1964 World Series

The 1964 World Series pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees, with the Cardinals prevailing in seven games. St. Louis won their seventh world championship, while the Yankees, who had appeared in 14 of 16 World Series since 1949, did not play in the Series again until.

In an unusual twist, the Yankees fired Yogi Berra after the Series ended, replacing him with Johnny Keane, who had resigned from the Cardinals after the Series. His job had been threatened by Cardinals management, and it was unexpectedly saved by the Cardinals' dramatic pennant drive.

Background
The 1964 World Series, and the season leading up to it, later became the subject for the David Halberstam New York Times bestseller October 1964. The Series is seen as a bellwether point in baseball history as it was the last hurrah for the 1950s Yankee Dynasty of Mantle, Maris, Ford and Berra, among others, and it demonstrated that the National League's growing enthusiasm to sign black and Latino players (such as those of the '64 Cardinals) was a permanent paradigm shift in fielding a championship team. The Yankees would be in last place by 1966, and they did not appear in another World Series until.

The Series featured the brother-against-brother match-up of Ken Boyer of the Cardinals and Clete Boyer of the Yankees, both of whom started at third base for their respective teams.

For the first time in Series history, all six umpires rotated through their positions. In all Series from 1947 through 1963, only the four infield umpires had rotated, with the last two umpires working only in the outfield throughout the Series.

As of 2008, the Cardinals are the only one of the "classic eight" National League teams to hold a winning edge over the Yankees, winning three (1926, 1942, 1964) while losing only two (1928, 1943). The expansion Arizona Diamondbacks and Florida Marlins have single Series wins over the Yankees, in 2001 and 2003 respectively.

Mickey Mantle, playing in his last Series, hit three home runs, raising his total to a record-setting 18, surpassing Babe Ruth's mark of 15.

Utility infielder Chet Trail, who had no prior major league experience, appeared on the Yankees' World Series roster to fill the opening created by an injury to Tony Kubek. Trail did not play in the series (Phil Linz played in place of Kubek), and Trail never appeared in a major league game during his career.

Game 1
Wednesday, October 7, 1964 at Busch Stadium (I) in St. Louis, Missouri

The Cardinals' scouting report indicated that injuries had taken their toll on Mickey Mantle's defense and that he could be run on. They acted on this intelligence, taking extra bases repeatedly and scoring from second on singles in the second and sixth innings. The Cardinals also believed that they should swing early in the count against Whitey Ford, and this strategy also paid off, as Ray Sadecki, Carl Warwick and Mike Shannon all drove in runs on the first or second pitches of at-bats.

The Yankees led this game 4–2 after $5 1/2$ innings behind the pitching of Whitey Ford, but the Cardinals sent eight men to the plate in the sixth inning and scored four runs, including two on a home run by Mike Shannon. Ford pitched with severe pain and numbness in his arm for much of the 1964 season, and that day he was again in pain and missing with sliders inside. Shannon came up looking for sliders and hit one 500 feet. This was the last World Series appearance by Ford, whose shoulder had been injured during the season. Ford had pitched in 22 World Series games with the Yankees, compiling ten victories, going back to the sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1950, and set a record which still stands by pitching $33 2/3$ consecutive scoreless innings in three different World Series (1960–62).

Game 2
Thursday, October 8, 1964 at Busch Stadium (I) in St. Louis, Missouri

Rookie Mel Stottlemyre, called up from the minors in August, dominated for New York and the Cardinal bullpen wilted in the late innings, and the Yankees won 8–3 to even the series up.

Game 3
Saturday, October 10, 1964 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

Curt Simmons and Jim Bouton were both very effective. Simmons got 17 ground-ball outs. Bouton stranded the go-ahead run four times and held the top five hitters in the Cardinal lineup to a 2 for 21 day.

In the bottom of the ninth, Mickey Mantle reached deep for one of the last ounces of Yankees magic. With the game tied at one, Mantle, the leadoff hitter, told on-deck hitter Elston Howard to go back to the clubhouse because he was going to hit a home run. Mantle swung at the first pitch from Cardinal pitcher Barney Schultz, a knuckleball that failed to move, and hit it into the right field stands to win the game for the Yankees. Schultz had been a mainstay of the Cardinals' stretch run and Yankee scouting reports had advised his knuckler was most vulnerable on the first pitch when he threw harder than usual to try for a strike. Mantle's home run (his sixteenth Series home run) broke Babe Ruth's record for most home runs hit in World Series play.

Game 4
Sunday, October 11, 1964 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

Cardinal starting pitcher Ray Sadecki let the first four Yankees hit safely and was promptly removed by manager Keane with the Yankees already up 2–0. Roger Craig came in to pitch and gave up an RBI single to Howard but allowed no more damage. After five innings, New York was still up 3–0 and St. Louis had only one hit off of Downing. Then disaster struck in the sixth. Carl Warwick led off with his third pinch hit base hit, tying a World Series record. Curt Flood singled to put runners on first and second. Second baseman Bobby Richardson fumbled a double-play ground ball struck by Dick Groat with two men on base and one out. Instead of being out of the inning, the Cardinals had the bases loaded.

In the first game, Yankee Al Downing struck Cardinal Ken Boyer out with a high changeup. Downing faced Boyer again with the bases loaded, and Boyer guessed that he'd see the high changeup again. He guessed right, and hit a grand slam home run. Ron Taylor relieved Craig and gave up one hit over the last four innings. The Cardinals won the game 4–3 and evened the series at two games apiece.

Game 5
Monday, October 12, 1964 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

This game was as exciting as the previous. It was again lost by the Yankees on an error by second baseman Bobby Richardson. The game was scoreless in the top of the fifth inning when trouble came. Pitcher Bob Gibson led off the inning with a single. Then Richardson fumbled a double-play ground ball struck by Curt Flood with one on and one out. Now there were two on with one out, instead of the half-inning being over. Lou Brock, 0 for his last 14 in the series, promptly singled in one run, and another came in on a ground ball hit by Bill White after Phil Linz made another misplay, throwing a ball into the dirt at first on what should have been the back end of a double play.

The Yankees were still down 2–0 when they rallied in the ninth inning. Mantle reached base on an error by Dick Groat. With one out and one on, Joe Pepitone smashed a bouncer off Bob Gibson's leg, the ball ricocheting towards the third-base line. Gibson recovered quickly and threw to first, and the Cardinals were one out away. With two out, though, Tom Tresh crushed a long drive into the right center field bleachers and the game was tied. The game went to extra innings, and it was the Cardinals who seized the initiative. With two on and one out and lefty hitter Tim McCarver up, Berra stuck with right-hander Pete Mikkelsen rather than using lefty specialist Steve Hamilton. McCarver delivered a three run home run in the tenth inning to send the Cardinals back to St. Louis with a 3–2 lead in the series. Just 22 years old at the time, McCarver would go 11-for-23 (.478) in the series. For his entire career McCarver would hit .271. This was the last postseason game at Yankee Stadium before its renovation after the 1973 season.

Game 6
Wednesday, October 14, 1964 at Busch Stadium (I) in St. Louis, Missouri

Mickey Mantle hit his second home run of the Series and Joe Pepitone broke the game open with a grand slam home run onto the right field pavilion roof in the eighth inning. The Series was tied at three games apiece.

Game 7
Thursday, October 15, 1964 at Busch Stadium (I) in St. Louis, Missouri

"Something had to give" in Game 7, as the Yankees had lost back to back World Series only once (to the New York Giants in 1921–22, and were in danger of doing so again, having lost to the Dodgers in 1963) and the Cardinals had never lost a World Series Game 7.

Bob Gibson pitched his third start in this Series on two days rest. He was tired but deliberately worked fast to hide his fatigue from the Yankees. In the bottom of the fourth the Cardinals scored three times. Again the Yankees botched a double play when Linz's throw to first went wide, and Bill White scored. McCarver then scored from third on a double steal. Al Downing came in for the fifth after Stottlemyre developed shoulder stiffness and Lou Brock hit his first pitch for a home run. Two more runs made it 6–0.

Mantle cut the gap in half with a three-run homer in the sixth, adding to his own record for total home runs in the World Series. Ken Boyer responded with a solo shot in the seventh that pushed the lead to 7–3. Bobby Richardson broke a hit record in the seventh. Gibson continued to tire, but manager Keane left him in. Ken Boyer's brother Clete hit a home run for New York with one out in the ninth, making the score 7–4. Pinch-hitter Johnny Blanchard struck out. Linz hit another home run, pulling New York to within two, 7–5. Keane was finally ready to relieve Gibson, with Ray Sadecki waiting in the bullpen, but the next batter, Richardson, popped up to shortstop Dal Maxvill and the Cardinals won the Series.

Bob Gibson won the Series MVP award for his 2–1 record, 3.00 ERA, and 27 IP. Jim Bouton, pitching for the Yankees, started two games and won them both, compiling a 1.56 Series ERA. Six years later, he would write the classic baseball memoir, Ball Four. After the series, the Yankees fired manager Yogi Berra and replaced him with the Cardinal manager, Keane, who quit St. Louis due to his differences with Cardinal owner Gussie Busch.

Composite box
1964 World Series (4–3): St. Louis Cardinals (N.L.) over New York Yankees (A.L.)

Quotes
"There's a drive, way back! It might be...It could be...It is! A home run! Listen to the crowd!"

- Harry Caray, calling Ken Boyer's grand slam in Game 4.

"One ball, one strike. Richardson waits. Gibson delivers...Swung on, popped up! Maxvill at second base, calling for it, makes the catch! The Cardinals win it, and this ballpark...complete bedlam!"

- Joe Garagiola, calling the final out in Game 7.