Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Blast From the Past: The Highest Leverage At Bat In Baseball History

In 1962, the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees played one of the tightest, most competitive World Series in baseball history.  The 1962 Series ended appropriately, but sadly for the Giants, with The Highest Leverage At Bat In Baseball History!  The Giants reached the World Series for the first time since moving to San Francisco by beating the Dodgers in a 3 game playoff.  The Yankees were playing in their umpteenth consecutive World Series and playing for their 20'th WS win.

Game 1 was in San Francisco with Billy O'Dell facing the legendary Whitey Ford.  Ford's WS consecutive scoreless innings streak ended at 33.2 IP in the second inning when Willie Mays scored.  The game was tied 2-2 after 6, but the Yankees pulled away at the end for a 6-2 win with Ford getting the W.  Yankees up 1 game to 0.

The Giants came back to win Game 2 behind their ace, Jack Sanford facing Ralph Terry.  The Giants scored a run in the bottom of the first and Willie McCovey hit a HR for an insurance run in the 7'th inning.  Sanford pitched a CG, 3-hit shutout for the 2-0 win.  Series tied 1 game each.

The Series moved to New York for the next 3 games.  A 3 run rally by the Yankees in the 7'th inning of Game 3 broke a scoreless pitching duel between Bill Stafford of the Yankees and the Giants Billy Pierce.  Ed Bailey's 2 run HR in the 9'th inning was too little, too late.  Yankees up 2 games to 1.

A young Juan Marichal started Game 4 for the Giants and took a 2-0 lead into the 6'th on a 2-run HR by catcher Tom Haller.  The Yankees fought back to tie it in the 6'th, but Chuck Hiller hit a grand slam HR in the 7'th, the first GS by a National League player in WS history, and the Giants won the game 7-4 with Don Larsen, yes THAT Don Larsen, getting the W in relief.  Series Tied 2-2.

Game 5 was delayed for a day by rain with Jack Sanford and Ralph Terry facing off again.  Tom Tresh hit a 3 run home run in the bottom of the 8'th and the Yankees won this one 5-3.  Yankees up 3 games to 2.

The Series headed back to San Francisco, but was delayed for 4 days by a torrential rainstorm in Northern California.  When it resumed, Billy Pierce got the start against Whitey Ford and pitched a CG 3 hitter with the Giants winning 5-2.  Roger Maris homered in the game.  Series tied 3 games apiece!

Game 7 came down to Sanford vs Terry for the 3'rd time in the series, although neither pitcher was on short rest due to the rain delay.  The Yankees scratched out a run in the 5'th inning on a DP groundout by Tony Kubek.  The score remained 1-0 going to the bottom of the 9'th inning and the home team Giants batting.  Matty Alou, pinch-hitting for reliever Billy O'Dell, reached first base on a bunt single.  Terry struck out Felipe Alou and Chuck Hiller.  Willie Mays then went opposite field for a double down in the RF corner.  Maris played the ball perfectly and got the ball quickly to Bobby Richardson, the relay man.  Matty Alou held at 3B.  That brought Willie McCovey to the plate with 2 outs, runners at 2'nd and 3'rd and the Yankees clinging to a 1-0 lead.  It's been called the single highest leverage At Bat in the history of baseball!  With Mays on 2B and the runners going on contact, any hit would likely score 2 runs for a Giants win, while an out would end the game in the Yankees favor.  McCovey had tripled of the CF fence in his previous AB but was stranded at 3B.

Willie hit a long foul down the RF line on the first pitch.  Terry jammed Willie Mac with the second pitch, but Willie pulled his arms in and hit a line drive that appeared to be going over the head and just to the left of second baseman, Bobby Richardson.  Willie Mac has said it was the hardest he ever hit a ball, but that is questionable.  What is not questionable is that the ball had enough topspin on it that it sank in the air and all Richardson had to do was take a step and glove the ball.

Game over.  Yankees win 1-0 and take the 1962 World Series 4 games to 3.

The Highest Leverage At Bat In Baseball History!

12 comments:

  1. POP! I ready your post! so interesting

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  2. Great history lesson. Something about torrential rains in northern California in October??? Our climate has come a long way, baby.

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  3. Richardson himself recounts that he had moved a bit to his left before the final pitch in response to the long drive pulled foul on the first pitch. Had he not moved, history may have been very different. And it seems the BABIP gods were in control back then, even before we knew about them!

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    1. The legend went that Richardson was actually moving to his left to smooth off a bit of infield dirt and when he looked up, the pitcher was already in his wind up, so he did not have time to move back.

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  4. Fantastic recap! Made Charlie Brown cry (along with a host of Giants Fans), A few years before my time however.

    FOX pregame guys pointed out (correctly I think) that a Royals win tonight would mean more for KC fans than a third ring for SF would for us Gigantes fans. Regardless, I think this fan base of ours is entitled to a little BABIP luck tonight - would be great to see BCraw or Panik pull a Richardson in the 9th!

    NWGiantsFan
    DtF!!!

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    1. I'm not so sure about that meaning thing. Us Giants fans have had to listen to an awful lot of crap about luck and blind squirrels and things like that. Sure, I don't feel the same emotions I did on 2010 or 2012 which was not the same as 2010, but I feel like this one was very historic. There's Bumgarner's performance which might be the best pitching performance in a World Series all time and combined with his prior performances puts him at the pinnacle of pitchers who have pitched in postseason and World Series competition. This one also all but guarantees that Bruce Bochy will someday enter the HOF as a manager and I think it also puts Brian Sabean over the top for a future HOF berth. How great is it to be a fan of an organization and witness the careers of a HOF manager and GM?

      So yeah, this one means a lot even if the euphoria is not quite the same intensity as in 2010.

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    2. I agree that this was historic - Maddy is the new Mathewson - 0.025 ERA? Simply out of this world! As I said earlier, I completely agree with your assessment that Boch & Sabes makes the HoF, and Bum probably cements his bust in Cooperstown as well.

      All that being said, I think that had KC won, the generations of fans in RoyalsVille would find the intergenerational bliss a bit sweeter for the reasons Frank Thomas & Nick Swisher alluded to. Point is moot now - congrats to you, your readers, the poor unwashed who have not yet graced your blog, and the Giants!!!! World Champs baby!!!

      NWGiantsFan
      DtF!!!

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    3. This one is not as exhilarating or emotional as the previous one, but in many ways more satisfying due to the historical significance of it.

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  5. Torture pays off once again! Runner on third, 2 out, 2nd highest leverage at bat in SFG history, and Maddy comes thru!!! I fully admit there was no logic behind it, but I called this back in ST!!!! Win 2 of 3 for Ring #3!!!!!

    YYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Hat tip to the Royals - a great franchise and great fan base!

    HoF for Bochy, Sabey & Maddy!!!

    Great bonding moment for father, son & cancer-stricken brother from across the great USA!

    Love all you guys! God Bless Amrica and God BLESS LOS GIGANTES!!!!

    NWGiantsFan
    DtF!!!

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  6. the off season already?

    hey doc, whats up in the afl

    bacci

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    1. Not much going on in the AFL. Have to say, over the years I've lost interest in the AFL. For some reason, Giants prospects just don't do well there and it means absolutely nothing. I would hold Buster Posey up as exhibit A.

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