It’s funny how seasons overlap now. In 1967, the NBA finals were played in late April. Forty-five years later, they have yet to begin. But it is also interesting that Alex Hannum, coach of the world champion 76ers (they had finally dethroned the Celtics in the Eastern finals before conquering San Francisco for the title) called his team “the greatest in history”( This was after the Celts had won nine championships to one for the Sixers). I guess Bill Russell and the Celtics got revenge for the remark when they eliminated Philly in 68 and 69 on the way to two more titles.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox would sweep two games from the lowly Senators, the first one by a 7-4 count. The Globe’s Clif Keane called it a “weird, freezing evening” as the Sox triumphed before 3200 fans at old DC Stadium. A tremendous homer by Frank Howard wiped out a 2-0 Sox lead as the Senators scored 4 in the sixth off starter Dennis Bennett. Boston rallied quickly, however, to tie in the seventh, with Mike Andrews plating the tying run. The winning tallies scored in the eighth on a bases-loaded three-run error by first baseman Ken Harrelson, who was a few months away from coming to Boston. Andrews’ liner hit Harrelson’s knee and bounced into foul territory as Carl Yastrzemski, Jose Tartabull, and George Thomas all came around. Reliever John Wyatt hurled three scoreless innings to pick up his first win as Rico Petrocelli went 2 for 3 with 2 rbi’s.
Journeyman righthander Hank Fischer got a rare start the following night and threw a complete game as the Senators fell again 9-3. The Sox hitters made it easy for Fischer, sweeping to a 7-2 lead after four. Reggie Smith homered offf starter Pete Richert to lead off the game. In the second, Andrews came up with two on and, after trying unsuccessfully to bunt, smashed the next pitch out for his first major league homer and a 4-0 lead. Yaz, already leading the league in hitting, doubled home two in the fourth and Fischer eased to the victory, which would be the final one of his six-year major league career.
After a rather slow beginnning, Gentleman Jim Lonborg was making his presence felt. Before 9,000 shivering fans at Fenway, he blanked Kansas City 3-0, allowing 5 hits, walking none and fanning 13. The contest was scoreless for the first four, but the Sox broke through against future Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter for a pair of runs in the fifth. A George Scott single, wild pitch and Andrews double plated the first one, and Smith’s bloop double scored Andrews. That was all Lonny neeeded, but the Sox got to reliever Chuck Dobson for an unearned tally in the seventh. Lonborg fanned the side twice and got better as the game went along, aided by some fine fielding.
The next game was a wild one- another victory for the Sox, this one in 15 innings. More on that one next week.
With an 8-5 mark and on a four-game win streak, Boston was tied with the Yankees for first place. It was the first time in four years that they were there after more than 10 games.
It was still early, however. A lot of things would happen before the Townies could be considered a real contender.
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