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Most of the minor leagues have completed their playoffs but after the Yankee Game 4 victory I noticed Game Seven in the International League was slated to be played that day between the Jacksonville Suns and the Syracuse Chiefs. The Chiefs, a Detroit Tiger farm club featuring Jim Northrup and Bobo Osborne, won the regular season title by 2 games over the Cardinals affiliate Jacksonville.
The Suns had overcome a 3 games to one deficit to force Game Seven and what caught my attention was the starting pitcher for Jacksonville would be a 20 year old lefthander by the name of Steve Carlton. Carlton had allowed just 2 hits in 8 innings of work in game three but took the loss by a 2-0 score.
I watched him pitch and he went 6 strong innings in game seven, fanning 5 while allowing 3 runs on 5 hits. His Suns won the game and the International League Series with an 8-4 victory. 35 year old outfielder Stan Palys, who played 138 major league games in real life, and 33 year old first baseman Bruce Crumpton homered to help the Suns to the victory and their second straight IL Title.
As for Carlton, it was his second straight title as well. He pitched one game in the 1964 International League Series, throwing a complete game 3-hit shutout. He started this season in AA Tulsa going 8-4 with 103 strikeouts in 119 innings before being promoted to Jacksonville. He was 5-3 with a 2.92 era in 10 starts for the Suns, fanning 69 in 74 innings.
Carlton is considered the 12th best major league prospect as of the beginning of the 1965 season.
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