A Break from Football–Remembering 1962 National League Baseball

In the midst of all the Super Bowl hype, my thoughts turn to baseball, pure baseball when teams had to finish first and publications other than The Wall Street Journal were popular reading matter among the players.

Where oh where is 1962 in the National League? That year as was the case 11 years earlier, the Giants rallied in their last at bat of a decisive third game of a playoff, to win the pennant vs the Dodgers. In 1951 the New York Giants beat the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In 1962,the teams were situated three thousand miles to the west, the Giants in San Francisco and the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Again the losing Dodgers had to go home, not to the post season as the wild card team. The drama was so much greater than if there had been the “safety net” of a wild card berth for the playoff or pennant runner up.

Thoughts abound concerning the likes of Orlando Cepeda and his 46 home runs in 1962. Willie Mays also of the Giants and his two home runs in the first playoff game.

Maury Wills of the Los Angeles Dodgers stole 104 bases and Tommy Davis also on the L.A. team, had one of the great offensive seasons ever.

Also 1962 was the New York Mets’ first season. A great year indeed!

Click for a surprising 1962 video