Baseball: Recalling The Great 1967 American League Pennant Race Part Two

On the last day of the 1967 season the Boston Red Sox led by Carl Yastrzemski (who was brilliant in Boston’s stretch run) and pitcher Jim Lonborg (who that day won his 22nd game of the season), defeated the Minnesota Twins (5-3) and clinched at least a tie for the American League Pennant.

Then after the Detroit Tigers won the first game of a doubleheader vs the California Angels played roughly the same time as the Boston win, the Red Sox sat and listened to the broadcast of the Tigers/Angels second game.

The situation was that if the Angels won, then the Red Sox clinched their first pennant in 21 years. However, if the Angels won, then there would be a one game playoff for the A.L. flag between the Red Sox and Tigers.

The Angels won and the pennant was clinched for Boston when the Tigers’ Dick Mc Auliffe grounded into a double play for the only time all season.

It was quite a memorable race, of course one not possible now with the bogus wild card presence.