1960s Timeline

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6 hours ago

1963 American League Schedule Released

Jan. 30, 1963 - An unusual morning game, a morning-night twin bill, and a record 428 night contests spice the American League baseball schedule announced today. The A.L. will engage in 38 more night games than last season and 52 more nocturnal games than in 1961, when the league expanded from 8 to 10 teams. The morning game is slated for May 30 when Minnesota entertains Washington. The morning-night program will be at Bloomington, Minn., Sept. 2, with Kansas City the visitor.

7 hours ago

Don Drysdale Highest-Paid Pitcher in Dodger History

Jan. 30, 1963 - Don Drysdale (pictured left with Tommy Davis and Sandy Koufax), baseball’s top pitcher in 1962, signed a $45,000 contract today, making him the highest-paid hurler in Dodger history. Buzzie Bavasi, general manager, said this was exceeded on the club only by the $48,000 drawn by catcher Roy Campanella in 1956. This represented a $10,000 raise for the 26-year-old Drysdale, who led the majors with 25 victories while losing 9 last year. He also was the leader in s

1 day ago

Luis Aparicio Signs Contract With Orioles

Jan. 29, 1963 - Shortstop Luis Aparicio (pictured last March) said today he is accepting the 1963 contract sent to him by the Baltimore Orioles. “The contract had good conditions,” said Aparicio, acquired after the 1962 season from the Chicago White Sox. It is believed that Aparicio’s contract with the Orioles will call for $40,000 — the same amount he made with the White Sox last season. Aparicio was traded by the White Sox after making it plain to them that he would resist

2 days ago

Mickey Mantle Receives Two Awards

Jan. 28, 1963 - Mickey Mantle (pictured with Johnny Carson) tonight was named the nation’s “most courageous athlete” and America’s “outstanding athlete” by the Philadelphia Sports Writers association. The New York Yankees’ outfielder was the first athlete in the 59-year history of the association to be a double winner in the 3 awards it makes annually. Mantle was hailed for his ranking as one of baseball’s greatest players in the face of a long and courageous fight against a

3 days ago

Outfielder Sam Rice and 3 Others Elected to Hall of Fame

Jan. 27, 1963 - Outfielder Sam Rice (pictured in 1924), perched on the doorstep of baseball’s Hall of Fame for several years, finally was elected to Cooperstown today along with pitchers Eppa Rixey and John Clarkson and outfielder Elmer Flick. Election of all four players was unanimous. Clarkson, who played with Chicago, Boston, and Cleveland in the National League before 1900, is the only one of today’s elected players not living. Repeatedly passed over in past balloting by

4 days ago

Baseball Rules Committee Enlarges Strike Zone

Jan. 26, 1963 - Baseball’s rules committee, in a decisive step to give some relief to home run plagued pitchers, voted unanimously today to enlarge the batter’s strike zone by nearly a foot. This drastic action, recommended by virtually all major league managers, is expected not only to enable the pitcher to better cope with the hitter but to reduce the vast number of bases on balls which lengthened and dragged out games in recent years. The change in the strike zone will be

6 days ago

Giants’ Manager Al Dark Wins Sportsmanship Award

Jan. 24, 1963 - Alvin Dark (pictured) joined some of baseball’s most famous figures today as a winner of the Sportsmanship Award of the Sportsmanship Brotherhood. Dark, who piloted the Giants to the National League pennant in his second year as manager and who was one of the best shortstops of his era, is the sixth baseball figure to win the Sportsmanship Award. The others were Walter Johnson, Connie Mack, Lou Gehrig, Mel Ott, Billy Southworth, and Stan Musial. #MLB #baseball

6 days ago

Don Zimmer Is a Dodger Once Again

Jan. 24, 1963 - Don Zimmer (pictured last spring), long a Dodger favorite both in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, was reacquired today from the Cincinnati Reds. The Dodgers traded a right-handed pitcher, Scott Breeden, who hurled for Omaha last season, for Zimmer. Zimmer was traded by the Dodgers to Chicago at the end of the 1959 season. After a season with the Cubs, Zimmer was drafted by the New York Mets for $125,000, but the Mets quickly traded him to Cincinnati. Zimmer joined t

Jan 23

Sunday Night Games a New Wrinkle on 1963 Baseball Schedule

Jan. 23, 1963 - Something new has been added to the National League schedule for 1963 — Sunday night games. Seven such games by the Houston Colts were included in the official schedule released today. It marked the first time in major league history that a team was permitted to schedule Sunday night games. It took a special ruling by league officials before the Colts were able to do so. The Colts pointed out that the daytime heat during the summer at Colt Stadium (pictured) i

Jan 22

Milwaukee Braves to Televise Games for First Time in 1963

Jan. 22, 1963 - The Milwaukee Braves, who ended a 9-year holdout against television last season, announced plans yesterday to telecast 25 games, including 5 at home, in 1963. Board Chairman William Bartholomay said the games would be telecast “on an experimental basis.” Up until last season, the Braves had not televised any games since moving to Milwaukee in 1953. Last year, 15 road contests were put on TV. #MLB #baseball #OTD #1960s #braves

Jan 22

Giants’ Felipe Alou Still Unsigned

Jan. 22, 1963 - Outfielder Felipe Alou (pictured right with brother Matty) today announced in Santo Domingo that he had returned his 1963 contract to the San Francisco Giants without his signature. “I had a good season in 1962,” said Alou, “and I think I deserve more than they offered.” Alou, who batted .316 last year, hit 25 homers, and drove in 98 runs, admitted that the Giants’ offer included a sizable raise over his $18,000 contract in 1962. It is believed Alou is asking

Jan 21

Maury Wills of Dodgers Wins Hickock Belt

Jan. 21, 1963 - Maury Wills romped off with another major trophy today — the Hickok Professional Athlete of the Year Belt. The $10,000 gold-buckled, jeweled belt was presented to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ mercury-footed shortstop at the Rochester Press Radio Club’s annual charity dinner. Wills, a 5-foot-7-inch, 157-pound bundle of lightning, stole a record 104 bases last year. He topped Arnold Palmer, the 1962 Masters and British Open golf champion and 1960 pro athlete of the

Jan 21

Pirates’ Manager Murtaugh: Giants Team to Beat in 1963

Jan. 21, 1963 - Pittsburgh Pirate manager Danny Murtaugh (pictured left with Phillies manager Gene Mauch) conceded today the San Francisco Giants were the team to beat in the 1963 National League pennant scramble. “But any team can win it if a couple players get hot,” Murtaugh quickly added. “The Reds and the Dodgers are right up there, and the Cards will have a good hitting club.” The cigar-smoking Murtaugh offered no predictions on his own club’s performance. He said he tho

Jan 15

Giants’ Pennant Surge Voted Sports Upset of 1962

Jan. 15, 1963 - The surge of the San Francisco Giants, who were given up for dead in the National League race only to battle back and defeat the heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers for the flag, was voted the sports upset of the year in 1962. The twin feat of the Giants — to get into a playoff against the Dodgers when all appeared lost and then to win the playoff in the last inning of the third game — was named the greatest upset by the sportswriters and broadcasters who part

Jan 15

Ex-Yankee ‘Moose’ Skowron Declares Himself a Proud Dodger

Jan. 15, 1963 - Bill (Moose) Skowron (pictured), who says he’ll wear his new Dodger uniform with as much pride as he did Yankee pinstripes for nine years, met the press this morning at Dodger Stadium. “If I’d had my choice to be traded to another club, I couldn’t do better than join the Dodger organization. Yogi Berra told me as much after the deal was made, and he was right.” The free-swinging veteran described himself as “a whaler” at the plate whose philosophy is, “Thou [t

Jan 14

Luis Aparicio and Al Smith Traded from White Sox to Orioles

Jan. 14, 1963 - Luis Aparicio, a shortstop, and Al Smith, an outfielder and infielder, were traded to the Baltimore Orioles by the Chicago White Sox today. The White Sox got Ron Hansen, a shortstop; Hoyt Wilhelm, a pitcher; Dave Nicholson, an outfielder, and Pete Ward, third baseman, in return. The salary of Aparicio was cut from about $43,000 to $35,000 by the Sox for 1963, and the 29-year-old Venezuelan had been quoted as saying he would rather quit baseball than take the c

Jan 12

Stan Musial Talks Conditioning

Jan. 12, 1963 - Stan Musial (pictured with Vin Scully), 42, who says his conditioning program has added five years to his playing career, is busy getting ready for spring training. “We’re due at training camp March 1, and about 10 days later we start the exhibition season,” said Stan. “That doesn’t give you time to get into condition if you’re out of shape.” Musial worked out today with teammates Red Schoendienst and Bill White. Cardinals General Manager Bing Devine, watching

Jan 8

Outfielder Richie Ashburn to Retire

Jan. 8, 1963 - Richie Ashburn (pictured in 1957) disclosed today that he had retired from active baseball and would broadcast Philadelphia games on color television this year. After 15 years in the majors, Ashburn said he had joined a team of sports broadcasters for the S.W. Ayer and Sons Agency of Philadelphia, which will televise Phillies baseball this season. Asked if this meant his permanent retirement from baseball, he said, “It looks like it.” Ashburn, an outfielder, pl

Jan 5

Baseball Star Rogers Hornsby is Dead

Jan. 5, 1963 - Baseball great Rogers Hornsby died this morning of a heart attack at the age of 66. Hornsby was elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1942. The man known as “The Rajah” was hired and fired as manager by five major league clubs. He was considered by many as the greatest right-handed hitter in baseball history with a lifetime batting average of .358. He batted over .400 in successive years — a modern record of .424 in 1924 with the St. Louis Cardinals and .403 in

Jan 3

Musial Signs 22nd Contract with Cardinals

Jan. 3, 1963 - A genial and humble Stan (The Man) Musial signed his 22nd contract to play with the St. Louis Cardinals. Musial broke a series of major league records last season, a factor which proved to the 42-year-old outfielder that he was good for another year in baseball. The amount for which Musial signed was believed to be around the $70,000 he received last year. He said, “I think this will be my last year, and I’ll try to end up with a good year.” Musial made a stron