Saturday, August 5, 2017

June 1962: in Cleveland the Indians swept the Yankees four games in three days to move into first.

August 3 and 4, 2017: the Indians just won the first two games of a four game series in Cleveland against the Yankees. Can the Indians sweep all four? They did 55 years ago.

June 15, 16, 17 1962.

Mickey Mantle was hurt but pinch hit (PH) twice.

Indians moved ahead of Yanks in the standings. Cleveland fans were going crazy. Beating the Yanks was monumental.

Standings after Cleveland had swept all four games against the Yankees:
TmWLW-L%GBRSRApythW-L%
CLE3624.600--319272.572
MIN3628.5632.0310290.530
NYY3226.5523.0261234.550
LAA3328.5413.5299293.509
BAL3231.5085.5272287.475
DET2930.4926.5294270.539
KCA3133.4847.0315338.468
CHW3134.4777.5307315.488
BOS2734.4439.5267289.464
WSA2140.34415.5230286.402
The final 1962 standings:
TmWLW-L%GBRSRApythW-L%
NYY9666.593--817680.583
MIN9171.5625.0798713.551
LAA8676.53110.0718706.508
DET8576.52810.5758692.542
CHW8577.52511.0707658.533
CLE8082.49416.0682745.460
BAL7785.47519.0652680.481
BOS7684.47519.0707756.469
KCA7290.44424.0745837.447
WSA60101.37335.5599716.419

The "LA" Angels were in only their second season. The Indians finished under .500 but winning those four games in mid June against the 1961 World Series champion New York Yankees was a big deal in Cleveland, OH.

Here are the scores, times of games, winning/losing pitchers, attendance:
Friday night: 3-0  2:00  Mudcat Grant/Ralph Terry  49,422
Saturday: 10-9  3:05  Gary Bell/Jim Coates  50,254
Sunday game 1: 6-1  2:00  Dick Donovan/Bill Stafford
Sunday game 2: 6-3  2:00  Pedro Ramos/Jim Coates  70,918

Yankee shortstop Tony Kubek was away in the U.S. Army Reserves, replaced by Rookie of the Year Tom Tresh. 37 year old Yogi Berra was the starting left fielder until Kubek returned in August and Tresh moved to left.

Jerry Kindall was the hitting star for Cleveland in the four game sweep.
Positions: Second Baseman, Shortstop and Third Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-2, 175 pounds
Born: May 27, 1935 (Age: 82 and 70 days) in St. Paul, MN us
High School: Washington HS (St. Paul, MN)
School: University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN)
Debut: July 1, 1956
Last Game: October 2, 1965

June 30, 1956: Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent (bonus baby).
November 27, 1961: Traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Cleveland Indians for Bobby Locke.
June 11, 1964: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Cleveland Indians to the Minnesota Twins. The Los Angeles Angels sent Frank Kostro to the Minnesota Twins. The Los Angeles Angels sent Billy Moran to the Cleveland Indians. The Minnesota Twins sent Lenny Green and Vic Power to the Los Angeles Angels.
April 11, 1966: Released by the Minnesota Twins.

In 1962 Jerry Kindall was a starter for the only season in his career. He played only second base in 1962.

In game one Kindall was 3 for 3: single, 2 doubles. In game two Kindall had a rival for the role of hero.
Mickey Mantle PH heroics following long absences: 1962 & 1963. Sunday, June 26, 2011

Friday, May 18, 1962 Yankee Stadium: Mantle hurt on final out against Minnesota.

Groundout: SS-1B; this was a classic Mickey injury: trailing 4-3 in the 9th Mickey batted right handed with Tom Tresh on second and two out; Mickey belted a one hop rocket to Minnesota SS Zoilo Versalles, which staggered Versalles; Mickey lunged with his final step to first base and pulled a muscle; he fell as if shot; he made the final out of the game and was carried off the field.

Saturday, June 16, 1962 Cleveland Stadium Cleveland: Mantle returned.

Top 8th, Yanks trailed 7-6, one out, 2 on: Gary Bell replaces Bob Allen pitching and batting 9th; Mickey Mantle pinch hits for Marshall Bridges (P) batting 9th; HR Mantle (8, off G Bell; 8th inn, 2 on, 1 out); Mantle's three run HR put Yanks ahead 9-7 but Cleveland won 10-9.
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Before Mantle's dramatic homer, the Yankees trailed 6-0 after 2 innings but got within one at 7-6 on a two run 7th inning home run off Bob Allen by Roger Maris, his 12th. In the 5th Johnny Blanchard had hit a two run homer off Indians starting pitcher Jim Perry. June 14, 1961 Maris had hit home run number 22 in Cleveland off that same Gary Bell who surrendered the PH homer to Mantle.

9th inning: one out, one on, Jerry Kindall hits a two run walk off home run off Jim Coates. Kindall was 4 for 5: 2 singles, double, home run. It was home run number 5 for Kindall, who would hit a career high 13 homers in 1962, his only time in double figures.

In game 3, the first of the Sunday doubleheader before almost 71,000 fans, Kindall hit another two run homer in the second inning, his first plate appearance of the day. It put Cleveland up 2-0. Yankee starter Bill Stafford then gave up homers to the next two batters: Bubba Phillips and Jim Mahoney. Three consecutive homers by the Indians. Kindall personally had just hit two in a row.

That was the only hit that Kindall had that day. He made three more outs in game one and was 0 for 2 in game two but with two walks. No matter. The Cleveland Indians swept the doubleheader and the four game series 55 years ago.

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