Baseball – 1964

Baseball in 1964

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January

January 3The Reds announce that manager Fred Hutchinson has contracted lung cancer. He will begin two months of radiology treatment in Seattle and will make spring training with the team.
January 6Charlie Finley signs a 2-year pact to move the A’s‚ pending AL approval‚ from Kansas City to Louisville‚ KY.

The White Sox introduce powder-blue road uniforms.
January 15ML baseball executives vote to hold a free-agent draft in New York City. A new TV pact is also signed.

Willie Mays‚ the highest-paid player in baseball‚ signs for $105‚000.
January 16AL owners vote 9-1 against Charlie Finley’s Louisville proposal. Finley is given an ultimatum to sign a lease in Kansas City or lose his franchise.
January 28Reds CF Vada Pinson is cleared of assault charges stemming from a September 5‚ 1963‚ incident when Cincinnati sportswriter Earl Lawson does not pursue charges further.
January 29Pitcher-writer Jim Brosnan is given permission by the White Sox to make his own deal with another team. His in-season writing has been censured by owner Ed Short.
January 30The United States Senate Subcommittee on Monopolies begins hearings on baseball.

February

February 2The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee tabs Red Faber‚ Burleigh Grimes‚ Tim Keefe‚ Heinie Manush‚ John Montgomery Ward‚ and Miller Huggins for induction‚ the biggest veterans class ever. Keefe and Ward were teammates and brothers-in-law‚ with Ward married to the famous actress Helen Dauvrey and Keefe married to her sister Clara Gibson.
February 15Cubs 2B Ken Hubbs‚ 22‚ dies when his private plane crashes near Provo‚ UT‚ while en route to Colton‚ CA. As a rookie in 1962‚ Hubbs had played in 78 consecutive games without making an error.
February 17Former White Sox SS Luke Appling is voted into the Hall of Fame by a special vote. In 1953‚ Appling’s first year of eligibility for Cooperstown‚ the Sox great received just 2 votes.
February 23Charlie Finley gives in to AL pressure and signs a 4-year lease with the municipal government to keep the A’s in Kansas City. Finley wanted 2 years. His exasperated AL colleagues voted 9-1 that KC’s offer was reasonable.

The San Francisco Giants sign P Masanori Murakami‚ 3B Tatsuhico Tanaka‚ and C Hiroshi Takahashi-the first Japanese ever to play for American teams. All 3 are assigned to the Magic Valley Cowboys (Pioneer League).

March

March 5Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen‚ Jr.‚ says he has a verbal commitment from a ML baseball club to move there if a stadium is ready by 1965. A $15 million stadium is approved the next day by the city Board of Aldermen.
March 9The ACLU charges the White Sox with violating the rights of P-writer Jim Brosnan.
March 31The Senators send young prospect Lou Piniella to the Orioles for Buster Narum and cash. Piniella will play briefly for the O’s before going to minors until the resurfacing with the Indians in 1968. The Seattle Pilots will draft him in 1969 and trade him to Kansas City where Sweet Lou‚ with his 5th team‚ finally wins Rookie of the Year honors.

April

April 1Cleveland manager Birdie Tebbetts suffers a heart attack and will be sidelined until July 5th. Coach George Strickland will manage the Indians in Tebbetts’ absence.
April 3P Carl Willey of the Mets suffers a broken jaw when he is hit by a line drive off the bat of Detroit’s Gates Brown during a spring training loss. He will be out until June 6th but his career will be effectively ended.
April 8Houston P Jim Umbricht dies of cancer at age 33. He was 4-3 with a 2.61 ERA in 1963. His #32 will be the first uniform retired by Houston.
April 9The Tigers purchase P Larry Sherry from the Dodgers.
April 10Demolition begins on the Polo Grounds to clear the way for a housing project.
April 14San Francisco’s 5 HRs match the mark for Opening Day round-trippers. Juan Marichal beats Warren Spahn and the Braves 8-4.

Sandy Koufax throws his 9th complete game without allowing a walk as he beats St. Louis 4-0 in his only start as an Opening Day pitcher.

The Giants purchase Duke Snider from the Mets‚ answering the trivia question: Who played for the Brooklyn and LA Dodgers‚ the Giants‚ and the Mets?
April 15Work begins on an $18 million stadium in Atlanta.
April 16At Yankee Stadium‚ Whitey Ford pitches 11 innings in losing to the Red Sox‚ 4-3. Bob Tillman‚ with three singles‚ triples in the 11th‚ and pinch runner Roman Mejias scores on wild pitch. Mickey Heffner pitches the bottom of the 11th‚ with Dick Radatz getting the win.
April 17Before 48‚736 fans the Pirates defeat the Mets 4-3 in the first game played at Shea Stadium. Bob Friend is the winner over Cuban righty Ed Bauta. Friend was also the winning pitcher in the last game ever played at the Polo Grounds before the Giants moved west.

The wind picks up at Wrigley Field and‚ in the 5th inning‚ the Phils loft 3 HRs and the Cubs 2. The Phillies win the derby‚ 11-8.

At Fenway Park‚ in a JFK memorial game‚ the Red Sox top the White Sox‚ 4-1.
April 18Jim Maloney tosses 6 innings of no-hit ball against the Dodgers‚ before leaving with a pulled muscle. John Tsitouris relieves and pitches hitless ball until two are out in the 9th inning when Frank Howard beats out an infield single. Sandy Koufax fans the side on 9 pitches in the 3rd inning‚ becoming the first NL pitcher to do it twice (and matching Lefty Grove)‚ but Cincinnati wins‚ 3-0‚ on Deron Johnson’s 3-run homer.
April 19One day after Koufax fans the side on 9 pitches‚ Bob Bruce strikes out the Cardinals in order on 9 pitches in the 8th inning of a 6-1 Houston loss. Bob Gibson is the winner allowing 4 hits and striking out 8.
April 20Yankee rookie Bob Meyer makes his ML debut at Fenway Park‚ in a 4-0 loss to the Red Sox. Meyer is the last Yankee rookie pitcher this century to open in Boston. Ralph Terry made his debut there in 1956.

At Los Angeles‚ Braves pitcher Bob Sadowski notches a 7-1 win and sets a Braves franchise record of striking out 5 times in a regulation game. The only other Braves to whiff five times was Harry Stovey‚ who did it in extra innings in 1891.
April 21All runs score on HRs as the Pirates win 8-5 at Wrigley Field‚ tying a record for the most runs on HRs with no other runs scoring. HRs by 9 different players tie the ML record.
April 23Houston’s Ken Johnson becomes the first pitcher ever to hurl a 9-inning no-hitter and lose as Cincinnati wins 1-0. Two errors in the 9th‚ the second by 2B Nellie Fox on Vada Pinson‘s grounder‚ allows Pete Rose to score the only run. Joe Nuxhall wins with a 4-hitter.

The Mets swap Chico Fernandez and minor leaguer Bobby Catton to the White Sox for Charley Smith.
April 24Willie Mays paces the Giants attack hitting a HR and scoring 5 runs as the Giants down the Reds‚ 15-5. Juan Marichal is the winner.
April 28At Fenway‚ the Orioles score 2 runs in the top of the 11th to take a 4-2 lead. Boston comes back in the bottom of the 11th toload to bases for Dick Stuart‚ who promptly ends the game with a grand slam.

May

May 1The visiting Cubs make it look easy‚ scoring 10 runs in the first inning to shoot down the Colt 45s 11-3. Billy Williams has a grand slam and a single for 5 RBIs (a club record) in the big inning‚ and adds a run-scoring double in the 8th to lead Chicago.
May 2Minnesota becomes the 3rd club to hit 4 consecutive HRs in one inning. Tony Oliva‚ Bob Allison‚ Jimmie Hall‚ and Harmon Killebrew do the damage in an 11th-inning explosion that gives the visiting Twins a 7-3 win at Kansas City. The first three clouts are served up by Dan Pfister‚ and the last by Vern Handrahan. The Twins total 6 homers in the win.
May 3Reliever John Wyatt picks up two wins for the A’s in a sweep of the Twins. Wyatt totals 3 2/3 innings of work.

Trailing the Mets 5-1 in the 7th at Crosley Field‚ pinch hitter Marty Keough belts a 3-run homer and Hal Smith adds a 2-run pinch single in the 8th for a 6-5 Reds win.

Sadaharu Oh of the Yomiuri Giants hits 4 HRs in one 9-inning game against the Hanshin Tigers to set a Japanese record‚ and tie the American ML record held by 7 players.
May 5To foil Oh‚ the Hiroshima Carp use an exaggerated shift that places all fielders in right and center‚ leaving LF unguarded. Oh responds by hitting a 400-foot HR to RF.
May 6The Yanks hit 4 home runs-two by Hector Lopez and one apiece by Mantle and Maris-to back Jim Bouton‘s 9-2 opening win over the Senators. Washington comes back from a 4-0 deficit to win the nitecap‚ 5-4‚ despite a 3 -run Mantle homer off starter Claude Osteen.
May 8In Cleveland‚ there are tornado warnings‚ but New York supplies damage when Mantle cracks a 3-run homer off Tommy John in the 4th inning to lead New York to a 10-3 win.
May 9At Cleveland‚ Pedro Ramos gives up 4 home runs to New York-Tony Kubek‚ Mantle‚ Pepitone‚ and Hector Lopez-as the Yankees win 6-2.
May 12The Cardinals Curt Simmons continues to beat up on the Phillies‚ winning 4-2‚ with relief help from Roger Craig. Since the Phillies released him in 1960‚ Simmons is 13-2 against them.

Gary Geiger‘s recurring ulcer problems force his retirement from the Red Sox for this year.
May 13The Reds buy Ryne Duran from the Phillies.
May 16At Yankee Stadium‚ Mantle hits his 13th homer of the year‚ off Joe Grzenda‚ and New York pounds the A’s‚ 10-6.
May 17Mickey Mantle’s 2-run homer in the 1st starts the scoring and New York outscores the A’s‚ 11-9.
May 20Led by Johnny Callison‘s 5-for-5‚ the Phillies snap Juan Marichal‘s 12-game win streak and beat the Giants in San Francisco‚ 7-2.
May 22Baltimore edges the Twins 6-5‚ scoring 2 runs in the 9th for the victory. Twins reliever Jerry Arrigo allows a 2-out HR to Sam Bowens‚ his 2nd HR of the game‚ then throws three balls to John Orsino before being lifted for Bill Fischer. Fischer throws a strike to Orsino who then hits his next pitch for the winning HR. It is Fischer’s last ML throw: on the 24th he is placed on the voluntarily retired list.
May 23At New York‚ the Angels score 4 in the first‚ and the Yankees counter with 5 in the bottom of the inning off Bo Belinsky. That’s all the scoring for the pinstripers as the Angels win 9-5. This is the 2nd game this season that the injury-plagued Yanks have started their regular outfield of Mantle‚ Maris and Tresh. Mantle will pull a muscle on the 26th‚ keeping him out of the lineup for 2 weeks.
May 24Seven shutouts in both leagues tie the ML record for blankings in one day.

Cubs speedster Lou Brock steals home for the first time‚ combining with Billy Williams on a double steal in the 1st inning of game one at Cincinnati. But the Reds win‚ 6-5 and 12-4.

Mantle hits his second homer‚ off Fred Newman‚ in two days to start the scoring for New York. The Yanks top the Angels‚ 8-5.
May 25Ground is broken for a new stadium in St. Louis.
May 26Washington’s Jim King hits for the cycle against Boston pitcher Earl Wilson‚ but it is not enough as the Red Sox win‚ 3-2.

In Chicago‚ the Mets set 6 club records in overwhelming the Cubs‚ 19-1. Coming off 20 straight scoreless innings in Houston‚ the Mets jump on Bob Buhl‚ and 5 relief pitchers for 23 hits‚ including 17 singles. Dick Smith becomes the first Met to notch 5 hits in a game ans every Met in the lineup has a hit and RBI. Jack Fisher is the easy winner.

Vernon Law and the Pirates subdue the Phillies‚ 13-4. Cookie Rojas has an inside-the-park HR for Philadelphia and Johnny Callison hits one outside. But Jim Pagliaroni has a grand slam for Pittsburgh.

The Indians complain that Whitey Ford is defacing the ball with his wedding ring‚ which is wrapped in tape‚ and after he removes the ring‚ he exists with one out in the 9th and the game tied at 2-2. Pete Mikkelson is the victor when Bobby Richardson singles home the winner‚ 3-2. Richardson has a pair of triples and Roger Maris hits a HR.
May 27The first two leadoff batters for the Giants-Chuck Hiller and Duke Snider-belt homers off Cardinal pitcher Bob Gibson. That’s all the scoring the Giants get‚ but it’s enough as they win‚ 2-1.
May 29The Reds and Dodgers play 17th innings before the game is a called at 2-2. All 4 runs come in the 12th inning. NL rules state that no inning may start after 12:50 a.m.
May 31At New York‚ the Mets and Giants square off in a Memorial Day doubleheader that starts at 1 p.m. and doesn’t conclude until 11:25 p.m. After Juan Marichal‘s 5-3‚ first-game win‚ San Francisco holds a 6-1 lead in the 2nd until New York rallies for 5 to tie in the 7th. The big blow is Joe Christopher‘s 3-run homer that bounces off Mays’ glove over the fence. Eventually‚ with 2 out in the 23rd‚ pinch hitter Del Crandall delivers a run-scoring double off Galen Cisco‚ and the Giants prevail 8-6 after 7 hours and 22 minutes-a record. Crandall ended the first post midnight game ever played in the N.L.‚ while catching for the Boston Braves in 1949. Gaylord Perry pitches 10 scoreless innings to get credit for the win. Thirty-two innings and an elapsed time of 9 hours and 50 minutes are doubleheader records‚ as are 47 strikeouts. New York’s 22 K’s in the 2nd game are the most by one club in an overtime contest.

June

June 2Dave McNally blanks the A’s as the Orioles take first place with a 4-0 win.

The Cards trade P Lew Burdette to the Cubs for P Glen Hobbie.

Giants OF Matty Alou suffers a fractured wrist‚ as Pittsburgh’s Bob Veale beats the Giants 3-1. Alou will miss 5 weeks.
June 4Sandy Koufax becomes the 4th pitcher to hurl 3 no-hitters by blanking the NL-leading Phillies 3-0 at Connie Mack Stadium. Koufax strikes out 12 and walks one.

At Milwaukee‚ Frank Robinson bangs a three run homer in the 9th as the Reds beat the Braves‚ 6-3.

The Angels trade OF Lee Thomas to the Red Sox for OF Lu Clinton.
June 5At Crosley field‚ the Reds plate 4 runs in the 9th inning to edge the Cards‚ 5-4. Deron Johnson drives home the tying and winning run with a single.
June 7Deron Johnson again leads the Reds to a win over the Cards as he collects a homer‚ double and 3 singles. The Reds win‚ 11-6.
June 11After a 2-week absence‚ Mickey Mantle is back in the lineup and clouts 2 HRs at Fenway off Bill Monbouquette. The Yankees win easily 8-4.

Charlie Finley fires Ed Lopat (17-35) as manager of the A’s‚ replacing him with Mel McGaha‚ former manager of the Cleveland Indians.
June 12The Mets knock Phils starter Dennis Bennett out in the 3rd inning-but its not the last New York will see of the Bennett family. Brother Dave‚ in his only appearance in the majors‚ pitches the 9th‚ allowing 2 hits and a run. The Mets roll over the Bennetts‚ 11-3.

The Yankees sell rookie lefty Bob Meyer (0-3) to the Angels‚ who will sell him to the Royals July 29.
June 132B Bernie Allen of the Twins is hurt in a collision with Don Zimmer. He will be out until August 4th.

Mantle is 3-for-3‚ including a homer‚ to lead New York to a 6-3 win over the first place White Sox. Mantle is hitting .331 and leading the Yanks in homers with 11.
June 14The Yankees complete a 5-game sweep of the White Sox with two victories 8-3 and 4-3 (in 10) at the Stadium. Chicago falls to 2nd place behind the Orioles.
June 15St. Louis acquires OF Lou Brock‚ with pitchers Jack Spring and Paul Toth‚ from the Cubs for pitchers Bobby Shantz and Ernie Broglio and OF Doug Clemens. Broglio‚ 28‚ has a 3-5 record‚ while Brock‚ a part-time OF with Chicago‚ is hitting .251. Brock will blossom in St. Louis hitting .348 while swiping 33 bases.

The White Sox send 1B Joe Cunningham and a player to be named later to Washington for 1B Bill Skowron and pitcher Carl Bouldin. The player named later is P Frank Kreutzer‚ who is shipped on July 28.

Cleveland sends P Jim Grant to Minnesota for P Lee Stange and 3B/OF George Banks.
June 16For the second time in his career‚ Ken Boyer hits for the cycle to pace the Cardinals to a 7-1 win over Houston. Curt Simmons is the winning pitcher.
June 17The Red Sox lead New York‚ 3-1‚ in the 8th when Mantle reaches Dick Radatz for a homer into the RF bleachers. New York scores again in the 9th to tie‚ but the Bosox win in 12 innings‚ 4-3. Radatz is the winner‚ his 4th straight over New York.
June 21On Father’s Day at Shea Stadium‚ Jim Bunning fans 10‚ drives in 2 runs‚ and pitches the first perfect game (excluding Don Larsen‘s 1956 WS effort and Harvey Haddix‘s 1959 overtime loss) since Charlie Robertson‘s on April 30‚ 1922. Philadelphia beats the Mets 6-0. He also becomes the first pitcher to win no-hitters in both leagues‚ and Gus Triandos becomes the first C to catch a no-hitter in each league. Bunning throws just 90 pitches in winning his 2nd no-hitter. The next time Bunning faces the Mets he will shut them out‚ the first no-hit pitcher this century to do that. The Mets don’t fare much better in the nitecap as 18-year-old rookie Rick Wise wins his 1st game and gives up just 3 hits for an 8-2 win. Johnny Klippstein comes on in the 9th. The Phils increase their NL lead to 2 games over the Giants.

The Yankees move into first place by 8 percentage points over Baltimore‚ as they outpitch the White Sox to win 2-0 and 2-1. Mickey Mantle and Elston Howard HRs win it 2-0 for Jim Bouton in the opener against White Sox pitcher Juan Pizarro‚ and an error wins the nightcap 2-1 in the 17th. The Yankees sweep 4‚ giving up just one run in 41 innings‚ and take 9 games from Chicago in 11 days.
June 23Charlie Lau ties a ML record with 2 pinch hits in the 8th inning of Baltimore’s 9-8 win over the Yankees. The O’s‚ losing score 7 runs in the inning after 2 are out. Yanks manager Berra is criticized by some of his players for lifting starter Bill Sheldon‚ who was leading 7-2‚ having allowed just two solo shots by Boog Powell. Rookie reliever Pete Mickelson cannot hold the lead as the O’s move into first place.

In the nitecap of 2‚ Len Gabrielson’s 6th inning single is the only hit the Cubs manage off Phils’ Ray Culp‚ who wins 9-0.
June 24University of Wisconsin star slugger Rick Reichardt signs with the Angels. He receives the biggest bonus ever‚ an estimated $200‚000.
June 25Steve Barber’s 3-hit 3-1 win gives the Orioles a 3-game sweep of the Yankees and first place in the AL.
June 26Twins P Jerry Arrigo just misses a no-hitter when Chicago’s Mike Hershberger laces a 9th-inning single with no outs‚ as the Twins beat the Sox‚ 2-0. Arrigo will toss another one-hitter while pitching for the Reds.
June 27Cleveland 3B Max Alvis is stricken with spinal meningitis. He will be disabled for 6 weeks but will make the All-Star team in 1965.

New York’s Mark Baldwin surrenders only 3 hits‚ but is out dueled by Ed Stein‚ who pitches his 2nd one-hitter of the season to lead Brooklyn to a 3-0 victory.
June 30At Wrigley Field‚ the Reds Joey Jay allows just 2 hits but loses to the Cubs‚ 1-0. Larry Jackson does him one better‚ allowing just one hit and driving in the lone run with a single. Jackson’s no hit bid is stopped in the 7th when Pete Rose singles.

July

July 1It’s “Taxi Day” at Yankee Stadium and nearly 5‚000 cabbies and their families are on hand as Kansas City runs up the meter to win‚ 5-4.

At Crosley Field‚ the Reds score 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th to tie the Cubs‚ 5-5. Pete Rose ends the game with a 10th inning homer.
July 3Birdie Tebbetts returns to limited duty as manager of the Indians.
July 4Manny Jimenez‚ who went the entire 1963 season without a HR‚ hits 3‚ and goes 4-for-4 for Kansas City against Baltimore. The game ends in a 6-6 tie when halted by a special curfew so a fireworks display can take place in Baltimore.

In New York‚ Minnesota is leading 5-4‚ when Mantle parks a 3-run shot off Al Worthington in the 8th to win it‚ 7-5.
July 5Dennis Bennett beats Juan Marichal 2-1 to give the Phillies a 3-game sweep of the Giants at Candlestick. The Phils hold a 1 1?2 game lead at the All-Star break.
July 6The NL and its umpires settle on a contract lasting until December 1969. The league provides increased pension and insurance payments.
July 7Johnny Callison’s 9th-inning 3-run HR off Dick Radatz caps a 4-run rally and gives the NL a 7-4 win in the All-Star Game at Shea Stadium. This evens the series at 17.
July 10Jesus Alou becomes the first Giant with 6 hits in a game in almost 40 years‚ as San Francisco beats the Cubs 10-3. All 6 hits are against different pitchers.
July 11Vic Power of the Angels is fined $250 and suspended 10 days for spitting on ump Jim Honochick after a close play during a doubleheader loss to the White Sox 7-4 and 6-1 the previous day.
July 13The Yankees clout 4 homers in Cleveland to top the Tribe‚ 10-4.
July 14Jack Sanford of the Giants undergoes arm surgery.

Oriole Bob Johnson’s 6th straight hit as a pinch hitter sets an AL mark‚ but the Yankees win 4-3.
July 15Whitey Ford’s 2-0 win over the Orioles raises the Yankees to first place.

In the first of 2 with Cleveland‚ Wes Stock wins his 12th straight game‚ all in relief‚ winning 5-3. The A’s take the nightcap 3-2 in KC.

Minnesota’s Mudcat Grant tosses a 6-0 shutout against the Senators‚ despite allowing 13 Nat hits. The record for most hits allowed in a 9-inning shutout is 14‚ done twice before.
July 16Steve Barber regains first place for the Orioles with a successful 6-1 outing against the Yankees and Jim Bouton.
July 17The first-place O’s win again as Robin Roberts shuts out Detroit 5-0‚ despite giving up 11 hits.

The Phillies regain first place with a 7-5 win against the Pirates. They will hold the lead until September 27th.
July 18Ken Boyer‚ Bill White‚ and Tim McCarver of the Cards hit consecutive 8th-inning HRs in a 15-7 bombing of the Mets.

The Reds Pete Rose hits the only grand slam of his career as he drives in 6 runs in the Reds’ 14-4 home win against the Phillies. His grand slam is served up by Dallas Green.
July 19Luis Tiant debuts with a 4-hit‚ 11 strikeout‚ 3-0 win for Cleveland at Yankee Stadium. The losing pitcher is Whitey Ford. Tiant was brought up yesterday after a 15-1 record at Portland (AAA).

Chicago edges the A’s‚ 3-2‚ in 13th innings when pitcher Gary Peters socks a pinch homer.
July 22Led by Willie Stargell‚ who hits for the cycle‚ the Pirates roll over the Cards 13-2. Bob Veale is the winner.
July 23A’s rookie Bert Campaneris sends Minnesota to defeat 4-3 with 2 HRs in his ML debut. The first comes on the first pitch thrown to him‚ by Jim Kaat‚ just the 2nd AL player to debut like that. And the 21-year-old Cuban joins Bob Nieman as the only player since 1900 with 2 HRs in his first ML game.
July 24Hank Aguirre gives up 5 runs on three homers to New York in the first 4 innings‚ but the Tigers overcome a 5-2 deficit to win 10-5.
July 25The Twins tie an AL record by using 9 pitchers in a 13-inning game they lose 6-5 to the White Sox. Gerry Fosnow (0-1) is the loser; Don Mossi (2-1)-the 5th Chicago pitcher-is the winner.
July 26LF Tony Conigliaro suffers a broken arm in a 6-1 Boston win at Cleveland.

In Philadelphia‚ the first-place Phils drop a doubleheader to St. Louis and two lefty pitchers. Rookie Gordon Richardson tops the Phils 6-1 in his first ML start‚ then Ray Sadecki beats them 4-1 in the nitecap.

The Braves sweep the Mets in a doubleheader at Shea‚ but Atlanta uses 11 pitchers to do it. The Mets also use 11 pitchers‚ a two-team record‚ as the Braves win 11-7 and 15-10. Both wins go to Chi Chi Olivo who toils just 2 2/3 innings.
July 27Reds manager Fred Hutchinson enters a Cincinnati hospital for further cancer treatment. Dick Sisler takes the helm.
July 28The Angels Jim Fregosi hits for the cycle to assure a 3-1 win over the Yankees. New York’s only score is a Mantle homer over the CF fence at Chavez Ravine‚ one of only two hits off Dean Chance. It’s the first homer given up by Chance in 69 innings.
July 31The Giants take advantage of 3 errors by Bill Mazeroski and 2 by Bob Bailey to tip the bumbling Bucs‚ 8-6. Maz’s last error‚ on a potential DP ball in the 9th‚ helps the Giants score 3 runs. Willie Mays has 3 singles and 3 runs to lead the attack. The Giants remain 1 1/2 games in back of the Phils‚ but learn that Juan Marichal has back spasms and will not pitch again until August 25th.

At Philadelphia‚ 24‚197 see Chris Short‚ with help from Jack Baldschun‚ stop the Dodgers‚ 6-1. John Callison starts the Phils scoring with a 2-run homer in the 1st‚ off Ron Moeller. Tommy Davis hits an 8th inning double‚ that caroms off 2B Tony Taylor‘s mouth‚ kayoing both Taylor and Chris Short. Maury Wills has 4 singles and drives in the lone run.

The Cards send down Glen Hobbie and bring up knuckleballer Barney Schultz.

August

August 2Detroit P Larry Sherry suffers a fractured left foot when struck by a liner off the bat of Leon Wagner in Cleveland’s doubleheader sweep‚ 6-1 and 2-1. Sherry is out for rest of the year.

In Baltimore’s 8-7 win over Kansas City‚ Brooks Robinson hits a ball that strikes the LF pole at KC and it is ruled in play by John Rice. Brooks is thrown out at 3B. Later Rice admits he made a mistake.
August 4Fred Hutchinson returns to manage the Reds. They respond by sweeping a pair 5-2 and 4-2 from the Braves.

A’s starter John O’Donoghue gives up his 3rd homer to Mantle this year‚ but that’s all he allows‚ as Kansas City tops visiting New York‚ 5-1.
August 5After weeks of negotiating‚ Ford Frick tells the league presidents and club owners he will not run for another term as commissioner.
August 7Steve Barber and Harvey Haddix beat the Yankees 2-0 to boost the Orioles back into first place.

The 10th-place Mets send 1B Frank Thomas to the NL-leading Phils (1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants) for P Gary Kroll‚ OF Wayne Graham‚ and cash. Thomas‚ seemingly the answer to the Phils’ 1st base problem‚ rode the Mets’ team bus to Philadelphia‚ then found out he was traded. He then drives in 2 runs as the Phils top the Mets 9-4. The Phils will take the next two games with Thomas collecting 5 RBIs in the sweep.
August 8The Angels sign a contract to move to Anaheim in 1966.
August 9Phillies P Jim Bunning‚ who pitched a no-hitter in his last start against the Mets‚ throws another 5 innings of hitless ball against New York before Joe Christopher beats out a 2-out bunt. Bunning wins the game 6-0.
August 11At Crosley Field‚ Joey Jay strikes out 13 Dodgers as the Reds win‚ 4-2.
August 12Mickey Mantle homers from each side of the plate in the same game for the 10th and final time‚ a ML record‚ and New York beats Chicago 7-3 at Yankee Stadium. Mel Stottlemyre‚ in his major league debut‚ is the winner‚ scattering 7 hits.
August 13CBS buys 80 percent of the Yankees‚ effective November 2.

A day after the team and fans celebrate his birthday‚ ailing Fred Hutchinson again takes a leave of absence as manager of Reds. Dick Sisler again takes charge. Hutch will enter a hospital for further treatments.
August 14Bo Belinsky is suspended by the Angels after attacking sportswriter Braven Dyer. Four days later Belinsky is assigned to Hawaii (Pacific Coast League)‚ then suspended for the season when he refuses to report.
August 15Mayor Daley declares “Ernie Banks Day” in Chicago and 26‚000 fans cheer the Cubs’ slugger. Banks then goes hitless as Pittsburgh wins 5-4.
August 16Sandy Koufax (19-5) pitches a 3-0 win against St. Louis‚ but he will miss the rest of the season because of a elbow injury suffered when he slid back into 2B against Milwaukee on August 8. In the nightcap‚ Curt Simmons matches Koufax with a 4-0 shutout of the Dodgers. Card CF Curt Flood has 8 straight hits in the doubleheader split.
August 17General manager Bing Devine and business manager Art Routzong of the Cardinals are fired by owner August Busch. The popular Devine‚ who was engineered the Brock trade‚ leaves with the Cardinals in 5th place. Bob Howsam is hired to take Devine’s place
August 20On the New York team bus following a 5-0 White Sox win‚ Phil Linz begins to play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on his harmonica. Manager Yogi Berra orders Linz to stop‚ then slaps the instrument out of his hands when he continues playing. The incident is reported as indicating dissension on the club and Berra’s lack of control‚ as well as the level of Linz’s humor.

Orioles LF Boog Powell fractures his right wrist in a collision with the outfield fence in Baltimore’s loss at Boston. He will be sidelined until September 5th.
August 21In LA‚ Reds reliever Billy McCool pitches 6 2/3 innings of stellar relief to beats the Dodgers‚ 3-2. McCool allows one hits and strikes out 9.
August 22The Yankees lose the first game to Boston‚ 5-3‚ extending their losing streak to 6 games. Boston scores 3 runs in the 8th inning to win it. In the nitecap‚ New York wins‚ 8-0‚ as Mantle and John Blanchard both homer‚ and Maris drives in 3 runs. Mel Stottlemyre wins his 3rd game in a row since being recalled from Richmond. The Yanks end the day 5 1/2 games behind the Orioles‚ with the White Sox in 2nd place‚ 1 1/2 games back.
August 23Mets pitcher Willard Hunter picks up half his career wins (4) today as New York sweeps the Cubs‚ 2-1‚ in 10 innings‚ and 5-4 in the nitecap. No one has ever won a pair more efficiently as he totals 1 2/3 innings of work. Bob Buhl and Don Elston pick up losses. The Cubs lose Ernie Broglio‚ who woke up with a locked elbow and will need surgery to repair the ulnar lateral ligament damage in his elbow. He’ll be 1-6 in 1965.

New York’s Mark Baldwin surrenders only 3 hits‚ but is out dueled by Ed Stein‚ who pitches his 2nd one-hitter of the season to lead Brooklyn to a 3-0 victory.

The Twins and Tigers split, with Minnesota coming from behind to win game 1, 6–5, on Don Mincher’s grand slam in the 8th. Detroit takes game 2 by a 5-2 score on a pair of homers by Bill Freehan and a two-run HR by Gates Brown.

The first-place Phils rout the Pirates, 9-3, on Dick Allen’s 4 RBIs and Jim Bunning’s 14th win of the year.

At Candlestick Park, the San Francisco Giants edge the St. Louis Cardinals, 3–2, in 10 innings on Dal Maxvill‘s error. The Giants are tied with the Reds for 2nd place, with the Cardinals (65-58) in 4th place.
August 24In a 113 page document the FTC rules that the Topps Gum Company has a monopoly on baseball cards. They forbid Topps to enforce any existing contract after November 31‚ 1966.
August 25Whitey Ford (13-5) wins his first game in 6 weeks. Ford throws 100 pitches in 8 innings and Al Downing strikes out 3 in the 9th as the 3rd-place Yankees beat Washington‚ 4-1.
August 27Joe Adcock belts his 300th career home run‚ off Diego Segui‚ to pace the Angels to a 7-1 victory over host Kansas City. Adock is the 23rd player to reach the mark. He has 17 homers this year‚ 15 on the road. In the 6th he receives congratulations from Rocky Colavito‚ who reaches 1B on a single. Rocky has 299 homers.
August 29On Elston Howard Night‚ the Yankees take 2 from Boston 10-2 and 6-1. Joe Pepitone‘s 3 HRs‚ including a grand slam‚ and Roger Maris‘s 6 singles lead the offense. Mickey Mantle hits HR number 447 in the opener and ties Babe Ruth‘s career strikeout record (1‚330) in the nightcap.
August 30Milwaukee (8) and San Francisco (7) combine to use a ML-record 15 pinch hitters in 2 nine-inning games. The Giants win the opening marathon 15-10‚ then win 7-4. The Milwaukee refreshment stands‚ down to $13 in pennies‚ drop their prices; beer goes from 31 cents to 30 cents‚ hot dogs from 26 cents to 25 cents‚ hot sandwiches from 62 cents to 60 cents.
August 31Ground is broken for Anaheim Stadium‚ future home of next year’s California Angels.

September

September 1Southpaw relief P Masanori Murakami becomes the first ML player from Japan. He debuts in a 4-1 San Francisco loss at New York. His first 11 innings will be scoreless ones.

The Phillies top Houston 4-3 on 3 solo HRs in the 7th inning. John Callison‚ Wes Covington‚ and Frank Thomas supply the power outages.

The Cardinals move past the faltering Giants into 3rd place with a 5-4 win over the Braves. Former Brave‚ now Cardinals utility C‚ Bob Uecker hits his first HR of the year‚ then singles in the winning run in the 9th to win it for the Birds. St. Louis is 7 1/2 in back of the first-place Phils.

At Crosley Field‚ Jim Maloney strikes out 13 in the Reds 2-1 win over Chicago.
September 2Lee Stange ties a ML record with 4 strikeouts in the 7th inning‚ as the Indians beat Washington 9-0.

Milt Pappas keeps Baltimore in first place with a one-hit 2-0 win against Minnesota. Zoilo Versalles gets the single in the 8th for the only hit.

Boston’s Bill Monbouquette pitches a one-hitter‚ but loses 2-1 to Minnesota. Versalles spoils a no-hitter for the 2nd time in one week with a 6th-inning HR.
September 4The Yankees overcome two homers by Ken Harrelson to beat the host A’s‚ 9-7‚ in 10 innings. Mantle and Elston Howard hit back-to-back homers in the 4th inning for New York. With the Orioles losing today‚ Baltimore (81-54) and Chicago (82-55) are virtually tied for first‚ with New York (77-56) three games back.
September 5Blue Moon Odom makes his ML debut‚ and Mickey Mantle greets him with a 3-run opposite field homer in the first inning. New York hangs on to win‚ again by a 9-7 score.

Ernie Banks belts a double and homer in the same inning‚ and the Cubs use the big score to beat the Cards‚ 8-5. Mike Cuellar takes the loss against Larry Jackson.

Sound familiar? The Yanks acquire veteran P Pedro Ramos from the Indians as pennant insurance. The Indians get 2 players to be named later: Ralph Terry on October 12‚ and Bud Daley on November 27.
September 6For the second time in 4 days and the 3rd time in his career‚ Zoilo Versalles has the only hit for the Twins. His 2-run homer in the 6th is the lone hit off Boston’s Bill Monbouquette but it is good enough for a Twins win‚ 2-1.

At Philadelphia‚ Giants’ ace Juan Marichal strikes out 13 Phillies‚ including 7 in a row‚ to win 4-3.

The Red Sox sell pitcher Wilbur Wood to the Pirates. The knuckleballer was 0-5 last year and had no decision in 4 appearances this year. The Bucs will pass Wood along to the White Sox in 1967 where he’ll blossom.
September 7Completing a 12-3 home stand‚ the Cards sweep a Labor Day doubleheader from the Reds 3-2‚ 3-2‚ and move into a 2nd-place tie with Cincinnati.

The Pirates roll out 11 pitchers but still loses two to the Giants‚ 6-4 and 9-6.

The 9th place Senators take a pair from the White Sox‚ 3-0 and 6-2‚ and drop the Sox out of first place behind Baltimore and a game ahead of the Yankees.

In a morning game‚ the New York Yankees beat the Senators‚ 5-4‚ in 11 innings. The night game is postponed because of rain. Tony Kubek hits a leadoff HR for the 2nd game in a row‚ and scores the winning run in the 11th. Roger Maris has a 2-run homer and the game-winning RBI.

The Cubs Ellis Burton hits a pair of homers‚ one righty and one lefty‚ accomplishing this for the second time in his career. But it is not enough as the visiting Braves win‚ 10-9.
September 8Phils’ first baseman Frank Thomas fractures his right thumb sliding back into 1B in the 3-2 loss to the Dodgers. The Phils are six games ahead‚ but Thomas’s loss will be felt keenly when the Phils begin to slide. Art Mahaffey takes the loss‚ lasting just a 1/3 of an inning. Thirty-six-year-old Jim Brewer wins his first ML start.
September 9The Dodgers whip the Giants‚ 8-1‚ behind Don Drysdale. Tommy Davis has a HR‚ while Willie Davis has 4 RBI. Big Frank Howard hits a 3-run homer off Bob Hendley‚ the 8th homer he’s clubbed off him in 20 at bats‚ including 4 consecutive last year (not in the same game).

The Seattle Post-Intelligenter reports that Cleveland GM Gabe Paul has requested economic surveys of the Seattle market in anticipation of a possible Indians’ move to the Northwest.
September 10The Phils split a 2-game series with the Cards and build a 6-game lead in the NL on Chris Short‘s 5-1 win. Short strikes out 12 throwing no curves to win his 16th. A pivotal play is 3B Dick Allen‘s stop and throw out of Javier’s sharp grounder with 2 men on in the 2nd.

Baltimore tops the Senators 12-5‚ despite Brooks Robinson hitting into his 2nd triple play. Brooks will hit into a record 4 TPs by the time he hangs up his glove.
September 11The Phils Dennis Bennett stops the Giants‚ 1-0‚ defeating Juan Marichal. Ruben Amaro‘s double scores the lone run and keeps the Phils 6 game ahead of the Cards.

Bob Gibson holds the Cubs to 2 hits‚ and the Cards win‚ 50. Ken Boyer‘s 22nd homer starts the Birds’ scoring.

Angels reliever Bob Lee fractures his right hand punching a heckling sailor in Boston. But he is the only Angel connecting as Bill Monbouquette shuts out the Haloes‚ 3-0.

After rookie Wally Bunker (16-4) gives the Orioles a 5-2 win‚ KC’s bonus baby Blue Moon Odom stops the O’s‚ 8-0‚ on 2 hits. The split shaves the Orioles lead to a half-game over the White Sox.

In a pitching duel between the Braves Denny Lemaster and the Reds Jim Maloney‚ Milwaukee scores a run in the 8th to win‚ 1-0. Gene Oliver doubles‚ the 2nd hit of the game off Maloney‚ and scores after a double steal and fly out. Leo Cardenas has the only hit off Lemaster.
September 12The Orioles’ Frank Bertaina and the A’s Bob Meyer duel in the ML’s 5th double one-hitter‚ and the only all-rookie one. Bertaina prevails 1-0‚ his 1st ML win and only decision of the year. Johnny Orsino’s 8th inning double and Doc Edwards 5th inning two-bagger account for the only hit for each team. Baltimore sets a major-league record for fewest at-bats in a 9-inning game (8 times at bat) with 19‚ and both clubs go to the plate just 46 times. The last battle of matching one-hitters was June 21‚ 1956.

The Indians score 6 in the 1st‚ and outlast the White Sox‚ 11-10. For 2nd-place Chicago‚ it is their 4th loss in 6 games. The loss goes to starter Ray Herbert‚ with Sam McDowell the victor.
September 13St. Louis becomes the first NL club to score in each inning since the Giants did it on June 1‚ 1923. They coast‚ 15-2‚ at Wrigley Field with Curt Simmons improving his record to 15-9. Dick Ellsworth goes to 14-15 for Chicago. Julian Javier‚ Lou Brock‚ and Mike Shannon homer for the Birds.
September 16The White Sox move into a first-place tie (88-61) with Baltimore by besting Detroit 4-1‚ while the Orioles lose to Minnesota 2-1. The Yanks are one point behind.
September 17The Yankees whip the Angels 6-2 to lock on to first place for good with a 2-percentage-point lead over the idle White Sox and Orioles. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle each have 3 hits. Mantle’s include his 2‚000th career hit and his 450th HR‚ his 31st of the year. The Yankees have won 2 in a row and will run their win streak to 11 games.

Phillies pitcher Jim Bunning (17-4)‚ starting on 2 days rest after pitching 10 innings in Houston‚ loses to the Colt 45s‚ 6-5. Bunning had won 8 in a row.
September 19The Colt 45s drop Harry Craft (61-88) as manager. He is replaced by Lum Harris.

The Dodger-Phils matchup in Los Angeles goes 15 innings‚ when with 2 outs in the bottom of the 16th‚ Willie Davis singles‚ steals 2nd‚ and takes 3rd on a wild pitch. With rookie reliever Morrie Steevens making his first ML appearance‚ Davis swipes home to give the Dodgers the 4-3 win. His steal of home is the latest in any game in the NL and ties Hal Trosky’s 16th-inning swipe of home in a 1944 game. The Phils now lead by 5 1/2.

Juan Marichal wins his 19th and willie Mays hits his 44th HR as San Francisco beats Piottsburgh‚ 13-2. Mays scores 5 runs on 2 hits.

In the 1st game of a doubleheader‚ the Reds stun the Cardinals 7-5 when Frank Robinson connects for a 3-run 9th inning HR off Bob Gibson. The Cards take the 2nd‚ 2-0‚ scoring both runs on C Don Pavletich‘s throwing error on a double steal. Ray Sadecki wins his 18th.

The Yanks move a half game ahead of the rained-out O’s by defeating the A’s‚ 8-3. Mantle and Maris homer and Ralph Terry pitches effectively in relief of Al Downing.
September 20Jim Bunning‚ in relief‚ strikes out Johnny Roseboro in the 9th to preserve the Phils 3-2 win in Los Angeles. The win comes after 2 straight losses and leaves the 1st place Phils in front of the NL by 6 1/2 games with 12 to play. When they return to Philley in the early morning‚ 2‚000 fans including Mayor James Tate are on hand to greet the team.
September 21John Tsitouris hurls a 1-0 shutout for the Reds over Art Mahaffey and the first-place Phillies‚ launching a 10-game Phils’ losing streak. Rookie Chico Ruiz scores the only run when‚ with Frank Robinson at bat‚ he steals home with 2 out in the 6th inning.
September 22The Yankees sweep Cleveland‚ winning 5-3 and 8-1. In the doubleheader‚ the Yanks get home runs from Mantle‚ Pepitone‚ Maris‚ and Phil Linz.
September 23The sizzling Yanks win their 9th in a row‚ defeating the Tribe‚ 4-3 in 11 innings and 6-4. Elston Howard‘s homer off Louie Tiant snaps a tie in the opener. John Romano homers in each game for the Indians while recently acquired Pedro Ramos finishes up both games for New York. Ramos‚ however‚ will not be eligible for the WS.

The slumping Phils (90-63) drop their 3rd in a row to the Reds‚ 6-4. Vada Pinson has two homers‚ good for 4 runs‚ to lead the Reds over the 1st-place Quakers. The Reds (86-66) trail by 3 1/2 games‚ with the Cards and Giants 5 back.

The Mets surprise the Cards and Roger Craig‚ 2-1‚ scoring the winner on an error. The Cards only run is Bill White‘s homer off Galen Cisco. Cards manager Johnny Keane is quoted as saying he has no idea whether he will be asked to return as Cards manager next year.

Washington’s Don Loun makes his first mound appearance and shuts out the Red Sox‚ 1-0 for his only ML win. Loun will lose his next and last start.
September 25Dean Chance beats the Twins’ Jim Kaat 1-0 to become the Angels first 20-game winner. Chance’s five 1-0 wins in 1964 ties the ML record held by 4 pitchers (Reb Russell; W. Johnson; Bush; Hubbell).

The 1st-place Phils‚ just 3 1/2 games in the lead after dropping 3 games at home to the Reds (9-2 and 6-4) throw Jim Bunning at the Braves. Bunning lasts 6 innings but the Braves topple the host Phils‚ 5-3‚ as Joe Torre belts two triples to drive home three runs. In the 2nd contest‚ the woes continue as the Phillies lose 7-5 in 11 innings. Christ Short goes 8 innings for Philley before exiting with a 3-3 tie. Torre slams a two run homer in the 10th‚ but the Phils match it‚ before losing it in the 11th. Torre had three hits in the nitecap with 3 RBIs.

At Shea‚ Jim Maloney fires a one-hitter in the Reds‚ 3-0‚ win over the Mets. Joe Christopher‘s 2nd-inning single is the only hit.
September 26At Shibe Park‚ the Braves and Phillies set a ML record by using 43 players in a 9-inning game. The Braves’ 25 match the 9-inning high mark for NL clubs. Eight of the 25 are pitchers‚ tying a league mark‚ but still the stumbling Phils drop their 6th in a row 6-4. The topper is Rico Carty‘s 3-run triple in the top of the 9th against reliever Bobby Shantz‚ in for starter Art Mahaffey. Torre again has three hits for Milwaukee‚ which shaves the Phils’ lead to a half-game.

Behind rookie Mel Stottlemyre‘s 2-hitter‚ the Yankees roll over the Senators‚ 7-0‚ for their 11th win in a row. Stottlemyre leads the offense with a ML-record-tying 5 hits‚ the last pitcher to collect that many and just the 8th pitcher this century to do so (Jim Callahan of the White Sox did it twice). With a single in his last at bat in his last game‚ he’s had 6 hits in a row.

The Reds belt the Mets‚ 6-1‚ for their 7th straight win‚ the longest in the NL this season. Marty Keough drives in half the runs with a single and double. The Reds are now a half-game in back of the Phils.
September 27Despite 3 HRs by Johnny Callison‚ the Phils are 14-8 losers to the Braves‚ who complete a 4-game sweep at Connie Mack Stadium. The Phils’ 7th straight loss drops them out of first‚ which they had held for 73 days. Milwaukee tallied 22 hits-10 against Jim Bunning in 4 innings-and four relievers. Joe Torre has two hits including his 20th homer.

The Reds are winners of 9 straight as they sweep 2 against New York‚ winning 4-1 and 3-1‚ to take a one-game lead over the faltering Phils. Philadelphia is now just a half-game ahead of the charging Cardinals‚ winners of 8 straight games. Even the Giants‚ losers of a doubleheader against the Cubs‚ are just 4 1/2 games in back of the Reds‚ and will not be eliminated until October 3.
September 28The Phils drop to 3rd place when they lose in St. Louis‚ 5-1. Bob Gibson is the winner over a tired Chris Short.

Sadaharu Oh hits his 55th HR of Yomiuri’s 130-game season. It is his highest total and a Japanese record.
September 29The Cards’ 4-2 win over the Phils moves them into a first-place tie with the Reds‚ who lose to the Pirates. Ray Sadecki posts his 20th win for the Cards.
September 30The Phillies lose their 10th straight game as Curt Simmons of the Cards beats Jim Bunning 8-5. The Phils now trail by 2 1/2 games with just 2 to play‚ but have a glimmer of hope since the Cardinals have 3 games left against the 10th-place Mets.

A total of 36 strikeouts‚ 19 by Pittsburgh batters‚ ties the NL record for whiffs in the Pirates’ 1-0 squeaker against the Reds in 16 innings. Jerry Mays’s squeeze bunt scores the lone run. The loss drops the Reds out of 1st place with 3 games left.

In his first ML at bat‚ pinch hitter Bill Roman debuts with a homer‚ the only one of his brief ML career. Even so‚ the Tigers lose to New York 7-6 as a Mickey Mantle leadoff HR in the 2nd off Lolich ignites a 5-run rally. New York takes the nightcap 11-8 for a sweep.

In a rarity at Fenway‚ the Indians shut out the Red Sox in a doubleheader winning 5-0 and 3-0. Rookie Luis Tiant and Sam McDowell go the distance in applying the whitewash.

October

October 1Detroit’s Dave Wickersham‚ in a bid for his 20th win‚ is ejected by umpire Bill Valentine in the 7th inning of his final start. Wickersham gets the heave-ho for trying to get Valentine’s attention by grabbing his shoulder during an argument with Norm Cash. Mickey Lolich enters the 1-1 tie and earns a 4-2 win.

Danny Murtaugh (80-82) resigns as manager of the Pirates for health reasons.

Dave McNally‘s one-hitter keeps Baltimore in the pennant race‚ 2 1?2 games behind the Yankees.
October 2The Mets end an 8-game St. Louis win streak when Al Jackson beats Bob Gibson 1-0‚ but the Cards remain a half game in front of the Reds.

With first place on the line‚ the Phils win 4-3 in Cincinnati with the help of their 3rd triple play of the season‚ and snap their 10-game loss streak. The Phils score 4 runs in the 8th off Jim O’Toole with the rally starting after a routine fly ball drops between Leo Cardenas and Pete Rose. Cardenas and O’Toole exchange angry words after the game and then start swinging. The 4th-place Giants stay in the chase when Bob Bolin shuts out the Cubs‚ 9-0.

The Orioles score 6 runs in the 2nd to beat Detroit 10-4 in a fog-bound game. Detroit outfielders lose 2 routine ?y balls in the O’s big inning.
October 3The Yankees clinch their 5th straight pennant‚ and 29th in the club’s history‚ by defeating Cleveland 8-3.

The Cardinals lose 15-5 to the Mets and fall into a first-place tie with the idle Reds.

The Phils are also idle while the Cubs finally eliminate the Giants by beating them 10-7.

Boston fires manager Johnny Pesky (70-90). Billy Herman takes over for the final game of season.
October 4Larry Jackson’s 9-2 victory over the Giants is his 24th win for the Cubs‚ the most ever for an 8th-place team. He also sets a ML record for pitchers by fielding 109 chances during the season without an error. Walter Johnson fielded 103 chances without an error in 1913.

The Phils bomb the Reds 10-0 as both teams finish one game behind St. Louis. The 2 teams then sit in the visitor’s clubhouse and hope that New York’s Galen Cisco (6-18) can stop the Cards. The Mets take a 3-2 lead into the 5th inning‚ but St. Louis scores 3 runs to regain the lead. The Mets score once more but the Cardinals complete their scoring with 3 in the 8th to win 11-5. Bob Gibson wins in relief. For St. Louis‚ it is their 1st pennant since 1946.

Alvin Dark (90-72) is fired as manager of the Giants and replaced by Herman Franks. The Giants will finish in 4th places 3 games off the pace.
October 7Ailing Whitey Ford struggles as St. Louis wins the WS opener 9-5 at Busch Stadium. Mike Shannon homers in a 4-run‚ St. Louis 6th inning. Tom Tresh loses Flood’s triple in the rally. Ray Sadecki and Barney Schultz combine for the win.
October 8Rookie Mel Stottlemyre beats Bob Gibson 8-3 to even the WS. The Yanks score 4 in the 9th after Gibson is taken out for a pinch hitter.
October 9Charlie Finley says he lost $834‚356 in Kansas City this year‚ a prelude to renewed efforts to move the A’s somewhere else.
October 10After Jim Bouton and Curt Simmons battle to a 1-1 tie through 8 innings‚ Mickey Mantle homers on Barney Schultz‘s first pitch in the 9th‚ and the Yankees win 2-1.
October 11Ken Boyer’s grand slam in the 6th inning off Al Downing gives the Cards a 4-3 win in game 4.
October 12Tim McCarver’s 3-run HR pins a 5-2 loss on Pete Mikkelsen and gives St. Louis a 3-2 WS lead.
October 14Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle hit HRs on back-to-back pitches from Curt Simmons‚ and Joe Pepitone belts Gordie Richardson for a grand slam. New York wins 8-3 at St. Louis and evens the WS.

The Braves say they have a firm lease offer from Atlanta.
October 15St. Louis takes an early lead in the deciding WS game 7. Lou Brock‘s 5th-inning HR triggers a 2nd 3-run frame and a 6-0 lead for Bob Gibson. Mickey Mantle‚ Clete Boyer‚ and Phil Linz homer for New York‚ but it’s not enough. The Cards win 7-5 and are the World Champions. Both Boyers‚ Ken for the Cards and Clete for the Yankees‚ homer in their last WS appearance‚ a first in ML history.
October 16The Board of Directors of the Indians votes to keep the club in Cleveland.
October 17A WS loss is enough reason for the Yankees to fire manager Yogi Berra (99-63). Johnny Keane (93-69) stuns a St. Louis press conference by resigning as manager of the Cardinals.
October 19Ailing Fred Hutchinson (60-49) resigns as manager of Reds.

Harry Walker is named manager of the Pirates.

Branch Rickey is fired from his $65‚000 per year consulting job with the Cardinals.
October 20Johnny Keane pulls another shocker by signing to manage the Yankees.

Red Schoendienst is appointed manager of the Cards.
October 21After just 11 years in Milwaukee‚ the Braves Board of Directors votes to ask the NL for permission to move to Atlanta. Milwaukee County officials sue to block the move.
October 30Joe Stanka of the Nankai Hawks wins the Pacific League MVP award. With a season record of 26-7‚ Stanka pitched his team to 3 straight victories over the Yomiuri Giants to win the Japan Series. In his career with the Hawks (1960-65)‚ and later with the Taiyo Whales (1966)‚ he will win 100 games‚ the record for an American pitcher.

November

November 3Philadelphia voters approve $25 million to build a new sports stadium.
November 7With their home attendance below 800‚000 for the past 2 seasons‚ the NL orders the Braves to stay in Milwaukee in 1965‚ but permits a move to Atlanta in 1966.
November 10The Braves sign a 25-year lease to play in the new Atlanta stadium.
November 12Former Cincinnati manager Fred Hutchinson‚ 45‚ dies of cancer in Florida.
November 18Baltimore 3B Brooks Robinson is voted AL MVP‚ outpolling Mickey Mantle 269 to 171.
November 23The Mets purchase P Warren Spahn from the Braves. The Future Hal of Famer‚ now 43‚ slumped to a 6-13 record in 1964‚ after winning 23 the year before.
November 243B Ken Boyer of the Cardinals is voted NL MVP‚ with 243 votes to 187 for Philadelphia OF Johnny Callison.
November 29The Phils trade P Dennis Bennett to the Red Sox for 1B Dick Stuart.

December

December 1The White Sox trade P Ray Herbert and 1B Jeoff Long to the Phillies for OF Danny Cater and SS Lee Elia.

The Indians obtain OF Chuck Hinton from Washington for 1B Bob Chance and IF/OF Woodie Held.

The Houston club officially changes its name from the Colt 45s to the Astros.
December 3In what is fine move by the Angels‚ California unloads P Bo Belinsky to the Phillies for minor-league P Rudy May and 1B Costen Shockley.
December 4Baseball approves a free-agent draft. At their winter meetings in Houston‚ the minor league and major league organizations establish a system‚ basically like that of professional football‚ which will take effect in January 1965 and be held every four months thereafter. Choices will be exercised by clubs in inverse order of their previous year’s standing. Draftees must be included in their club’s 40-man roster or be susceptible to claim at the waiver price the following season.

The majors also restore to the commissioner’s office all powers rescinded after Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis’s death in 1944. Principally‚ they waive their right to take legal action in the event of disagreements with the commissioner and grant him authority to judge whether actions taken by the owners in concert are‚ automatically “in the best interests of baseball.” Voting for the annual All-Star teams is turned back to the fans.

The Dodgers trade OF Frank Howard‚ P Phil Ortega‚ P Pete Richert‚ and 3B Ken McMullen to the Senators for P Claude Osteen‚ INF John Kennedy‚ and cash.

Minnesota acquires versatile Cesar Tovar from the Reds for P Jerry Arrigo. Tovar will play 8 seasons in Minnesota.
December 14St. Louis trades P Roger Craig and OF Charlie James to the Reds for P Bob Purkey.
December 15Tigers owner John Fetzer announces a 2-year television pact between ML baseball and ABC-TV. The network pays $12.2 million to telecast games on 25 Saturdays‚ Independence Day‚ and Labor Day.

The Cards purchase OF Tito Francona from the Indians.
December 26Bob Lemon is named manager of the Seattle Angels of the Pacific Coast League.