Sox 67

In the eight days leading up to The Weekend in 67, the Sox definitely did not play like pennant winners. They did not even play like a .500 team. In losing 4 of 6 to the lowly Orioles in Baltimore and lowlier Indians at Fenway, the team almost blew their pennant chances. They were helped out, however, by their three rivals, who did almost as poorly.

As a tongue-in-cheek article by the Globe’s Ken O. Botwright described “pennant fever” while quoting a number of eminent Boston physicians, the Townies split a pair in Baltimore, falling 10-0 before rebounding 10-3. Rookie Jim Hardin continued his mastery of the Sox, hurling a 5-hit shutout while walking 2 to push his mark to 8-2. The O’s slammed four Boston pitchers for 10 safeties, including 4 hits and 4 runs off onetime hero Billy Rohr. After falling behind 2-0  in the nightcap, however, Boston bats exploded for 8 unanswered runs. Two members of Dick Williams’ famous doghouse, Joe Foy and Ken Harrelson, went a combined 6 for 10, as Foy slammed two homers. The Cardiac Kids pounded out 14 hits. Jose Santiago, quickly moving close to Jim Lonborg in importance in the Sox rotation, went all the way, fanning 8.

Whatever momentum the split gave the Sox evaporated the next day as Boston rallied from a 4-0 deficit to take a 5-4 lead, only to see a rare bullpen collapse by John Wyatt and drop a 7-5 decision. Frank Robinson’s three-run homer in the third gave the Birds a four-run cushion, but the visitors rallied for one in the fourth and 4 more in the fifth, capped by Carl Yastrzemski’s 42nd. But in-and-out reliever Gary Waslewski surrendered the tying run in the seventh. One inning later Wyatt was victimized by Brooks Robinson’s 22nd blast for the winning runs,and aging Stu Miller shut the Sox down in the ninth for the win. The Robinson boys had 4 hits and 4 rbi’s between them.

The following game looked like a Sox cakewalk as they built a 7-0 lead after 5 frames, and Jim Lonborg was his usual self. With some tough games coming up, however, Lonny was pulled by Dick Williams after 6, and the O’s made it interesting, finally falling 11-7. The Bosox cracked 18 hits off 5 Baltimore hurlers, including 4 each from Jerry Adair, Dalton Jones and George Scott. But reliever Darrell Brandon was shaky, allowing 5 hits and 4 runs before leaving the game with an injury in the ninth as Dan Osinski finished up. Lonny picked up victory no. 21.

Boston was now 90-68, trailing the Twins by a half game with the White Sox one behind and the Tigers 1 1/2. The next two contests at Fenway on Tuesday the 26th and Wednesday the 27th versus the Indians with Gary Bell and Lonborg as starters at first looked like a breeze. But a closer look should have sent up red flags. The Indians had a chance to salvage another down season by knocking Cinderella off her throne- and that they did. Not only did they sweep the series, they did it decisively, 6-3 and 6-0. The matchups were filled with irony- Bell had come from Cleveland in a trade and Indian starters Luis Tiant and Sonny Siebert would be strong contributors to Sox pitching fortunes a few years later. Before somewhat small crowds of deeply disappointed rooters, Tiant threw a complete game victory and Siebert and a pair of relievers hurled a 5-hit shutout. Lonny, on two days rest, surrendered 6 hits and 4 runs before sitting down after 3 innings. The Bosox clutch hitting disappeared, as they left the bases loaded on two occasions.

Without some help, the Impossible Dream would have fallen a bit short. But help there would be. The same week, also on two days rest, Dean Chance dropped a 4-1 decision to the Angels. And more importantly, Eddie Stanky’s White Sox suffered a sudden meltdown, dropping a twinbill to the last-place A’s and another contest to the Senators to eliminate themselves.

It was, of course, coming down to The Weekend- the Sox a game behind the Twins and needing two victories to produce a pennant or- at the very least- a playoff with the Tigers on Monday. It would be both squads’ aces- Santiago and Lonborg for Boston and Jim Kaat and Chance for Minnesota.

There have been some memorable contests for Sox fans in the past 45 years. But this weekend would be like no other . Red Sox Nation was not only a reality but it was here to stay.