Seeing the St. Louis Cardinals make it to the World Series for the second time in three years harkens me back to my childhood. Way back in the late 1960s, my friends, pitching reigned supreme, the Yanks stunk, and teams like the Cardinals ruled the day.
I remember many a Saturday afternoon watching Bob Gibson duel Juan Marichal or Don Drysdale. Now THAT was pitching…Fastballs up and in, Complete Games, 1-0 shutouts. Every pitch was important, every hit monumental.
The first World Series I can fully remember was the 1967 classic between the Cards and “Impossible Dream” Red Sox. I might have been the only 8 year-old kid in New England rooting fiercely for the Cardinals. Even at an early age, I could not stand The Beaneaters. Besides, the Cards had Roger Maris in right, and Roger’s posters and pictures still adorned my big brother’s side of the room. Those images had Roger in pinstripes. But here he was still trying to lay the smackdown on the Red Sox, so I was all for it.
Below is a description of how I remember my first Cardinal World Series. The next year, 1968, they would play Detroit, just like this year. But everything about 1967 for me was magic: the fear in the hitter’s eye when he faced Bob Gibson is forever etched in my mind’s eye. Wednesday, October 4, 1967
Mom let me stay home from school today to watch the first game of the World Series. It’s the Cardinals against the Red Sox and I’m really looking forward to it. Mom says that baseball is more important than school this time of year, so I guess I am lucky. Plus, I go to Catholic school and the nuns are really mean (I saw Sister Helena smack Billy Pulver the other day) so I am glad I am home watching the series.
It would be better if the Yankees were in the series, but they really stink now. Dad says the Yankees stink because they are owned by a TV station that doesn’t want to spend any money on the team, and they will be horrible for years to come because there is no farm system. Dad says that the Yanks need a single owner with lots of money who wants to win more than anything else.
If such an owner ever bought the Yanks they might even go to the World Series again some day!! Then everybody will love the Yankees! I wonder if that will happen, or if it will just be a dream?
Anyway, I am not sure if Dad is right about the Yankees having no chance in 1968. I really think this Steve Whitaker guy is good, plus we have Dooley Womack.
Well the Cardinals won the first game, 2-1. Man that Bob Gibson is scary out there. They way he stares down the hitters and he even hits some of them. A few months ago I saw Juan Marichal and Bob Gibson both take shutouts into the 10th inning on the Saturday Game of the Week on NBC. Great pitching makes the game more interesting to me than good hitting. My brother disagrees. He likes hitting.
Gibson pitched the whole game, of course, and the only run he gave up was a home run to the Red Sox pitcher, Jose Santiago. Both Cardinal runs were driven in by one of my favorite players, Roger Maris.
Thursday, October 5, 1967
I am still sick, hahaha. I get to watch today’s game too. Boy, all my friends are jealous.
Before Game #2 some old guy named Johnny Pesky threw out the first pitch at Fenway. I am not sure who he is, but he seemed to hesitate right before he tossed the first pitch into catcher Elston Howard—weird.
Today Jim Lonborg pitched and he hurled a one-hit shutout. Wow! That’s the 2nd best pitching performance in World Series history. What a job.
The announcer also said that Jim Lonborg really enjoys skiing in the off season. Is that dangerous?
Yaz had a huge day too. He went 3-4 with 4 RBIs. He must have been happy that Gibson wasn’t pitching. I tell you everywhere you go here in Connecticut, people talk about Yaz. He won the triple crown. He went 23-42 down the stretch. The A&P store is selling Yaz bread. I am hoping that next year they are selling Dooley Womack bread.
On to St. Louis with the Series tied at 1 a piece.
Friday, October 8, 1967
Off day for the series. Nothing much happened, except Sister Helena smacked Billy Pulver again.
Saturday, October 7, 1967
Today is Saturday, so I don’t have to play hooky. I had little league practice this morning, and everyone made fun of me since I wore my Yankee hat. But I don’t care how bad they are. We have Horace Clarke and you don’t—so there!
I was reading Sports Illustrated before the game, and they called the Cardinals “the best team money could buy.” I am not sure what that means but it seems that people are upset because the Cardinals are ‘buying’ pennants. But aren’t the Cardinals, and every team, supposed to try and win? Isn’t the point to put the best team on the field that you can? I wish the Yankees thought more like the Cardinals.
Wow. This article says that 2nd baseman Julian Javier makes $25,000 a year. That’s so much money I could never even count it. Maybe people are right about this overpriced team. Hmmmmm.
The Cards won today 5-2. But it never seemed too close. Nelson Briles went all the way (do the Cardinals even have any relief pitchers? Why would they need them?)
Mike Shannon hit a long home run, and Curt Flood stole a base. The Cards have something the Sox don’t: SPEED.
I noticed something else today. This young catcher on the Cardinals, Tim McCarver, sure does a lot of talking. He is always yapping to the other batters and to the umpire. Why don’t they just tell him to shut-up?
One guy McCarver doesn’t talk to is Gibson. I think ol’ Bob would drill him a new ‘you know what’ if McCarver ever went out to talk to him on the mound. No one ever does that to Gibson. They stay away.
Sunday, October 8, 1967
We all went to church today. Some lady with blue hair sat in front of me and I almost died on account of her perfumery. It was a god-awful sweet smelling yak poop perfume.
Why do ladies slabber themselves with all that stuff? I don’t get it. Yuck.
What I did get today was a taste of some really weird music. My 13-year old brother, who hangs around with 15-year olds, brought home this album called the ‘Jimi Hendrix Experience.’ Hendrix has this brand new song called ‘Purple Haze’ Wow.
Music sure is changing quickly. My Dad says that some of these singing guys take drugs, and he made my brother shut the record off, but he put it back on when my Dad went to mow the lawn.
What are drugs? Should I ask Sister Helena?
Bob Gibson pitched again for the Cards, so of course the Cards won. This time it was a 6-0 shutout. It may be the best pitched game I ever saw. Even better than Lonborg’s on Thursday because I really feel like the batters have no chance against Gibson. And if you do get a hit, man do you pay for it! One guy got a base hit, and the next time he came up, Gibson plunked him on the caboose.
When Gibson sits in the dugout, no one sits within 10 feet of him. He just glares straight ahead. He doesn’t move a muscle or even get a drink of water. Gibson will pitch Game #7 if there is one, so the Sox are in trouble.
Santiago pitched for the Sox. He got bombed out for the 2nd time. McCarver had 2 RBIs and there he was on 1st base after a single, yakking it up with Sox 1st baseman George Scott. Maybe someday McCarver will have his own TV show or something.
Monday, October 9, 1967
Well I am back in school today, but I sneaked my radio in. The Game starts at 1:30, when I will be in gym, so maybe I will get the start of the game. As long as I don’t get detention, I will get home by the 4th or 5th inning.
Dad says that maybe one day the owners and TV stations will realize that they can put the World Series on at night and make more money. I hope that never happens because then little kids like me would never be able to see the World Series and we would all turn into football and basketball fans.
Lonborg pitches. Lonborg wins. Pitching with the normal 3 days rest, Jim won 3-1, and Elston Howard got a big two-out single. (Why did the Yanks give Elston to the Red Sox this year? He is supposed to be a Yankee.)
Roger Maris got the lone run for the Cardinals with a 2 out home run in the 9th to ruin Lonborg’s shutout. My room is still filled with Maris pictures in his Yankee uniform. I do miss him, not just his homeruns, but his rifle arm.
This young guy Steve Carlton pitched for the Cards. He’s no Dooley Womack, but he may be good some day.
Tuesday, October 10, 1967
Another travel day for the series. It’s going back to Boston. Nothing much happened today, except Sister Helena smacked Billy Pulver AND Jimmy Chiavelli.
Wednesday, October 11, 1967
If my sister plays that stupid record by Petula Clark, “Don’t Sleep in the Subway, Don’t Stand in the Pouring Rain” one more time I am going to throw it in the trash like I did with that sappy song “Cherish” by the Association.
Well, The Sox came back and won 8-4. Yaz had another great day and Rico Petrocelli hit 2 home runs. It looks like the Sox may actually win this year. That would be so amazing since they were 100-1 shots to win the pennant. We get the Sox here on Channel 8 so even though I like the Yankees, I watched Yaz, Rico, Foy, Elston, Reggie, and Scott most off September. But I really miss Tony C. He was beaned by Jack Hamilton of the Angels two months ago. I hope Tony gets better, he is only 22 and is on a pace to break Babe Ruth’s home run record.
Thursday, October 12, 1967
Did I say that the Sox would win yesterday? Well I forgot that Gibson was pitching. Today he seemed to be pitching from behind shadows at Fenway.
Gibson struck out 10 sox. The Cards won the World Series in seven games. Gibson gave up 3 runs in 27 innings. All complete games, of course, and only gave up 14 hits in those 27 innings. Lonborg pitched on 2 days rest, but he didn’t have it. On to skiing season, Jim.
Another thing I noticed is that when the Cardinals get someone on base, they bunt him over. The Red Sox seem to wait for a home run. Is that a smart way to play against Gibson, Briles, and Carlton? (I know, I am only 8, so what do I know?)
But if I were a Red Sox fan, I wouldn’t worry. The Sox will be back in the series next year. They’re really good. Even Sister Helena says so.
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