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May 31, 1964

Edgy MD Feb 09 2015 12:59 PM

Mets and Giants, in the second game of a doubleheader at Shea, go 23 innings, before the Mets fall. Galen Cisco coughs up the loss in his ninth inning of relief. Tough luck, Galen! Mostly a game known about, at least dimly, in Mets' circles. Little remarked upon is the circumstances that led to the photo below. That's Willie Mays (who went 1-10 in the game and STILL finished the day with a .364 batting average). In the top of the 10th, Matty Alou pinch-hit for Jim Ray Hart. Not wanting to send his last semi-qualified infielder into the game and use two players to replace one in a war of attrition, Alvin Dark sent Alou out to center, and brought Mays in to play shortstop, sending Jim Davenport over to third to replace Hart. Mays played the 10th to 12th, handling no chances, before Cap Peterson entered the game and Mays went back to center.

Frayed Knot Feb 09 2015 01:12 PM Re: May 31, 1964

That game was also the one that featured Mays as the runner on 1st base in the top of the 14th (Jesus Alou was on 2nd) when Orlando Cepeda lined into a 6-6-3 triple play. The story I heard was that Mets SS Roy McMillan could have opted to tag Mays coming towards 2nd for the unassisted TP but took the easier way out and simply threw to Kranepool at 1st. Not sure how accurate that assessment is. The TP was the final pitch Larry Bearnarth would throw that day as it finished up 7 scoreless innings of relief on 3 hits for him.

Benjamin Grimm Feb 09 2015 01:14 PM Re: May 31, 1964

So apparently Willie couldn't even stand at the shortstop position without falling over. And this was nine years before 1973!

Edgy MD Feb 09 2015 01:22 PM Re: May 31, 1964

Charley Smith was the first Mets batter after Mays moved to short, and he grounded a single to left. I don't know if history has recorded whether a regular shortstop would have made the play, but I'm working from the assumption that Mays is breaking for Smith's hit in this shot.

Frayed Knot Feb 09 2015 01:37 PM Re: May 31, 1964

Edgy MD wrote: I don't know if history has recorded whether a regular shortstop would have made the play ... It's a well established fact that Mays had more SS range than Jeter ... and that includes Presently!!

Ashie62 Feb 09 2015 06:19 PM Re: May 31, 1964

That was on my birthday.

Edgy MD Feb 09 2015 06:48 PM Re: May 31, 1964

He also played an inning at short on August 13 the year before. Dark's bench wasn't emptied that day, but maybe his backup shortstop was hurting or something. I don't know if he had any minor league experience at short. I know he played short as a schoolboy. A lot of great center fielders (Mays, Mantle, Yount... Lagares) start out there.