Sox 67

At the end of the 67 Sox season, certain plays stand out. One of them was Carl Yastrzemski knocking the ball and glove out of Bob Rodgers’ hand at home plate. Another was Jim Lonborg’s bunt on the last day of the season to start the winning rally. But perhaps the most memorable came in the first game of a twinbill in Chicago between the White Sox and Red Sox in late August. It was made by former Yankee Elston Howard, who protected the plate for a strange double play to end a 4-3 Sox win.

As the Bosox jockeyed for position near the top with the Chisox and Twins, every game seemed like a playoff. At the beginning of the week, the Sox had taken 4 of 5 from the troublesome Senators, but nothing had come easy. Howard singled with the bases full in the ninth for a 6-5 victory in game 1, the team’s fifth in a row since Tony C’s injury. The next night another doubleheader sweep pushed the team into a virtual tie for first with Chicago. In the first contest, John Wyatt worked out of a bases loaded, no outs ninth inning situation with a 1-2-3 double play and a strikeout to save a 2-1 win for Jerry Stephenson. They won the second  5-3 with a three-run rally in the seventh, capped by a surprise run for home by Yaz on a popup to second baseman Bob Saverine. Catching the ball in short center with his back turned, Saverine apparently forgot to check third, and the play was scored a sac fly to second base. The streak was now seven.

The evening Globe on Wednesday  had a front page headline “Sox No.1 Tonight-If” but the Senators did not cooperate. A two-run homer by light-hitting Ed Stroud and a sacrifice fly by Paul Casanova produced a 3-2 victory. The next afternoon produced another barn-burner as Boston squeaked by 7-6. One of the heroes was outfielder Jim Landis, who stayed in Boston for only 5 games before being released. Homers by Howard, Landis and Jerry Adair sparked the Sox to a 7-2 lead entering the ninth. But Washington rallied for 4 off relievers Wyatt and Darrell Brandon. It was Landis’ fine catch of Ken McMullen liner with the bases filled that preserved the win.

The Townies then traveled to Chicago for a five-game showdown series with the White Sox, managed by the outspoken and controversial Eddie Stanky. In his column, Yaz predicted 3 or 4 wins. He was proved right-barely.

A Friday night twinbill featured a 7-1 Boston victory behind Lonborg’s 17th and a 2-1 defeat on a walkoff homer by Ken Berry off Wyatt. Meanwhile, the Twins’ Dean Chance hurled a no-hitter to sweep his team into first place. But not for long. Sunday morning’s first page Globe headline read “Sox on Top- Ist Late-Season Lead in 18 Years.”  A 6-2 win put them there, as Brandon hurled 3 1/3 innings in relief of Stephenson to nail down the victory. Boston took advantage of some poor  Chicago outfiield play and timely hitting to build up a 5-0 lead and knock out tough righthander Joel Horlen, who would win 19 games. The Sox piled up 13 hits, including 3 by George Scott.

The first game of Sunday’s doubleheader produced Howard’s heroics. Boston had taken a 4-1 lead on Yaz’s 33rd and 34th homers, but the home squad rallied off Gary Bell to cut the advantage to 4-3 entering the ninth. Berry started the inning with a double and was sacrificed to third. Future Soxer Duane Josephson then hit a short fly to Jose Tartabull in right. According to Clif Keane “Berry came on. The throw was high, but Elston leaped and got it. As he came down, his left shoe blocked off Berry’s slide. Down came the mitt. The tag was put on and the game was over when ump Marty Springstead called the runner out” The radio description by the late, great Ned Martin,who noted that Tartabull had a weak arm, was memorable: “Out at home! Tartabull has thrown the runner out at home, and the ballgame is over!” Credit should be given to both Elston and Jose- it is a play that rescues wins from defeats. The home squad rallied for a 1-0 11-inning victory in game 2, but Boston had taken the series 3-2.

On Monday morning August 28, the Sox still trailed Minnesota by one percentage point, with the White Sox and Tigers close behind.In the other league, the Cardinals were breezing, 101/2 ahead of Cincinnati. Yaz was second in batting and first in homers and rbi”s on the way to a Triple Crown. Red Sox Nation was taking its first steps.