Sept. 13, 1963 - The Yankees tonight clinched their 28th American League pennant, their fourth in a row, and their third under their 44-year-old manager, Ralph Houk. The clincher came on Bulldog Jim Bouton’s 20th victory, 2-0, over the Twins in Minnesota, with the 24-year-old pitcher fanning 11, his career high. The champagne bubbled and splashed in the clubhouse afterwards, with special toasts to Bouton and to Joe Pepitone and John Blanchard, whose homers off Camilo Pascual nailed down the flag. This ballclub, which Ralph Houk says is the best with which he ever has been associated, won through a great team effort. It survived the long-time losses of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris out with numerous injuries. What gave Houk his greatest thrill this season? “When Mantle walked up to the plate after 61 days on the shelf and hit that pinch homer against Baltimore. It will take a long time before anything will match that.” The last out tonight was a foul fly which Clete Boyer took near the Yankee dugout. The players poured from the bench as catcher Elston Howard picked up Bouton in a spontaneous demonstration of delight. In the clubhouse, Pepitone was the life of the party. He wore his cap at a slant, eating a piece of melon with one hand and gulping pink champagne with the other. Jerry Coleman had him on the WPIX camera, dripping wet. “We got ‘em, we got ‘em, we got ‘em!” yelled Pep as the rest of the players laughed. Blanchard didn’t see the finish of tonight’s game, as John sassed umpire Al Salerno when called out on strikes in the sixth and was tossed. It may cost him a fine, but he’s still ahead. His liquor store in Minnneapolos supplied the champagne (domestic) for the victory celebration — at retail.
