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1968 - Baseball Clip - The Year of the Detroit Tigers - 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. since 1945. Let's
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listen to the bedlam here at Tiger Stadium. What
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a climax to a wonderful year, the year of the
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Tiger, 1968. This tennis, what a great gift to
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Detroit, with love from the Tigers. Go get them.
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Tiger. We're all behind our baseball team. Go
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get them, Tiger. World Series bound and picking
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up steam. Go get them, Tiger. There'll be joy
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in Tiger Town. We'll sing you songs when the
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Bengals bring the pennant home where it belongs.
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The year before, troubled Detroiters had too
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many other problems to be caught up in the four
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-team fight for the pennant. The Red Sox won
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in 1967 on the last day of the season. But a
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new Tiger spirit was forged in the heat of that
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campaign. They lost a pennant and won a future.
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One man who saw that future was Bill Freehand.
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Here's what he said at Lakeland during spring
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training of 1968. Bill, can the Tigers do it
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this year? Well, Ernie, I'll tell you what, I'm
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convinced that we can do it. We've got some real
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good talent. I think we gained something last
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year by virtue of the fact that we had a lot
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of young guys who went through an experience
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we'd never been through before. And I'll tell
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you what, if we can keep our guys free from injuries,
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we're going to win in 68. The year of the Tiger
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began unhappily. Before 41 ,429 fans at Tiger
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Stadium, Earl Wilson hit a home run but lost
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to the Red Sox. But ah, that next day... That
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was the tip -off of a whole season of wonderful
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next days. In the ninth inning, up came Gates
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Brown with a pinch -hit home run to give rookie
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John Warden a 4 -3 relief victory. Ray Gates
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had a special magic with the public. What do
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you think it was? Well, I think that he transpired
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to them a quiet, spoken fellow, a humble -looking
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guy, but a powerful -looking fellow at the plate
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who produced. He represented the underdog in
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the games that followed. There were two more
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Tiger victories for relief pitchers. One by Darryl
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Patterson. The other by Fred Lasher. And the
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Tigers kept on winning. Nine straight games they
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won. More than any other Tiger team had put together
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since 1949. They won a few the easy way, but
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only a few. They beat the White Sox in the 10th
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inning on Bill Freehand's single. They came from
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behind in the 9th on Jim Price's pinch single
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to tie the Indians. And won it in the 10th. on
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Willie Horton's home run. They took three more
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victories at Chicago, first sinking the White
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Sox with three runs in the 10th inning, then
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sweeping a doubleheader on April 21st. It was
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a date to remember. The second of those doubleheader
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victories was Denny McClain's first of the season.
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The year of the Tigers swept on in waves of triumph
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in fantastic thrill -packed last -minute victories
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up to the time they cranked the pennant. The
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Tigers have won 37 games in the seventh inning
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or beyond, 29 in their last time at bat. Well,
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Ray, I guess that's just the mark of a champion,
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isn't it? Certainly is. It's almost like it's
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a magic formula, something that makes a champion.
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And when you look back to Boston in 1967, Baltimore
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in 66, those ball clubs had the same ingredients,
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the ability to come from behind. Everybody got
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into the act. Pitchers, hitters, Steelers. A
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catch double by Tom Magic beat the Orioles on
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May the 7th. A home run and a magnificent bases
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loaded catch by Jim Northam made him the hero
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of the next Tiger victory. After the game, I
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talked to Northam. Jimmy made a great catch in
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Baltimore, a big catch because the bases were
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loaded and you hit the ground there and skidded.
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How do you keep that ball from bouncing out of
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the glove in a play like that? Well, I hit the
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ground with my shoulder and I held the glove
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up off the ground. Actually, you just dive and
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catch the ball, and if you get it in your glove,
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it usually stays in the web the way the gloves
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are built now. Did you think you were going to
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get to that drive off the bat of Robinson? No,
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when he first hit it, I didn't figure I had a
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chance to even come close to it, and we just
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started running over there after it, and all
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of a sudden I dove at the ball, and I was just
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lucky enough to catch it. And Jenny McLean kept
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right on winning ball games. Al Kaline drove
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in six runs as the Tigers walloped the Senators
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12 -1 on May 10th, another date to remember.
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But that put the Tigers back into the league
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lead, and nobody ever caught them. McClain lost
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his first game of the year when the Orioles broke
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his five -game winning streak on May 15th. But
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the Tigers then took three out of four from the
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Senators. Jim Northrup won the first with a ninth
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-inning Grand Slam homer. After the Tigers had
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lost the second, Gates Brown won the third with
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an eighth -inning pinched single. And history
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was made as the Tigers won the fourth. One out.
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Matthews on it first. Three and two, the count
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to K -line, batting in the place of Gates -Brown.
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Tigers out in front, 4 -0. We're in the bottom
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of the sixth inning. Jones working for Washington
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on the mound. Stretches. Delivers. There goes
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the runner. Fly ball to deep left. And that one
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you can kiss goodbye. has hit 307 home runs in
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his career and becomes the Tigers' all -time
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home run hitter, going one ahead of Hank Greenberg.
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He was tied with Greenberg at 3 .06. He now has
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307 for his Major League career and becomes the
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Tigers' number one home run hitter. The next
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day, the Tigers beat the Twins on a 10th inning
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error. But first... Hernandez about as far right
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as you'll ever see a shortstop play. Even on
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an over -shifted infield, which they're not doing
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here on Willie. Here's a fly ball to right. It's
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deep, and it is out of here. A home run to tie
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the ball game. Willie Horton hits one to the
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opposite field in deep right center, and the
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game is tied. Bad news on the first trip to the
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West Coast. Earl Wilson on the shelf three weeks
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after bruising his heel. Al Kaline out 37 games
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when his right arm was broken at open. by a Lou
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Kraus pick. A tenth -inning loss in the Oakland
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final punctuated by a free -for -all fight after
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Jack Aker hit Jim Northup in the head with a
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pick. But there was good news, too. Denny McLean
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won his seventh game of the year. And on May
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27th, Eddie Matthews hit two home runs for a
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career total of 512, putting him sixth among
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all -time home -run sluggers of Major League
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history. Pat Dobson, normally a relief pitcher,
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went nine innings as he threw a shutout at the
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Red Sox in his first start. One night when both
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Bill Freehand and Jim Price were hurt, Wayne
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Comer, an outfielder, came in to catch and did
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a good job. And the year of the Tiger rolled
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on with a thrill almost every night. On June
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11th, the Tigers beat the Twins with their 13th
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last inning victory. And on June 12th... Here's
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McCullough down the crowd yelling, go, go, go.
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Here's the pitch by Jim Cott. Mack swings. It's
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a long fly to right. It may be gone. Going back,
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Ulander. And he cannot reach it. It's in for
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a home run. McCullough puts the Tigers ahead.
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A home run in the lower deck in right field.
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The Tigers lead it 2 -1. And Denny McLean raced
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on toward his date with destiny. In the ninth
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inning, Minnesota, no runs, no hits, no errors,
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and nobody left. The final score, Detroit 3,
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Minnesota 1. Those late -inning victories, one
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of the most thrilling, came on June the 14th
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at Chicago. Mickey Stanley was as great with
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his glove as with his bat. Swing and there's
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a drive to deep right center. Stanley going after
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it and dives and makes a great catch. A fabulous
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catch by Stanley. Aparicio going back to first
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base. He's doubled off. The play went Stanley
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to Dick McAuliffe to Bill Freehand on a sensational
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catch by Mickey Stanley. On that great catch
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in Chicago, how did you get such a good jump
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on the ball? Well, Ernie, it was a time where
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I was in a slump with a bat, and when I am in
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a slump with a bat, I'm just a little bit better
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feeler, and I was on my toes and ready to go,
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and it was just one of the things where I got
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a real good jump, and I was lucky to catch the
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ball. I didn't think I was going to catch it.
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I skinned both elbows and both knees and tore
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my britches and sweatshirt, and Louie Aparicio
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was a runner, and we doubled him off at first.
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He was almost at third base. Mickey, generally
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when you have a play like this, do you anticipate
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and move one way or the other depending on the
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batter? Well, I do. This is the day when Joe
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Sparman was pitching, and I followed the flight
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of the ball, and I think this was a breaking
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ball inside, and McGraw is more or less a pull
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hitter, and I think I cheated a half a step by
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following the pitch. And you know ahead of time
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what the pitch is going to be? No, I don't know
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what the pitch is going to be, but I follow the
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flight of the ball, before the ball reaches the
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hitter, whether or not it's going to be a breaking
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ball or a fastball, or whether or not the ball's
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going to be inside or outside. Manager Mayo Smith
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later said that, in his personal opinion, that
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was the outstanding fielding play of the season.
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Time and again, Tiger power smothered the opposition.
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Dick Truszewski beat the Indians with a home
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run and talked about it after the game. Dick,
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it's been said that your three -run homer against
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Cleveland was perhaps one of the turning points
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for the first half of the Tigers' season. Did
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it come as a surprise to you? A very definite
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surprise, in particular because I hit it off
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Sam McDowell, and I got a real big kick out of
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it because it came in a spot where it really
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helped our ball club. Nobody out. Northrop tonight
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struck out twice and got a grand slammer. That
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came in the fifth inning. His ninth home run
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of the year. Fly ball down the line in the right
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field, and that one is gone! a slump. He's done
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it again. Another grand slam home run by Northland.
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The Tigers have routed for three to pull within
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one round of the Yankees. Yanks five, Detroit
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four. Swing. There's a long bout in the center
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field. Robinson going back, way back. He can't
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get this one. It's pass into defense. Here comes
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Stanley. He scores. Rounding third is freehand.
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He scores. Willie Horton rounding third, and
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he holds up as the throw comes in to Fernandez.
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It's a long... Kaline returned to action in a
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new role, playing first base for the first time
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in his career on July 1st. And he had a big piece
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of the action as the Tigers won the first game.
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Two and two to counter Al. Stanley at third base,
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nobody out. Angels have the infield, pulled in.
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Brunette now, pumps, delivers. Fastball, line
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to left. After the game, I asked Kaline how he
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liked first base. I think I'm going to like it
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quite a bit, Ernie. It's very interesting over
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there. I get a chance to talk to all the visiting
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players, the umpires, and I get a chance to...
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Find out what's really happening in the ballgame.
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You know, I played so many years in the outfield,
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you just wonder what happens when everybody goes
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to the mound. Now I'm finally learning what they
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say and everything, and I think I'm going to
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really enjoy it. That set off a four -game streak
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over the Angels and a five -game winning streak
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for the Tigers. The third victory was Jenny McClain's
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15th of the season, achieved with the help of
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home runs by Willie Horton, Norm Cash, and Dick
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Krasinski. Then came the real wild one on the
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4th of July. where the Tigers belted out a 13
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-10 victory in a slugfest that saw them smash
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six home runs to tie a major league record. Listen
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to some of the fireworks, including part of the
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Tigers' nine -run second inning. Go get him,
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tiger. There was one series left before the All
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-Star game. The Tigers made it a big one by winning
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three out of four games from the Athletics at
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Detroit. And at the All -Star game, halfway point
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of the season, the Tigers' 27 games over .500
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were nine and a half games in front of the American
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League track. Well, you know, Mayo Smith told
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me right after All -Star time that he thought
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the most important thing that happened in that
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first half of the season... was that three -run
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homer by Dick Krzyzewski that stopped the Tigers'
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skid in Cleveland. Another thing that impressed
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me in the first part of the season was the fact
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that the experts had all said that the witness
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of the Tigers would be the bullpen. And the Tigers
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came up with these young arms, Darryl Patterson,
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John Warden, Pat Dobson in the bullpen, and then
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Johnny Wyatt came along to help out. Wyatt, who
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came on, and a question mark as far as his ability,
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maybe with a couple of other clubs, but he seemed
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to do a job for the Tigers. And Ray Oiler's great
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feeling, especially there in the early part of
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the year, was the fact that we were having a
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hero per day for about 50 weeks. Now the city
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was warming up to these Tigers. This theme of
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destiny was becoming the second most important
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factor in the life of Detroit. The most important
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was the peace and harmony of the summit. And
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it was a Tiger summer. The Tigers went into a
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little swamp, losing three in a row. One at Minnesota,
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the next two at Anaheim. But things went better
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at Oakland. McClain again, naturally. His 18th
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was an eight -hit shutout over the Athletics.
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Two days later, Earl Wilson back in form, made
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it two out of three in the series. Home to Detroit
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came the Titans for a series of the Orioles.
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In the first game, Willie Horton made a diving
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attempt to a fly ball. Nearly had it. Then lost
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it after rolling over several times and seemed
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to be badly hurt. I thought he talked about it.
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Well, first of all, I thought it was my knee
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that hit me in the stomach. But it just, you
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know, it really was a great pain that knocked
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the wind out of me, mostly. And I kind of tore
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my stomach muscle. Did you think you had a shot
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at that catch? Well, I had it. I was looking
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at the film. And I had the ball long enough for
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the umpire to call the man out. And that's one
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thing I really love. You know, my center fielder,
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Mickey, he always looked out for me. He'd always
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be the first one there with me. And he told me,
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don't move. So far, and all the way through my
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career, like every time something happened to
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me, he'd always be the first one to me. Been
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together so long, and I guess I'm more concerned
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of him also. You know, he's just one of them
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things. He'd just always be the first one out
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there. Then it was Magic's turn to start. Two
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out, a man on first, that's freehand. Tigers
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are turning by one run, 4 -3 behind Baltimore.
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Here's Magic now waiting on a full count delivery
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by Drabowski. Swung on, it's a fly ball to right.
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You too excited to know that it won the game,
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or did you realize that? No, I knew we won the
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game when I knew the home run was gone, Ernie.
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I just got some kind of great feeling. All I
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could think of was that it put us really two
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more games ahead of Baltimore. At Baltimore a
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week later, it was Daryl Patterson's turn to
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star. Go to a full count. With you gone, everybody
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will be moving. Now to wind up, the 3 -2 pitch.
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Cold strike three. and took a fastball to the
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knees. Odom coming up with the right hand. And
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Darrell Patterson does a great job. With the
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bases loaded, then putting down Valentine, Robinson,
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and Johnson on strike. That's Patterson's best
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job done so far in a Tiger uniform. But the Orioles
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from the sixth. No runs. Two hits. No Detroit
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errors. Three men left on base for the Orioles.
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We've played six innings. Tigers lead, shoot
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and a base. The next night, July 27th, was a
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milestone. Denny McClain won his 20th victory.
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Number 21 for Denny was his second straight shutout,
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a 4 -0 win over the Senators. Dick McCollum scored
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all four runs after getting four straight hits.
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Now to Minnesota for three games. The first won
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by the relief combination of Don McMahon, John
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Hiller, and Darryl Patterson. Then a loss to
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Dean Chance. But after that, you guessed it,
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Denny McClain again. His 22nd, his fifth in a
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row over the Twins. August 6th, Friday night
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at Tiger Stadium, and what a ball game. It lasted
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17 innings before Dick Chizuski settled it with
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a single for 2 -1 Tiger victory over the Indians.
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It was too late to finish the second game of
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the doubleheader, but the Tigers completed the
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5 -2 victory when the ninth inning was played
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the next night. And then in the regular game...
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Willie Horton's 27th home run and rookie Dave
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Campbell's first gave Earl Wilson a 6 -1 victory.
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And Denny McClain, who else, finished off a four
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-game sweep with number 23. The Red Sox came
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to town in third place, closing in on Baltimore
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just three and a half games back. And the Sox
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won the first game on Gilfoy's Grand Slam. But
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then, in a series of dramatic events... Highlighted
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by Gates Brown's hitting, the Tigers smashed
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their way to victory in the next three. Here
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it comes. He taps one over. The bounding ball
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to first base. It's through for base hit. The
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Tigers win the game. And the Tigers stream out
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of the dugout. Bob Gates Brown and this crowd
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is going berserk as the Tigers win the doubleheader,
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getting the second game with a rally of four
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runs in the ninth inning to win it by three.
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The Tigers went back on the road with the tough
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Indians and Red Sox to visit. The Tribe restless
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in fourth place. And Denny McLean opened a three
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-game series at Cleveland with his 24th victory.
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After a loss to Sonny Siebert, the Tigers made
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it two out of three as Mickey Lomax relieved
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Joe Sparma for a 3 -0 shutout victory. for the
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Red Sox. Denny McClain went on to pitch his 25th
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victory and 6th shutout of the year. The next
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day's game was a thriller. Now the 1 -0 pitch.
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Bill Freehand we've got to talk to. Bill, when
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you hit that 11th inning home run to win the
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ball game up in Boston, you looked a little weary
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coming around the base. It's been a hard day,
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eh? It's been a hard day, and the night before
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was pretty long, too. The humidity was real high
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that day, and I don't know, in the latter part
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of August, my energy is a little sapped on Saturday
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morning, but I tell you what, when that ball
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jumped off my bat, I couldn't have been any happier,
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and when we finally finished that game, I was
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really a tired man. You knew it was gone then
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as soon as you hit it. Well, in Boston, you can
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tell pretty well. If you get the ball up, I knew
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I hit the ball well, and I thought I hit it high
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enough to carry the wall, and I was lucky. Do
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you like hitting that park, Fenway? Personally,
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I always have done pretty well there. I don't
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know if I'd like to call signals there all my
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life. It gets a little tough, and I think a five
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-run lead is never real secure in that park.
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A couple of days later, a new Tiger pitching
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hero emerged. One pitch away from a one -hit
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shutout against Chicago. Hiller has his sign.
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He goes to work. The pitch. It's a strike. It's
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all over. The Tigers win it. Chuck him out to
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end the ball game. Nothing at all for the White
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Sox. And the final score in game number one,
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Tigers 7, Chicago nothing. And the day after
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that, the Tigers, whose last inning heroics rivaled
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the perils of Pauline all year long, came up
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with more of the same against the White Sox.
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Waiting on a 1 -0 delivery. Right hand hitting
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outfield to Mickey Stanley. Swing. There's a
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fly ball deep to the map. Going back. Very. Maybe
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it is. Out of here. Home run. Tigers 2, White
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Sox. Bottom of the 10th array. wood. What type
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of pitch was it? It was a knuckleball, Ernie.
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That's mostly what he throws. Did it hang a little
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high? Was it low, or could you tell? It moved
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in on me, and I'm mostly a pool hitter, and I
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was fortunate enough the ball came in on me.
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Did you have an idea when you went up there that
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you were going to swing for the fence? Not really.
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I guess a knuckleball pitcher, I usually try
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to go back through the middle. Wally Moses said
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that's the best way to hit them, and that's what
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I try to do. What other thoughts do you have
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when you come off the bench as a fence batter?
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Well, this year, I've had the good fortune to
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come up with a couple timely base hits, and it's
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an amazing thing. Before I go up to hit, I'm
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not really nervous. But after I hit, I'm shaking
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like a leaf. It's funny. How about when you're
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out on the bases and that big mob's waiting for
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you at the plate? I tell you, when that happened
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that night, I couldn't believe it. I thought
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I was dreaming. I woke up in the middle of the
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night, and I had a dream. And it was just hard
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to comprehend. And I finally got to home plate,
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and some of the guys were there, you know, and
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all the guys were running out of the field. I
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said, you know, this is true. You didn't get
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hurt in that mob, did you? I got spiked a couple
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times, but I'll get spiked any time for that.
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But that didn't end the fireworks in the White
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Sox series. There were plenty more in the final
30:15
game. 1 -0, Tigers lead. They got that run in
30:20
the opening inning. The man who scored is up
30:22
there now waiting on a 3 -2 pitch from John.
30:25
Watch out. That one just about hit him. I think
30:29
Mack's a little perturbed. He's yelling out to
30:31
Tommy John. Now he goes at him, and John tackles
30:34
McCauley. Here comes Pete Ward in, Mickey Stanley.
30:38
Salerno's there in the middle, and both dugouts
30:40
empty, and the teams are going at it. Gates Brown
30:43
is out there, and now the umpires are trying
30:46
to separate the combatants here, and I think
30:49
the situation has been still. John, I believe,
30:53
has hurt his arm. The fight with Tommy John cost
30:57
Dick McAuliffe a $250 fine and a five -day suspension.
31:03
McAuliffe's loss was the first of a series of
31:05
minor disasters for the Tigers. For with McAuliffe
31:09
on the bench, they went to New York and dropped
31:12
four straight games, their longest losing streak
31:15
of the season. Everything went wrong in the sweltering
31:18
August heat of Yankee Stadium. Earl Wilson was
31:21
knocked cold by a line drive as the Yankees won
31:24
the first game of a twilight doubleheader 2 -1.
31:27
Then the Tigers were forced to a 19 -inning 3
31:30
-3 standoff in the second game. It had to be
31:33
called because of the curfew. The Yankees were
31:35
on their way with a long winning streak, the
31:38
hottest team in the league. But there was even
31:40
more trouble to come, plenty of it. Denny McClain,
31:43
who hadn't suffered two straight defeats all
31:45
year, finally lost his second in a row on Saturday.
31:50
And on Sunday, the Tigers dropped both ends of
31:53
a doubleheader, each one by one run. They got
31:58
out of New York wishing they had never seen the
32:00
place, then considered themselves lucky to split
32:03
a two -game series with the White Sox. That was
32:06
the last day of Dick McCullough's suspension.
32:08
He returned to the lineup when the Tigers got
32:11
back into the friendly environment of Tiger Stadium.
32:15
Dick, it must have been very frustrating sitting
32:17
out that suspension. Well, it was quite frustrating,
32:20
Ernie, especially when you're in a pennant race
32:21
like we were. We were about seven games, seven
32:26
and a half games ahead at the time, and to be
32:28
set down five games, well, actually six games.
32:33
And seeing my teammates trying to battle out
32:36
there, these one -run ball games, and it was
32:38
quite depressing for me. And I felt greatly part
32:43
in not winning a few of those games because of
32:45
the fact that I was sitting on the bench and
32:48
I was really helpless. And a lot of people asked
32:52
me, well, what would you do if they did it again,
32:56
threw at me again? And I told them, I said, well,
32:58
I'd really have to try and count to 100 as fast
33:01
as I could. I think twice. Perhaps it was the
33:05
welcome home. Perhaps it was the return of McCollum.
33:09
Or perhaps it was Denny McLean's determination
33:11
not to extend his losing streak beyond two. Whatever
33:16
the reason, the Tigers finally began winning
33:18
again. Their first of two victories over the
33:21
Angels was McLean's 26th, which had been 12 days
33:25
coming. Their second was a Mickey Lulich two
33:28
-hitter settled by a Willie Horton home run.
33:31
The pennant drive was really underway. Manager
33:33
Mayo Smith somehow had the pitching staff at
33:36
its peak. And up to the pennant clenching game,
33:39
there were 11 straight games without a relief
33:41
appearance by the bullpen. The Tigers won 17
33:44
out of 22 after the New York derailment. And
33:47
eight in a row to clench. You could feel the
33:49
confidence of this team. And pennant fever gripped
33:52
the city. The department stores were selling
33:54
everything from Tiger milk to Tiger t -shirts.
33:58
The newspapers were running full -page pictures
34:00
of the players every day. Every other car, it
34:03
seemed, had a Go Get Em Tigers bumper sticker.
34:05
The magic number was posted all over town. People
34:09
took transistor radios to the ballpark, theaters,
34:12
movie houses, and restaurants. There was even
34:14
a song written about... Danny McClane, Danny
34:17
McClane There's never been any like Danny McClane
34:22
His pitch on the organ... What's nearsighted,
34:35
Denny? What are the baseball awards? The all
34:39
-time Tiger Stadium attendance record was broken
34:42
as they neared the 2 million mark. Players were
34:45
seen, heard, and featured everywhere. It was
34:49
baseball, baseball, baseball. Bill Strehan here,
34:53
the second most important name for my checks.
34:55
The second place Orioles were in town for a crucial
34:58
three -game series. and they were determined
35:01
to take on the Tigers with a victory. This was
35:05
a series that finished the Orioles as a serious
35:07
threat. Oh, they were technically still in the
35:10
race after that, but not really. For while nearly
35:13
125 ,000 fans went mad in the three days between
35:17
August 30th and September 1st, the Tigers took
35:21
two out of three to show the baseball world they
35:24
weren't about to fold in the clutch. Earl Wilson
35:28
was the pitching and batting hero of the first
35:30
game of Baltimore. Besides hurling a four -hitter
35:33
for a 9 -1 victory, well, let the story tell
35:37
itself. Swing to the long one! Deep left, it
35:43
may be! That was the 31st home run of Wilson
36:07
Surrey, putting him within sight of Wes Farrell's
36:09
all -time career record for pitching. The Orioles
36:12
spurred the series in the second game, but the
36:14
third was the one that set them reeling. The
36:16
man who pitched it? McClain, of course. With
36:19
Denny McClain, it almost became not whether he
36:22
would win, but how he would win. He did it with
36:24
his bat, three hits and an hour. His team would
36:27
come from behind, and with his inborn sense of
36:30
drama, the maestro even did it with his glove.
36:34
And this even had the Baltimore announcer cheering.
36:37
It may be a triple play. They did it. A triple
36:44
play. McLean to Magic to catch. The first triple
36:50
play in the old ballpark since 1965. And later,
36:56
Denny added to his immortality by having Mickey
36:59
Mantle hit his 535th home run off of him. Denny
37:03
and the whole team applauded the Mets who thus
37:05
surpassed Fox for the number three all -time
37:08
position. In the second game of a doubleheader
37:11
at Oakland, the day after that big Baltimore
37:13
series in Detroit, freehand came up in the clutch
37:16
and... Now here's the pitch to Bill. Long fly
37:20
to left field. It might be. Could be. It is.
37:33
Put the Tigers out in front by a score of 4 -3.
37:39
The next day, it was Northrop's turn. Bogle ahead
37:43
of the batter. Northrop with a strike one count.
37:45
The bases are loaded. He swings a bounding ball.
37:53
Redfield. Krasinski scores. McCarty, bounding
37:56
third. He's coming home. The throw to the plate.
37:58
Not in time. He scores. And on the third goes
38:01
Stanley. On the second goes... And the Tigers
38:04
take the lead again, 4 -3 on a single by Jim
38:08
Northrup with the bases loaded. Back to Detroit
38:13
to entertain the Twins. Man on third, man on
38:17
second, and nobody out. Caught, set some pitches,
38:22
and Willie swings a long fly ball to left. Maybe
38:25
it's gone. It scored four runs. And they have
38:42
a 4 -0 lead over the Minnesota Twins. Boswell
38:46
beginning to throw in the bullpen. That's the
38:49
32nd home run for Willie Horton. It gives him
38:53
76 runs batted in. Now to Anaheim for this series
39:00
of explosions. Here's the set now, the pitch.
39:05
Swing, a bounding ball to left. That ought to
39:06
get a run in. Here's Stanley rounding third.
39:09
Rykard will throw to second and the Tigers lead
39:11
1 -0 on the single by Kaline. Scoring Mickey's
39:15
family from second base. 1 -0 Detroit. Here's
39:19
Willie Horton stepping in. Bennett delivers.
39:22
Here's a fly ball to left. It's deep. Rykard
39:25
going back. Might be. It is. Out of here. 3 -0
39:30
Tigers. The 33rd home run by Willie Horton. So
39:35
the Tigers out in front early. 3 -0 in the opening
39:39
inning. Tigers 3, California nothing in the third.
39:46
Now the wind -up by Bennett, and the pitch is
39:49
swung on. There's a drive to left. Deep record
39:51
going back. It is out of here. Just over the
39:55
fence and into the bullpen. Mickey Stanley hits
39:59
home run number 11, and the Tigers now lead 4
40:02
-0. Bennett comes back. There's a long belt back.
40:24
Now it's McLean again, with his bat helping his
40:27
arm. So McLean batting against Messer -Smith,
40:32
and he swings, and it's a fly ball to center.
40:34
Johnstone is turned. He's going back. It's a
40:36
deep one. He's still going, and it is off the
40:38
wall. Diddy going for two. He's rounding second.
40:41
He's heading for third. And here comes the throw.
40:43
He slides. He has a three -bagger. Last game
40:47
of the season in Anaheim was an easy one for
40:50
the pennant -bound Tigers. He was tied with Northup.
40:53
There's another drive deep to left. This might
40:55
be gone. It is in the bullpen. A home run by
40:59
Freehand. And the Tiger power asserting itself
41:02
again here tonight. Seven to nothing. The Tigers
41:06
lead them. Number 22 for Mr. Freehand. Here's
41:13
Tom Satriato. Tom tonight, 0 for 2. Clever Morton
41:27
had gone all the way to home. Scappers back to
41:29
third base. A great play by Stanley. Hiller kicks
41:36
and deals. Fly ball, short right. Here comes
41:38
Northrup digging hard. He dives and he makes
41:41
a great catch. Well, Stanley made one earlier
41:44
and now Northrup makes a great diving, tumbling
41:47
catch in right field. And home to Detroit to
41:52
entertain the athletics royally. Turn to throw
42:04
by Wilson to second. He's picked off. Picked
42:07
off at second base is Reggie Jackson. Kaczynski
42:11
ducked behind him. Tipped the throw for Wilson.
42:13
And Jackson is picked off. And what a job Wilson
42:16
does in the clutch. Blanking the Oakland A's
42:20
in the seventh inning. No run on two hits. And
42:25
there were no errors. opposition and a full house
42:51
at Tiger Stadium to lend encouragement. Denny
42:54
McLean's big bid for immortality. Everyone was
42:58
there. Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower, Sandy
43:02
Koufax, and the last 30 -game winner, Dizzy D.
43:06
The Oakland A's lead the Tigers 4 -3 in the ninth
43:09
inning. Segui walking off the mound and rubbing
43:15
up that ball tossed out by Umpire Halleck. is
43:22
stick around here now before this big Tiger crowd.
43:29
Here's the set by Diego Segui. The pitch. Northup
43:33
swings the bounding ball. It's flown to Decatur.
43:34
He throws to the plate. The throw's wild. Kaline
43:37
scores. Stanley rounding second. He throws. Goes
43:39
to third. Safe at first is Northup. And the game
43:42
is... Here's the set by Sege, the pitch. Swung
44:00
on, a drive for left. That'll be the ball game.
44:02
It's over ahead of Goska. McClain wins his 30th.
44:05
Here comes Stanley in the score. Willie Horton,
44:08
single, and the ball game is over. And the Tigers
44:11
win it 5 -4. Jenny McClain is one of the first
44:14
out of the dugout. Racing out, and Horton is
44:17
mobbed as the Tigers come from behind. And McClain
44:20
has his 30th victory of the 1968 season. Okay,
44:26
Denny, our Tiger broadcast still on the air.
44:28
Congratulations. Your team has come through for
44:30
you all year long, and they came through for
44:32
you again on the ninth inning. They've been doing
44:33
it all year, Ray, and you don't expect them to
44:36
keep doing it like this all year. I thought I
44:38
was in a little bit of trouble, but they pulled
44:40
me out again. They've been doing it all year.
44:42
Denny, about your performance today. You started
44:44
off very strong, and then Jackson gave you a
44:45
lot of trouble. Did you... Feel about the same
44:48
way as you did your last couple of performances?
44:50
Yes, I did. Jackson, the first home run he hit
44:52
was a pretty good pitch. But the second pitch
44:56
he hit was a high changeup and was a real bad
44:58
pitch. Real bad. Denny, you have a chance, of
45:01
course, to talk to Dizzy Dean right after the
45:03
ballgame. What does that have to tell you? Dizzy
45:04
just congratulated me and wished me a lot of
45:06
luck. All right, now you're going to 30. You
45:10
want number 31 right now, of course. When do
45:12
you think you'll go again? Probably Wednesday
45:14
night, right? Let me help you arm feel right
45:16
now. Arm feels wonderful. Wonderful. Okay, thank
45:19
you very much, Denny McLean. Congratulations
45:21
again to you. Two days later came the climax.
45:24
The climax that truly made 1968 the year of the
45:28
Tiger. Well, this big crowd here ready to break
45:31
loose. Three men on, two men out. Game tied 1
45:35
-1 in the ninth inning. McDaniel checking his
45:39
time with Jake Gibbs. The tall right -hander
45:43
ready to go to work again. And the wind -up and
45:47
the pitch. He swings. A line shot. Base hit.
45:50
Right field. The Tigers win it. Here comes Kaline
45:53
to score. And it's all over. Downward singles.
45:56
The Tigers mobbed on. Kaline has scored. The
45:59
fans are steaming on the field. And the Tigers
46:02
have won their first pennant since 1945. Let's
46:07
listen to the bedlam here at Tigers Stadium.
46:16
Tigers are being mobbed as they go to their dugout.
46:19
They'll hardly make it. Confetti in the air.
46:23
Fireworks in the air. Now, Ray Lane is in the
46:29
Tiger Clubhouse, and I imagine quite a few things
46:32
are popping down there. Ray? Right, Johnny. We're
46:36
in the Tiger Clubhouse, and as usual, for the
46:39
pennant winners, it's the big night right now.
46:41
Joe Sparma, congratulations. Thanks, Ray. Great
46:44
job. Thank you very much. It's great to be able
46:46
to be a part of it, I'll tell you. Joe, you had
46:48
to feel a little down the last couple of months.
46:51
Yeah, I did. I think I won this game for the
46:53
people who had faith in me, and I guess my wife,
46:55
if it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't have
46:57
got through the year, I'll tell you. Manager
46:59
Mayo Smith over here right now, a man that's
47:01
been dunked by about five bottles of champagne.
47:03
He is sopping wet. It ended up the way we wanted
47:08
it to. We won it, even though we knew that Baltimore
47:11
had lost. This is a very happy day. And, of course,
47:15
these guys have played great all year. I'm happy
47:20
first for them. Of course, John Fetzer, the Tiger
47:25
organization. Last but not least, the fans. They've
47:28
waited a long time for this. And see if we can't
47:30
get over here to reach the Tiger president, Mr.
47:32
John Fetzer. All right, now we get up here. And
47:37
I want Alice with a bottle of champagne. Mr.
47:40
Fetzer, congratulations to Alice. Well, I'm not
47:47
very good at giving play -by -play descriptions,
47:50
Ray, but that was the finest toss of water I've
47:54
ever seen tossed on Jim Campbell's ball head.
47:57
And this is the greatest testimony I know to
47:59
the greatest ball club in the world today. Mr.
48:02
Fetzer, I want to say one thing. You have tried
48:03
for the past two years to build yourself a penicillin
48:06
tender. You got it tonight. This is the climax
48:09
of a long, long, cold winter night. But I tell
48:14
you right now, it's warm indeed. Can you get
48:16
Mr. Campbell for us over there? Mr. Lodi's trying
48:18
to get Jim. Jim, congratulations. Hi, Ray. Well,
48:22
we're real happy. I'll tell you, real happy is
48:24
not the word for it, is it? You think we've been
48:27
so close for a few days, but when it comes, you
48:29
think, well, you won't get excited. But by golly,
48:33
it's just wonderful. Jim, you've had a hero in
48:36
about every ballgame this year. There's really
48:38
no one hero in this club. They're a great bunch
48:40
of kids. I think they're just great. This has
48:44
to certainly pay off for all the hours and days
48:47
and months of hard work trying to build up. Yeah,
48:49
and years. Okay, you look great with that soap
48:52
on you, Jim. Yeah, I look great. Jim Campbell,
48:54
general manager and vice president of the Detroit
48:56
Tigers. Hey, Mickey. Mickey Loli, say we can't
48:59
get the old left -hander over here, Mickey. Hey,
49:01
buddy, it must be a pretty good feeling. Oh,
49:03
I tell you, Ray, it's great. I don't know what
49:05
to say. We had a feeling, you know, we were going
49:07
to win it in spring training, and here we are,
49:09
and we're the happiest people in the world right
49:10
now. You know, you're talking about that feeling.
49:12
I think it was very prevalent in spring training.
49:14
It was sort of a silent thought, but all you
49:16
guys had seemed like dedication. You knew you
49:18
could do it. Well, everybody said in spring training,
49:21
I mean, how did we feel after last year when
49:22
we come so close and miss? And we said, well,
49:24
we knew what it was like there. We were all more
49:26
experienced, and I think today we have proved
49:28
that we did gain more experience last year, and
49:31
I think there's a great future for the Detroit
49:32
Tigers in the next few years in Detroit. Mickey,
49:34
you've had that in -and -out season at least
49:36
the first three months of the season. You seem
49:38
to be on the right track again. Well, you know
49:41
Mickey Lowledge. He always seems to come along
49:42
when he has to, so I'm real glad I could do it.
49:44
Mickey, you've done a wonderful job, and good
49:46
luck the remaining season, and good luck in the
49:49
series.