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A researcher on the Retrosheet mailing list had asked for the PBP and boxscore of Roger Maris's 61st home run. The PBP files for the 1961 season aren't ready yet, but Retrosheet guru David Smith pulled it out in a flash. It's posted here as a historical curiosity - in the knowledge that the best Batter's Box discussions often come from unlikely sources.


Retrosheet Play-by-Play Account
Game of Sunday, 10/1/1961 -- Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
(D)


Starting Lineups:


Boston New York
1. C.Schilling 2b B.Richardson 2b
2. G.Geiger cf T.Kubek ss
3. C.Yastrzemski lf R.Maris cf
4. F.Malzone 3b Y.Berra lf
5. L.Clinton rf J.Blanchard rf
6. P.Runnels 1b E.Howard c
7. R.Nixon c B.Skowron 1b
8. P.Green ss C.Boyer 3b
9. T.Stallard p B.Stafford p


RED SOX 1ST: C.Schilling struck out; G.Geiger was called out on
strikes; C.Yastrzemski struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Red
Sox 0, Yankees 0.


YANKEES 1ST: On a bunt B.Richardson grounded out (T.Stallard to
P.Runnels); T.Kubek singled to center field; R.Maris flied to
C.Yastrzemski; R.Nixon allowed a passed ball [T.Kubek to
second]; Y.Berra popped to C.Schilling; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Red Sox 0, Yankees 0.


RED SOX 2ND: F.Malzone grounded out (T.Kubek to B.Skowron);
L.Clinton struck out; P.Runnels grounded out (T.Kubek to
B.Skowron); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Red Sox 0, Yankees 0.


YANKEES 2ND: J.Blanchard flied to L.Clinton; E.Howard flied to
G.Geiger; B.Skowron struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Red Sox
0, Yankees 0.


RED SOX 3RD: R.Nixon singled to center field; P.Green flied to
R.Maris; T.Stallard out on a sacrifice bunt (E.Howard to
B.Skowron) [R.Nixon to second]; C.Schilling popped to C.Boyer; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 0, Yankees 0.


YANKEES 3RD: C.Boyer flied to L.Clinton; B.Stafford grounded
out (P.Green to P.Runnels); B.Richardson grounded out
(C.Schilling to P.Runnels); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Red Sox 0,
Yankees 0.


RED SOX 4TH: G.Geiger grounded out (E.Howard to B.Skowron);
C.Yastrzemski was called out on strikes; F.Malzone popped to
B.Richardson; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Red Sox 0, Yankees 0.


YANKEES 4TH: T.Kubek struck out; R.Maris homered to deep
rightfield down the line; Y.Berra grounded out (C.Schilling to
P.Runnels); J.Blanchard popped to P.Runnels in foul territory; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Red Sox 0, Yankees 1.


RED SOX 5TH: H.LOPEZ REPLACED Y.BERRA (PLAYING LF); L.Clinton
struck out; P.Runnels flied to H.Lopez; R.Nixon tripled to left
field; P.Green walked; T.Stallard struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2
LOB. Red Sox 0, Yankees 1.


YANKEES 5TH: E.Howard grounded out (P.Green to P.Runnels);
B.Skowron struck out; C.Boyer walked; B.Stafford struck out; 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 0, Yankees 1.


RED SOX 6TH: B.HALE REPLACED B.SKOWRON (PLAYING 1B);
C.Schilling singled to left field; G.Geiger forced C.Schilling
(B.Hale to T.Kubek) [G.Geiger to first]; C.Yastrzemski flied to
J.Blanchard; G.Geiger stole second; F.Malzone flied to R.Maris;
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 0, Yankees 1.


YANKEES 6TH: B.Richardson popped to P.Runnels in foul
territory; On a bunt T.Kubek singled to third base; R.Maris
struck out; H.Lopez flied to L.Clinton; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Red Sox 0, Yankees 1.


RED SOX 7TH: H.LOPEZ CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF);
J.BLANCHARD CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING C); J.REED REPLACED
E.HOWARD (PLAYING LF); H.RENIFF REPLACED B.STAFFORD (PITCHING);
L.Clinton grounded out (T.Kubek to B.Hale); P.Runnels struck
out; R.Nixon flied to H.Lopez; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Red Sox 0,
Yankees 1.


YANKEES 7TH: D.GILE REPLACED P.RUNNELS (PLAYING 1B);
J.Blanchard grounded out (D.Gile unassisted); On a bunt J.Reed
singled to third base; B.Hale singled to right field [J.Reed to
third]; C.Boyer popped to C.Schilling; T.Stallard threw a wild
pitch [B.Hale to second]; T.TRESH BATTED FOR H.RENIFF; T.Tresh
popped to P.Green; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Red Sox 0, Yankees 1.


RED SOX 8TH: L.ARROYO REPLACED T.TRESH (PITCHING); P.Green
struck out; J.JENSEN BATTED FOR T.STALLARD; J.Jensen popped to
T.Kubek; C.Schilling grounded out (T.Kubek to B.Hale); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB. Red Sox 0, Yankees 1.


YANKEES 8TH: C.NICHOLS REPLACED J.JENSEN (PITCHING);
B.Richardson flied to L.Clinton; T.Kubek grounded out (C.Nichols
unassisted); R.Maris popped to C.Schilling; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB. Red Sox 0, Yankees 1.


RED SOX 9TH: G.Geiger flied to J.Reed; C.Yastrzemski singled to
right field; F.Malzone flied to R.Maris; L.Clinton forced
C.Yastrzemski (B.Richardson to T.Kubek) [L.Clinton to first]; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Red Sox 0, Yankees 1.


Final Totals R H E LOB
Red Sox 0 4 0 5
Yankees 1 5 0 5


Game of 10/1/1961 -- Boston at New York (D)


Boston AB R H RBI New York AB R H RBI
Schilling C, 2b 4 0 1 0 Richardson B, 2b 4 0 0 0
Geiger G, cf 4 0 0 0 Kubek T, ss 4 0 2 0
Yastrzemski C, lf 4 0 1 0 Maris R, cf 4 1 1 1
Malzone F, 3b 4 0 0 0 Berra Y, lf 2 0 0 0
Clinton L, rf 4 0 0 0 Lopez H, lf-rf 1 0 0 0
Runnels P, 1b 3 0 0 0 Blanchard J, rf-c 3 0 0 0
Gile D, 1b 0 0 0 0 Howard E, c 2 0 0 0
Nixon R, c 3 0 2 0 Reed J, lf 1 0 1 0
Green P, ss 2 0 0 0 Skowron B, 1b 2 0 0 0
Stallard T, p 1 0 0 0 Hale B, 1b 1 0 1 0
Jensen J, ph 1 0 0 0 Boyer C, 3b 2 0 0 0
Nichols C, p 0 0 0 0 Stafford B, p 2 0 0 0
Reniff H, p 0 0 0 0
Tresh T, ph 1 0 0 0
Arroyo L, p 0 0 0 0
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
30 0 4 0 29 1 5 1


Boston 000 000 000 -- 0
New York 000 100 00x -- 1


Boston IP H R ER BB SO
Stallard T (L) 7.0 5 1 1 1 5
Nichols C 1.0 0 0 0 0 0


New York IP H R ER BB SO
Stafford B (W) 6.0 3 0 0 1 7
Reniff H 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
Arroyo L (S) 2.0 1 0 0 0 1


LOB -- Boston 5, New York 5
3B -- Nixon R
HR -- Maris R
SB -- Geiger G
SH -- Stallard T
WP -- Stallard T
PB -- Nixon R
T -- 1:57
A -- 23154

Roger Maris's 61st Home Run | 11 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Craig B - Wednesday, November 12 2003 @ 03:55 PM EST (#71997) #
The first thing that catches my eye about the game is that Mickey Mantle didn't play... if he had played, he would have established a career high for games played with 154. Of course, a lot of guys did that that year... the first-ever 162-game season.
_Mick - Wednesday, November 12 2003 @ 04:00 PM EST (#71998) #
Interesting that all these years and I never really knew that Tracy Stallard pitched a hell of a game.

With a career record of 30-57, it's even possible that this is the very best game he ever pitched in the big leagues. Kind of like Bobby Hendley with the Cubs -- the guy who threw a one-hitter against the Dodgers and lost 1-0 as Koufax tossed his fourth no-no.

Participants in, but not makers of greatness.
Craig B - Wednesday, November 12 2003 @ 04:04 PM EST (#71999) #
BREAKING NEWS OF ULTIMATE COOLNESS

So I go over to Retrosheet's home page to check out Tracy Stallard's game-by-game breakdowns, and what do I see but a new list they have added:

Hidden Ball Tricks, a list of all the times the hidden ball trick has been played in major league history, compiled by the great historical researcher Bill Deane.
Craig B - Wednesday, November 12 2003 @ 04:15 PM EST (#72000) #
Hall of Famers taken in on the hidden ball trick

Cap Anson (first-ever in the majors)
Charlie Comiskey
Elmer Flick
Roger Bresnahan
Johnny Evers
Max Carey
Eddie Collins
Sam Rice
Harry Heilmann
Rabbit Maranville
Chick Hafey
Earl Averill
Goose Goslin
Jimmie Foxx
Billy Herman
Lou Boudreau
Billy Williams
Orlando Cepeda
Willie Mays
Gary Carter
Rickey Henderson

My favourite notation of all in the chart is Gary Carter's on April 8, 1988... Steve Jeltz pulled the hidden ball trick and tagged out Carter to *end the game* on Carter's birthday. Happy Birthday, Kid.
_Jays1fan1 - Thursday, November 13 2003 @ 09:33 AM EST (#72001) #
The first think that caught my eye was that Curt Schilling was leading off tor the Yankees :)
_Jays1fan1 - Thursday, November 13 2003 @ 09:34 AM EST (#72002) #
The first think that caught my eye was that Curt Schilling was leading off tor the Red Sox :)
_lurker - Thursday, November 13 2003 @ 01:34 PM EST (#72003) #
First thing I noticed: Sunday game, Boston AT New York, Maris sitting on 60 HR...attendance, 23,154.

Oh, and second thing: game time, 1:57. Nowadays, 1:57 is the time it takes the Yanks to get through their 7th-inning stretch ;-)
_Lou Iadone - Wednesday, January 28 2004 @ 01:40 PM EST (#72004) #
Awesome detail and stats. I remember this game very well as it was a Sunday just prior to the playoffs. Stallard pitched a great game (and so did Stafford). I can still remember Mel Allen's play by play. I think Maris was earning less than 100K that year. Mantle was on IR due to an infection from a cortisone shot in his hip.
I have a photo of Mantle and Maris together at spring training and it is signed by Randy Gumpert who threw Mantle's first MLB HR at Comiskey Park in '51 and Tracy Stallard who threw #61 to Roger.
Great job to those who collected this data. Thanks!
Is there a book that has all of this type of old sports data??
_Rob - Friday, January 30 2004 @ 04:26 PM EST (#72005) #
Hmm.. the trick only happened to one Blue Jay, and it was Cruz. I guess he can't see the ball or catch it.
_Delfs Linder - Monday, March 08 2004 @ 02:56 PM EST (#72006) #
I don't see the name of the umpire who called both of these record games. It seems to me, that would be historical and should be included in the record books. But. I realize that maybe you don't know, it probably wasn't made public at games like it is today.
_Eddie - Saturday, April 17 2004 @ 02:36 AM EDT (#72007) #
I would have liked to see more attention placed on the 4 1/2 inning rained out game that both Mantle & Maris hit HR's off Hal Brown which were never recorded. Also, Maris sitting on 60 with only 23,000 in the seats? How about 59 with only 8,000 in the seats!
Roger Maris's 61st Home Run | 11 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.