1965 Round 1: ’65 Twins dispatch ’65 Senators in three straight.

Game 1: Minnesota 10; Washington 2. Ortega vs Grant

The Senators jumped out to a 1 – 0 lead in the second inning on a home run by Willie Kirkland, but the Twins tied in their half of the second on a single, error and RBI single by
Versalles. The Twins put the game away in the 4th with a 5 run outburst as they were the beneficiary of three walks and an error. A bases- loaded double from Jerry Kindall was the key blow. Jim “Mudcat” Grant was the winner who went 7 innings to get the win. Pleis and Boswell threw an inning each in relief.

Bob Allison with two hits and three RBIs was voted the game’s MVP.

As an aside Grant was always a nemesis for the Senators winning 10 in a row against them as a member of the Cleveland Indians causing the Senators to throw a “black cat night” when a bag full of black cats were released on the pitching mound as Grant came out to throw the first pitch of the game. It worked as for the first time the Senators beat Grant.

Game 2: Minnesota 1, Washington 0.

Bob Allison led off the bottom of the first with a blast (his second homer of the series) and that was all she wrote as Jim Kaat held the Senators scoreless through seven innings. He tired in the eighth and Bob Chance led off the inning with a double, but Al Worthington came on in relief and shut down the Senators for the final two innings yielding only a harmless single in the ninth. Pete Richert was the hard luck loser for the Senators as he yielded just six hits in eight innings of work.

 

Game 3: Minnesota 4, Washington 3. (10 innings)

Jerry Kindall known much more for his glove than his bat smacked a two out home run in the top of the 10th to give the Twins a hard earned win and the series victory. Pascual went 7 innings yielding 3 runs and Stigman, Klippstein W, (1- 0) and Worthington, S (2) shut down the Senators for the final three innings. Willie Kirkland homered (2) in the second inning to give the Senators a 2 – 0 lead but Zoillo Versalles tripled to knock in one run and scored on Jimmy Hall’s sac fly to tie the game. Versalles homered in the sixth to give the Twins the lead, but lock doubled in the bottom of the sixth and scored on Ken McMullen’s single.

The game remained tied until Kindall homered in the 10th.

Versalles and Kindall were named the series co-MVPs. Minnesota’s fearsome hitters (Killebrew, Olivo,Hall and Battey were held in check by the Senators as Allison, Versalles, and Kindall did most of the damage for the Twins

--submitted by James Clouser--.

Q-Rd: 7th seed Cards rally to eliminate 10th seeded Amazin’s in 3

GAME 1 - Sportsman's Park
Warren Spahn vs Bob Gibson
Mets 4, Cardinals 3
In a battle of future HOF'ers the elder statesman (Warren Spahn) was able to turn back the clock and for at least this day show up father time.  Spahn's day started a bit rocky.  In the bottom of the 1st Ken Boyer greeted the 45 year old southpaw with a two out solo shot to make it 1-0.  In the bottom of the 2nd Julian Javier tripled home Dick Groat and Bob Gibson doubled home Javier to make it 3-0.  Most fans at this point figured the fading Spahn was done and the young World Series MVP (Gibson) was a lock.  That's just how the script was written, until the top of the 4th.  The Amazin's sent 9 batters to the plate and scored 4 runs to give Spahnie his first lead of the game.  Joe Christopher's two run blast made it 3-2.  Greg Goossen's RBI single was followed up by Spahn executing a perfect squeeze play.  Neither team would be able to muster up any offense the rest of the way.  Spahn would end his day on the long side of the ledger after going 8 nd not yielding a run during his final 6 innings on the hill.  Dennis Ribiant shut the door on the Cards in the 9th.
Mets lead series 1-0

GAME 2 - Shea Stadium
Tracy Stallard vs Alvin Jackson
Cardinals 3, Mets 0
A three hit shutout by Tracy Stallard would be the only story today.  After giving up 2 hits in the bottom of the second to Charlie Smith and Johnny Lewis, Stallard would give up just one more safety the rest of the way (a Joe Christopher double to lead off the 4th).  New York would not get another baserunner over the final 5 innings.  While Stallard was pulling of his mastery of the Mets, his opponent Alvin Jackson, was doing the same to the Cards until St. Louis broke through for 3 runs in the top of the 6th.  Jackson was victimized by an error by second baseman Charlie Smith, but a tailor made around the horn 5-4-3 DP erased most of the trouble.  Jackson was then instructed to walk Boyer, so he could get the much more desired lefty/lefty matchup vs Tim McCarver.  The backstop from Memphis was a bit ticked off at New York's strategy as he delivered a two run double to make it 2-0.  Mike Shannon's single would score McCarver and make it 3-0, which would be more than enough support for Stallard.
Series tied 1-1

GAME 3 - Sportsman's Park
Jack Fisher vs Ray Washburn
Cardinals 5, Mets 1
An error by Washburn in the top of the 2nd led to Charlie Smith scoring to make it 1-0 Amazin's.  It stayed that way until the bottom of the 5th.  Met starter Jack Fisher was cruising until the 5th.  In fact he easily got the first two outs of the inning before Julian Javier poked a single to right.  Fisher followed that up by breaking one of baseball's unwritten rules:  "never walk the opposing pitcher".  A wild pitch and a walk to Lou Brock loaded he bases for Curt Flood, who tied the game by working out a walk of his own.  In typical Met fashion bad went to worse when Smith booted a room service hop to second to allow Washburn to score the second run of the inning.  That set the stage for Bill White to deliver the knockout blow, a 2 run single, to make it 4-1.  Curt Flood would single home Brock in the 7th to make it 5-1 as the Cards won this one walking away.
Cardinals win series 2-1

Q-Rd: Halos squeak past A’s in 3

Game 1	Game 2	Game 3

Sept 1 – Sept 3 - Dodger Stadium
Game 1 – Angels 5, Athletics 1
Newman vs. Segui
Kansas City scored first in this one as Jose Tartabull doubled home Wayne Causey in the 4th inning.  But California struck right back with RBI doubles by Bobby Knoop and Paul Schaal.  Two innings later Knoop and Schaal again doubled back-to-back to help the Halos build a 4-run lead which held to the end of the game.  Fred Newman pitched 7 strong innings to earn the win.     

Municipal Stadium
Game 2 – Athletics 2, Angels 0
Brunet vs. O’Donoghue
A pair of southpaws locked horns in Game 2.  Dick Green and Ed Charles had RBI singles in the bottom of the 6th inning to score 2 unearned runs.  And that was is it for all the scoring in this one.   Angels loaded the bases with only 1 out in the top of the 9th to make it interesting.  But John Wyatt managed to strike out the side to save the game and preserve the win for John O’Donoghue.

Dodger Stadium
Game 3 – Angels 3, Athletics 2
Chance vs. Talbot
The rubber game of the series, the Athletics struck immediately against 1964 pitching hero Dean Chance.  Jim Gentile and Ed Charles each had RBI singles to stake KC to a 2-0 lead.  California managed to tie the game in the bottom of the 7th inning on a pinch-hit RBI single by Ed Kirkpatrick and a Dean Chance squeeze bunt.  It stayed tied after 9 innings, and the game moved to do-or-die extra innings.  If the bottom of the 10th, Albie Pearson worked a walk off Moe Drabowsky with 1-out and Jose Cardenal singled him to 3rd base.  After an intentional walk to load the bases, pinch hitter Lu Clinton singles off Don Mossi to give the Angels the walk-off win and a series win.

--submitted by Douglas Zaner--

Q-Rd: Newly Named Astros win final 2 to take 2 of 3 from the Cubbies

Two teams with struggling offenses met in a best of 3 set.  While Houston had the 'Toy Cannon' Jimmy Wynn, 'Little' Joe Morgan and Rusty Staub, the Cubs had 3 bigger bats in Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Ernie Banks.  The question was - which team's big 3 would come through.  No home runs were hit in the series, clearly an advantage to Houston.

Game 1 - Wrigley Field
Larry Jackson vs Bob Bruce
Cubs 3, Astros 2
Bob Bruce allowed a run in the 1st on a Glenn Beckert leadoff double and a Billy Williams single to give the Cubs an early 1-0 lead.  In the 6th, the Astros struck for two when Bob Bruce scored on Joe Morgan's triple, which was followed by a 2 out Bob Aspromonte double for an Astros lead.  In the 9th, the Cubs big 3 came through when Billy Williams walked, Ron Santo singled and Ernie Banks double them both home for the walkoff victory.  Game MVP: Larry Jackson 8IP, 2ER, 1BB, 7K.

 

Game 2 - Houston Astrodome
Turk Farrell vs Dick Ellsworth
Astros 3, Cubs 1
Once again, the Cubs scored in the first inning. After Billy Williams doubled with 2 outs, Ron Santo tripled him in. In the 3rd, the Astros struck for 2 when Joe Morgan came through again with a 2-out, 2-run double.  The 'Stros added another in the 5th on an RBI single by Jimmy Wynn.  Turk Farrell was masterful and Dave Giusti  got the final 5 outs as the Astros survived the big bats in the late innings.  Game MVP: Dave Giusti 1 2/3 IP, 0H, 0R, Save.

Game 3 - Wrigley Field
Larry Dierker vs Bob Buhl
Astros 4, Cubs 1
The wind was blowing in today, giving the Astros a chance to keep this one close.  The Cubs took the early lead for the 3rd consecutive game when Don Kessinger's grounder scored Ed Bailey in the 3rd.  Houston tied it up in the 5th.  With 2 outs, Joe Morgan tripled and Jimmy Wynn doubled him home.  Top of the 7th, the Astros loaded the bases with 1 out, and Jimmy Wynn came through again with a bases-clearing double.  Claude Raymond pitched the final 2 innings for the save.  Game MVP: Jimmy Wynn 2-5, 4RBI.

--submitted by John Clingan--

1965 Qualifying Round – Senators survive Bosox in close 3 game series

GAME 1 - D.C. Stadium
Bill Monbouquette vs Pete Richert
Red Sox 4, Senators 2 (11 inn)
Bill Monbouquette was sharp.  He had a 3 hitter, but still had to go 10 innings to notch the victory.  If not for a Lee Thomas pinch hit RBI single in the top of the 9th Mombo stood to be the hard luck loser thanks to 2 of Washington's 3 hits being homers.  Back to back jacks by a catch and throw catcher (Mike Brumley) and a banjo hitting shortstop (Ed Brinkman) in the home half of the 3rd put the Nats up 2-1.  Pete Richert was just as sharp as Mombo, but his gas tank emptied after 7 innings.  Relievers Ron Kline and Marshall Bridges allowed the tying run to score in the 9th.  Boston threatened in the 10th, but Felix Mantilla grounded into a bases loaded DP to end the inning.  Reliever Steve Ridzik would not be so lucky in the 11th when a hit by Frank Malzone, an error by McMullen at 3rd and a intentional walk loaded he bases with 1 out.  Pinch hitter Russ Nixon hit one to the warning track to score Malzone to make it 3-2.  An in field single by Tony Horton made it 4-2, which left the Nats dead by the side of the road.  Flame thrower Dick Radatz took the hill for the bottom of the 11th and struck out the side (Brumley, Chance and Blasingame) to end the game and record the save.
Red Sox lead series 1-0

GAME 2 - Fenway Park
Mike McCormick  vs Earl Wilson
Senators 6, Red Sox 3
Ken McMullen atoned for his costly error in game 1, by delivering a key 2 out 2 run single in the top of the first to stake the Sens to an early lead.  A 2 run blast by Jim King in the 3rd made it 4-0, but no lead is safe in elimination games especially when your starting pitcher (Mike McCormick) was living dangerously on the edge.  Boston began chipping away at Washington's 4 run lead with solo runs in 3 consecutive innings starting with the bottom of the 3rd when Ed Bressoud led off with a single, then stole second and eventually scored on a sac fly by Chuck Schilling.  Lee Thomas led off with a homer over the netting on the Green Monstah in the bottom of the 4th and in the bottom of the 5th Schilling singled home pitcher Earl Wilson to make it a 1 run game.  After 7 innings of work McCormick retreated to the clubhouse and Ron Kline came on to pitch two scoreless innings for the save. Kline had some wiggle courtesy of Dick Nen's 2 run single in the top of the 9th off of Bosox reliever Arnold Early.
Series tied 1-1

GAME 3 - D.C. Stadium
Bob Morehead vs Bennie Daniels
Senators 3, Red Sox 2 (10 inn)
Bennie had his Jets going for him this afternoon until he ran out of rocket fuel with 2 out in the 6th  By that point the game looked hopelessly knotted at 1-1.  Rico Petrocelli's RBI single in the 2nd put the Sahx up 1-0.  The Nats answered back an inning later when Eddie Brinkman scored on Jim King's sac fly to Tony C in right.  Mike Brumley's solo blast off of Morehead with 1 out in the 7th looked to be the difference maker until the Bosox rallied in the top of the 9th on a Petrocelli sac fly that Frank Howard barely caught in left.  Heading into extra innings fan began to take out their Swiss army knives to cut through the tension.  Boston loaded the bases in the top of the 10th with 1 out and Lenny Green set to face reliever Frank Kreutzer.  Green hit a shot up the middle that Brinkman was able to snare thanks to the fact that he was playing Green just behind the bag in a lefty shift.  Pinch hitter Frank Malzone grounded weakly to second to end the inning.  A golden opportunity passed right through the hands of Red Sox nation and they knew it.  Expecting the game to go deep into extra innings the Nats allowed Kreutzer to lead off the inning instead of sending up a pinch hitter.  Not accustomed to hitting, Kreutzer waved feebly at 3 straight pitches and took the long stroll back to the dugout.  Second baseman Ken Hamlin lined a 2-2 offering into center for a clean single, the advanced to third on Jim King's double off the Monstah.  Nen was given an intentional pass to setup the possibility of an inning ending DP, which could easily occur with the slow footed Frank Howard strolling to the plate.  Howard, who had struck out in 3 of his 4 AB's was immediately in the hole at 0-2.  Reliever Jay Ritchie decided against wasting a pitch and went right after "the Capital Punisher" with cheddar.  Howard, as usual, swung from the heels.  This time he made contact, but barely as he sent a parachute just over the outstretched arms of Petrocelli to easily score Hamlin for the game winning and series clinching run.
Senators win series 2-1

1964 Tournament Champs: LA Angels

Heavenly!! - Angels Shock Cardinals – Halos Take 1964 Series 4 Games To 1

The Los Angeles Angels completed their improbable 1964 post season run by humbling the powerhouse St. Louis Cardinals in 5 games to win the world championship. The Cardinals had looked invincible at times in running though the National League championship series with 10 wins against just 2 losses.

But blessings abounded and miracles were aplenty as this scrappy and talented club took it to the Birds and were the better team in this series.

Game one featured Cardinal ace Bob Gibson in a match up that would seem to be heavily favoring St. Louis, as the sometimes flaky but talented Bo Belinsky toed the slab for the Angels. Both starters were sharp early, keeping the game scoreless through the first three. The Angels drew first blood in the fourth, as unheralded Lu Clinton, who had a marvelous post season, hit a two out, none on home run into the left field bleachers. After Belinsky blanked the Cards in the bottom half, the Angels tacked another run on the board, again scoring after two were out and none on. This time Willie Smith singled, advanced to second on a passed ball on a slider that eluded catcher Bob Uecker as Albie Pearson walked, and scored on a Jim Fregosi single.

The Cards got one back in their sixth as Ken Boyer and Mike Shannon singled to start the frame. Dick Groat then hit a bullet right back to Belinsky, who was able to double Shannon off of first, as Shannon slipped trying to get back to the bag - one of those Angels blessings.

Julian Javier then singled in Boyer, but was caught stealing as Uecker was at bat.

That was all the scoring in the game. Don Lee and Bob Lee combined for 3 innings of one hit ball to finish up the contest, with Bob Lee getting credit for the save.

The win set the stage for the Angels to take a commanding 2 games to none lead as the best pitcher in baseball in 1964, Dean Chance was set to face Curt Simmons in game two. But Simmons was tough as well, entering the game 3-0 in the post season with a sub-2.00 ERA.

As Chance was in prime form, mowing the Cardinals down early, the Angels hit the Redbirds for 5 runs in the first 3 innings to pretty much put the game out of reach. You aren’t likely to get 5 runs off of Dean Chance in ’64. With a run in the second, and again the rally starting with two out none on, the Angels really went to work in the third, scoring four runs, again all with two out, although the inning started with Vic Power single. Simmons got the next two hitters, but then gave up four consecutive singles as Buck Rodgers, Jim Piersall, Lu Clinton and Bobby Knoop all came through.

The Cardinals might have lost this series right there, as they managed only 3 hits off of Chance, who went the distance and simply overpowered the home club.

Game three saw a shift in venues to Dodger Stadium, but the outcome remained the same as the Angels won over a shell shocked Cardinal outfit 5-2. The Cardinals had actually tied this one up in the top of the eighth 2-2, as Ray Sadecki had kept the Redbirds in this one. Freddy Newman and Don Lee had been equally tough for Los Angeles, however Tim McCarver coaxed a bases loaded walk off of Bob Lee to plate Curt Flood with that tying run.

Ron Taylor, who pitched brilliantly in the NL championship run, came on for the Redbirds and was lit up for 3 hits and 3 runs in the Angels eighth, which included triples by Rodgers and Bobby Knoop. Bob Lee retired the Cardinals in the 9^th to preserve the win.

The Cardinals finally got off the deck in game four, as Bob Gibson came back on  short rest to pitch a three-hit shutout while the Cardinals amassed 15 hits in winning 5-0. Bill White had a 4 hit day, while Lou Brock and Mike Shannon got three safeties. Angel starter Barry Latman was the victim of most the damage inflicted by the Cardinal bats.

The Angels came out in game five undeterred, got back to the business of winning a championship, and sealed the deal with a shutout of their own and a 3-0 victory behind the masterful managing of Mr. Zaner. Zaner trotted out no less than five pitchers, as starter Bo Belinsky was forced to leave the game after only an inning and a third and throwing just 22 pitches. While the official word was a blister on his left index finger, rumors circulated that Bo might be suffering the effects of late night carousing, perhaps celebrating the Angels impending title a bit early. He was supposedly seen late into the evening at a couple of Hollywood hot spots including the Whiskey A-Go-Go with the likes of platinum blond bombshell Mamie Van Doren.

On this day it didn’t matter who was wearing the red and navy of the Angels on the mound, the Cardinals just could not get anything going on offense. Meanwhile the Angel offense pecked away at Cardinal starter Roger Craig, getting just enough runs to make it moderately comfortable. They scored one in the third on doubles by Felix Torres and Willie Smith, and two in fifth on a Torres single, a walk to Knoop, and Joe Koppe pinch hit ground out that moved up the runners, a sac fly by Smith and a run scoring single off the bat of Bob Perry.

The Lee boys, first Don and then Bob, pitched the final four innings at two innings apiece to officially close the book on the 1964 tourney.

Crown the Los Angeles Angels as perhaps one of the most unlikely, but certainly a most deserved 1964 World Championship!!

--submitted by “Bike” MIke Roberts--