Oct. 4, 1964 - St. Louis-born Johnny Keane will have a better view of the World Series and won’t be as sleepy as he was the last time he watched the Cardinals in the October classic. He got up at 5 a.m. to get in the bleachers for the 1926 Series — won by the Cardinals over the Yankees.
The Redbirds assured their 52-year-old manager of improved seating today when they beat the New York Mets, 11-5, and brought the 10th National League pennant to St. Louis — the first in 18 years.
However, the humble pilot, speaking to fans jammed outside the clubhouse at Busch Stadium, said: “Those man in the clubhouse should be taking bows, not me. All we can say now is, ‘Bring on the Yankees.’”
The Yanks are coming Wednesday for the opener of the Series at 1 p.m. The perennial American League champions will be at Busch Stadium Thursday, too. After Friday’s open date, the best-of-seven competition will shift to New York’s Yankee Stadium for games Saturday and Sunday.
Ray Sadecki, the Redbirds’ 20-game winner, is expected to pitch the opener against the Yankees’ Whitey Ford.
The Cardinals nailed down the flag by one game after the Phillies knocked the Reds out of a tie for the lead earlier this afternoon, 10-0.
“This is the greatest thing that ever happened to me,” said Cardinal third baseman Ken Boyer (left). It will be his first World Series. “And I’m glad it’s the Yankees we’re playing. My brother Clete [right, the Yankee third baseman] has always wanted to play against me, but we never have in the All-Star game or in anything but an exhibition. It should be great.”
Starter Curt Simmons, victim today of a key windblown double, was lifted in the fifth with the Mets ahead, 3-2. Bob Gibson, who had pitched nine tough innings Friday night, losing 1-0, then held New York to one run until the ninth, when Barney Schultz got the last two outs.
“Keane asked me before the game if my arm was too tired, but I told him I’d be okay,” Gibson said. “I said, ‘If you need me today, how my arm feels is not important.’”

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