Oct. 11, 1964 - A beaming Ken Boyer hugged Roger Craig and Ron Taylor in the Cardinal dressing room today at Yankee Stadium.
“These are the guys who won the game,” said Boyer, whose grand slam gave the Cards their victory margin. “We’ve never gotten better relief pitching. After I got that homer, I told Taylor to keep ‘em fast and low. He did.” Taylor, who took over from Craig after Boyer’s drive in the sixth, said that helping the Cards win today’s game was “the biggest thrill of my life.”
Craig, who replaced Ray Sadecki in the three-run Yankee first, said he relied mainly on curves the 4⅔ innings he pitched. He fanned eight in that span.
“My curve was sweeping, and my control was good,” Craig said. “It has to be one of my best-pitched games — certainly the most thrilling.”
Boyer said that as he rounded third on his homer, he expected his brother, Clete, the Yankee third baseman, to make a remark.
“He didn’t say a word, and I didn’t think it my place to say anything,” Ken said. “I looked right at him, and he had a sort of puzzled look on his face. I don’t know why; I’ll have to ask him. But I’ll wait until tomorrow. I haven’t the heart to ask him today.”
Dick Groat, who chatted amiably with Mickey Mantle in the third inning just before slipping behind Mantle to complete a pickoff play at second base, conceded that he had executed the play with feelings of admiring regret for the Yankee hero.
“I thought to myself,” Groat said, “that I have such respect for Mantle — playing on those bad legs — that this is one of the most unfair things I’ve ever done in baseball.”
Nevertheless, he took a perfect throw from Roger Craig to make the tag as Mantle slid back head first.
One pitch earlier, Groat reported, he had been chatting with Mantle about the prodigious home run Mick had struck to win yesterday’s game.
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