WEBVTT 00:00:01.159 --> 00:00:04.440 This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:29.000 .com for more sports history. since 1945. Let's 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:39.740 listen to the bedlam here at Tiger Stadium. What 00:00:39.740 --> 00:00:42.299 a climax to a wonderful year, the year of the 00:00:42.299 --> 00:00:46.579 Tiger, 1968. This tennis, what a great gift to 00:00:46.579 --> 00:00:54.780 Detroit, with love from the Tigers. Go get them. 00:00:55.179 --> 00:01:04.299 Tiger. We're all behind our baseball team. Go 00:01:04.299 --> 00:01:09.019 get them, Tiger. World Series bound and picking 00:01:09.019 --> 00:01:14.019 up steam. Go get them, Tiger. There'll be joy 00:01:14.019 --> 00:01:16.939 in Tiger Town. We'll sing you songs when the 00:01:16.939 --> 00:01:19.659 Bengals bring the pennant home where it belongs. 00:01:52.140 --> 00:01:53.900 The year before, troubled Detroiters had too 00:01:53.900 --> 00:01:56.140 many other problems to be caught up in the four 00:01:56.140 --> 00:01:58.939 -team fight for the pennant. The Red Sox won 00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:02.319 in 1967 on the last day of the season. But a 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:04.920 new Tiger spirit was forged in the heat of that 00:02:04.920 --> 00:02:09.060 campaign. They lost a pennant and won a future. 00:02:10.039 --> 00:02:12.500 One man who saw that future was Bill Freehand. 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:15.360 Here's what he said at Lakeland during spring 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:18.919 training of 1968. Bill, can the Tigers do it 00:02:18.919 --> 00:02:20.889 this year? Well, Ernie, I'll tell you what, I'm 00:02:20.889 --> 00:02:23.110 convinced that we can do it. We've got some real 00:02:23.110 --> 00:02:25.490 good talent. I think we gained something last 00:02:25.490 --> 00:02:27.009 year by virtue of the fact that we had a lot 00:02:27.009 --> 00:02:28.490 of young guys who went through an experience 00:02:28.490 --> 00:02:30.490 we'd never been through before. And I'll tell 00:02:30.490 --> 00:02:32.250 you what, if we can keep our guys free from injuries, 00:02:32.330 --> 00:02:34.490 we're going to win in 68. The year of the Tiger 00:02:34.490 --> 00:02:39.389 began unhappily. Before 41 ,429 fans at Tiger 00:02:39.389 --> 00:02:42.270 Stadium, Earl Wilson hit a home run but lost 00:02:42.270 --> 00:02:46.560 to the Red Sox. But ah, that next day... That 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:48.759 was the tip -off of a whole season of wonderful 00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:51.819 next days. In the ninth inning, up came Gates 00:02:51.819 --> 00:02:54.240 Brown with a pinch -hit home run to give rookie 00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:57.900 John Warden a 4 -3 relief victory. Ray Gates 00:02:57.900 --> 00:03:00.240 had a special magic with the public. What do 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:03.159 you think it was? Well, I think that he transpired 00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:06.219 to them a quiet, spoken fellow, a humble -looking 00:03:06.219 --> 00:03:08.879 guy, but a powerful -looking fellow at the plate 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:12.300 who produced. He represented the underdog in 00:03:12.300 --> 00:03:15.159 the games that followed. There were two more 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:18.340 Tiger victories for relief pitchers. One by Darryl 00:03:18.340 --> 00:03:21.599 Patterson. The other by Fred Lasher. And the 00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:24.639 Tigers kept on winning. Nine straight games they 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:27.580 won. More than any other Tiger team had put together 00:03:27.580 --> 00:03:31.719 since 1949. They won a few the easy way, but 00:03:31.719 --> 00:03:34.599 only a few. They beat the White Sox in the 10th 00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:37.159 inning on Bill Freehand's single. They came from 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:39.400 behind in the 9th on Jim Price's pinch single 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:42.849 to tie the Indians. And won it in the 10th. on 00:03:42.849 --> 00:03:45.830 Willie Horton's home run. They took three more 00:03:45.830 --> 00:03:48.669 victories at Chicago, first sinking the White 00:03:48.669 --> 00:03:51.229 Sox with three runs in the 10th inning, then 00:03:51.229 --> 00:03:54.750 sweeping a doubleheader on April 21st. It was 00:03:54.750 --> 00:03:57.409 a date to remember. The second of those doubleheader 00:03:57.409 --> 00:04:00.169 victories was Denny McClain's first of the season. 00:04:00.789 --> 00:04:03.750 The year of the Tigers swept on in waves of triumph 00:04:03.750 --> 00:04:07.330 in fantastic thrill -packed last -minute victories 00:04:07.330 --> 00:04:10.460 up to the time they cranked the pennant. The 00:04:10.460 --> 00:04:12.919 Tigers have won 37 games in the seventh inning 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:17.660 or beyond, 29 in their last time at bat. Well, 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:19.420 Ray, I guess that's just the mark of a champion, 00:04:19.500 --> 00:04:21.540 isn't it? Certainly is. It's almost like it's 00:04:21.540 --> 00:04:24.220 a magic formula, something that makes a champion. 00:04:24.279 --> 00:04:27.680 And when you look back to Boston in 1967, Baltimore 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:30.779 in 66, those ball clubs had the same ingredients, 00:04:31.060 --> 00:04:34.139 the ability to come from behind. Everybody got 00:04:34.139 --> 00:04:37.019 into the act. Pitchers, hitters, Steelers. A 00:04:37.019 --> 00:04:39.660 catch double by Tom Magic beat the Orioles on 00:04:39.660 --> 00:04:43.060 May the 7th. A home run and a magnificent bases 00:04:43.060 --> 00:04:45.959 loaded catch by Jim Northam made him the hero 00:04:45.959 --> 00:04:49.939 of the next Tiger victory. After the game, I 00:04:49.939 --> 00:04:52.439 talked to Northam. Jimmy made a great catch in 00:04:52.439 --> 00:04:54.439 Baltimore, a big catch because the bases were 00:04:54.439 --> 00:04:56.939 loaded and you hit the ground there and skidded. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:58.920 How do you keep that ball from bouncing out of 00:04:58.920 --> 00:05:01.420 the glove in a play like that? Well, I hit the 00:05:01.420 --> 00:05:03.560 ground with my shoulder and I held the glove 00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:06.009 up off the ground. Actually, you just dive and 00:05:06.009 --> 00:05:07.930 catch the ball, and if you get it in your glove, 00:05:08.029 --> 00:05:09.970 it usually stays in the web the way the gloves 00:05:09.970 --> 00:05:11.829 are built now. Did you think you were going to 00:05:11.829 --> 00:05:14.610 get to that drive off the bat of Robinson? No, 00:05:14.670 --> 00:05:16.490 when he first hit it, I didn't figure I had a 00:05:16.490 --> 00:05:18.769 chance to even come close to it, and we just 00:05:18.769 --> 00:05:20.290 started running over there after it, and all 00:05:20.290 --> 00:05:22.189 of a sudden I dove at the ball, and I was just 00:05:22.189 --> 00:05:25.290 lucky enough to catch it. And Jenny McLean kept 00:05:25.290 --> 00:05:28.389 right on winning ball games. Al Kaline drove 00:05:28.389 --> 00:05:30.910 in six runs as the Tigers walloped the Senators 00:05:30.910 --> 00:05:33.930 12 -1 on May 10th, another date to remember. 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:36.500 But that put the Tigers back into the league 00:05:36.500 --> 00:05:40.300 lead, and nobody ever caught them. McClain lost 00:05:40.300 --> 00:05:42.439 his first game of the year when the Orioles broke 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:45.920 his five -game winning streak on May 15th. But 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:48.319 the Tigers then took three out of four from the 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:51.620 Senators. Jim Northrup won the first with a ninth 00:05:51.620 --> 00:05:54.620 -inning Grand Slam homer. After the Tigers had 00:05:54.620 --> 00:05:56.899 lost the second, Gates Brown won the third with 00:05:56.899 --> 00:05:59.720 an eighth -inning pinched single. And history 00:05:59.720 --> 00:06:04.459 was made as the Tigers won the fourth. One out. 00:06:06.459 --> 00:06:08.819 Matthews on it first. Three and two, the count 00:06:08.819 --> 00:06:11.199 to K -line, batting in the place of Gates -Brown. 00:06:11.699 --> 00:06:14.579 Tigers out in front, 4 -0. We're in the bottom 00:06:14.579 --> 00:06:17.540 of the sixth inning. Jones working for Washington 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:21.639 on the mound. Stretches. Delivers. There goes 00:06:21.639 --> 00:06:24.980 the runner. Fly ball to deep left. And that one 00:06:24.980 --> 00:06:45.459 you can kiss goodbye. has hit 307 home runs in 00:06:45.459 --> 00:06:48.600 his career and becomes the Tigers' all -time 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:51.560 home run hitter, going one ahead of Hank Greenberg. 00:06:51.699 --> 00:06:54.240 He was tied with Greenberg at 3 .06. He now has 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:58.100 307 for his Major League career and becomes the 00:06:58.100 --> 00:07:01.079 Tigers' number one home run hitter. The next 00:07:01.079 --> 00:07:03.759 day, the Tigers beat the Twins on a 10th inning 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:09.000 error. But first... Hernandez about as far right 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:12.649 as you'll ever see a shortstop play. Even on 00:07:12.649 --> 00:07:14.670 an over -shifted infield, which they're not doing 00:07:14.670 --> 00:07:17.329 here on Willie. Here's a fly ball to right. It's 00:07:17.329 --> 00:07:21.269 deep, and it is out of here. A home run to tie 00:07:21.269 --> 00:07:24.149 the ball game. Willie Horton hits one to the 00:07:24.149 --> 00:07:27.410 opposite field in deep right center, and the 00:07:27.410 --> 00:07:31.589 game is tied. Bad news on the first trip to the 00:07:31.589 --> 00:07:34.550 West Coast. Earl Wilson on the shelf three weeks 00:07:34.550 --> 00:07:38.610 after bruising his heel. Al Kaline out 37 games 00:07:38.610 --> 00:07:41.500 when his right arm was broken at open. by a Lou 00:07:41.500 --> 00:07:44.699 Kraus pick. A tenth -inning loss in the Oakland 00:07:44.699 --> 00:07:48.360 final punctuated by a free -for -all fight after 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:50.579 Jack Aker hit Jim Northup in the head with a 00:07:50.579 --> 00:07:54.740 pick. But there was good news, too. Denny McLean 00:07:54.740 --> 00:07:57.540 won his seventh game of the year. And on May 00:07:57.540 --> 00:08:00.720 27th, Eddie Matthews hit two home runs for a 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:04.620 career total of 512, putting him sixth among 00:08:04.620 --> 00:08:07.259 all -time home -run sluggers of Major League 00:08:07.259 --> 00:08:10.519 history. Pat Dobson, normally a relief pitcher, 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:13.879 went nine innings as he threw a shutout at the 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:17.540 Red Sox in his first start. One night when both 00:08:17.540 --> 00:08:20.420 Bill Freehand and Jim Price were hurt, Wayne 00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:23.579 Comer, an outfielder, came in to catch and did 00:08:23.579 --> 00:08:26.660 a good job. And the year of the Tiger rolled 00:08:26.660 --> 00:08:29.860 on with a thrill almost every night. On June 00:08:29.860 --> 00:08:32.539 11th, the Tigers beat the Twins with their 13th 00:08:32.539 --> 00:08:39.480 last inning victory. And on June 12th... Here's 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:42.159 McCullough down the crowd yelling, go, go, go. 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:45.539 Here's the pitch by Jim Cott. Mack swings. It's 00:08:45.539 --> 00:08:48.639 a long fly to right. It may be gone. Going back, 00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:51.879 Ulander. And he cannot reach it. It's in for 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:54.799 a home run. McCullough puts the Tigers ahead. 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:57.919 A home run in the lower deck in right field. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:03.480 The Tigers lead it 2 -1. And Denny McLean raced 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:26.279 on toward his date with destiny. In the ninth 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:29.220 inning, Minnesota, no runs, no hits, no errors, 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:31.940 and nobody left. The final score, Detroit 3, 00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:35.519 Minnesota 1. Those late -inning victories, one 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:38.139 of the most thrilling, came on June the 14th 00:09:38.139 --> 00:10:06.399 at Chicago. Mickey Stanley was as great with 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:12.679 his glove as with his bat. Swing and there's 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:15.919 a drive to deep right center. Stanley going after 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:19.399 it and dives and makes a great catch. A fabulous 00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:22.399 catch by Stanley. Aparicio going back to first 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:25.700 base. He's doubled off. The play went Stanley 00:10:25.700 --> 00:10:29.340 to Dick McAuliffe to Bill Freehand on a sensational 00:10:29.340 --> 00:10:33.659 catch by Mickey Stanley. On that great catch 00:10:33.659 --> 00:10:35.659 in Chicago, how did you get such a good jump 00:10:35.659 --> 00:10:38.659 on the ball? Well, Ernie, it was a time where 00:10:38.659 --> 00:10:40.940 I was in a slump with a bat, and when I am in 00:10:40.940 --> 00:10:42.899 a slump with a bat, I'm just a little bit better 00:10:42.899 --> 00:10:44.779 feeler, and I was on my toes and ready to go, 00:10:44.899 --> 00:10:47.059 and it was just one of the things where I got 00:10:47.059 --> 00:10:49.299 a real good jump, and I was lucky to catch the 00:10:49.299 --> 00:10:50.700 ball. I didn't think I was going to catch it. 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:52.759 I skinned both elbows and both knees and tore 00:10:52.759 --> 00:10:56.139 my britches and sweatshirt, and Louie Aparicio 00:10:56.139 --> 00:10:58.500 was a runner, and we doubled him off at first. 00:10:58.580 --> 00:11:01.149 He was almost at third base. Mickey, generally 00:11:01.149 --> 00:11:04.029 when you have a play like this, do you anticipate 00:11:04.029 --> 00:11:06.470 and move one way or the other depending on the 00:11:06.470 --> 00:11:09.549 batter? Well, I do. This is the day when Joe 00:11:09.549 --> 00:11:12.870 Sparman was pitching, and I followed the flight 00:11:12.870 --> 00:11:14.230 of the ball, and I think this was a breaking 00:11:14.230 --> 00:11:17.909 ball inside, and McGraw is more or less a pull 00:11:17.909 --> 00:11:21.090 hitter, and I think I cheated a half a step by 00:11:21.090 --> 00:11:23.350 following the pitch. And you know ahead of time 00:11:23.350 --> 00:11:25.110 what the pitch is going to be? No, I don't know 00:11:25.110 --> 00:11:27.049 what the pitch is going to be, but I follow the 00:11:27.049 --> 00:11:30.980 flight of the ball, before the ball reaches the 00:11:30.980 --> 00:11:32.279 hitter, whether or not it's going to be a breaking 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:34.139 ball or a fastball, or whether or not the ball's 00:11:34.139 --> 00:11:37.000 going to be inside or outside. Manager Mayo Smith 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:40.000 later said that, in his personal opinion, that 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:42.419 was the outstanding fielding play of the season. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:45.740 Time and again, Tiger power smothered the opposition. 00:11:46.379 --> 00:11:48.500 Dick Truszewski beat the Indians with a home 00:11:48.500 --> 00:11:52.059 run and talked about it after the game. Dick, 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:53.919 it's been said that your three -run homer against 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:56.299 Cleveland was perhaps one of the turning points 00:11:56.299 --> 00:11:58.580 for the first half of the Tigers' season. Did 00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:01.059 it come as a surprise to you? A very definite 00:12:01.059 --> 00:12:04.679 surprise, in particular because I hit it off 00:12:04.679 --> 00:12:08.779 Sam McDowell, and I got a real big kick out of 00:12:08.779 --> 00:12:10.360 it because it came in a spot where it really 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:17.159 helped our ball club. Nobody out. Northrop tonight 00:12:17.159 --> 00:12:20.419 struck out twice and got a grand slammer. That 00:12:20.419 --> 00:12:22.100 came in the fifth inning. His ninth home run 00:12:22.100 --> 00:12:23.980 of the year. Fly ball down the line in the right 00:12:23.980 --> 00:12:30.889 field, and that one is gone! a slump. He's done 00:12:30.889 --> 00:12:44.870 it again. Another grand slam home run by Northland. 00:12:46.529 --> 00:12:49.529 The Tigers have routed for three to pull within 00:12:49.529 --> 00:12:52.090 one round of the Yankees. Yanks five, Detroit 00:12:52.090 --> 00:13:04.409 four. Swing. There's a long bout in the center 00:13:04.409 --> 00:13:07.230 field. Robinson going back, way back. He can't 00:13:07.230 --> 00:13:09.950 get this one. It's pass into defense. Here comes 00:13:09.950 --> 00:13:12.750 Stanley. He scores. Rounding third is freehand. 00:13:12.809 --> 00:13:15.350 He scores. Willie Horton rounding third, and 00:13:15.350 --> 00:13:17.990 he holds up as the throw comes in to Fernandez. 00:13:18.350 --> 00:13:30.580 It's a long... Kaline returned to action in a 00:13:30.580 --> 00:13:32.820 new role, playing first base for the first time 00:13:32.820 --> 00:13:36.240 in his career on July 1st. And he had a big piece 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:38.740 of the action as the Tigers won the first game. 00:13:40.980 --> 00:13:45.679 Two and two to counter Al. Stanley at third base, 00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:47.960 nobody out. Angels have the infield, pulled in. 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:56.019 Brunette now, pumps, delivers. Fastball, line 00:13:56.019 --> 00:14:17.659 to left. After the game, I asked Kaline how he 00:14:17.659 --> 00:14:21.360 liked first base. I think I'm going to like it 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:24.139 quite a bit, Ernie. It's very interesting over 00:14:24.139 --> 00:14:25.940 there. I get a chance to talk to all the visiting 00:14:25.940 --> 00:14:29.059 players, the umpires, and I get a chance to... 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:31.700 Find out what's really happening in the ballgame. 00:14:31.820 --> 00:14:33.659 You know, I played so many years in the outfield, 00:14:33.659 --> 00:14:35.940 you just wonder what happens when everybody goes 00:14:35.940 --> 00:14:38.240 to the mound. Now I'm finally learning what they 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:40.559 say and everything, and I think I'm going to 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:43.240 really enjoy it. That set off a four -game streak 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:45.580 over the Angels and a five -game winning streak 00:14:45.580 --> 00:14:48.600 for the Tigers. The third victory was Jenny McClain's 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:51.460 15th of the season, achieved with the help of 00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:53.899 home runs by Willie Horton, Norm Cash, and Dick 00:14:53.899 --> 00:14:56.440 Krasinski. Then came the real wild one on the 00:14:56.440 --> 00:14:59.409 4th of July. where the Tigers belted out a 13 00:14:59.409 --> 00:15:01.649 -10 victory in a slugfest that saw them smash 00:15:01.649 --> 00:15:05.789 six home runs to tie a major league record. Listen 00:15:05.789 --> 00:15:07.950 to some of the fireworks, including part of the 00:15:07.950 --> 00:15:31.379 Tigers' nine -run second inning. Go get him, 00:15:31.460 --> 00:17:03.200 tiger. There was one series left before the All 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:06.180 -Star game. The Tigers made it a big one by winning 00:17:06.180 --> 00:17:08.700 three out of four games from the Athletics at 00:17:08.700 --> 00:17:12.039 Detroit. And at the All -Star game, halfway point 00:17:12.039 --> 00:17:15.819 of the season, the Tigers' 27 games over .500 00:17:15.819 --> 00:17:18.660 were nine and a half games in front of the American 00:17:18.660 --> 00:17:22.039 League track. Well, you know, Mayo Smith told 00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:23.980 me right after All -Star time that he thought 00:17:23.980 --> 00:17:25.940 the most important thing that happened in that 00:17:25.940 --> 00:17:28.579 first half of the season... was that three -run 00:17:28.579 --> 00:17:31.099 homer by Dick Krzyzewski that stopped the Tigers' 00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:34.299 skid in Cleveland. Another thing that impressed 00:17:34.299 --> 00:17:36.500 me in the first part of the season was the fact 00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:38.859 that the experts had all said that the witness 00:17:38.859 --> 00:17:42.220 of the Tigers would be the bullpen. And the Tigers 00:17:42.220 --> 00:17:44.799 came up with these young arms, Darryl Patterson, 00:17:44.900 --> 00:17:47.799 John Warden, Pat Dobson in the bullpen, and then 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:50.440 Johnny Wyatt came along to help out. Wyatt, who 00:17:50.440 --> 00:17:53.740 came on, and a question mark as far as his ability, 00:17:53.940 --> 00:17:55.660 maybe with a couple of other clubs, but he seemed 00:17:55.660 --> 00:17:58.529 to do a job for the Tigers. And Ray Oiler's great 00:17:58.529 --> 00:18:00.789 feeling, especially there in the early part of 00:18:00.789 --> 00:18:03.549 the year, was the fact that we were having a 00:18:03.549 --> 00:18:08.450 hero per day for about 50 weeks. Now the city 00:18:08.450 --> 00:18:11.150 was warming up to these Tigers. This theme of 00:18:11.150 --> 00:18:13.509 destiny was becoming the second most important 00:18:13.509 --> 00:18:16.329 factor in the life of Detroit. The most important 00:18:16.329 --> 00:18:19.390 was the peace and harmony of the summit. And 00:18:19.390 --> 00:18:22.170 it was a Tiger summer. The Tigers went into a 00:18:22.170 --> 00:18:25.049 little swamp, losing three in a row. One at Minnesota, 00:18:25.250 --> 00:18:27.839 the next two at Anaheim. But things went better 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:31.539 at Oakland. McClain again, naturally. His 18th 00:18:31.539 --> 00:18:33.359 was an eight -hit shutout over the Athletics. 00:18:33.460 --> 00:18:36.480 Two days later, Earl Wilson back in form, made 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:39.220 it two out of three in the series. Home to Detroit 00:18:39.220 --> 00:18:41.460 came the Titans for a series of the Orioles. 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:44.799 In the first game, Willie Horton made a diving 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.799 attempt to a fly ball. Nearly had it. Then lost 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:50.440 it after rolling over several times and seemed 00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:53.289 to be badly hurt. I thought he talked about it. 00:18:53.410 --> 00:18:55.930 Well, first of all, I thought it was my knee 00:18:55.930 --> 00:18:58.650 that hit me in the stomach. But it just, you 00:18:58.650 --> 00:19:00.630 know, it really was a great pain that knocked 00:19:00.630 --> 00:19:03.289 the wind out of me, mostly. And I kind of tore 00:19:03.289 --> 00:19:05.950 my stomach muscle. Did you think you had a shot 00:19:05.950 --> 00:19:08.609 at that catch? Well, I had it. I was looking 00:19:08.609 --> 00:19:11.450 at the film. And I had the ball long enough for 00:19:11.450 --> 00:19:14.150 the umpire to call the man out. And that's one 00:19:14.150 --> 00:19:16.390 thing I really love. You know, my center fielder, 00:19:16.390 --> 00:19:18.250 Mickey, he always looked out for me. He'd always 00:19:18.250 --> 00:19:21.559 be the first one there with me. And he told me, 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:23.579 don't move. So far, and all the way through my 00:19:23.579 --> 00:19:25.500 career, like every time something happened to 00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:27.039 me, he'd always be the first one to me. Been 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:29.539 together so long, and I guess I'm more concerned 00:19:29.539 --> 00:19:31.519 of him also. You know, he's just one of them 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:33.500 things. He'd just always be the first one out 00:19:33.500 --> 00:19:38.319 there. Then it was Magic's turn to start. Two 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:41.619 out, a man on first, that's freehand. Tigers 00:19:41.619 --> 00:19:44.180 are turning by one run, 4 -3 behind Baltimore. 00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:46.180 Here's Magic now waiting on a full count delivery 00:19:46.180 --> 00:19:49.400 by Drabowski. Swung on, it's a fly ball to right. 00:20:17.230 --> 00:20:18.930 You too excited to know that it won the game, 00:20:19.009 --> 00:20:21.910 or did you realize that? No, I knew we won the 00:20:21.910 --> 00:20:24.470 game when I knew the home run was gone, Ernie. 00:20:25.029 --> 00:20:27.309 I just got some kind of great feeling. All I 00:20:27.309 --> 00:20:29.390 could think of was that it put us really two 00:20:29.390 --> 00:20:32.589 more games ahead of Baltimore. At Baltimore a 00:20:32.589 --> 00:20:35.529 week later, it was Daryl Patterson's turn to 00:20:35.529 --> 00:20:39.809 star. Go to a full count. With you gone, everybody 00:20:39.809 --> 00:20:44.930 will be moving. Now to wind up, the 3 -2 pitch. 00:20:45.309 --> 00:20:50.009 Cold strike three. and took a fastball to the 00:20:50.009 --> 00:20:53.910 knees. Odom coming up with the right hand. And 00:20:53.910 --> 00:20:57.369 Darrell Patterson does a great job. With the 00:20:57.369 --> 00:21:00.349 bases loaded, then putting down Valentine, Robinson, 00:21:00.450 --> 00:21:03.269 and Johnson on strike. That's Patterson's best 00:21:03.269 --> 00:21:06.210 job done so far in a Tiger uniform. But the Orioles 00:21:06.210 --> 00:21:10.230 from the sixth. No runs. Two hits. No Detroit 00:21:10.230 --> 00:21:13.029 errors. Three men left on base for the Orioles. 00:21:13.230 --> 00:21:16.369 We've played six innings. Tigers lead, shoot 00:21:16.369 --> 00:21:19.539 and a base. The next night, July 27th, was a 00:21:19.539 --> 00:21:22.480 milestone. Denny McClain won his 20th victory. 00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:26.720 Number 21 for Denny was his second straight shutout, 00:21:26.779 --> 00:21:29.200 a 4 -0 win over the Senators. Dick McCollum scored 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:32.079 all four runs after getting four straight hits. 00:21:32.579 --> 00:21:35.480 Now to Minnesota for three games. The first won 00:21:35.480 --> 00:21:38.059 by the relief combination of Don McMahon, John 00:21:38.059 --> 00:21:41.079 Hiller, and Darryl Patterson. Then a loss to 00:21:41.079 --> 00:21:44.359 Dean Chance. But after that, you guessed it, 00:21:44.460 --> 00:21:48.589 Denny McClain again. His 22nd, his fifth in a 00:21:48.589 --> 00:21:52.890 row over the Twins. August 6th, Friday night 00:21:52.890 --> 00:21:55.750 at Tiger Stadium, and what a ball game. It lasted 00:21:55.750 --> 00:21:59.349 17 innings before Dick Chizuski settled it with 00:21:59.349 --> 00:22:02.170 a single for 2 -1 Tiger victory over the Indians. 00:22:03.309 --> 00:22:05.650 It was too late to finish the second game of 00:22:05.650 --> 00:22:07.470 the doubleheader, but the Tigers completed the 00:22:07.470 --> 00:22:09.869 5 -2 victory when the ninth inning was played 00:22:09.869 --> 00:22:12.509 the next night. And then in the regular game... 00:22:12.890 --> 00:22:15.670 Willie Horton's 27th home run and rookie Dave 00:22:15.670 --> 00:22:18.990 Campbell's first gave Earl Wilson a 6 -1 victory. 00:22:19.450 --> 00:22:23.309 And Denny McClain, who else, finished off a four 00:22:23.309 --> 00:22:27.289 -game sweep with number 23. The Red Sox came 00:22:27.289 --> 00:22:29.690 to town in third place, closing in on Baltimore 00:22:29.690 --> 00:22:32.670 just three and a half games back. And the Sox 00:22:32.670 --> 00:22:36.250 won the first game on Gilfoy's Grand Slam. But 00:22:36.250 --> 00:22:39.529 then, in a series of dramatic events... Highlighted 00:22:39.529 --> 00:22:42.349 by Gates Brown's hitting, the Tigers smashed 00:22:42.349 --> 00:23:42.769 their way to victory in the next three. Here 00:23:42.769 --> 00:24:37.369 it comes. He taps one over. The bounding ball 00:24:37.369 --> 00:24:40.109 to first base. It's through for base hit. The 00:24:40.109 --> 00:24:48.789 Tigers win the game. And the Tigers stream out 00:24:48.789 --> 00:24:51.970 of the dugout. Bob Gates Brown and this crowd 00:24:51.970 --> 00:24:55.529 is going berserk as the Tigers win the doubleheader, 00:24:55.529 --> 00:24:58.470 getting the second game with a rally of four 00:24:58.470 --> 00:25:00.789 runs in the ninth inning to win it by three. 00:25:09.620 --> 00:25:12.319 The Tigers went back on the road with the tough 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:15.680 Indians and Red Sox to visit. The Tribe restless 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:19.519 in fourth place. And Denny McLean opened a three 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:22.519 -game series at Cleveland with his 24th victory. 00:25:23.059 --> 00:25:26.279 After a loss to Sonny Siebert, the Tigers made 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:28.880 it two out of three as Mickey Lomax relieved 00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:47.130 Joe Sparma for a 3 -0 shutout victory. for the 00:25:47.130 --> 00:26:17.900 Red Sox. Denny McClain went on to pitch his 25th 00:26:17.900 --> 00:26:21.480 victory and 6th shutout of the year. The next 00:26:21.480 --> 00:26:24.579 day's game was a thriller. Now the 1 -0 pitch. 00:26:46.090 --> 00:26:49.009 Bill Freehand we've got to talk to. Bill, when 00:26:49.009 --> 00:26:50.609 you hit that 11th inning home run to win the 00:26:50.609 --> 00:26:52.450 ball game up in Boston, you looked a little weary 00:26:52.450 --> 00:26:54.230 coming around the base. It's been a hard day, 00:26:54.289 --> 00:26:56.829 eh? It's been a hard day, and the night before 00:26:56.829 --> 00:26:59.109 was pretty long, too. The humidity was real high 00:26:59.109 --> 00:27:01.309 that day, and I don't know, in the latter part 00:27:01.309 --> 00:27:03.789 of August, my energy is a little sapped on Saturday 00:27:03.789 --> 00:27:05.769 morning, but I tell you what, when that ball 00:27:05.769 --> 00:27:07.730 jumped off my bat, I couldn't have been any happier, 00:27:07.789 --> 00:27:10.390 and when we finally finished that game, I was 00:27:10.390 --> 00:27:12.890 really a tired man. You knew it was gone then 00:27:12.890 --> 00:27:15.289 as soon as you hit it. Well, in Boston, you can 00:27:15.289 --> 00:27:17.549 tell pretty well. If you get the ball up, I knew 00:27:17.549 --> 00:27:19.069 I hit the ball well, and I thought I hit it high 00:27:19.069 --> 00:27:22.130 enough to carry the wall, and I was lucky. Do 00:27:22.130 --> 00:27:24.670 you like hitting that park, Fenway? Personally, 00:27:24.910 --> 00:27:26.849 I always have done pretty well there. I don't 00:27:26.849 --> 00:27:28.690 know if I'd like to call signals there all my 00:27:28.690 --> 00:27:30.690 life. It gets a little tough, and I think a five 00:27:30.690 --> 00:27:32.690 -run lead is never real secure in that park. 00:27:32.950 --> 00:27:35.769 A couple of days later, a new Tiger pitching 00:27:35.769 --> 00:27:39.750 hero emerged. One pitch away from a one -hit 00:27:39.750 --> 00:27:43.480 shutout against Chicago. Hiller has his sign. 00:27:43.619 --> 00:27:46.339 He goes to work. The pitch. It's a strike. It's 00:27:46.339 --> 00:27:49.400 all over. The Tigers win it. Chuck him out to 00:27:49.400 --> 00:27:51.640 end the ball game. Nothing at all for the White 00:27:51.640 --> 00:27:54.779 Sox. And the final score in game number one, 00:27:54.900 --> 00:27:59.859 Tigers 7, Chicago nothing. And the day after 00:27:59.859 --> 00:28:03.660 that, the Tigers, whose last inning heroics rivaled 00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:06.920 the perils of Pauline all year long, came up 00:28:06.920 --> 00:28:08.900 with more of the same against the White Sox. 00:28:10.119 --> 00:28:13.319 Waiting on a 1 -0 delivery. Right hand hitting 00:28:13.319 --> 00:28:16.740 outfield to Mickey Stanley. Swing. There's a 00:28:16.740 --> 00:28:19.920 fly ball deep to the map. Going back. Very. Maybe 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:39.420 it is. Out of here. Home run. Tigers 2, White 00:28:39.420 --> 00:29:08.289 Sox. Bottom of the 10th array. wood. What type 00:29:08.289 --> 00:29:10.150 of pitch was it? It was a knuckleball, Ernie. 00:29:10.349 --> 00:29:12.710 That's mostly what he throws. Did it hang a little 00:29:12.710 --> 00:29:14.890 high? Was it low, or could you tell? It moved 00:29:14.890 --> 00:29:17.450 in on me, and I'm mostly a pool hitter, and I 00:29:17.450 --> 00:29:18.950 was fortunate enough the ball came in on me. 00:29:19.410 --> 00:29:21.430 Did you have an idea when you went up there that 00:29:21.430 --> 00:29:24.069 you were going to swing for the fence? Not really. 00:29:24.130 --> 00:29:26.309 I guess a knuckleball pitcher, I usually try 00:29:26.309 --> 00:29:28.490 to go back through the middle. Wally Moses said 00:29:28.490 --> 00:29:29.690 that's the best way to hit them, and that's what 00:29:29.690 --> 00:29:32.089 I try to do. What other thoughts do you have 00:29:32.089 --> 00:29:33.750 when you come off the bench as a fence batter? 00:29:34.349 --> 00:29:37.019 Well, this year, I've had the good fortune to 00:29:37.019 --> 00:29:39.700 come up with a couple timely base hits, and it's 00:29:39.700 --> 00:29:42.420 an amazing thing. Before I go up to hit, I'm 00:29:42.420 --> 00:29:44.680 not really nervous. But after I hit, I'm shaking 00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:46.920 like a leaf. It's funny. How about when you're 00:29:46.920 --> 00:29:49.000 out on the bases and that big mob's waiting for 00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:50.480 you at the plate? I tell you, when that happened 00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:52.140 that night, I couldn't believe it. I thought 00:29:52.140 --> 00:29:53.799 I was dreaming. I woke up in the middle of the 00:29:53.799 --> 00:29:56.900 night, and I had a dream. And it was just hard 00:29:56.900 --> 00:29:59.140 to comprehend. And I finally got to home plate, 00:29:59.240 --> 00:30:01.099 and some of the guys were there, you know, and 00:30:01.099 --> 00:30:02.960 all the guys were running out of the field. I 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:04.940 said, you know, this is true. You didn't get 00:30:04.940 --> 00:30:07.160 hurt in that mob, did you? I got spiked a couple 00:30:07.160 --> 00:30:09.000 times, but I'll get spiked any time for that. 00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:12.700 But that didn't end the fireworks in the White 00:30:12.700 --> 00:30:15.160 Sox series. There were plenty more in the final 00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:20.380 game. 1 -0, Tigers lead. They got that run in 00:30:20.380 --> 00:30:22.779 the opening inning. The man who scored is up 00:30:22.779 --> 00:30:24.640 there now waiting on a 3 -2 pitch from John. 00:30:25.640 --> 00:30:29.079 Watch out. That one just about hit him. I think 00:30:29.079 --> 00:30:31.700 Mack's a little perturbed. He's yelling out to 00:30:31.700 --> 00:30:34.640 Tommy John. Now he goes at him, and John tackles 00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:37.380 McCauley. Here comes Pete Ward in, Mickey Stanley. 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:40.539 Salerno's there in the middle, and both dugouts 00:30:40.539 --> 00:30:43.279 empty, and the teams are going at it. Gates Brown 00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:46.059 is out there, and now the umpires are trying 00:30:46.059 --> 00:30:49.500 to separate the combatants here, and I think 00:30:49.500 --> 00:30:53.400 the situation has been still. John, I believe, 00:30:53.559 --> 00:30:57.099 has hurt his arm. The fight with Tommy John cost 00:30:57.099 --> 00:31:01.920 Dick McAuliffe a $250 fine and a five -day suspension. 00:31:03.279 --> 00:31:05.779 McAuliffe's loss was the first of a series of 00:31:05.779 --> 00:31:09.279 minor disasters for the Tigers. For with McAuliffe 00:31:09.279 --> 00:31:12.160 on the bench, they went to New York and dropped 00:31:12.160 --> 00:31:15.599 four straight games, their longest losing streak 00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:18.539 of the season. Everything went wrong in the sweltering 00:31:18.539 --> 00:31:21.569 August heat of Yankee Stadium. Earl Wilson was 00:31:21.569 --> 00:31:24.309 knocked cold by a line drive as the Yankees won 00:31:24.309 --> 00:31:26.549 the first game of a twilight doubleheader 2 -1. 00:31:27.589 --> 00:31:30.450 Then the Tigers were forced to a 19 -inning 3 00:31:30.450 --> 00:31:33.309 -3 standoff in the second game. It had to be 00:31:33.309 --> 00:31:35.970 called because of the curfew. The Yankees were 00:31:35.970 --> 00:31:38.150 on their way with a long winning streak, the 00:31:38.150 --> 00:31:40.730 hottest team in the league. But there was even 00:31:40.730 --> 00:31:43.730 more trouble to come, plenty of it. Denny McClain, 00:31:43.750 --> 00:31:45.950 who hadn't suffered two straight defeats all 00:31:45.950 --> 00:31:49.509 year, finally lost his second in a row on Saturday. 00:31:50.200 --> 00:31:53.819 And on Sunday, the Tigers dropped both ends of 00:31:53.819 --> 00:31:58.019 a doubleheader, each one by one run. They got 00:31:58.019 --> 00:32:00.099 out of New York wishing they had never seen the 00:32:00.099 --> 00:32:03.079 place, then considered themselves lucky to split 00:32:03.079 --> 00:32:06.259 a two -game series with the White Sox. That was 00:32:06.259 --> 00:32:08.400 the last day of Dick McCullough's suspension. 00:32:08.839 --> 00:32:11.099 He returned to the lineup when the Tigers got 00:32:11.099 --> 00:32:14.019 back into the friendly environment of Tiger Stadium. 00:32:15.129 --> 00:32:17.049 Dick, it must have been very frustrating sitting 00:32:17.049 --> 00:32:20.009 out that suspension. Well, it was quite frustrating, 00:32:20.190 --> 00:32:21.849 Ernie, especially when you're in a pennant race 00:32:21.849 --> 00:32:26.190 like we were. We were about seven games, seven 00:32:26.190 --> 00:32:28.509 and a half games ahead at the time, and to be 00:32:28.509 --> 00:32:32.130 set down five games, well, actually six games. 00:32:33.339 --> 00:32:36.099 And seeing my teammates trying to battle out 00:32:36.099 --> 00:32:38.720 there, these one -run ball games, and it was 00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:43.140 quite depressing for me. And I felt greatly part 00:32:43.140 --> 00:32:45.799 in not winning a few of those games because of 00:32:45.799 --> 00:32:48.019 the fact that I was sitting on the bench and 00:32:48.019 --> 00:32:52.799 I was really helpless. And a lot of people asked 00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:56.339 me, well, what would you do if they did it again, 00:32:56.420 --> 00:32:58.460 threw at me again? And I told them, I said, well, 00:32:58.519 --> 00:33:01.380 I'd really have to try and count to 100 as fast 00:33:01.380 --> 00:33:05.240 as I could. I think twice. Perhaps it was the 00:33:05.240 --> 00:33:08.640 welcome home. Perhaps it was the return of McCollum. 00:33:09.099 --> 00:33:11.740 Or perhaps it was Denny McLean's determination 00:33:11.740 --> 00:33:16.140 not to extend his losing streak beyond two. Whatever 00:33:16.140 --> 00:33:18.920 the reason, the Tigers finally began winning 00:33:18.920 --> 00:33:21.779 again. Their first of two victories over the 00:33:21.779 --> 00:33:25.339 Angels was McLean's 26th, which had been 12 days 00:33:25.339 --> 00:33:28.299 coming. Their second was a Mickey Lulich two 00:33:28.299 --> 00:33:30.519 -hitter settled by a Willie Horton home run. 00:33:31.160 --> 00:33:33.940 The pennant drive was really underway. Manager 00:33:33.940 --> 00:33:36.700 Mayo Smith somehow had the pitching staff at 00:33:36.700 --> 00:33:38.920 its peak. And up to the pennant clenching game, 00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:41.059 there were 11 straight games without a relief 00:33:41.059 --> 00:33:44.299 appearance by the bullpen. The Tigers won 17 00:33:44.299 --> 00:33:47.200 out of 22 after the New York derailment. And 00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:49.759 eight in a row to clench. You could feel the 00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:52.519 confidence of this team. And pennant fever gripped 00:33:52.519 --> 00:33:54.759 the city. The department stores were selling 00:33:54.759 --> 00:33:57.519 everything from Tiger milk to Tiger t -shirts. 00:33:58.160 --> 00:34:00.359 The newspapers were running full -page pictures 00:34:00.359 --> 00:34:03.240 of the players every day. Every other car, it 00:34:03.240 --> 00:34:05.380 seemed, had a Go Get Em Tigers bumper sticker. 00:34:05.839 --> 00:34:09.699 The magic number was posted all over town. People 00:34:09.699 --> 00:34:11.960 took transistor radios to the ballpark, theaters, 00:34:12.260 --> 00:34:14.780 movie houses, and restaurants. There was even 00:34:14.780 --> 00:34:17.639 a song written about... Danny McClane, Danny 00:34:17.639 --> 00:34:22.000 McClane There's never been any like Danny McClane 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:35.079 His pitch on the organ... What's nearsighted, 00:34:35.079 --> 00:34:39.760 Denny? What are the baseball awards? The all 00:34:39.760 --> 00:34:42.159 -time Tiger Stadium attendance record was broken 00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:45.599 as they neared the 2 million mark. Players were 00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:49.300 seen, heard, and featured everywhere. It was 00:34:49.300 --> 00:34:53.019 baseball, baseball, baseball. Bill Strehan here, 00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:55.659 the second most important name for my checks. 00:34:55.940 --> 00:34:58.920 The second place Orioles were in town for a crucial 00:34:58.920 --> 00:35:01.570 three -game series. and they were determined 00:35:01.570 --> 00:35:05.130 to take on the Tigers with a victory. This was 00:35:05.130 --> 00:35:07.510 a series that finished the Orioles as a serious 00:35:07.510 --> 00:35:10.590 threat. Oh, they were technically still in the 00:35:10.590 --> 00:35:13.610 race after that, but not really. For while nearly 00:35:13.610 --> 00:35:17.809 125 ,000 fans went mad in the three days between 00:35:17.809 --> 00:35:21.429 August 30th and September 1st, the Tigers took 00:35:21.429 --> 00:35:24.329 two out of three to show the baseball world they 00:35:24.329 --> 00:35:28.429 weren't about to fold in the clutch. Earl Wilson 00:35:28.429 --> 00:35:30.309 was the pitching and batting hero of the first 00:35:30.309 --> 00:35:33.389 game of Baltimore. Besides hurling a four -hitter 00:35:33.389 --> 00:35:37.070 for a 9 -1 victory, well, let the story tell 00:35:37.070 --> 00:35:43.670 itself. Swing to the long one! Deep left, it 00:35:43.670 --> 00:36:07.070 may be! That was the 31st home run of Wilson 00:36:07.070 --> 00:36:09.590 Surrey, putting him within sight of Wes Farrell's 00:36:09.590 --> 00:36:12.670 all -time career record for pitching. The Orioles 00:36:12.670 --> 00:36:14.369 spurred the series in the second game, but the 00:36:14.369 --> 00:36:16.710 third was the one that set them reeling. The 00:36:16.710 --> 00:36:19.789 man who pitched it? McClain, of course. With 00:36:19.789 --> 00:36:22.210 Denny McClain, it almost became not whether he 00:36:22.210 --> 00:36:24.849 would win, but how he would win. He did it with 00:36:24.849 --> 00:36:27.969 his bat, three hits and an hour. His team would 00:36:27.969 --> 00:36:30.969 come from behind, and with his inborn sense of 00:36:30.969 --> 00:36:33.630 drama, the maestro even did it with his glove. 00:36:34.280 --> 00:36:36.539 And this even had the Baltimore announcer cheering. 00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:44.800 It may be a triple play. They did it. A triple 00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:50.639 play. McLean to Magic to catch. The first triple 00:36:50.639 --> 00:36:56.760 play in the old ballpark since 1965. And later, 00:36:56.840 --> 00:36:59.239 Denny added to his immortality by having Mickey 00:36:59.239 --> 00:37:03.190 Mantle hit his 535th home run off of him. Denny 00:37:03.190 --> 00:37:05.369 and the whole team applauded the Mets who thus 00:37:05.369 --> 00:37:08.050 surpassed Fox for the number three all -time 00:37:08.050 --> 00:37:11.030 position. In the second game of a doubleheader 00:37:11.030 --> 00:37:13.389 at Oakland, the day after that big Baltimore 00:37:13.389 --> 00:37:16.610 series in Detroit, freehand came up in the clutch 00:37:16.610 --> 00:37:20.469 and... Now here's the pitch to Bill. Long fly 00:37:20.469 --> 00:37:23.570 to left field. It might be. Could be. It is. 00:37:33.519 --> 00:37:36.380 Put the Tigers out in front by a score of 4 -3. 00:37:39.639 --> 00:37:43.719 The next day, it was Northrop's turn. Bogle ahead 00:37:43.719 --> 00:37:45.800 of the batter. Northrop with a strike one count. 00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:53.199 The bases are loaded. He swings a bounding ball. 00:37:53.420 --> 00:37:56.559 Redfield. Krasinski scores. McCarty, bounding 00:37:56.559 --> 00:37:58.800 third. He's coming home. The throw to the plate. 00:37:58.860 --> 00:38:01.860 Not in time. He scores. And on the third goes 00:38:01.860 --> 00:38:04.619 Stanley. On the second goes... And the Tigers 00:38:04.619 --> 00:38:08.940 take the lead again, 4 -3 on a single by Jim 00:38:08.940 --> 00:38:13.099 Northrup with the bases loaded. Back to Detroit 00:38:13.099 --> 00:38:17.880 to entertain the Twins. Man on third, man on 00:38:17.880 --> 00:38:22.079 second, and nobody out. Caught, set some pitches, 00:38:22.179 --> 00:38:25.079 and Willie swings a long fly ball to left. Maybe 00:38:25.079 --> 00:38:42.360 it's gone. It scored four runs. And they have 00:38:42.360 --> 00:38:46.219 a 4 -0 lead over the Minnesota Twins. Boswell 00:38:46.219 --> 00:38:49.500 beginning to throw in the bullpen. That's the 00:38:49.500 --> 00:38:53.139 32nd home run for Willie Horton. It gives him 00:38:53.139 --> 00:39:00.500 76 runs batted in. Now to Anaheim for this series 00:39:00.500 --> 00:39:04.360 of explosions. Here's the set now, the pitch. 00:39:05.019 --> 00:39:06.780 Swing, a bounding ball to left. That ought to 00:39:06.780 --> 00:39:08.400 get a run in. Here's Stanley rounding third. 00:39:09.389 --> 00:39:11.949 Rykard will throw to second and the Tigers lead 00:39:11.949 --> 00:39:15.730 1 -0 on the single by Kaline. Scoring Mickey's 00:39:15.730 --> 00:39:19.869 family from second base. 1 -0 Detroit. Here's 00:39:19.869 --> 00:39:22.409 Willie Horton stepping in. Bennett delivers. 00:39:22.670 --> 00:39:25.070 Here's a fly ball to left. It's deep. Rykard 00:39:25.070 --> 00:39:30.289 going back. Might be. It is. Out of here. 3 -0 00:39:30.289 --> 00:39:35.909 Tigers. The 33rd home run by Willie Horton. So 00:39:35.909 --> 00:39:39.469 the Tigers out in front early. 3 -0 in the opening 00:39:39.469 --> 00:39:43.110 inning. Tigers 3, California nothing in the third. 00:39:46.789 --> 00:39:49.949 Now the wind -up by Bennett, and the pitch is 00:39:49.949 --> 00:39:51.929 swung on. There's a drive to left. Deep record 00:39:51.929 --> 00:39:55.610 going back. It is out of here. Just over the 00:39:55.610 --> 00:39:59.030 fence and into the bullpen. Mickey Stanley hits 00:39:59.030 --> 00:40:02.590 home run number 11, and the Tigers now lead 4 00:40:02.590 --> 00:40:06.269 -0. Bennett comes back. There's a long belt back. 00:40:24.860 --> 00:40:27.860 Now it's McLean again, with his bat helping his 00:40:27.860 --> 00:40:32.119 arm. So McLean batting against Messer -Smith, 00:40:32.119 --> 00:40:34.079 and he swings, and it's a fly ball to center. 00:40:34.179 --> 00:40:36.400 Johnstone is turned. He's going back. It's a 00:40:36.400 --> 00:40:38.420 deep one. He's still going, and it is off the 00:40:38.420 --> 00:40:41.000 wall. Diddy going for two. He's rounding second. 00:40:41.119 --> 00:40:43.340 He's heading for third. And here comes the throw. 00:40:43.440 --> 00:40:47.460 He slides. He has a three -bagger. Last game 00:40:47.460 --> 00:40:50.320 of the season in Anaheim was an easy one for 00:40:50.320 --> 00:40:53.530 the pennant -bound Tigers. He was tied with Northup. 00:40:53.530 --> 00:40:55.550 There's another drive deep to left. This might 00:40:55.550 --> 00:40:59.050 be gone. It is in the bullpen. A home run by 00:40:59.050 --> 00:41:02.929 Freehand. And the Tiger power asserting itself 00:41:02.929 --> 00:41:06.710 again here tonight. Seven to nothing. The Tigers 00:41:06.710 --> 00:41:13.730 lead them. Number 22 for Mr. Freehand. Here's 00:41:13.730 --> 00:41:27.460 Tom Satriato. Tom tonight, 0 for 2. Clever Morton 00:41:27.460 --> 00:41:29.619 had gone all the way to home. Scappers back to 00:41:29.619 --> 00:41:36.280 third base. A great play by Stanley. Hiller kicks 00:41:36.280 --> 00:41:38.719 and deals. Fly ball, short right. Here comes 00:41:38.719 --> 00:41:41.059 Northrup digging hard. He dives and he makes 00:41:41.059 --> 00:41:44.179 a great catch. Well, Stanley made one earlier 00:41:44.179 --> 00:41:47.679 and now Northrup makes a great diving, tumbling 00:41:47.679 --> 00:41:52.960 catch in right field. And home to Detroit to 00:41:52.960 --> 00:42:04.920 entertain the athletics royally. Turn to throw 00:42:04.920 --> 00:42:07.699 by Wilson to second. He's picked off. Picked 00:42:07.699 --> 00:42:11.019 off at second base is Reggie Jackson. Kaczynski 00:42:11.019 --> 00:42:13.500 ducked behind him. Tipped the throw for Wilson. 00:42:13.659 --> 00:42:16.800 And Jackson is picked off. And what a job Wilson 00:42:16.800 --> 00:42:20.960 does in the clutch. Blanking the Oakland A's 00:42:20.960 --> 00:42:25.460 in the seventh inning. No run on two hits. And 00:42:25.460 --> 00:42:51.780 there were no errors. opposition and a full house 00:42:51.780 --> 00:42:54.900 at Tiger Stadium to lend encouragement. Denny 00:42:54.900 --> 00:42:58.400 McLean's big bid for immortality. Everyone was 00:42:58.400 --> 00:43:02.300 there. Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower, Sandy 00:43:02.300 --> 00:43:05.179 Koufax, and the last 30 -game winner, Dizzy D. 00:43:06.239 --> 00:43:09.699 The Oakland A's lead the Tigers 4 -3 in the ninth 00:43:09.699 --> 00:43:15.980 inning. Segui walking off the mound and rubbing 00:43:15.980 --> 00:43:22.019 up that ball tossed out by Umpire Halleck. is 00:43:22.019 --> 00:43:24.800 stick around here now before this big Tiger crowd. 00:43:29.440 --> 00:43:33.019 Here's the set by Diego Segui. The pitch. Northup 00:43:33.019 --> 00:43:34.719 swings the bounding ball. It's flown to Decatur. 00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:37.199 He throws to the plate. The throw's wild. Kaline 00:43:37.199 --> 00:43:39.760 scores. Stanley rounding second. He throws. Goes 00:43:39.760 --> 00:43:42.800 to third. Safe at first is Northup. And the game 00:43:42.800 --> 00:44:00.260 is... Here's the set by Sege, the pitch. Swung 00:44:00.260 --> 00:44:02.280 on, a drive for left. That'll be the ball game. 00:44:02.380 --> 00:44:05.480 It's over ahead of Goska. McClain wins his 30th. 00:44:05.480 --> 00:44:07.960 Here comes Stanley in the score. Willie Horton, 00:44:08.119 --> 00:44:11.059 single, and the ball game is over. And the Tigers 00:44:11.059 --> 00:44:14.579 win it 5 -4. Jenny McClain is one of the first 00:44:14.579 --> 00:44:17.260 out of the dugout. Racing out, and Horton is 00:44:17.260 --> 00:44:20.940 mobbed as the Tigers come from behind. And McClain 00:44:20.940 --> 00:44:26.500 has his 30th victory of the 1968 season. Okay, 00:44:26.539 --> 00:44:28.440 Denny, our Tiger broadcast still on the air. 00:44:28.639 --> 00:44:30.739 Congratulations. Your team has come through for 00:44:30.739 --> 00:44:32.340 you all year long, and they came through for 00:44:32.340 --> 00:44:33.539 you again on the ninth inning. They've been doing 00:44:33.539 --> 00:44:36.300 it all year, Ray, and you don't expect them to 00:44:36.300 --> 00:44:38.559 keep doing it like this all year. I thought I 00:44:38.559 --> 00:44:40.820 was in a little bit of trouble, but they pulled 00:44:40.820 --> 00:44:42.340 me out again. They've been doing it all year. 00:44:42.480 --> 00:44:44.019 Denny, about your performance today. You started 00:44:44.019 --> 00:44:45.679 off very strong, and then Jackson gave you a 00:44:45.679 --> 00:44:48.619 lot of trouble. Did you... Feel about the same 00:44:48.619 --> 00:44:49.960 way as you did your last couple of performances? 00:44:50.239 --> 00:44:52.539 Yes, I did. Jackson, the first home run he hit 00:44:52.539 --> 00:44:56.280 was a pretty good pitch. But the second pitch 00:44:56.280 --> 00:44:58.119 he hit was a high changeup and was a real bad 00:44:58.119 --> 00:45:01.960 pitch. Real bad. Denny, you have a chance, of 00:45:01.960 --> 00:45:03.260 course, to talk to Dizzy Dean right after the 00:45:03.260 --> 00:45:04.719 ballgame. What does that have to tell you? Dizzy 00:45:04.719 --> 00:45:06.500 just congratulated me and wished me a lot of 00:45:06.500 --> 00:45:10.019 luck. All right, now you're going to 30. You 00:45:10.019 --> 00:45:12.400 want number 31 right now, of course. When do 00:45:12.400 --> 00:45:14.079 you think you'll go again? Probably Wednesday 00:45:14.079 --> 00:45:16.219 night, right? Let me help you arm feel right 00:45:16.219 --> 00:45:19.679 now. Arm feels wonderful. Wonderful. Okay, thank 00:45:19.679 --> 00:45:21.280 you very much, Denny McLean. Congratulations 00:45:21.280 --> 00:45:23.980 again to you. Two days later came the climax. 00:45:24.079 --> 00:45:28.360 The climax that truly made 1968 the year of the 00:45:28.360 --> 00:45:31.579 Tiger. Well, this big crowd here ready to break 00:45:31.579 --> 00:45:35.019 loose. Three men on, two men out. Game tied 1 00:45:35.019 --> 00:45:39.639 -1 in the ninth inning. McDaniel checking his 00:45:39.639 --> 00:45:43.449 time with Jake Gibbs. The tall right -hander 00:45:43.449 --> 00:45:47.849 ready to go to work again. And the wind -up and 00:45:47.849 --> 00:45:50.590 the pitch. He swings. A line shot. Base hit. 00:45:50.670 --> 00:45:53.070 Right field. The Tigers win it. Here comes Kaline 00:45:53.070 --> 00:45:56.110 to score. And it's all over. Downward singles. 00:45:56.449 --> 00:45:59.829 The Tigers mobbed on. Kaline has scored. The 00:45:59.829 --> 00:46:02.630 fans are steaming on the field. And the Tigers 00:46:02.630 --> 00:46:07.349 have won their first pennant since 1945. Let's 00:46:07.349 --> 00:46:09.829 listen to the bedlam here at Tigers Stadium. 00:46:16.360 --> 00:46:19.760 Tigers are being mobbed as they go to their dugout. 00:46:19.820 --> 00:46:22.579 They'll hardly make it. Confetti in the air. 00:46:23.480 --> 00:46:29.619 Fireworks in the air. Now, Ray Lane is in the 00:46:29.619 --> 00:46:32.880 Tiger Clubhouse, and I imagine quite a few things 00:46:32.880 --> 00:46:36.000 are popping down there. Ray? Right, Johnny. We're 00:46:36.000 --> 00:46:39.199 in the Tiger Clubhouse, and as usual, for the 00:46:39.199 --> 00:46:41.500 pennant winners, it's the big night right now. 00:46:41.780 --> 00:46:44.280 Joe Sparma, congratulations. Thanks, Ray. Great 00:46:44.280 --> 00:46:46.860 job. Thank you very much. It's great to be able 00:46:46.860 --> 00:46:48.860 to be a part of it, I'll tell you. Joe, you had 00:46:48.860 --> 00:46:50.719 to feel a little down the last couple of months. 00:46:51.059 --> 00:46:53.980 Yeah, I did. I think I won this game for the 00:46:53.980 --> 00:46:55.820 people who had faith in me, and I guess my wife, 00:46:55.920 --> 00:46:57.219 if it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't have 00:46:57.219 --> 00:46:59.000 got through the year, I'll tell you. Manager 00:46:59.000 --> 00:47:01.659 Mayo Smith over here right now, a man that's 00:47:01.659 --> 00:47:03.880 been dunked by about five bottles of champagne. 00:47:03.920 --> 00:47:08.780 He is sopping wet. It ended up the way we wanted 00:47:08.780 --> 00:47:11.860 it to. We won it, even though we knew that Baltimore 00:47:11.860 --> 00:47:15.500 had lost. This is a very happy day. And, of course, 00:47:15.500 --> 00:47:20.480 these guys have played great all year. I'm happy 00:47:20.480 --> 00:47:25.480 first for them. Of course, John Fetzer, the Tiger 00:47:25.480 --> 00:47:28.380 organization. Last but not least, the fans. They've 00:47:28.380 --> 00:47:30.280 waited a long time for this. And see if we can't 00:47:30.280 --> 00:47:32.780 get over here to reach the Tiger president, Mr. 00:47:32.840 --> 00:47:37.519 John Fetzer. All right, now we get up here. And 00:47:37.519 --> 00:47:39.860 I want Alice with a bottle of champagne. Mr. 00:47:40.019 --> 00:47:47.820 Fetzer, congratulations to Alice. Well, I'm not 00:47:47.820 --> 00:47:50.559 very good at giving play -by -play descriptions, 00:47:50.840 --> 00:47:54.219 Ray, but that was the finest toss of water I've 00:47:54.219 --> 00:47:57.000 ever seen tossed on Jim Campbell's ball head. 00:47:57.139 --> 00:47:59.639 And this is the greatest testimony I know to 00:47:59.639 --> 00:48:02.039 the greatest ball club in the world today. Mr. 00:48:02.079 --> 00:48:03.980 Fetzer, I want to say one thing. You have tried 00:48:03.980 --> 00:48:06.719 for the past two years to build yourself a penicillin 00:48:06.719 --> 00:48:09.800 tender. You got it tonight. This is the climax 00:48:09.800 --> 00:48:14.039 of a long, long, cold winter night. But I tell 00:48:14.039 --> 00:48:16.409 you right now, it's warm indeed. Can you get 00:48:16.409 --> 00:48:18.409 Mr. Campbell for us over there? Mr. Lodi's trying 00:48:18.409 --> 00:48:21.889 to get Jim. Jim, congratulations. Hi, Ray. Well, 00:48:22.090 --> 00:48:24.630 we're real happy. I'll tell you, real happy is 00:48:24.630 --> 00:48:27.750 not the word for it, is it? You think we've been 00:48:27.750 --> 00:48:29.889 so close for a few days, but when it comes, you 00:48:29.889 --> 00:48:33.429 think, well, you won't get excited. But by golly, 00:48:33.429 --> 00:48:36.570 it's just wonderful. Jim, you've had a hero in 00:48:36.570 --> 00:48:38.929 about every ballgame this year. There's really 00:48:38.929 --> 00:48:40.889 no one hero in this club. They're a great bunch 00:48:40.889 --> 00:48:44.360 of kids. I think they're just great. This has 00:48:44.360 --> 00:48:47.000 to certainly pay off for all the hours and days 00:48:47.000 --> 00:48:49.039 and months of hard work trying to build up. Yeah, 00:48:49.039 --> 00:48:52.079 and years. Okay, you look great with that soap 00:48:52.079 --> 00:48:54.019 on you, Jim. Yeah, I look great. Jim Campbell, 00:48:54.139 --> 00:48:56.219 general manager and vice president of the Detroit 00:48:56.219 --> 00:48:59.559 Tigers. Hey, Mickey. Mickey Loli, say we can't 00:48:59.559 --> 00:49:01.480 get the old left -hander over here, Mickey. Hey, 00:49:01.539 --> 00:49:03.860 buddy, it must be a pretty good feeling. Oh, 00:49:03.900 --> 00:49:05.599 I tell you, Ray, it's great. I don't know what 00:49:05.599 --> 00:49:07.960 to say. We had a feeling, you know, we were going 00:49:07.960 --> 00:49:09.539 to win it in spring training, and here we are, 00:49:09.579 --> 00:49:10.820 and we're the happiest people in the world right 00:49:10.820 --> 00:49:12.519 now. You know, you're talking about that feeling. 00:49:12.579 --> 00:49:14.639 I think it was very prevalent in spring training. 00:49:14.679 --> 00:49:16.400 It was sort of a silent thought, but all you 00:49:16.400 --> 00:49:18.880 guys had seemed like dedication. You knew you 00:49:18.880 --> 00:49:21.199 could do it. Well, everybody said in spring training, 00:49:21.260 --> 00:49:22.800 I mean, how did we feel after last year when 00:49:22.800 --> 00:49:24.519 we come so close and miss? And we said, well, 00:49:24.679 --> 00:49:26.539 we knew what it was like there. We were all more 00:49:26.539 --> 00:49:28.860 experienced, and I think today we have proved 00:49:28.860 --> 00:49:31.099 that we did gain more experience last year, and 00:49:31.099 --> 00:49:32.500 I think there's a great future for the Detroit 00:49:32.500 --> 00:49:34.750 Tigers in the next few years in Detroit. Mickey, 00:49:34.869 --> 00:49:36.730 you've had that in -and -out season at least 00:49:36.730 --> 00:49:38.670 the first three months of the season. You seem 00:49:38.670 --> 00:49:41.130 to be on the right track again. Well, you know 00:49:41.130 --> 00:49:42.710 Mickey Lowledge. He always seems to come along 00:49:42.710 --> 00:49:44.769 when he has to, so I'm real glad I could do it. 00:49:44.829 --> 00:49:46.750 Mickey, you've done a wonderful job, and good 00:49:46.750 --> 00:49:49.650 luck the remaining season, and good luck in the 00:49:49.650 --> 00:49:49.849 series.