"Go, Go, Go!"

There was only one thing on my mind after reading Kensai's excellent piece at Fire Ned Colletti Now about break times, pop times, stolen bases, and the like. Maury Wills.

In 1962, Wills posted a number synonymous with Dodger baseball when he racked up a then record 104 stolen bases. Chants of "Go, Go, Go" echoed throughout Dodger Stadium as Wills raced around the Ravine, bringing excitement and astonishment to Los Angeles. From Sid Ziff of the Los Angeles Times...

Maurice Morning Wills may soon become as famous as the Thief of Bagdad. He's stolen more bases (39 when the article was written) than seven of the nine clubs in the National League. He has the catchers so jittery he's been getting a lot of his steal lately on wild throws. These catchers throw all right ordinarily, but Wills has them so excited because they know what's going to happen, that they heave the ball in all directions.

Dodgers manager Walter Alston refuses to way Wills is his most valuable player. "I'd have to name the whole squad," he says diplomatically. "But Wills would be the hardest to replace. In fact, it would be impossible."

"None of us can run like Maury," notes Dodger catcher John Roseboro. "He's just fabulous."

"Suppose you were catching and Wills took off for second, what would you do?" he was asked recently.

"I think I'd probably throw to thrid," said Roseboro thoughtfully.

Wills ranks No. 1 in popularity witht he fans. He has only to get on first base to start them whistling, cheering, and urging him to "Go, Go, Go."

He rates over any slugger in the leauge now as an attraction.

Thanks to Wills, people are willing to overlook the drop in home run production in Chavez Ravine.

"We'd rather see Wills and Willie Davis run any time than watch home runs," the fans have been advising the club.

Columnist Melvin Durslag elaborates on Maury Wills through speaking with Bob Purkey, ace of the Cincinnati pitching staff. Purkey (23-5, 2.81 ERA in 1962) passes on the praise...

"If a pitcher lets Wills bother him, there will soon be runners on first and third, instead of only on first, because the pitcher won't concentrate on the batter, who will smack him for a hit. I try to play Wills exactly as I played in the Coliseum. In other words, I pitch my own and and don't alter my game to fit anything, or anyone, in particular."

Purkey said assuringly that Wills will steal on anyone, but that the pitcher must keep his composure when Maury is on base and level his attention on the man at bat.

Well, so much for that plan. Continues Durslag...

The game started, and Wills opened with an infield single. He took a lead off first. Purkey studied him cautiosusly. He ran him back. Maury took another lead. Purkey ran him back. Maury stepped out again. Purkey ran him back again.

Purkey tried a pitchout. Wills didn't go. Wills led off first once more and stood poised, simply starting at the pitcher. Purkey, from a set position, stared back. Chin rested on his left shoulder, Purkey studied him for an uncommon period of time. Wills stood statue like. Watching this cat-and-mouse game, the crowd boiled with suspense.

Finally, Purkey pitched- and Wills lit out for second. The throw was made, but Maury beat it. The stands exploded with cheers. It was a show that was pretty hard to top- and the game had only just begun.

Pitchers, like Purkey, develop enormous contempt for Wills. In a game with the Mets last week, Roger Craig irritably made 13 (13!) throws to first base, chasing Maury back. Since Wills dives headlong, he had to get up each time and dust himself off.

More pitchers would do this, except that they're ashamed. It is, in effect, an admission by a strapping guy that he is being troubled by a midget like Maury.

Freddie Hutchinson, the manager of Cincinnatti, was asked the other night if there were any special stratagem for coping with a runner like Maury.

"The catcher is helpless," says Hutchinson. "If Wills gets a jump, a catcher couldn't shoot him out with a rifle. The pitcher can't do much either, because in a guessing game with Wills, he doesn't know what Maury is going to do. So, my instructions for preventing his steals are simple- don't let him get on base."

Unfortunately for Hutchinson's plan, Maury Wills also tallied over 200 hits that season, on his way to winning the 1962 NL MVP award, narrowly edging Willie Mays. However, Wills glorious season did bring out the word most baseball fans cringe at today. Asterisk. Although, this was for a different reason than what you might think. From Wikipedia...

While Wills had broken Cobb's single season stolen base record in 1962, the National League had increased its number of games player per team that year from 154 to 162. Wills' 97th stolen base had occurred after his team had played its 154th game; as a result, Commissioner Ford Frick ruled that Wills' 104-steal season and Cobb's 96-steal season of 1915 were separate records, just as he had the year before (the American League had also increased its number of games played per team to 162) after Roger Maris had broken Babe Ruth's single season home run record.

Both stolen base records would be broken however in 1974 by Lou Brock's 118 steals; Brock had broken Cobb's stolen base record by stealing his 97th base before his St. Louis Cardinals had completed their 154th game.

Regardless off pitchers, catchers, or asterisks Maury Wills was a premier attraction in Los Angeles in the 1960's. From 1960 - 1965 he led the league in stolen bases, and in 1962 he tallied more individual stolen bases than every other major league TEAM. Hall of Famer or not, the impact that Maury Wills brought to Los Angeles, and to baseball, will be remembered for generations.