It is the end of the 1960 season in
Summer of '49 and fans are now looking forward to the upcoming League Championship Series matches.
American League fans must be used to it by now. As it has been in each season of divisional play, so it is again in 1960. The American League Eastern Division champs -- and owners of the AL Pennant since 1956 -- are the Detroit Tigers. Unlike in previous seasons, however, the Tigers are showing some chinks in their armor. This year's 89-65 mark is the worst of any of Hal Newhouser's playoff squads, and it took an easy slate of games in the final weeks (against Baltimore and Los Angeles) to propel the Tigers past a tough New York Yankees squad that was playing without their ace hurler through the entire stretch (and had a considerably tougher schedule).
As usual, the Tigers bring a bevy of big bangers to the table. The "Motown Eight" are easily the most dangerous order in the league from 1-to-8. The infield unit features 30-homer guys Norm Zauchin and Eddie Mathews (38 and 35 respectively) as well as Gil McDougald (.304-15-64) and former Kansas City star Ken Boyer. Boyer has struggled since coming up from the Browns, though, and seems to be pressing.
The Tigers outfield trio of George Shuba, Willie Mays and Bill Virdon is excellent. Mays remains the best all-around player in the league and has put together a marvelous 52-home run campaign in 1960. Detroit newspapers are already touting Mays as a repeat AL MVP Award winner (he also won in 1958). 'Shotgun' Shuba is no longer the feared slugger of yesteryear, but his 33 clouts in 1960 are still impressive. He remains - bar none - the most popular player in Detroit to this day. Virdon is all class, super smooth and very effective even when splitting duties with ex-Brownie Jim Busby.
It is in Newhouser's pitching corps, however, that signs of decay have begun to show. Former ace Art Houtteman struggled to a 12-13 mark this year, but has been playing better of late. Hometown hero Tom Poholsky won 22 games and is the ace of the staff, while journeyman Gene Conley was superb in his second Motown season with an 18-7 record. A reliable fourth starter simply is not in existence as several arms have been tried and found wanting. Legendary fireman Bobby Shantz has suffered through his worst season in 1960, his ERA ballooning to over 4, while the rest of the Tigers bullpen has been - to put it succinctly - very erratic.
It is against that less-than-stellar staff that the AL Western Division champs hope to thrive.
The San Francisco Red Sox have been dispatched three times in LCS play by the Tigers, but hope that they get it right the fourth time around. After all, this is a team that just set the single-season (SO49) record for wins with 109. Regular season success, though, doesn't mean anything if the Sox cannot get into the Fall Classic.
Foxx's Sox (a moniker inspired by second-year skipper Jimmie Foxx) are every bit as offensively inclined as the Tigers, though their power is packed into fewer players. In 1960 they led the Majors in runs scored and walks, placing second in average and home runs.
It all starts with the team's anchor, 1B Ted Kluszewski. 'Klu' put up MVP numbers in 1960 with a line of .335-37-107. Joining the muscle-bound slugger on the Sox infield are veterans Cass Michaels (the former 'Slap-and-Dasher' holds down one half of the keystone) and 3B Jim Finigan. Slick fielding soph Don Buddin has been a revelation at SS, playing superb defense and hitting over .300 on the season.
The pride of the Golden Gate is in the Red Sox outfield where two of the most thunderous bats in baseball reside. RF Wally Post has finally emerged as one of the AL's premier sluggers with a 44-homer season, hitting over .300 as usual. CF Frank Thomas, however, is
the premier home run artist in the majors with another 50-HR campaign under his belt. Veteran speedster Jackie Jensen is out with injuries, so super-sub Wally Moon will finally get a chance to shine in the post-season.
As good as Foxx's Sox are offensively, they feature the very best pitching staff in all of baseball. Ace starters Bob Trowbridge and Tom Acker are a combined 44-7 in 1960. Curt Simmons (17-11), Babe Birrer (18-8) and Johnny Podres (15-8) round out a deep, talented, and dangerous starting unit.
An equally deep, and fantastic, bullpen is anchored by Mickey McDermott who nailed down an AL-best 44 saves in his second season as the team's relief ace.
It has been a long time since the Tigers were considered "underdogs", but that is certainly the case here in 1960. The Red Sox -- considered by weaker teams to be the bullies of the AL (just look at their poor Western Division brethren) are favorites to finally capture the title.
When asked how the Tigers would handle the mighty Sox, Willie Mays responsded simply with a wink and a smile. "Just like we always have before," said the Tigers star.
We are going to see...
NL Preview and stuff coming next...