Classic Baseball Radio

He started in the major with the Pirates, and 21 years later, he retired from the majors, having never left Pittsburgh. But Willie Stargell was more than a one-club baseball player; he was the club. That's why the Pirates called him Pops.

They could also have called him Power. Stargell was one of the big hitters of the sixties and seventies, with a career .282 from 2,232 hits and 475 home runs. That career included two World Series rings and 7 All-Star appearances.

For today's game, we turn to a late-season match-up against the Phillies. The Pirates are at the top of the NL East, and the Phillies are 5.5 games back with 20 games left to play. This is a chance for the Phillies to draw themselves closer to the post-seasons and for the Pirates to cement their lead.

We join the Pirates broadcast with Bob Prince and Nelson King taking us through the game.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI197409110.shtml

This game was played on September 11, 1974.

In a decade packed with legends that echo through history, there will be players who rarely grab the historical spotlight. Brooks Robinson might not be the household name of the former, but he's very much a legend.

Starting his major league career in 1955, he played all of his 23 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. In that time, he made third base his own and is arguably one of the greatest third baseman the game has ever seen, with 18 call-ups to the All-Stars, 16 consecutive Gold Gloves, and 2 World Series rings.

To this day, he still holds the record for putouts (2,697), assists (6,205), total chances, and double plays at third base (618).

For today's game, we’re going to early in 1964. Robinson had an offensive slump in the back half of 1963 and has been working with the Orioles hitting coach to find his form again. Listen out for his at bats as the Orioles welcome the Yankees to Memorial Stadium.

It's the familiar team of Phil Rizzuto, Jerry Coleman, and Mel Allen… although 1964 is Allen's debut year, so enjoy his first steps into the radio world.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL196404180.shtml

This game was played on April 18, 1964.

Brought up into the majors by the Detroit Tigers in 152, Al Kaline spent 22 years playing for the Tigers before becoming the Tiger's color commentator until 2003, before heading into the front office until he died in 2020.

His playing record is impressive, passing the 3000-hit mark just before he retired in 1974. Today, nearly fifty years later, Kaline sits at number 32 in the all-time hits table, with 3007 hits to his name. That record includes eighteen all-star games, ten Gold Gloves, and one World Series ring from 1968.

For today's game, we're going back to the final series of the 1972 season. The Red Sox are in first place, just half a game ahead of the Tigers. With three games in the series, both teams need to take two wins to lift the pennant.

Detroit took the first game on October 2nd. One more victory and the season belongs to the Tigers. With four hits and two runs in the first game, Kaline wants to do the same and lift his team over the line.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET197210030.shtml

This game was played on October 3, 1972.

When you win eleven Gold Gloves in eleven years, you know you're one of the best. Keith Hernandez knew he was one of the best. A contact hitter with a career .296, he won two World Series rings, five All-Star appearances, and picked up the NL batting championship award in 1979.

Five years into his career, he cracked the .300 ceiling and never looked back. Yet for this week's game, we will go back to the very first month of his MLB career.

It's September 14th, and Hernandez has been in The Show for three weeks. He was brought up from the minors by the St Louis Cardinals for a challenging September as they unsuccessfully chased the Pittsburg Pirates for the NL East top spot.

Today, they're on the road to the Philadelphia Phillies, who have fallen out of the pennant race but still want a head-to-head victory over the Cardinals. Hernandez is fifth in the order and looking to make a difference…

Your KMOX Cardinals radio team of Jack Buck, Mike Shannon and Bob Starr take you through the game.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI197409140.shtml

This game was played on September 14,1974.

When you look for the winning pitcher across the 1960s, it's impossible to ignore Juan Marichal. The 'Dominican Dandy' gave the Giants their first no-hitter in San Francisco, the first no-hitter seen in Candlestick Park, the first Latin-american no-hitter in MLB history, and the first Dominican player to enter the Hall of Fame.

He also received one of the highest accolades any player can achieve… in 1975, the Giants immortalized his beloved #27, a testament in part to Marichal’s majestic run of 191 victories during the sixties.

Today's game takes us back to the start of his time in the majors. It's June 1962, and the Giants are on a roll with a .690 record. They're on the road to a .518 St Louis, and Marichal is facing Bob Gibson, another name soon to become a legend in his own right.

How about one more legend… your play-by-play comes from one Harry Caray (joined today by Jack Buck).

You can find the boxscore here.

This game was played on June 9, 1962.

What is there to say about Willie Mays, who passed away peacefully last night?

Legend.

There's only one game we could choose. There's only one moment we could highlight. It's Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, Mays is in centre field, and in the top of the 8th, Vic Wertz is going to send an impossible-to-catch ball deep to the outfield of the Polo Grounds.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NY1/NY1195409290.shtml

This game was played on September 29, 1954.

As the four-time NL batting champion, Bill Madlock has an impressive reputation as a hitter. It's even more impressive when you realise he is one of only three right-handed hitters to lift multiple NL batting titles since 1960. The other two are Roberto Clemente and Tommy Davis.

He finished his playing career over the .300 and 2000 mark, with a .305 batting average and 2,008 hits in total, 3 All-Star appearances, and one World Series Ring from 1979.

For today's classic game, we're going right back to the beginning. It is September 1973, and Madlock debuted in the MLB at the start of the month. In the dog days of the Rangers' season, he's finding his footing in The Show. As his team visit the Angels, Madlock is covering third base, and is seventh in the batting order.

Don Drysdale and Dick Enberg take you through the game.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL197309250.shtml

This game was played on September 25, 1973.

Frank Robinson could hit the ball hard. He ran the base paths even harder. A formidable player who has been named MVP for both the AL and NL, the triple crown in 1966, 14 All-Star appearances, and 2 World Series rings.

To this day, he holds the record for walk-off hits, with 26 winning moments to his credit.

In the final years of his playing career, he became the player-manager for Cleveland in 1975 and continued managing until he retired in 2006.

Today's broadcast celebrates the life and achievement of Frank Robinson as we turn the clock back to 1972. Robinson is debuting with the Dodgers on an Opening Day visit to the Reds. The Reds hold a special place in Robinson's career; he debuted in the Majors and won his first World Series with them.

Behind the microphone, you have Jerry Dogget and Vin Scully

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN197204150.shtml

This game was played on April 15, 1972.

It's the opening day of the 1955 season, and leading off for the Cardinals is Wally Moon, who won "Rookie Of The Year" in 1954, memorably hitting a home run during his first At Bat in the Majors. Second in the line-up is Bill Virdon, who would go on to win "Rookie Of The Year" for 1955, giving the Cardinals back-to-back Rookies.

Both would go on to pick up Gold Gloves and World Series Rings, although Moon would eclipse Virdon with three All-Star appearances and three rings, compared to Virdon's two rings. Virdon would head down the managers’ route after retiring in 1968, finishing with a winning record of .519.

Today's broadcast goes back to the start, with the 54 Rookie and 55 Rookie leading off against the Chicago Cubs. Gene Elston, Jack Quinlan, and Bert Wilson call the game.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN195504120.shtml

This game was played on April 12, 1955.