1962 San Francisco Giants
[edit] The Offseason
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[edit] Spring Training and Pre-Season Predictions
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[edit] Regular Season Highlights
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[edit] Opening Day
The Giants began the 1962 season on Tuesday, April 10th by hosting the Milwaukee Braves before a crowd of 39,177. Willie Mays socked the first pitch he saw of the regular season from Braves pitcher Warren Spahn for a solo home run. Juan Marichal pitched a complete game shutout, limiting the Braves to three hits and striking out 10 batters. He also slugged a double and single and batted in two runs leading the Giants to a 6 to 0 victory.
[edit] April
On April 11th the Giants continued the opening series of the season against the Braves with a 3 to 1 win. Billy O'Dell pitched a complete game limiting the Barves to four hits, with the only run allowed being a home run off the bat of Eddie Mathews in the fourth inning. As in the opening game, Willie Mays hit a home run in the first inning, this time with Chuck Hiller aboard via an error by Braves leftfielder Howie Bedell. Jose Pagan homered in the second inning for the Giants third run. The Giants completed a sweep of the Braves, winning 8 to 4 behind Jack Sanford. Jose Pagan was the hitting star with three hits (including a double and triple) and batting in four runs. The Braves avoided a shutout when Joe Adcock hit a grand slam home run in the 8th inning.
Next, the Giants hosted the defending National League champions Cincinnati Reds for three games. Billy Pierce made a stirring debut for the Giants limiting the Reds to two hits before departing with one out in the 7th inning. Pierce retied the first thirteen batters he faced before Wally Post broke the spell with a solo homer. The Giants rallied behind behind a solo home run by Willie Mays and a two run shot by Orlando Cepeda for a 7 to 2 victory. Next, the Giants won their fifth straight game pounding the Reds 13 to 6. Gaylord Perry made his major league league debut but survived just 2 2/3 innings, surrendering four runs. Both Cepeda and Felipe Alou crushed two home runs apiece, while Harvey Kuenn collected three hits and four RBIs. Don Larsen picked up the win pitching 6 1/3 innings in relief of Perry. The Reds handed the Giants the first setback of the young season 4 to 3. The Giants outhit the Reds 14 to 6, but Frank Robinson saved the victory for Bob Purkey with two brilliant catches off the bat of Jim Davenport.
After the opening week of the season the Giants owned a 5-1 record, but trailed both the Pirates (4-0) and Cardinals (3-0) in the standings.
San Francisco completed the opening homestand of the season by playing the Dodgers twice. The Giants pummeled the Dodgers 19 to 8. The Giants made of the most of their 12 hits, thanks to ten walks by the Dodgers' pitching staff and a barrage of homers off the bats of Felipe Alou, Davenport and Mays. Billy O'Dell pitched a complete game for his second victory of the season. The Dodgers won the second of the series 8 to 7 behind pitching of Don Drysdale and a three run double by Tommy Davis and homers by Frank Howard and Tim Harkness. Mike McCormick was pounded in his first start of the season, absorbing the loss. Willie Mays didn't appear in the game until the 7th inning due a divorce court appearance.
The first road trip of season began with two games at Milwaukee. The Braves won their home opener 6 to 4 over San Francisco, with a four run rally in the 8th inning off Giants relief pitcher Stu Miller. The key to the Braves rally was a misplayed pop bunt by Miller which could have resulted in a double play and instead opened up the flood gates for the Braves. Warren Spahn earned his first win of the season with Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews hitting homers. The Giants salvaged a split winning the next day 7 to 6. Despite two homers by Eddie Mathews and one by Joe Adcock, Juan Marichal survived to pitch a complete game. The Giants exploded for five runs in the 5th and two more in the 7th inning to fence off a late rally by Milwaukee.
San Francisco continued their road trip at Cincinnati rallying from a 6 to 1 deficit to win 8 to 6. Dick LeMay saved the victory wriggling out of a base loaded jam in the 9th inning. Felipe Alou and Ed Bailey hit for the circuit, while Vada Pinson unloaded a three run homer for Cincinnati. The Reds pounded Jack Sanford for five runs in four innings to win the second game of series 6 to 4. Pinson, Wally Post Johnny Edwards each hit for the circuit.
For the week, the Giants record was 3-3 with an overall record of 8-4. The Pirates continued their perfect start to the season (10-0) and Cardinals had a 7-2 record to lead the National League pack.
The Giants concluded a three game at Cincinnati on Monday, April 23rd with a 4 to 1 victory over the Reds, behind a complete game from Billy Pierce. The hitting stars were Harvey Kuenn with three hits and a solo home run by Ed Bailey.
The Giants continued their road at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The Pirates 10 game winning streak to begin the season was stopped the previous day, rebounded to defeat the Giants 7 to 3. Al McBean surpressed the Giants offense, with the exception of a two run homer by Ed Bailey in the 5th inning. The Giants achieved a split of the two game set behind the sparkling relief pitching of Don Larsen and the hitting of Orlando Cepeda, defeating the Pirates 8 to 3. Gaylord Perry pitched the minimum 5 innings to qualify for his first major league win. Don Larsen replaced Perry and struck out three Pirates on ten pitches. A brawl nearly erupted in the 6th inning when Bob Friend decked Ed Bailey, who later responded with a home run.
The Giants returned home for a four game series against the hapless Cubs. Giants rallied from a two run deficit in the last three innings to win the first game 5 to 4, thanks to a two run pinch hit home run by Willie McCovey. A grand slam home run by Willie Mays and a complete game by Juan Marichal led the Giants over the Cubs 11 to 2. Jack Sanford and Billy Pierce each hurled 3 hitters as the Gainst rolled past the Cubs 7 to 0 and 6 to 0. Mays homered in the first game and Manny Mota delivered three hits which drove in two runs in second game in front of 40,973 fans.
The Giants finished the week with a 6 - 1 record, to improve the club's season record to 14-5. The Pirates and Giants were now tied at the top of the standings.
[edit] May
[edit] June
[edit] July
[edit] August
[edit] September/October
[edit] Player Data
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Transactions
04/29 - Purchased Bob Nieman from Cleveland Indians. 05/03 - Assigned Dick Phillips and Dick LeMay to Tacoma. 06/11 - Assigned Gaylord Perry to Tacoma. Recalled Dick LeMay from Tacoma. 06/15 - Assigned Dick LeMay to Tacoma. 07/04 - Signed Bob Garibaldi. 07/13 - Sold Joe Pignatano to the New York Mets. 07/14 - Activated John Orsino from National Defense Service. 07/31 - Assigned Manny Mota to El Paso. Recalled Carl Boles from El Paso. 09/10 - Recalled Cap Peterson, Gaylord Perry from minor leagues.
Major injuries
Harvey Kuenn injured 04/26 thru 05/04. Spiked right foot. Matty Alou injured 04/29 thru 05/17. Torn groin muscle. Felipe Alou injured 05/18 thru 5/23. Bone chips in right elbow. Billy Pierce on disabled list from 06/15 until 07/15. Spiked on right heel. Jim Davenport broken left hand from 08/12 until 08/29. Juan Marichal injured right ankle from 09/06 until 09/22.
Minor injuries and illness
Mike McCormick suffers from sore left shoulder from 4/10 thru 5/8. Limited pitching appearances primarily as a relief pitcher. Billy Pierce suffers from head cold 5/2 thru 5/13. Misses one start. Matty Alou strained groin, limited playing time between 5/18 and 6/9. Ed Bailey injured right thumb on 6/1. Limited playing time until 6/10. Felipe Alou HBP left elbow on 6/10 first game of doubleheader. Misses game two of doubleheader. Orlando Cepeda bruised thigh, misses games 6/15 thru 6/17. Mike McCormick strcuk on left forearm by a batted ball on 7/19. Does not pitch until 7/29. Felipe Alou cracked bone on left instep, misses games on 7/20, 7/21, 8/8 thru 8/9. Willie McCovey pulls right thigh muscle on 7/29. Limited to pinch hitting & occasional start at first base until 8/19. Jim Davenport sprains right ankle during second All Star game. Misses game on 8/1. Jose Pagan left game with stomach cramps on 8/1. Harvey Kuenn sprain right wrist. Does not play 8/2 & 8/3. Don Larsen sore right wrist. Does not pitch from 8/4 until 8/15. Billy Pierce sprains ankle during workout at Philadelphia on 8/24. Does not miss a start. Willie Mays collaspes from fatigue during game at Cincinati on 9/12. Does not play until 9/16. Jack Sanford suffers from head cold 9/22 thru remainder of season. Does not miss any starts.
Fines
Juan Marichal fined $50 by National League for throwing at Del Crandall of Milwaukee on 8/17.
Fights/ beanball incidents/ rubarbs
4/25:game at Pittsburgh, sixth inning. After Orlando Cepeda smashed a 440 ft three run home run over the leftfield fence, Pirates pitcher Bob Friend decked Ed Bailey. Bailey took exception to the brushback pitch and started to approach the mound. Pirates catcher Don Leppert put a stranglehold around Bailey's neck from behind. A mass shoving match followed between the teams, but no blows were exchanged - until Bailey deposited a pitch deep into rightfield seats to make the score 5 to 2 San Francisco.
5/27: game one of doubleheader against New York. Willie Mays was decked twice by Mets pitcher Roger Craig in an at bat in the first inning. Mays singled in a run in the 7th inning off Roger Craig. Roger Craig hit Orlando Cepeda with a pitch in the left shoulder. Cepeda approached Carig with bat in hand and they exchanged words. Cepeda dropped his bat and stomped off to first base. Cepeda continued to exchange words with Craig from first base. Manager Alvin Dark came out of the dugout in an attempt to calm Cepeda down. Cepeda broke towards Craig and Dark tackled Cepeda before he could reach Craig. Play eventually continued with Craig attempting to pick Mays off second base, with the throw nearly hitting Mays in the head. A second pickoff attempt by Craig of Mays was made, with Mays sliding hard back into second base upsetting Mets shortstop Elio Chacon. Chacon jumped on Mays, and a 6 minute brawl erupted between Mays/Chacon and Cepeda/Craig. Mays slammed Chacon to the ground and Mets second baseman Felix Mantilla jumped on Willie's back. Cepeda staggered Craig with a solid left hook. Elio Chacon was the only player ejected from the game.
7/6 - game two of a four game series against the Dodgers at San Francisco.
This is the first game in which Giants Manager Alvin Dark instructed the groundskeeper to apply sand and to water down the infield to counteract the Dodgers team speed- specifically Maury Wills and Willie Davis. Chavez Revine had opened in 1962 and the Dodgers had build a brick hard infield so grounders would streak through the infield and tappered infield foul lines to keep bunts in fair territory. The Giants reckoned they had a right to do what they wanted to their homefield. This running battle over how much water and sand the Giants could put on their infield continued during a three game series from August 10 thru 12 and during game one of the National League Playoffs on October 1st.
On July 5th the Dodgers routed the Giants at Candlestick Park 11 to 3, with the Dodgers stealing four bases. Dark had enough and ordered the groundskeeper to make the infield before the next game soft using sand and water. The Giants trounced the Dodgers 12 to 3 and followed with a 10 to 3 victory on July 7th. The Dodgers did not steal a base in either game. Order was restored from the Dodgers point of view when Sandy Koufax combined with Don Drysdale to shut out the Giants 2 to 0 in the last game of the series.
In late July the Dodgers thrashed the Giants in LA by the scores of 3 to 1, 8 to 6 and 11 to 1. By the time the Dodgers showed up for a three game set at San Francisco on August 10th they led the Giants by 5 1/2 games, which was their largest led of the season.
Alvin Dark instructed the groundskeeper to cut down on the Dodgers speed. The groundskeeper dug a pit around first base and filled it with a mixture of sand, peat moss and water. During infield practice the Dodgers players quickly noticed and informed the umpire. The groundkeeper was instructed to remove the mixture, which he did. Then the goundskeeper saturated the area with water. The umpire then demanded that the puddles be dried out. The groundkeeper proceeded to re-deposited the original mixture. The whole episode shook up the Dodgers. Los Angeles stole no bases and Dodger pitcher Johnny Podres lost his cool when the umpire ruled that Willie Mays had fouled a third strike, which John Roseboro failed to hold. The third base coach for the Dodgers Leo Durocher was ejected for arguing the call. Mays then doubled to initiate a six rally in the sixth inning. The Giants cruised to a 11 to 2. victory.
Manager Alvin Dark responded to the Dodgers complaints about the infield by stating "You have to water down te infield because along about three o'clock the wind blows the dust in everyone's eyes, including the fans."
Dodgers jumped on the Gaints early in game two of the series thanks to a three run home run by Tommy Davis in the first inning off Billy Pierce. Wills still upset about the soggy infield led off the third inning. Wills kept stepping out of the batter's box just as Pierce was about to pitch. The umpire warned Will three times to get back into box and hit. Wills erupted after the third warning, complaining that the umpires had done nothing about the infield. Wills was chucked from the game. ( Wills paid the $50 fine to the National League president in person with a 80 lb sack of pennies.) Meanwhile Pierce hit Willie Davis in the first inning and Willie Mays was decked twice by Don Drysdale and later on Jim Davenport was hit on the left hand suffering a fracture. Los Angeles clung to 3 to 2 led until Willie McCovey hit a pinch hit three run home run off Don Drysdale, giving the Giants a 5 to 4 victory.
Prior to the final game of the series the umpires instructed the ground crew to dry out the infield again, which they did with another layer of sand. But the torment continued for the Dodgers with Juan Marichal pitching a four hitter in a 4 to 1 victory by the Giants. The Giants were back in the pennant race, trailing Los Angeles by 2 1/2 games.
The Giants employed the same tactics of watering down the infield prior to game one of the Natinal League Playoffs on October 1st. A dispute erupted prior to the game between Dodger offical Red Patterson, umpire Jocko Conlan and Alvin Dark. The umpire insisted that the infield be fixed to regulation play that is legitmate for both teams. Dark refused the umpire's request that he reteive the groundkeeper to fix the field. Conlan then directly order the groundkeeper to remove loose dirt around first base. To no avail for the Dodgers, who were mired a hitting slump. Pierce pitched a three hitter, winning 8 to 0.
Personal time off
04/17 - Willie Mays misses part of game to attend divorce court. 05/10 until 05/14 - Harvey Kuenn attends father's funeral service.
Awards
Jack Sanford National League Player of the Month for August
Notable streaks
04/22 - Felipe Alou completes 12 game hitting streak. 04/25 - Ed Bailey hits home run in third consecutive game 05/31 - Orlando Cepeda completes 12 game hitting streak. 06/01 - Billy Pierce wins 8th straight game to begin the season, defeating the New York Mets 9 to 6. 06/26 thru 06/29 - Ed Bailey hits home runs in three games he plays over this period, which either tie the game or win the game. 09/09 thru 09/11 - Felipe Alou: Nine straight hits over three games. 09/11 - Jack Sanford wins his 16th straight decision, which began on 06/17.
Notable single game events
04/21 - Felipe Alou hits a home run off the scoreboard at Cincinnati. 06/26 - Felipe Alou in 10th inning scores winning run from first base on a single against the Cincinnati Reds. 07/15 - Felipe Alou scores from second base on an infield out against the New York Mets. 08/02 - Matty Alou scores the winning run on a squeeze bunt by Ernie Bowman in the 8th inning against Chicago. 09/02 - Felipe Alou hits game winning two run home run in the 9th inning against Cincinnati.
[edit] Salaries
[edit] Uniform Numbers
1: Alvin Dark (Manager)
2: [[Joe Pignatano (Catcher)
3: [[Whitey Lockman (Third base coach)
5: Tom Haller (Catcher)
6: Ed Bailey (Catcher)
7: Harvey Kuenn (Outfield/third base)
9: Wes Westrum (First base coach)
12: [[Jim Davenport] (Third base)
14: Dick Phillips (First base; assigned this number until sent to Tacoma 05/03/62)
[14 (uniform number)|14]]: Carl Boles (Outfield; assigned this number when recalled from El Paso on 07/31/62)
15: Jose Pagan (Shortstop)
17: Cap Peterson (Shortstop)
18: Don Larsen (Pitcher)
[19 (uniform number)|[19]]: Bill Pierce (Pitcher)
20 Bob Nieman (Outfield)
21: Ernie Bowman (Infield)
22: [[Gaylord Perry (Pitcher; assigned this number when recalled from Tacoma on 09/10/62)
23: Felipe Alou (Outfield)
24: Willie Mays (Outfield)
26: Chuck Hiller (Second base)
27: Juan Marichal (Pitcher)
28: Gaylord Perry (Pitcher; assigned this number until sent to Tacoma on 6/11/62)
28: Bob Garibaldi (Pitcher; assigned this number on 07/04/62 when signed by Giants)
30: Orlando Cepeda (First base)
31: Billy O'Dell (Pitcher)
33: Jack Sanford]] (Pitcher)
34: John Orsino (Catcher)
37: Stu Miller (Pitcher)
38: Manny Mota (Infield/Outfield)
39: Dick LeMay (Pitcher)
40: Mike McCormick (Pitcher)
41: Matty Alou (Outfield)
42: Bob Bolin (Pitcher)
44: Willie McCovey (Outfield/first base)
45: Jim Duffalo (Pitcher)
46: Larry Jansen (Pitching coach)
[edit] Trivia
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