28 |
Chicago's Dick Ellsworth wins his 22nd game‚ allowing 5 hits to beat Milwaukee‚ 4-1. |
| September 29 |
On Stan Musial Day in St. Louis‚ The Man has 2 hits‚ giving him an NL career total of 3‚630. His 1st hit is a 4th inning single past 2B Pete Rose. After his 2nd hit off Jim Maloney‚ driving in his 1‚951st run‚ Musial retires for a pinch runner as 27‚576 roar their approval. Rose has 3 hits in the game but the Cards beat the Reds in 14 innings‚ 3-2. |
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Dave Nicholson suffers his 174th and 175th strikeouts‚ a ML record‚ as Washington beats Chicago 9-2. |
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Houston's run of successful debuts by young rookies is capped by OF John Paciorek‚ 18‚ who goes 3-for-3 in his only ML appearance‚ driving in 3 runs and scoring 4. Brother Tom will do much better (1970-87) with 1162 hits and his brother Jim will collect 23. The Colt 45's beat the Mets‚ 13-4. |
October
| October 1 |
The season ends‚ and there are no full-schedule players in the AL for the first time since 1910. Brooks Robinson played in the most games‚ 161‚ missing only one. Ron Santo‚ Vada Pinson‚ and Bill White play the full schedule in the NL. |
| October 2 |
In the WS Opener‚ Sandy Koufax fans the first 5 batters he faces en route to a WS record 15. John Roseboro's 3-run HR is the difference‚ as Los Angeles beats the Yankees 5-2 at New York. |
| October 3 |
In game 2‚ Johnny Podres scatters 7 hits‚ Tommy Davis ties a WS record with 2 triples‚ Willie Davis drives in 2 runs‚ Moose Skowron homers‚ and Los Angeles beats Al Downing 4-1 to go 2 up. |
| October 5 |
Fans attending the first WS game at Dodger Stadium see a pitching duel between Don Drysdale and Jim Bouton. A first-inning run is all Los Angeles needs to take a 3-0 WS lead. |
| October 6 |
Sandy Koufax beats the Yanks again 2-1 for a shocking WS sweep for the Dodgers. Whitey Ford gives up only 2 hits‚ both by Frank Howard‚ who crashes a long HR in the 5th to start the LA scoring. The Bronx Bombers bat just .171 and score only 4 runs‚ the 2nd lowest total in WS history. |
| October 8 |
Frank Lane sues Charlie Finley for $144‚166 for breach of contract. |
| October 10 |
The Mets take 1B Bill Haas from the Dodgers and P Jack Fisher from the Giants‚ while Houston grabs P Claude Raymond from the Braves in a supplemental draft for the expansion teams. In the draft‚ each of the 8 original clubs was required to make available 4 players from their roster of August 31st (the Reds list 5 players). Houston and the Mets can pay $30‚000 for each of the players chosen. Haas will never reach the majors‚ and the two pitchers chosen will make contributions: the other players go unchosen. Paul Richards‚ Houston GM‚ who had originated the idea of the draft‚ had second thoughts after seeing the players made available. |
| October 22 |
Roy Hamey retires as GM of the Yankees. His surprise replacement is Ralph Houk‚ who steps up from manager (309-176) after winning 3 pennants in as many seasons. |
November
| November 4 |
The Cards acquire P Roger Craig from the Mets for OF George Altman and P Bill Wakefield. Craig was the NL's top loser the past 2 seasons with the lowly Mets‚ dropping 24 and 22 games. |
| November 7 |
C Elston Howard becomes the first black ever voted AL MVP. New York's Howard tops Detroit's Al Kaline 248 to 148. |
December
| December 1 |
ML owners agree to allow the expansion clubs 4 protected first-year players who can be optioned to the minors without being subject to a draft. |
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The ML Rules Committee bans oversized catcher's mitts‚ effective in 1965. |
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The Indianapolis and Little Rock franchises are transferred from the International League to the Pacific Coast League. The International League is reduced to eight clubs and the Pacific Coast League membership raised to 12 clubs. |
