7th Game Heroics in 1960 World Series
by B.B. Branton
posted October 13, 2009
) Photo by Pittsburgh Pirates National League MVP Dick Groat was a member of the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates who won the the 7th game of the World Series, 49 years ago today on Bill Mazeroski's home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. |
I had that chance 49 years ago today – Oct. 13, 1960 – to skip school and watch my beloved New York Yankees take on the National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh game of the World Series, but there was one hitch. I had the flu and a real bad case of it for sure.
All World Series games a half century ago were played when they are suppose to be played - in the afternoon – so kids and adults took Philco transistor radios to school and work to follow the action.
For me, the fall of the year was a great time. My Ole Miss Rebels were among the nation's elite teams in the land and the Yankees, well they were the Yankees.
The Bronx Bombers with so many world titles and heroes such as Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and others were, in most years, the best team on the planet.
But so much for brief Yankee history and back to the game at hand.
I actually remember very little about the 7th game, but the highlights I do recall are vital to how the script would end.
The eighth inning bad hop - an all but sure double play - to Yankee shortstop Tony Kubek, the smart base running by Mickey Mantle in the top of the ninth which allowed the tying run to score (9-9) and, of course, Bill Mazeroski's game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth which gave the Pirates its first world title since 1925, 11 years before Maz was born.
And an all-but-done trade the winter before, involving two players who would be factors in the '60 series, would have changed lives and the game of baseball forever. More on that later.
And what happened to Forbes Field? More on that later, as well.
Bottom of the Eighth: It was old Forbes Field in Pittsburgh and my Yanks led 7-4 and were six outs away from a title.
The Pirates scored two in the first and two in the second, before the Yanks stormed back with one in the fifth, a four-spot in the sixth and two more in the top of the eighth.
While the Yanks bats were hot, veteran left hander Bobby Shantz stopped the Pirates raly in the second and pitched shutout ball through the seventh.
Geno Cimoli batted for reliever Elroy Face (known for his effective fork ball) and opened the eighth inning with a pinch single over second baseman Bobby Richardson's head against Shantz.
And then to the top of the order.
On an 0-1 count, center fielder Bill Virdon hit a sharp grounder to steady-fielding shortstop Kubek (1957 A.L. Rookie of the Year) and to baseball fans watching in person or via national television a sure double play – Kubek to Bobby Richardson to Bill Skowron – was there for the taking.
“We thought, 'uh oh, double play,''' said former Pirates shortstop Dick Groat in a phone conversation this past Sunday as he recounted that final game.
Groat, who is part of the trade that never came to be, was in the on deck circle as the Pirates had its best hitters up for the eight.
“The ball hit a bad place in the infield and then hit Tony in the throat. So instead of two outs and none on and four outs from a possible loss, we had Cimoli on second and Virdon on first with no out and I'm up,'' said Groat who was born in Wilkinsburg, Pa.
“I fought off a few pitches trying to go right field, but then singled in Cimoli with a hit to left and we are now down just two runs (7-5).''
Left-handed hitting Bob Skinner was next and to have faced the sure fielding Shantz – who won his fourth of eight Gold Gloves that fall – would have been tough.
But Groat, the 1960 National League Most Valuable Player, noted that Yankee manager Casey Stengel made what he thought was a tactical error.
“Stengel replaced Shantz, a lefty and one of baseball's best fielding pitchers with right-handed Jim Coates,'' he said. “We (Pirate players) thought this was a mistake and our hunch proved true.''
Skinner did have the lefty-righty advantage against Coates and bunted Virdon to third and Groat to second and now there was one out. Shantz had pitched five innings of near perfect ball until the eighth, allowing only the run by Cimoli.
Stengel's move worked for one more batter, a Rocky Nelson fly out, but a historic two-out rally was about to occur.
Roberto Clemente was next and on a 1-2 pitch hit a grounder to first baseman Bill “Moose'' Skowron who planned to toss to a covering Coates for the final out of the inning and a 7-5 lead, but Coates broke from the mound too late to take the throw. Virdon scampered home to make it 7-6, Groat moved to third and Clemente crossed first safely.
Next up was journeyman, but steady backup catcher Hal W. Smith; one of two Hal Smith's (no relation) in the major leagues that season. Hal R. Smith was with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1960.
This Smith – once a Yankee, but traded to Baltimore in the mammoth 1954, 16-player deal and then on to Kansas City – had joined the Pirates in December, 1959.
Smith had batted a solid .295 with 11 home runs that season so Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh knew the catcher had some pop in his bat.
And pop he did.
On a 2-2 count, Smith his a Coates low fastball over the left field wall for a three-run homer, the Pirates led 9-7, and Smith had come back to haunt his old team.
There was pandemonium at Forbes Field and the Pirates dugout was alive.
Don Hoak's fly to left was caught by Yogi Berra for the third out, but the damage had been done
Twice the Yanks should have been out of the inning, but instead the Pirates had the lead and three outs from a title.
“We were an unbelievable underdog in the series,'' said Groat who had scored the tying run on Smith's home run. “We had to be a team of destiny.
“But what most people failed to realize was that we were a solid ball club, with no great power hitters, but good steady hitters. And we were also a good defensive team and one that came from behind in the late innings, time and time again throughout the season.''
Yankee Ninth: Hot-hitting Bobby Richardson led off the ninth with a single to raise his World Series average to .367. He would be named MVP of the series.
Former Pirate Dale Long was next and his single to right gave the Yanks the same situation the Pirates had the previous inning; two on, no out and that sent Bob Friend to the showers.
Murtaugh brought in left-handed Harvey “The Kitten'' Haddix and Stengel should have countered with a pinch runner for Long, but didn't.
Roger Maris, who would hit a record 61 home runs the next season, was next and fouled out to Smith for the first out. Maris would be named the 1960 American League Most Valuable Player.
Mickey Mantle – the second half of the famed M&M boys – singled to left sending Richardson home and Long to third.
One out, one in, two on. Stengel then sent Gil McDougald, who would retire after this game, in to pinch run for Long. McDougald was 1953 A.L. Rookie of the Year.
Up next was Yogi Berra, who played left field in Game 7.
Berra lined a ground shot to first baseman Nelson, who should have thrown to second to force Mantle, but instead stepped on first and had Mantle dead to rights for the third out and the series. But with the force at second off, Mantle somehow safely dove back to first as McDougald crossed home plate with the tying run (9-9).
Skowron grounded out Don Hoak to Nelson to send the game to the bottom of the ninth and baseball history awaited.
Bottom of the Ninth:
Fast ball pitcher Ralph Terry had relieved Coates in the eighth and faced lead off batter Mazeroski, the eighth batter in the Pirates lineup.
The scoreboard clock read 3:35 when Maz stepped in against Terry to open the inning and time stood still at 3:36 as the future hall of famer sent the 1-0 pitch over Berra's head and over the left field wall and propelled him into baseball immortality with the 10-9 win.
In an instant, the Pirates had done the unthinkable in beating the mighty Yankees in seven games.
“I played along side the game's greatest second baseman and for him to win it with the home run was tremendous,'' Groat stated.
Lost in all the hoopla of Maz's seventh game heroics, he also had hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning of Game 1 which proved to the game-winning runs in a 6-4 Pirates triumph.
Ralph Terry Footnote: 1962 World Series, 7th game in Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
Almost a repeat of 1960, Terry this time was faced with two on, two out and a 1-0 lead.
Hard-hitting lefty Willie McCovey unleashed a line shot which second baseman Richardson caught for the final out and Terry and the Yanks had another world title, the last until 1977.
The Trade That Would Have Changed Baseball.
Dick Groat for Roger Maris in 1959
At the major league owners winter meetings in late November or early December of 1959, the Kansas City Athletics and the Pirates had a hand shake deal to send Dick Groat to K.C. and Roger Maris to the Pirates.
Maris originally signed with Cleveland and was traded to Kansas City in June of 1958.
“What I was told later was that after the people from Kansas City left the room thinking that they had a done deal, Murtaugh told our general manager Joe Brown that he would not approve the trade and the it was off.
“That trade would have changed my whole life,'' said Groat who was traded to St. Louis after the 1962 season, found a new lease on life with the Cards and starred at shortstop with former Pirate minor leaguer Julian Javier who was then the Redbirds second baseman.
“I was fortunate to play with two great second basemen and win titles with both,'' Groat stated.
Consider the What Ifs: If Groat goes to K.C. in the American League, he no longer has a great second baseman to work with and most likely never makes it to St. Louis. Might have never won one, much less two world series rings.
And Who Plays Short for the Pirates?
“We had an excellent utility infielder in Ducky Scholfield, but he did not have the physical stamina to play day in and day out for an entire season,'' Groat said.
According to Groat, the Pirates would have figured this out soon enough.
Evidently Murtaugh already had done the math and nixed the Maris-Groat deal in the hotel room.
And For Maris?
The Pirates would have had a strong outfield with Maris in left, Virdon in center and Clemente in right. But it is highly unlikely that Maris would have put up similar numbers (39 home runs and 112 RBIs in 1960 and 61 home runs and 142 RBIs in 1961) which he did in Yankee Stadium with its inviting short right field fence (296 down the right field line).
Staying Put:
“How interesting that I stay in Pittsburgh, Roger goes to the Yankees and we are our league's MVP winners the next season,'' said Groat.
More Maris: Dec. 11, 1959 … a few days after the Groat-Maris deal fell through, the Yanks sent Don Larson, Norm Siebern (who hit .300 in 1959), ''Marvelous Marv'' Throneberry and an aging Hank Bauer to Kansas City for Roger Maris, first baseman Kent Hadley and utility infielder Joe DeMastri.
No M&M Boys: And if Maris had been traded to the Pirates at those meetings in 1959, there would have been no Mantle-Maris magic for 1960 and 1961.
Pirates Busy Traders: December 9, 1959 - two days before Maris is traded to the Yanks, the Pirates acquire Hal Smith from Kansas City.
And Dick Groat's Life Today: He and former big leaguers Jerry Lynch and Virdon own Champion Lakes Golf Resort about 60 miles outside of Pittsburgh (Ligonier, Pa.).
Groat also handles color commentary for Pittsburgh men's basketball and has done so for more than four decades.
Groat stated that, “My first love growing up was basketball, not baseball, and I love doing the Pitt games.''
''Jerry and I broke ground on this course on Christmas Eve of 1964 and we have been running it for the last 44 years,'' said Groat, who is in a few halls of fame including the Southern Conference and the College Basketball halls of fame “We wanted to build a championship course, but at affordable prices for the average guy and I think we have done that. I am thankful that God gave us such a great piece of property.''
There is also a nine-room, baseball-themed Bed and Breakfast on the property.
Groat said that Lynch raised his kids in the house which was on the property when they started building the course and was later turned into the Bed and Breakfast.
Two Sport Star: Groat was a two-sport star at Duke; two-time All-American and college basketball player-of-the-year in 1952 – he also played two years in the NBA - and a two-time first team All-American in baseball.
Signing with the Pirates:
Groat tells the story of how he was invited to tryout with the Pirates during the summer after his junior year at Duke.
“I was asked by Pirates scout Rex Bowers to drop by Forbes Field before going back to Duke for the fall semester and try out with the club. Well for a young college guy who grew up loving the Pirates this was the thrill of a lifetime,'' said Groat.
Pirates general manager Branch Rickey offered to sign Groat on the spot and start him the next day against Cincinnati.
“I told Mr. Rickey that I had a commitment to finish my college career at Duke, but if he would keep the offer on the table until the following spring I would sign.''
“I had tremendous respect for Mr. Rickey as all we had was a hand shake and when I came back from the college world series the next spring he gave me a contract.''
Groat started in his second game and was the Pirates regular shortstop the remainder of the 1952 season.
“George Strickland was the Pirates regular shortstop before I signed and he was great to me and helped me break in even though I took his place at shortstop,'' Groat stated. “George is a class act.''
Strickland was traded to Cleveland that summer.
Forbes Field Today: Part of the left field wall is still intact and home plate is not far away in the lobby of a building on the University of Pittsburgh Business School campus.
Each October 13 – a handful of Pirate fans and a few players gather each year on this date. Someone brings a tape of the game and starts it at 1 p.m. - the start time of the 7th game in 1960.
Pirate fan Saul Finkelstein from Squirrel Hill started this gathering in 1985. No formal reminder is sent out, but folks show up each year on this date.
A few hundred gathered on the 40th anniversary of the game in 2000 and possibly that many and more will gather in 2010.
I plan to be there and arrive a day early to play a round of golf at the Champion Lakes Course.
“I don't think I'll be there today, but will be there next year,'' said Groat.
Groat also mentioned that the Pirates' players alumni association is one of the strongest among big league teams and has raised a couple of million dollars for various charities.
Asked if the '60 team has a regular reunion.
“Several of us have a golf tournament each year in Pittsburgh the first Friday after the regular season,'' he said. “It just for the players from 1960 and we have a dinner and tell old stories and it's a great time.''
Next year's gathering at the old Forbes Field wall on Oct. 13 should be one for the ages.
Contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net.
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