Baseball in 1961

The defending World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates made their 1961 TV debut on 4-28-61 against the eventual NL champs for the year, Cincinnati. Before I decide whether to do at least a partial replay, here are some ads as they may have sounded that night on Pitt TV, keeping in mind that I'm not a Pitt TV expert, just one who happens to read Post-Gazette's from the Google archives. WIIC-TV: You've seen her on Jack Paar, now see her for yourself tonight and Saturday! Don't miss loveable comic star Phyllis Diller and special musical guests perform 2 shows nightly at 9 and 11:30 at the Horizon Room located at the airport in Pittsburgh. Don't miss the laughs! Tonight's "Movie Hall of Fame" presentation stars WC Fields in that madcap comedy hit, "The Bank Dick," tonight at 7 on Channel 11. It's a night of encores on the Telephone Hour as Rosemary Clooney and Robert Preston perform their acts from this past season, tonight at 9. Then stay tuned ...

As documented earlier, the 1961 Tigers pulled off a late win on a 9th inning home run by Chico Fernandez to beat the Red Sox. Late-inning heroics occurred in these other AL games: Orioles-Senators: Orioles carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the 9th against the Sens, only to have Bob Johnson hit a lead-off home run to force extra innings. A one-out Triple by Russ Snyder scored Hank Foiles with what proved to be the winning run in the 11th. Final score, Orioles 4, Senators 3. Twins-Angels: Halos carried a 2-0 lead into the 9th, when with 2 outs Bill Tuttle Tripled, then pinch-hitter Julio Becquer hit a dramatic home run off Ken McBride to tie the score. The game would have a "heavenly" finish in extra innings, when George Thomas's 2nd home run in as many games gave the Angels a 3-2 win in 10 innings, sending the hometown fans home happy. The other 2 AL games didn't need dramatics. The White Sox belted out 11 hits as they downed Kansas City, 5-3, while the Indians ...

Red Sox 2, Tigers 1, bottom of the 9th... Ernie Harwell: "Here we go, bottom of the 9th, Tigers trail 2-1, they'll send Maxwell, Brown and Fernandez against Fornieles. Ol' Paw Paw pinch-hitting for Gerry Staley, who pitched 2 perfect innings in relief of Frank Lary. The pitch to Maxwell, here it comes... Swing and a miss, strike 3! No Sunday punch on Friday Night as Maxwell goes down swinging to open the Tiger ninth. Now here's Brown, the catcher walked his last time up in the 7th, he also grounded into a double play in the 2nd and struck out in the 5th... 3-1 the count, the pitch to Brown... he walked him! Fornieles just missed with that last pitch to put the tying run on and bring Chico Fernandez up to try to move the runner around with 1 out. No indication of a bunt by Boston, they'll set up for a double play. Fernandez 0 for 3, but reached on a Fielder's Choice last time in the 7th. The pitch to Chico, he swings... Fly ball, right field, Jensen giving ch...

Thanks to the "Red Bank Register(NJ)," I was able to get a WPIX program listing and a ad for a soft drink that "refreshes in a Wink." Thus, here are highlights from a 4/27/61 Indians-Yankees thriller: WPIX: "It's the new grapefruit soft drink that refreshes in a "Wink." Pick up this great new thirst-quencher from Canada Dry today!" "It's bold, it's sensational and "You Asked For It!" Don't miss another fascinating edition, tonight at 7:30 on Channel 11" "The Daily News Station, WPIX-TV, Channel 11, New York."                                                           Game Summary Cleveland jumped off to a 3-0 lead on a first inning sac fly to right by Jimmy Piersall and a pair of RBI sing...

Drysdale fires 1-hitter at Giants Bailey breaks up no-hit bid in 8th Baseball in 1961 Staff LOS ANGELES-5 outs away. That's how Don Drysdale came close to baseball immortality at the Coliseum tonight, losing a no-hit bid on a double by Ed Bailey with one out in the 8th. Drysdale would finish with a one-hitter, striking out 8 as the Dodgers finished a two-game series sweep of the Giants, 2-0. The Dodgers supplemented Drysdale's gem with a Charlie Neal solo homer in the 3rd off Jack Sanford and a sacrifice fly by Norm Larker in the 6th off Jim Duffalo. This was the second 1-hit effort in the early season, the other came on opening day when Dick Donovan of the Senators carried a no-hitter into the 8th against the White Sox.

Bottom of the 9th, Braves leads Cards by a 3-2 score(4-26-61) Jack Buck: "Cardinals entertain Philly for a 3-game set starting Friday Night. Busch ticket office will be open tomorrow, plenty of good seats available for Friday Night, Saturday Night and Sunday Afternoon, all single games. Do plan to join us, won't you?" Harry Caray: "We go to the bottom of the 9th, Warren Spahn back on the mound to face the 2-3-4 hitters in a very tight 3-2 game. Ernie Broglio struck out 10 in his 9-inning stint, while Spahn has battled his control as Curt Flood steps up to the plate. Flood has a single and a walk in 3 trips." Joe Garagiola: "Spahn has walked a delicate tightrope and is about to fall off with Flood." Caray: "The 3-1 to Flood, he walked him! That's number 7 for Spahn and Don McMahon is throwing like crazy in that Milwaukee pen." Garagiola: "Having watched Milwaukee for NBC last weekend, this pitching staff has to be held together w...

Thinking of a Phillies-Pirates recreate, so here are some commercials as they would've aired on Pittsburgh TV-Radio the night of 4/26/61: "Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars play Syria Mosque tomorrow night at 8:30. Get your $2, $3 or $4 tickets at Gimbel's, Kaufman's or Horne's" "It's Thorofare Star-Time right now, this week's special is Armour Star Ham, just 47 cents a pound, 29 cents for the shank portion. Plus, get even more value with S&H Green Stamps, look for the coupon in tonight's paper. Shop your friendly neighborhood Throrofare today!"  "What car got 26.13 miles per gallon in the recent Mobil Economy Run, can go from Chicago to Detroit on one battery and is priced $100 less than last year? See your local Plymouth-Valiant dealer and find out tomorrow!" "Remember the fallout simulation test last year at Pitt? Relive what happened when total strangers of all ages spend 2 weeks in simulated shelter on the Circ...

Announcer: "Everyone's favorite nearsighted character stumbles his way to another laugh-filled half-hour on WGN. Watch Mr. Magoo in color tonight at 6:30. Your Cubs station, WGN, Channel 9, Chicago." Vince Lloyd: "Welcome to the 10th inning show everyone. In case you just got home from school, the first-place Cubs and Redlegs sped through a 1 hour, 40 minute game this afternoon, the Cubs prevailing by a final score of 2-0 behind a 5-hit effort by this guy I have on the field right now, Glen Hobbie. On Opening Day, this guy struck out 11 Redlegs, only to lose a heartbreaker in the late innings, 6-4. You had a mission of revenge today Glen, how did you go about it? Hobbie: "Nothing but fastballs, Vince. It was also Opening Day when we met that first time, so I was a little nervous out there, which would explain those strikeouts. But I wanted to make sure those pitches actually met the bats and our gloves. As you saw, I succeeded." Lloyd: "You had only...

Cards win last night's opener, 6-5 Living dangerously may come at a cost for Cards Hemus knows Cards must produce during current homestand Baseball in 1961 Staff ST LOUIS-One-run games are exciting and can tend to be a routine. For embattled Cardinal skipper Solly Hemus, the string of one-run games at San Francisco which dotted a 3-4 trip of the West underscored the roller coaster ride that has been the Cards season 2 weeks in. It's simple for Hemus, cut down on the one-run decisions or be cut down himself. "Starting with that game in LA where we lost on the late home run, we got pegged into the rut of one-run games. The key of winning games is good hitting and good pitching. The hitting's been there, but the pitching late in games has bit us on the behind. The management wants this homestand to succeed. I may not be the most popular man in that clubhouse right now, but it's on me to deliver 9 solid innings starting tonight," said Hemus. Last night thou...

4 home runs, 15 hits Yankees take series from Tigers Revived Mantle leads the charge Baseball in 1961 staff DETROIT-That Mantle sure can hit. The slugger went from a 0-for-17 slump to his old self in the span of 3 games in Detroit, as the Yankees claimed a series win from the Tigers, taking this afternoon's finale, 13-5. The triumph, which came about 18 hours after being raked by the Tigers 11-3, was sparked by the home run ball as 4 Yankees saw booming blasts over the Tiger Stadium fences, starting with starting(and winning) pitcher Rollie Sheldon in the 3rd, followed by a Roger Maris rocket in the 4th and 2 more bombs in the 8th, one by Moose Skowron, the other, which came early in the inning was scalded by a now-revived Mantle, who told reporters after the game, "Not bad for someone who was 0-for-17, huh?" The same someone who went 7-for-14 for the series and left his manager with this comment: "Told you he'd be back," said Ralph Houk. Skowron pac...