Even our staid national pastime, baseball, was not immune to the chaos. And no teams appeared more affected than the St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers, who, as fate often decrees, were to meet in the fall of that year to battle in what is still called one the greatest World Series ever played.
Today, Tim Wendell appeared at Politics and Prose to discuss his new book Summer of '68: The Season That Changed Baseball, and America, Forever in which he chronicles the cultural, political, and sports upheaval of that strange time.
The star of the Cardinals was proud, feisty, black Bob Gibson, he of the competitive scowl and blazing fastball. Gibson, who never could wrap himself around the idea of non-violence, along with the rest of his team, was in Florida in spring training camp when he heard the news of King's assassination. The next day a distraught Gibson got in a heated exchange with his catcher, Tim McCarver. Gibson angrily turned his back on his white battery mate. McCarver persisted, trying in vain to convince Gibson that not all white people were the enemy, using himself, a white boy raised in the south, as an example. He recalled how Gibson and fellow black teammates used to make fun of him because he would not share a sip of soda. "There was a lot of truth in your teasing. But it is possible for people to change," McCarver said as Gibson stormed away.
Meanwhile, as the Detroit Tigers prepared for their season, team members knew all too well the violence of the times. In 1967, riots exploded in Detroit. Slugger Willie Horton, deeply involved in the local community, had rushed out of the club house still in his uniform to the scene of the riot, jumped on the hood of a taxi cab, and unsuccessfully implored enraged residents to return to their homes. For his part, Mickey Lolich, who along with Denny McClain, served as the anchors for the Detroit pitching staff, was told to exchange his baseball uniform for the one he wore as a National Guardsman and begin immediately patrolling the riot-torn streets of the city where he played.
The aftermath of King's assassination forced the postponement of Opening Day. But eventually the games resumed. Gibson seemed unable to overcome his feelings and pitched poorly. Then came the assassination of Robert Kennedy. With the season already underway, the commissioner left it up to individual teams whether they wanted to play regularly scheduled games. The choice divided many teams. Milt Pappas urged his fellow Cincinnati Reds not to play. After several votes, they finally decided to go on with the game. Three days later, Pappas was traded. New York Mets manager Gil Hodges employed a different tactic. Even though their opponents, the San Francisco Giants, wanted to play, Hodges went to the rooms of each of his players, telling them not even to go to the ballpark.
After the second assassination, something happened to Gibson; he reversed his poor start and started on his way to one of the most dominant seasons ever in pitching history - 21 complete games, 13 shutouts, and an ERA of 1.12, all figures that will probably never be equaled. In the World Series, Gibson has to win 2 games. In the 1st game, Gibson set a World Series record by striking out 17 Detroit Tigers. However, after being down 3 games to 1, the Tigers improbably came back to win 3 straight games with Game 7 featuring Gibson on the mound for the Cardinals and Lolich pitching for the Tigers.
Wendel said that doing research for the book proved "how much sports and politics are intertwined at times."
The author also said he came to think more about the importance of rituals such as sports in trying times. "In 1968, you could go to the ballpark and see how people could work together. The Detroit Tigers knew what was at stake and they did it," he said.
Tales, Tidbits, and Tips
While most of 1968 was serious, somber, and downright scary, it was not without some humorous moments. Some of the best of them in baseball were provided by Detroit pitcher Denny McClain, who won 31 games that season and came to be known as the 1st sports star to really embrace what we have come to know as the lifestyle of the modern sports celebrity. Wendel recounted this story of McClain. Late in the season, McClain was on the mound facing the New York Yankees. Detroit was already assured of the pennant and McClain was coasting with a comfortable 6-1 lead. Coming up to the plate was legendary Yankees center fielder Mickey Mantle, who needed 1 home run to move ahead of slugger Jimmy Foxx on the all-time home run list. McClain called Tigers catcher Jim Price to the mound. "I want Mantle to hit one," McClain said. "What?," asked Price. "I want Mantle to hit a home run. Go tell him to 'get ready, Mick." Price did as ordered. McClain served up a perfect home run ball. Mantle looked at it for strike one. "What the hell was that?," he asked Price. "I told you be ready," Price said. McClain delivered another perfect-to-hit pitch. A still startled Mantle took that for strike 2. "Do you think he is going to do it again?" Mantle asked. "Let me go ask him," Price said. On the mound, McClain responded, "Oh course, I'm going to do it again" To make certain, he signaled Mantle, asking him exactly where he wanted the ball. Mantle indicated a delivery that was letter high on the inside of the plate. McClain threw a 3rd pitch to the exact spot where Mantle had asked for it. Mantle powered the ball into the stands for his 535th career home run. As he rounded the bases, Mantle shouted thanks to McClain and doffed his cap. The next batter was Yankee 1st baseman Joe Pepitone. Pepitone, mimicking Mantle, indicated where he wanted McClain to throw his pitch. McClain wound up and threw a fastball which just missed striking Pepitone in the chin.
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