European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 23, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse Heroes of the playoffs five historic moments by Ben Abrams staff writer daily Magazine ends Slaughter and Stan Musial Lou Boudreau and Gene Bearden Bobby Thomson Larry Sherry and Joe Pignatano and Jim Davenport. Baseball players All but something More than that is a thing they have in common they All played key roles i major league playoffs that decided four National league champions and on american league Winner. And Chat about playoff heroes in too much out of place As the 1967 pen Nant chases Pound Down the Homestretch. There in t anything close about the National league where the St. Louis cardinals Are staging a runaway. But of that american league the Minnesota twins Detroit tigers Boston red sox and Chicago White so have had the baseball world murmuring Over the prospects of a three or four Way playoff an event that has never occurred in baseball s history. Five times a Post season playoff has been necessary to determine a league representative in the world series sports biggest spectacle each year. The los Angeles dodgers Nee the Brooklyn dodgers have formed one half of the Field in All of the senior circuit decides and the red sox took part in the Al extravaganza. All precedent was broken in 1946.that year the dodgers and St. Louis cardinals waged a season Long Battleford the National league title. The Dodg ers held a 7&-game Lead in late mayan the cardinals were five up in a gust. Yet when All the dust had settled on the last sunday of the regular season both the redbirds and dodgers had los their final games a Best of three series Between the two became necessary to determine who would take on the bos ton red sox in the fall took Only two games As Slaughter and Musial donned the heroes cloaks and the cards smashed the dodgers. They terrorized the dodger hurlers an the games weren t even close. Two years later the red sox an Cleveland indians staged the american league s Only Post season Battle. This was a one timer and Bearden pitching with Only two Days rest stifled there sox while Boudreau lashed out three hits and came up with several sparklers afield to Lead the indians to next playoff was the most involved the dodgers of Brooklyn and the giants then of new York subway series before another subway series against the new York Yankees. What made this playoff so engross ing was the great surge the giants bad made to achieve it. In August the Dodg ers were so far ahead of the rest of the National league race that talk concerned How Early they would Clinch the pen Nant. The giants came from is1/ games Back on the strength of a spectacular september and caught the dodgers. The series was All even going into the rubber game and the dodgers with Ace do Newcombe hurling held a 4-1 advantage going into the ninth , big new could t do it. Alvin dark led off with a single and do Mueller followed with another hit Send ing dark to third. Newcombe got Monte Irvin on a pop up and the dodgers breathed a Little easier. So did their millions of fans. Now Whitey Lockman was up. He lashed a Newcombe fast Ball Down the left Field foul line scoring dark an sending Mueller to third. Mueller was saturday september 23, 1967 Hurt sliding into third and the Hondo Hurricane Clint Hartung was sent in to run for him. Tension mounted at Tiepolo grounds. Manager Chuck Dressen replace Newcombe at this Point bringing in an other of his Ace performers Ralph Branca. The giants next Batter scots Man Bobby Thomson watched casual Lyas Branca took his allowed Warmup pitches. The tension was so thick it could beaut with a knife. Branca signalled he was ready and took his position on the Mound. He wound up. Strike one the Umpire called. Catcher Roy Campanell lobbed the Ball Back to Branca and he delivered again. Thomson swung. Bat met Ball witha terrific crack it was All Over. The Miracle giants had won the 1951national league Pennant. The dodgers staged a Strong comeback to forge the next playoff in 1959. Now the los Angeles dodgers the club won 15 of its last 20 games to dead lock the Milwaukee braves for the Angeles swept the playoff in two straight winning the first on Sherry magnificent Relief Job and the second when unheralded Pignatano the Las Pinch hitter left on the dodgers Bench came through with a key hit in the midst of a big rally. One More playoff series has been St. Louis Stan Musial helped crush Brooklyn in 1946. A v a Bobby Thomson s famed Homer lifted giants Over dodgers in 1951 playoff. Giants Willie Mays Whitey Lockman argue with Umpire Jocko Conlan in 1962 playoff. Staged. That pitted those old rivals the giants and the dodgers now of West coast Fame in 1962. The giants took the first game 8-0, behind Billy Pierce but the dodgers evened the count with a seven run in Ning and an 8-7 verdict in the second game. In the third game it was . 4, san Francisco 2 As the ninth inning started. The giants tied it up on Willie Mays single and won the contest when Davenport worked big Stan William for a walk with the bases loaded. San Francisco wound up with a 6-4 Victory. There has never been More than Atwo Way tie for the championship but there was an almost in 1964 in the National league when the cardinals Cincinnati reds and Philadelphia Philli Swent into the final week of action with a three Way deadlock a distinct never materialized As the redbirds pulled out the championship on the Las Day of play. The stars and stripes Larry Sherry s Relief pitching carried los Angeles by Milwaukee into 1959 world series. Page 11
