Stimulating, provocative, sometimes whimsical new concepts that challenge traditional baseball orthodoxy. Note: Anonymous comments will not be published.
Copyright Kenneth Matinale
Part of a series that started with August 1, 1961.
Roger Maris and Yankee teammate Mickey Mantle engaged in a home race during a pennant race, both trying to pass the season record of 60 home runs hit in 1927 by Yankee Babe Ruth.
In 1961 the American League expanded from 8 to 10 teams and increased its schedule from 154 to 162 games. Both the 1927 and 1961 Yankees played one tie game:
- Thursday, April 14, 1927Philadelphia Athletics 9, Yankees 9 after ten innings; no home runs
- Saturday April 22, 1961 in Baltimore: Orioles won game one 5-3; game two: 5-5 tie after 7 innings. Only Bill Skowron (bases loaded) homered for the Yankees that day.
This was 1961 Yankee game 163 (109-53-1), last of the season. Maris hit number 61 and Ruth was finished with 60 in 155 1927 games.
HR: Roger Maris (61, off Tracy Stallard, 4th inn, 0 on, 1 out to Deep RF Line)
Yogi Berra was on deck batting fourth and playing left field. Hector Lopez was on deck when Maris hit number 60 in game 159.
Mickey Mantle walked in the first inning in his only plate appearance in game 159 and did not play again until the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
There was a reward of $5,000 for the ball, so most fans sat in right field where Maris was most likely to hit a home run. That's why the crowd of 23,154 looks much larger.
The 1961 New York Football Giants also played in Yankee Stadium. They lost their home opener there 21-10 Sep. 17 to the St. Louis Cardinals. Then to give the Yankees room for the World Series, the Giants played their next four games on the road and won them all. They would lose the NFL championship game in Green Bay Dec. 31, 1961 37-6.
But on Oct. 1, 1961 when Maris had his final game to hit home run 61, the Giants were in Washington beating the Redskins 24-21 to go 2-1. Quarterback Y.A. Tittle scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter on a one yard run.
I was watching the Giants game on CBS. My recollection is that CBS showed a replay of Maris hitting number 61 during the Giants game. The Yankee broadcast on WPIX channel 11 in New York would not have replays for several more years and it was introduced in the 1963 Army-Navy game (Navy won 21-15) when a late touchdown by Army quarterback Rollie Stichweh was replayed:
Army quarterback Rollie Stichweh scored two touchdowns in a matter of a few seconds, at least that’s what many viewers of the 1963 Army-Navy game thought they saw during that December broadcast.
Calls flooded into CBS’ switchboard despite announcer Lindsey Nelson’s warning: “This is not live. Ladies and gentleman, Army did not score again."
The confusion from people at home was understandable. What viewers saw was the debut of instant replay, the invention of CBS Sports director Tony Verna. The equipment Verna described was the size of “two Frigidaires” had technical issues, which meant that the Stichweh 1-yard scamper was the only replay used that broadcast.
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I have no documentation about the 1961 Maris home run but the fact that there is a replay on youtube suggests the possibility that CBS or AT&T recorded the Maris home run. The only other explanation is that the game was recorded using kinescope but that does not explain how the homer was replayed quickly during the Giant game. The film needed to be developed.
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