Game 3 - Cardinals 7, Cubs 4

3 run blast

Wrigley Field - 8/4 - Game 3
Curt Simmons vs Bob Buhl
Cardinals 7, Cubs 4

After spotting the Cubs 2 quick runs in the home half of the 1st Simmons found his stride and kept Chicago's lineup at bay.  Buhl, who would be gone after 4 innings was victimized for 5 runs in the top of the 3rd.  Bill White's 2 run single and Ken Boyer's 3 run homer helped the Redbirds rack up more than enough runs.  Curt Flood's RBI triple in the 4th made it 6-2 and the Cards never looked back.  A two run double by Andre Rodgers in the bottom of the 8th gave the Cubbies a slim measure of hope, but Simmons was able to pitch a scoreless 9th to get the complete game victory.

Cardinals win series 3-0

Game 1 - Cardinals 2, Cubs 1

1 run in 8 innings

8/2 - Game 2
Dick Ellsworth vs Ernie Broglio
Cardinals 2, Cubs 1

A two out RBI double by Ken Boyer was followed up by a RBI single by Charlie James to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead in the first.  Ernie Broglio would not allow a run until the 6th when Ron Santo singled home a young enigmatic lad named Lou Brock.  Billy Williams would hold up at third and wind up getting stranded there.  Chicago would not get another scoring opportunity as Broglio was on his game as was reliever Ron Taylor, who pitched a scoreless 9th to save it.
Cardinals lead series 2-0

Round 1 - Game 1 - Cardinals 7, Cubs 6 (15 inn)

Sportsman Park - 8/1 - Game 1
Larry Jackson vs Bob Gibson
Cardinals 7, Cubs 6

scored winning run

Gibson fanned 10 and walked none, but he allowed 4 runs (2 earned) in what Cub manager Michael Hopcroft called "an extra inning extravaganza".  The Cubbies carried a 1 run lead into the bottom of the 9th as Jackson handed the ball off to reliever Don Elston.  Things looked good as Elston quickly got 2 outs, but he could not seal the deal thanks to an unlikely source for power, Julian Javier.  With 2 out and a 2-2 count the Cardinal secondbaseman hit one that barely made it out to tie the game up at 4-4.  Neither team would score again until the Cubs scored 2 runs in the top of the 15th off of Bobby Shantz thanks to a timely 2 run shot with 2 outs by "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks.  Once again Chicago's pen was entrusted with protecting the lead and one more time they came up short.  After pitching 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief Lindy McDaniel came back out to close it out in the bottom of the 15th only to get knocked around by the Redbirds.  A leadoff double by Ken Boyer was followed up by a plate appearance by the aging veteran Stan "the man" Musial.  Stash couldn't catch up to the heater and went down swinging for out #1.  That would be the final out that McDaniel and the Cubs would record on the day.  Back to back to back singles by George Altman, Tim McCarver and Julian Javier tied the game.  A wild pitch by McDaniel while Curt Flood was batting allowed McCarver to scamper home with the winning run.

Cardinals lead series 1-0

Game 4 – Dodgers 1, Pirates 0

Aug 5, 1963 – Forbes Field
GAME 4 - LAD 1, PIT 0
Sandy Koufax vs Bob Friend
Competitors like Bob Friend and Sandy Koufax are prideful men who can not live with the type of subpar performances that they port forth in game 1.  Both men took the hill with the sole purpose of showing the fans that what they saw 4 days ago was just an aberration.  For 8 fantastic innings both hurlers posted goose eggs on the board.  LA had their chances to score off of Friend, who was able to get out of jams in the 1st, 3rd and 7th innings.  LA kept knocking on the door, but they just couldn't find anyone home.  On the other side of the tracks Sandy Koufax was locked and loaded and ready to dominate.  A second inning lead off double by Bob Bailey would be the only hit the Bucs would get on the day.  This meant that Friend had no margin for error.  That error would occur in the the top of the 9th.  Maury Wills would lead off with a clean single.  Friend tried to concentrate on the task at hand, getting Junior Gilliam out, but in the back of his mind he had to also focus on the speedy Wills on first.  Gilliam, who has been executing hit and runs like it was mere child’s play since his early 50's beginning in Brooklyn, lined an outside pitch into left.  Wills easily raced to third to put runners on the corners with nobody out.  The infield was drawn in, but it didn't matter as Ron Fairly floated a fly ball to center that had more than enough distance to score Wills.  With the scoreless deadlock broken the Bucs were in trouble.  LA failed to push ahead an insurance run, but it didn't matter one bit as Koufax set the Bucs down in the 9th to close out the game and the series.  Sandy would get himself a 1 hit shutout and fan 8 on a day when his stuff was electric, because it had to be.
Dodgers win series 3-1

Game 3 – Dodgers 8, Pirates 2

Aug 4, 1963 – Forbes Field
GAME 3 - LAD 8, PIT 2
Johnny Podres vs Don Schwall
The Dodgers got to Don Schwall, the 1961 AL ROY, early and often.  Schwall, who had such an outstanding freshman campaign in Boston, has never been able to live up to all the hype since he arrived last year in a trade with Boston.  In fact backstop Jim Pagliaroni, who hit a solo shot in the 4th, has turned out to be a more valuable part of that trade, which sent Dr. Strangeglove, Dick Stuart, to Beantown.  Junior Gilliam tripled with two out in the 3rd to score John Roseboro, who led the inning off with a single.  Ron Fairly followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0.  After Pags' homer made it 2-1 in the 4th LA scored 2 more in the 5th to end Schwall's day.  Maury Wills worked out a lead off walk, then tortured Schwall into throwing over 3 or 4 times.  That took his focus away from the batter (Jim Gilliam) and Junior delivered a clean single to put runners on 1st and 2nd.  Fairly bunted the runners up 90 feet and Tommy Davis was then given an intentional pass.  Up came "Hondo", Frank Howard.  The 6'7" behemoth of a man just got under a ball that carried all the way to the warning track to easily score Wills.  Willie Davis singled home Gilliam to make it 4-1.  A sac fly by Gene Alley scored Clendenon to make it 4-2.  LA would score solo runs in each of the remaining 4 innings to put the game out of reach.  Johnny Podres would go the distance and allow just 2 runs, while fanning 5.  Pirate relievers Harvey Haddix and Elroy face were ineffective at best.
Dodgers lead series 2-1

Game 2 – Pirates 2, Dodgers 1

Aug 2, 1963 – Dodger Stadium
GAME 2 - PIT 2, LAD 1
Don Cardwell vs Don Drysdale
Maury Wills booted Donn Clendenon's lead off grounder, then went to third on a single by Bill Mazeroski on a perfectly executed hit and run play.  Roberto Clemente took Don Drysdale deep enough to allow Clendenon, the 1969 World Series MVP, to score easily.  Jerry Lynch hit one to the warning track that would have been a 2 run homer in Forbes field, but turned out to be just another long out in Dodger Stadium.  Drysdale again found trouble by way of back to back singles by Bill Virdon and Bob Bailey.  After "Ducky" Schofield struck out, Don Cardwell singled through a drawn in infield to make it 2-0.  Drysdale was not happy that his opposing number got the best of him at the plate and it showed as he brushed Clendenon back then struck him out looking.  Tommy Davis would lead off the second and get a hold of one that Jerry Lynch had to track down along the low riding fence on the left field line.  Frank Howard was caught looking at a called strike three, but "3-Dog" Willie Davis sliced a double to left and John Roseboro singled him home to make it 2-1 after 2 innings of play.  Most folks in the stands were beginning to think that they were going to see another high scoring affair like game 1.  What they had in store was a vintage pitcher's duel the rest of the way.  Drysdale would go the distance and not allow another run.  Cardwell would go 8 then give way to Al McBean, who would set the Dodgers down in order in the 9th to protect the 2-1 victory.
Series tied at 1-1

1963 Round 1 – Game 1 – LA 8, PIT 6

Aug 1, 1963 – Dodger Stadium
GAME 1 - LAD 8, PIT 6
Bob Friend vs Sandy Koufax
What would the odds be that both aces would wind up not surviving the second inning of  a game played in pitcher friendly Dodger Stadium ?  Now throw into the mix that one of those aces was the immortal Sandy Koufax and the odds are astronomical.  Still, that’s exactly what happened.  Koufax barely survived 2 innings on the hill.  His many protagonist was Roberto Clemente who hit a pair of 3 run homers in back to back innings.  On most days if you score 6 runs off Sandy in 2 innings you are in the driver’s seat, but not today.  Not on a day where Bob Friend gave up 5 runs in the same span.  Friend was given the gift of offensive support vs the normally unhittable Koufax and he squandered it.  An RBI single by Tommy Davis in the first and a 2 run RBI single by TD in the second knocked Friend back down to reality, so he was replaced by Elroy Face, who  himself would not survive the 4th.  LA would score 3 runs in the 4th to take an 8-6 lead.  Tommy Davis once again had an RBI single (his 3rd of the day).  With Face and his understudy, Tommy Sisk, paying way too much attention to Maury Wills, Dodger hitters (Jim Gilliam & Davis) did damage.  The unsung hero was Dodger swingman Bob Miller, who pitched 5 scoreless innings in relief of Koufax to get the win.  Ron Perranoski would toss 2 scoreless innings on the back on to nail down the save in a game the Pirates let slip away.
Dodgers lead series 1-0

1963 Tournament - Qualifier Round - BOS sweeps anemic Nats in 2

GAME 1 - Fenway Park - BOS 2, WAS 1
Claude Osteen vs Bill Monbouquette
If you love pitching, you'll love this series.  The arms had it going as it took until the top of the 4th for a run to be scored.  Chuck Hinton would lead off the inning with a flare to right.  After Jim King flew out Hinton stole second easily as Russ Nixon's throw tailed toward the second base side of the bag.  Jim King flew out to right for the second out, which left it up to Bobo Osborne to get a 2 out hit.  Osborne fought off a jam job by Mombo and sliced it into right to score Hinton for what would amount as the Nats only run of the series.  A solo homer by "Dr. Strangeglove", Dick Stuart would tie the game at 1-1 in the 6th.  A comedy of errors would seal Washington's fate in the 8th.  After Chuck Schilling led off the inning with a single, Yaz followed with a walk.  Stuart flew out to center for the first out of the inning thanks to some clutch pitching by crusty veteran reliever Ed Roebuck.  Lou Clinton would strike out looking for the second out, which firmly put the pressure on Frank Malzone to produce the go-ahead run.  Malzone didn't need to produce everything thanks to Roebuck gift wrapping a freebie.  A passed ball charged to catcher Ken Retzer could have easily been recorded as a wild pitch.  That put runners on 2nd and 3rd.  Roebuck had Malzone in trouble with 1-2 count.  Instead of focusing all of his attention on the batter he looked toward Schilling at third, who had no intention of budging.  A slight flinch by Roebuck became a balk, which allowed the go ahead run to be scored.  Game over.  Mombo would put the Nats down in order in the 9th to end it.
Red Sox lead series 1-0

GAME 2 - D.C. Stadium - BOS 2, WAS 0
Bob Morehead vs Tom Cheney
Washington's anemic offense sputtered further into oblivion and found a way to make Dave Morehead look like Dave McNally.  The Nats would get just 3 hits on the day with their first one coming in the 5th.  By that time the Sahx had 2 runs, would felt like 20 with the way Morehead was dealing.  Hard to pin the blame on Cheney, who gave up only 2 runs, while fanning 8 in 8 innings of work.  Cheney would have had to have been perfect to match Morehead, who fanned 9 in 8 innings.  Boston scored in the top of the 1st with a RBI single by Frank Malzone.  A solo shot by Yaz would give Boston an insurance run that they would never need to count on.  Dick Radatz finished out the game by throwing aspirins iin the 9th.
Red Sox win series 2-0

1963 Tournament - Qualifier Round - PIT sweeps HOU in 2 one run games

GAME 1 - Forbes Field - PIT 5, HOU 4
Ken Johnson vs Bob Friend
Houston struck first with 2 in the 3rd thanks to back to back RBI singles by Al Spangler and Rusty Staub.  A 2 out 2 run single by Dick Schofield tied the game.  A errant throw by Bob Aspromonte extended the inning and allowed Schofield his chance.  Three runs in the bottom of the 5th looked to put the game away.  Bill Mazeroski's RBI double scored Bill Virdon, who led off the inning with a clean single.  Back to back RBI singles by Willie Stargell and Donn Clendenon made it 5-2 and ended Ken Johnson's day.  Carl Warwick's one out single scored Staub to make it 5-3.  Bob Bailey's error at third allowed catcher John Bateman to score, which made it a 1 run game.  Elroy Face would be called on to put the fire out and protect the lead in the 8th with one out.  Face would allow just 1 hit as he notched the save.  Al Spangler's 3 for 5 day was wasted.  Stargell went 2 for 3 and scored 2 runs for the Bucs.
Pirates lead series 1-0

GAME 2 - Colt Stadium - PIT 2, HOU 1
Don Cardwell vs Don Nottebart
In the battle of the "Don's", Pittsburgh would get all the runs that Don Cardwell would need in the 4th.  Stargell's one out double put him in scoring position for Don Clendenon who hit a double himself.  Three walks in a row, including one to the pitcher (Cardwell) plated the second run.  Cardwell was cruising until the bottom of the 9th when Bob Lillis and Pete Runnels led off the inning with back to back singles.  Carl Warwick's grounder back to the box advanced the runners 90 feet closer to scoring.  With 2 lefties scheduled up Cardwell's day was done.  He was masterful for 8 1/3 innings.  Lefty Bob Veale came on board and quickly dispatched Spangler and Staub with weak grounders to short to end the game.
Pirates win series 2-0

1962 LA Dodgers Tournament Champions

1962 WS GAME 5 - GAME 5 - Dodgers 4, Angels 3

Pete Richert vs Dean Chance

Jumbo Frank

Everyone expected the Dodgers to start a lefty.  The lefty we all expected to see was Koufax, but instead he was held back for game 6 and another lefty, Pete Richert was given the ball.  Richert would face Angel ace Dean Chance, who had the added pressure of knowing he needed a win to stave off elimination for his team.  Frank Howard's solo homer to lead off the top of the 2nd broke the ice.  Bill Moran's solo shot with 1 out in the bottom of the 3rd tied it at 1-1.  After being hit in the ribs by Chance to lead off the top of the 4th Willie Davis easily stole second, which turned out to mean absolutely nothing since Howard walked on the next pitch.  Ron Fairly came to the plate looking to bunt the runners up 90 feet.  His bunt rolled 5 feet in fron of the plate.  Rodgers jumped out from behind the plate to field it cleanly, but his throw to third sailed over Felix Torres' head, which allowed Davis to easily score.  A grounder to short by Spencer would score Howard and a wild pitch by Chance would allow Fairly to race home for the third run of the inning.  With the score 4-1 and the Dodgers leading the series 3-1 most in attendance felt that the game was over.  The Angels however were not about to go quietly and cut the lead in half when Bilko singled home Fregosi in the bottom of the 6th.  Richert would exit the game after completing 7 solid innings worth of work and striking out 5 without walking a batter.  He safely handed over a 4-2 lead to Ed Roebuck who struggled in the 8th, but was able to wiggle out of trouble thanks to an around the horn DP off of Moran's bat.  Roebuck would start the 9th by beaning Bilko with a fastball that just got away from him.  The next batter, Torres would ground to second and push Bilko up 90 feet into scoring position.  Down by 2 runs the Angels needed more than just situational hitting.  They needed runs and they needed them quick.  Ron Perranoski was brought on to replace Roebuck and face lefty Lee Thomas, who hit a one hopper to second that Junior Gilliam allowed to play him.  Gilliam attempted to field it on the short hop and instead watched it go off the heel of his glove to put runners on the corners.  Buck Rodgers was up next and he hit a similar shot to short, which netted the same result.  The normally sure handed Maury Wills' error allowed Bilko to score and now the Dodgers lead was just 1 run with runners on 1st and 2nd.  Albie Pearson, who doesn't fare well vs lefties, stepped to the plate.  On the third pitch he fought off a slider and hit a room service hop to Wills who this time fielded it cleanly.  Maury flipped it to Gilliam, who cleanly pivoted and threw a dart to Fairly for the final out of the game and the series.  The city of Angels was in celebratory mode as the veteran Dodgers won the series and the upstart Halos were heralded for their unlikely march to the AL pennant.

Dodgers win series 4-1

1962 WS GAME 4 - Dodgers 9, Angels 6

Don Drysdale vs Ken McBride

6 2/3 inn of no hit ball

Big D had it going from the onset.  By the bottom of the 7th inning the Halos were still hitless and the Dodgers had themselves a 7-0 lead.  After getting the first 2 outs in the 7th Don Drysdale jammed Lee Thomas, who fought it off to drop one into right to break up the no hitter.  Pinch hitter George Thomas would then walk to put runners on 1st and second.  Buck Rodgers would hit a dribbler up the first base line that Ron Fairly hurried and wound up booting for an error that loaded the bases.  Quickly things went from bad to worse as Yost lined a 2 run single to right to make it 7-2.  Koppe would follow with an RBI single of his own to make it 7-3.  In the top of the 8th the Dodgers would answer back with 2 run of their own to make it 9-2.  Game over...well not so fast.  Drysdale was still rattled from the previous inning and the Angels knew they still had a chance if the got to him quickly.  Albie Pearson kept fouling of pitch after pitch, which succeeded in irking the tall right hander.  Eventually Drydale missed the strike zone and Pearson worked out a walk.  Moran lined a single to left to put runners on 1st and second.  Drysdale was now at defcon-1 and proceeded to brush back Leon Wagner with two pitches that came very close to surgically removing his right ear.  Drysdale then reared back and blew 3 hard ones right by the Angels slugger for the first out of the inning.  That same approach was aimed at Lee Thomas, but was met with a negative result for Big D.  Thomas stood his ground and lined one into left center to score Pearson.  A ground out by George Thomas scored Moran and a wild pitch from the downright furious Drysdale scored Thomas.  The score was now 9-6.  This game was a laugher just 2 innings earlier and now it was one of those wild games that you usually see in Wrigley.  After Bobby "Boom" Botz got the Dodgers to go down in order in the 9th Drysdale returned to the hill to close it out in the bottom of the inning.  Popular convention would have dictated that the big man would be through, but he was not going to be denied his opportunity of redemption.  After tossing 314 innings in the regular season and earning the league's Cy Young award, Drysdale earned his right to close out this game.  His first victim was Eddie Yost who fanned on 4 pitches.  Koppe grounded weakly to third for the second out and pinch hitter Ken Hunt is still standing at home plate shaking his head at a borderline called strike that ended the game.

Dodgers lead series 3-1

1962 WS GAME 3 - Angels 6, Dodgers 3

Johnny Podres vs Don Lee

2 run shot by Koppe

The day off didn't require either team to travel since both call Dodger Stadium home.  The venerable Walter O'Malley was the happiest man in the valley since he owns the venue and would gather in most of the gate receipts when all was said and done.  O'Malley, who moved the club 3,000 miles west from their ancestral home in Brooklyn just 6 years earlier must have had a smile on his fact to see one of his old Brooklyn stars, Johnny Podres, starting.  Podres, who shutout the Yankees in game 7 of the 1955 World Series to give Brooklyn it's only World Championship, was called upon to start game 3.  Podres looked sharp for 4 innings and had a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the 5th when the wheels began to come off his wagon.  The Halos, who to this point had been shut out for 23 consecutive innings were more than overdue.  Billy Moran would lead off the inning by working out a walk.  The "walking man" Eddie Yost followed with a two bagger to put both runners into scoring position for Leon Wagner, who lined an RBI single to right.  Steve "Sgt" Bilko followed with an RBI single of his own to give the Halos their first lead of the series.  George Thomas' around the horn 5-4-3 DP looked to end the inning, but Podres was not to be that lucky.  Joe Koppe, who normally isn't a long ball threat was looking fastball and got the famed Podres change, but since his bat speed is not all that quick he was late as usual.  His lateness translated into a 2 run homer that made it 4-1.  "Jumbo" Frank Howard, who returned to the lineup after missing most of game 1 and all of game 2 hit a majestic shot that went to the back row of the left field pavilion to make it 4-2.  Podres would return in the 6th hoping to right the ship, but a 2 run pinch hit single by rookie Jim Fregosi contradicted that notion.  The Angels were now up 6-2.  Don Lee would exit the game on the winning side of the ledger after 6 innings of 2 run work.  Dan Osinski went the next 2 and gave up nothing.  Tom Morgan came on in the 9th and gave up a 1 out triple to John Roseboro, who scored on Wally Moon's pinch hit single to cut the Angels lead in half.  Morgan would easily get the next two out to lock down the Angels first victory in the series.

Dodgers lead series 2-1

1962 WS GAME 2 - Dodgers 4, Angels 0

3 hitter by Koufax

Bo Belinsky vs Sandy Koufax

After being dominated by Drysdale the Angels found themselves staring down the barrel of a loaded gun in the form of Sandy Koufax.  The Dodgers emerging star lefthander, who in the past struggled with his control looks to have put it all together.  Today he flat out dominated going the distance and tossing a 3 hit complete games shutout.  Koufax did walk 4 to make it interesting, but he also fanned 7 including Leon Wagner and Steve Bilko back to back with the bases loaded with no out to get out of a jam in the 3rd.  That would be the Halos best chance to score off the dominating lefty.  Belinsky was keeping pace with Koufax until he allowed a solo run in the 5th when Maury Wills singled home Johnny Roseboro with 2 outs.  Belinsky tired quickly and left after 5 innings of work.  Ken Bowsfield would relieve Belinsky and become a victim of his own poor fielding in the 6th.  After Willie Davis led off with a double, Belinsky booted a grounder back to the box by Tommy Davis to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. Fairly's ground out score 3-Dog and Daryl Spencer's single two batters later scored T.D.  In the 7th catcher Buck Rodgers airmailed his throw while fielding Junior Gilliam's bunt attempt to put runners on 1st and 3rd.  A ground out by Willie Davis scored Maury Wills easily from third to make it 4-0.  The way Koufax was dealing you could have shut your TV set right then and there.  Many fans did and nobody missed anything.

Dodgers lead series 2-0

1962 World Series Game # 1 - Dodgers 1, Angels 0 (10 in)

One last hurrah for the Silver Fox

GAME 1 - Dodgers 1, Angels 0 (10 inn)
Dean Chance vs Don Drysdale

Chance and Drysdale went toe to toe posting goose eggs for 8 innings until Chance tired and had to be replaced by Art Fowler.  After 9 innings of play neither offense could muster up a run, so the game headed to extra innings.  By this point the book was closed on Chance, who went 8 1/3 innings, struck out 4 and scattered 8 hits without allowing a run.  Don Drysdale is an imposing figure on the hill and his size, strength and resolve allowed him to continue on into the 10th where all he allowed was a 2 out single to Fowler.  After Albie Pearson grounded out to end the top of the 10th Tommy Davis led off the bottom of the inning with a clean single to left center.  Next up was the aging Duke Snider, who came into the game in the bottom of the 2nd when Frank Howard pulled a muscle in his leg on a grounder to short.  The aging Snider, who is light years past his mega star days in Brooklyn, hit a one hopper to Lee Thomas at first.  Thomas, who usually plays right field, became a defensive liability as he booted Snider's grounder as the "Silver Fox" easily made it to first.  Ron Fairly followed by hitting into a 6-4 fielder's choice, which allowed Davis to move 90 feet from ending the game.  That end would come during the next at bat as Wally Moon lined a clean single to left field to score Davis and give Big D his much deserved 6 hit complete game shutout victory.

Dodgers lead series 1-0