Classic Baseball Radio

An expansion team in its second year was never expected to be sitting in third place, just 3 and a half games behind the New York Yankees. Yet that’s where the Los Angeles Angels find themselves at the start of September in 1962. Can Bill Rigney’s audacious young team of rookies and misfits grab the pennant, or could Ralph Houk squeeze out another American League win from these Bronx Bombers in their twilight years?

The Yankees are missing Mickey Mantle and White Ford, leaving the defensive backbone to Bobby Richardson and Clete Boyer, while Tom Tresh would have to set up a fading Roger Maris and Elston Howard.

In his sophomore year, Jim Fregosi is at the heart of the Angels line-up. His name would become practically synonymous with the Angels over the following twenty-five years. A six-time All-Star, the team’s first superstar, retiring wth a franchise-leading 70 triples, and a beloved manager who won the Angels’ first pennant in 1979 (and another for the Phillies in 1992). For now, he’s working with catcher Buck Rodgers to try and hold the Yankees at bay.

Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from September 6, 1962. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.

We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, Radio Echoes, and  Crafting The Call.

** Links **

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA196209060.shtml

Listen to Brian Ibbot’s Coverville podcast.

https://www.coverville.com/

Dean Chance's path from an Ohio dairy farm to his Cy Young Award.

https://baseballhall.org/discover/cardcorner-1970-topps-dean-chance

MLB’s Obituary for Jim Fregosi.

https://www.mlb.com/news/six-time-all-star-and-former-manager-jim-fregosi-dies-at-age-71/c-67757650

Mickey Mantle and Tom Tresh

http://www.mickeymantleclassic.com/tresh.htm

Broadway Podcast Network: Break a Bat – Featuring An Interview With Bobby Richardson (2020)

https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcasts/break-a-bat-where-baseball-meets-broadway/65-now-batting-bobby-richardson/122 

Sports Illustrated: The Marvelous, Delirious Angels Of 1962

Link: https://vault.si.com/vault/1962/07/09/the-marvelous-delirious-angels

Los Angeles Times: The 1962 Angels' Improbable Pennant Race.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/story/2020-04-20/1962-angels-expansion-team-al-pennant-race

The 1962 Angels, Fifty Years Later

https://www.halosheaven.com/2012/6/15/3087093/the-1962-angels-fifty-years-later

The New York Times’ obituary for Clete Boyer

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/sports/baseball/05boyer.html

Pinstripe Alley: Ralph Terry’s 1962 Campaign and October Triumph

https://www.pinstripealley.com/2020/4/18/21223405/yankees-history-1962-ralph-terry-world-series-game-seven

The Yankees Win Game 7 in 1962 Behind Ralph Terry

https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/yankees-win-game-7-1962-world-series

Welcome to Classic Baseball Radio’s Clubhouse, where we step away from the broadcast booth of yesteryear to talk about baseball history. Consider these bonus episodes as the pre-recorded explainers, profiles, and moments ‘back in the studio’ you normally see and hear on modern sports broadcasts.

Joining us in the Clubhouse is Jay Wigley, author of the recently released ‘How Retrosheet Saved Baseball History.’ Jay first discovered Retrosheet in 1996 and wondered how such a thing was even possible. Now he knows. His earliest baseball memory is of the scoreboard animations at the Astrodome in the summer of 1972.

Jay visits the Classic Baseball Radio Clubhouse to talk with Ewan Spence about how he fell in love with baseball, how Dave Smith started Retrosheet, the passion behind the site, and why he decided to document how it started in his new book, and more…

LINKS

Jay’s book, ‘How Retrosheet Saved Baseball History’

https://www.retrosheet-book.com/

Retrosheet

https://www.retrosheet.org/

Looking back at César Cedeño

https://www.astrosdaily.com/history/cedeno.html

Classic Baseball Radio, Houston Astros at San Diego Padres, June 19, 1973https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLE7E5_r2GQ

The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bill_James_Historical_Baseball_Abstract

Playing The Baseball Roster Card Game 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9mDmItTURM

Allan Roth profile at SABR

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/allan-roth/

One Site’s Mission To Unearth Baseball History

https://www.mlb.com/news/the-history-of-retrosheet

FEATURING

0:00 Introduction.

4:54 Players not yet lost to history.

11:06 The intimidating history of baseball.

12:23 Introducing Retrosheet.

16:16 The first data provided to Retrosheet.

20:00 Why is this history important to Jay?

28:45 Deciding to write “How Retrosheet Saved Baseball History”

39:25 The first draft.

47:04 The reaction to the book.

50:50 Sharing your interests with others.

54:56 Ewan’s final thoughts.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

If you’d like to get in touch with us, visit www.classicbaseballradio.com. 

Follow us online at BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/classicbaseball.bsky.social or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/classicbaseballradio

“I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going." 

With those words from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, organised baseball continued during World War II, offering those working on the home front an affordable, low-cost recreation that boosted morale.

It would not be easy; Major League Baseball had to contend with strict travel rationing, deadened balata-core baseballs, and depleted rosters, as players would not be exempt from the Draft. Yet tonight’s game at Crosley Field would draw a 20,000 crowd to watch the Cincinnati Reds battle to grab second place in the National League while the visiting Boston Braves fought to reach the Reds, Dodgers, and Pirates as they chased down the St Louis Cardinals at the top of the league.

Lineups for tonight’s game include Hall of Fame managers Bill McKechnie and Casey Stengel, the strikeout pitcher Johnny Vander Meer, and the defensive master Eddie Miller; don’t overlook this era’s less remembered players. Baseball during World War Two was carried on the backs of everyday regulars and replacement players who kept the sport alive when the country needed it most.

Throughout nine innings, you’ll meet some of those players. Portly knuckleballer Jim Tobin started at first base just two days after pitching a complete-game victory. Alongside Tobin stood ironman catcher Ray Mueller, Duke Rose Bowl football hero Eric Tipton in left field, and sinkerballer Manny Salvo battling through his final summer in the Majors.

Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from July 29, 1943. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.

We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, Radio Echoes, and  Crafting The Call.

** Links **

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN194307290.shtm 

President Roosevelt’s Green-Light letter: "I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going."

https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/roosevelt-sends-green-light-letter 

How the Boston Braves navigated the challenges of baseball in wartime.

https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-boston-braves-in-wartime/ 

The short and almost forgotten Balata Ball era

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/today-in-baseball-history-balata-ball-threatens-a-new-dead-ball-era 

How Jim Tobin’s knuckleball saw him pitch 156 games

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jim-tobin/

Jim Tobin’s 1944 no-hitter, which also saw him hit the winning home run.

https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-27-1944-old-ironsides-jim-tobin-tosses-no-hitter-and-wallops-home-run-for-boston-braves/ 

The misfit pitchers who played games in the field.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/michael-lorenzen-gets-his-turn-and-other-two-way-tales/ 

Eddie Miller’s fiery reputation with Casey Stengel that led to the Miller/Joost trade.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/eddie-miller-2/ 

From Rose Bowl success to the baseball diamond, the career of Eric Tipton

https://footballfoundation.org/honors/hall-of-fame/eric-tipton/1477 

Johnny Vander Meer’s consecutive no-hitters in 1938.

https://www.mlb.com/news/johnny-vander-meer-threw-consecutive-no-hitters

The Chicago White Sox are up two games to one as they visit the Philadelphia Athletics for the last time, yet the final game in the series is played in the shadow of death. The previous night, the White Sox’ Cass Michaels was beaned by a high fastball from the Athletics’ Marion Fricano. Rushed to the emergency room with a fractured skull, the two-time All Star’s career was over. Only the crude plastic insert Michaels had added to his cap prevented an instantaneous fatal blow.

The White Sox would mandate protective batting helmets for all players starting in 1955, accelerating a league-wide push that would improve safety standards.

The game itself captures the differing fortunes of the two clubs. The building blocks of the “go-go” era are quietly being put in place. Manager Paul Richards is forging the identity of the South Siders: elite pitching, tight defence, and aggressive running on the basepaths. Young pitchers, such as opening pitcher Jack Harshman and Hall of Famers Nellie Fox and Minnie Miñoso, would go on to a pennant-winning run in 1959.

The Athletics are ready to leave Philadelphia. Facing financial strain and dwindling attendance, the charter franchise helmed for decades by Connie Mack will be sold off at the end of the season, moving to Kansas City for 1955. The seeds of the new club are on the field - notably Jim Finigan and Vic Power - but less than 2,000 fans are there to watch the final game in the series, the season, and the league records of the White Sox and Connie Mack’s Athletics.

Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from August 28, 1954. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.

We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.

** Links **

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA195408280.shtml 

Departure Without Dignity: The Athletics Leave Philadelphia

https://sabr.org/journal/article/departure-without-dignity-the-athletics-leave-philadelphia/ 

The history of Connie Mack Stadium (formerly Shibe Park) and how it set the tone for Stadium design when it opened in 1909.

https://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/ballparks/shibe-park/ 

Profiling the career of Philadelphia southpaw Alex Kellner, detailing his 20-win 1949 rookie campaign and his 1954 season.https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/alex-kellner/ 

A retrospective celebrating Minnie Miñoso's decades- long relationship with Chicago fans and his role in the 1950s "Go-Go" White Sox.

https://www.mlb.com/news/minnie-minoso-was-mr-white-sox 

Details the career of second baseman Nellie Fox, the core of the White Sox’s infield and the 1959 American League MVP.

https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/fox-nellie 

How Jack Harshman moved from a power-heavy first baseman in the Minors to a starting pitcher in the Majors.https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jack-harshman/ 

The Top Ten catchers not in the Hall of Fame, including Sherm Lollar.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/162558-the-top-10-eligible-catchers-not-in-the-hall-of-fame 

Cass Michaels biography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Michaels 

History of the Baseball Helmet

https://www.timelesspatents.com/blogs/patent-stories/history-of-the-baseball-helmets-patent 

Cass Michaels’ Newspaper Report, Gettysburg Times

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19540828&id=ESkmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=E_4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4581,1371382&hl=en 

The police are lined up around Griffith Stadium to keep the peace as the Washington Senators are visited by the New York Yankees. There’s little love between the two teams or their fans; the last meeting in July ended with the Yankees’ catcher Bill Dickey punching Carl Reynolds onto the injured list with a broken jaw. Dickey  Today’s game will be Reynolds first game back, and following a 30-game suspension, Bill Dickey is catching once more.

The 1932 Yankees are somewhat romanticised as a mythical and unstoppable force of nature; not every team can win 107 games and sweep the opposition in the World Series. Nor can most teams boast of nine future Hall of Fame players in the same roster, or go the entire season without being shut out.

Except today. Washington pitcher Tommy Thomas is carrying a long-standing locked elbow and bone bruises in an arm lacking stamina, but he’s ready to take the Yankees out. And take them out he does, shutting down both Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth in a combined 0-8 game.

The opposing pitcher, Red Ruffing, is on course to top the American League for strikeouts. The powerhouse right-hander is going to post one of the most statistically rare and dominant individual performances of the live-ball era, cementing the legend of the 1932 Yankees' march to the pennant.

One of them is going to be on the wrong side of the boxscore…

Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from August 13, 1932. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.

We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.

** Links **

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1193208130.shtml 

The team that was never shut out, a look at the New York Yankees in 1932.

https://www.baseballhistorycomesalive.com/1932-new-york-yankees/ 

The unique career of Red Ruffing.

https://tht.fangraphs.com/the-unique-career-of-red-ruffing/

Red Ruffing’s route to Cooperstown.

https://www.cooperstowncred.com/hall-of-famer-red-ruffing-world-series-star/ 

Biography of Washingont Nationals pitcher Tommy Thomas.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/tommy-thomas/

The story of the Home Plate Punch on July 4th following a collision between Bill Dickey and Carl Reynolds, the resulting 30-game suspension, and the physical fallout.

https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-4-1932-yankees-catcher-bill-dickey-punches-carl-reynolds-draws-30-game-suspension/ 

“He Called It,” Scott Pitoniak looks at the evidence of Babe Ruth's immortal at bat in Game Three of the 1932 World Series.

https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/baseball-history/ruth-called-it 

Columbia Magazine's deep dive into Lou Gehrig’s early life in Yorkville, his parents' German immigrant background, and his rise to collegiate fame

https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/lou-gehrig-columbia-legend-and-american-hero 

The stars of the New York Yankees Murderers Row.

https://bronxpinstripes.com/yankees/eras/murderers-row 

The Senators' Griffith Park, nestled into its urban environment, including details about the famous wildcat bleachers.

https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/baseball-americana/about-this-exhibition/at-the-ballpark/the-ballpark-community/baseball-on-the-map/ 

A Saturday game in May can be both an inconsequential checkmark in a season and a game that can be looked back on as a captivating moment in history. 

It’s impossible to look back at 1972 and ignore the first players' strike that disrupted the first two weeks of the season. Spring training was curtailed, and both hitters and pitchers are still struggling with timing in May. 86 games were wiped from the schedules, never to be rescheduled. The Padres will end up playing just 153 games, while the Mets will play 156.

Also looking to find his way in the season is Mets manager, Yogi Berra. Following the sudden passing of Gil Hodges, Berra is finding his feet and beginning to understand the core of the Mets' line-up. It’s an intense spotlight that will shine brightly on him during the 1972 season, as the Mets finish a credible third. That core would head into 1973 ready to claim the National League pennant.

The biggest name in the Mets’ line-up is surely Tom Seaver. He has already posted two 20-win seasons (with 25 wins in 1969 and an on-the-nose 20 wins in 1971) and has a Cy Young to his name. Facing him was seen as a near-automatic loss. Not only that, but his record against the San Diego Padres is even more impressive. In terms of overpowering presence, he’s less Mr Terrific and more Mr Terrifying.

Can the Padres, with rookie pitcher Bill Grief, hurl the ball and swing the bat to find some magic?

Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from May 6, 1972. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.

We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.

** Links **

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197205060.shtml 

A deep look at the legendary life and career of Tom Seaver, detailing his journey from Fresno, California, to his status as the premier pitcher of his generation.  

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/tom-seaver/

Why is Tom Seaver the undisputed Franchise player of the Mets, and how does he compare to other players?

https://sny.tv/articles/mets-all-time-team-26-man

Profiling Bill Grief, the durable 6'5" right-handed Texas native who out-duelled Seaver on this afternoon, examining his high-strikeout velocity and post-baseball academic achievements.  

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bill-greif/

A tribute to Nate Colbert, the Padres' first true superstar, recounting his 163 franchise home runs and his devotion to youth ministry.

https://www.mlb.com/news/nate-colbert-dies

An account of the sudden passing of Mets manager Gil Hodges just days before the delayed 1972 season, detailing how a grief-stricken clubhouse transitioned under Yogi Berra's leadership.

http://www.centerfieldmaz.com/2020/04/remembering-mets-history-1972-mets.html

Yogi Berra’s 1972 Hall of Fame Induction, including context for his managing duties with the 1972 Mets. 

https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/berra-koufax-inducted-amid-star-studded-class-of-1972

The history of the youth-heavy Padres rosters, Buzzie Bavasi’s ticket-promotion strategies, and the physical toll of injuries on the 1972 rotation

https://eastvillagetimes.com/the-history-of-the-san-diego-padres-volume-1-1969-1973/2/.  

A comprehensive breakdown of the historic 13-day player strike in April 1972, analysing how it changed labour relations and shortened the schedule.

https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-strike-of-1972-when-cooperation-failed/

How the 1972 player strike served as Marvin Miller’s first monumental victory, earning players pension increases and third-party salary arbitration.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/marvin-millers-legacy-and-the-decline-of-labor/

The Chicago Cubs are on a tear. The Northside faithful can feel a dynasty building beneath their feet, with every pitch, every hit, and every run coming home. And now they have a hero.

In what was seen as the most lopsided and controversial transfers in baseball, even while it was happening, the New York Yankees placed their star pitcher Hank Borowy on waivers, and the Cubs slammed $100,000 into the Bronx Bombers’ outstretched hands. The Cubs needed to win right now, and the chequebook  is wide open. 

Two days after he went on waivers, Borowy is stepping on the mound at Wrigley Field, ready to prove the Yankees wrong and take his new club to the National League pennant. It’s a five-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cubs have won the first four games. Handing his new team a sweep would make for a memorable first game.

It’s also worth noting that we have players such as the anchorman Stan Hack at third base, and Phil Cavarretta on his way to the NL Batting Championship and the 1945 NL MVP, for the Cubs. For the Reds, you have the inspirational Dick Sipek, the first deaf player in the majors since Herbert Murphy in 1914, and the Iron Man Frank McCormick, fresh from his 652 consecutive appearances record during World War 2.

The Cubs are heading to the top of the mountain; they are unstoppable, and they have the world at their feet. But, as we know thanks to the advantage of history,  there’s a billy goat waiting for the Cubs at the end of the season. 

Until that happens, let’s share the joy in Wrigley Field as the Cubs charge towards the pennant with their brand new pitcher.

Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from July 29, 1945. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.

We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.

** Links **

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN194507292.shtml 

The Associated Press obituary for Phil Cavarretta, the 1945 MVP, with personal anecdotes from his son about his father's "all-out" playing style.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/phil-cavarretta-obituary?id=60242123 

The Dunn County Historical Society: A local history perspective on Andy Pafko’s upbringing on a 200-acre Wisconsin dairy farm and his community legacy. 

https://www.dunnhistory.org/andy-pafko 

The history of the 1952 Topps set and why Pafko’s card became a "Holy Grail" of the hobby. https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hero/Andy_Pafko_Biography.shtml

Hank Borowy’s Pinstripe Tenure – A look at Borowy’s career in New York before the shock waiver deal that sent him to Chicago. 

https://www.yankeenumbers.com/210/HankBorowy 

Shoestring Catches analyses the financial "robbery" that saw the Yankees sell their ace for $100,000. https://shoestringcatches1999.wordpress.com/2015/07/27/baseball-history-hank-borowy-and-cubs-win-nl-pennant/

Reading the Signs, The story of mentor Dummy Taylor and his protégé Dick Sipek, the first player to escape the "Dummy" nickname. 

https://www.humanitieskansas.org/get-involved/kansas-stories/people/reading-the-signs

A tribute to the Kansas City native Vern Kennedy, highlighting the pitcher’s collegiate career and his 1935 no-hitter.

https://mosportshalloffame.com/inductees/vern-kennedy-2/

A tribute to "Smiling Stan" Hack, the leadoff master and retroactive three-time Gold Glove winner.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/stan-hack/

The biography of "Big Bill" Nicholson, the slugger who terrified pitchers and achieved legendary RBI totals.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bill-nicholson/

Just another Friday night in the Steel Capital of the world, and the defending World Series champions welcome the St Louis Cardinals to Pittsburgh? Think again.

The Pirates’ 1960 World Series win feels like it is from another era, as the team struggled through injuries and performance, but was still adrift in the middle of the National League. The NL is looking tired as well, stuck with 8 teams and a 154-game season, waiting for the expansion and a league-wide draft to rip up the old order.

Yet the new order is on the field tonight, as the Forbes Field crowds witness what we now know is a Hall of Fame showcase: the legendary Stan Musial in the twilight of his career, the power of Roberto Clemente on his way to his first batting title, the defensive wizard Bill Mazeroski, and a young, ferocious Bob Gibson. 

It’s Bob Gibson who stands out. In 1961, Gibson unlocked his pitching, moving from a sophomore-year ERA of 5.61 to throwing 10 complete games and posting an ERA of 3.24. He’s tonight’s starting pitcher, throwing to the young Tim McCarver, also on his way to changing the baseball world forever.

Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from June 16, 1961. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.

We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.

** Links **

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT196106160.shtml 

An overview of Forbes Field’s unique characteristics, including "Death Valley" and the hard infield.

https://www.brooklineconnection.com/history/Facts/ForbesField.html 

A comprehensive look at Gibson’s career, including his intimidation tactics and Harlem Globetrotters background.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bob-gibson/ 

How Bill White, Curt Flood, and others integrated the Cardinals' spring training

https://www.stlredbirds.com/2020/11/08/how-bill-white-curt-flood-and-others-integrated-cardinals-spring-training/ 

Tribute to Ken Boyer, still the only Cardinal to hit for the cycle twice.

https://www.baseballhistorycomesalive.com/tribute-to-ken-boyer/ 

Carl Warwick’s aggressive pinch-hitting approach coming off the bench for St. Louis.

https://retrosimba.com/2025/04/21/carl-warwick-came-through-in-a-pinch-for-cardinals/ 

A look at Dick Groat’s role in one of the most efficient double-play tandems in baseball history. 

https://www.psacard.com/cardfacts/baseball-cards/1961-topps/dick-groat-1/45518 

Was Left-Handed catcher Smokey Burgess one of the best-hitting catchers of all time?

https://tht.fangraphs.com/bl-tr-part-2-the-best-left-handed-hitting-catchers-in-major-league-history/ 

Examining Clem Labine’s durability as a reliever and his success in neutralising great hitters like Stan Musial.

https://thisdayinbaseball.com/clem-labine-page/ 

Tim McCarver’s transition from a bonus-baby catcher to a three-time Emmy-winning broadcaster.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/tim-mccarver/

Tim McCarver and Chris Cannizzaro’s catching duel during 1961.

https://retrosimba.com/2017/01/04/catching-competition-chris-cannizzaro-vs-tim-mccarver/ 

The 1961 MLB Expansion Draft: How the Cardinals and Pirates lost key players like Bob Lillis and Hal Smith to the new franchises. https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-colt-45s-and-the-1961-expansion-draft/ 

“Tim McCarver Sings Selections From The Great American Songbook.”

https://www.discogs.com/release/12488582-Tim-McCarver-Sings-Selections-From-The-Great-American-Songbook

What a difference a year makes. From finishing second-last in the American League, the Boston Red Sox are sitting just one-and-a-half games behind the White Sox after the All-Star break. Their midweek series against the third-placed California Angels is another “must-win” series in the chase for their first pennant since 1946.

The Angels are chasing just as hard, looking to show that the expansion team has just as much right to the top spot as legacy franchises like the Red Sox.

A look down the rosters for both teams brings up players who are going to write themselves into the history books; you have rookie relief pitcher Sparky Lyle, who’ll take a Cy Young in 1977, two Gold Gloves with the Angels, Jim Fregosi and Bobby Knoop, and a certain Carl Yastrzemski.

Yaz is on course to grab the Triple Crown in 1967, which would remain a feat unmatched in the league until Miguel Cabrera in 2012, and post 3,308 appearances while joining the 3,000-hit club over a 23-year career with the Red Sox.

For this afternoon, it’s not only the third deciding game in the series, it’s two contenders chasing for the pennant, and no quarter will be offered.

Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from July 27, 1967. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.

We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.

** Links **

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS196707270.shtml 

The Fenway Park Diaries recaps the game’s dramatic ninth-inning home runs and Yastrzemski's 10th-inning defensive gem.

https://fenwayparkdiaries.com/1967%20red%20sox/sox%2007-27-1967.htm 

SABR look at the final day of the season and how the Angels played the spoiler role to help Boston complete ‘The Impossible Dream’ and win the pennant.

https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-1-1967-red-sox-complete-impossible-dream/

An analytical narrative focusing on Carl Yastrzemski’s torrid late-season hitting and the cultural impact of 1967 in Boston

https://thisgreatgame.com/1967-baseball-history/ 

Six Days in September, from The Hardball Times. An in-depth look at the 1967 pennant race, including the impact of Tony Conigliaro’s injury.

https://tht.fangraphs.com/six-days-in-september-the-1967-al-pennant-race-part-1/

National Baseball Hall of Fame profile of Carl Yastrzemski, highlighting his 1967 MVP season and his transition from Ted Williams to team legend.

https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/yastrzemski-carl

The life and career of the Angels' All-Star starter Jim McGlothlin, who tragically died of leukaemia at age 32.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jim-mcglothlin/ 

Crashing The Pearly Gates profiles Minnie Rojas’ Path to the Majors.

https://crashingthepearlygates.com/2020/03/20/top-100-angels-95-minnie-rojas/ 

Can a four-game series define a season?

The Brooklyn Dodgers’ “Boys Of Summer’ are no longer boys. The defending World Series champions find themselves in a three-way brawl for the 1956 National League pennant with the young upstart Milwaukee Braves and the heavy-hitting Cincinnati Redlegs. Every head-to-head matchup carried the weight of a play-off game, and pressures both on- and off-field impacted the season.

The middle of June brings Milwaukee to Brooklyn in what would prove to be a critical four-game series.

The Dodgers won the first two games, putting them three up over the Braves. In response, the Braves decided the best option ahead of the doubleheader to close out the series was to fire their manager, Charlie Grimm. Coach Fred Haney is stepping into the Sunday doubleheader as The Man.

His first game went the way of the Braves, thanks to Joe Adcock’s legendary 550-foot home run onto the roof of the Ebbets Field grandstand. Now he’s hoping that his style of discipline during at-bats and base running can split the series and propel the Braves towards their first World Series appearance as a Milwaukee-based team.

Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from June 17, 1956. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.

We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.

** Links **

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO195606172.shtml 

An account of Joe Adcock’s mammoth homer off Ed Roebuck, believed to be the only ball to ever land on the roof at Ebbets Field.

https://thisdayinbaseball.com/joe-adcock-page/ 

A profile of the Milwaukee Braves’ Fred Haney, the manager whose mid-season appointment on June 16, 1956, sparked an immediate 11-game winning streak. 

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/fred-haney/ 

A retrospective on the unique dimensions of Ebbets Field, the "short porch" in right field, and the legendary atmosphere of the Dodgers' home. 

https://thisgreatgame.com/ballparks-ebbets-field/

An official overview of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ pennant-winning campaign of 1956 and their final years in New York. 

https://www.walteromalley.com/dodger-history/team-histories/1956/ 

A retrospective on Don Newcombe’s 27-win season and his dominance over the National League. 

https://www.mlb.com/news/don-newcombe-had-big-season-in-1956-c163639432

A retrospective on Johnny Logan’s scrappy style and his famous dust-ups with pitchers like Don Drysdale.

https://northwoodsleague.com/madison-mallards/2003/06/10/meetjohnnylogan/ 

A comparison of how the Braves' June performance at Ebbets Field impacted the final 1-game margin for the National League pennant. 

https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/1956-national-league-standings-june-17