Some of these were defining moments for franchises or the sport as a whole, creating iconic images that are instantly recognizable. Of these 16 games during this period, only 7 have survived. Below is a look at the Game 7s, how they turned out and which ones we are lucky to still have.
1947 – This was the first year that Major League Baseball was broadcast over television. This World Series saw the Dimaggio Yankees taking on Jackie Robinson’s Dodgers. The World Series broadcasting rights, such as they were, had been divided up between three networks: NBC with Game 1 and 6, CBS with Games 3 and 4, while the now defunct DuMont broadcasting company got games 2, 6 and 7. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, only Philadelphia, New York, Washington and Schenectady were hooked up to the network link at the time and were able to show the game. After a dramatic back and forth series, Game 7 would be decided in the 4th inning when Tommy Henrich drove in Phil Rizzuto for the go-ahead run as the Yankees sent 8 hitters to the plate. The Dodgers wouldn’t get another baserunner until their half of the 9th and the Yankees kicked off their dynasty.
No kinescopes have survived.
1952 – It would be five years before we saw another Game 7 but it would be much of the same from our last foray. For the third of five World Series meetings between the Dodgers and Yankees in 10 years, we were treated to yet another classic series. In this case, however, we get our first (and oldest) surviving complete game broadcast. This game 7 featured a back-and-forth between the two clubs in the middle innings, only to have Mickey Mantle do what Mickey Mantle does in World Series and hit a homerun in the 6th to put the Yankees ahead for good. Mantle would tack on another run in the 7th on an RBI single, while the Dodgers would load the bases in the 7th for Snider and Robinson but leave them stranded. This broadcast is one of two from the 1952 World Series that has lived on through the years. Broadcast on NBC, the intro we see on the free YouTube video MLB provides on their MLBClassics channel is narrated by Bob Costas. The rest of the game is shown complete up until the Yankees joyously run off the field. We get a quick wrap-up by Barber and Allen in their cramped booth before finishing with a splash screen of ‘Gillette’s Cavalcade of Sports’
Complete Game Broadcast on MLBClassics
1955 – Right back into the fray with the Dodgers and Yankees. Having been turned away each time, the Dodgers won Game 5 to put themselves one win away from finally vanquishing the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees made quick work of Game 6 by jumping out to a 5 run lead and on the back of Whitey Ford’s complete game four-hitter, they forced another agonizing Game 7 for the Dodgers. This time, however, it would be the Yankees who would strand base runners in the clincher. Gil Hodges would etch his name in immortality with an RBI single in the 4th and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 6th. The drama for the Yankees came in the 6th when, with 2 runners on and no outs, Yogi Berra hit a flyball to leftfield that was caught on a spectacular play by defensive replacement Sandy Amoros that turned into a 7-6-3 double play. The last real hope for the Yankees came in the 7th when, with a runner on, an injured Mickey Mantle came to the plate as a pinch hitter and the tying run. Mantle would ground out to short and the Dodgers would be on their way to finally besting their crosstown rivals.
No known kinescopes have survived.
1956 – The Yankees and Dodgers were back at it for the last of their New York battles. This time, however, the Yankees had Mickey Mantle back in the lineup. Mantle would bang out 3 more World Series homeruns, most famously in the 4th inning of Game 5 to give Don Larsen all the offense he needed that day. It was Yogi Berra, however, who lead the charge in Game 7. Yogi would hit two homeruns and the Yankees routed the Dodgers 9-0 at Ebbets Field. While Larsen’s Game 5 has survived in kinescope form, the only other pieces we have from this series are two partials from Game 2 and Game 3. We are left with no broadcast footage of this title clincher.
No known kinescopes have survived.
1957 – Except for a blowout in Game 3 by the Yankees, this series between Hank Aaron’s Milwaukee Braves and Mickey Mantle’s Yankee dynasty saw every game leading up to Game 7 decided by 2 runs or less. The Yankees had won Game 6 after Hank Bauer erased Hank Aaron’s game tying homerun in the top of the 7th by blasting one of his own. Milwaukee would be well on their way to winning Game 7 after Tony Kubek’s error on an inning ending double play in the 3rd opened the flood gates. The Braves would score 4 runs off of Don Larsen and Bobby Shantz and the game was a snoozer after that. The ’57 Series has been a topic of discussion on this blog for a long time, with it being one of the few series to feature multiple surviving games. From this series, RareSportsFilm has preserved the complete broadcast for Game 7 and has shown it publicly in the past.
Preserved by RareSportsFilms
1958 – The Braves and Yankees would be right back in a seven game World Series the very next year. The Braves found themselves tied late in both Game 6 and 7, only to eventually lose both. It would take 10 innings in a truly epic Game 6 before the Yankees would prevail. After running Whitey Ford in the 2nd, the Braves just couldn’t scrape another run off the Yankees bullpen while Warren Spahn kept putting up zeroes. Finally, with Spahn still on the mound, the Yankees broke through for 2 runs in the top of the 10th. In the bottom of the 10th, Hank Aaron would drive in a run and reach 3rd after a Joe Adcock 2-out single. Frank Torre would lineout to 2B to force a deciding Game 7. That Game 7 saw the two teams tied at 2 heading into the 8th. Elston Howard would hit an RBI single and Bill Skowron would follow soon after with a 3-run homerun and the Yankees would wrap-up their last World Series of the 50’s. Nothing is known to exist of this broadcast or this series, for that matter.
No known kinescopes have survived.
1960 – One of the most famous Game 7 endings of all-time. This ending got Bill Mazeroski into the Hall of Fame and the Pirates their first World Championship since 1925. Before Maz blasted Ralph Terry’s pitch over where Kiner’s Korner once stood, the series was a smattering of Yankees blowouts and Pirates close wins. To give you an idea of how much offense the Yankees put up in this series, Bobby Richardson won the MVP in a series in which his team lost and another player hit a season-ending walk-off homerun. For the clunker that this series was, it showed just how magical Game 7s can be. With the Pirates three outs away from the win following a 5-run 8th inning, the Yankees tied the game in the Top of the 9th off of RBIs by Mantle and Berra. Thanks to the serendipitous conditions of Bing Crosby being a team owner and having a wonderful wine-cellar/film archive, we are now treated to being able to watch the broadcast of how the entire game and those tense last few innings all unfolded.
Available on MLB DVD.
1962 – Much like 1960 World Series Game 7 had been for year before its’ discovery, Game 7 of the 1962 Series is considered a ‘Holy Grail’ in the broadcast collecting world. Not known to exist, this game features one of the most dramatic 9th innings in final game World Series history. Trailing 1-0 in to start the 9th, Matty Alou reaches first on a bunt infield single. With 2-outs, Willie Mays smokes a double to right field. The Giants, concerned about how strong Maris’ arm is, hold Alou from scoring and stop him at third base. Film footage shows that the throw was high and Alou likely would have slid in safely to tie the game. The next hitter, the great Willie McCovey, hits a linedrive right at the second basemen with the winning run standing at second base. The Yankees win their last World Series of this historic run.
No known kinescopes have survived.
1964 – In their last World Series for 13 years, the Yankees once again took the season to its final day. This time they squared off against Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals. Gibson hadn’t been sharp in Game 2 and the Cardinals lost his first World Series start. They would go on to win the next 7 World Series games he toed the rubber. That included Game 7 of this series on two days’ rest. The Cardinals had won Games 4 and 5 on the Grand Slam of Ken Boyer and the 10th inning 3-run homerun of Tim McCarver in each game respectively. Back at Busch, they dropped Game 6 to setup a rematch of Mel Stottlemyre and Gibson. Gibson skated out of trouble in the 2nd while the Cardinals erupted for 3 runs in the 4th and 3 runs in the 5th. Mickey Mantle would hit his final World Series homerun with a 3-run variety in the 6th. A solo homerun from Ken Boyer for the Cardinals would push the lead to four runs and Gibson would give up two solo homeruns in the 9th while pitching on fumes. While this game wasn’t extremely close down to the wire, the game featured strong offense from both sides. With none of this series surviving in broadcast form, we are left with only the radio calls to help relay the action.
No known kinescopes have survived.
1965 – When you have the choice of using Sandy Koufax or Don Drysdale (or both) in a Game 7, there really is no wrong answer. Walter Alston chose Koufax on short rest over Drysdale on regular rest. Drysdale was available out of the pen at the first sign of trouble for Koufax. Sandy made sure that never had a chance of happening. Jim Kaat started opposite Koufax and was ambushed to start the 4th inning and wouldn’t survive. The Dodgers got a homerun and an RBI single, giving Koufax all the runs he would need as he spun a 3 hit, 3 walk complete game shutout. The beauty of a 2 run game is that a game-tying rally is always a bloop and a blast away. One baserunner and suddenly the pitcher is in trouble. Well, after Koufax got the lead in the 4th, Koufax allowed baserunners in only the 5th and then the 9th. Harmon Killebrew would get an one out single but Koufax would finish in a flourish, striking out the final two hitters. We are blessed to have the complete NBC broadcast preserved by the CBC on kinescopes. Not only do we get Vin Scully providing great commentary through the entire ballgame but we are treated to Vin’s postgame locker room interview. The joy on his face is worth the watch alone.
Complete Game Broadcast on MLBClassics
1967 – The Impossible Dream meets Viva El Birdos. After Bob Gibson had beat Jose Santiago in Game 1 and 4, it was certain the Cardinals would turn to Gibson again in Game 7 on three days’ rest. It wasn’t until after Jim Lonborg had beaten Steve Carlton in his first World Series start that the Red Sox knew they would return Lonborg to the mound on short rest if a Game 7 happened. In Game 6, the Cardinals had tied the Red Sox in the top of the 7th on a 2-run homerun by Lou Brock only to have the Red Sox send 10 men to the plate as part of a 4 run bottom of the 7th. Adding to the drama heading into Game 7 was the umbrage the Cardinals took with the phrase being passed around the Boston clubhouse and papers of ‘Lonborg and Champagne’ in respects to the outcome of Game 7. As for the game itself, it offered no drama. The Cardinals took their frustration out on Lonborg, anhilating him in six innings. Gibson took Lonborg deep in the 5th over the Green Monster and took the mound for all nine innings, striking out ten. Despite video tape footage from various Red Sox games during the season surviving, as well as large swathes of Game 161 and 162, no broadcast footage from the 1967 World Series survives.
No known kinescopes have survived.
1968 – Going into the 1968 World Series, the Cardinals were the premier organization in baseball. They had an expensive roster of name brand veterans and arguably the best pitcher in the game. They had an owner who owned a major American company and a new state-of-the-art stadium. This was their 3rd World Series in 5 years. They were on the brink of cementing themselves as a dynasty. Gibson won Game 1 in a record setting performance; the Cardinals jumped out to a 3-1 series lead and looked destined to end Game 5 hoisting the trophy. Lou Brock chose not to slide in at homeplate, the Tigers put up a 10 run inning in Game 6 and the Cardinals found themselves staring down yet another Game 7. They had their ace on the mound once again in Gibson, while the Tigers turned to Mickey Lolich. The Cardinals had history on their side, as well. Rarely had a team ever blown a 3-1 series lead in the playoffs and the Cardinals were a staggering 6-0 in World Series Game 7s at that point. The Cardinals threatened in the first, but Lolich and Gibson traded zeroes into the 6th. In the bottom of the 6th, the game began to turn. Both Lou Brock and Curt Flood would be picked off first base with Orlando Cepeda due up. Gibson got 2 quick outs in the 7th before the Tigers put together 4 straight hits (two singles, a double, and the game-breaking Curt Flood fall down triple) to score 3 runs off of Gibson. The Tigers would push across one more run before Mike Shannon hit a 9th inning homerun. This World Series clincher for the Tigers exists on a complete game kinescope recorded by the CBC. Both the pregame show and the postgame show were preserved and offer a real treat into this classic series.
Complete Game Broadcast Kinescope survives.
1971 – The Clemente World Series. With the recent, sudden tragic passing of Oscar Taveras there will be parallels drawn between the two. Clemente’s untimely death two years after this World Series was just as shocking. Clemente had lived a rich baseball and personally life. Oscar had only begun his. Clemente will forever be immortalized in this showcase of his talents. While Clemente was a part of the 1960 World Series, he was not the focal point. In this series, Clemente was a terror at the plate and in the field. He collected 12 of the teams 56 hits, only rivaled by Manny Sanguillen in productiveness. The Orioles, a mini-dynasty of their own, were playing in their 3rd World Series in a row and 4th in 6 years. After a shocking loss to the Miracle Mets in 1969, the Orioles steamrolled the pitching strapped Reds in 1970. Much like the Cardinals in the 60’s, the Orioles were trying to cement themselves as the premier postseason franchise. The Orioles returned the Baltimore in Game 6 down 3 games to 2 and it took 10 innings before a Brooks Robinson sacrifice fly would force Game 7. The final day’s tilt saw Mike Cuellar squaring off before meltdown Steve Blass and both were great. In one of the most underrated Game 7s of all time, both starters were effective and went deep into the game. Clemente homered in the 4th, Willie Stargell scored in the 8th and the Pirates were up 2-0 with 6 outs to go. The Orioles would get the first two hitters on in the 8th, gave away an out to move them to 2nd and 3rd and two groundouts later finished the inning only scoring the one run. The Pirates would strand two in the 9th and Blass would finish the game off without incident. Like with the 1965 and 1968 World Series, we get both the pregame and postgame celebrations from these broadcasts. Unlike those two World Series, this one lives on in beautiful color videotape from the NBC vaults. Thankfully, we get to see Clemente in all his glory during the game and The Gunner Bob Prince’s sports coats in all their glory in the locker room celebration.
Complete Game Broadcast on MLBClassics
1972 – If Game 7 of the 1971 World Series is underrated, then the entire 1972 World Series would qualify. This series feature 6 games (including Game 7) that were all decided by 1 run. It was a meeting of two powerhouse teams of the 70s: Charlie Finley’s Athletics and the not-ready-for-primetime Big Red Machine. In what quickly turned into a bullpen game, the A’s would cover the 5th thru 9th innings with Catfish Hunter, Ken Holtzman, and Rollie Fingers. Hunter actually pitched well until relinquishing a hit in the 8th. The A’s tried to bridge the gap to Fingers using Holtzman for one hitter and he was promptly greeted with a double. Down two runs in the 8th, the Reds would only plate one of the two runners he inherited and he closed the door in the 9th. Unfortunately, despite bits of the ALCS showing up in the last year and bits of the World Series surviving, nothing of Game 7 is easily found.
No known kinescopes have survived.
1973 – In what could be labeled as even more of a miracle than the ’69 Mets, the 82-win 1973 Mets came one win away from winning the World Series. The Mets actually won Game 5 at Shea and sent Seaver to the mound in Game 6 with a chance to clinch their second World Series in 5 years. Seaver went 8 innings but Catfish Hunter was better and the A’s forced a Game 7. The Athletics made Game 7 an ease win on the backs of 2-run homeruns by both Bert Campaneris and Reggie Jackson in the third inning. Much like 1972, the A’s tried to cover Game 7 with Ken Holtzman and Rollie Fingers but this time got 5 innings out of Holtzman and it was Fingers who ran into trouble. Down 5-1 in the 9th, an error by Gene Tenace playing first allowed the Mets to bring the tying run to the plate down to their last out in the form of Wayne Garrett. Fingers was lifted for Darold Knowles and Garrett popped out to shortstop to give the A’s back-to-back World Series Championships. This game has never been released commercially, however in the past it has been shown on ESPN Classic. Many versions, however, are missing the Top of the 9th.
Partial color video tape broadcast survives.
1975 – Routinely at the top of the list of Greatest World Series, Game 6 of this series gets all the acclaim. Boston pushed 3 runs across in the 8th and Carlton Fisk waived the ball just enough fair to win it in the 12th. The follow-up act of Game 7 wasn’t too shabby either. The two teams burned through 12 pitchers combined the night before, but luckily there had been a four day lay-off due to rain leading up to Game 6. The two starters for Game 7 were Spaceman Bill Lee and Don Gullett and both exited after giving up 3 runs. With the game tied in the 9th, Joe Morgan singled home Ken Griffey and the Big Red Machine finally had their World Series they fell short of in 1970 and 1972. The entire series, the pregame show and postgame celebrations have survived on video tape both from NBC Archives and from home video recordings.
Available on MLB DVD.
As you can see from just this small sampling of games, Game Seven can run the gamut from being iconic (1960, 1962, 1965, 1971, 1975) to exciting fights until the end (1952, 1955, 1958, 1968, 1972) to coronations in the final innings of the season (1947, 1956, 1957, 1964, 1967, 1973). Whatever the case may be, unless you are a diehard of the two teams battling it out on this final night enjoy Game 7 for what it truly is: the last night of baseball before a long, cold winter.
Game 7 of 1973 cuts off in the Top of the 9th before the Mets score their run to make the final score 5-2. The last out though does exist on a compilation tape put together by NBC for the Peabody Awards and which still exists in the Peabody Archives at the University of Georgia. This compilation also includes the two Mike Andrews errors from Game 2 that are missing from the MLB master tape that cuts off in the Top 11th.
ReplyDeleteThanks Eric, your insights are always appreciated. I knew parts of the 9th were preserved, however I wasn't sure how complete the merge was.
DeleteThat selfish SOB Doak Ewing, sitting on Game 7,1957!!!!
ReplyDelete