1960 World Series Game 7 Notes
Pirates 10 Yankees 9
The epic, not so arguably greatest baseball game ever when one considers importance and excitement, game 7 of the 1960 World Series was won by the Pittsburgh Pirates by a (10-9) score vs the New York Yankees.
In a period from (1923-1962), the Yankees won an incredible 20/half of the forty contested World Series. In periods from (1927-1962) and (1936-1962) they won more than half, (19 of 36 and 16 of 27) the World Series played.
Meanwhile the Pirates, who had rallied from a (7-4) deficit to lead (9-7) going to the ninth inning, as they had in a Thursday home 7th game at Forbes Field, 2 days shy of 35 years earlier, won the game and their first title since that one in 1925 by a (10-9) score.
In 1925 they held on to win (9-7).
Bill Mazeroski hit into a double play to end the 7th inning and after Pittsburgh sent 8 men to the plate, scoring 5 runs, capped by the always ought to be mentioned, but so often is not, Hal Smith 3RHR, “Maz” was the first batter in the bottom of the 9th.
Two Pirates batters, the aforementioned Smith and then Don Hoak (as was the case with Dick Groat of the ’60 Pirates, Hoak was on two teams that 7’d the mighty Yankees in World Series play. Groat, as noted by the classy Bobby Richardson, on a show replaying this classic game, later played on the ’64 Cardinals while Hoak was a defensive replacement and either first or second to embrace John Podres, after his brilliant game 7 pitching finally brought a title to the Brooklyn Dodgers), to end the 8th, flying out to Yogi Berra in left before Mazeroski was a third straight Pirates’ player to hit a ball toward Yogi in left and the second to clear the wall a long way out in Forbes Field.
The first episode of “What’s My Line” in 1961 was extraordinary.
The great Lucille Ball (movies, iconic in her television show “I Love Lucy,” and then so glad to be on Broadway in “Wildcat”) was the mystery guest.
Panelists were Arlene Francis, then rising and eventual great comedian Shelley Berman, Bennett Cerf and movies and television star, Faye Emerson (Mr. Cerf announced Dorothy Kilgallen had a shoulder injury thus Faye Emerson, who “only had a broken leg?” was substituting.
John Charles Daly, an iconic one, is the show’s host.
Enjoy!
That is the beautiful Faye Emerson, pictured above, while appearing in the 1961 first of the season, “What’s My Line” television show.
One of the greatest teams in NFL history, the 1973 Miami Dolphins, many, including me, believing they were even better than their undefeated team the season before.
Miami under Don Shula had a (12-2) record, one loss in a meaningless game vs the Baltimore Colts in the penultimate regular season game, the other before an incredible Oakland Raiders’ crowd not at the Oakland Coliseum, but in Berkeley, California.
Certainly Miami won much easier in the 1973 post-season than in 1972, but some of that manifested from the fact in the days before the better record gained home advantage, the arbitrary method of ascertaining home advantage, forced an undefeated ‘Phins” team to sojourn to Pittsburgh, for the 1972 AFC title game.
However the incredible domination by the run first, short pass Miami team, most evident in a methodical win vs a very good Minnesota Vikings’ team in the 8th Super Bowl, puts that 1973 team just about at the top of the list for any one NFL season.
Running greats Larry Csonka (number 39) toting “the pigskin” with #22 “Mercury” Morris blocking, teamed with Jim Kiick to form arguably the greatest one team trio of running backs in NFL history.
Dizzy Dean pitched a shutout in the Cardinals’ (11-0) win in game 7 of the 1934 World Series.
He also doubled to start the Cards’ big 7 run rally in the third inning of the decisive game.
Frankie Frisch, a true great and later a long time broadcaster, best known for bemoaning the issuing of walks (“oh those bases on balls”) had the big hit, driving in 3 runs with a double of his own.
Ripper Collins had 4 hits in the game.
The great Dizzy Dean, pictured above.
Once again for the weekend’s baseball series, there are 3 World Series rematches with that many involving teams with World Series winning or losing streaks of at least two.
Let’s start with one that rematches the same city opponents from 119 years ago, the White Sox and Cubs. In that only all Chicago, 1906 World Series, the White Sox, known as “The Hitless Wonders” 6’d what was a great Cubs 116-36 (still the best percentage ever in baseball) team, that won the next 2 world series and not another for 108 years until their last final round/W.S. appearance in 2016.
Meanwhile the White Sox whose title drought, was 88 years from 1917 until 2005, also won in their last World Series appearance, sweeping the then National League, Houston Astros in he minimum 4 games.
Both the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees lost in their most recent World Series appearance. The L.A. Dodgers 5’d the Yankees in the 2024 version while after the Yankees 6’d the Phils in 2009, the Houston Astros won their second title, both as an American League team/W.S. representative 6’ing the Phils in 2023.
Both the Boston Red Sox and aforementioned L.A. Dodgers have W.S. winning streaks, the Red Sox with 4 straight wins after their 86 year title drought ended in 2004 while the Dodgers won titles in the last two presidential election years, 2020 and 2024.
Left to right Al Schacht AKA “The Clown Prince of Baseball,” who performed at many a game, and Nick Altrock, a (20-13) member of the 1906 champion Chicago White Sox.
From Wikipedia:
Police protect Nick Altrock from crowds after pitching a 4 hitter during game 1 of the 1906 World Series. Notice that they are on the infield, as it was common practice for fans to walk on the field after a game.
Nick actually made player appearances in 5 different decades, something only Minnie Minoso accomplished in major league (N.L. or A.L. —in both cases all American League) baseball games.
I met Eileen Fulton, as stated above a vibrant great who died at age 91 last week, and first interviewed her at a classic car show, to benefit “burn survivors” and immediately felt at ease, her beauty, both inward and outward, shining with the day’s beautiful weather.
It was another September 11th (Jerry Rice got behind the Giants secondary, I met Angela that day after Claudell Washington went deep, “well into/aka deep” into extra innings, later that eventful day) and we sat in a classic car and were each, both serious and humorous, with burn survivor (she emphasized “survivor”) Loretta V.
Loretta, it turned out loved soaps but watched those on ABC and not Eileen in her iconic, 50 years role as “Lisa” on “As The World Turns.” (When Eileen used some of her southern charm in pronouncing and different accent emphasizing “As The World Turns” I “kvelled at my fortune in that moment).
Ms. Fulton gently asked that Loretta consider “switching.”
I told Eileen the ABC afternoon telecasts in upcoming LCS telecasts would interrupt at least one day of their soaps, she slyly, playfully giggled.
17 days later this classy lady appeared on my cable show, “Sports And More” live.
I recall she and I getting makeup for the endeavor on the “As The World Turns” set. So generous!
I had not spoken with Eileen in many years, but subsequent to that show, we had dinner once and I saw her wonderful cabaret show.
At one point, Eileen Fulton appeared live in 3 shows all in one day. First the then live “As The World Turns,” next some time, a 20 minutes window until her first appearance in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” allowed that after ATWT, with a night gig in another great show, (all three were), “The Fantastiks.”
Eileen Fulton did so much, a singer actress of course, prolific author but most of all exuded kindness and charm that made so many people, if not happy, at least happier.
I have been fortunate to spend time/interview “home run/nice” celebs, Al Lewis and Pat Cooper, to name two. My time with Eileen is also treasured.
Eileen with Andy B. at the live show, “Sports and More” in 1988.
Three World Series rematches are on the schedule in the next series beginning tonight.
All 6 teams involved, have current, multiple World Series winning or losing streaks.
The 1915 W.S. redux of Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies has Boston with a 4 game win streak and the Phils, having lost in their last 2 W.S. appearances. Boston won in 2004, 2007 2013, and 2018 while the Phillies, were 6’d in both 2009 and 2022.
Also Boston won the first World Series, that in 1903, while Philadelphia (Phillies) were the last original team to “title,” that not happening until 1980.
Also on “el” docket– there is Pittsburgh hosting Detroit. Those franchises the Pirates and Tigers respectively, clashed in the first maximum games/7 such World Series, in 1909.
Pittsburgh won it, the entity was billed to a great publicity extent, as the Pirates’ Honus Wagner vs the Tigers’ Tyrus Raymond Cobb, two all-time baseball immortals.
The Pirates have victories in their last 3 World Series (1960, 1971 and 1979 evoking Bill Mazeroski and Hal Smith in ’60, Roberto “The great” Clemente in ’71 and Wilver Stargell in ’79) while “Det” lost in their last 2 (2006 and 2012, winning just 1 of the 9 tilts played).
Finally, the Minnesota Twins visit L.A. to face the so over rated and still huge plurality/relative favorites to repeat as champions, something (the team, second to the Yankees with 11 crowns, 16 less than the Yankees and try 9 and 11, those #’s as last years either won a W.S.–the Yankees in 2009 and St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, the Cards also have never repeated as W.S. winners) the Dodgers have never accomplished.
In ’65, Sandy Koufax, Lou Johnson and the Dodgers prevailed in #7 at Minnesota’s outdoor Metropolitan Stadium, to win the title.
Each team has won its last 2 World Series. L.A. got a “B.S.” 2020 crown before last year’s very accomplished title. Minne (11-1) as the Twins in home World Series tilts, won it all in both 1987 and 1991, each clinched at the indoor, very loud Metrodome, in a decisive 7th game.
8 time N.L. batting champion and consensus greatest shortstop and among the greatest at any baseball position, Honus Wagner, is pictured above.
Beautifully and in meaningful fashion, going from sexually charged 1970 to 2010 and back, the superb play Transgression (“Here Arts Center 145 6th Avenue, New York City through August 2nd) written by Terry Curtis Fox (a story editor on Hill Street Blues), and directed by his daughter, Avra Fox-Lerner, includes so much so relevant and emotional, if nothing else, in the age of “Me Too,” and makes one contemplate far greater issues of truth and justice–neither lately the American way– even if Superman is appearing again.
“Transgression” is thought provoking, at times brilliant and eye opening– A superb line: “often a bribe and settlement are the same.” Many such are sprinkled throughout.
Those actors, far more than they being outwardly attractive (one thing my mother and Rod Serling were right about among many, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”) were superb in bringing out thoughts regarding art, even great and what might be the better, if not right thing to do.
No easy answer and the play reveals that.
Those actors are Susan Bennett, in a dual role, Yuval Boim, Jane Ives, James Jelkin and Ivy Rose.
Please click below for more information, including that regarding ticket purchases.
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Andy B Sports 