Aug. 20, 1964 - Rick Wise says, “It’s a dream that has crystallized,” and you don’t normally hear 18-year-old kids talking that way. You don’t normally get 18-year-old kids who pitch the way Wise pitches either.
He pitched the second game of a doubleheader tonight after Art Mahaffey had pitched an emphatic two-hitter and the Phillies had beaten the Pirates, 2-0, at Connie Mack Stadium. The Phils won the first game, 3-2.
“I thought about a no-hitter, listening to the first game on the radio,” Wise said. “All I hope for is the win.”
Wise got the win, a dramatic 3-2 win. He is 5-1, and he won’t be 19 until next month, so you can see why he says, “It’s a dream crystallized.”
To the Phillies, the whole ball of wax looks like a dream crystallized because they are now 7½ games ahead of the Giants and Reds, and there are only 42 games left to play.
Mahaffey and Wise had help, of course. Frank Thomas helped Mahaffey with a ninth-inning two-run homer off Bob Friend to win the first game. Then Johnny Callison drove in all three runs in the second game with a homer to left and a sacrifice fly that was deep enough and loud enough to score two runs.
“I don’t know how I hit it there,” Callison said of his homer. “I didn’t try to. But it’s about time I did something to help. I haven’t done anything in weeks.”
Mahaffey hadn’t completed a game since May 27, and he hadn’t won a game since July 21. “What does he do?” Friend asked afterwards, “get up just for us?”
“The last three shutouts Mahaffey has pitched have been against Friend,” Philadelphia manager Gene Mauch confirmed. “Pitching is supposed to be 80% of the game, and if one pitcher’s got it psychologically over another pitcher, you use it.”
Mahaffey thought it was matter over mind. “I felt strong,” he said. “I didn’t think. I didn’t care if I walked guys.”
He had a no-hitter until the seventh, when Bill Mazeroski plunked a single into left. “He didn’t hit it good,” Mahaffey said, “but they hit some other shots that our guys caught.” The only other hit was a single by Roberto Clemente in the ninth.
Today’s victories were enjoyed by 35,814 fans, the season’s biggest crowd that sent their attendance over the 1,013,000 mark for 1964.
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