Latest / Retro Sports Radio: Classic Games from History / 1959 - Baseball Clip - Dodgers with Vin Scully - Highlights

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1959 - Baseball Clip - Dodgers with Vin Scully - Highlights · Retro Sports Radio: Classic Games from History

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This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons
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.com for more sports history. Big bouncer over
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the mound, over second base. Up with it is Mantia,
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throws low and wild. Hodges scores, we go to
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Chicago. The date, September 29th, 1959. At precisely
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5 minutes and 55 seconds after 5 o 'clock Pacific
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Standard Time, Gil Hodges touched home plate,
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and the fabulous Los Angeles Dodgers had won
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the National League pennant. never in the history
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of baseball had a team finished seventh one year
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and come back to win the championship the following
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season. To trace the story of the Cinderella
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Dodgers, the starting point would be April the
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18th, 1958. Good afternoon, everybody. This is
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Ben Scully speaking to you from the Los Angeles
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Coliseum as opening day has finally come to Southern
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California. After spending more than half a century
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in Brooklyn, the Dodgers came west to settle
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in Los Angeles. Over 78 ,000 fans were on hand
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to see history in the making. The first Major
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League game ever played in Southern California.
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Carl Erskine threw the first official pitch and
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the Los Angeles Dodgers began what proved to
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be a dismal season. The team finished in seventh
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place, although the novelty of Major League Baseball
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drew over 1 ,800 ,000 fans into the huge Coliseum.
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You know, when the Dodgers started the 1959 season,
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most of the experts figured they'd wind up about
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fifth. At least no better than fourth. Well,
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the 59 team contained... Practically the same
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personnel as the 1958 squad, with the exception
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of Wally Moon, an in -and -out left -handed batting
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outfielder. Wally was obtained from the St. Louis
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Cardinals in an off -season trade. But what a
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difference Mr. Moon made, as you will hear later
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on. The Dodgers got off to a good start in 1959,
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staying in contention right from the opening
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gun. Shortly after the season began, May the
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3rd, 1959... President Walter O'Malley staged
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Roy Campanella Night at the Coliseum. The world
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champion New York Yankees came to town to play
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the Dodgers in an exhibition game with all proceeds
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going to help Roy in his fight to recover from
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a serious automobile accident which had left
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him paralyzed. Los Angeles fans responded to
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this great cause in such fantastic numbers that
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93 ,103 paid their way into the Coliseum, making
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this the largest crowd in history to watch a
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professional baseball game. It was one of the
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most dramatic moments in sports when Roy was
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wheeled out on the field and surrounded by civic
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and baseball dignitaries and Yankee and Dodger
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ball players spoke to the huge gathering. I want
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to thank each and every one of you from the bottom
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of my heart. This is something that I'll never
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forget as long as I live. I'd like to thank the
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Yankees, the players, Mr. Del Webb, Before the
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first pitch, the 93 ,000 plus Coliseum fans gave
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Roy Campanella their personal salute. This is
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the way Vin Scully described it. Friends, right
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now, the Yankees have been asked to leave the
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field and the Dodgers are not out on the field.
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For right now, the Coliseum, all of the lights
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will be turned out as Pee Wee Reese wheels the
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chair that holds Roy Campanella across the first
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base foul line and heads him towards the pitcher's
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mound. The lights are going out. This final tribute
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to Roy Campanella. The lights will be lowered
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and everyone at the ballpark... 93 ,000 people
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are asked in silent tribute to light a match
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to Roy Campanella. And we would like to think
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that as 93 ,000 people light the match, that
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would be 93 ,000 prayers for a great man. The
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lights now are starting to come out like thousands
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and thousands of fireflies, starting deep in
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center field, glittering around the left, and
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slowly the entire ballpark lighting up within
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And wherever you are, maybe you, in silent tribute
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to Campanella, can also say a prayer for his
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well -being. Roy Campanella, for thousands of
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times, made a trip to the mound to help somebody
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out. A tired pitcher, a disgusted youngster,
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a boy who perhaps had his heart broken in a game
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of baseball. And tonight, on his last trip to
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the mound, the city of Los Angeles says hello
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to him. Listen. Few will remember the final score
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of that Yankee Dodger exhibition. But the thousands
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who were there and the many thousands who heard
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it on radio will remember. And so will Roy Campanella.
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When Pee Wee pushed me out there and they turned
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the lights out, so I said, well, Pee Wee, now
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you have to stand beside me. And then they announced
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that they had 93 ,000. So I said, well, Pee Wee,
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that's my number turned around backwards, which
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it is, 39. See, that's really an oddity about
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the crowd tonight. Another silent tribute to
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you, 93 -39 Old Camp. When Pee Wee asked you
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to come to Home Plate the night of his night
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back at Ebbets Field, why did he do that, Roy?
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Well, Pee Wee said, Campy, I'm a little nervous,
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and will you come out there and stand with me?
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That's the night, Vince, when he had that real
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large cake at Home Plate and all, numerous other
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gifts, and Pee Wee said, well, Campy, come on
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out there and stand beside me. So I did. So then
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turn about a few years later while your peewee
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was out there standing with you. Did you have
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any other thoughts in your mind looking up at
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all those lights? Well, it brought back one remembrance
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when during the war they used to ask you not
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to strike matches or something. If something
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was blacked out. Now I see why. Because I had
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no idea in the world that that many sparkles
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could be in the dark. And it was beautiful. Looked
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like the biggest jewel case in the world. Oh,
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honest, Vince. It's something that you'll always
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remember that. And just like I said at the end
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of the little talk I gave, I thank God that I
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was able to be living and be here to see it myself.
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Well, Roy, you know, you do all of us a lot of
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good just by being out here. So believe me, we're
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repaid for everything that anybody could possibly
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do for you. When the Dodgers moved west, so did
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the Giants. And if anyone thought this great
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baseball rivalry would suffer from the change,
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they couldn't have been more wrong. The date
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is May the 30th, 1959. Los Angeles and San Francisco
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met at the Coliseum in their first important
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series of the season. It's the top of the sixth
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inning. Orchards to Vin Scully for a magnificent
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description of one of the wildest rhubarbs baseball
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has ever known. Drysdale ready and the 1 -1 pitch.
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Curveball cut on is a high fly ball right down
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the left field line. Right on the line hits the
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foul pole and kicks foul. That's just about as
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foul as you can get without being... up in foul
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ground. Rigney is telling Mays to trot all the
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way around. Soly Parker and Bill Rigney appealing
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to third base umpire Dusty Bodges. And now they're
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going to wave Mays around and here come the Dodgers
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after Bodges. If you know the Coliseum at all
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and you know the girder that supports the screen
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right down the left field line. Willie Mays hit
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a fly ball that actually hit that girder and
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then kicked off into foul territory. At first,
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Dusty Badges called it foul. But Rigney told
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Mays to go around anyway. And after Rigney and
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Solly Parker got into the discussion, Badges
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suddenly rolled home run. The Dodgers came racing
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out of the dugout. A firecracker goes off back
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of home plate like the Scarecrow. And the argument
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continues directly back of third base along the
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line. All four umpires, along with a heated group
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of Dodgers. And the rhubarb continues about 30
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feet down the line. So Willie Mays, who is normally
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causing a lot of noise, either at the Coliseum
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or Seals Stadium, has now really set off a bomb
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here at the Coliseum. When you look at that girder
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down the left field line, There are many cables
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and wires that make it a very tough spot to look
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at. No doubt the Dodger contention is that the
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ball hit one of the wires to make it foul. But
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Bajas is now sticking to his guns. Drysdale is
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so mad he almost kicked 20 feet of the Coliseum
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out of the park. Gil Hodges right now is jaw
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to jaw with Dusty Bajas. Gil pointing first with
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his left hand, then with his right hand. Drysdale
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appealing to the gods right now. He just wants
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to holler at anybody who'll listen. Don Zimmer
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is arguing with Tommy Gorman. The other three
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umpires now leave Bajas alone, and he is in the
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midst of lions. Don Zimmer, Don Drysdale, Walter
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Alston, Gil Hodges, and Wally Moon are blistering
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Bajas, and Dusty every now and then seems to
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punctuate a Dodgers sentence. by pointing with
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his left hand to that left field foul pole. At
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the very top of the foul pole, there are two
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slanting guide wires. One goes from the top of
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the pole to the right, down to the screen, and
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the other one goes from the top to the left,
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down toward the stands. The Dodger contention
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is that the ball hit the guide wire going to
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the left and would be fouled. Alston and Hodges
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and Zimmer and Moon. continue to appeal. Gorman
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now tells Hodges to walk away, but Hodges goes
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right after Gorman. Zimmer will be hoarse in
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another two minutes. The veins on each side of
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his neck bulging out like the cable that actually
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holds up the left field screen. Bodges sticking
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to his guns. The Dodgers continue to appeal,
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but Mays has touched all the bases and will come
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in with a home run. of this umpiring quartet
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has now summoned Bill Rigney out of the giant
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dugout, and both Gorman and Solly Parker are
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flanking Bill Rigney, and of course Gorman doing
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all the talking. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are still
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around Bajas at third. like a Philadelphia lawyer
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who has just won his case. Rigney slams his hat
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down and the gray hair is glistening under the
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lights. Bill is now going jaw to jaw with Bajas.
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Now he kicks at the dirt. Hands on his hips.
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Left hand thrown high in the air. Ed Sudol comes
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in to quiet the giant manager down. Rigney's
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left hand, then his right hand up in the air.
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Now his hat is back on. First the Dodgers appeal
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and walk away, and now it's Rigney's turn to
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be on the griddle. All four umpires appear to
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be trying to placate Rigney. Presenting their
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case, the Giant manager now starting to walk
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around slamming his hands together, pointing
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with the right hand, then with the left. Now
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a big sweeping gesture with the left hand. Gorman
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comes after him now as if Rigney must have touched
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a nerve, and Gorman goes chewing right back after
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the Giant manager. Rigney now goes after Gorman,
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points with his left hand to that girder. Gorman
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answers with a right -handed gesture. Rigney
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bows at the waist with a sweeping right hand.
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And Gorman and Rigney are really going at it.
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Boggess comes over, and Rigney, like a mad traffic
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cop now, with a right hand, indicating that all
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the umpires are mad. Rigney kicks at the dirt,
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walks away with a hopeless gesture of both hands.
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Willie Mays comes out. Rigney drapes his left
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arm around Mays. his shoulder and sends him to
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go to second base. I'll meet you halfway and
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what a riot. First it was ruled foul. Then it
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was ruled fair. Then the Dodgers won half a case
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and got Mays to go to second base. As soon as
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we get the ground rules on this particular play
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off the back of a batting card. We can pass them
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along. Willie Mays hits the loudest double ever
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heard in Southern California, or in the United
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States for that matter. Rigney now comes to argue
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with the plate umpire, Ed Sudol. Sudol pointing
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with his right hand towards the screen, Rigney
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pointing with his right hand, let's say, towards
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the Dodger dugout. Now Soley Parker comes down,
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and it's Rigney with his head just jerking a
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mile a minute, and now Sudol... wants to talk
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to third base umpire Dusty Boges. It's a fight,
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a blow -by -blow verbal battle. Rigney has Boges
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on his left and Sudol on his right, and right
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now Rigney is laying down the law, and the umpires
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come right back with words and gestures. Salty
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Parker, third base coach, with his arms folded
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across his chest, just listening right now. Rigney
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is concentrating his verbal fire on third base
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umpire Dusty Bodges. Sudol is now trying to draw
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some of the wrath of the giant manager, but Bill
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wants to stay with Bodges. Rigney now whirls,
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and since Sudol is walking towards the plate,
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Bill starts to go after him, then turns and goes
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back after Bodges. Willie Mays, the cause of
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it all, at least he hit the ball, standing quietly
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at second base. Tommy Gorman and Ed Sudol have
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a meeting halfway between home plate and first
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base. Bajas has his hands full with both Rigney
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and Solly Parker. We will have to wait to get
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the actual and official clarification. Walter
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Alston has come out of the Dodger dugout, and
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in the runway leading back towards the tunnel,
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he is now talking to Buzzy Bavese, the Dodgers
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vice president. Rigney is exploding at Baja,
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so Gorman and Sudol are coming over again trying
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to bail out Dusty. Gorman talking to Rigney.
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Rigney turns and starts to walk away, gives a
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big gesture with his hands, and Gorman comes
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back with the same gesture. Now, plate umpire
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Ed Sudol has hollered up to the press box. that
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the Giants will play the ball game under protest,
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and it must be announced to the crowd. Listen,
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here comes the announcement. San Francisco manager
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Bill Rigney is playing the game under protest.
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San Francisco manager Bill Rigney quickly forgot
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his protest because sad Sam Jones pitched a one
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-hit, two -nothing shutout. On August 31st, 82
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,794 fans came to the Coliseum to see the Giants
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in their final appearance of the year in Los
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Angeles. Little did they realize that baseball
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history was to be made that night, and a young
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left -hander named Sandy Koufax would attain
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baseball immortality. Koufax has struck out 15
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San Francisco batters through eight innings.
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He had to strike out the side in the top of the
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ninth to set a new National League record and
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tie the all -time Major League record. It'll
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be Eddie Brasseau, the shortstop, then Danny
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O 'Connell, and we'll see about Sanford's spot.
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No one throwing in the giant bullpen. Bresu this
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evening has popped a short, fouled out, and struck
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out, batting .255. It's a 2 -2 tie, and Sandy
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Koufax, who came within a whisker, I believe,
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of coming out of the ballgame, is now in it again.
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Sandy checking signs with Roseboro. Now nods
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in agreement, goes to his windup, and delivers.
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Curveball for a strike. Sandy has struck out
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15. He has numbered every giant. in his strikeouts.
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The strike one pitch to Bressou. Fastball fouled
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away. 0 -2. We'll repeat that note on Koufax
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we gave you earlier in the eighth inning. Sandy,
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his last time out, struck out 13 fills. Tonight
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he has struck out 15 giants. A total of 28 strikeouts
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in two games. That sets a new National League
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record and ties Bob Feller's all -time record.
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Curveball cut on and missed. He's all by himself.
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Sandy Koufax has now established a major league
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record. And boy, that's something to go above
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the name Bob Feller in strikeouts. He has struck
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out 29 men in his last two games, 16 tonight.
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One out, here's Danny O 'Connell. Walk struck
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out and doubled. Danny batting .244. Koufax's
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first pitch, a fastball for a strike. Koufax
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looks in to get his sign from Roseboro. The strike
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one pitch. Curveball cut on and missed. 0 -2.
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This crowd is screaming to the skies. The strike
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two pitch. Fastball got him looking. Sandy Koufax
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strikes out Eddie Brissou and Danny O 'Connell
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on six pitches and now has established another
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all -time record, this one for night games. He
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has struck out 17 men. And here comes pitcher
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Jack Sanford. With his 17 strikeouts tonight,
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he has tied a National League record established
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by a pretty good pitcher by the name of Dizzy
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Dean. Fastball cut on and missed. Koufax is shooting
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for all... the marbles. Just to add spice, if
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he should strike out Sanford, he will tie the
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all -time record for the most strikeouts in one
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game. Curveball inside, one ball and one strike.
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So have you got it? Koufax with 17 strikeouts
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tonight. Establishes a night game record, ties
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the National League record held by Dizzy Dean.
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The 1 -1 pitch to Sanford. Cut on and miss. Strike
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two. Sandy now is one strike away from tying
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Bob Feller's record. This crowd just ready to
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lift the Coliseum. The one and two pitch. Fastball
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got him swinging. I never thought I'd see it.
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I never thought I'd see a man strike out 18 major
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league players in a game. And Sandy Koufax did
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it. The end of eight and a half innings of play,
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it's a 2 -2 tie. Koufax had set the record, but
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he had not won the ball game. In the bottom of
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the ninth, Sandy got a single and moved to second
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on a sacrifice. Jim Gilliam was given an intentional
20:37
walk. And with two on and one out, the amazing
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Wally Moon came to bat against relief pitcher
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Alan Worthington. Wally Moon hitting 301, struck
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out twice, bounced out and walked. Comes up with
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the ball game on the line. Sandy Koufax, as Reese
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told him, took his lead and scratched a line
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in the dirt. Now looks over at the bag. Gilliam
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away from first. One out, ninth inning, a 2 -2
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tie. Reese trying to holler to Koufax to take
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a little bigger lead. Worthington ready and delivers.
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Curveball for a strike. Going one. Allen Worthington,
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he's been around. He knows all about the tough
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situations. Worthington pitched briefly yesterday.
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Moon waiting. Now Worthington is set. The strike
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one pitch to Wally. Taken low. One ball, one
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strike. On deck, Norm Larkin. There is no one
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else throwing in the giant bullpen. It's up to
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Worthington. A 2 -2 tie. Bottom of the ninth,
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one out. Koufax at second, watching Reese, who
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is giving him his lead. Gilliam away from first.
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Reese cupping his hands to his mouth, hollering
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out to Koufax. Sandy inches off a little more.
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The 1 -1 pitch to Moon. Cut on is a high fly
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ball to deep left field. just hit a home run
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over the left field screen. 82 ,000 people have
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gone wild. And wasn't it a wonderful touch that
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technically the winning run was brought over
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by Sandy Kopecks. Oh, what a night. And by the
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way, the Dodgers are now one game out of first
23:08
place. No doubt for a time, Dodger players missed
23:11
those wacky, wonderful, delirious Brooklynites.
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But it didn't take long for them to discover
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a pretty fantastic species of Dodger fan in Los
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Angeles. The mad mobs who gathered at the Coliseum
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weren't content to just watch the game. They
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had a listen, too, and they came to the ballpark
23:27
in droves with portables and transistor radios.
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On the night of September the 11th, the Dodgers
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were playing the Pirates at Twineye Doubleheader.
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The Giants were in San Francisco for a single
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game with the Phillies. By the way, we have direct
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control to Seal Stadium now in San Francisco.
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Jackie Brandt was the first man up in the bottom
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of the ninth inning as a pinch hitter for the
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Giants. And Brandt popped up. So there's one
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out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Willie
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Mays is up in the bottom of the ninth inning.
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He has just popped up. So there are two outs
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in the bottom of the ninth inning at Seal Stadium.
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Philadelphia leading one to nothing. Willie McCovey
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is up at the plate at Seal Stadium with two out
24:13
in the ninth inning. And Philadelphia leading
24:16
one to nothing. So Robin Roberts has already
24:19
disposed of Jackie Brandt, the pinch hitter,
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and the always dangerous Willie Mays. As soon
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as we get a report about Willie McCovey up at
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the plate, you shall have it. So the Giants have
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one out left to them. Strike one on Willie McCovey
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up there at San Francisco. We'll try and follow
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that one for you. Ron Fairley is in center field.
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Wally Moon is now in left. And Carl Ferillo is
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in right. We have direct wire now to San Francisco.
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The count to Willie McCovey, one ball and one
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strike. Two out, bottom of the ninth, 1 -0 Philadelphia.
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We're in the sixth inning, 3 -0 Dodgers. Green
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fouls it away, 0 -1. Well, we're doing two ball
25:07
games almost simultaneously. Next pitch missed
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to McCovey, and the count, two balls and one
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strike to Willie McCovey. Sherry getting a sign
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from Fred Green. The right -hander delivers 2
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-1. The pitch fouled away, 2 -2. Well, if somebody
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tunes in late feeling good, they're really going
25:30
to get confused. Ball three to Willie McCovey.
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3 -1 the count to McCovey. Two out, bottom of
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the ninth, 1 -0 Philadelphia. Sherry's pitch,
25:42
a curve outside to Fred Green. Ball three. Well,
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it's confusing, but if you're a baseball fan,
25:49
you asked for it. Ball four to Willie McCovey.
25:53
So the Giants have the tying run at first base
25:57
with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning.
25:59
Philadelphia leads one to nothing. Here's the
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pitch to Fred Green. Cut on and missed. Strike
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three. Larry Sherry has reached a career high
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of nine strikeouts. One out, here's Bob Skinner.
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The batter for the Giants with two out in the
26:22
ninth inning is Orlando Cepeda. Willie McCovey
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is at first. And the crowd here at the Coliseum,
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many of them with transistors and the U's and
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the R's really whirling around the saucer. We'll
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try and keep you right up to every pitch. Bob
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Skinner the batter. Sherry's curve, a strike
26:40
on one. Thanks to the ingenuity of our producer
26:48
engineer, Clay Sanders, we're giving you every
26:51
pitch in both ballparks. Curveball to Skinner,
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a bouncer to Charlie Neal. He's up with it, throws
26:56
him out. Orlando Cepeda has just hit a fly ball
27:01
to the outfield, and it is caught. Philadelphia
27:05
won it. An understatement, Vinnie. Pittsburgh
27:37
captain and shortstop Dick Grote was the on -deck
27:40
hitter that night, and he almost jumped out of
27:42
his uniform when that roar from the crowd went
27:44
up. As the 1959 season came down to the wire,
27:47
the Dodgers were faced with an eight -game road
27:49
trip. When Walt Alston's Warriors swept three
27:52
straight from the Giants, the pennant fever reached
27:54
a maddening pitch. After a two -game split in
27:57
St. Louis, the Dodgers moved to Wrigley Field,
27:59
Chicago for the final three games of the season.
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There loomed the possibility of a three -way
28:03
tie for the pennant among Los Angeles, Milwaukee,
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and San Francisco. The closing day of this pulsating
28:09
pennant race saw the Giants fade away by losing
28:11
a doubleheader to the Cardinals. The Braves and
28:14
the Dodgers won their final games and wound up
28:16
in a flat -footed tie. For the third time in
28:19
National League history, the pennant was to be
28:20
decided by a best two -out -of -three -game playoff.
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On September the 28th, on a gray overcast day
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at County Stadium in Milwaukee, the Dodgers...
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shaded the defending champs 3 -2 on Larry Sherry's
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brilliant relief pitching and Johnny Roseboro's
28:34
sixth inning home run. Tuesday, September 29th,
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the playoff move to Memorial Coliseum. The Braves
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behind Lou Burdett were leading 5 -2 in the bottom
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of the ninth. The Los Angeles Dodgers come roaring
28:47
back in the bottom of the ninth, and 36 ,000
28:50
people are roaring with them. Here in the ninth,
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Moon singled, Snyder singled, Hodges singled,
28:57
and Larkers. Singled off the screen to drive
29:00
in two. Runners at first and third. Nobody out
29:02
on the ninth. 5 -4 Milwaukee. And the Dodgers
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ask Perillo to at least get Hodges over. High
29:10
fly ball into deep right field. Aaron going away
29:12
back. He one -hands it. Hodges tours. It's a
29:16
brand new ball game. The Dodgers are one base
29:22
hit away from Chicago. But the hit was not to
29:25
come until the 12th inning. The old pros were
29:27
at it again. Hodges on second, Furlow at bat.
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Braves pitcher Bob Rush delivers. Big bouncer
29:34
over the mound, over second base. Up with it
29:37
is Mantia, throws low and wild. Hodges scores,
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we go to Chicago. The Cinderella team of the
29:45
National League, for the first time in history,
29:48
a seventh place club has come back to win the
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pennant the following year. And it had to be
29:54
the Dodgers. Third playoff. They finally win
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one and go into the series. It went as a base
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hit for Perillo and DeNiro. And the crowd going
30:08
wild as the fairy tale has come true. The Los
30:12
Angeles Dodgers have won the National League
30:14
pennant for 1959. One of the more unbelievable
30:18
stories in the wild and wacky world of baseball.
30:37
down in the clubhouse are not there to idle out
30:41
the night. They'll go on the plane and the Dodgers
30:43
will meet head on with the Chicago White Sox
30:45
on Thursday. Well, one of the truly great stories
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and I am sure the oldest member of the Dodger
30:54
family as far as playing is concerned is Pee
30:57
Wee Reese. And I would bet you that for Pee Wee
31:01
this would be the most satisfying pennant of
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them all. That's the ball game. It took four
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hours and ten minutes and seemed like an eternity.
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But the Dodgers win it 6 -5.