1961 NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFF GAME
The most recent tie-breaker took place just 4 years ago and the game between the Dodgers and Reds will go down as most dramatic 1-game playoff to date. The Dodgers would prevail 3-2 in the game to upset the defending champion Reds but the celebration would be shortlived as Los Angeles lost the World Series in 5 games to the New York Yankees. That series was a rematch of 1955, when the Yankees swept the then-Brooklyn Dodgers in the first and only Subway Series.
The 1961 Dodgers and Reds battled all season for top spot and each was outstanding down the stretch, with Cincinnati winning 14 of their last 17 games while Los Angeles won 18 of it's last 22 contests.
Each had an outstanding rotation with Cy Young winner Don Drysdale (19-6, 2.35), joining Stan Williams (19-4, 2.66), Sandy Koufax (16-8, 2.58) and Johnny Podres (16-8, 3.64) in the Dodgers rotation. The only weak link was fifth starter Pete Richert (6-12, 5.19 in 24 starts). The Reds had the only 20 game winner in the National League in 32 year old Curt Simmons (20-7, 2.69) along with Jim O'Toole (19-7, 2.71) and Jack Sanford (16-8, 2.89).
Both clubs were comparable offensively with the Los Angeles standouts being batting champ Willie Davis (.339), league homerun leader Jim Gentile (49HR, 122 rbis) along with Don Demeter (40HR 115 RBI), Roberto Clemente (.324,12,76) and Maury Wills (.334, 46 SB). The Reds were led by NL MVP Frank Robinson (.333,43,143), along with Vada Pinson (.316,26,96), Rocky Colavito (.243,24,89), 20 year old Tommy Harper (.272,19,59) and rookie of the year Leo Cardenas (.293,10,64).
Both clubs won their final 3 games of the season to force the playoff. The Dodgers would host the game and the Reds had to fly in from Cincinnati after wrapping up the season with a 7-6 win over San Francisco at home the night before.
Don Drysdale and Jim O'Toole, each pitching on 3 days rest, were the starters. Cincinnati would start the game with a lead-off double from Tommy Harper followed by an infield single off the bat of Leo Cardenas to give them runners on the corners with nobody out before many of the nearly 27,000 in attendance had found their seats. Drysdale beared down and got Vada Pinson to hit a short fly ball to centerfield that was not deep enough for Harper to try and tag. After Frank Robinson worked Drysdale for a walk, the Dodgers star fanned Rocky Colavito and Ed Bailey to end the inning and escape without any damage.
Meanwhile O'Toole allowed a 1-out single to Willie Davis in the home half but nothing came of it for the Dodgers. Both pitchers settled down in the second and each retired the side in order, with Drysdale only throwing 7 pitches.
Harper got a lead-off single to start the third for his second hit of the game, but Drysdale got the next 3 batters including Frank Robinson on a strikeout to end the inning. In the bottom of the third the Dodgers got a lead-off single from their number 8 hitter, Bob Lysen. The 25 year old rookie had spent most of the season in Omaha but hit a respectable .269 and played decent defense at shortstop after being called up in late July. Drysdale sacrificed Lysen to second and he moved to third on a single by Maury Wills. Willie Davis then delivered a sacrifice fly deep enough to score Lysen with the game's first run. The Dodgers could have had more but Reds centerfielder Vada Pinson made a perfect throw to nail Wills at the plate and end the inning after a Jim Gentile hit. After three the Dodgers had a 1-0 lead.
The lead was short-lived as Drysdale got into trouble again in the fourth. Colavito singled and moved to second when Don Zimmer hit a 1-out single. Ed Charles then loaded the bases with an infield single bringing pitcher O'Toole to the plate for Cincinnati with one out. O'Toole hit a ground ball at Dodgers second baseman Maury Wills, who quickly fired the ball home for the force out of Colavito. With two out, Dodger fans were hoping Drysdale could get out of another jam unscathed but not this time as Tommy Harper rapped his third hit of the game, a single that plated two runs and gave the Reds the lead. Drysdale struck out Leo Cardenas to end the inning but the Reds had a 2-1 lead.
Clemente got a lead-off single for the Dodgers in the bottom of the fourth but he was erased by a doubleplay. Drysdale gave up a single to Robinson in the fifth but nothing else. Both teams would go down in order through the 7th inning stretch.
In the bottom of the 7th with both starters still in the game, Tommy Davis hit a 1-out triple for Los Angeles off of O'Toole. Cincinnati would bring in 39 year old Hoyt Wilhelm, who had 27 saves this season in 67 appearances for the Reds. Wilhelm was facing Dodgers catcher John Roseboro and Roseboro tied the game with the first pitch he saw - by hitting a single up the middle. Wilhelm got out of the inning but the game was now tied at 2 heading to the 8th.
Larry Sherry took over for Drysdale, who was pinch-hit for the previous inning. Sherry, a 25 year old second year major leaguer, was 11-9 with 15 saves in 60 appearances for the Dodgers this season, all in relief. He gave up a single to Frank Robinson to lead off the inning and Rocky Colavito hit a deep fly ball that was caught on the warning track. A few feet further and the Reds would have been up by two but instead the game remained tied as Ed Bailey hit in to a double play to end the inning.
Wilhelm took the mound in the bottom of the 8th and the first batter he would face was Willie Davis, who had led the National League in hitting this year. The 21 year old Davis, who was in his first full major league season after seeing September action each of the previous two years, turned on the second pitch he saw, hitting it 406 feet for a solo homerun - his 12th of the year - and putting the Dodgers up 3-2. Ron Fairly followed with a walk but Wilhelm got Jim Gentile to hit a foul pop up and Roberto Clemente to ground into a doubleplay and end the inning.
We go to the bottom of the ninth inning with the Dodgers 3 outs away from the World Series. Larry Sherry remains on the mound and the first hitter he will face is 20 year old rookie pinch-hitter Pete Rose. Rose split most of the season between AA Topeka and AAA Jersey City before being called up in July. In 43 games he batted .286. In this at bat Sherry got the better of the rookie, inducing a fly ball to center for the first out. Ed Charles gave the Reds hope when he hit a line drive single to put the tying runner on base. Curt Flood came up as a pinch-hitter for Wilhelm with the goal of moving Charles over to second. It didn't happen as Flood's bunt was easily scooped up by Sherry, who turned and fired to second retiring Charles. There was no chance for a doubleplay so the Reds still had hope with the lead-off spot coming up.
Terry Harper was the lead-off man and had 3 hits in 4 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, he would not get a chance at hit number four as he was replaced in the bottom of the 7th by Elio Chacon for defensive purposes. Instead, pinch-hitter Art Shamsky came to the plate. The 19 year old Shamsky was 9-for-30 in his major league career and had just 5 at bats this season before today. After taking the first two pitches for balls, Shamsky swang at the 2-0 offering from Sherry. Shamsky hit a long fly ball but it was easily playable for Dodger leftfielder Clemente, who hauled it in and immediately began celebrating a World Series berth with his teammates.
Don Drysdale, who did not have his best stuff but still managed to fan 6 and walk just 1 while surrendering 8 hits over 7 innings, was named player of the game.
No need to cry for the Reds as they would be back in the Series each of the next two season and beat the Yankees in the 1962 Fall Classic. The Dodgers would lose to New York this time but would beat the Yankees in a rematch that would occur in 1964.