1969 is the year that divisional play first appeared, 1969 is the year the Mets ripped the game open,1969 was the year that Pilots broke the hearts of a few hardy souls up here in the Pacific Northwest.
Others still remember 1969 for the move that the results of 1968 season created among them the following is the most famous.
On December 3, 1968, the Baseball Rules Committee voted to lower the height of the pitching mound from fifteen to ten inches and to require that all pitching mounds be sloped gradually so that pitchers will not appear to be firing from a steep cliff to the batter below.
Not known to many was also the redefining of the strike zone.
1969 – “The Strike Zone is that space over home plate which is between the batter’s armpits and the top of his knees when he assumes a natural stance. The umpire shall determine the Strike Zone according to the batter’s usual stance when he swings at a pitch.”
This redefinition was a result of stagnating offense and pitching dominated contests, it also was a reaction to a prior strike zone change that was instituted against the rise of offense in the first few years of the 60’s.
1963 – “The Strike Zone is that space over home plate which is between the top of the batter’s shoulders and his knees when he assumes his natural stance. The umpire shall determine the Strike Zone according to the batter’s usual stance when he swings at a pitch.”
The key lies in the first paragraphs accent on “the top of his knees” where the second only says “knees” thus leaving some ambiguity for the officials creating the Strike Zone when a player steps into the box
In 1961 the home run race involving Maris and Mantle plus the hitting of Cash and Gentile staggered many of the old timers who were in the upper echelon of the baseball management. In an attempt to “even” things out they decided to attack the hitters at home, so they adjusted the strike zone after the 1962 season
This small but significant addition to the rules helped freeze the offense in the game faster than the Cassadines could freeze Port Charles.
I grew up in the 70’s I know what limited offense’s look like, as well as dominating hall of fame players in their prime. But despite this you always hear from the guys older than you about the 60’s pitchers, their brush back style and their otherworldly talent that controlled the era. We all know their names and even in retrospect some guys we forgot about show up on the roll call.
Best 10 starters vs. the league in ERA from 1963-1968
AMERICAN LEAGUE CAREER 1963-1968 ERA DIFF PLAYER LEAGUE G IP Joe Horlen 0.96 2.41 3.37 206 1247 Whitey Ford 0.91 2.63 3.55 143 875 Gary Peters 0.77 2.65 3.42 210 1321 Dean Chance 0.69 2.69 3.38 252 1588 Luis Tiant 0.68 2.61 3.30 173 950.1 Tommy John 0.64 2.69 3.33 160 877 Sam McDowell 0.59 2.75 3.34 197 1210 Sonny Siebert 0.58 2.75 3.34 179 977 Jim Perry 0.47 2.92 3.39 220 865 Mel Stottlemyre 0.44 2.86 3.30 159 1172 NATIONAL LEAGUE CAREER 1963-1968 ERA DIFF PLAYER LEAGUE G IP Sandy Koufax 1.64 1.86 3.49 153 1193 Juan Marichal 0.99 2.39 3.38 214 1720 Jim Bunning 0.81 2.64 3.45 190 1351 Bob Gibson 0.77 2.62 3.39 207 1601 Don Drysdale 0.75 2.65 3.40 235 1739 Bob Veale 0.68 2.73 3.41 220 1340 Chris Short 0.55 2.84 3.39 240 1457 Jim Maloney 0.47 2.92 3.39 192 1349 Gaylord Perry 0.39 2.98 3.38 236 1317.2 Claude Osteen 0.39 2.99 3.38 157 1069
Quite the list, one thing that seems to slip into the background concerning the rise in pitching during that era is the introduction of newer parks that were strictly pitchers parks (Dodger Stadium, Candlestick, Busch, Astrodome, RFK, Oakland, Angels) each time a park like these showed up in the league hits disappeared and the pitching talents shown just a bit brighter. Another factor was the offenses slow reaction to the change in the game. On the heels of the 1950’s the game had become more and more station to station and the running game had stagnated and almost became extinct in some towns (though it showed its head every now and then here and there) the transition to the blended game of power and speed of the 1970’s evolved during the 1960’s and like most evolutionary treks it exhibited some periods that were fraught with pitfalls, in the case of baseball in the 1960’s it’s the other side of the coin that
hardly ever is spoken of, it’s the laundry list of poor hitters that would make a mockery of the game we watch today if they strolled to the dish. In an era that didn’t value speed on the base paths or on base percentage there were more than a few less than stellar players with the stick getting at bats against these legends.
For every Koufax there was a Willie Davis, for every Marichal a Hal Lanier, in the span of 1963-1968 there were 36 regulars in MLB who had over 150 games played and a slugging percentage less than .400 and a on base percentage less than .300. in the years of 1953-1958 there were 4. The game had swung drastically to the other end of the spectrum in the years between 1953 and 1968, glove men with little on base skills or pop were all over the place, among them was perhaps the most wonderful outmaker of all, Hal Lanier.
Lanier was a legacy player, son of Cardinal hurler Max Lanier. Hal was a sought after high school player who surprised most of baseball when he signed with the Giants. While hitting over .300 in the minor leagues in 1964 Lanier got the call, a swift fielding 2nd sacker Lanier hit a respectable .274 in 90 games in San Francisco, however his 5 walks in 401 plate appearances should have been a warning flag the size of Texas. The next season Hal played with an assortment of players at shortstop, but a mid season trade brought Dick Schofield over. Schofield had been the transition shortstop from Grote to Alley in Pittsburgh, when Alley was ready to take over full time the inept bat of Schofield was sent to San Francisco to fill out there shortstop problem.
Together in San Francisco Schofield and Lanier teamed up for 997 trips to the plate that season, unfortunately for the Giants they made an out 758 times, that’s a robust 76% of the time they came to bat. Lanier honed that skill into an art form and no better was that displayed than in the 1967-1968 seasons. By then Lanier had been moved to shortstop, solving the Giant’s lack of defense at the keystone position and also bettering the bat at second by default. Lanier came to the dish 1075 times in the 67-68 seasons and made an astonishing 871 outs, that’s an out 76% of the time he batted. Of the 212 hits that he had 16% were extra bases, none home runs.
Lanier’s 1968 season produced the worst secondary average (The formula is (TB-H+BB+SB)/AB) in the history of the modern game, with his 1969 and 1967 season taking slots 3 and 4.
Meanwhile his teammate Juan Marichal was starting 64 games, piling up 528 innings pitched going 40-19 with a 2.56 era.
Ying and Yang I guess…
YEAR AVG SLG OBA OPS 1963 .246 .372 .309 .681 1964 .250 .378 .313 .690 1965 .246 .372 .311 .683 1966 .249 .376 .310 .686 1967 .242 .357 .306 .664 1968 .237 .340 .299 .639 TOT .245 .366 .308 .674
Below is the list of the worst 10 players vs. the league by position in that great pitching era, so next time you roll about in the grandeur of those 60’s era hurlers, remember that every coin has two sides, and sometimes the other side says a lot about the other side we’ve stared at for so long.
3B OBA YEAR OBA PA OUTS G Charley Smith 1965 .273 531 402 135 Bob Aspromonte 1963 .276 514 389 136 Jim Hickman 1963 .291 546 401 146 Clete Boyer 1967 .292 619 455 154 Bob Aspromonte 1966 .297 603 451 152 Jim Davenport 1963 .297 509 374 147 Mike Shannon 1967 .302 528 385 130 Tony Taylor 1968 .302 598 433 145 Bob Bailey 1963 .303 640 465 154 Ken Boyer 1966 .304 534 390 136 SLG YEAR SLG PA OUTS G Bob Aspromonte 1963 .306 514 389 136 Tony Taylor 1968 .311 598 433 145 Maury Wills 1968 .316 685 496 153 Bob Aspromonte 1965 .322 628 451 152 Bob Bailey 1963 .328 640 465 154 Jim Davenport 1963 .333 509 374 147 Bob Aspromonte 1966 .334 603 451 152 Bob Bailey 1965 .363 702 502 159 Maury Wills 1967 .365 664 462 149 Jim Lefebvre 1967 .366 553 392 136 SHORTSTOP OBA YEAR OBA PA OUTS G Hal Lanier 1968 .222 518 425 151 Hal Lanier 1967 .239 557 446 151 Leo Cardenas 1963 .270 601 459 158 Don Kessinger 1967 .275 628 473 145 Tito Fuentes 1966 .276 564 420 133 Jose Pagan 1963 .277 519 389 148 Roy McMillan 1965 .280 574 425 157 Dick Schofield 1965 .282 548 408 132 Don Kessinger 1968 .283 707 526 160 Sonny Jackson 1967 .285 566 430 129 SLG YEAR SLG PA OUTS G Hal Lanier 1968 .239 518 425 151 Hal Lanier 1967 .255 557 446 151 Dick Schofield 1965 .256 548 408 132 Don Kessinger 1967 .272 628 473 145 Dal Maxvill 1967 .279 530 386 152 Sonny Jackson 1967 .283 566 430 129 Don Kessinger 1968 .287 707 526 160 Roy McMillan 1965 .292 574 425 157 Dal Maxvill 1968 .298 516 357 151 Roberto Pena 1968 .300 546 396 138 SECOND BASE OBA YEAR OBA PA OUTS G Cookie Rojas 1968 .248 650 511 152 Hal Lanier 1965 .256 556 439 159 Glenn Beckert 1965 .275 653 497 154 Julian Javier 1964 .282 574 430 155 Ken Hubbs 1963 .285 614 466 154 Bill Mazeroski 1963 .286 576 428 142 Julian Javier 1968 .291 553 406 139 Bill Mazeroski 1967 .292 679 501 163 Bill Mazeroski 1965 .294 527 390 130 Frank Bolling 1965 .295 577 427 148 SLG YEAR SLG PA OUTS G Hal Lanier 1965 .289 556 439 159 Ron Hunt 1968 .297 650 430 148 Glenn Beckert 1965 .298 653 497 154 Cookie Rojas 1968 .306 650 511 152 Frank Bolling 1963 .312 606 442 142 Bill Mazeroski 1968 .312 556 411 143 Tony Taylor 1964 .316 636 450 154 Nellie Fox 1964 .319 502 358 133 Ken Hubbs 1963 .322 614 466 154 Pete Rose 1964 .326 558 397 136 OUTFIELDER OBA YEAR OBA PA OUTS G Willie Davis 1965 .263 595 457 142 Ken Berry 1965 .268 518 390 157 Billy Cowan 1964 .268 520 390 139 Willie Davis 1963 .281 555 421 156 Del Unser 1968 .282 690 507 156 Willie Davis 1968 .284 686 506 160 Bill Virdon 1964 .287 511 383 145 Jose Cardenal 1965 .287 550 415 134 Ken Berry 1968 .288 541 409 150 Mike Hershberger 1965 .289 541 407 150 SLG YEAR SLG PA OUTS G Del Unser 1968 .277 690 507 156 Mike Hershberger 1964 .290 510 370 141 Bill Virdon 1964 .298 511 383 145 Mike Hershberger 1965 .312 541 407 150 Mike Hershberger 1967 .317 537 386 142 Ron Fairly 1967 .321 554 409 153 Curt Blefary 1968 .322 535 383 137 Ken Berry 1967 .330 538 391 147 Al Spangler 1964 .334 505 364 135 Mike Hershberger 1966 .340 599 432 146 CATCHER OBA YEAR OBA PA OUTS G Paul Casanova 1967 .273 551 421 141 Randy Hundley 1968 .280 606 457 160 Randy Hundley 1966 .285 579 431 149 John Roseboro 1963 .291 518 383 135 Bill Freehan 1966 .294 544 399 136 Bob Rodgers 1964 .299 572 421 148 Johnny Bench 1968 .311 607 438 154 Tim McCarver 1966 .319 586 415 150 Randy Hundley 1967 .322 597 423 152 Johnny Edwards 1963 .322 551 387 148 SLG YEAR SLG PA OUTS G Randy Hundley 1968 .311 606 457 160 Bob Rodgers 1964 .313 572 421 148 Paul Casanova 1967 .339 551 421 141 John Roseboro 1963 .351 518 383 135 Bill Freehan 1966 .352 544 399 136 Clay Dalrymple 1963 .365 511 357 142 Johnny Edwards 1963 .380 551 387 148 Tom Haller 1968 .388 534 358 144 Randy Hundley 1966 .397 579 431 149 Tim McCarver 1964 .400 515 348 143 FIRST BASE OBA YEAR OBA PA OUTS G Joe Pepitone 1964 .281 647 484 160 Fred Whitfield 1966 .283 538 395 137 Ernie Banks 1968 .287 595 439 150 Dick Stuart 1965 .287 586 428 149 Joe Pepitone 1966 .290 621 458 152 Tom McCraw 1968 .293 530 391 136 Vic Power 1963 .297 578 426 138 Donn Clendenon 1967 .298 518 383 131 Lee Thomas 1963 .301 594 429 149 Tony Horton 1968 .302 517 370 133 SLG YEAR SLG PA OUTS G Rusty Staub 1963 .308 585 416 150 Tony Taylor 1967 .312 520 387 132 Wes Parker 1968 .314 534 380 135 Lee Thomas 1963 .316 594 429 149 Ken Harrelson 1966 .348 519 370 134 Wes Parker 1965 .352 644 448 154 Donn Clendenon 1967 .370 518 383 131 Ed Kranepool 1965 .371 575 418 153 Ed Kranepool 1967 .373 516 369 141 Tom McCraw 1968 .375 530 391 136