Cards/Braves First Game September 1963 Notes

Oh the “nuggets” from the first game of a September 15, 1963 doubleheader between the Milwaukee Braves and St. Louis Cardinals and other games that day including Bears/Packers in the NFL!

The starters each of whom I will link to Sandy Koufax, were Bob Hendley for Milwaukee and Lew Burdette for St. Louis.

Hendley pitched a brilliant one hit game, but lost on September 9, 1965 as Koufax pitched a perfect game. The lone run was scored in an inning without a base hit.

Burdette and Sandy are the only pitchers to hurl shutouts in the 5th and 7th games of a World Series. Of course game 7 in each case was decisive.

The Bears went on to win the NFL crown, while the Cards, who surged within one game of eventual World Series winning Los Angeles (Dodgers), that day, fell short, after winning 19 of 20 games to get that close to the first place Dodgers.

I will have more notes/”nuggets” “mined” from that tilt in the days that follow.

Lew Burdette, pictured above, believe me, deserves “Hall” recognition, which he never got, more so, than some pitchers that did.

He won (3-2) in that first game, pitching a complete game (remember those?). His catcher that day, Tim McCarver does and laments the absence of them in today’s baseball. So do I.