Lonborg, Red Sox Top Yanks in the Bronx

May 19, 1965 - Less than two years ago, Jim Lonborg was an impressive athlete for Stanford University, a biology major, and might have become the tallest doctor in San Luis Obispo, Calif. His father is professor of agriculture at Cal Poly, and academic persuasions seemed in order. Then along came the Red Sox with “enough to satisfy me,” says Lonborg, “and enough to get me out of medicine.”

Now, the 6-5 pitcher beats the Yankees — only the Yankees. But give him time. He’s only 22 and a rookie. Tonight, he threw a four-hit 3-0 gem at Yankee Stadium for his second major league win. Last week in Boston, he beat New York, 3-2. 

Lonborg enjoys pitching against the Yanks. “It’s a thrill for me to throw against Mickey Mantle,” he says. That’s the competitive challenge. Another reason is the ’65 Yankees are still a bunch of swingers — even though they no longer do much connecting.

Their big push tonight came in the first, when Lonborg walked the first two. Tom Tresh and Mantle then used two pitches to hit into a force-out and a double play.

“That’s the reason I like pitching against the Yankees,” Lonborg said. “They’re going to swing at pitches in the strike zone. Since my luck has been going against them, they go at someone.”

Winners can afford to be modest. Lonborg had been quite a bit better than that. Other than a couple of well-hit drives by Joe Pepitone, Yankee swingers were spilling grounders Little Leaguers devour.

Mantle used Dave Morehead, Boston’s 21-year-old hard thrower who has also bedeviled the Yanks, to measure Lonborg. “Morehead throws harder,” Mantle said, “but this kid’s ball seems to do more. Everything seems to go down.”

“I don’t know why it goes down that way,” said Lonborg. “I never tried to make it sink. It just does. No complaints.”

For Lonborg, his first trip to New York was a joy ride. “The first thing I did when I got into my uniform,” Lonborg said, “was to run out to center field and see the monuments. Glad I don’t have to pitch against those guys [Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig].”

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