October Baseball: 1964
Guest Writer: Bob Power
As the dog days of summer approach, leaves begin their brilliant change of colors and another school year is in full swing. My memory often takes me back to a nine year old trying to figure out the meaning of life. In my case I was all into the upcoming World Series, otherwise known as the fall classic.
From the age of about 6, I was mesmerized by my grandfather. After Sunday dinner he had a ritual of retiring to the living room, turning on the Philco radio, lighting up a short Lucky Strike, cracking open a Stag beer and listening to his beloved Cardinals baseball
I sat with him and had a million questions about the game which he thankfully patiently answered. He would let me know when a critical play was happening like a double off the wall by Stan Musial in famed Sportsman Park. I knew better than to interrupt when Harry Caray of Jack Buck was masterfully describing the play in a game.
There are certain life changing events that happen in a young man’s life, his first ball glove, first kiss, first car and even his first beer. My event will always be the fall of 1964 when magic was in the air.
It was late September and my Cardinals were 6 ½ games behind the Philadelphia Phillies with 12 games to play. Reality had already set in with the cliche, “wait until next year!”
And then it happened, a monumental Phillie collapse and a strong Cardinal finish. The Phillies had already printed World Series tickets and then lost 10 in a row. The Cardinals ended up clinching the pennant on the last day of the regular season.
Now for the first time of my 9 years on this earth, my team was going to the World Series. Life could not have been better! Our opponents however was the dreaded Yankees. The juggernaut of baseball, from 1949 to 1963 they made 13 of 15 postseason appearances in the Series.
As I pulled out my 1964 Topps Baseball Cards and began laying out the individual position matchups my heart sank. They had names like Mantel, Marris, Ford, and Berra. What chance did we have against those tested conquering heroes?
Another challenge suddenly became apparent, all World Series games were played during the day and the monumental problem facing us all in watching was,...school. How could anyone in their right mind keep an innocent 9 year old from seeing this, it would be the start of child abuse, I would demand accountability!
Wednesday, October 7, 1964 would be my day of infamy as I would be stuck in 4th grade class at St Francic Xavier Catholic Grade School in St Jo with only my imagination on how my beloved Cardinals (Gibson, Brock, Flood and Boyer) could survive those mighty Yankee’s.
Then it happened again, the miracle of all miracles was about to unfold. I still rank it up there with any of those Biblical wonders we had been taught in religion class and Sunday services.
The day of the game a strange shifting of classes took place. Math, history, science and of course religion were condensed and presented in the morning? Lunch was promptly served at noon rather than after recesses. What in God’s green earth was going on?
Then, as if the heavens opened up, and a bright light shone from above, a parent opened the door and rolled in the most magnificent piece of technology ever, a 23’ black and white Westinghouse TV set. At that very moment I was certain I heard angels on high singing in unison. We were getting ready to watch game 1 of the World Series.
The oohs and aahs drowned out the ughs of the simple minded uneducated yucky girls. At this point I realized there truly was a God!
The parents who arranged this, truly and certainly had a free pass into heaven, they adjusted the rabbit ears for the best reception. As the set came on, I strained to hear the voices that would forever resonate in my mind, Curt Gowdy and Joe Garagiola.
Lineups were announced and the Yankee’s took the field. The girls were excused for a belated recess or whatever, as far as I was concerned they could have been headed to the moon.
The silence in the room was deafening except for the occasional “wow” as we all dreamed of facing Whiety Ford or robbing Mickey Mantle of a Home Run in a World Series. Then it got even better, at 2 o'clock we were given the parole of a lifetime, school was dismissed! Living just 6 blocks from there I sprinted home in record time, surly nearing Jim Ryun's record of a sub 4 minute mile.
Crashing through the front door I startled my ironing mother as I flipped on TV to not miss another moment of the play by play. I caught my breath and explained to her we were let out early from “The Rock,” she didn’t believe me. My older sister got home and verified the story, all was good!
The Cardinals lost game 1 but won the series in 7 games as my hero Bob Gibson quieted the Yankee bats and became the MVP of the series.
Even though my Cardinals have won and lost a few series since that October I will always be a fan of fall baseball,... minus the Lucky Shorts and Stag Beer.
Oh and that first kiss? It was at Noyes Pool underwater no less, with a neighbor girl at age 12, she will remain nameless. Strangely, as I pass by a pool or washing machine and smell chlorine, I remunis not of her but of the over 60 years of loving baseball in October.
