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October 26, 2006

Rain Outs

B
aseball's post-season this year has had a more than its share of rainouts, futher pushing the World Series into mitten-and-muffler weather -- which, on top of the late starts, further ruins the game.

The worst run of rainouts, I think, came during the 1962 world series, when the Yankees beat the San Francisco Giants.

Game 5 in the Bronx was rained out. Then, after the teams traveled to San Franciso, with the Yankees up three games to two and looking to clinch, the players had to sit for 4 more days -- as the west coast was pummeled by Typhoon Frieda.

The Yanks of course won the series. In game 7, Ralph Terry -- the goat of the 1960 World Series -- shutout the Giants of Mays, McCovey, and Cepeda, 1-0.

That game is perhaps most famous for how the last out was made. Matty Alou led off the bottom of the 9th with a drag-bunt hit. With two outs, Willie Mays doubled to right. Roger Maris, playing with a bad throwing shoulder, quickly cut-off Mays hit and made a fast relay to Bobby Richardson in shallow right to keep Alou at third.

With runners on 2nd and 3rd, Terry elected to pitch to Willie McCovey, who already had collected 3 hits off Terry in the Series, rather than intentionally walk him to create a force out at every base for Orlando Cepeda.

McCovey then lined a 1-1 pitch right to Yankee second baseman Bobby Richardson -- hitting what some say was was the hardest hit ball they've ever seen.

It would be 16 years before Yankees won another World Series. And it would 40 years before the Giants made it back to the Classic.

UPDATE: Ooops . . . commenter Rex reminded that the Giants made the Classic in 1989 -- when an earthquake hit the bay area and, again, delayed the series. Apologies to Giants fans.

Posted by shertaugh at October 26, 2006 6:49 PM

Comments

Charles Schultz wrote a Peanuts cartoon where Charlie Brown was sitting on the curb with a glum look on his face for the first three panels. Finally he stands up and says "Why couldn't MacCovey have hit the ball a foot higher?!?!?"

Posted by: Emily at October 27, 2006 9:41 AM

Just a quick nit pick: following the loss in 1962, the Giants reached the series in 1989 and 2002. The four-game loss to the A's in 1989 is notable, of course, for featuring the longest delay during a world series: ten days, although due to an earthquake, not rain.

Posted by: Rex at October 27, 2006 2:46 PM