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The New York Mets faced the Kansas City Athletics at Connie Mack Park in West Palm Beach, Florida
for a spring training game on March 24, 1962.
The Mets were coached by Casey Stengel and were kicking off their inaugural season in 1962.
Kansas City was coached by Hank Bauer who replaced Joe Gordon midway through the 1961 season.
The A's were dismal as usual, having finished with 100 losses for the fourth time in 10 years.
This audio recording is from the New York Radio broadcast featuring announcers Lindsay Nelson, Bob Murphy and Ralph Keiner.
This is a small prior of the National League. At second place, Joe Lincolotta of the American League
and around at third, Big Tom Gorman of the National League.
Right one count, Tepelix Mantia. Wide stance at the plate, stance deep in the back of his bus, John Wyatt.
Wines and fires. There's a line drive going out into center field.
Jose Turnable drops the ball in center field.
And Mantia is on it first as the relay comes on back into the infield.
It is a line drive in the center. Jose Turnable came in, got his glove on it and then dropped the ball.
Throw of the Mets. Double base runner on.
And Rod Tenille is coming up.
Second baseman Rod Tenille is coming up now.
Starting for the second consecutive day at second base.
Tenille brings the batting average of 40-29 into the test and then fall game for the New York Mets
as the bat contact pitch fails high and it's ball one.
Phoenix Mantia on it first.
Just before the ball game, manager Hank Bauer of the Kansas City Athletics is talking about this fella Tenille.
He thinks it's a good deal of him. Wyatt throws over to first.
Mantia getting back safely.
Again Wyatt is up into the test. He's running and now the ground ball foul.
Hit and run on that time for the New York Mets.
The Mets this spring have won six games and lost seven.
They have played six consecutive games decided by one run.
They have won three of those and lost three of them.
The Mets have a three game winning streak going. They have defeated consecutively the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Kansas City Athletics also have won three straight ball games.
The Kansas City A's managed by Hank Bauer have a spring record of eight victories and five losses.
Mantia leads it first. He's running again. There's a big ground ball to the right side.
He's led by first baseman Norm Steven. Kicked away and he is on it first.
Both runners safe. Runners at first and second.
Norm Steven, the first baseman, had a big glove on it and kicked it away.
And so Keneal is on it first.
And error on Norm Steven at first.
So now the New York Mets have entered at first and second.
There's nobody out in Gus Bell, the right fielder, is coming up.
Defensively the Kansas City Athletics this afternoon have Norm Steven at first base, Jerry Luffy at second base, Dick Hauser at shortstop, Wayne Causey at third.
Manny Jimenez is in left, Jose Tardible is in center, and Gino Somoli is in right.
The catcher is Haywood Sullivan and the pitcher is John Wyatt.
For the Mets, Red Crest is coaching at first base this afternoon.
Tommy Hemas is the coach around at third.
Left hand batter, Gus Bell.
Waiting for the pick. It's low for ball one.
Gus Bell's springtime batting average, 152.
Count of one ball to Gus Bell.
The New York Mets are batting here in the top half of the first inning.
It's County Mike Field in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Runners take their lead at first and second. Wyatt stretches and pitches.
It's in there for a call. Strike one. It's one and one now.
Gus Bell watching it over.
That is a Casey Singel and Haag Bauer, who played for him for very many years, where the New York Yankees had quite a section before the ball game.
When they finished early this morning, I asked Haag Bauer what they talked about. He said,
Now, Gus Bell, back out of the batting box, which is time to get a handful of dirt.
Count to him as one ball and one strike. There is nobody out here.
Ball game just getting underway this Saturday afternoon in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Wyatt pitches and this one is popped up to the left side. Coming fast is Manny Jimenez, the left fielder.
He's under, he's waiting, and he has it. There's no advance.
One man out at Gus Bell is flying to Jose Jimenez in left field.
Man Piaf holding it second. Daniel holding it first. And that brings up Mike Thomas, right-hand batter, clean-up man in my education, singles batting order.
John Wyatt, the starting pitcher this afternoon for Haag Bauer's Kansas City A's, is 27 years of age. He is 6 feet tall with 195.
Purchased in 1956 from El Paso, the Southwest League.
He was up with the big club at Kansas City last year. Got into five games and pitched only seven innings in relief, no record.
With Portsmouth last year, he won nine and lost three.
All right, Wyatt is into the stretch position. Here's the pitch.
That's a line drive, and he's going down the line and left a fair ball. Man Piaf turns it, turns it into Jimenez.
He's got the ball in left, fires it back into second base, and the runners at second and third, one run into the match lead by a score of 1-0.
Mike Thomas with the stand-up double, just inside the bag and down the line and left.
It's going Man Piaf on second. Ted Camillo from first to third.
So the next runner to second and third is Gil Hodges, the first baseman coming up.
Gil Hodges has a springtime batting average of 222. John Zimmer now in the on-dack circle. There is one man out.
Gil Hodges set now. Here's the pitch. He takes it high for ball one.
Gil Hodges getting back into the lineup of the New York Nets here this afternoon. Jim Marshall played the entire game at first base yesterday.
He just started against the Yankees the day before yesterday. He played about half the ball game, and then Marshall relieved him then.
The runner's in scoring position. Here is a fly ball going deep to left field.
Jimenez is going back now. Tagged up at third is Camillo. He's the best man, and he's coming on, and the throw comes in.
That's Camillo. Comes across standing up. So it's two to nothing. The New York Mets out in front of Gil Hodges.
Lifts the fast-refied fly. There are many Jimenez in left field. Hodges gets credit for a run batted in.
And right-hand hitter Don Zimmer comes up. Frank Thomas holding it second on the play.
New York Mets two, and the Kansas City A is nothing. You're in the top half of the first inning.
Number 17, Don Zimmer. Don Zimmer, third baseman. Don Zimmer with a batting average of 333 in the third league competition.
Wyatt checks and fires, and there's one popped up foul on toward first base. Seaborn is digging. Can't get there.
Norm Seaborn, the first baseman, digging over but could not reach the ball, so it goes as a strike to Don Zimmer.
Zimmer has been up 39 times, has 13 bases this spring.
333.
John Wyatt on the mound, looking in to get the sign out from Tetra Haywood Sullivan.
One time he was an outstanding key formation quarterback for the University of Florida.
That's in there in left field for a base hit. Thomas turns it third and is coming out. Jimenez fires the ball in.
And it is cut off, going to second as Zimmer is sliding in, and he is out at second base.
The run does count as Frank Thomas crossed the plate, gives Zimmer a single to left to run batted in.
And he was thrown out at second base.
So it goes there from seven to five to four, as Wayne Cawsey was the man who backed up to the center of the infield and took the throw.
And Zimmer is out of there seven, five, three, and the New York Mets go down to the top half of the first inning.
But they got three runs on two hits. There were two errors and nobody left on base.
And so at the end of one half, any of the players that score is the New York Mets three and the Kansas City A's nothing.
Now for a change of pace, a musical medley.
This is Lindsey Nelson with Bob Murphy and Ralph Kanner at County Night Field in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the New York Mets got three unearned runs in the top half of the first inning.
And now Dick Hauser will lead off. Dick Hauser, right-hand body, shortstop for the Kansas City A's.
And on the round today for the New York Mets, right-handed Bob Miller.
Here's the pitch and the throw for ball one. That's your homey Landry this afternoon.
Miller's been in three games. He has pitched 13 innings, allowed four runs, 14 hits in the 13 innings. He has lost seven and struck out nine.
Pitch is in there for a foul strike one. It's one and one now.
Miller's not getting no victories in one loss this spring.
New York Mets are counting on him for front line duties. Came to them from the St. Louis Cardinals. There's a ground ball to three base backhanded by Zemmick. Straightens up fires over the first to Hodges. He's out at first base.
So Dick Hauser has rounded out Don Zemmick to Gil Hodges. From third to first there is one man up and that will bring up Jose Tardubal, G-A-R-T-A-B-U-Double L.
He's a center fielder in San Diego, Cuba. 22 years of age. Weighs 165 pounds. He's a left-hand batter.
Bob Miller dips into the full windup. Here's the pitch. He dumps it down the third baseline. Zemmick bare-handed throws over the hydras at first but not in time. He beat it out for base hit.
A speedster, Jose Tardubal, dumps the ball down the third baseline. Zemmick came in, feels it bare-handed and fired over the first. The play was handled cleanly but just not in time. So it goes as a base hit.
The Cardinals and that will bring up Jerry Luppy. Formerly with the New York Yankees. Luppy is the second baseman of the Kansas City Athletics. Left-hand batter.
Number 11, Luppy. Jerry Luppy, second baseman. Gilead is holding against it on a Tardubal at first. One man out for the A's.
On a sunny, somewhat windy afternoon in West Palm Beach, here's the pitch. It's a call strike for Jerry Luppy.
Luppy is 28 years of age. From Springfield, Missouri, originally. Throw to first base. Tardubal gets back safely. Hyjee's returned to show the Miller at the mound.
Luppy's still standing in there at the plate. The pitch, down low. It's 1-1. Luppy was traded to Kansas City from the New York Yankees along with pitchers Johnny Ketchum, Tom Sturtevant, poor pitcher Ralph Surrey, and infielder Hector Lopez. That was 1959, early in the season.
The pitch fouled off. This is out of play. Touched one ball and two strikes for Jerry Luppy.
Came up to the New York Yankees for the first time in 1956. Back again in 57. That year in 40 games, he hit 340 for the New York Yankees.
Jerry Luppy. He was in the World Series in 57 and 58 for the Yankees.
Miller into the stretch now. Tardubal leads. Here's the pitch to Luppy and there's a fly ball going deep to right field. That fellow's going back, back.
That's going as far as he can and this was over the wall for a home run for Jerry Luppy.
One batter, Jerry Luppy, pulling Edwin over the right field fence. Going Tardubal ahead of him. Tardubal is coming across the plate. Here comes Jerry Luppy and it's a 3-2 ball game.
Two run homer by Jerry Luppy. That will bring up Norm Seaborn, also formerly of the Yankees.
Number seven, Norm Seaborn. Norm Seaborn, first place win.
One big swing of Jerry Luppy's bat gets two of the runs back quickly for the Kansas City A's and here is left-hand batter Norm Seaborn.
Bob Miller into the windup. The pitch goes high for a ball.
Seaborn's 28 years of age. We're in the bottom half of the first inning.
The pitch goes high for a ball. It's two and 0 to Norm Seaborn.
He was traded to Kansas City by the Yankees along with pitcher Don Larson, first baseman Marv Thornberry, and outfielder Hank Bauer,
our first baseman Ken Hadley, shortstop Joe Demacy, and outfielder Roger Maris. That was on December 11, 1959.
Pitch goes outside. It's three and 0 now to Seaborn.
Hank Bauer, of course, has since become the manager of this Kansas City team.
Three and 0 pitch from Miller to Seaborn. Ball four and he walked him on four-pitch balls.
That brings up Manny Jimenez, left fielder.
Jimenez is a left-hand batter, 22 years of age, 6'185. Came to Kansas City from the Milwaukee organization.
At the call strike one, Manny Jimenez. He was traded to Kansas City by Milwaukee with infielder Ed Charles and catcher Jose Askew and pitcher Bob Scull and infielder Luke Klimchak.
With Manny Jimenez with Charles and Askew, four, Bob Scull and Luke Klimchak. That pitch is outside for balls.
1-1.
Last year at Vancouver, Jimenez hit 325, including 17 home runs.
Throw over to first, not in time. Norm Seaborn getting back safely.
We're in the bottom half of the first inning. The New York Mets lead the Kansas City A's by a score of 3-2.
That's a drive. Base hit in the right field. Guts Bell comes up, up with the ball, fires it back in. Seaborn holds it second.
A shot out in the right field off the bat of Manny Jimenez. That will bring up Gino Simoli.
So the Kansas City A's have two runs in and two men on here off young Bob Miller.
In the bottom half of the first inning, there is still only one man out. Right-handed Gino Simoli is up.
He came to the major leagues initially with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Time call for the moment as Hobie Landris goes out to check with Bob Miller at the mound.
Gino Simoli has been around the baseball war since he came up to the Dodgers when they were in Brooklyn.
He went with them on to Los Angeles. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.
He went on to the Pittsburgh Pirates, came to the Kansas City A's. Gino Simoli.
Miller checks. Pitch is low for ball one.
Arms even, the base runner at second. Manny Jimenez, the base runner at first.
With an overly close stance, Simoli likes to go to right field and the Mets are playing him, traded to right.
Now Bobby Miller, end of the stretch and the pitch. Knocked him down as he got out of the way.
The bat went one way. He went the other inside ball two.
Simoli looks down at JoJo White, coaching at third for the Kansas City A's to get the sign here.
Fouled off the bat of Gino Simoli. Two balls and one strike.
Dario Lodegianni is coaching at first base this afternoon for Hank Bauer's Kansas City A's with JoJo White at third.
One man out. Miller has the sign. End of the stretch. Runners leading it first and second.
Pitch to Simoli. It's in there for a call strike. Two-two, the count now.
He's smoothing out the dirt there in the batting stock, steps back in. Two balls, two strikes.
Now Miller has set the pitch. It's on the way. And he struck him out. Simoli tried to check his swing.
He's arguing now with umpire Bill Keniman behind the plate, but it is strike three.
He's out of there. That is strike out number one this afternoon for Bob Miller.
Runners holding it first and second. Two men out now. And Wayne Carsey is at third base when it's coming up.
He's a left-hand batter. Wayne Carsey.
Bob Miller checks the runners. The pitch, it's outside for a ball.
Wayne Carsey is 25 years old. He was traded to Kansas City by the Baltimore Orioles along with infielder Bob Boyd,
catcher Clint Courtney, outfielder Al Polarczyk, and pitcher Jim Archer for outfielders Whitey Herzog and Russ Snyder.
That was in January of 1961. Carsey with the batcock now. Watches inside for a ball.
Last year with Kansas City in 104 games, Wayne Carsey hit 276. He had eight home runs.
Two balls, no strikes to count to Wayne Carsey.
He's leading it second. Jimenez leading it first. Pitch goes high and it's ball three. Out three and oh now.
Haywood Sullivan in the on-deck circle for the Kansas City Athletics.
Kansas City A's have just announced that starting next year they will be training in North Miami, Florida.
Pitch and it's a called strike one. It's three and one now.
Two men out, count three balls. One strike to Wayne Carsey.
Right, Andrew Bob Miller checks them and fires. Inside he walked him and the bases are loaded.
That is the second walk given up by Bobby Miller.
He struck out one, the bases are loaded.
Right hand batter Haywood Sullivan coming up now.
Kansas City last year hit 242 in 117 games. He had six home runs.
Came to the major leagues initially with the Boston Red Sox.
Had a lot of physical disabilities that Bob Murphy can probably tell us a great deal about.
There is a pitch fouled off by Haywood Sullivan.
When he was first signed to a bonus contract by the Red Sox at that time Bill Dickey considered him one of the top catching prospects in 25 years.
But the big fellow had the misfortune to suffer a slipped disc and had to undergo surgery.
All right he's standing in there now with a count of strike one and the bases are loaded.
Two men out.
Here's the pitch fouled off. It's out of play. Two strike counts.
Norm Stevens the base runner at third. Manny Jimenez is the base runner at second and Wayne Carsey is the base runner at first.
New York Mets leading. The Kansas City A's by a score of three to two and we're still in the bottom half of the first inning.
That's Connie McFeel in West Palm Beach Florida.
Bob Miller getting the signs from Katja Hoby Landriss.
Hazard works for the wind up and the pitch way outside.
Sending Landriss diving out there to make the stop.
Unpowered Bill Tenenman stops play a moment to brush off the plate.
One ball and two strikes now to Haywood Sullivan.
Young pitcher Bob Miller trying to get out of trouble here in the bottom half of the first inning.
Here's the wind up and the pitch.
Nice ball inside. Two to the count.
Two balls, two strikes, two men out. Bases loaded.
Bob Miller looks over at third. Now goes into his wind up.
It's the curve ball. A gargoyle short. Mantia has it going to first base. With it in time he's out to retire the side.
Haywood Sullivan grounded out short to first from Felix Mantia across to Gil Hodgeett and the Kansas City A's go down to the bottom half of the second inning with two runs on two hits.
No errors and three men left on base. And at the end of one full inning of play the score is the New York Mets three and the Kansas City A's two.
Right now we're going to the top half of the second inning.
John Wyatt on the mound for the Kansas City A's and Jim Hickman is up there to lead off.
Jim Hickman is a right hand batter. Heading 222 this spring.
Wyatt now into the wind up and here's the pitch.
This is a fly ball going to right field. Gino Somoli has called. He's moving it underneath and he has it for the out.
So Jim Hickman has fly to right field and that will bring up catcher Hobie Landriff.
Number five Hobie Landriff. Hobie Landriff, catcher.
Landriff is a left hand batter. Has not seen a great deal of action this spring simply because he is the most experienced of the catchers on this squad as far as National League competition is concerned.
And that is the single that wanted to get a good look at some of these younger catchers.
Chris Cannizzaro, Choo Choo Coleman.
Pitcher John Wyatt. Wines and fires. A swing and a miss. It's strike one.
One man out and nobody on base for the Mets. Batting here in the top half of the second inning.
The pitch outside for ball.
One ball, one strike.
Red Crest coaching it first. Salihimis at third. Cookie Lavageto is handling the bullpen these days.
Red Ruffing and Rodgers Hornsby left back in St. Petersburg. The pitch is inside. Ball two. It's two and one.
Red Ruffing and Rodgers Hornsby handling the squad left back at Miller Huggins Field in St. Petersburg to work out while the squad is on this five day swing over to the East Coast.
They'll be going back Tuesday night to St. Petersburg and take on the Los Angeles Dodgers next Wednesday.
Here's the pitch to Landriff.
Hineway. Ball three. Three and one now to Hobie Landriff with pitcher Bob Miller due up next for the New York Mets.
Most of the Mets have moved out of the dugout and are either seated on the ground leaning back against the fence or on the one bench along the first baseline enjoying the sunshine today.
There's a fly ball. The left center field. Manny Jimenez has called for it. Jimenez is waiting and he has it for the outdo.
Two men away. It'll be Miller coming up while we're waiting for him to get up there. We pause now for station identification.
810 on your dial. WGY. WGFM is connected. He does smoothest rounds around.
This is Lindsay Nelson with Ralph Cantor and Bob Murphy in West Palm Beach, Florida and Bob Miller is up there now with two men out and nobody on for the New York Mets.
Miller's a right-hander all the way. So is right-handed. That's right-handed.
John Wyatt winds and fires and this one just popped up coming over out of play.
Directly over our broadcasting position located out in the open here at County Back Field.
We'll take a look at the brownies that came down from North Palm Beach. Tomorrow afternoon we'll be at Sabino Beach to bring you the game between the New York Mets and the Washington Senators.
Wyatt taking a moment to get the sign here. He has a strike one count to Bob Miller.
It's in there for a count strike two. Firing that one right down the pipe.
They're like two men out in the top half of the second inning.
John Wyatt winds and fires in there for a count strike three. He struck him out.
That is the first strike out of the day credited to pitcher John Wyatt as he gets the opposing pitcher Bob Miller and in the top half of the second inning.
The New York Mets go down in order. No runs, no hits, no errors, nobody left on base and at the end of one and one-half innings of play the score is the New York Mets three and the Kansas City A's two.
Going now to the bottom half of the second inning and pitcher John Wyatt is coming up for the Kansas City Athletics. He'll be followed by Dick Hauser and Jose Tardubo.
Bob Miller still in there for the New York Mets.
Here's a pitch that's fouled off for strike one.
This is Wyatt's first time up this afternoon as the Kansas City A's are riding a three-game winning streak and so are the New York Mets.
Pitch, serve ball, breaking high and it's one and one to John Wyatt.
There was a great deal of visiting to be done back and forth here this afternoon before the ballgame of course as the writers following the New York Mets wanted to chat with Hank Bauer and Norm Seaborn, Jerry Luffy, those who were formerly in New York.
There's a swing and a miss. It's strike two, one and two now.
One ball and two strikes.
Miller's pitch, swing and a miss. He struck him out. That is the second strike out of the afternoon for Bob Miller as he returned the compliment that Wyatt paid him a moment ago by striking him out.
So there's one away and Lee Dogg Manthee and Harjit coming up. He grounded out. Manthee to Harjit short to first in the second inning.
Harjit chokes up a little bit, has lots of speed. Oh, strike one, strikes down the pipe on the bases. He's at terror.
Miller again delivers, goes high. For ball it's one and one.
And as the case is single, as Jim Hickman out there in center field this afternoon, he gave John DeMare a pretty good run there for several games.
And now he has stuck Jim Hickman in to see what this young fellow can do in the outfield.
Here's a couple of fellows he could play out there, Joe Christopher and of course Ashburn is his number one man out there. It's a call strike to house it.
Richie Ashburn is a veteran at the center field position.
One ball and two strikes. Chuck Sitton has called the ball. Hobie Landers almost fired the ball down to third base when Don Zimmer hoping for a strike call, but it goes two-two.
Both John DeMare and Jim Hickman have shown in Grapefruit League competition thus far they can feel the position, they can throw, they can both run.
So the question is who can hit consistently enough to step into an outfield bird.
Guys, the Mets will be counting on the young fellows to step in there of course as the season progresses. That's the idea of building the ball.
So here's the pitch. There's a fly ball going to left field, left center. Hickman is coming in now. Hickman takes it. And Dick Houser has flied out to Jim Hickman, two away.
And Jose Tartabal, who's single in the first inning, is coming up. Left hand batter. Two men out, nobody on base. The Kansas City Athletics.
The New York Mets leading the Kansas City A's by a score of three to two.
Here's Miller's pitch. Down low for a ball. Don Zimmer, mindful of what happened the last time Tartabal came up, has moved on to step on the edge of the grass at third
as Tartabal dumped the ball down the third baseline and beat it out last time, showing lots of speed getting down to first as Zimmer handled the ball cleanly but not in time.
Now here's a line drive going in the right and Gus Bell is right there. Doesn't move and takes it for the outs.
So Tartabal has lined out to Gus Bell and right and the Kansas City A's go down to the bottom half of the third inning in order.
Wyatt Houser and Tartabal out with no runs on no hits, no errors, and nobody left on base.
And at the end of two full innings of play, the score is the New York Mets three and the Kansas City Athletics two.
We'll be going to the top half of the third inning and the New York Mets will have the head of their batting order up. Felix Mantia, the shortstop.
He'll be followed by Rod Kniell and Gus Bell.
Hayward Sullivan throws those down to second to ball around the infield and back out to pitcher John Wyatt.
Now Felix Mantia steps in to lead off four of the Mets, top of the third.
Batting order posted in the dugout before the game had Chacon on it, but Chacon did not take batting practice in that position.
Mantia did and of course Mantia started the game.
Redhander John Wyatt with the first pitch to Mantia outside for a ball. He bluffed a bunch. Ball one.
Swing and a miss. It's one and one. One ball, one strike.
Mantia's D'Casey Stingle spent quite a bit of time visiting with pitching coach Ed Lopat before the ball game.
Lopat of course was his pitching coach the last year that Stingle managed the New York Yankees.
Lopat replaced Jim Turner. There's a foul ball coming over and out of play.
One ball and two strikes.
Mr. Murphy, who is catching foul balls today? Have we delegated Mr. Kiner for that duty today?
I think we should rely on the sure hand of Mr. Ralph Kiner, yes.
If Kiner is so appointed and if struck in the teeth he will be held accountable.
If I am struck in the teeth, that is.
All right, one ball and two strikes to Felix Mantia.
Game to the Mets from the Milwaukee Braves. Wyatt's pitch, a little tight.
Two balls, two strikes now.
Mantia was stuck in there at the shortstop position by a manager, Casey Stingle,
when the Grapefruit League competition was opened two weeks ago this afternoon in St. Petersburg against the Cardinals.
But it did not take Delio Chacon long to sort of take over at that position.
Let's take another look at Mantia. Pitch is inside. It's three and two now to Mantia.
In the great years of the Milwaukee Club, 57, 58, 59, along in there, Felix Mantia had a big hand.
He was a utility man and stepped in frequently into the lineup, gave them a big lift.
There's a foul ball back and out of play.
Three balls and two strikes to Mantia.
Rod Kaniel is on deck.
Charlie Neal out of the lineup for the second consecutive day.
Neal has already shown this spring that he is at top form.
Here's the pitch. Pitched him tight and he walked in so the Mets have a base runner.
As Mantia goes to first with the base on balls, that is the first walk given up by pitcher John Wyatt of the Kansas City A's
and brings up Rod Kaniel, who was on on Seabrook's era at first base in the first inning.
Rod Kaniel, right-hand batter, so K-A-N-E-H-L.
Wideshakes. Mantia leads.
Here's the ground ball, the third base, and it's going on out into left field.
Wayne Kazee got a glove and it went right on and Mantia goes to third.
The throw is going to second and he's off the line there.
And Kaniel goes into second. The Mets have runners at second and third.
Wayne Kazee got over, barely touched it and he went on out into left field.
And Mantia continued on to third. The throw went to second base.
And Kaniel had turned at first, kept right on going, and is in at second base.
So the Mets have runners at second and third and that's going to bring up Gus Bell with nobody out.
So the Mets have a one-run lead there, leading by a score of three to two.
We're in the top half of the third inning and they're going for more here.
That is scored by the official scorer as a double for Rod Kaniel.
That is a two-base hit for Rod Kaniel, sending Mantia to third.
All right, Bell is standing in. It's an open stance. Here's the pitch.
Blowing away, ball one.
There is nobody out.
Bell fly out to left field in the first inning.
Wyatt's pitch calls strike one, one and one.
Wyatt looking in to get the sign from Haywood Sullivan.
Has it now into the windup.
There's a line drive going into center field for a base hit.
Mantia has come on to score. Kaniel is coming on to score.
As Tartabot fires the ball into second base, holds Bell at first,
but he gets two runs batted in on the line single into center field.
The New York Mets lead by a score of five to two.
Gets Bell ripping the ball straight away out of the center field,
scoring both Mantia and Kaniel.
There was no sort of the play that came to second base to keep Bell from advancing on the throw in.
And Frank Thomas is up now.
Frank Thomas ripped the ball down the left field line in the first inning to drive in the first turn of the ball game.
Got a double.
There's still nobody out.
Gets Bell at first base.
Wyatt's pitch to Thomas.
Send him down into the dirt.
Turned him out of there. It's ball one.
Bill Hodges is now on deck for the New York Mets.
Bell takes his lead at first.
Pitch to Thomas. It is high for Ball. Two and nothing.
The Mets took a lot of good-natured ribbing from the Dodgers after yesterday's ball game.
The Dodgers are saying, gee, you guys have beaten the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Why don't you go right on out and take on the Stonems?
Take on the Giants right now.
Walter O'Malley said, I'll give you my playing and you can be on your way.
Pitch is low and away. Ball three.
So it's out three and nothing now to Frank Thomas looking down to Solly Hemis, the Mets' coach at third base.
Still nobody out.
Score five to two, New York leading Kansas City in the top half of the third inning.
Inside ball four, you're walking.
That pushes Gasbell up to second.
Frank Thomas walks down to first.
That is a second walk given up by John Wyatt and brings up right-hand batter Gil Hodges.
Turn the sacrifice fly to left field in the first inning.
A delegation came over today from Boca Raton to support baseball here in West Palm Beach.
And they've been greeted with a sunny day, a little bit windy.
Runners at first and second lead.
And Hodges shortened up, took outside for ball one.
Hodges looking down to Solly Hemis now at third, shortened up as though to bunt with nobody out.
Shove those runners up. The Mets lead five-two.
Wyatt again goes into the stretch.
Swing and a miss. Hodges took a rip at that one.
Roger Craig in uniform this afternoon moving around in the dugout area of the New York Mets.
He and Al Jackson were not in uniform yesterday.
Ed Virovitz, they were given the day off.
After the victory over the Yankees, they will be pitched again next Tuesday against the Yankees, Craig and Jackson.
The stretch and the pitch down into the dirt dug up by catcher Haywood Sullivan.
Two balls in one strike.
Kansas City A's have Norm Seaborn defensively at first base, Jerry Lumpy at second, Dick Hauser at short, Wayne Causey at third,
Manny Jimenez in left, Jose Tartabal in center, Gino Somoli in right.
Two balls in one strike to Gil Hodges.
Foul ball. It's out of play.
So the count is leveled up at two balls and two strikes now.
Gets fell to base runner at second. Frank Thomas, the base runner at first.
Here's the pitch. Foul ball. It's out of play.
The count holds at two and two on Gil Hodges.
Gil Hodges seemed to know his way around Virovitz pretty well yesterday.
He's sure he was there for many, many years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Here's the 2-2 pitch. There's the fly ball going to left field.
Manny Jimenez moves underneath. He is waiting and he has it. There is no advance.
Both runners halfway on the fly ball to left.
So there is one away. It's Hodges. It's fly to Manny Jimenez in left field.
Bell returns to the bag at second. Thomas returns to the bag at first.
And that will bring up third baseman Don Zimmer.
Right hand batter Zimmer singles. He's driving around the first inning. Don Zimmer.
He watched himself out at second trying to stretch it to a double.
Ball at Hodges hit just now. It was into a strong wind when it left the plate.
So it might be going deep, but it's held up and Jimenez moved in underneath.
This one is popped up bow coming over to the right.
And got very, very close to Mr. Schiner.
So it goes as a strike. What became, Mr. Murphy, of our foul ball catchers?
I think we both got faked out by the telephone pole.
I think it was a P-8 or something. It was about four feet away.
And a huge telephone pole about five feet away. We didn't know which way to jump.
All right. It's strike one to Don Zimmer.
At the plate with one man out and runners at first and second.
Rocked him back. It's one and one.
One ball, one strike. One man out.
John Wyatt checking now.
He's got to work. Here's a pitch. That turned him out of there.
Two balls and one strike to count to Don Zimmer.
Don Zimmer nailed down the third base position on this ball club in a hurry
when spring training opened for the New York Mets.
But he's hustled and he's enthusiasm in a way he's been swinging that bat as well.
He nailed down that position right from the start.
Don Zimmer with a count of two balls and one strike right now.
The pitch.
And as the drive going deep to center field,
Tartabull is going back, back, but this one is one hop to the wall.
The spell is coming on this court.
Thomas is at third base as the relay comes into the end field.
Thomas holds his third.
It's a double for Zema over the head of Jose Tartabull.
One hop to the wall. 383 feet away in center field.
The Mets lead by a score of 62. They have runners at second and third.
They still only one man out and Jim Hickman is coming up.
Zimmer, two for two here this afternoon, and he has batted in two runs, a single and a double.
By Thomas. He's at third base and Zimmer is at second.
Here's Hickman up there.
He's flat out to right field in the second inning.
Jim Hickman with Portland last year was selected by the New York Mets from the St. Louis organization.
And here is a broken bat line drive into left field, dropping in for a base hit.
Spell has come on this court. Zimmer is coming to the plate.
He scores the throw go to second base.
Hickman has a single left and two runs batted in.
And now it is eight to two. The New York Mets are in front.
As Hickman broke his bat with that line drive out into left field, as it scored Frank Thomas and Don Zimmer,
there is still only one man out.
And Hobie Landriff is coming up. He has a left-hand batter.
On the way to the plate right now.
New York Mets have scored five runs this inning.
Off right-hand pitch is John Wyatt of the Kansas City Athletics.
Felix Mantia starts his off with a walk, then Keneal doubled.
Gus Bell single to drive in two.
Frank Thomas walks. Hodges slide to left.
Don Zimmer doubled over the head of Jose Tartabola and centers to drive in a run.
And Hickman has just single to left to drive in two.
Last time up, Landriff slide to left field.
He's nothing for one.
He watches outside for ball one.
New York Mets with a big inning here in the top half of the third at West Palm Beach, Florida,
against the Kansas City Athletics.
And he gets a call strike there as he brought the batter on, tried to check it,
but the young guy behind the plate says he went through, so Kennaman causes a strike.
New York Mets beat the Chicago White Sox 8-4.
That's the most runs that they have scored in a single game,
and right now they're leading in this one by a score of 8-2.
So they are at their all-time high right now.
That pitch is inside the Hobie Landriff. It's two balls and one strike to Landriff.
The Mets came into this afternoon's game with a spring record of six victories and seven losses.
Here's the ground ball going down to first.
Norm Stebenfield did in fair territory, steps on the bag and he's out.
Hickman moves to second. There are two men down now.
Landriff topping that one down the line to first, and Norm Stebenfield did the ball near the bag.
Hickman, of course, moving to second, and Bob Miller is the ninth man to come to the plate this inning for the New York Mets.
They've scored five runs on four hits in this inning, five runs on four hits,
with a couple of walks thrown in.
Hickman takes his lead at second base now.
Right-hander John Wyatt is in picking position. The pitcher's on the way.
And there is a line drive over the head of Steben, down the line and right field.
Hickman is turning third and coming out. It's a holy throw.
It's coming into first base, and Bob Miller, the pitcher, has delivered with a run better than on a line drive single,
over the head of Steben. He jumped before he couldn't pull it down,
and the Mets have batted completely around in leadoff man Felix Mantias coming up.
And now the Mets have scored nine runs.
This is the most that they have scored in any ball game ever.
Nine to two, the Mets over the Kansas City Athletics.
Felix Mantias started all of this with a walk, coming up for his second time here in the top half of the third inning.
Felix Mantias chokes up just a little bit on the bat.
The pitcher, Bob Miller, leaves it first. John Wyatt delivers in there for a call strike one.
The New York Mets with their biggest inning ever here, the top of the third against the Kansas City Athletics.
The Athletics were rained out yesterday at Pompano Beach. Here is a pitcher blowing away.
They were scheduled to play the Washington Senators at Pompano yesterday, but were rained out.
Miller leaves it first. The pitch took a lot off of that one, and it is tapped and pulled foul.
Wayne Coddy comes over in foul territory to field it and toss it back.
The short is one ball and two strikes.
The Mets have scored six runs on five hits.
In this inning, they lead by a score of nine to two.
Gordon Jones throwing in the bullpen to the Kansas City A's, right hand to Gordon Jones.
The pitch is low and outside. It's 2-2 now to Felix Mantias.
I remember the 1957 season in Pittsburgh when Mantias collided with Bill Bruton on a fly ball to deep short seven.
Bruton was out the rest of the season for the Milwaukee Braves.
The pitch is outside and Mantias came back and played a good part of the remainder of the season.
It's 3-2 now to Felix Mantias.
Two men out, 3-2. Pitcher Bob Miller on it first. He'll be moving with the pitch.
There goes Miller. 3-2 he walked in.
So Mantias draws his second walk of this inning.
That's the third walk given up by pitcher John Wyatt.
Miller is at second. Mantias at first and Rod Kaniel is coming up.
He doubled in the third and he's been a ground ball out past Wayne Cousy who tried to backhand it and could not
and it went on out into left field and the score is a double for Rod Kaniel.
Still two men out, six runs in this inning for the New York Mets.
Bow balls, men often out of play.
Bow balls get over here in a hurry don't they?
Tell you that's the man I'm watching today.
I don't want to lose it.
Strike one count to Rod Kaniel. He's been on base both times he's been up.
We were saying earlier manager Hank Bauer, the Kansas City A's, was very complimentary of this young fellow before the ball game.
Bow ball coming over along the first base line where we're located.
A strike two count.
Manager Hank Bauer of the A's was saying that he thought Rod Kaniel would make a very excellent utility man because he can be used as an outfielder, as an infielder, second baseman here today.
It's in there for a cold strike three. He struck him out to retire the side.
So the New York Mets go out in the top half of the third inning on six runs, five hits, no errors and two men left on base.
And so at the end of two and one half innings of play the score is the New York Mets nine and the Kansas City A's two.
We'll be going now to the bottom half of the third inning. It'll be Jerry Lumpy coming up as we're waiting for him. We pause now for station identification.
A-10 on your dial, WGY, WGF, and Schenectady to smooth the sound around.
This is Lindsey Nelson with Ralph Kander and Bob Murphy at County Mac Field in West Palm Beach, Florida. As we move to the bottom half of the third inning, Jerry Lumpy comes up against right-handed Bob Miller.
Lumpy had a two-run homer in the first inning as he drove the ball over the fence in right field.
There's the pitch inside to Jerry Lumpy, it's ball. Lumpy is the player representative of the Kansas City Athletics.
Wind up and the pitch. There is the ground ball going up the middle for a base hit for Jerry Lumpy. Jim Hickman comes up with it, fires it in, turning and holding it first.
Jerry Lumpy with his second base hit of the day, this time a single, on the ground up the middle into center field.
So the Kansas City Athletics turned up Norm Seaborn. Now he walked in the first inning, formerly of the New York Yankees.
This is a fellow who had a great deal of trouble with left field, with the sun field at Yankee Stadium.
It actually got to be quite a thing with him.
Here's the pitch inside for ball.
Gordon Jones still throwing in the bullpen for the Kansas City Athletics.
Lumpy leads it first, and there's a one-half of the scoring pass, Canneel and on out in the right field for a base hit.
Gus fell up with it. Lumpy is digging for third, the throw across the diamond. Lumpy slides in safely at third, holding it first Norm Seaborn.
He ripped that one just outside the reach of Rod Canneel going to his left between first and second.
So Seaborn has a single to right, and the Kansas City A's have put together back-to-back singles off Bob Miller.
Lumpy now is at third, and Norm Seaborn's at first. There's nobody out, and Manny Jimenez is coming up. He's singled in the first inning.
The New York Mets leading by a score of 9-2.
This is by far the most comfortable lead that the New York Mets have enjoyed in Grapefruit League competition.
This is their 14th game. They actually have been out of only two of those ball games, the first one which they lost 8-0 to the St. Louis Cardinals,
and the game that they lost to the Milwaukee Braves, the only two they have really been out of most of the way.
Here's the pitch fouled off, a strike one to Manny Jimenez.
Coming into this afternoon's game, the Mets had played six consecutive games decided by one run.
Lost three straights and then won three straights, all one-run ball games.
That is interesting baseball.
Bob Miller now up on the rubber, goes into the stretch.
Even at first, Lumpy gets third, takes her lead, the pitch is low and away.
One and one, the count now to Manny Jimenez.
Tomorrow afternoon we'll be at Pompano Beach to bring you the New York Mets and the Washington Senators.
We'll be on the air at 1.25 Eastern Standard Time, game time 1.30 Eastern Standard Time.
Pitch to Jimenez goes outside, it's two and one.
There was a lot of baseball talk in the dugout before today's ball game.
Veteran manager Donnie Bush was there with manager Casey Stengel.
Veteran scout Ted McGrew on hand.
They can take you almost all the way back to double day.
Bob Miller, set the pitch low, and it's three and one now to Manny Jimenez.
1960 with Austin in the Texas League, he hit 359.
Last year with Vancouver, he hit 325 and had 17 home runs.
Manny Jimenez, manager Hank Barr said before the ball game he's delighted to have him,
even if he did have to give up pitcher Bob Shaw.
In the deal he thought he got actually about three for one in the trade.
Bob Miller now leans over to get the sign, has it.
This is a three-one pitch on the way, and it's a ground ball, a grass cutter to Mantia.
He placed a conel for one to relay the first, he's safe at first base and a run has scores.
As Jerry Lumpy crossed the plate, Manny Jimenez beats the relay.
Norm Steven with fours from Felix Mantia to Rod Camille, it goes 64 to scoring.
The relay is simply not in time, and that will bring up Gino Somoli, right-hand batter.
We have a nine to three ball game now, the New York Mets nine, the Kansas City A's three.
There is one man out and a runner at first base.
Jimenez has lots of speed, he gets down there in a hurry.
Hit to call, strike one, right down the pipe to Gino Somoli.
Again they are playing him shaded over toward right field.
With that slow stance he likes to go in that direction.
A little check and deal, inside football.
One and one now, and time is called.
If Hobie Landis wants to go out and confer for a moment with Bob Miller again.
At the plate, Gino Somoli conversing with umpire Bill Kennaman of the American League.
Gino Somoli was one of the outstanding athletes of the San Francisco area during his school days,
and the finest all-around athletes ever produced in that area.
Gino Somoli.
Miller is set to work.
A pitch, inside for ball.
Two and one now to Gino Somoli.
Wayne Kazee has moved into the on-deck circle.
Kansas City A's have won three straight Grapefruit League games.
With a record of eight victories and five losses overall.
Howell's strike, got it in there.
Two balls, two strikes.
President George Weiss of the New York Mets and General Manager Bessie Bavasi of the Los Angeles Dodgers
had a long, long talk last night after the ball game.
In there for a call of strike three.
Got him looking.
And that is strikeout number three for young Bob Miller, two men out.
Manny Jimenez holding it first, and Wayne Kazee is coming up.
He walked in the first inning.
First President George Weiss of the Mets is likely to be in close touch with General Managers everywhere
as we near the time when clubs will be cutting squads and players will become available.
It's in there for a call of strike.
When you are building a ball of clubs from scratch, as the Mets are,
of course you have to start with the best you can get and then start to build whenever and wherever you can.
Jimenez leads. That pitch goes outside because it's one and one.
Sunny afternoon in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The pitch builds high.
Two balls and one strike.
The New York Mets leading by a score of nine to two.
In case you have joined us along the way, they got three runs in the top half of the first.
Kansas City came right back in the bottom half of the first to get two, and Jerry Luffy had a two-run homer.
Then the Mets came back in the top half of the third inning as the veterans started to explode here,
and they got six big runs to make it nine to two, and then Kansas City scored one to make it nine-three.
That pitch is low. Ball three and strike one now to Wayne Kazee.
Kansas City has scored one this inning.
This will be a three-one pitch to the left-hand batter.
And as a long drive going to right field, Gustav going back.
This one is off the wall. Jim Hickman comes up with it.
Weaves it in. Hillen has his rounding third as the throw comes through the infield.
He goes back to the bag as Don Zimmer scoops it up. So it is a double off the wall at the 350-foot sign.
For a left-hand batter, Wayne Kazee, who pulled it up there.
Bell went back as far as he could go, and Jim Hickman actually took the Ricky Say off the wall,
fired it back into the infield.
Himanek has pulled up at third. Wayne Kazee pulled up at second.
And now it's Ketcher Haywood Sullivan, a right-hand batter coming up.
Kansas City Athletics have run it at second and third. There are two men out.
They have one run in this inning.
Haywood Sullivan grounded out from short to first in the bottom half of the first inning.
Sullivan, a rangey fellow.
Standing in and waiting for the pitch from young Bob Miller of the New York Mets.
He looks at Himanek as at second. Kazee, Himanek as at third. Kazee at second.
And the pitch goes outside for a ball. It's 1-0.
Runners take their leads.
Here's the pitch.
Came inside and it's ball two.
Two balls and no strikes to Haywood Sullivan.
Miller works with a windup.
Swing and a miss, four-strike one. It's two and one.
Haywood Sullivan looking for distance there to cut.
Play him almost straight away.
It's two-one pitch. Swing and a miss. He's got away and comes all the way back.
Here comes Himanek to the plate and he scores.
And now the throw miss is coming back. And another play at the plate and he scores.
So two runs are scored here for the Kansas City A's.
With such a windup for you again, here was the situation.
Pitch low and away got by as Sullivan took his cut.
And it was chased down by Landrace. As Himanez scored, Landrace's throw got away from Miller,
went back to the infield, and Wayne Kazee took his turn and came on.
And so Don Zimmer came up with the ball, fired it back to the plate, but both runs have scored.
So it's three runs in this inning for the Kansas City A's and it is now a nine-to-five ballgame.
As Himanez and Wayne Kazee score, the ball never getting very far away from home plate in that exchange.
Hayward Sullivan has accounted two balls and two strikes.
We have got the official scoring for you as soon as we can get in touch with the official scorer.
We are now located in our immediate area here.
Scored as a wild pitch and an error on the catcher. That would be on the throw back to the plate.
So scored as a wild pitch and an error on the catcher which allowed Kazee to score.
Himanez scored on the wild pitch.
That's low and away. It's ball three, three and two now.
So the Kansas City A's have three runs on three hits and one error here in this inning thus far.
And after the third swing and a miss he struck him out to retire the side.
That is strikeout number four for Bob Miller.
In the bottom of the third the Kansas City A's get three runs.
On three hits, one error and nobody left on base.
And so at the end of three full innings of play, the score is the New York Mets nine and the Kansas City Athletics five.
Thank you very kindly, Lindsey. Better run than Gus Bell.
The leadoff again. Move along that on the forefooting and we've got a real pure sixth ball going in this game today.
You usually see a lot of runs scored in this particular part.
Bell swings and hits the ball foul back against the fence.
Down the left field line, three thirty. Down the right field line, three thirty.
They have a rather high green fence all the way around.
The wind is usually pretty strong here. Today it's been blowing in favor of the left-hand hitters.
Gus is last time up single to center field driving in Felix Mantilla and Rod Camille.
Wind up in pitch by Wyatt. Curve that's in there for a call strike.
Two strike count on Gus Bell.
Nine to five, the score in the ball game.
Top of the four inning the Mets have picked up seven bases off Wyatt and the A's have a total of six off Bob Miller.
Frank Thomas waiting on Deacon and Gil Hodges.
It's already a big day for the veterans of the Mets.
Frank Thomas, Gil Hodges, Don Zimmer, and Gus Bell have all driven runs in.
Outside one ball, two strikes.
Gus now has five RBIs for the spring.
Wind blowing hard toward right field, the infield and the outfield swung around the right.
A fly ball hits a center field running for it.
If the center field are Tartabull and he makes the catch for the out.
Tartabull was over in right center and had to return to straight away center to take the fly ball hit by Gus Bell.
One away, nobody on. Now in the top half of the fourth inning and the hitter is Frank Thomas.
Frank has a perfect day at the plate going. He doubled to drive in a run in the first inning.
Drew a walk and later scored in the third inning.
Frank came in the game hitting a 333.
Six RBIs to his credit.
Been a real good spring for the veteran outfielder Frank Thomas.
Wind up pitched by Wyatt.
A high pop up to shallow left center field. Might be tough to reach.
Here comes Tartabull. He dives but he has to catch it on a trap.
And it's a base hit for Frank Thomas.
There was quite a try by Jose Tartabull, the left handed throwing center fielder of the Kansas City A's.
He left his feet, made the head first dive, and he came up with the ball but it was a trap.
And so it's a base hit for Frank Thomas. Frank has two for two.
One away and one on. Here comes Gil Hodges.
Gil has pulled the ball both times up in today's game. And any time you pull a ball to left field out here this afternoon,
you're hitting the ball into the teeth of a mighty strong wind.
So Gil is 0 for 2 on two outfield flies to left.
Here's the pitch to him. A high fly this time hit down the right field line.
When carrying the ball toward the line it may blow it foul and it does a foul ball out of the park.
That ball started out stereo and passed the infield.
Still a fair ball but the wind kept sweeping it and carried it over the wall in foul territory.
Gordy Jones starts loosening up in the bullpen for the A's once again.
This is one of the few free-hitting contests that we've had so far in spring training.
Well the Mets their 14th game.
They had one game washed out in the third inning because of a real downpour over in St. Petersburg.
Norm Sieber now holding against the runner Frank Thomas.
Here's the pitch to Gil. Look out. Inside and high. Gil had to get out of the way in a hurry.
One ball, one strike.
Gil Hodges, one of the classiest guys in baseball, and you never saw any one player get a better greeting
from his former teammates than Gil got yesterday in Vero Beach.
You can tell the Dodgers are mighty glad to see him.
Don Drysdale for one has gone on record as saying, make no mistake about it, but Dodgers are going to miss Gil.
Foul back upstairs and out of play.
One ball and two strikes now on Gil Hodges.
The Mets will be opening their home season at the Polo Grounds on Friday, April 13th against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
And of course, seats are now on sale for the opener at all 81 home games.
A smash foul pulled down the left field line. Gil's ripping in the best ball today.
Jay is playing some catch now, and Ed may give Hodges a spell after this inning.
This is the top half of the fourth inning. Game sent to you with the best wishes of Ryan Gold, extra dry.
Now John Wyatt, the right-hander pitches. This is the outside edge.
Even count on Gil Hodges at two and two.
Salihimas directing traffic on third. He's had a real good workout over there today.
The Mets already have scored nine. Their high runout put for the entire spring training season.
Red Crest on the coaching lines at first. Reds two and oh. Two straight wins, coaching at first base.
Pitching two and two. In the dirt, good stop by Haywood Sullivan.
Kansas City has probably the youngest ball club in the major leagues.
After finishing in a tie for tenth, they decided that they had only one way to go, and that was up,
and they are really switching the accent to youth. Their average age will be about 23 and a half.
Pitching three and two, the runner goes, and it's a dry foul hit down the left field line and out of play.
Now Frank Thomas will have to retrace his steps. The count remains at three and two on Gil Hodges.
The A's feel they have a solid infield.
Hank Bowers says he compares his infield favorably with that of any American League team.
The big puzzle for the A's, of course, is pitching. A couple of spots in the outfield and catching.
So they have plenty to work on.
Thomas edging away. He's on the go. The three-two pitch, a high fly ball hit into the wind to left field.
Manny Jimenez comes in, coming in, and he makes the catch in left field for the A's.
Now there are two away in the top half of the fourth inning, and that brings up Don Zimmer.
And Zip is off to a real good day, two for two, singled in the first, driving in a run,
and then doubled in the third inning to drive in another run.
So Don Zimmer, two for two, two runs batted in.
Don also scored a run in the third inning.
Zimmer is third baseman.
Don, feet not too far apart, up close to the plate, holds the bat off the shoulder.
Now to pitch to him. An off-speed pitch that's in there for a strike.
Well, you feel almost as terrible as on Christmas Day when you get weather like this
after the day we had yesterday over in Vero Beach.
Most of the games in this area were rained out yesterday.
The pitch on the way, a little bit low, Zip laying off of it, one ball, one strike.
Nine to five, the Mets been in front, top half of the fourth inning.
Frank Thomas on first, there are two away.
Right-hander John Wyatt pitches Thomas running, a line drive to right center field,
it'll be in for a base hit.
Thomas around second, headed toward third, hard to bowl up with it.
Thomas has the green light around third, he'll try and score.
No relay throw by Lumpy.
The run is in as Thomas crosses the plate, standing up on a right hip and run double
to right center by Don Zimmer.
Well, Ralph, that's making the hit-and-run play work in perfection.
That certainly was well done by Zimmer.
He had Thomas going, hit behind him, and hit it hard enough to hit the double
to score him all the way from first.
A real, very good play.
That's the tenth run of the ball game for the New York Mets,
and they now lead the Kansas City A's by a score of ten to five.
For Don Zimmer, he's now three for three, has knocked three runs in, and scored a run.
Two doubles and a single for Don Zimmer.
Now Jim Hickman is up, Jim lined the base hit to the left field,
driving two runs in, his last time up.
A swing and a miss, rank one.
This fellow, Jim Hickman, is a marvelous defensive ball player.
If he hits it all, he's going to be quite a player.
He popped everybody's eyes wide open over in Vero Beach yesterday.
When he took a fly ball in left field, he was running toward the line when he made the catch,
wheeled instantly, and made a tremendous throw,
and he almost got one of baseball's fastest men, Willie Davis, at home plate.
Willie had to slide to get in there.
A high fly hit down the right field line, galloping toward the line goes Geno Somoli,
but the wind carries its foul over on the roof of the tool shed, and it bounces out of play.
The Mets now have ten runs on nine hits.
We're in the top of the fourth inning.
Little Don Zimmer leading the Mets in RBIs down here with eight RBIs in 14 ball games,
and actually he hasn't played all 14.
He's been in most of them, though.
The batter is Jim Hickman with Don Zimmer on second.
Okay, she's been saying, I've been mighty proud of my pitching,
and I'm waiting for my hitters to break out, and they're breaking out today.
Strike, a fastball on the outside corner, and Hickman is called out.
In the fourth inning for the Mets, one run, two hits, no errors, one left on.
At the end of three and a half innings, the score here at County Mike Stadium in West Pound Beach, Florida,
it's now the New York Mets ten and the Kansas City A's five.
Now the last half of the fourth inning, and we'll watch to see if the A's have a pinch hitter coming up.
They have been warming up a right-hander, veteran Gordon Jones from the bullpen,
and they have their pitcher, John Wyatt, who's been hit hard by the New York Mets,
scheduled to lead off in the last half of the fourth inning.
Okay, that's Lucey at first base for the Mets, now replacing Gil Hages.
Bill Lashaway has come out of the dugout and may be the pinch hitter for John Wyatt.
Lashaway will long be remembered by the Baltimore Orioles because he was one of two players in addition to money,
but they gave up to the Los Angeles Dodgers to acquire a slugging first baseman by the name of Jim Jim Teal.
Bill Lashaway from Garden City, Michigan, he's 27 years old, a quick-footer who weighs 180,
and last year at Omaha he had a good year batting 320.
The Mets are ahead of the A's by the Dodgers along with Gordy Winhorn for Bob Prescott and Jay Ward and Alphelan Spann Johnson.
Bill Lashaway, left-hand hitter waiting. This is over for a call strike.
Everybody out, last of the fourth, Mets 10 and the Kansas City A's 5.
Bob Miller out of his line to pitch his breaking ball, slug and miss, two-strike count.
Tomorrow night the Mets will be saying hello to one of baseball's nicest gentlemen, Mickey Vernon.
Mickey now managing the Washington Senators. The game will be at Pompano Beach.
One high by Bill Lashaway, one ball and two strikes.
The speedy Dick Hauser, the leadoff hitter, waiting on deck, followed by Jose Tardibull.
Something about this young team that the A's are experimenting with, if they go with it, it will be a team with a lot of speed.
Breaking ball inside, 2 and 2.
Two of the veterans of the A's, pitcher Jerry Walker and outfielder Gene Stevens, have been kept on the sidelines with injuries.
Walker heard he's back in the early part of spring training, but he's all right now, and Gene Stevens has been kept out of action with a bad knee.
Hit hard on the ground, down to first. Ed Boucher makes the play, waves the pitcher Bob Miller off, and makes the play unassisted.
Went away and nobody on.
Here comes Dick Hauser. He had a great rookie season last year.
Little fellow was more than they dreamt he would be. He was one of the real base dealers in the Major Leagues last year.
He hit 35-37 bases.
Hauser, a right-hand hitter.
Only Louis Aparicio of the White Sox could fill for more bases in the American League last season than Dick Hauser.
Outside and low.
And batting leadoff, he knocked in 45 runs and he hits for a good average.
Hauser 0-2 in the game.
Looks it over, it's outside and low, ball 2, 2-0.
Bob Miller working on the man for the miss.
And Hobelandrath behind the plate.
Pitching 2-0.
Over his head it's taken, ball 3, 3 a-missing.
Last year Kansas City played in a very spacious ballpark. They had the fences moved way back,
for they figured they would be out-homered by the opposition.
The left field fence was about 380 feet. They're bringing it in this year.
Ball 4, outside and low, and Miller walks Hauser on four pitches.
And now while Jose Tarnabal comes up to hit, we'll pause for station identification.
Stay ten on your dial, WGY, WGFM's connected, it is smooth as found around.
Bob Murphy along with Lindsey Nelson and Ralph Keiner from County Mac Stadium,
West Palm Beach, Florida.
The hitter is Jose Tarnabal, the center fielder.
He bunted for a hit on the first and lined a right field in the second.
Left hand hitter lines the ball hard into right, a clean base hit.
Dick Hauser sprinting around second, he's on his way to third.
The throw comes in from Gus Bell, and the A's have runners on first and third.
Tarnabal putting together a strong game.
He dumped a bunt down the third baseline, beat it out for a hit in the first.
In the second he hit a hard liner that Gus caught in right field,
and now he's singles with a liner in the right.
Now Cookie Lavagetto is sending the sign down toward the bullpen
when they get some warmup action for the Mets.
The batter is Jerry Lumpy, the veteran second baseman.
Lumpy hit a two-run homer in the first and single to center in the third.
He's two for two.
Jerry's standing straight up and down, feet not too far apart,
not toward the front of that batter's box.
A high foul ball off the fifth, drifting over toward the crowd.
It'll be out of play.
Runners on first and third, one down, last of the fourth inning, 10 to 5, the Mets in front.
Cleanup hitter Norm Seaborn on deck, and then the left fielder Manny Jimenez.
Next pitch, Randhart up the middle of base at the center field.
Hauser is in to score. Tarnabal is around second. He'll go on to third.
And now it's a 10 to 6 ball game. The Mets lead cut to four.
It's Jerry Lumpy, three for three, and three runs batted in.
Now we'll have the warm-up action in the Mets bullpen.
Right-hander Bob Morad will start getting ready.
The game continues at the beginning of side three.
Looking for the double play against the tall, ranging, hard-hitting Norm Seaborn.
Seaborn has drawn a one-tickle to right-hander.
Fast ball in the inside corner, a call strike.
Of course, Seaborn was the key hitter.
It's been a very important concern when they traded Roger Maris to the Yankees.
Although he certainly has been far overshadowed by Maris, nonetheless, Seaborn has been Mr. Offense for Kansas City the last couple of years.
One ball taken high, one ball, one strike.
Last year Seaborn hit 18 home runs and knocked 98 runs in.
He led the A's by a wide margin in the power departments.
The same was true the previous year.
He drives the right center field hustling for it. If Hickman, he'll have to play it on a half.
It's a base hit.
Jose Tardibol is in the score in the seventh run of the game for the Kansas City A's.
And they now have runners on first and second, one out.
They have two runs in here in the last and the fourth inning.
And that's three hits in a row.
Tardibol, Lumpy, and Seaborn connected.
Jimenez, left fielder.
Now the batter is Matty Jimenez, the left fielder.
Jimenez, the left-hand hitter, has singled a right, reached on a fielder's choice, which knocked a run in.
This game now closing up. It's 10 to 7 in the next league, get to three.
Swing and a miss, a big riffle, and a breaking ball pitched in tight on Matty Jimenez.
Jimenez, very strong looking, left-hand hitter, feet wide apart.
Seventeen home runs in the Coast League last year.
Mets have the defense figuring him as a pull hitter as they swing around toward right.
Runners on first and second, one man out.
Line drive caught by Rod Canille from the Mantilla for the double play that retires the side.
A hard line drive that went right to Rod Canille, and Canille pegs the ball to Mantilla for the double play that retires the side.
In the fourth inning, Kansas City, two runs.
There were three hits. No errors, one left on.
So it's four innings complete.
We're going now at County Match Stadium in West Palm Beach, Florida. The New York Mets, 10.
And the Kansas City A's, 7.
Four inning total from this plug fest.
For the Mets, 10 runs, nine hits, one error, they've had three left.
Kansas City, seven runs, nine hits, two errors, and they've had four left on base.
Both starting pitchers, John Wyatt and Bob Miller, were hit hard.
And we'll have a new pitcher in the game now for Kansas City as the veteran right-hander, Gordon Jones, comes on.
Jones, previously with the San Francisco Giants,
but he came along to the Baltimore Orioles with Jackie Brand in the exchange that sent Billy Lowe and Millie O'Dell to the Giants.
Brand developing into a real star in the offfield for the Orioles.
And a year before last, Gordon Jones turned in a very fine job as a short-release man for the birds.
He started last year with the Orioles, but when the touchdown date came with the number of young pitchers on the staff,
Paul Richards sent Gordon Jones to Rochester in the International League.
We hope they've got plenty of Reingold on hand because, well, we're going to be playing ball again here in just a minute.
So why not open up or order up a cold glass of Reingold?
It's beer as beer should taste.
Rookie right-hander John Wyatt was hit hard. In four innings, he gave up 10 runs, 9 hits.
He walked three and he struck out one.
Here to four in the spring training appearances, Wyatt has been very impressive and the A's were quite high on him.
O'Dell Andrath leading off against veteran right-hander Gordon Jones.
Gordon actually is on the Portland roster. Taking high, ball one.
31 years old, not the type of pitcher that can overpower you.
He relies on a good swinger and tries to keep everything down low.
Infield and the outfield around toward right.
Ball two, two balls and no strikes.
Neil Chrisley has come out on the on-deck circle and Neil will hit for Bob Miller.
Right in there for a call strike, two and one to O'Dell Andrath.
Bob Moorhead cranking up in the bullpen for the Mets. He'll be on the pitch in the last of the innings.
Ball three is outside and now Gordon Jones is behind three and one.
Gordon Jones has spent time with the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and the Baltimore Orioles.
Three-one delivery and it's a high pop foul back toward the dugout.
Hoping for a play as Haywood Sullivan, he's waved off by Wayne Cosby and he takes it.
Third baseman Wayne Cosby came right over side by side with him and took it.
So it's one away on the top of the fifth inning and the pin center now is Neil Chrisley.
There are Neil Chrisley.
Number eight Chrisley originally started out in baseball in the Boston Red Sox organization.
Batting for Miller.
Still looking for his first base hit in spring games. He's been used by KC as a pinch hitter down here.
He has good power when he can get a hold of one.
Now Gordon Jones looking in to Haywood Sullivan for his sign.
Right-hander winds and pitches. Strike on the inside corner.
Jones pitched a winter ball and his arms seemed to gain in strength for him.
He was striking out more hitters during the winter in winter ball than he normally had before.
Breaking ball inside and low. One ball, one strike.
Neil Chrisley hitting. Dick Hauser has swung way over toward second.
Back on the rim of the center field grass.
Jerry Lumpy deep on the right side of the infield and Norm Seebern back deep.
Swing and a miss on a fastball.
1-2 to count now on Neil Chrisley who's up hitting for Bob Miller.
Bob Miller was tagged freely in this game this afternoon.
In four innings the blind right-hander gave us seven runs, nine hits.
Sidearm delivery, swung on it, missed, he struck him out.
So Gordon Jones fans the pinch hitter Neil Chrisley.
Two outs, nobody on now on the top of the 5th. There's Felix Mantia coming in.
Felix has been up three times today and been on base three times.
He had a line drive in the first inning that the center fielder Jose Tardibol dropped for an error.
Walk in the third, later scored, Andrew walked again in the third.
The third inning the Mets had 11 men up.
In the dirt, no damage done, nobody on, ball won.
Well for a team that has played six consecutive low-scoring one-run ball games,
the game today is quite in contrast.
During those six games there were two one-to-nothing ball games.
Line drive through the hole, a base hit to left field.
And so Felix Mantia is on base for the fourth straight time.
That's base hit number 10 for the New York City Tigers.
That's base hit number 10 for the New York Mets and it brings up second baseman Rod Canille.
Rod received it in the first on a boot charged and armed Saban.
Then he smacked one down the left field line in the third inning for a double.
Was called out on strikes for the final out of the third.
Mantia and Canille are both up twice in the third inning.
He joined us late, the Mets scored six of their ten runs in the third.
Ground ball bounced towards short to his right of his house or he grabs it, throws to Lumpy,
and they get the fourth play on Mantia to retire the side.
So the Mets are out in their half of the fifth inning.
No runs, one hit, no errors, one left on.
We've come halfway and at the end of four and a half innings, the score,
the New York Mets 10 and the Kansas City Yays 7.
Now the last of the fifth inning at County Match Stadium, West Palm Beach, Florida,
on a real sunny, pleasant afternoon.
Bob Moorhead is on now to take over the pitching for the New York Mets.
Bob Miller in four innings allowed seven runs, nine hits.
He walked three and he struck out four.
Last year at Jersey City, Moorhead won five and lost six.
The year before last at Jersey City, he was eight and nine.
So Bob has had ample minor league experience beginning in 1957
when he pitched at Temple and at Allentown.
Geno Samoie leading off against Bob Moorhead in the last of the fifth inning,
the Mets out in front by three.
Wind up by the right-hander, his pitch, swing, and a miss strike one.
Geno playing right field, was up twice in both hands,
he took a call, third strike from Bob Miller.
Geno deep in the box, feet wide apart.
Buzzer right in there for a strike two.
Geno Samoie has a lot in common with many of the fellows on the New York Mets,
and that he has played on some real good ball clubs over the last half dozen years
and been a fourth or a fifth outfielder.
And rightfully perhaps field, but he hasn't had every chance to play every day
and really blot them out.
Outside and low, one ball and two strikes.
Geno Samoie facing Bob Moorhead, no relation to Seth Moorhead.
The wind up and the pitch on the way, taking the ball two in the count of even a two and two.
Geno Samoie facing Bob Moorhead, no relation to Seth Moorhead.
The wind up and the pitch on the way, taking the ball two in the count of even a two and two.
Bob Moorhead makes his offseason home in LeMoyne, Pennsylvania.
He was born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
Strike three called, he whips that one over the outside corner,
and Geno Samoie with a third straight time is caught looking at a third strike.
What a win, nobody on. Last of the fifth inning, and that brings up Wayne Causey.
Wayne Causey, Mary Call, was one of the flurry of bonus players
signed by Paul Richards when he left the White Sox and took over in the dual role
as general manager and field manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
He's a left-hand hitter.
Strike one.
Last year Andy Carey opened the season at third for the A's,
then when Wayne Causey got a chance to play, he came through so well
that the A's were able to trade Carey to the White Sox.
Inside and low, one ball and one strike.
Bob Moorehead has good size, hard-throwing right-hander.
He's only 24 years old.
Now he winds the pitch on the way.
Ground ball on the right side of the diamond.
Rod Kinneal is up, but it paves to Ed Boucher and plenty of time for the out.
Two down.
So Bob Moorehead, big blind right-hander from LeMoyne, Pennsylvania,
quickly disposes of Gino Somoli and Wayne Causey.
Two outs and nobody on.
The hitter is 6'4 in Haywood Sullivan.
Moorehead cranking up.
Don Jimsey spits.
Outside and low, it's ball one.
We have a broadcasting perch out in the open today,
and I imagine that we're all three going to look like well-done Maine Lobsters
by the time the game's over.
Outside and low, ball two, 2-0 on Haywood Sullivan.
The way the weather has been the month of March in Florida,
not too many people are walking around with much of a suntan.
Strike, good fastball on the outside of the field.
Strike, good fastball on the outside corner, 2-1.
Ten to seven to score, the Mets leading in the game.
We're in the last of the fifth inning.
Pitching 2-1.
Swing and a miss on the count of either.
Joe Joe White coaching at third and Dario Lodigeni on the lines at first for Kansas City.
And he low-pat as the pitching coach and Hank Bauer the manager.
Two-two pitch.
swinging.
Very good inning for Bob Moriarty.
He gets off to a good start.
No runs, no hits, no errors, none left on.
Five innings complete and the score,
the New York Mets 10 and the Kansas City A's 7.
Now we move along to the sixth inning at County Mac Stadium,
Westbound Beach, Florida.
Those of you planning to be with us tomorrow afternoon,
the game will be at Pompano Beach against the new Washington Senators managed by Mickey Vernon.
The Monday game will be against the Baltimore Orioles at Miami Stadium.
The Tuesday game in Fort Lauderdale against the New York Yankees.
Then after the Tuesday game, the Mets and the Dodger Plains fly back to the other coast
to their home base, St. Petersburg, Florida.
Now here we go along to the sixth inning,
a fellow coming up to the plate who had a lot of home runs
and a man who had a tremendous amount of home runs, Ralph Kanner.
Thank you, Bob Murphy.
All set to go in the top of the sixth with the New York Mets out in front
by a score of 10 to 7.
And the first batter, Gus Bell, left-handed batter against Gordon Jones
who came on in relief of John Wyatt.
Jones the right-hander to the left-handed batter.
First pitch is called, strike one.
John Wyatt worked the first four innings, giving up all 10 of the runs in the ball game,
after those coming in the third inning for the Mets.
And then he allowed in that time over his stint nine base hits.
Gordon out with a slow curveball.
It's outside, ball one.
One ball, one strike.
Jones so far has worked one inning.
He's given up one hit.
Last year with Rochester, he had a 500 record, eight wins, eight losses.
Strike call, a fastball through in the outside corner, one ball and two strikes.
Gordon Jones started his career back in 1949 with Fresno.
Started out in the St. Louis Cardinal Organization.
He's 31 years of age right now, 6'1", 190 pounds, lives in Sacramento, California.
Sidearm fastball, swing and a miss, strike three.
So Jones takes up his second strikeout, getting Gus Bell, four out number one here in the sixth.
Dave Wickersham is now warming up in the bullpen for Kansas City.
Donald Schleffhielder.
Frank Thomas stepping in.
Gus Bell now one for four on the day.
He has scored a run and he has driven in two big ones.
That was in the third inning.
Frank Thomas coming in, perfect day, two for two, also a walk.
He scored three times and he's driven in one.
First pitch to big Frank is a slow change of pace, ball one.
Jones does not throw hard, as Bob Murphy told you earlier.
Relys on a sinking fastball, throws a knuckleball, and pulls around with a slider.
There's a slow curveball bouncing in the dirt, ball two.
Getting by the catcher, Haywood Sullivan, two and all.
Met's lead by three runs, top of the sixth inning.
Frank Thomas came on in the game batting 333.
He had six runs batted in.
So his two for two today will add to that average.
And he now has seven RBIs for the spring training season.
Frank has missed some RBIs by not more than a couple feet on some long drives
over the left field fence throughout the spring training season.
Just foul.
Fastball at too high, ball three.
Frank last year had a big year for Milwaukee after being traded there from Chicago.
The three-oh pitch to Thomas, strike calls.
He was taking three balls, one strike.
Strangely enough, Thomas did not hit well in Chicago, and that has become a hitter's part.
Years ago, the wind blew in most of the time in Wrigley Field there.
But over the last six or seven years, the prevailing wind has been out,
and it's become quite a hitter's part.
Ernie Banks doing very well there.
One of the top hitting short stops of all time.
So now we have a 3-1 situation with Gordon Jones taking time in the mound.
Now the wind up, two Frank Thomas high inside, ball four.
So Thomas is on for the fourth straight time, his second walk,
and the batter stepping in, Ed Boucher, who is in the game as a batter for the first time,
replacing Gil Hodges in the fifth inning.
Walk number four, picked up by the Mets in the ball game.
They have a total of ten hits, ten hits and ten runs.
Back to Ernie Banks for a second.
He's now playing first base for the Chicago Cubs.
Fast ball that's high, ball one.
Boucher, a left-handed batter against the right-handed Gordon Jones.
Jones stretching, comes back with a slow curve, ball two.
Ed Boucher over to the Mets from the Chicago Cubs, also played there with Frank Thomas,
had his best years with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Left-handed batter with a slightly open stance right on top of the plate.
Next pitch is low, ball three.
Boucher has a slight hitch in his swing, and Rogers Hornsley,
the batting coach for the New York Mets, has been trying to work on him,
trying to get the hitch out.
I've found over my period of baseball that trying to get a hitch out of a swing is almost impossible.
It's something that's just borned in.
Down too low with a fast ball, ball four.
That moves Thomas up 90 feet down to second base.
Boucher gets first free, and the batter now, Don Zimmer, and he's had quite a day.
Zimmer here, free base one.
Zimmer, a perfect day so far, a single and a run batted in in the first inning,
a double and a run batted in the third inning.
He also scored in that inning, and a double on a hit-and-run play to drive in a run in the fourth inning.
Three for three.
Don executed a perfect hit-and-run play with Frank Thomas on first base to drive Frank all the way in from first base.
Her ball outside, ball one.
Zimmer a right-handed batter.
Mets now with runners at first and second.
They lead 10 to 7, and there's one out here in the top of the sixth.
Dave Wickersham still throwing in the bullpen for Kansas City.
Next pitch to Zimmer, swung on a miss, a vicious swing, strike one.
One ball, one strike, and Sullivan now going out to talk it over with Jones.
Evidently, he was crossed up in the sign.
Haywood Sullivan, one of the all-time great football players for the University of Florida, now catching for Kansas City,
started his career with the Boston Red Sox.
Now Sullivan back behind home plate, giving the sign to Gordon Jones, a right-handed pitcher.
One-one count.
Don Zimmer crossed over, takes outside corner, strike two.
Perfect curveball, breaking on the outside corner, one ball and two strikes.
Outfield shaded just the shade towards right field, and the center fielder playing very deep.
Zimmer chased him all the way to the 383 foot mark in center field with a double.
There's the ground ball down to the shortstop that goes on through into left field,
going around from third base Frank Thomas and going to third base Lucey.
A throw there, not in time, and Zimmer holds it first.
Well, we'll have to wait and see how that scored.
It scored an error.
They had no chance at two.
The ball was a fairly tough chance, and Hauser going over to his right, got to the ball, and it went on through.
So that adds a run to the ten that the New York Mets have.
The score now 11-7, and runners are now at first and third, and Jim Hickman the batter.
Jim Hickman, one for three in the day, has a single and has scored a run.
Right-handed batter, big tall fellow, very good-looking ball player.
First pitch to him is up high, ball one.
As Bob Murphy told you earlier, this fellow showed us a great arm yesterday on a fine throw from left field.
Has very graceful actions in the outfield, runs very smoothly, throws very well,
and if he can hit, he can really add to his future.
There's a pop-up in foul territory, the first baseman, Seaborn, coming over and making the catch to runners' holes.
So that's out number two as Hickman goes down, and that brings up Holby Landriff the catcher.
Landriff the catcher.
Holby Landriff, a left-handed batter, stepping in the batter's box.
Score now 11-7 in favor of the New York Mets, two outs in the sixth.
First pitch to Holby is a strike called, and we pause now for station identification.
Strike count, Holby Landriff the batter with two outs, and the next pitch is drilled through the center in the center field.
A base hit, that'll score one, run number 12.
There goes Zimmer at a third base.
The throw is not in time, Zimmer makes a head-first slide, and on the throw of the third, Landriff goes on down to second.
Zimmer with a fine head-first belly slide, getting in there, beating the throw, just barely beating the throw,
and now the Mets lead by a score of 12-7, a base hit for Holby Landriff,
and that brings up the pitcher for the first time, Bob Moorhead.
Number 22, Bob Moorhead, Bob Moorhead pitcher.
Two runs in in the sixth inning with two outs, Moorhead a right-handed batter in the batter's box.
Zimmer out at third base, covered with dirt after that head-first slide, Landriff at a second.
First pitch to Moorhead is a curveball outside, ball one.
Well, there was a rumor before the ball game that Gordon Jones was going to be showing off here,
possibly for the benefit of Mr. George Weiss, the president of the New York Mets.
Jones has not looked too good in his short stint against the Mets today.
There's a slider that's outside, ball two.
Wind blowing very strongly towards right field.
Jones able to wind up with runners at second and third, comes back to the plate,
the ball's hit off at the end of the bat, down to the first baseman, Seaburn.
He takes it all by himself, unassisted to retire the side.
In the inning for the Mets, two runs on one hit, one error, two men left.
And the score at the end of the top half of the sixth inning, the New York Mets 12, the Kansas City Athletics 7.
Score of the ball game now, 12 to 7 in favor of the New York Mets.
The Mets now with their biggest run scoring output of the spring training season of their history actually.
And they had their biggest inning to date in their very short career.
They scored six big runs in the third inning, sending 11 batters to the plate.
Bob Moore hit on the mound for the New York Mets.
Get him ready now to work to the Kansas City Athletics leadoff man.
And we have a pinch hitter for the pitcher, Gordon Jones, Gordon Windhorn.
And he takes the first pitch by Moorehead. It's outside, ball one.
Windhorn, last year, was with Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he hit 242 and 33 times at bat.
Also played at Omaha for the Dodger organization. He lives in Phoenix.
Pitch to Gordon, hit hard to Zimmer's right. He dies, knocks the ball down, has no play, and that should go as a base hit.
Zimmer made a good try knocking the ball down. Actually saved it from going for two bases, as Windhorn is an exceptionally fast runner.
Windhorn had some fine seasons for Denver in the American Association.
Throw a base hit by Windhorn, officially scored, and a batter stepping in Dick Hauser.
First base hit off of Moorehead. Hauser now taking on the corner at the knees, strike one call.
Windhorn not being held on to Boucher. And the next pitch to Hauser, good curveball, call, strike two.
Boucher playing behind the man, as he does not figure to run, as the Kansas City Athletics trail in the ball game by five runs.
Bottom half of the sixth inning, and it's percentage baseball to play it safe at the spot and go for the beginning.
Strike two pitch, just missing a curveball, ball one, one and two.
Hauser, 0 for 2, was retired on a good play in the first inning by Zimmer at third base.
Bide out to center field in the second and walked and scored a run in the fourth.
Right-handed batter, fast man. There's a foul ball and on the play.
Hauser was fooled completely on a curveball and had to throw his bat to get a piece of it and just barely did.
So he stays alive, a count one and two, as the ball went off the end of the bat while the bat was flying through the air down towards Don Zimmer.
Zimmer picked it up, handed it back.
Now that's when you're having a good year when you can throw the bat at the ball and still stay alive.
One of the first-time great bat throwers and base hitters off of bat throwing was Dixie Walker of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
There's a curve that's down low, ball two.
Many a time in a hit-and-run play with the pitcher pitching out, Dixie would throw the bat at the ball and actually come up with a base hit.
He was an outstanding hit-and-run man.
Dixie now living down in Birmingham, Alabama.
The ball down to Zimmer, he's going to second with it. In time, the first base, in time, not in time.
They picked the first man up at second base on the force play as Mantia turned it to the second baseman Canelo.
And then the throw to first base, a close one, and the umpire sits safe.
I'm sure that manager Casey Stengel might make an appearance in a regular season on a decision.
Not that we're right or wrong on it, but he'd like to get out. There he is. He's got to say hello to his fans right here in town.
I'm not trying to umpire the play, but when they're that close, why, you just got to go out and talk to them about it and explain.
So if you're scoring, Windhorn is out 64.
Dickhouser is safe in the force play at second. There's one out and the batter stepping in.
Jose Tardibol, left-handed batter, he takes the strike.
Tardibol played a Victoria last year, hitting 304. In this game, he is two for three.
One for a base hit in the first inning and scored a run.
Then lined one to right field that was caught in the second.
Then single to right field in the fourth and scored a run.
Pitch is outside, ball one. One ball, one strike.
Tardibol looks like a pretty good prospect.
Stands with a closed stance right on the plate.
Holds his bat high in a vertical position.
Bob Moorehead checking the run at first. He's not being held on. There's a ground ball hit in the hole.
Canille goes over, keeps it in front of him, then can't pick it up as it bounces off of his chest and the battered Tardibol is safe.
For the play, Howser moved down to second base. They're now runners at first and second.
And we're waiting now to see how they score the ball.
Second base one.
It was a fairly difficult chance, but not too difficult.
And still no sign on the board. We'll have to go that it might go as an error.
Now coming up, Jerry Lumpy. Lumpy with a two-run home run in the first inning has a perfect day going for him
as he's added two singles to the home run and he's three for three.
A left-handed batter trying hitting second baseman.
Runners at first and second, one out. First pitch, two Lumpies fouled away, strike one.
Now Lindsay Nelson returning from a short trip down to the press box has informed us that it was scored as an error.
We have no communication at all with the press box where we're broadcasting from and the scoreboard has no error sign evidently.
One strike pitch to Lumpy is high outside, ball one.
Lumpy last year battered a fine 293 for the Kansas City Athletics.
Runners at first and second, Moore had back to the plate outside with a good fastball, but it's ball two.
Two balls and one strike.
Moore had in his first jam since he has been in the ball game. He came on in the fifth inning to replace a Bob Miller.
He has yet to give up anything that looks like a big hit. He has allowed one so far. That was off the glove of Zimmer.
Now the next pitch is lined to center field. This could drop in.
The center fielder, Heckman, comes in, traps it, comes up with a ball, and now going over to third base
after holding up to see if the ball would be caught was Dick Hauser.
So on the play, the runners move up one base. They are now loaded up, and the batter stepping on is Norm Seaborn.
That was a fine play by Heckman and center field, charging the sharply hit line drive.
He got it on the trap. The umpire had to give the sign to indicate it was trapped and not caught in the air.
And holding up on the bases, the runners did have a chance to move up one.
So now Morehead in his first big jam, and Lumpy steps in. Lumpy now four for four.
Make that Seaborn steps in. Lumpy now four for four with his base hit.
Seaborn also a perfect day, two for two. Checks on the swing, but it's called a strike. Curveball by Morehead.
Norm Seaborn walked in the first inning, then singled to right field in the third, and singled to center in the fourth.
Last year he had 296 for the Kansas City Athletics. Wurz glasses, bats from the left-hand side.
Base is loaded. Morehead into the full windup, comes back with a slider that's ball two.
Morehead taking time. Now swings into the windup. Next pitch is just outside. Two balls now and one strike.
Kansas City has a three-game win streak going for them, as has the New York Mets.
They have an eight and five record this spring. Morehead now into the full windup, comes back with a curve, and it's fouled away.
Strike two. Two balls and two strikes. One half to score 12 to seven in favor of the New York Mets.
Outfield fouled way around. Seaborn a full hitter, and they're playing deep in right field.
The wind holding the ball up in left allows the left fielder to play a little more shallow than normally.
The 2-2 pitch by Morehead is down low, and that goes to three balls and two strikes.
1,843 announced as the official attendance here today at Conny Mack Field in West Palm Beach, Florida.
So now Seaborn and Morehead all the way up. The string is out. 3-2, they battle right down to the line.
And into the stretch now as Morehead checks the runners, backs off the mound.
Bob Morehead going into the stretch position to keep the runners from moving.
Now changes to the full windup as they will not be moving with one out.
Next pitch is checking the swing down on the ground. The play is coming home. Landroth makes the catch on the force play, and that retires out number two.
On the play, of course, the runners are all moving up. And Seaborn would have had a walk. He tried to check on the swing.
The ball was high out of the way, but couldn't get his bat out of the way, and he dribbled it down towards Zimmer at third base.
Don up with the ball, took the option of throwing to home plate, and he picked up the force out there.
So now two away in the batter is Manny Jimenez.
Jimenez left fielder.
Manny Jimenez, a left-handed batter with a single and three times up.
Holds the first pitch foul down towards the right field side, strike one.
Jimenez with a fine here at Vancouver in the Pacific Coast League last year, hit 3-0-5.
Has a little bit of the Melat stance, and then he picks up that front foot and sets it down again.
Malachor sticks his foot way in the air. Jimenez doesn't do that far.
Now Moore head into the full windup. Back with a curve. It's off the end of the bat. Zimmer will come up with it and take the play at third all by himself, and that retires aside.
In the innings for the Kansas City Athletics, no runs on two hits, one error, three men left, and the score at the end of sixth complete inning.
The New York Mets 12, the Kansas City Athletics 7.
Dave Wickersham, now pitching for the Kansas City Athletics, looks in for the sign.
Right-hander.
Had an 0-2 record at Kansas City last year. Mantia pulls foul, strike one. One ball and one strike.
He also pitched at 3-4, where he compiled a 14-11 record.
Wickersham, 26 years of age, 6'3", comes back to Mantia with a slider. He jumps high in the air as Mantia hits it back through the box, hauls it down, throws over to Sebring at first, and he gets his first man.
The pitcher, number 26, is Wickersham. Wickersham now pitching for the Athletics.
That brings up Rod Kniell, Rod with a double, and four times up. A score of two runs, batting for the right-hand side.
Wickersham started playing ball in 1955 at Burlington. There's a strike called.
Sitting down right below us, Mrs. Joan Pason, who threw a very fine party for the ball club last night.
There's the ball hit out the right field. The right fielder coming on strongly is there, and he makes the catch.
Coming in quickly, took that ball in shallow right field for out number two. Two up and two down as Wickersham gets his first two, and the batter stepping in is Gus Bell.
Also Mrs. Don Grant, well, Mrs. Casey Stengel down below us. So the feminine side watching this ball game.
That was really a nice party we had right here in West Palm Beach. Two outs, the first pitch to Gus Bell is high, ball one.
Wickersham back to the big left-handed batter with the slider that's down low, ball two.
Oh, I didn't realize you were such a big shrimp scampi fan last night at that party. Oh, you'd have to go for shrimp scampi the way that tasted.
You were doing a pretty good job in there yourself. You didn't pass up anything. Oh, I had both feet to trough. I gotta admit that.
Oh, you were slinging away with both hands. Two ball pitches, call, strike one. Two and one.
Don't let our sidekick get away with too much either. He was in there pretty good too.
You know, he's kind of a sprinter at that game. I think you and I are kind of stretch runners.
He's a sneaky eater. You gotta watch him all the time. He's not doing much talking and he's eating all the way.
Foul chips, strike two, two and two. And we had background music with Lil Yefferab doing the thing.
That's going too far though.
Two balls and two strikes, two outs, top of the seventh inning. Mets have a lead of five runs. It's 12 to seven.
Gus fell the batter. Wickersham with a 2-2 pitch, a curve ball that's low and the count goes full, 3-2.
Gus has one hit. That drove in two runs, a single to center field, in four times up.
3-2 pitch to Gus is outside and high, ball four. That puts Gus at first base.
And brings up Frank Thomas.
Thomas left the loose.
Frank Thomas with a double, a single and two walks. He's been on base four times, driven in one run and he scored four runs.
Thomas a busy man. Got a good workout scoring from first base and a hit run play. Curve ball that's inside to Frank, ball one.
DeMarete now running for Bell. DeMarete running for Bell.
John DeMarete just in the ball game as a runner for Gus Bell and he'll stay in for him defensively. Curve ball is pulled foul, strike one. One ball and one strike.
Coming up in the bullpen for the Mets, Joe Christopher, so possibly Casey will give his veterans a little rest here.
Another ball game coming your way tomorrow. Swing at a curve ball, it's down in the dirt, strike two. Thomas Fuhl went for it. One ball and two strikes.
All the Mets will play the Washington Senators for the first time and that game will come your way from Pompano Beach, Florida.
As the Mets make their swing around the east coast of the Florida state, Monday they'll be playing in Miami against Baltimore.
There goes the runner DeMarete, the foul tip. Will bring him back and the count will stay at one and two.
Thomas swinging at that ball, fouled it off the end of the bat. DeMarete coming back to first base.
Frank is having a very good swing and an awful lot of the hopes of the Mets will be resting on his big bat.
Frank is actually looking forward to playing in the polar grounds. He's a very strong pull hitter and the short left field fence there will allow a lot of his balls to go in the stands fair.
There goes the runner again. This one's off the end of the bat in the right field of base hit.
DeMarete will get third base with no trouble. The throw goes to second and Thomas gets another base hit.
That puts him on for the fifth time, his third base hit, and brings up Ed Boucher.
Runners now at first base.
Boucher replaced Gil Hodges. Gil had gone 0 for 2. Gil had driven a run in with a sacrifice fly in the first inning.
Boucher walked in his only time at bat and scored a run. Now running at first base for Frank Thomas, Joe Christopher.
Christopher running for Thomas. Christopher.
Now a pickoff at first base. Christopher's going down to second and he's there. Now a total third and he is there.
Christopher with a lead, broke from first base. They had him in a trap play.
And when Seaburn took too much time, Christopher beat whatever could have happened. That second got in there safely.
And then the runner at third base, DeMarete, down the line, almost got picked off as a long throw came over to third but he slid back in safely.
Now the runners at second and third, as Christopher played heads-up ball, took advantage of a lapse on the Kansas City pitcher's side.
Actually we can't blame the pitcher too much. It was one of those plays.
Bookish him on the mound. We'll go on to the full windup. And his first pitch to Boucher is down and outside, ball one.
That'll go officially as a stolen base for Joe Christopher.
Ed Boucher to batter. Swings and misses at a slider, strike one. One ball and one strike.
12-7 game. Mets lead it. Top of the seventh inning.
Now the right-hander back to the left-hander batter and a drive to right field.
The right fielder, Somoli, is back near the wall and he makes the catch.
That ball was not high enough or would have gone over the fence.
Sharp line drive, every tire is aside.
In the inning for the New York Mets, no runs on one hit, no errors, two men left on.
And the score at the end of six and one-half innings of play, the New York Mets 12, the Kansas City Athletics 7.
Well put Joe Christopher in your lineup out in left field to replace a Frank Thomas and out in right field, John DeMarris.
Jim Hickman still in center field and defensively for the New York Mets, we have Landroth behind home plate at first base, Ed Boucher.
Laudanil at second, Felix Mantia playing shortstop and Don Zimmer at third.
And now the first batter for the Kansas City Athletics, Dino Somoli. He takes inside ball one.
Bob Moyet on the mound for the Mets. He replaced Bob Miller in the fifth.
One ball pitch to Somoli. His line to the second baseman, Canille, it's off his leg.
He goes back, picks it up, can't make the play at first base and Somoli will get a base hit on that I'm sure.
That ball was rifled, a shot to the second baseman's right. Canille went over, the ball bounced off his thigh.
He did block it enough to get a hold of it in about three steps. Had no chance to make a play at first.
So Somoli, after striking out three times, gets a base hit and that brings up Wayne Causey, the third baseman.
Causey, one for two as a double, takes the strike calls.
Wayne batted 276 for the Kansas City Athletics last year, left-handed batter, not much power.
He doubled off the wall. He's a spray hitter. There's the ball on the ground to Ed Boucher.
He makes the play at the shortstop covering second and there's no return in the throw.
Mantia making a fine catch of a throw that was a little off line and that's out number one.
Causey safe on the fourth play, feeler's choice. Sullivan, catcher.
That brings up Haywood Sullivan, big catcher, 0 for 3, has struck out twice and ground it out to the shortstop.
Haywood was one of the prized pupils of Joe Gordon. When Joe was the manager of the Kansas City Athletics,
Joe also working hard on being a batting instructor right now for the Los Angeles Angels.
Curve ball outside, ball one.
Sullivan last year hit 242 for Kansas City.
Has good power, does not pull too much, the outfield playing straight away.
There's a chance of the pickoff play, the throw down to first base is not in time as the curve ball is outside.
Wayne Causey at first base, not being held on by Ed Boucher.
12-7 game, the Mets lead it, bottom half of the seventh.
Moore head back to Sullivan with a curve, it's ball two, down too low, two balls and one strike.
Ralph I guess is going to check her time, we'll see where it's going by.
That train's always on time.
It's a four o'clock, huh?
Two balls, one strike, one out.
Bob Moorehead with a pitch that's lined in the center field, but Hickman will move over, he does, makes the catch for out number two.
We pause now for station identification.
This is WGY, Skonectaday, 8-10 on your radio dial.
Third pitcher for Kansas City, Dave Wickersham, a right-handed batter.
Two outs to score 12-7, the New York Mets out in front.
Right at first base, and there's a bunt down the third base side, but Zimmer was in on it, he saw it all the way, comes up with the ball, makes the throw to first base and they get their men.
The ball by Don Zimmer, and that retires the side in the inning for the Kansas City Athletics, no runs, one hit, nowhere, there's one man left, and the score at the end of seven.
No runs, one hit.
The New York Mets 12, the Kansas City Athletics, seven.
Right, Bob Murphy, and Don Zimmer steps into the bat, what a day this fellow's had.
He's single, he's doubled twice, he was on it, and there he is, driven in four runs, a great afternoon for Don Zimmer.
He's a man better, and he's facing Dave Wickersham, who is the third hurler of the day out there for manager Hank Bowers, Kansas City Athletics.
The top half of the eighth inning, as Wickersham has the sign, Wines and Fires, and it's a call strike one.
Bill Kinnaman of the American League calling balls and strikes behind the plate this afternoon.
Paul Prior of the National League at first, Joe Linsalata of the American League at second, and Tom Gorman of the National League at third.
That pitch is low and outside.
It's ball two to Don Zimmer.
He'll be followed by Jim Hickman.
The New York Mets off to an early lead this afternoon.
They have never been behind in this ball game.
Here's the pitch.
It's inside for a ball.
The Mets scored three runs in the top half of the first inning.
The Kansas City A scored two in the bottom of the first to make it three-two,
but then the Mets had their big inning in the top of the third when they got six runs.
Kansas City came right back in the bottom of the third and got three.
As the pitch sets low, three balls and one strike to count to Zimmer.
The Mets got another in the top of the fourth.
The A's got two in the bottom of the fourth, and then the Mets got two more in the top of the sixth, and that's been all the scoring.
That pitch is high, and Zimmer is on base for the fifth time today.
Throwing a base on balls from Wicker Jam, and that brings up Jim Hickman.
Jim Hickman, slide to right, single to drive in two runs in the third inning, struck out and fouled out to the first baseman.
Jim Hickman, part of the speed outfield that Managy Casey Singel now has in the ball game,
the three outfields he has in the ball game right now can move.
They can throw a fine defensive unit that he has here to protect the lead going into the late innings.
Dave Wicker Jam into the stretch.
Zimmer leads. Here's the pitch to Hickman. It's a call strike.
Hickman, Christopher, and Demerita, the outfielders in the ball game in the lineup right now for Managy Casey Singel's Mets.
Hickman started the ball game, and has been in there all the way.
Christopher came in in place of Mike Thomas.
Numeric came in in place of Gus Bell.
Here's a ground ball to the shortstop. Dick Hauser up with it.
Bobbles it. Can't make a play. It ran up his sleeve.
Both runners are safe.
As Hauser came over, he simply ran up his sleeve, and Hickman is on.
On the bobble.
Zimmer is safe at second. Hickman is safe at first.
And catcher, Hobie Landers, coming up.
Left hand better.
Landers, catcher.
That is the fourth Kansas City error of this afternoon.
It is 12 to 7.
Perhaps you can hear the plane coming directly overhead.
Has there been anything that hasn't been through here this afternoon?
All right. Now with the plane having passed over, we set the play once again as a workers' jam had taken time out.
Now he's up on the rubber.
Checks the runners. They're going as a foul ball. Off to the other Hobie Landers.
Out of play, and that'll bring them back.
Zimmer and Hickman off and running on the pitch.
They return to their bases.
Then, one time, I was playing down in Mexico, and they held up the game, and coming through the center field fence was one of those little pushcarts
with two guys going up and down, one on each side, pumping it right through the ballpark.
Maybe we'll see that again here today. I tell you, I wouldn't be surprised at all.
Down's Zimmer at second. Jim Hickman at first.
There is nobody out for the Mets, and Hobie Landers up there. He is one for four this afternoon.
He drove in a run with a single in the sixth inning.
And now catcher Haywood Sullivan wants to go out and check a sign with Dave Wickersham.
He'll do that in a hurry. He comes right back.
One strike count to Landers on the foul ball.
The Mets leading by a score of 12 to 7.
Pitch is high and away and popped out of the glove up into the air, but Haywood Sullivan managed to corral it.
No advance. One and one now.
This is, of course, the most run scored by the New York Mets in a baseball game.
Previously, the high was eight against the Chicago White Sox.
They have 12 now against the Kansas City Athletics.
Dave Wickersham, six.
And fires.
And there's the drive going into center field, well up into the air.
Tartar Bowl comes over, has it now, tagged up.
De Zimmer at second, digging for third, a throw across to Diamond Zimmer, heads first in there.
Grabs onto the bag.
Don Zimmer with that exciting on-your-chest slide into the bag.
A la Peppa Martin, Yogi Berra, and a number of others.
So he has tagged up and moved to third after the catch of the fly ball to center field.
And it's going to be Bob Moriarty hitting for himself.
His turn, he's going to hit.
Runners at first and third now, Hickman at first, Zimmer at third.
Bob Moriarty is right under all the way.
It's been a sunny afternoon all the way here in West Palm Beach, Florida, at County Macfield.
Moriarty standing in and waiting as Dave Wickersham is rubbing up the baseball.
Here's the stretch and the pitch.
Buntzit tips it off right into the big glove of Haywood Sullivan.
So it simply goes to strike one as Moriarty is trying to lay it down.
Trying to bun it down to first base.
Zimmer in from third and to move Hickman on up to second.
Twelve to seven ball game. You never get too many.
The pitch, there's a ground ball to shortstop.
Haase is over it. He goes to second for one to relay on to first.
And he got him. Double play.
And that retires the side as Moriarty hits into a double play from Haase to Lampy to Seaborn.
From six to four to three if you're scoring.
And in the top half of the eighth inning, the New York Mets go out with no runs on no hits, one error, and one man left on base.
And so at the end of seven and one half innings of play, the score is the New York Mets 12 and the Kansas City A's seven.
This is Lindsay Nelson with Bob Murphy and Ralph Keiner here at County Macfield in West Palm Beach, Florida,
where we're going to the bottom half of the eighth inning and the Kansas City Athletics will have the head of the batting order, a big house as a leadoff man.
He's been up three times officially without a hit.
He walked once and has scored one run in this afternoon's ball game, in which the Mets lead by a score of 12 to seven.
On the mound, Bob Moriarty.
Houser shortstop.
Around the infield defensively for the Mets, in case you've just joined us, Ed Boucher is the first baseman,
Todd Kniehl is the second baseman, Felix Mantia at short and Don Zimmer at third.
There's a ground ball to third. Zimmer has it, straightens up, throws to Boucher, he's out at first base.
Houser has grounded out.
So there is one away and that brings up center fielder Jose Tartabal.
He butted safely for a single in the first inning, fly to right, single with a line drive to right in the fourth, and was on on an error in the sixth.
He's been on three times, he is two for four officially.
Pitch is in there for a call strike one, give it a little hop, skip, and jump, but it was a call strike.
And the pitch is outside for a ball.
Here at County Mac Field in West Palm Beach, Florida, and as Ralph Kanner told you, one of County Mac's finest products is seated here this afternoon watching the ballgame.
Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochran, seated behind the plate here and has been watching the ballgame throughout.
At pitch he's inside, ball to it's two and one.
Cochran of course went on from the athletics to manage the Detroit Tigers.
Pitch is outside, three balls and one strike now.
Three and one with one man out.
Pitch to Tartabal in there for a call strike, he was taking all the way, it's three and two.
And in the case of the number of playing managers, one of the greatest attributes that manager Cochran had was the fact that he had a catcher named Cochran also.
Here's a ground ball going to first base for Ed Boucher, he feels it makes the play to Moorhead covering, he's out at first base.
Tartabal grounding out from Ed Boucher to Bob Moorhead, the pitcher covering.
Two men out and Jerry Loppe is coming up, Loppe is four for four today, he's had a big day.
He's a home run, a two run home run in the first inning, he's single in the third, he's single driving the run in the fourth and single in the sixth.
Four for four, Jerry Loppe.
We're in the bottom half of the eighth inning, the Kansas City Athletics batting with two men out.
Bob Moorhead into the windup and the pitch down, there's a fly ball going to center field.
Hickman is digging in, Keneal is digging out, Hickman seems to have it lined up, he's underneath, he takes it on the run.
Bob Moorhead gets the Kansas City Athletics out in order in the bottom half of the eighth inning with no runs on no hits, no errors, and nobody left on base.
And at the end of eighth full inning to play, the score is the New York Mets 12 and the Kansas City A's 7.
This has been a free swinging, free hitting baseball game here this afternoon.
Something of a change for the New York Mets who have been used to playing them very close to the vest,
neither barely losing them or eking out the victory.
Either way you look at it, it's exciting baseball.
And that's the kind you'll see at the Polo Grounds all season long as National League Baseball comes back to the city of New York on April 13th
with the Pittsburgh Powerheads coming in for a single game on Friday, April 13th,
another single game on Saturday, the 14th, and a big double hitter at the Polo Grounds on the 15th.
Felix Mantia is out to play now for the New York Mets.
He's been on base four times this afternoon.
And as the drive going deep to left, Centerfield could be an in-betweener, and it's got to be just that.
Mantia turns first six for second.
Manny Jimenez runs it down, whips it in, and Mantia turns second, hoes up right there.
Felix Mantia with a well-hit ball in between.
Centerfield to Manny Jimenez and Centerfield to Jose Tartabull.
It went all the way to the scoreboard.
So it is two base hits this afternoon for Felix Mantia,
who is making a bid to reclaim the shortstop position on this Mets team.
And Rod Kaniel is coming up, the second baseman.
Kaniel had a double in the third inning. He scored two runs.
He was on on an error in the first inning.
Kaniel forced Mantia in the fifth. He's been on base three times.
Nobody out as Mantia was the first man up for the Mets in the top of the ninth.
The pitch to Kaniel is in there for a called strike one.
Dave Wickersham, the Kansas City pitching.
Herb Moford is not throwing in the bullpen for the New York Mets.
Herb Moford.
Pitch is low and it's ball one. One ball and one strike.
Red Crest, the coach at first base.
Talking back and forth with a few of the fans there.
We noticed a moment ago when Geno Somoli beat out of base.
There's quite a Somoli fan club here in West Palm Beach.
There's usually a Somoli fan club wherever.
And he's been around. One ball and one strike to count to Rod Kaniel.
There's a foul ball coming out of play.
Two strike count. One ball and two strikes.
Directly after this ball game, the New York Mets will be moving on into Miami, Florida,
where they'll be based for three ball games coming up against the Washington Sunnys,
the Baltimore Orioles, and the New York Yankees.
Kaniel swinging the bat as Wickersham checks Mantia at second.
Here's the pitch. Swing and a miss.
So he struck him out. One man out, Mantia still at second.
And that will bring up John DeMarritt.
John DeMarritt came in to run for Gus Bell after Bell walked in the seventh inning.
So this is DeMarritt's first time up.
DeMarritt with the open stance up there and waiting.
Here's the pitch. And there's a ground ball to third taken down there by Kazee.
He throws over the first in time. Now Mantia's going to third.
To throw back to third, he's safe at third base.
So John DeMarritt is grounded out, 5-3 if he's scoring from Wayne Kazee to Norm Seaborn.
And Felix Mantia waited until the throw started to cross and then advanced to third on the play.
So there are two men out. Mantia's at third and Joe Christopher is coming up.
Christopher ran for Frank Thomas after Thomas single in the seventh inning.
Lots of speed.
Top half of the ninth inning.
The New York Mets at Batten leading in the ballgame by a score of 12-7.
Dave Wickersham with the pitch.
Call strike to Joe Christopher.
And the Pittsburgh Pirates are making their stretch drive to win the Finiton 1960.
And then, of course, they went on to defeat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Joe Christopher played a very important part in that stretch drive,
figuring in several important victories of the Pirates in the days when they were hanging in there.
Such is Lowell. It's one and one.
Matter of fact, that year the Pirates had Geno Simoli and Joe Christopher as their extra outfielders.
Wickersham rubbing the ball up, taking a moment here. No particular hurry.
Felix Mantia's on at third. There are two men out and he counted one ball and one strike to Joe Christopher.
It's a call strike, one and two.
As we have noted, the Kansas City Athletics next year will be training in North Miami, Florida.
They have signed a 10-year contract to train there.
And rumor has it, of course, that Lou Parini is going to move his Milwaukee Braves into here,
West Palm Beach, since he has a housing development nearby.
That has been the persistent rumor even before the announcement that the Athletics were going to train at North Miami.
Now Howie Nye is throwing in the bullpen also for the New York Mets, along with Moffitt.
There's a pitch outside to Christopher. It's two and two.
Two balls, two strikes.
Fischl paid attendance here this afternoon, 1,843, turning out on a sunny afternoon to see the New York Mets and the Kansas City Athletics.
Right-hander Dave Wickersham for Kansas City. Starts his windup.
Pumps it twice. Now he is set.
There's a little nubber down to the third baseline.
Feel it by Wickersham and a bare hand. Throws over the first base, not in time.
The run is scored by Manthia as Christopher is saving first base, beating it out for a base hit.
Dave Wickersham came over, bare-handed it, had to get set to throw, and it came up in one big hop.
But Christopher was across the bag at first. He gets a single and a run batted in.
Little nubber on the third baseline.
Boucher here for a baseline.
So Manthia has scored for the 13th run of the New York Mets.
They lead 13 to 7, and Ed Boucher is up there with two men out in the runner at first.
Wickersham checks.
There is a ground ball going through the hole in the right field for a base hit. Christopher turns, second digs for third.
The Molley fires it all across, and Christopher safely into third base.
As they counter the shortstop, cut it off.
So that is a single to right for Ed Boucher, and brings up Don Zimmer, who has been on base five times today.
Single, double, double, on on an error, and walked.
A big day for Don Zimmer.
Their run is at first and third now, with two men out, and that's leading 13 to 7 over the Kansas City Athletics.
Charles Wickersham, the right-hander, has the sign now.
Checks the runners. Pitches inside to Zimmer, and now it's Boucher on a delayed steal.
He's caught in the rundown between first and second.
Christopher has crossed the plate, and now Boucher is tagged out.
The run does count very definitely, since Christopher crossed the plate before Boucher was tagged out.
As the throw went through on the delay, they got the run across, trying a few maneuvers here.
Very late, and so in the top half of the ninth inning, the New York Mets got two runs on three hits, no errors, and nobody left on base.
And so at the end of 8 1⁄2 innings of play, the score is the New York Mets 14 and the Kansas City Athletics 7.
We'll be going now to the bottom half of the ninth inning.
Cleanup man Norm Seabird is up to lead off for the Kansas City Athletics.
Bob Morahead, the pitcher, on the mound for the New York Mets.
Wines and fires, and the pitcher's outside to Seabird.
Seabird walks, single, single, and four outs, so he's been on base four times.
Two for three officially, and the walk.
Lower and inside, it's ball two to Norm Seabird. He'll be followed by Manny Jimenez and Gino Somoli.
Morahead's pitch, down low.
Ball three, it's three and oh.
Herb Mofford and Howie Nunn throwing in the bullpen for the New York Mets.
Trying this afternoon to even up their Grapefruit League record.
It's in there for a called strike. It's three and one, the automatic strike right down the pike to Norm Seabird.
Now to the ground ball, going to the right side, fielded by Boucher. He's got to play it to Morahead covering, and he's out at first base.
The seabird goes out three to one if he's scoring. From Ed Boucher to the pitcher, Bob Morahead covering.
That'll bring up Manny Jimenez.
Tomorrow afternoon, we'll be at Papadou Beach to bring you the New York Mets and the Washington Senators.
They're managed by Mickey Vernon. They have ball players like Jim Pearsall and Gene Woodling.
So we'll have an exciting afternoon for you tomorrow, the Mets and the Washington Senators.
And on Monday, we'll bring you the Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, and on Tuesday, the Mets and the New York Yankees.
Here's the pitch to Jimenez. There's nobody out in one man out.
Against the speed of the left-hand batter, down to him at third, in on the edge of the grass.
And there's a ground ball to the short stub deep. Manny Jimenez has it. Sidehands it to first to Boucher. He's out.
So Manny Jimenez hits the ball hard, but directly at Felix Manny Jimenez.
Sidehands it over to Ed Boucher at first. Two men out. Gino Somoli is coming up.
Right now, the New York Mets are one put-out away from having evened their Grapefruit League record at 500, seven wins and seven losses.
Bob Moriart brings it inside for ball one to Gino Somoli.
The New York Mets lead here by a score of 14 to 7 over the Kansas City Athletics, and we're in the bottom half of the ninth inning.
As the fly ball's going to right field, it is sending John DeMarritt back. He's near the wall.
DeMarritt takes it over his shoulder for the out. That ends the ballgame as Somoli flies out deep to John DeMarritt near the wall and right.
And so in the bottom half of the ninth inning, Bob Moriart has managed to get the Kansas City Athletics out of their in-air order with no runs, no hits, no errors, and nobody left on base.
We'll have the summary in just a moment. Right now, the final score, the New York Mets 14 and the Kansas City A's 7.