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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO ... October 11, 1967 ... Dick Williams looked like a genius when he pitched rookie, Gary Waslewski in an elimination World Series game. Waslewski had a 2-2 big league record and had kicked around the minor leagues for eight years. Today, he had his sinker ball working well, except in the third inning when the Cardinals put together two runs. But he had a 4 to 2 lead after five innings. Rico Petrocelli had hit a home run in the second inning and in the fourth, the Red Sox set a World Series record by hitting three home runs, in one inning, off starter Dick Hughes. Carl Yastrzemski started the fourth with a homer into the left-field screen. After the next two men had gone out, Reggie Smith pulled a slider into the right-field corner grandstand for the second home run. Then the next batter, Rico Petrocelli, hit a fastball for a home run into the screen, his second in in his first two at bats.
Charlie Neal had hit back-to-back homers for the Dodgers against the White Sox in 1959 and Ted Kluszewski did the same thing for the White Sox in the same World Series. In 1966 Frank and Brooks Robinson hit back-to-back home runs for the Orioles against the Dodgers. But the three home runs in one inning is a new record. Waslewski pitched well through the first five innings, but then got wild in the sixth when he walked Roger Maris and Tim McCarver. Manager Dick Williams went to his ace in the bullpen John Wyatt to get the Red Sox out of the inning. And so the Red Sox were up 4 to 2. But with Lou Brock around, nothing is safe. He had singled home a run in the third inning and later scored the second run on a single by Curt Flood, to give the Cardinals their two runs. Then in the seventh inning, with Bobby Tolan on base, as the result of a walk, Brock slammed a home run into the centerfield bleachers that tied up the game. In the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals brought in Jack Lamabe, someone who Red Sox fans are very familiar with. Elston Howard grounded out mildly to start the inning, but Dalton Jones pinch-hit for Wyatt and lined a single to right-field. Joe Foy then lined one to left and the fleet footed Brock raced after it, but the ball went by his reach by about a yard and rebounded away from him. The ball bounced off the wall and Brock chased after it, yelling off shortstop Dal Maxvill, who came out to get the ball. Brock threw the ball home trying to get Jones, as he was heading to the plate. The throw was wide and Dalton scored the go-ahead run as Foy made it over to third.
Then made manager Red Schoendinst go to his bullpen again and bring in Joe Hoerner. Mike Andrews came up with a drawn in infield and after many signals given to him by third-base coach Eddie Popowski, Andrews lined a single to left that scored Foy. Yastrzemski was up next and got his third hit, a single to right that put Andrews on third. George Scott hit a bouncer that skidded by Maxvill into left and Yastrzemski went to second. Larry Jaster was brought in next to pitch to Jerry Adair, who batted for Jose Tartabull. Adair lined one deep enough to center to score Andrews. Reggie flied to short center field and four Cardinals when after it. It fell for a single and scored Yaz with the eighth Boston run. Another signal went out to the St. Louis bullpen and this time Ray Washburn came into the game. He walked Petrocelli intentionally and then Elston Howard grounded to third to end the inning, the way he had started it.
Gary Bell took the mound with an 8 to 4 lead in the top of the eighth. He allowed the bases to get loaded by giving up a single to Orlando Cepeda on a checked swing that bounced over his head. Tim McCarver lined one between Yaz and Reggie, that Yaz finally made a fine catch of after a long run. Mike Shannon slammed a double to left-center and Cepeda moved over to third. Bell walked Maxvill and Dave Ricketts was brought up to pinch-hit for Washburn. He hit a line drive right at Yaz that killed the rally. Hal Woodeshick came into pitch the eighth and got three ground ball outs, sandwiched around a single from Andrews. Bell got two quick outs and then gave up a single to Maris in the ninth. He finally got Cepeda to tap one back to him that ended the game. And so it goes to a final game seven. The Red Sox were 100 to 1 underdogs to win the pennant and they did. There were 3 to 2 underdogs when the World Series began. They were 8 to 1 underdogs when they were down three games to one. They need only to win one game to become the second underdog team of the century in Boston to win the World Series. The other, of course, was the "Miracle Braves" of 1914. But in order to do that they must get by Bob Gibson. |
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