1960 Pirates vs 1953 Dodgers (basic oldtimers)
Game 1: Dodgers 3, Pirates 1
Game 2: Dodgers 7, Pirates 2
Game 3: Dodgers 4, Pirates 2
Game 4: Pirates 10, Dodgers 2
Game 5: Pirates 1, Dodgers 0
Game 6: Pirates 4, Dodgers 2
Game 7: ???
I decided to rekindle a project I previously did as a single-elimination tournament, this time making it a best of 7 tournament. I call it my Nostalgia Tournament. In 1969 I received my first Strat Game - an 8 team selector set (1968 teams). I skipped buying anything in 1970 due to variety of circumstances but then returned in 1971 to buy 24 1970 teams and the then 28 team old timer set. So I will have a 32 team tournament (basic of course). I take 27 of the 28 old timer teams (no 1962 Mets, add the 2 1968 pennant winners, add the 2 1970 pennant winners, and the 1970 Twins as a wild card. There are 17 NL teams and 15 AL teams so I move the 1953 Dodgers to the AL “side” and then seed the 32 teams into 8 four team brackets. My first series pits the 1960 Pirates (a 2 seed) vs. the 1953 Dodgers (a 3 seed).
The Dodgers take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. The Pirates avoid elimination with a convincing 10-2 Game 4 win. Game 5 matches aces Carl Erskine and Vernon Law. In a superb pitching duel, the Pirates get just 2 hits but prevail 1-0 because both hits were in the same inning and led to the game’s only run. The Dodgers had a 2-1 8th inning Game 6 lead when Don Hoak ripped a 3 run home run off Clem Labine to stave off elimination. It also set up Game 7 and what a memorable game that turned out to be.
The Dodgers send out Billy Loes to face the Pirates Vinegar Bend Mizell. Brooklyn strikes first when Campanella leads off the second with a home run. The Dodgers add 2 walks and a hit but score no more. In the top of the third, Pee Wee Reese walks but is caught stealing. Duke Snider then walks and Campanella connects again for a 3-0 Brooklyn lead. In the bottom of the third, after retiring the first 8, Mizell rolls a fielding chance off Loes card for Gil Hodges, but the “1” rated fielder bobbles it for an error. Dick Groat follows with a single then Bill Virdon rolls a HR chance off Loes card and the error comes back and bites the Dodgers as the score is tied 3-3.
In the Dodger 5th, Hodges redeems himself with a 2 out 2 run HR to give The Boys of Summer a 5-3 lead. After an error and walk, Billy Cox also connects for a 3 run HR and suddenly it is 8-3 Brooklyn. Bill Mazeroski homers in the bottom of the 5th to make it 8-4. There have been 6 homers in the first 5 innings. The Dodgers load the bases with 1 out in the 6th but Hodges grounds into an inning ending double play. Don Hoak rolls a fielding chance for Billy Cox to lead off the Pirates 6th and the normally sure handed “1” rated fielder makes an error. Dick Stuart then rolls the rare 2-12 for a 2 run HR and the Dodger lead is narrowed to 8-6. After this, I had an inkling something special might happen, little did I know. Bob Skinner and Smokey Burgess follow with walks. Bill Mazeroski singles home Skinner and then pinch hitter Rocky Nelson walks. The Pirates have come back from an 8-3 deficit to make it 8-7 and have the bases loaded and no outs. Dick Groat hits a sac fly for an RBI to tie the game at 8, Bill Virdon singles, then Roberto Clemente lifts a sac fly to give the Pirates a 9-8 lead. Wow.
The Dodgers do not score in the 7th but Stuart rolls a 1-11 for another home run in the bottom of the 7th and Pittsburgh leads it 10-8. In the top of the 8th, all 3 Dodger batters strike out. In the bottom of the 8th, Clemente doubles with 2 outs and Don Hoak drills a HR and Pittsburgh now leads it 12-8. There have now been 9 home runs in the game. Brooklyn comes to bat in the 9th trailing 12-8 after leading 8-3. Pirate relief ace Roy Face enters the game. Campanella greets him with his third HR of the game, making it 12-9. Gil Hodges and Carl Furillo single, then Jim Gilliam walks. Brooklyn now trails it 12-9 but has the bases loaded and 0 out. I decide to pinch hit Wayne Belardi for Billy Cox. Belardi has high potential to either homer or strike out (avoiding a double play). Belardi hits a sac fly, it is now 12-10. Pinch-hitter George Shuba walks reloading the bases. Jackie Robinson singles in one run making it 12-11. Pee Wee Reese singles in a run tieing the game at 12-12. Then Duke Snider hits a sac fly and Brooklyn leads it 13-12. (Campanella flies out to end the inning). Unbelievable 5 run rally.
Bob Skinner grounds out to start the Pirate 9th. Smokey Burgess then rolls a 2-8 for a HR 1-7 chance and GETS the HR, knotting the game at 13. We now have 11 home runs in the game. In the Dodger 10th a leadoff single is wasted. The Pirate 10th sees Dick Groat fly out to lead off the inning, but Virdon and Clemente follow with singles. Don Hoak grounds out for the second out but Hal Smith, pinch hitting for Face who was inserted into the lineup here, strokes a single, winning the wild game for the Pirates and eliminating the Dodgers. The 1953 Dodgers had made the final game of the previous 32-team, single-elimination tournament.
GAME SEVEN
1953 Dodgers 012 050 005 0 - 13 14 2
1960 Pirates 003 015 121 1 - 14 15 1
Loes, Hughes (5), Milliken (6), Labine (7), Podres (9) and Campanella
Mizell, Green (6), Gibbon (7), Face (9) and Burgess
WP Face … LP Podres
HR Campanella (3), Virdon, Hodges, Cox, Mazeroski, Stuart (2), Hoak, Burgess
Some notable accomplishments:
1) Pirates come back from a 3-0 series deficit to win series.
2) Pirates won game 5 with only 2 hits, 1-0.
3) 13 runs tied my all-time record for most runs by a losing team. The 1971 A’s once lost to the 1974 Dodgers also 14-13, scoring 7 runs in the B9 and just missing a game winning 3 run HR on the last batter of the game
4) 11 combined home runs is close to my all-time record (I know in one game the 1972 A’s hit 9 home runs by themselves)
5) Campanella’s 3 home runs tied for my second best HR performance ever. The best ever was 1970 Boog Powell who hit for the home run cycle (grand slam, 3 run HR, 2 run HR and solo shot). Others with 3 home runs from memory 1975 Johnny Bench, 1975 Bobby Bonds, (I played a huge 1975 season way back when), 1927 Lou Gehrig and I think 1977 George Foster. Maybe 1-3 others.
6) The Pirates overcame a 5 run deficit and then the Dodgers overcame a 9th inning 4 run deficit
7) Quite possibly my wildest, most exciting, event-filled game in 45 years of SOM baseball
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