The Impossible Dream: The 1967 Red Sox

The end of another disappointing Red Sox season on Sunday was tempered by a Bob Ryan column in the Sunday Boston Globe about the importance of October 1st in the Red Sox universe. (“It was pivotal day in year that changed it all”). That was the day in 1967 on which the Sox won the American League pennant for the first time in 21 years and earned them a place in that year’s World Series.

I was eight years old at the time and already a baseball fan. The year before I had gone to Fenway Park to see my first Red Sox game. All I remember from that experience was the lack of enthusiasm among the fans, mainly because in 1966 the Sox had finished last, a spot they held more often than not in the sixties.

That changed in 1967 starting with a new manager, Dick Williams, who famously said at the start of the season, “We’ll win more games than we lose.” That turned out to be true. That year’s team was young and exciting and exceeded all expectations. Even now, nearly sixty years later, I can rattle off the starting lineup without any refreshing of memory:

• First base was George Scott
• Second base was Mike Andrews
• Shortstop was Rico Petrocelli
• Third base was Joe Foy
• Leftfield was Carl Yastrzemski
• Centerfield was Reggie Smith
• Rightfield started with Tony Conigliaro but ended with Ken Harrelson
• Catcher started with Mike Ryan but ended with Elston Howard
• Pitchers were led by Jim Longborg, Jose Santiago, Dave Moorehead, and Sparky Lyle.

And those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head. Some other memories I retain.

• My first-ever record album, “The Impossible Dream” (see above and below).
• Listening to games on the pea-soup colored clock AM clock radio in my bedroom while falling asleep at night.
• Wondering during one such broadcast in August why Jose Tartabull was playing right field rather than Conigliaro only to learn later in the broadcast that the starting right fielder had been hit in the head by a pitch and taken to the hospital with injuries that ended his season and shortened his career.
• Seeing Carl Yastrzemski make one of the greatest catches in baseball history at Yankee Stadium to preserve, for another inning, a no hitter being thrown by Billy Rohr in his first ever big league start (the no hitter was foiled by Yankee catcher Elston Howard who would soon be traded to the Red Sox).
• Watching that final game of the regular season versus the Minnesota Twins when shortstop Rico Petrocelli caught a sky-high infield popup for the final out that launched the first ever on field celebration I had ever witnessed.
• Waiting several hours after that game to learn the California Angels had defeated the Detroit Tigers to ensure the Sox had won the pennant outright rather than have to play the Tigers the next day in a one game playoff.

The Red Sox would face the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Here’s what happened:

Game 1 – Wednesday, October 4, 1967, at 1:00 pm at Fenway Park

St. Louis beat Boston, 2 to 1. Bob Gibson was the winning pitcher. Jose Santiago took the loss, but his third inning home run accounted for the only Sox run of the game. Cardinals up, 1 game to 0.

Game 2 – Thursday, October 5, 1967, at 1:00 pm at Fenway Park

The Red Sox won, 5 to 0, on the strength of a Jim Lonborg shutout. Dick Hughes was the losing pitcher. Carl Yastrzemski hit two home runs and drove in four of the five runs scored by the Sox. Series tied, one game apiece.

Game 3 – Saturday, October 7, 1967, at 1:00 pm at Busch Memorial Stadium

The Cardinals won 5 to 2 with Nelson Briles as the winning pitcher and Gary Bell taking the loss. Home runs were hit by Mike Shannon for the Cardinals and Reggie Smith for the Red Sox. Cardinals lead, 2 games to 1.

Game 4 – Sunday, October 8, 1967, at 1:00 pm at Busch Memorial Stadium

The Cardinals won 6 to 0 behind the dominant pitching of Bob Gibson. Jose Santiago, who was relieved by Gary Bell in the first inning after giving up four runs, took the loss. Cardinals lead, 3 games to 1.

Game 5 – Monday, October 9, 1967, at 1:00 pm at Busch Memorial Stadium

The Red Sox avoided elimination with a 3 to 1 victory. Jim Lonborg was the winning pitcher. Steve Carlton took the loss. Roger Maris hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth accounting for the only run for St. Louis. Cardinals lead, 3 games to 2.

Game 6 – Wednesday, October 11, 1967, at 1:00 pm at Fenway Park

The Red Sox tied the series with an 8 to 4 win. Reliever John Wyatt earned the win. Jack Lamabe took the loss. Although the Cardinals Lou Brock hit a home run, the Red Sox offense exploded with two home runs by Rico Petrocelli and one each by Carl Yastrzemski and Reggie Smith. Series tied, three games each.

Game 7 – Thursday, October 12, 1967, at 1:00 pm at Fenway Park

Fittingly, the decisive game featured the respective ace pitchers of the two teams, Bob Gibson for the Cardinals and Jim Lonborg for the Sox. Gibson helped his cause by hitting a home run as did Cardinal’s second baseman Julian Javier. George Scott homered for the Sox. Gibson struck out ten and Lonborg, pitching on just two days rest, struggled from the start. A magical Red Sox season came to a disappointing end with St. Louis winning the series, 4 games to 3.

The Impossible Dream album rear cover