1960 Series Loss Revisited…..48 years later

By Tom Gucciardo

Editor’s note: Yankee fans of a more recent age recall the stunning 2001 World Series loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 7. With Mariano Rivera on the mound, Yankee fans were stunned to lose. But before 2001, there was 1960. That was when another small-market team miraculously beat the big bad New York Yankees in 7 games.

Before the Internet, talk-radio, and World Series night games, Tom Gucciardo looks back at history and gives us his unvarnished view of what really happened. You’ll note how much has changed but also how little has changed. Enjoy.

History reflects on Casey Stengal as a great manager. He was a schmuck. And I’ll tell you why:

Whitey (Ford) was hurt that year. Instead of his usual 16-17 wins, he had maybe 11 or 12. His ERA was around 3.33. Another Yankee pitcher, Art Ditmar, stepped in and did well. He won more games than Whitey and pitched to a better ERA in the regular season.

But now it’s the World Series. Remember this is time before the multiple playoffs rounds you have now.

Anyone with any common sense regarding World Series play will tell you that starter of Game 1 would pitch Game 4 and Game 7 if necessary. Who better than Whitey?

Unbelievably, Casey gives the ball to Ditmar believing he was better suited to start Game 1 and Game 5.
What happened? Ditmar, in his two recorded starts got a total of 5 outs, and was charged with both losses. And how did Whitey do? Pitched two shutouts in Game 2 and Game 6.

The see-saw Series came down to a Game 7 in Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. The Pirates jumped to an early 4–1 lead in Game 7, only to give up four runs in the sixth inning. The Yankees then added two more, making the score 7–4 by the eighth.

Destiny interfered when Yankee shortstop Tony Kubek was going to turn a double play when bobby schantz threw a ground ball pitch to hal smith. The ball hits Kubek in the throat erasing the double play. The Pirates go on to tie the score in the eighth and then go ahead 9-8. (Good trivia question....who replaced Kubek at short?)

The ninth inning was a classic. I'm sitting in my tenth period English class painfully trying not to expose my transistor radio.

One out, Mickey Mantle gets on. Roger Maris hits a Line-drive laser that Pirates infielder Rocky Bridges snares. Double play! World series over......wrong! Some how, Mantle dives back into first safely ahead of the throw. The most heads up play I've ever listened to. This is where it gets blurry? Somehow the Yanks tie it at 9. Who drove in Mantle?

The next thing I know is that Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski hits a home run off of Ralph Terry's hanging curve ball (which he was in love with all season by the way).

“OH SHIT!”

I had trouble explaining to my English teacher, Jack Munna, why I blurted it out.

Game over. World Series over. I couldn’t believe it. Did that just happen?

The Pirates were grossly outmatched against the Yankees, who had won their tenth pennant in twelve years. The Bronx Bombers outscored the Pirates 55–27 in this Series, outhit them 91–60, outbatted them .338 to .256, hit 10 home runs to Pittsburgh's four, three of which came as I was sitting in school that day.

My brother always told me that my mind was a repository of useless bullshit.

Stengel was summarily fired at the Series.


Tom Gucciardo, a lifelong Yankee and football Giants fan, lives in Staten Island, NY. This is his first piece for TDD.