1960s Timeline

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May 19

Giants Thrash Colts, 10-2, as Mays Hits 11th HR

May 19, 1962 - Lefty Mike McCormick, making his first start for San Francisco in more than a month, whipped the Houston Colt .45’s, 10-2, today with the help of 3 home runs after 2 were out in the seventh inning. The Colts made nine hits and left men on base in every inning except the ninth. McCormick lost his shutout in the eighth on two singles and Bob Aspromonte’s bad-bounce triple. With two down in the seventh, Willie Mays hit his 11th homer. Chuck Hiller walked, and Orla

May 17

Cards Beat Giants, 1-0, on Bob Gibson's 6-Hitter

May 17, 1962 - St. Louis scored an unearned run off Billy O’Dell in the ninth inning today and beat San Francisco, 1-0, behind the 6-hit pitching of Bob Gibson. It was Gibson’s fifth victory against two losses. He struck out 10 Giants and often had them swinging late at his fastball. O’Dell survived Cardinal threats in four innings. In the ninth, however, Red Schoendienst singled to left with none out. Julian Javier, running for Schoendienst, stole second with one out and mov

May 17

Polo Grounds To Host Old-Timers Day July 14

May 17, 1962 - The New York Mets, who have yet to celebrate their first anniversary as a National League baseball club, will hold their first Old-Timers Day at the Polo Grounds on July 14. The old-timers will be members of the 1951 Giant and Dodger teams, re-enacting the legendary playoff series that ended with Bobby Thomson’s ninth-inning home run (pictured) off Ralph Branca. Leo Durocher, who managed those pennant-winning Giants, also will be on hand. Among the other player

May 16

Musial Ties Major-League Hit Record as Cards Fall to Giants, 7-2

May 16, 1962 - Stan Musial of the Cardinals tied the National League total-hit record today, but league-leading San Francisco trounced St. Louis, 7-2, with a 5-run seventh inning. The 41-year-old Musial singled off Juan Marichal in the sixth inning for the 3,430th hit of his career, equaling a record set by Honus Wagner. Musial joined the Cards in 1941. Wagner played with Louisville from 1897 to 1899 and with the Pirates from 1900 through 1917. Since getting his 3,429th hit a

May 10

O'Dell Remains Unbeaten as Giants Top Cardinals, 6-0

May 10, 1962 - Unbeaten Billy O’Dell (pictured), pitching in wind gusting over 40 miles an hour, set down the St. Louis Cardinals on four hits tonight, 6-0, and restored the San Francisco Giants’ first-place lead to four games. The victory was O’Dell’s fifth this season and his eighth straight, including three last season. The Giants went ahead on Felipe Alou’s two-run double off Bob Gibson in the fourth. They clinched the game in the fifth on Willie McCovey’s three-run homer

May 8

Giants Top Cardinals, 4-3

May 8, 1962 - The San Francisco Giants broke the Larry Jackson jinx at eight games tonight by beating the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3. Jackson (pictured left with Stan Musial and Curt Flood in 1959), who was chased in the eighth inning when the Giants scored twice to break a 2-2 tie, had not lost to San Francisco since the Candlestick Park opener in 1960. Successive doubles by Orlando Cepeda and Felipe Alou broke the tie in the eighth. Then Ed Bailey, who had struck out twice wi

May 3

Giants Explode for 16 Hits, Top Pirates 8-4

May 3, 1962 - Willie Mays greeted the relief appearance of Elroy Face with a double to spark a 4-run rally in the eighth inning for the San Francisco Giants’ ninth straight victory, an 8-4 triumph over the Pittsburgh Pirates today. Jack Sanford, posting his third triumph of the season against one defeat, became San Francisco’s seventh consecutive starter to go the distance. The National League leaders exploded for 16 hits. #MLB #baseball #OTD #anniversary #1960s #podcast #gia

Apr 30

Giants Beat Pirates, 4-1, Take Lead in National League

Apr. 30, 1962 - The Giants vaulted over Pittsburgh into first place in the National League today by beating the Pirates, 4-1. Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda hit home runs as a rookie right-hander, Gaylord Perry, won his second straight start from the Bucs. Perry, knocked out of the box in the sixth inning while beating the Pirates last Wednesday, kept them hitting on the ground this time. He scattered 4 hits and walked only 2 in running his record to 2-0. It was his first com

Apr 25

Giants Top Pirates, 8-3, as Cepeda Drives in Four

Apr. 25, 1962 - Orlando Cepeda (pictured) drove in four runs and Don Larsen turned in a sparkling relief job today to give the San Francisco Giants an 8-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates and a split of their two-game series. Cepeda hit a run-scoring double and a three-run homer, his fourth of the season, off Bob Friend to lift his RBI total to 16. Larsen entered the game in the sixth inning with two men on and none out. He struck out the next 3 batters on 10 pitches. He f

Apr 24

Koufax Strikes Out 18 Cubs as Dodgers Win, 10-2

Apr. 24, 1962 - Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers struck out 18 batters today and matched the modern major league mark he already shared with Bob Feller. The 26-year-old left-hander accomplished the feat in beating the Chicago Cubs, 10-2. Feller struck out 18 for the Cleveland Indians in a losing game against the Tigers on Oct. 2, 1938, and Koufax did the same against the Giants on Aug. 31, 1959. Each game went nine innings. The major league record for strikeouts is 19.

Apr 14

Giants Destroy Reds, 13-6, Cepeda and Alou Hit Two Homers Each

Apr. 14, 1962 - The Cincinnati Reds fell apart today in a 13-6 loss to the San Francisco Giants. The Reds made six errors in the first three innings and threw in two balks as the league-leading Giants swept to their fifth triumph in five games. Cincinnati has lost five of six. Orlando Cepeda and Felipe Alou hit two homers each in the 13-hit San Francisco attack against the defending National League champions. The first three innings, in which the Giants scored 10 runs, took o

Apr 10

Marichal Shines as Giants Shut Out Braves, 6-0

Apr. 10, 1962 - Juan Marichal (pictured right with Willie Mays) hurled a three-hit shutout today and his bat helped send Warren Spahn to the showers early as the Giants whipped the Milwaukee Braves, 6-0, in their National League opener. A crowd of 39,177 in sunny Candlestick Park watched the 24-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic, who had seven hits for a .119 average in 1961, double and single off Spahn. Marichal scored two runs and drove in two. Willie Mays sent the

Apr 1

MLB: Giants top Red Sox in Exhibition Game

Apr. 1, 1962 - Felipe Alou (pictured) drove in four runs with two homers today as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Boston Red Sox in an exhibition game, 7-4. It was the Giants’ first victory over the Red Sox in four spring games. Alou’s home runs were his sixth and seventh of the spring. One came with two runners aboard. Orlando Cepeda, in a three-for-three afternoon at the plate, also connected for the Giants. Juan Marichal was the winning pitcher. #MLB #baseball #OTD #

Mar 28

MLB: Giants Top Angels in Exhibition Game as McCovey and Cepeda Homer

Mar. 28, 1962 - Orlando Cepeda (right) and Willie McCovey (left) hit homers today as the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Angels in an exhibition game, 11-6. Cepeda’s clout, his fourth this spring, came in the sixth inning with two aboard. McCovey’s homer came off the first pitch by Ryne Duren in the eighth inning. #MLB #baseball #baseballcap #1960s #baseballlife #baseballislife #baseballplayer #baseballgame #baseballseason #baseballplays #podcast #baseballplay #base

Mar 23

MLB: An Angry Bobby Thomson Denies Giants Spy System in '51

Mar. 23, 1962 - A chagrined Bobby Thomson said today “it positively isn’t so” that a secret signal from center field triggered his famous home run that won the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants. He challenged the man who made the charge to “show some character — come out in the open and reveal yourself.” “It was a high inside fastball and nobody called the pitch,” the former Giant outfielder said. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. If I’d been

Mar 22

MLB: Former Giant Reveals Spy System in '51 and '59

Mar. 22, 1962 - A former member of the New York Giants revealed today that Bobby Thomson’s dramatic pennant-winning homer (pictured) in the 1951 National League playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers was helped by a sign-stealing clubhouse spy. The player, who requested anonymity, now is with another major league team. He said the Giants also used the spy system in 1959, the year the Dodgers beat them out of the pennant in the last week of the season. In 1951, a utility player was

Dec 31, 2021

Lombardi Says Packers Greatest Team Ever; Many Giants Agree

Dec. 31, 1961 - What happened to the New York Giants today? They ran into “the greatest team in the history of the National Football League.” Coach Vince Lombardi pinned that label on his Green Bay Packers as they swarmed into their dressing room after a 37-0 rout of the Giants in the championship game. Lombardi’s appraisal was corroborated by New York’s starting quarterback, Y.A. Tittle. “We couldn’t have beaten them if we had used 22 men at once,” he said. Tittle had spent

Dec 31, 2021

🚨Packers Win First NFL Championship Since 1944

Dec. 31, 1961 - Breaking the game wide open with an explosive second-quarter attack that netted 3 touchdowns and a field goal, the Green Bay Packers routed the New York Giants, 37-0, today in the NFL’s championship game. Coach Vince Lombardi’s Packers gave a thorough going-over to the Giants in all departments. The New Yorkers did little to help themselves, giving away the ball five times on four interceptions and a fumble. But these negative factors in no way detracted from

Dec 29, 2021

UPI Names Paul Hornung NFL Player of the Year

Dec. 29, 1961 - Paul Hornung, the Green Bay Packers’ versatile halfback, today was named the NFL player of the year in the United Press International poll. Despite an injury and his call into the army in November, Hornung was brilliant as a runner, place-kicker, blocker, passer, and pass-catcher in the Packers’ drive to a second straight Western Conference championship. The 25-year-old Hornung, playing his fifth professional season, received 12 votes to 8 each for Jim Taylor,

Dec 28, 2021

Coach Vince Lombardi Optimistic His Packers Can Beat Giants in Championship Game

Dec. 28, 1961 - Coach Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers spoke out boldly today on Sunday’s championship game against the New York Giants: “If the field is right, we should win.” He is hoping for a firm but unfrozen field. On that, Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung, the twin spearheads of the powerful Green Bay running attack, and the pile-driving blockers ahead of them, can get full traction. “We’re basically a power-running team, and we don’t want any more than a fair chance