1960s Timeline

Apr. 26, 1962 - The Los Angeles Dodgers hit four homers today, two of them by Willie Davis (pictured), and defeated the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, 12-5. The Cubs made six errors. Davis, who had singled in the fourth, followed with solo homers in the sixth and seventh. He has five homers this season. Frank Howard’s out-of-the-park smash, his second of the season, drove in two runs during a three-run fifth. The Dodgers’ 14-hit attack against four pitchers also was highlight

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. 11, 1962 - Sandy Koufax’s four-hit pitching performance, combined with timely Dodger extra-base hits, gave Los Angeles a 6-2 victory tonight over the Cincinnati Reds. Jim Gilliam, not noted as a power hitter, smashed a two-run homer in the third to start the Dodgers off on a four-run rally. This provided Koufax with a cushion that made his job all the easier. The Reds’ Eddie Kasko, who led off yesterday’s stadium opener with a double, repeated his performance in the firs

Apr. 9, 1962 - Eager citizens, proud civic leaders, and jubilant baseball dignitaries today joined to dedicate the Los Angeles Dodgers’ new multi-million-dollar, 56,000-seat stadium in Chavez Ravine. Ford Frick, the commissioner of baseball, led the personalities who took part in the formal opening of the ultra-modern, four-deck stadium. Others at the dedication ceremonies were Walter O’Malley, president of the Dodgers; and Robert O. Reynolds, president of the Los Angeles Ang

Feb. 27, 1962 - Duke Snider, the 35-year-old outfielder beginning his 15th National League season, today was named captain of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The club has not had a captain since Pee Wee Reese retired after the 1958 campaign. The appointment, which carries with it $500 in additional pay per year, was made by Manager Walter Alston. Snider hit 40 or more home runs in five consecutive seasons (1953–1957), and between 1953 and 1956 he averaged 42 home runs, 124 RBI, 123

Oct. 11, 1961 - Walt Alston (pictured with Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley) was signed today to a new one-year contract to manage the Dodgers despite his failure to win the National League pennant with the club that had been ranked as the preseason favorite. The rehiring of Alston at a reported $40,000 salary was a vote of confidence. Alston boasts the longest tenure with the same team of any major league manager. “We are making the announcement at this time instead of November

Sept. 18, 1961 - Home runs by Ed Bouchee, Don Zimmer, and George Altman brought the Cubs a 5-3 victory over Los Angeles today and dropped the Dodgers 4 games behind the league-leading Reds in the National League. Don Cardwell (pictured), a lefty who had lost 6 straight decisions to the Dodgers, earned his 14th victory. The Dodgers, who had won four straight, have eleven games to play, two more than Cincinnati. Any combination of Cincinnati victories and L.A. losses totaling s

Sept. 15, 1961 - Sandy Koufax set a National League season record for strikeouts by a left-hander today while the Dodgers routed Warren Spahn in an 11-2 victory over the Braves. The Dodger southpaw fanned 10 men and ran his season total to 243, surpassing the record of 237 set by Rube Marquard of the New York Giants in 1911. Spahn has not beaten the Dodgers at home since 1948, and he left the game without retiring any of the five men he faced. The victory was the 16th of the

Sept. 12, 1961 - A former Dodger, Don Demeter (pictured right with Ruben Amaro), drove in 7 runs with 3 homers and a single today as the Phillies destroyed Los Angeles, 19-10. The loss dropped the second-place Dodgers four and a half games back of the National League leaders, the Cincinnati Reds, who defeated the Cubs today. The 19 runs were the most ever scored against the Dodgers in a single game since they moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958. #MLB #baseball #sports

Sept. 4, 1961 - Don Drysdale pitched a two-hitter and scored his first success against San Francisco in a year today as the Dodgers defeated the Giants, 4-0, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers pulled to within two games of the league-leading Cincinnati Reds. Duke Snider drove in two of the runs with the 380th homer of his career. He moved into 10th place among the league's leaders in runs batted in with a career total of 1,224. Drysdale would have had a one-hitter if Felipe Alou had

Aug. 29, 1961 - Sandy Koufax raised the Dodgers' pennant hopes today by pitching a 2-hitter for a 2-1 victory over the Cubs. The 25-year-old lefty struck out 12 batters. He lost his bid for a no-hitter when Dick Bertell dropped a run-scoring single into left field with two out in the seventh inning. The Cubs' other hit was a two-out single by Ron Santo in the ninth. Koufax has 212 strikeouts this season. He needs 25 more to match the National League record by a left-hander se

Aug. 27, 1961 - The Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers twice today, 6-5 and 8-3, removing temporarily (and possibly for good) much of the tension from the National League pennant race. The twin triumphs - one a suspenseful, come-from-behind victory, the other a freewheeling rollercoaster before 30,195 fans at Crosley Field - catapulted the Reds to a three-and-a-half game lead over the second-place Dodgers. Loyal Reds fans are shouting that there will be a world seri

Aug. 17, 1961 - The Cincinnati Reds headed home today from Los Angeles with high hearts and a one-game lead in the National League. The Reds swept the three-game series by demolishing the Dodgers in a double-shutout contest, 6-0 and 8-0, last night. Gloom as thick as smog settled over the Coliseum where 71,140 - a National League night-game record - saw the games. The disdain in which the Reds held the Dodgers was best shown in last night's first game after an inside pitch by

Aug. 6, 1961 - Frank Howard drove in four runs with a homer, a triple and a double as the Dodgers defeated the Cubs, 11-4, today. The victory lifted Los Angeles into first place in the National League, one percentage point ahead of the Reds, who split a doubleheader with the Pirates. Maury Wills (pictured) also hit a homer for the Dodgers, the first of his three-year major league career. Johnny Podres, a left-hander, gave ten hits but went the distance for his fourteenth vict

July 29, 1961 - Home runs by Ernie Banks (pictured), Billy Williams and Ron Santo powered the Cubs to a 7-6 victory today that tumbled the Reds out of the National League lead. The loss, coupled with Los Angeles' 5-4 victory over Pittsburgh, dropped the Reds into second place. It marked the first time since June 16 that Cincinnati has not been in first place. #MLB #baseball #sports #cubs #reds #dodgers #ladodgers

July 28, 1961 - Johnny Podres (pictured with Walter Alston and Sandy Koufax) of the Dodgers pitched a 6-4 victory over the Pirates today. The triumph was the sixth straight for the Dodgers, who remain one game behind the first-place Reds. Podres, notching his 13th victory, and 5th in a row, gave one hit in the first 6 innings and 6 all told. No Pirate reached second base until Dick Stuart hit his 15th homer of the year in the seventh. Duke Snider and Willie Davis hit consecut

July 20, 1961 - Four home runs and the seven-hit pitching of Sandy Koufax gave the Dodgers a 10-1 victory over Cincinnati today and moved them to within a game and a half of the league-leading Reds. It was the fifth straight defeat for the Reds and the first complete-game victory for Koufax since June 20. Joey Jay, taken out after the fifth inning, was blasted for home runs by Duke Snider, Willie Davis, Wally Moon and Norm Larker. Each homer cleared the center-field wall at a

July 19, 1961 - The Los Angeles Dodgers reduced Cincinnati's league lead to two and a half games today as they handed the slumping Reds their fourth straight defeat, 8-3. Johnny Podres, holding the Reds to nine hits and lifting his won-lost record to 11-2, pitched his first complete game since July 28, 1957. Bob Purkey, entering the game with an 11-4 record, was the loser. #MLB #baseball #sports #dodgers #dodgerblue #ladodgers #reds

July 5, 1961 - Bill White (pictured) hit 3 homers and Bob Gibson another to power the Cardinals to a 9-1 victory over the Dodgers in Los Angeles today. White accounted for four of the Cardinal runs and was the first visiting slugger to hit three in one game over the right-field fence. Gibson, who allowed the Dodgers only four hits, opened the scoring in the second inning with his first home run of the year. #MLB #baseball #sports #cardinals #dodgers #ladodgers

July 2, 1961 - Don Drysdale won his own game with a home run in the 8th inning today as the Dodgers defeated Philadelphia, 2-1, for their 11th victory in 12 games this season with the Phillies. The hurler's winning clout into the left-field stands came off Art Mahaffey, the loser, who had replaced Robin Roberts in the seventh inning. Drysdale gave up only four hits before he was replaced by Ron Perranoski in the eighth. #MLB #baseball #sports #dodgers #phillies #ladodger