1960 WORLD SERIES

I was looking through some of the saved programs on our DVR and I came across a special from December. It was on the MLB Network and it was the replay of the seventh game of the 1960 World Series. This show was hosted by Bob Costas and he had a panel that included Bill Virdon, Dick Grout and Bobby Richardson. This was an unearthed copy that was shown at Bynum Auditorium last November in front of fans and players.

This game has not been seen in it's entirety in 50 years. This game came about because Bing Crosby was a part owner of the Pirates and he was to nervous to watch Game 7 in person. Bing went to Paris and he had someone film the game for him. When he got home, he watched it and then the kinescope was placed on a shelf until an archivist for the Crosby Estate found it.

Watching the game in it's entirety was amazing. Getting to see a World Series game being played by Mickey Mantle, Roberto Clemente,Roger Maris and Yogi Berra, just to name a few, would of been a treat for any baseball fan. It was great to see the reactions of the players 50 years later. Bob Costas asked Dick Grout about what was on his mind after watching the top of the sixth and he shook his head and said,"I should of knocked down Mantle's grounder." Mantle got a hit right before Berra hit a three run homer to put the Yankees up 5-4. During that same discussion segment, they spoke with Vera Clemente about her late husband Roberto. Costs stated that every time Clemente is seen on screen, whether he is warming up, stepping into the box, walking to the plate or catching a routine fly, there is a reaction from the audience. He went on to tell Mrs. Clemente, "Your husband is not just respected but he is revered".

What I did notice is how fast the game moved. The pitcher got the ball and threw it. The batter didn't stop every second to adjust something. This game of baseball was not slow and it kept your interest. The announcers also didn't fill up with air with nonsensical drivel about how many base hits Berra gets when it is 75 degrees.

When Hall Smith hit a three run homer in the bottom of the eighth to put the Pirates up 9-7, the fans in the auditorium gave him a standing ovation. Watching the game in it's entirety, you realize there were a lot of ups and downs to this game. This was the same inning that Tony Kubek took a ball in the face at short and put him in the hospital. There also was a slow roller by Clemente with two outs and the Yankee pitcher Coats didn't cover first, which led to the three run homer.

The ninth inning was wild, the Yankees were down by two and with runners on first and second and Mantle gets an RBI single to make it 9-8. With one out, Berra gets up and lines a shot to first that was caught on one hop, right by first base and somehow Mantle got back to first and avoided the double play which would of ended the inning and the game. This avoided double play allowed McDougal to score from third, tying the game. This all sets us up for the bottom of the ninth, 9-9.

Ralph Terry is the pitcher and Johnny Blanchard is the catcher and the first batter is Mazeroski. We all know what he does during that at bat. A walk off homer and the Pirates win the series.

This game had everything except one thing, not one player struck out.