Fresh off the five-game domination of the Reds, your Bombers breeze through the '62 season doing their part to bring about the first transcontinental World Series.
In the National League, it was a familiar scene: the Giants and Dodgers facing off in a playoff to decide the pennant and a chance to battle the Yanks in the fall classic. The outcome was the same as it had been 11 years earlier with the Giants winning a tight three game series.
Game one of the World Series opened up in San Francisco's Candlestick Park, and Whitey continued his October success with a 6-2 complete game victory. Ford's 33 2/3 scoreless inning streak (a record that will never be broken) ended when Willie Mays scored in the bottom of the second.
Find out what's happening in Barnegat-Manahawkinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In game two, Jack Sanford pitched a three-hit shutout to tie the Series. You might remember the monsterous homer Willie McCovey hit in the eighth. It got my attention!
Now its back to N.Y. for game three and a tight Yankees 3-2 victory.
Find out what's happening in Barnegat-Manahawkinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In game four we all get our first look at the amazing high kick of Jaun Marichal. With a two-hit shutout going the Yanks get a break when Jaun is forced to leave in the fifth with a hamstring.
Our boys take advantage of the the break and tie the score at two entering the seventh. With the bases loaded and two outs, the Giants Chuck Hiller ruins my day by hitting the first grand slam by a Nationl League team in World Series history.
The teams split games five and six, and that sets up our dramatic game seven. We could not sleep the night before as flashbacks of game seven in the '60 series kept us hyperventalating all night.
Game seven featured 23-game winner Ralph Terry for our boys and 24-game winner Jack Sanford for the Giants.
The teams combined for only one hit in the first four innings. We score the first and only run on a double play ball in the fifth. N.Y. carries a 1-0 lead as we enter the bottom of the ninth.
Matty Alou of the famed Alou brothers opens up with a bunt single-only the third hit by the Giants. I remember Terry then struck out the next two batters.
Wille Mays steps up. Now I'm beginning to find it hard to breathe. Willie then rips a double to right, and Roger Maris makes a great play to cut the ball off and hold Alou at third.
Just two years and three days after giving up the nightmarish home run to Bill Mazeroski in the 1960 series, Terry now had to face the powerful Willie McCovey with runners on second and third.
WALK HIM! WALK HIM! GO TO THE PEN! GET TERRY OUT OF THERE!
I remember screaming, "Houk! Call me up, my number is 435-6467 and I can tell you what you need to do!"
With flashbacks now occurring all over the place, I enter the twilight zone. McCovey's bomb in game two and the ball going over the wall two years ago in Pittsburgh...I can't go through this again. I just can't. I need an inhaler.
Ball one, strike one, McCovey then hits a scorching line drive to the right side. Exhausted, I fall to the floor. Richardson moves to his left, reaches up and nabs the liner. WHEW!
Reversing his 1960 role, Terry walks away a hero in 1962, and the Yankees walk away champions. Can't help but think: That took a year off my life.
