Some incredible stats from the 1965 season...
- Don Drysdale not only batted .300 for the season but led the team in slugging percentage with a .508 mark.
- Sandy Koufax pitched 335 innings during the season.
- No Dodger hit more than 12 home runs the entire year.
- Of the top 5 MVP finalists in 1965, three of them were Dodgers (Koufax-2, Wills-3, Drysdale-5).
The Twins, having beat Drysdale and Koufax in Game 1 and 2, were riding high until dropping games 3, 4, and 5. Needing to win the last two they succeeded in Game 6; however, ultimately fell to the Dodgers, 2-0, in the deciding game. Not only did Sandy Koufax pitch a 4-hit complete game shutout in Game 5 but he came back in Game 7, on two days rest, and hurled a 3-hit complete game shutout to claim the World Series MVP.
Some observations from the game...
- The game takes place in the daytime. When was the last time you recall seeing a World Series game being played during the day?
- Koufax has a NASTY curveball.
- Koufax throws with his left hand but bats on the right hand side of the plate.
- Everyone in the stands is either wearing a dress or a suit.
- NBC split the play by play duties with Vin Scully calling only the latter half of the game.
- Maury Wills is wearing only a baseball hat when batting.
- Instant replays were broadcast in normal speed.
- From my count there are only 5 cameras covering the game, with a high-behind-the-plate angle being shown most of the time.
- Apparently, the only ads on TV in that time were for razors.
- Upon recording the last out to win the World Series, the on-field celebration was less than you'd see in a typical regular season game today.
- There were no champagne celebrations in the clubhouse afterwards.
Thanks to FSN Prime Ticket for a look back at Dodger history.
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7 comments:
A couple of years ago I read the biography on Koufax. What he went through just to get through each game and each season is incomparable. The man would research ANYTHING he could rub on his arm after a game, including chili paste that would make his skin burn. The expression "110%" can only be applied to him. Once after a game, one of his teammates saw his elbow (which had blown up to the size of a grapefruit which was common) and nearly passed out from the sight. In some games, his arm hurt too much to throw his trademark curveball (I think in one of these two final games Brandon mentions), and he got threw the entire game throwing completely fastballs.
You are absolutely right Vida. In watching the post game interviews with Koufax and Vinny (everyone kept calling him that), Koufax admitted that all he could throw was fastballs. He claimed to have tried throwing a few curveballs and gave up because of the pain.
After his Game 5 performance he remarked to Vinny, "I feel a hundred years old."
To throw 330+ innings in one season should be impossible. Guys used to do it back in the day, but very few had stuff as good as Koufax.
For me, I can put this into perspective. I threw 150 innings in one season of my Sunday baseball league 4 years ago. My arm still hates me for it. Sure was fun though. It's a fulltime job keeping your arm healthy. I can't even imagine how mentally tough a person can be to withstand 300+ innings.
Doc- speaking of which, this Sunday I begin pitching for a league at the ripe age of 37, with no preparation. Go ahead and book surgery time for me now.
Good luck Vida. Don't forget to stretch.
As long as you throw strikes you should be alright. Nothing is worse on your defense than putting guys on with walks.
Strikes I guaranteed the coach. I'm going to be "pitching to contact"! And I'm also coaching my son in little league, which at his age is coach-pitched. Maybe I can try a layer of Icy Hot followed by Ben-Gay, followed by a trip to the local Asian "massage" house. Heck, even bring my son for a little lesson on the "bird and bees". Okay, that was too far.
"The secret is hot ice! You gotta heat the ice!"
-Daniel Stern in "Rookie of the Year"
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