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LEON WAGNER |
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 6 ...
"THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM"
"Daddy" Wagner spoils it for the Sox
June
24, 1967 ... Leon Wagner set up one run and
then hit a home run while his pitcher, Steve Hargan, was beating the
Red Sox, 3 to 2. Sox fans on "Family Night" had little it cheer about
after the first inning, when the Red Sox scored one run, until the
ninth-inning when they tried to mount a comeback. Only one Red Sox
player reached first base from the second inning until the seventh, when George
Scott singled, but then was doubled up. But in the ninth-inning, Hargan had to
dig himself out of a deep hole.
The inning started, with the Sox trailing, 3 to 1, and that first run
occurred when Carl Yastrzemski had beaten out a single on a grounder that banged
off Fred Whitfield's arm at first base. Wakefield then bobbed it allowing Yaz to
reach safely. Then came a passed ball and Tony Conigliaro lined a single to
center for the run.
The Indians had previously scored in the top of the first, when Lee Maye hit
a bloop double down the right-field line that landed in front of Conigliaro.
Wagner then singled to left and Maye made it over to third-base. After a
strikeout and a walk, Sox starter, Darrell Brandon, hit Duke Sims with a pitch
that forced in a run.
Wagner slammed a home run, to start the third inning, on Brandon's first
pitch. The Tribe scored their third run in the fourth when Larry Brown doubled
to left field, was sacrificed along by Hargan, but then cut down on a great
fielding play by George Scott. Lee Maye had topped a ball to Scott right and the
Sox firstbaseman threw home to get Brown. Maye then stole second and Max Alvis
singled to center for the third Cleveland run.
Hargan went from the second inning up until Scott's single in the seventh
without a ball being hit out of the infield. Dan Osinski relieved Brandon, but
the Sox were doing nothing at the plate.
As a ninth-inning started, Mike Andrews lined a double off the centerfield
wall. Joe Foy lined out to Vic Davalillo in center, bringing up, Yastrzemski.
The count went to three balls and one strike, but Hargan got Yaz on a pop up to
the shortstop. Conigliaro, after taking two mighty swings and missing, grounded
deep in the hole and beat out the throw from Larry Brown at first, allowing
Andrews to score the Sox second run.
With two outs, George Scott had one last chance. He kept the count at 3 and
2, while fouling off pitches. Finally he bounced a high grounder close to
second. Brown came over, scooped it up, and got the third out at first base.
Carl Yastrzemski is in pursuit of Ted Williams' home run record by a left
handed Red Sox hitter in one year. Williams set the record for a left-handed
hitter with 43 homers in 1949. The Sox all time home run record was set by
right-handed batting, Jimmie Foxx with 50, in 1938. Yaz has 17 home runs through
66 games. Williams hit his 17th in the 59th game of the Red Sox season. If Yaz
can continue at the current pace he will finish with 44 home runs. |
