Baseball – 1962

Baseball in 1962

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January

January 3Ground is broken for the Houston Astrodome.
January 7The 61-year-old Three-I League (B) is disbanded by the 6 remaining clubs.
January 8Commissioner Ford Frick denies charges that Carl Furillo has been blacklisted by the ML because of a 1959 salary dispute with the Dodgers.
January 22Jackie Jensen again announces his retirement from baseball. This time he means it.
January 23Bob Feller and Jackie Robinson are selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

Lawyer Melvin Belli wins a breach-of-warranty suit against the San Francisco Giants on the grounds that his box seat at Candlestick Park is too cold. Belli’s suit contends that the seat he bought in 1960‚ at the cost of $1‚597‚ was supposed to have radiant heating.
January 24The Southern Association‚ which lost New Orleans and Memphis in the last two years and with attendance lagging‚ suspends operation.
January 26Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle sign contracts with Columbia Pictures to appear with star Doris Day in “Safe at Home,” a movie the studio will shoot during spring training.
January 28Edd Roush and Bill McKechnie are added to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee.
January 30The Milwaukee Braves sign Peter Marchegiano‚ brother of former heavyweight boxing champ Rocky Marciano‚ to a minor league contract.

The Mets sign 1B Gil Hodges for $33‚000. The veteran had been languishing on the Dodger bench for the past 2 seasons.
January 31Willie Mays signs the biggest contract in baseball‚ a reported $90‚000 for 1962. They also sing another slugger-Ralph Kiner joins Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy in the announcing booth.

February

February 1The NL releases its first 162-game schedule.
February 7The Red Sox hire former Indianapolis Clowns OF Ed Scott as their first full-time black scout.

Lawyer Melvin Belli obtains a writ laying claim to Willie Mays-among other assets-unless the Giants pay him the judgment awarded by a jury in January. Belli claims the club failed to file a motion for a new trial before the deadline.
February 8The Federal Trade Commission accuses Topps Chewing Gum of illegally monopolizing the baseball picture-card industry. In 1980‚ a court decision will open the door to competition.
February 27An architect offers a proposal to encase Candlestick Park in a plastic screen-“saran cloth”-to shield it from the wind.

March

March 3Cincinnati 3B Gene Freese‚ 28‚ suffers a severe right ankle fracture and torn ligaments sliding into 2B in the Reds first intrasquad game. He will not return until August 17th and his play will suffer as a result of the injury.
March 6St. Louis voters approve a bond issue that will fund the improvements necessary to build a new downtown stadium for the Cardinals.
March 10Because it does not allow black guests‚ the Phillies leave Jack Tar Harrison Hotel and move to Rocky Point Motel‚ 20 miles outside Clearwater‚ FL.
March 21Philadelphia retires P Robin Roberts‘ number 36.
March 22A former Giant-requesting anonymity-reveals that Bobby Thomson’s HR in the 1951 playoffs against the Dodgers was helped by a sign-stealing clubhouse spy. The spying is claimed to have gone on for the last 3 months of the season. Thomson‚ along with former manager Leo Durocher‚ vehemently deny that he received help‚ but a source close to the team confirms the spy operation.
March 23William DeWitt buys the Reds from the Crosley Foundation for $4.625 million.
March 24The Phillies trade holdout 3B Andy Carey and IF Lou Vassie to the White Sox for P Cal McLish. Chicago then trades Carey to the Dodgers for IF Ramon Conde and Jim Koranda.

The Red Sox swap P Tom Borland for 18-year veteran Dave Philley‚ who was picked by the Houston Colt 45’s in the expansion draft.
March 25Elvin Tappe will be this season’s first head coach for the Chicago Cubs‚ who have operated without a manager since 1960.

April

April 1University of Detroit basketball star Dave DeBusschere‚ also a pitcher‚ signs with the Chicago White Sox.
April 2The Twins trade P Pedro Ramos to Cleveland for 1B Vic Power and P Dick Stigman.
April 9President John F. Kennedy throws out the first ball to open the 1962 baseball season at new District of Columbia Stadium. Despite rain‚ a record Washington crowd of 42‚143 shows up to see Bennie Daniels stop Detroit with a 5-hit‚ 4-1 win in the new park. This is a switch for Daniels‚ who had lost the last games played at both Ebbets Field‚ in 1957‚ and Griffith Stadium‚ last year.
April 10The Houston Colt 45s begin play before 25‚271 fans at Colt Stadium‚ a temporary facility‚ adjacent to the land for the Astrodome. Roman Mejias hits two 3-run HRs‚ and Bobby Shantz pitches Houston to an 11-2 win over the Cubs.

Dodger Stadium‚ the first ML arena privately financed since Yankee Stadium in 1922-23‚ opens in Chavez Ravine. With 52‚564 fans on hand‚ the Dodgers inaugurate the $22 million facility with a 6-3 loss to the Reds. Wally Post hits the first homer in the new stadium‚ a 3-run shot over the CF fence in the 7th.

At Yankee Stadium‚ Mantle‚ Maris‚ and Skowron‚ the three Yankees who combined for 143 homers last season‚ hit Opening Day homers to lead New York to a come-from-behind 7-6 win over Baltimore. Moose’s is a 2-run shot to dead center that he legs out for an inside-the -park homer‚ while Mantle hits his in the 8th inning to tie the game‚ Maris hits a 3-run shot in the 5th. Johnny Temple‚ in his first game for the O’s‚ has three hits‚ including a HR. Starters Billy Hoeft and Whitey Ford are gone after six innings‚ and the win goes to Ralph Terry‚ while Hal Brown takes the loss.
April 11Carroll Hardy breaks up a scoreless duel with a 12th inning grand slam for a 4-0 Boston victory over Cleveland. This is first loss for Tribe’s manager Mel McGaha who started with a win yesterday.
April 12Pete Richert of the Dodgers‚ in his ML debut‚ fans the first 6 batters he faces against the Reds‚ tying Karl Spooner‘s record set on September 22‚ 1954 (as noted by Dave Smith). This includes 4 straight swinging strikeouts (a passed balls allows Coleman to reach 1B) in the 3rd inning. He wins in relief‚ of Stan Williams‚ lifted in the 2nd frame after allowing 4 runs. Richert sparkles‚ giving up no hits or walks and fanning 7 in 3 1?3 innings. While not noted‚ Richert undoubtedly holds the ML ML record for strikeouts to start his career.
April 13Just 12‚447 Mets’ fans welcome the return of NL baseball to New York. Sherman Jones drops a 4-3 decision to the Pirates at the Polo Grounds‚ which sparkles after a $350‚000 face-lift.

Stan Musial scores his 1‚869th run-a new NL record. The Cardinals beat the Cubs 8-5 in 15 innings.

In a 5-3 win against the Yankees‚ Tigers P Frank Lary pulls a muscle while running out a triple in the 7th and is forced to leave the game. The injury will subsequently create arm problems that will end his career. Lary will win just 2 games this after notching 23 wins in 1961.
April 16At Philadelphia‚ the Cards and Phillies each plate 6 runs in the first inning‚ but that’s all the scoring for the hosts. The Cards add 6 more to win‚ 12-6. Starters Cal McLish and Bob Gibson each last less than an inning. Ernie Broglio earns the win with 8 1/3 innings of shutout ball.

At Chicago‚ 42-year-old rookie Diomedes Olivo picks up his first ML win as the Pirates win their 5th straight‚ 6-5. For the Cubs it is their 6th straight loss.

The Yankees release vet Robin Roberts‚ signed in October. The Orioles will sign Roberts on May 21st.
April 17The Cubs use 5 pitchers in the 8th inning of a 10-6 loss to Pittsburgh‚ tying an NL mark.
April 18At Crosley Field‚ the Reds roll over the Dodgers‚ 14-0. Jim O’Toole tosses a 4-hitter for the win‚ while Joe Moeller‚ making his first ML start is kayoed in the 2nd. Pinson has 5 RBIs.
April 19Mantle’s homer in the 4th‚ off Chuck Estrada‚ starts the Yanks to a 3-1 win over the Orioles.

The Pirates win their 9th straight‚ beating the Phils‚ 8-3. This is a new club record‚ breaking the mark at the beginning of the 1938 season. Clemente’s 2-run single and Maz’s 2-run homer are the big blows.
April 22The Pirates win their 10th straight game‚ edging the Mets 4-3‚ and matching the 20th century ML record to start a season‚ while the Mets tie a NL record by opening 0-9.

The Cubs‚ 1-9 before today‚ hand the Cards their first defeats of the year‚ sweeping the Birds‚ 11-5 and 5-1. Banks hits a 3-run HR to start the scoring in the opener.
April 23Jay Hook gives the New York Mets their first regular-season victory‚ a 5-hit 9-1 win at Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is now 10-1 for the season‚ but will lose 13 of its next 17 games.
April 24Sandy Koufax ties the modern ML record he shares with Bob Feller by fanning 18 Cubs in 9 innings. The Dodgers win 10-2.

Reds rookie Sammy Ellis wins his first ML game‚ beating the Mets‚ 7-3. Ellis goes 6 innings and allows just one hit‚ but walks 11 and is replaced by Moe Drabowsky.

Mets manager Casey Stengel is fined $500 by Commissioner Ford Frick for allowing his picture to appear in a beer ad.

Warren Spahn pitches Milwaukee to a 2-1 win over the Phillies. For Spahn it is his 11th straight win over Philadelphia-breaking his own Braves team record-stretching back to May 13‚ 1959.

In a South Atlantic League game at Macon‚ the Peaches beat Greenville‚ 32-5. Peaches 2B Pete Rose is 6-for-8 with a home run‚ triple and 6 RBIs. Seven Spinner pitchers walked 19 batters‚ as the Peaches batted around 4 times.
April 25Chiti traded for himself. Cleveland sends C Harry Chiti to the Mets for a player to be named later. On June 15‚ the Mets will sell Chiti back to Cleveland.
April 26The Cardinals and Colts play a 17-inning 5-5 tie in a game halted by curfew.
April 28Consecutive HRs by Frank Thomas‚ Charlie Neal‚ and Gil Hodges in the 6th inning are among a club-record 5 hit by the Mets against Philadelphia. The Mets win 8-6 at the Polo Grounds. For Thomas‚ it is the fifth time in 8 years he has combined with teammates for three consecutive HRs.
April 29The Twins tie a ML record with 6 solo homers against the Indians in the 2nd game of a Minnesota sweep. The Indians add a solo homer to set a ML record‚ since tied‚ of 7 solo homers in a game. The Twins down the Indians 8-4 and 7-3.

In the Mets’ 7-run 4th inning‚ Frank Thomas is twice hit by pitches‚ from Art Mahaffey and Frank Sullivan of the Phils. Two plunks in an inning are the ML record set in April 1959 by Reds pitcher Willard Schmidt. Brady Anderson will also join this club. The Mets win 8-0‚ then lose the 2nd game 10-2.
April 30The Phils finally beat Warren Spahn‚ 6-4‚ after losing to the Braves lefty 11 games in a row.

The Braves trade Bob Buhl to the Cubs for P Jack Curtis. Buhl‚ coming off his first losing season since 1954‚ will be a solid starter over the next 4 years for the Cubs‚ winning 51 games. He also establish a ML mark as a batter going 0-for the season‚ going to the plate 70 times without a hit.

May

May 1At LA‚ Camilli singles in a run in the bottom of the 16th to give the Dodgers a 6-5 win over the Cubs. Both teams score 2 in the 15th with Jim Gilliam making the 3rd out on an attempted steal of home.

At Washington‚ the Senators snap a 13-game losing streak by edging the Red Sox‚ 2-1. Pete Burnside twirls a 4-hitter.

The Yankees use three pitchers-Bill Stafford‚ Roland Sheldon and Marshall Bridges-to beat the White Sox‚ 6-1 on a combined two hitter. Chicago’s first hit doesn’t come until the 9th inning when Nellie Fox hits a lead off base hit.
May 2At Minnesota‚ Baltimore’s Boog Powell hits his first 2 ML homers‚ off Jim Kaat and Ted Sadowski‚ to help the O’s to a 6-5 win.
May 4The first-place Giants win their 10th straight game‚ beating the Cubs 11-6. Billy Pierce wins his 4th straight and gives up a run after 17 2/3 innings of shut out pitching. The 10 wins is the longest winning streak since they moved west.

The Red Sox stage a 12-run uprising in the 5th inning to defeat the White Sox‚ 13-6. Bressoud and Yaz have 2 hits in the frame as does pinch hitter Russ Nixon.

Arthur Allyn becomes sole owner of the White Sox by purchasing the 46-percent share held by an 11-man Chicago syndicate.
May 5Angels rookie Bo Belinsky pitches a no-hitter against the Orioles‚ the organization from which the cocky lefty was drafted last year. Belinsky has 9 strikeouts and beats Steve Barber 2-0.

Kansas City and Cleveland split with the A’s winning in dramatic fashion in the opener‚ 18-6. Norm Siebern scores 5 runs. Jim Perry settles the A’s down in game 2‚ winning 5-2 for his first win of the year.
May 6Mickey Mantle hits HRs right- and lefthanded for the 9th time‚ in the 2nd game of a doubleheader‚ as the Yankees win 8-0 over the Senators at the Stadium. His first homer follows a Maris round-tripper. The shutout is Jim Bouton‘s first win the majors. In the opener‚ a 4-2 Nats win‚ Mantle accounts for both Yankee runs with a lefthanded homer.

At Cincinnati‚ the Cards salvage a nitecap win‚ 3-0‚ when Stan Musial blasts a 3-run HR in the 9th off Drabowsky. Gibson is the winner. The Reds win the opener‚ 5-4. Musial also sets a record for most games played‚ appearing in his 2‚786th and 2787th.

Lee Thomas has 5 hits to lead a 19-hit attack by the Angels as they beat the Orioles‚ 15-7‚ to sweep the 3-game series. Brooks Robinson hits a grand slam to tie the game at 7-7 in the 5th.

The Mets acquire Vinegar Bend Mizell from the Pirates for Jim Marshall‚ then send Don Zimmer to Cincinnati for P Bob Miller and infielder Cliff Cook.
May 7Former baseball executive Frank Lane signs on as GM of the Chicago Packers of the National Basketball Association.
May 9Brooks Robinson becomes the 6th major leaguer this century to hit grand slams in back-to-back games‚ as he hits one against Kansas City’s Ed Rakow. Baltimore wins 6-3 at home. Brooks hit a grand slam on the 6th.

The Orioles ship Marvelous Marv Throneberry to the Mets for C Hobie Landrith and cash.
May 10Minnesota Lenny Green and Vic Power hit back-to-back HRs off Cleveland’s Jim Perry to start the game‚ tying a ML record. Cleveland comes back to win 9-4. It’ll be another nine years before two leadoff batters in the AL belt homers‚ and it will be Perry teeing up those as well.
May 11Minnie Minoso of the Cardinals suffers a fractured skull and broken wrist running into the outfield wall while chasing a Duke Snider triple. The Dodgers win 8-5. Minnie will be out of action until July 19th‚ then go back on the DL on August 18th when Craig Anderson hits him with a pitch breaking his left forearm.

The Phils whip the Cubs 12-2 behind Don Demeter‘s grand slam and 6 RBIs.

With 2 outs in the 6th‚ the Senators explode for 11 runs to rout the Orioles‚ 12-1. Woodling’s grand slam is the big blow‚ but Chuck Cottier has 2 doubles in the inning. Dave Stenhouse (2-0) pops out to end the inning‚

Bob Belinsky wins his 5th straight as the Angels beat the White Sox‚ 4-2. Bo strikes out 11.
May 12New York Mets relief P Craig Anderson wins both games of a doubleheader against the Braves to go 3-1. He will not win another game in the ML‚ losing his next 19 decisions‚ 16 of them this season. Ninth-inning game-ending HRs win the games as Hobie Landrith hits one in the opening 3-2 win and Gil Hodges closes a game-two 9-8 victory. It is the first time in history that a doubleheader has ended with two walkoff homers. The next will be July 25‚ 1967.

Mantle goes 3-for-3 with 3 runs score and a homer to pace New York to a 9-6 victory at Cleveland.

At Crosley Field‚ the Reds’ Joey Jay and the Pirates’ Al McBean match goose eggs for 9 innings before the Bucs push across 2 runs in the 10th. The Reds come back with 3 runs to win‚ 3-2. Frank Robinson drives in the winning run with a single.
May 15Cubs P Barney Schultz ties Roy Face‘s ML record by relieving in his 9th consecutive game for Chicago. Today’s effort doesn’t help as the Cubs lose‚ 6-5 in 13 innings against the Mets. Roger Craig‚ enroute to a 10-24 year‚ is the winner‚ while Tony Balsamo loses to notch his only career decision.
May 18Mickey Mantle suffers a pulled groin muscle‚ tears muscles in his right thigh‚ and injures his left knee trying for an infield hit that becomes the final out of New York’s 4-3 loss to Minnesota. He will miss one month.

The Cubs use 5 homers-2 by George Altman-to beat the Phillies‚ 11-8. Dick Ellsworth stars in relief to earn the win.

ML owners approve a Player Development Plan that will ensure the survival of at least 100 minor league clubs for 1963.

The minor leagues are reorganized into 4 classes rather than 7. Classes B‚ C‚ and D are grouped as Class A‚ Classes AA and A become Class AA‚ and Class AAA remains the same‚ along with the rookie classification.
May 19Stan Musial gets hit number 3‚431‚ to break Honus Wagner‘s recognized NL record of 3‚430 (since revised to 3‚418)‚ as St. Louis downs the Dodgers 8-1. Musial’s 9th-inning single comes off Ron Perranoski.
May 20The Indians tie the ML record for most HRs in 6 straight games-21-set by the Giants in July 1954. They win the first game over Detroit 7-6‚ then lose 8-6 in the nitecap.

At Philadelphia‚ the Cubs sweep a doubleheader‚ winning 6-4 and 11-2 behind the hitting of young Lou Brock and rookie 2B Ken Hubbs. Brock’s 2nd inning grand slam is the difference in game one‚ while Hubbs collects 8 singles in the afternoon‚ 3-for-3 in the first game and 5-for-5 in game 2.
May 21The Tribe keeps pounding but lose 10-7 to Baltimore. Three more Cleveland HRs set a since-topped AL record for most HRs (26) over 8 straight games. The also go in the record books with 9 straight games with 2 or more homers.

The Orioles sign veteran Robin Roberts‚ released by the Yankees on April 30. Roberts will win 42 games for Baltimore before going to Houston.
May 22Roger Maris‚ who went all of 1961 without receiving an intentional walk‚ gets 4 in a 12-inning 2-1 win against the Angels to set an AL record. Maris receives 5 walks in all. Four Yankee pitchers (Whitey Ford‚ Jim Coates‚ Bud Daley‚ and Bob Turley) combine to give up just one hit in 12 innings. Ford leaves after 7 innings because of back spasms‚ and Coates gives up the lone hit‚ a one-out 9th-inning single to Bob Rodgers. It is the 2nd time this month that a Yanks combination attempt at a no hitter gets spoiled in the 9th.
May 23Yankee rookie Joe Pepitone becomes the 6th player in AL history to hit 2 HRs in one inning. New York’s 9-run 8th sinks Kansas City 13-7.
May 24The Tigers score their first 4 runs on homers‚ then score the winner on a passed ball in the 11th to beat the Orioles‚ 5-4. Charlie Lau misses a Wilhelm knuckler to allow McAuliffe to score. Bunning pitches the first 9 innings for Detroit and is accused by O’s manager Billy Hitchcock of notching the ball with his belt buckle.
May 25Ernie Banks is beaned by Moe Drabowsky and taken from the field on a stretcher‚ as Cincinnati beats Chicago 2-1.
May 26In New York‚ Al Kaline suffers a broken right collarbone while making a diving‚ game-saving catch off Elston Howard‘s bat to seal Detroit’s 2-1 win against the Yankees. He will be out until June 23rd. Hank Aguirre pitches the Tigers to its 5th straight win‚ giving up a single run on Bill Skowren’s HR.

Sandy Koufax strikes out 16 batters to lead the Dodgers to a 6-3 victory over the Phillies. Dennis Bennett takes the loss.

The Reds manage just 2 hits off Cal Koonce‚ but beat the Cubs‚ 2-1. Frank Robinson hits a 4th inning double to drive in both runs.
May 28Reds pitcher Joey Jay drives home 4 runs with a homer and 2 singles to beat Houston‚ 9-6.

Former Dodger hurler Don Newcombe signs with the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese League.
May 29Ernie Banks makes a spectacular return from his May 25th beaning with 3 Hrs and a double against the Braves at Wrigley Field. Three teammates hit HRs‚ but the Cubs lose to the Braves‚ 11-9. Samuel hits his 1st ML HR and Torre and Adcock also connect. The Cubs outhit the Braves‚ 15-8‚ but a Rodgers error in the 3rd opens the way for 6 unearned runs.

The Angels get P Don Lee from the Twins for Jim Donohue. Lee‚ 3-3 with the Twins‚ will go 8-8 with LA.
May 30Light-hitting SS Maury Wills becomes the 7th player in ML history to sock HRs from each side of the plate in one game. The Dodgers sweep the Mets 13-6 and 6-5 in New York.

At Milwaukee‚ the Reds edge the Braves‚ 4-3‚ in 16 innings. Don Blasingame‘s infield single scores the winning run.

June

June 1The Dodgers sweep Philadelphia‚ 11-4 and 8-5‚ for a Los Angeles record 13 straight wins. Don Drysdale and Stan Williams pitch the Bums into a first-place tie with the Giants. It is also Drysdale’s 13th straight win over the Phils‚ but they will beat him in his next 9 straight decisions against them. He won’t beat the Phillies again until August 27‚ 1965.
June 2Dennis Bennett finally stops the Dodgers’ win streak at 13‚ giving up 4 hits‚ while pitching the Phils to a 7-0 win. It is Bennett’s first ML win.
June 3The Senators trade outfielder Willie Tasby to the Indians for pitchers Steve Hamilton and Don Rudolph.
June 6Cal McLish and Art Mahaffey pitch Philadelphia to a sweep of the Mets‚ 2-0 and 2-1‚ giving New York 17 straight losses. Craig and Jackson are the losing pitchers.
June 7The 1st-place Giants have their lead cut to a half-game over the Dodgers when Billy Pierce loses his 1st game of the year. The little lefty had won 7 straight before the Cubs top him‚ 4-3.
June 8The Cardinals Bob Gibson tops the Giants 8-4‚ dropping San Francisco to 2nd place in the NL.
June 11With the bases loaded in the 3rd against the Indians‚ Boston pitcher Earl Wilson is about throw when Tito Francona‚ the runner on 1B‚ yells‚ “hold it‚ Earl.” Wilson holds the ball‚ then stumbles off the mound‚ balking home the game’s first run. The Indians plate 9 more in the game to win‚ 10-0‚ behind Jim Perry. Willie Kirkland drives in 5 runs with a HR and double.
June 12The Braves beat the Dodgers‚ 15-2‚ as the Aaron brothers-Hank and Tommie-hit HRs in the same game for the first time. They’ll do it twice more this year. Hank has three hits and drives in three runs before retiring in the 7th for a pinch-hitter‚ Lee May. May is the first of six hitters who will pinch for Aaron.

Wally Post belts a two-run pinch homer in the 9th inning to give the Reds a 3-2 win over the Cubs at Wrigley.

The Yankees trade INF Billy Gardner to the Red Sox for Tommy Umphlett and cash.
June 13Sandy Koufax smacks his first ML home run‚ and it comes off another future Hall of Famer‚ Warren Spahn. It is the winning blow in the 2-1 win at Milwaukee. Sandy will hit one more career round tripper.
June 14Join the club. The Orioles Charlie Lau ties an AL record with 3 passed balls in the 8th inning‚ and a total of 4‚ but Baltimore beats Boston 7-4. Lau now shares the team (and AL) record with Myron Ginsberg and Gus Triandos for most passed balls in inning‚ all catching Hoyt Wilhelm. The 20th century mark is 4 in an inning‚ set by the Giants Ray Katt in 1954. No surprise who was on the mound then-Wilhelm.
June 15The Phils score 10 in the 3rd‚ their biggest one-inning outburst since 1950‚ and hold on to beat the Reds‚ 13-8.
June 16A limping Mickey Mantle returns after a one-month absence to crack a 3-run pinch-hit HR in the 8th to give New York a 9-7 lead against Cleveland. The Tribe comes back to win it 10-9 in the 9th on Jerry Kindall‘s 2-run HR. Cleveland now leads the 3rd-place Yankees by a game and will sweep the 4-game series.
June 17Lou Brock of the Cubs hits a HR into the right-CF bleachers at the Polo Grounds‚ 460-470 feet from home plate‚ in the first game of a Chicago doubleheader sweep‚ 8-7 and 4-3. He is the 2nd player to reach those bleacher seats; Joe Adcock was the first. In the nitecap‚ the Cubs win on Santo’s HR in the 9th.

Mets 1B Marv Throneberry hits an apparent triple‚ but misses both 1B and 2B‚ and is called out on an appeal play. The Cubs eke out an 8-7 win.

Before a crowd of 70‚916‚ the Indians sweep a pair from the Yankees‚ 6-1 and 6-3‚ and boost their lead over the Twins to 2 games. Donovan becomes the ML’s first 10 game winner in the opener. In the nitecap‚ the Indians hit 3 straight homers in the 2nd off Jim Stafford. Jerry Kindell‚ Bubba Phillips and Jim Maloney connect.
June 18Hank Aaron of the Braves reaches the left-CF bleachers at the Polo Grounds with a long drive‚ the 2nd player to find the CF bleachers in 2 days and only the 3rd ever. The Braves win 7-1 over the Mets.

At LA‚ Tommy Davis hits a game-ending HR off Bob Gibson to give the Dodgers a 1-0 win over the Cards. Sandy Koufax is the winner. It is the 3rd time Koufax has won a game 1-0 on a Tommy Davis HR.
June 20The Braves sweep a pair from the Mets‚ winning 9-4 and 3-2 in 6 innings‚ with rain ending the game. In the nitecap‚ Willard Hunter tosses a 2-hitter for the Mets but‚ unfortunately‚ both hits are homers by Hank Aaron.
June 22Playing 4 hours and 2 minutes‚ the Braves outscore the Giants 11-9 in the NL’s longest 9-inning night game.

Stan Musial becomes the all-time total-base leader‚ raising his total to 5‚864‚ in the first game against the Phillies. St. Louis wins the opener 7-3 but loses the nightcap 11-3.
June 23Larry Doby‚ retired from the Cleveland Indians‚ signs on with the Chunichi Dragons to become‚ with Don Newcombe‚ the first former ML players to play for a Japanese team. His season BA will be a mediocre .225.

Mantle returns to the Yankee lineup and homers against Paul Foytack. But it is not enough as Detroit wins‚ 5-4.
June 24A marathon between the Tigers and Yankees concludes in the 22nd inning when Jack Reed’s HR-his only one in the ML-gives New York and Jim Bouton a 9-7 victory. Reed replaced Pepitone in the 13th. For the Tigers‚ Phil Regan takes the loss and Rocky Colavito has 7 hits. Bobby Richardson ties a mark by going to the plate 11 times. At an even 7 hours‚ the game is the longest extra-inning contest in league history and it is the longest game in innings in Yankee history.

Led by a grand slam from Hank Foiles and 4 RBIs on 2 HRs from Frank Robinson‚ the Reds outslug the Dodgers‚ 12-10 at Dodgers Stadium.
June 25The Tigers trade Charlie Maxwell to the White Sox for OF Bob Farley.
June 26Earl Wilson pitches a no-hitter‚ his first ML shutout‚ as Boston beats the Los Angeles Angels 2-0. The righthander also hits a HR off loser Bo Belinsky‚ who pitched his no-hitter 6 weeks earlier.
June 27The Cards receive a pair of shutouts from Jackson and Sadecki to sweep the Cubs‚ 4-0 and 8-0. Jackson yields 4 hits in game 1 and Sadecki allows 5 hits in the nitecap. Sadecki hits a 9th inning Hr and Javier and Flood hit back-to-back homers off Bob Anderson.
June 28Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle break a 0-0 tie in the 4th with back-to-back HRs to lead the Yanks to a 4-2 win over the Twins.

At Dodgers Stadium‚ LA brings reliever Larry Sherry in to pitch in the 8th inning with brother Norm behind the plate. Larry goes 2/3’s of an inning and is lifted‚ and the Dodgers top the Mets 5-4 in 13 innings. The Sherrys are the first brother battery since the Baileys started for the Reds in 1959.
June 30With the aid of 13 strikeouts and a Frank Howard HR‚ Sandy Koufax no-hits Bob Miller and the Mets 5-0 in Los Angeles. Sandy starts off the game by fanning the side on 9 pitches in the first inning‚ the first NL pitcher to strike out the side on 9 pitches since Brooklyn’s Dazzy Vance‚ in 1924.

At Houston‚ the game between the Colts and the Reds is called on account of fog after 7 innings. Houston is leading 7-3 when the fog rolls in. It is so thick that the outfielders can’t see home plate.

July

July 1Albie Pearson becomes the first player to go hitless in 11 at bats in a doubleheader (both 9-inning games). Los Angeles splits with the Yankees‚ losing 6-3 before winning 12-5. Reliever Art Fowler helps himself to a win in the nitecap by driving in 4 runs on a pair of singles. The Yanks take over 1st place.

The White Sox drop Cleveland to 3rd place while winning a pair 5-4 and 7-6. In the 2nd game they also set a ML record with 3 run-scoring sacrifice flies in the 5th inning when they score 6 runs. Indian RF Gene Green makes the first put out of the 6th inning‚ but then muffs two other fly balls‚ both of which are credited as sacrifice flies‚ the scorer assuming the runners on 3rd could have scored anyway.
July 2In the first game of a doubleheader‚ P Johnny Podres of the Dodgers ties the modern NL record with 8 consecutive strikeouts in a 5-1 win. Stan Williams also wins 4-0‚ as the Dodgers sweep Philadelphia and move into first place.

At Yankee Stadium‚ Mantle deposits a 6th inning homer halfway up the third tier in right to lead New York to a 8-4 win over the A’s. Mick walks his other three times up.

At Cincinnati‚ Reds 1B Gordy Coleman hits a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Cubs‚ 4-3.
July 3The Yankees need all 5 home runs-2 each by Mantle and Maris‚ plus one by Bobby Richardson-to edge the A’s 8-7. Mantle’s 2nd homer‚ in the 8th‚ is the tie breaker.
July 4The Angels win for the 14th time in 20 games and move into first place by sweeping Washington 4-2 and 4-1 in DC.

The San Francisco Giants sign Santa Clara College P Bob Garibaldi for a $150‚000 bonus.

The Yanks and A’s split in New York‚ with Kansas City winning the opener‚ 11-1 on five Yankee errors. In the nitecap‚ Mantle hits a 2 run homer in the 5th to tie the game‚ and the Yanks score 5 in the 6th inning to ice it‚ 7-3. In the 6th‚ Mantle adds another homer‚ his 389th‚ to move into 7th place on the all-time list‚ just ahead of Duke Snider.
July 6The Indians regain first place from the Angels‚ as Ruben Gomez beats Early Wynn and the White Sox 5-3.

The Yankees edge the Twins 7-5 in Bloomington‚ as Mantle and Maris each hit a pair of home runs. The M&M; boys hit back to back homers in the 1st inning‚ off Camilo Pascual (12-4)‚ the 3rd time in 4 games they’ve hit back-to-back shots. New York is a half-game in back of Cleveland.

The Kansas City Athletics come back from a 4-run deficit to score 7 runs in the 8th inning and beat the Senators‚ 12-9.
July 7The Athletics again spot the Senators a 4-run lead and score 5 runs in the 8th inning‚ off reliever Dave Stenhouse‚ and edge the Senators‚ 9-8. Bobby Del Grevo’s 2-run homer is the big blow in the frame. Not until the the Yankees‚ on July 30 and 31st‚ 2005 against the Twins will an AL team come back in consecutive games trailing by 4 runs.
July 8The Yankees complete a 3-game sweep in Minnesota‚ winning 9-8 to regain first place. They will remain there the rest of the way.

The Dodgers take first place as Don Drysdale saves Sandy Koufax‘s 13th win 2-0 against San Francisco. Los Angeles will remain in first until the final day of the season.

With HRs in his first 3 at bats‚ 41-year-old Stan Musial of the Cardinals not only becomes the oldest player to hit 3 in a game but also ties the ML record of 4 straight HRs‚ as the Cards whip the Mets 15-1. His HR in the 2nd game the day before won the game 3-2.

Cincinnati uses 9 pitchers to win the 13-inning 2nd game against the Houston Colt 45s 12-11. This sets an NL record and ties the ML mark. Houston scores once in the 13th and Cincy scores twice to win. Frank Robinson scores 5 runs. The Reds also win the first game 12-8‚ battling back from an 8-3 deficit.
July 9At a meeting held in conjunction with the All-Star Game‚ the ML players request a reduced schedule for the 1963 season. They also vote unanimously to continue playing 2 All-Star Games each year.
July 10Roberto Clemente has 3 hits as the NL wins 3-1 in the first All-Star Game of 1962‚ at DC Stadium.
July 12For the first time since 1938‚ when the Waner brothers pulled the trick‚ brothers Hank and Tommie Aaron homer in the same inning. Both are hit in the last of the 9th‚ and Hank’s grand slam provides the winning margin in an 8-6 Braves win over the Cards.

The Senators send 1B Dale Long to the Yankees for OF Don Lock. Long will hit .298 in pinstripes this year.
July 13In Kansas City‚ the Red Sox outlast the A’s‚ 11-10‚ in 15 innings. Boston collects 21 hits to KC’s 20. Lou Clinton wins the marathon with an RBI single and adds the cycle as he goes 5-for-7. Dick Radatz is the winner over Ed Rackow. KC catcher Haywood Sullivan is 4-for-4 before leaving for a pinch runner in the 10th.

Orioles C Charley Lau hits 4 doubles in a 10-3 victory over Cleveland to tie a ML record. Charlie’s average jumps to .294.

Cubs rookie Cal Koonce (8-2) stops the Reds on one hit‚ a single by Don Blasingame‚ to win‚ 1-0. It is the first of four times that the Dixie Blazer will collect the only hit in a game. The Cubs only run is unearned off Bob Purkey (14-3).
July 17Sandy Koufax leaves after one inning of a 7-5 loss at Cincinnati. The 14-game winner has a circulatory problem in the index finger and palm of his pitching hand and will be sidelined until late September.

At Los Angeles‚ Ken McBride (10-3) wins his 9th straight‚ beating Detroit‚ 1-0‚ on a 3-hitter. Bilko singles and scores the only run off Aguirre in the 4th. LA takes over 2nd place in the AL.
July 18Minnesota is the first 20th-century club to hit 2 grand slams in one inning when Bob Allison and Harmon Killebrew connect in a team-record‚ 11-run first inning‚ against Cleveland. Barry Latman and Jim Perry serve the grand gophers. The Twins coast home‚ 14-3.
July 19John W. Cox‚ the owner of the General Packaging Company‚ as well as the owner of Yankee Stadium‚ donates the facility “lock‚ stock and barrel” to Rice University‚ his alma mater. Cox has owned the Stadium since 1955. The university will derive the income from the rental of the Stadium‚ while the land underneath goes to the Knights of Columbus. Rice will relinquish ownership in 1971‚ when the city of New York will acquire it through eminent domaine. New York will pay the university $2.5 million as compensation.
July 20Mantle homers in the first inning off Washington starter Steve Hamilton to propel New York to a 3-2 victory. Mantle goes 3-for-4 and his on-base percentage is now .516.
July 21The Angels Ken McBride (11-3) wins his 10th in a row stopping Cleveland‚ 5-0‚ on 4 hits. McBride has thrown 21 straight scoreless innings‚ but this is his last win of the year.

Houston P Dick Farrell admits to having thrown a spitball to Stan Musial in the previous day’s game against the Cardinals.

The Reds purchase pitcher Joe Nuxhall from San Diego (PCL). For Nuxhall‚ it is his 3rd tour of duty with the Reds.
July 22Floyd Robinson of the White Sox goes 6-for-6‚ all singles‚ as Chicago defeats Boston 7-3 at Fenway Park. Robinson raises his average 12 points‚ to .319 and ties for 1st in RBIs with 71.
July 23Bob Feller‚ Jackie Robinson‚ Bill McKechnie‚ and Edd Roush are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

At Cincinnati‚ Reds pitcher Jim O’Toole loses his no hit bid when Bob Skinner doubles in the 8th inning. O’Toole finishes with a 3-0 one-hitter against the Pirates.
July 25Stan Musial becomes the NL’s all-time leader in runs batted in with 1‚862‚ driving in both of the Cardinal runs in a 5-2 loss to the Dodgers.

The Reds pound out 21 hits in defeating the Pirates‚ 13-6.
July 26In New York‚ P Gene Conley and IF Pumpsie Green of the Red Sox mysteriously disappear after a 13-3 loss to the Yankees. They leave the team bus in traffic to use a rest room and fail to return. Conley decides he wants to ?y to Israel‚ and goes to the airport‚ but is refused a ticket because he does not have a visa. Conley was the loser in the game‚ pitching 2 2/3 inning‚ and walking in 2 of the 8 earned runs allowed. Pumpsie did not play. Bouton is the winner‚ shutting out the Hubmen for 6 innings.

Warren Spahn hits his 31st career homer‚ off Craig Anderson‚ setting an NL record for pitchers‚ in a 6-1 win over the Mets. The Mets suffer their 11th straight loss.
July 28On Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium‚ White Sox knuckleballer Eddie Fisher loses a 3-0 shut out when he surrenders 7th inning homers to Mantle and Blanchard and loses‚ 4-3.

Pumpsie Green returns to the Red Sox and is fined.
July 29Gene Conley contacts manager Mike Higgins by telegram‚ stating that he is “mostly tired‚” and has “other plans.” He will return the next day to the Red Sox and will be fined $2‚000.

Don Drysdale pushes his record to 19-4 as he completes a three-game Dodger sweep over the Giants‚ winning 111. Howard has a HR and 3 singles to drive home 5 runs. Willie Mays accounts for the only Giants run with a HR. Los Angeles now leads the Giants by 4 games.
July 30Homers by Leon Wagner‚ Pete Runnels‚ and Rocky Colavito power the AL past the NL 9-4 in the 2nd All-Star Game of 1962.
July 31At D.C. Stadium‚ Mantle is on the bench with a wrenched knee‚ but Skowron supplies the power with a grand slam. New York wins‚ 9-5.

The NL rejects Commissioner Ford Frick‘s proposal for inter-league play in 1963.

August

August 1Nothing less than Bill Monbouquette’s no-hitter is necessary to defeat Early Wynn and the White Sox 1-0. The Red Sox pitcher improves his record to 9-10.

Drawing a combined 32 bases on balls in a doubleheader‚ the Tigers (20) and A’s (12) tie an AL record. The Tigers sweep‚ winning the opener‚ 6-5‚ with 3 runs in the 9th‚ then taking the nitecap‚ 9-1 behind Howie Koplitz‘s (1-0) complete game effort.
August 2Phils P Art Mahaffey gives up 2 HRs to Frank Thomas and 2 more to Marv Throneberry‚ but negates those with a grand slam of his own in the 3rd inning. Mahaffey tops the Mets 9-4 at New York.
August 3With a pair of HRs for the 3rd straight game‚ the Mets Frank Thomas becomes the 2nd player in NL history with 6 HRs in 3 consecutive games. Cincy ace Joey Jay tees up the two solos for Thomas today‚ as the Reds win‚ 8-6.

At Los Angeles‚ the Dodgers top the Cubs‚ 8-3‚ behind Don Drysdale. Cal Koonce takes the loss. Maury Wills helps with a 4th inning triple and then steals home.
August 4After a double header loss to the Mets‚ 9-1 and 3-2 in 13 innings at the Polo Grounds‚ Reds manager Fred Hutchinson stays in the dugout instead of joining his players in the club house. He then calls the clubhouse and tells the players to be out of there in 15 minutes. They do. Hutch has tickets for Zero Mostel’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum‚” but doesn’t use them.

At Visalia (California League) Visalia’s William Dawson sets a league record‚ striking out 21 Silver Sox batters. Visalia beats Reno‚ 7-4.
August 5The Twins score 6 runs in the 11th inning against Detroit to give starter Jim Kaat (12-9) the win. Kaline homers with 2 out in the 9th and a man on to send the game into overtime. Rollins homers and Tuttle triples in the 11th for the Twins‚ while Colavito homers for the Tigers. In the nitecap‚ Jackie Collum fails to get through the 2nd inning for the 2nd day in a row‚ and the Tigers win‚ 5-3. For Collum‚ it is the last start of his career: Minnesota will sell him to the Indians.
August 6At Houston‚ reliever Johnny Klippstein belts a home run in the 13th inning to give the Reds a 1-0 win over the Colts. Klippstein relieved starter Bob Purkey in the 11th.
August 7Yankees SS Tony Kubek‚ in his first at bat after returning from military service‚ homers in a 14-1 Yankee win over the Twins.
August 10In the first of 3 games with the Dodgers at Candlestick‚ Bill O’Dell coasts to an 11-2 win over Johnny Podres. The loss cuts the Dodger lead to 4 games.

The Phillies lose their 8th in a row‚ when the Cardinls twice come from behind to win‚ 7-4. Bobby Shantz is the winner with 4 shutout innings of relief. He also singles in a run. Phils 1B Frank Torre is caught stealing for the 1st time in career‚ a NL record of 592 games without being caught. He has stolen 4 bases since ’56.

At Buffalo (IL)‚ Columbus beats Buffalo 6-5‚ in 12 innings. Bob Veale of Columbus strikes out 22 Bison batters in nine innings.
August 11The Dodgers protest the wetting down of the field at Candlestick‚ a tactic they claim is to stop Maury Wills. Billy Pierce then hands 21-game winner Don Drysdale his 5th loss‚ and the first after 11 straight wins‚ as the Giants win 5-4 to take the 2nd game in their series. Willie McCovey‘s pinch-homer with two on is the big blow off Drysdale. The watering ploy earns Giants manager Alvin Dark the sobriquet “The Swamp Fox.”

At Fenway‚ the Red Sox sweep a day-night pair from Baltimore‚ winning 3-0 and 7-3. Ike Delock shuts out the Orioles‚ giving the Red Sox their 3rd shutout in a row. Gene Conley and Bill Monbouquette had previously whitewashed the Indians. Whitey Herzog‘s HR in the 6th of game 2 ends the Sox sting of 32 2/3 scoreless innings.

The White Sox score 7 in the 4th and beat Kansas City‚ 11-2. Joe Cunningham and Jim Landis each collect a single‚ double and triple‚ with Cunningham’s extra base hits coming in the 4th.
August 12Juan Marichal completes a 3-game Giant sweep of the Dodgers by beating Stan Williams 5-1. The Dodgers lead over the Giants is now down to 2 games.
August 13Bert Campaneris of Daytona Beach (Florida State League) pitches ambidextrously in a relief appearance. Facing Ft. Lauderdale‚ Campy throws lefty to lefthanders‚ and switches when righthanders come up.
August 14For the 3rd and last time the Aaron brothers hit homers in the same game‚ when Tommy breaks a 3-3 tie in the 6th and Hank homers in the 7th. The Braves beat the Reds‚ 5-4.
August 15Pinch-hit HRs by the Mets Choo Choo Coleman (6th inning) and Jim Hickman (8th) tie the ML record for pinch HRs by one club in one game‚ but the Mets still lose to the Phils‚ 8-7‚ in 13 innings. Winning pitcher Chris Short singles and scores the winning run. The Phils cop the opener‚ 9-3 behind a Callison homer and two by Don Demeter‚ both off Bob Millers. The first Miller serves up a homer in the 3rd and the other Bob Miller in the 9th.

Trailing 1-0 going into the 9th‚ the White Sox score 10 runs on 6 hits‚ a walk and an error in the and win‚ 10-2. Only the 1912 Reds have scored 10 runs in the 9th inning of a game. Cleveland comes back in the nitecap to win‚ 3-2‚ as Jim Perry bests Early Wynn.
August 16Rick Wise tosses a shutout‚ the Phillies’ 4th in a row‚ to beat Houston 7-0. The streak ends tomorrow in the 1st inning when Houston’s Sandy Valdespino steals home.

For the 2nd night in a row‚ Frank Robinson clouts 2 homers to power the Reds to a 7-1 win over the Braves. Robby now has 9 homers in 8 games 11 in the last 12. Lee Maye‘s HR off Maloney is the only Braves’ score.
August 18Kansas City tops the Yanks for the 2nd day in a row‚ 5-4. Again‚ Mantle homers in the losing cause.
August 19Gino Cimoli‚ Wayne Causey‚ and Billy Bryan of the Athletics hit consecutive HRs in the 7th inning‚ but Elston Howard has 2 HRs and 8 RBIs; Bill Skowron‚ a HR and 4 RBIs; Mickey Mantle‚ a grand slam and 7 RBIs‚ and Skowron 4 RBIs as the Yankees rout the A’s‚ 21-7. Mantle adds 2 stolen bases before Jack Reed takes over CF and has 2 at bats.

Cleveland Indians President Mike Wilson dies at age 74.
August 20At Crosley Field‚ Frank Robinson connects for a grand slam in the 10th inning as the Reds defeat the Dodgers‚ 7-3.

Maris hits his 49th and Mantle his 46th as the Yankees sweep a pair from the Indians‚ 6-0 and 5-2. Both come in game one as Terry pitches a 4-hitter. Skowron homers in the nitecap and Mantle notches an RBI with his 101st walk‚ following a single and 2 HPBs load the bases.

The Tigers remain 3 games behind New York by sweeping a pair from the visiting Red Sox‚ 6-1 and 7-6. Lary wins his 18th in the opener‚ with the help of 5 DPs. Boston pulls off 3 DPs of their own. Fox‚ in relief of Bunning‚ is the game 2 winner.
August 22At Wrigley‚ the Reds trail the Cubs 5-1 after 6 innings‚ but score 4 in the 7th to tie. They win it in the 10th‚ 9-5‚ when Eddie Kasko hits a grand slam.
August 23Steve Boros matches the AL record for most errors in an inning by a 3B with 4‚ but Detroit beats Cleveland 8-5‚ as Al Kaline hits 2 HRs.

The Reds rack up 21 hits in routing the Cubs‚ 14-3.
August 24Dodger coach Leo Durocher suffers a near-fatal allergic reaction to a penicillin injection while in the clubhouse at the Polo Grounds before a game. An emergency intravenous injection of adrenaline saves his life.

The Reds Bob Purkey wins his 20th game‚ defeating Houston‚ 4-2.
August 25Winning for the 18th time in 21 games-over Houston 7-6-the Reds move within 3 games of first place. Joey Jay wins his 20th game.

Pirates players call off a threatened strike. They had objected to a rained-out game being rescheduled as a night game the day before a doubleheader.
August 26The Twins Jack Kralick no-hits the A’s and wins‚ 1-0‚ on Lenny Green‘s sacrifice ?y off Bill Fischer. A 3-2 walk to George Alusik with one out in the 9th spoils Kralick’s bid for a perfect game. Alusik had beaten Kralick with a 2-run HR on August 8. Fischer, meanwhile, walks no one as his walkless streak continues.

Robin Roberts‚ discarded earlier in the year by the Yankees‚ beats Whitey Ford 2-1 on HRs by Brooks Robinson and Jim Gentile to complete a 5-game Oriole sweep of the sagging Yankees. The Twins and Angels are now 3 games behind New York.

At Chicago‚ Dick Ellsworth stops the Braves 4-1 and stops Hank Aaron‘s hitting streak of 25 games. The Cubs tie a ML record and set an NL mark with 3 straight sacrifice bunts in the 6th inning following a bunt single by Ellsworth. Hubbs lays down the first sac bunt‚ and is safe on a fielder’s choice.

After the Indians beat the Red Sox‚ 10-5 in game 1‚ Cleveland’s Dick Donovan holds the Red Sox homerless in the nitecap to win‚ 4-0. It is Donovan’s 100th ML win. The Sox had hit homers in 13 straight games.
August 28Angels’ thumpers Lee Thomas‚ Leon Wagner‚ and Bob Rodgers hit consecutive HRs in the 4th inning of a 10-5 trouncing of Kansas City.

At Yankee Stadium‚ Mantle connects for a 2-run shot in the 4th off Mudcat Grant to give the Yanks a 2-1 win over the Indians.
August 30San Francisco’s 3-2 win over the Braves ties a ML record‚ as all 5 runs score on HRs.
August 31The Indians Dick Donovan (18-7) hits a pair of homers to pace the Tribe to a 9-6 win over the Orioles. Both homers come off losing pitcher Robin Roberts. Donovan had another two-homer game on May 18 to account for this year’s total.

September

September 1The Reds Vada Pinson has 4 singles and a double in a 10-5 win at San Francisco.
September 2Stan Musial’s 3‚516th hit jumps him over Tris Speaker and into 2nd place behind Ty Cobb‚ but the Mets beat the Cards 4-3. Although The Man will continue on to 3‚630 hits‚ he cannot overtake Cobb and‚ in time‚ Pete Rose and Hank Aaron will surpass him as well.
September 3At Los Angeles‚‚ Jack Sanford of the Giants wins his 20th game and 14th straight‚ 7-3.
September 4Houston finally defeats Philadelphia‚ 4-1‚ in their final meeting of the season. The Phillies had won all 17 previous contests.
September 5Ken Hubbs of the Cubs sets ML records at 2B for consecutive games without an error (78) and consecutive chances accepted (418) without an error. His streak ends with a 4th-inning throwing error as Cincinnati beats Chicago‚ 4-1.

Washington’s John Kennedy pinch hits against the Twins and becomes the 9th AL player to debut with a HR in his first at bat. His blow breaks up a no-hit bid by Dick Stigman‚ and the Nats rally to tie the game at 7-7 in the 9th‚ The Twins win 9-7 in 11 frames‚ then drop the nitecap‚ 3-0‚ as Claude Osteen fires a 3 hitter. The split leaves the Twins 2 1/2 games behind the Yankees.
September 6Commissioner Ford Frick announces that any transfer of Bo Belinsky to the Athletics as part of the Dan Osinski deal will be voided due to a technicality in the rules.

The Giants score 4 in the 9th to beat the Dodgers 9-6 and put San Francisco just 11?2 games out of first.
September 7Four steals bring Maury Wills‘ season total to 82‚ one better than Bob Bescher‘s 1911 mark and a modern NL record. But Pittsburgh beats Los Angeles 10-1‚ cutting the Dodger lead to one-half game. In a streak of 6 games‚ from September 6th to the 11th‚ Maury will swipe 13 bases.

With a three game lead‚ the Yankees purchase some insurance-righty Hal Brown from the Orioles.
September 8At Milwaukee‚ pitcher Chris Short‚ a career .126 hitter‚ has 4 hits against Warren Spahn as the Phillies top the ace left hander‚ 4-2.
September 9Boston’s Lou Clinton makes 4 stellar grabs in the outfield and adds a homer‚ triple and single as the Red Sox trip the Yankees‚ 9-3 in 16 innings at the Stadium. Dick Radatz takes over for Hal Kolstad and pitches 9 innings of relief before leaving in the 16th for a pinch hitter.
September 10Against Hank Aguirre‚ Mantle clouts a 4th inning homer run‚ the 400th of his career‚ to tie the game 1-1. The Yanks score 2 in the 9th off Aguirre to beat Detroit 3-1. The victory‚ combined with a Minnesota loss‚ gives the Yanks a 3 1/2 game lead over the Twins. The surprising Angels are in 3rd place‚ 4 games back.

The Angels Dean Chance loses his no hit bid when Zoilo Versalles singles in the 8th inning for the only Twins hit. Chance wins‚ 5-0.
September 12Washington’s Tom Cheney sets a ML mark with 21 strikeouts in a 16-inning game at Baltimore. Bud Zipfel’s 16th-inning HR off Dick Hall gives the Senators a 2-1 win.

In Cleveland‚ Whitey and Mickey lead the way to a Yankee win‚ 5-2. Mantle hits a 3-run homer in the 5th off Pedro Ramos‚ his 2nd favorite all-time cousin (12 homers allowed).

In the dugout in Cincinnati‚ Willie Mays collapses from nervous exhaustion. He is taken to the hospital and will miss 4 games. The Giants lose 4-1 and will lose their next 6 to take them apparently out of the race.
September 13Washington OF Jim Piersall is arrested for going into the stands after a heckling fan prior to a game against Baltimore. He is charged with disorderly conduct‚ but later cleared. Hicks replaces Jimmy in the 7-1 loss to the Orioles. O’s winning pitcher Chuck Estrada clouts one of the 3 Birds homers.

In Kansas City’s 5-4 win over the Angels‚ 17-year-old Ed Kirkpatrick pinch hits in the 9th for LA. He is the youngest in the AL since Jim Derrington‚ in 1956‚ and no one younger will debut this century in the AL.
September 14Jim Piersall is knocked unconscious by a revolving door in his hotel in Baltimore‚ shortly after the hearing on his arrest.

The Phillies top St. Louis 2-1 on Johnny Callison‘s 9th inning HR. Callison also hit a game-winning HR in last night’s 2-1 win over Milwaukee.
September 15The Pirates beat Jack Sanford 5-1‚ the first loss by the Giant hurler after 16 straight wins. Bob Bailey‚ in his ML debut‚ hits a 2-run triple to ice it.

At Cleveland‚ 22-year-old Sudden Sam McDowell pitches 6 scoreless innings‚ striking out 7. He leaves after one out in the 7th after his hard throwing causes him to breaks 2 ribs. With 2 outs in the 9th‚ the Twins score 3 against Funk to win‚ 3-2. Lee Stange‚ in relief‚ gains his first ML win. McDowell‚ just recalled from Portland (PCL)‚ where he compiled an 8-0 record‚ including a one-hitter and no-hitter in consecutive starts‚ will go 11-4 this year.

At Wrigley Field‚ the Dodgers beat the Cubs‚ 6-4‚ with a little help from Frank Howard. Hondo is 4-for-4 with a homer‚ and has 2 assists from right field. He’ll end the year with 19 assists.
September 16Mays celebrates his return to the lineup by cracking a 3-run HR in the 8th inning‚ his 44th of the year‚ to tie the Pirates 4-4. Pittsburgh tops the Giants in the 10th inning when Smoky Burgess hits a 2-run HR.
September 18At Washington new ball park D.C. Stadium‚ Mantle clouts the first home run there‚ and adds another‚ both off Washington starter Tom Cheney‚ to pace New York to a 7-1 win. Mick has 5 RBIs. Ralph Terry picks up his 22nd win‚ the most by a Yankee right hander since 1928. The Yankee win‚ combined with a Twins loss‚ leaves New York (90-63) in 1st place by 4 games.

The Mets drop a pair to the visiting Colts 45s‚ 6-2 and 8-6‚ and also break the ML record for homers allowed. Ranew and Roberts connect for the Colts‚ the 188th and 189th homers allowed‚ breaking the A’s mark set in 1956. Bob Aspromonte of the Colt sets an NL record for 3B with his 57th straight errorless game.

At LA‚ the Aaron brothers lead the Braves to a 10-5 pounding of the Dodgers‚ and cutting the Dodger lead over the idle Giants to 3 1/2 games. Hank hits his 40th homer and Tommie accounts for 3 RBIs with 3 hits.

Charlie Finley is denied permission to move the Athletics to Dallas-Ft. Worth.
September 19Walter Bond and John Romano twice hit back-to-back HRs for the Indians to help beat the Athletics‚ 10-9. They both hit doubles as well-a ML first when added to the back-to-backs-as Bond collects 6 RBIs and Romano 4. Dick Donovan gains his 20th win‚ though he is chased in the 6th.
September 23A 12-2 Dodger loss at St. Louis is enlivened by Maury Wills‚ who ties Ty Cobb‘s long-standing ML single-season record of 96 steals by swiping 2B after singling in the 3rd‚ and breaks it with a repeat performance in the 7th.

At Houston‚ Billy O’Dell beats the Colts 10-3 to move the Giants 3 games behind the front-running Dodgers.
September 25Whitey Ford beats Washington 8-3‚ as the Yankees clinch the AL pennant. Ralph Houk becomes the 5th manager to capture pennants in each of his first 2 seasons.

The Giants keep pace as Billy Pierce beats St. Louis 6-3. Pierce runs his record at Candlestick to 11-0.

The Dodgers‚ hosting 8th-place Houston‚ lose in 10 innings 3-2. Dick Farrell hands 10-game winner Ed Roebuck his 1st loss of the year. The Dodgers now lead by just 2 games.
September 26The Orioles Dave McNally makes his first ML start and shuts out the Royals‚ 3-0.

Pittsburgh’s Earl Francis (9-8) gives up 2 hits in 10 innings in beating the Reds‚ 1-0. Jim Maloney matches him for 9 innings. Bob Friend pitches the 11th to earn his 1st save of the year after Mazeroski and Stargell double home the winning run. Bucs vet Bill Virdon steals his 5th base to go along with his 13 caught steals‚ tying him for NL high with Maury Wills.

The Cubs lose their 101st‚ but the good news is that only 903 fans are on hand to see it. The Phils win‚ 5-3‚ their 18th win in 23 games. The Phils will win tomorrow‚ 8-0‚ behind Dennis Bennett‚ and only 607 fans will see that one.
September 27The Cardinals sidetrack the Giants‚ 7-4‚ as Gene Oliver contributes a 3-run HR and Stan Musial goes 5-for-5.

The Dodgers’ hopes for clinching a tie for the pennant are dashed when Sandy Koufax‚ making his 2nd start since returning to action‚ lasts just 5 innings against Houston. Reliever Ron Perranoski is the loser‚ 8-6.
September 28The Giants are rained out and the Dodgers are reined in by the Cardinals 3-2. Larry Jackson gives up 12 hits but pitches a complete game win. The loss shrinks the Dodgers lead to 1 1/2 games. Maury Wills‘ swipes second in the 3rd for his ML record 104th of the year. He also ties for the NL lead with Bill Virdon for times caught stealing (13).

At Chicago‚ the Yanks score 2 in the 7th and 4 in the 8th to beat the White Sox‚ 7-3‚ spoiling Early Wynn‘s bid for his 300th win.

Only 595 fans show up at Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs turn back the Mets‚ 3-2. Toth beats Galen Cisco.
September 29The Indians and Angels set an AL record with 40 K’s in a doubleheader (18 innings). Los Angeles pitchers account for 23 of the strikeouts. The Angels clinch 3rd place in the opener as Belinsky and Chance combine for 14 K’s in the 4-1 win. Grant strikes out 10 for Cleveland in the nitecap 5-1 victory. Bond has a pair of homers for the Tribe in game 2.

The Giants have a chance to tie for the lead with a makeup doubleheader with Houston. Jack Sanford wins his 24th as the Giants take the opener 12-5. Houston then manages a split behind Bob Bruce‘s 4-2 victory to leave San Francisco one game back.

The Dodgers (101-59) send Don Drysdale against the Cardinals‚ but Ernie Broglio wins the pitching duel‚ 2-0. The Dodgers lead by one game with one to play.

Cubs attendance climbs to 2‚870 but the Mets beat the Cubs‚ 3-2‚ handing Dick Ellsworth his 20th loss of the year. Bob Miller‚ completes his first game in 37 starts and snaps a 12-game losing streak. Banks hits his 37th.
September 30Willie Mays’s 47th HR‚ an 8th-inning blast off Dick Farrell (10-20)‚ leads the Giants to a critical 2-1 win. They then stay in the clubhouse to hear results of the Dodger game.

Gene Oliver‘s dramatic 9th-inning HR off Johnny Podres gives Curt Simmons and St. Louis a 1-0 win against the Dodgers and a three-game sweep at Chavez Ravine. The heartbreaking loss for LA forces the 4th playoff in NL history. The Giants won 5 of their last 7 games‚ but only 7 of their last 17‚ while the Dodgers manage just 3 wins in their last 13 games.

P Bill Fischer of the Athletics concludes a ML record string of 841?3 consecutive innings without allowing a base on balls‚ a record that tops Christy Mathewson‘s mark. Fischer walks Bubba Morton on 4 straight pitches and loses a 6-1 decision to Detroit. During his walkless streak his record was 2-10. His streak started on August 3 when he walked leadoff batter Bubba Phillips‚ then pitched 8 walkless frames.

In the 2nd of two‚ Red Sox 1B Don Gile‚ hitting 1-for-40 on the year (his one hit came in game 1) breaks a 1-1 tie with a 2 run homer in the bottom of the 9th off Washington’s Jack Jenkins. The homer comes in his last ML at bat and gives Bill Monbouquette the win‚ 3-1. The Yawkeymen lose the opener by the same score as Cheney fans 12. Don Lock drives in all 3 runs. Runnels sits out the games and ends the season with the AL batting crown at .326.

At Yankee Stadium‚ Chicago’s Ray Herbert tops New York‚ 8-4. Mantle‚ batting leadoff to give him needed at bats‚ is 2-for-3 and qualifies for 2nd place in hitting (.321) with 502 plate appearances. He also hits a HR‚ giving him 8 straight seasons of 30+ homers.

The Cubs turn a triple play and beat visiting New York 5-1‚ a 20th-century ML record 120th loss for the Mets. Catcher Joe Pignatano of the Mets hits into the triple play in the 8th inning‚ his last at bat in the major leagues. Ken Hubbs starts the play catching a sure single‚ which goes 4-3-5. Richie Ashburn plays his only game at 2B‚ going the distance‚ making an error‚ but starting a 4-3 DP.

Camilo Pascual draws a tough assignment in rookie Bob Miller‚ but beats the Orioles‚ 1-0‚ on 3 hits to earn his 20th win. Miller allows 2 hits to the Senators.

With manager Mel McGaha fired for next season‚ Indians pitching coach Mel Harder guides the Tribe to a sweep of a twinbill of the Angels‚ winning 4-3 and 6-1. Harder‚ 1-0 last year‚ completes his managerial career at 3-0. Mel McGaha‚ a guard with the 1948-49 NY Knickerbockers of the BAA‚ didn’t play major league baseball‚ but will come back to manage the A’s in 1964-65.

October

October 1San Francisco wins the first of the best-of-3 NL playoff games as Billy Pierce takes his 12th straight at Candlestick Park‚ a three-hit‚ 8-0 victory. Willie Mays hits 2 HRs‚ giving him 49 in 1962‚ one more than AL leader Harmon Killebrew. Koufax‚ making just his 3rd start since returning from his hand injury‚ is the loser.
October 2Just 25‚321 fans are on hand at Dodger Stadium to see Drysdale (25-9) and Sanford (24-7) square off. After 35 straight scoreless innings‚ the Dodgers break through for 7 runs in the 6th to lead San Francisco by 2. The Giants score twice in the 8th‚ but a 9th-inning sacrifice fly by Ron Fairly sends Maury Wills home with the winning run 8-7. The Giants tie an NL record by using 8 hurlers in a 9-inning game. At 4 hours and 18 minutes‚ the game is the longest 9-inning affair in NL history.
October 3A crowd of 45‚693‚ giving the Dodgers a ML-record season attendance of 2‚755‚184‚ attends the deciding game of the NL season. In the 7th‚ Maury Wills collects his 4th single of the day‚ and his 103rd and 104th steals of the year. But the Giants score 4 in the 9th to win 6-4 and put themselves in the WS.
October 4At Candlestick Park‚ in game one of the WS‚ Roger Maris stakes Whitey Ford to a 2-run lead with a first-inning‚ 2-run double. Only RF Felipe Alou‘s leaping effort keeps Maris’ drive in the park. Whitey Ford‘s record consecutive-shutout-inning streak ends at 332?3 innings when a surprise bunt by Jose Pagan brings Willie Mays home. Clete Boyer‘s 7th-inning HR gives the Yankees a 6-2 win‚ the last of a record 10 WS victories for Ford.
October 5Jack Sanford’s 3-hitter handcuffs New York and knots the WS. Matty Alou‘s RBI grounder and Willie McCovey‘s HR off Ralph Terry account for San Francisco’s 2-0 win.
October 7At Yankee Stadium in game 3‚ Bill Stafford and Billy Pierce match goose eggs for 6 innings. Ed Bailey‘s 2-run 9th-inning HR ruins Stafford’s shutout‚ but his 4-hitter downs the Giants 3-2.
October 8Tom Haller and Chuck Hiller power San Francisco to a WS-tying win 7-3. Haller’s 2-run HR puts the Giants in front‚ and Hiller’s surprising grand slam is the margin of victory.
October 10Following a rainout‚ New York overcomes 2 San Francisco leads‚ and Tom Tresh‘s 3-run 8th-inning HR off Jack Sanford gives the Yankees and Ralph Terry a 5-3 win.
October 15After one day of travel and 3 of rain‚ Billy Pierce pitches a 3-hitter for a 5-2 Giants win of game 6. Orlando Cepeda breaks his hitless streak with 2 hits and 3 RBI.
October 16New York scores the game’s only run‚ as Tony Kubek grounds into a 5th-inning DP. In the 9th‚ with 2 outs and Matty Alou on 1B‚ Willie Mays rips a double to right off Ralph Terry‚ but great fielding by Roger Maris keeps Alou from scoring. Willie McCovey then hits a screaming liner toward right‚ but 2B Bobby Richardson gloves it‚ giving the Yankees a 1-0 win and a 2nd straight WS victory. Terry is named WS MVP.
October 17Pitchers Larry Jackson and Lindy McDaniel and C Jimmie Schaffer are traded by St. Louis to the Cubs for P Don Cardwell‚ OF George Altman‚ and C Moe Thacker.
October 27The Detroit Tigers begin a 17-game tour of Japan.
October 29Branch Rickey rejoins the Cardinals as a senior consultant for player development.

The Yankees sell Bob Turley (82-52 in 8 years with NY) to the LA Angels.

November

November 6Answering rumors that senior consultant Rickey wants Stan Musial to retire‚ Cardinals owner August Busch says The Man will play until it is time to become a club vice president. Further‚ Bing Devine is still running the club.
November 8Charlie Metro‚ head coach of the Cubs college of coaches from June 4th to season’s end (43-69)‚ is fired.
November 14Bob Kennedy joins the Cubs coaching staff as its 8th and final member.
November 15Don Drysdale wins the Cy Young Award‚ outpolling Jack Sanford 14-4.

The White Sox release Early Wynn so that the 299-game winner will be free to deal with other clubs‚ and earn his 300th.
November 16John McHale and 6 former stockholders of the White Sox purchase the Milwaukee Braves from the Perini Corporation for $6‚218‚480.
November 19The Cards send newly acquired Don Cardwell‚ along with SS Julio Gotay‚ to the Pirates for Dick Groat and P Diomedes Olivo. Groat‚ the MVP in 1960‚ will be the All-Star SS for the next 2 years‚ and anchor the Cards’ infield.
November 20Sale of the Cleveland Indians is completed as Bill Dailey and Gabe Paul take control.

Mickey Mantle is named the AL Most Valuable Player for the 3rd time.
November 21Pittsburgh trades 1B Dick Stuart and P Jack Lamabe to Boston for P Don Schwall and C Jim Pagliaroni.
November 23Dodgers SS Maury Wills is named the NL’s Most Valuable Player.
November 25Boston trades AL batting champ Pete Runnels to Houston for OF Roman Mejias.
November 26The Yankees say good-bye to Bill “Moose” Skowron‚ trading him to the Dodgers for P Stan Williams. Williams wins 9 for the Yanks‚ but Moose is little help to the Dodgers.

The Reds draft 32-year-old veteran pitcher Al Worthington from Indianapolis (AA). Worthington led the AA with a 15-4 record.
November 27The Braves swap aging slugger Joe Adcock and P Jack Curtis to the Indians for P Frank Funk‚ OFs Don Dillard and Ty Cline. With the addition of the 35-year-old slugger Adcock‚ 1B prospect Walt Bond will spend another year in the minors. Bond hit .380 with 6 HRs in 50 at-bats for Cleveland in September.
November 29ML officials and player representatives agree to return to a single All-Star Game in 1963. The players’ pension fund will receive 95 percent of the one game’s proceeds (rather than 60 percent of the 2 games).

After 61 years‚ the American Association (AAA) folds‚ with some of the franchises being absorbed by the International League and the Pacific Coast League. The PCL adds the Dallas-Fort Worth‚ TX; Denver‚ CO and Oklahoma City‚ OK Clubs and drops the Vancouver‚ BC club. The International League adds the Indianapolis‚ IN and Little Rock‚ AK clubs. As a result‚ both leagues became ten club leagues.

December

December 1A complete overhaul of the classifications is made. The Eastern and South Atlantic Leagues are promoted from Class A to Class AA. Classes B‚ C and D are abolished with those leagues being promoted to Class A. The Class B leagues were the Carolina and Northwest Leagues; The Class C leagues were the California‚ Mexican Center‚ Northern and Pioneer Leagues. The Class D leagues were the Florida State‚ Georgia-Florida‚ Midwest‚ New York-Pennsylvania and Western Carolina Leagues. The Appalachian League moves from Class D to Rookie classification.
December 3Former players Frankie Crosetti and Johnny Schulte file suit to halt any increased ML pension benefits that fail to include old-time players.
December 7J. G. Taylor Spink‚ longtime publisher of The Sporting News‚ dies at age 74 in St. Louis.
December 11The Red Sox send P Tracy Stallard‚ and infielders Pumpsie Green and Al Moran to the Mets for infielder Felix Mantilla. Tomorrow they will ship Carroll Hardy to Houston for Dick Williams.
December 15The San Francisco Giants trade pitchers Stu Miller and Mike McCormick‚ along with C John Orsino‚ to Baltimore for pitchers Jack Fisher and Billy Hoeft‚ and C Jimmie Coker.
December 22Harris County voters approve a bond issue to complete the financing of an all-weather stadium to house the Houston Colt 45’s.
December 31The state of Ohio withdraws a suit against the Reds when owner Bill DeWitt agrees in writing that the club will stay in Cincinnati for 10 years.