The Dodgers' current hitting woes have Vin Scully thinking back to other difficult times in team history.
On Sunday, a day after the Dodgers won, 1-0, despite being no-hit by the Angels' Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondo, Scully talked to The Times' Mike DiGiovanna about a time when the team wasn't giving Sandy Koufax (above right) and Don Drysdale (above left) much support.
On June 4, 1964, in Philadelphia, Koufax pitched the third of his four no-hitters -- the fourth was a perfect game in 1965. Drysdale wasn't at the game, and it was Scully who told him later at the team hotel that Koufax had pitched a no-hitter.
Scully said Drysdale's response was: "How did we come out?"
In this case, the Dodgers won, 3-0.
Scully also recalled a classic line from Leo Durocher, the Brooklyn Dodgers' manager in the 1940s. Scully, who joined the Dodgers in 1950, had heard that Durocher, during a particularly bad hitting slump, once said that "managing this team is like going to war with a broom."
Mark Gardner of the Montreal Expos pitched nine no-hit innings against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 26, 1991, but lost in the 10th, 1-0, when Darryl Strawberry knocked in the lone run against Expos reliever Jeff Fassero. On June 14, 1965, Jim Maloney pitched 10 hitless innings for the Cincinnati Reds against the New York Mets, then lost, 1-0, when the Mets' Johnny Lewis led off the 11th with a home run.
Probably the most famous losing no-hit performance was turned in by Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Milwaukee Braves on May 26, 1959. Haddix took a perfect game into the 13th inning.
A fielding error by Don Hoak ended the perfect game. Then came a sacrifice, an intentional walk to Hank Aaron and a two-out home run by Joe Adcock.
The final score should have been 3-0, but in the confusion Aaron left the basepath and was passed by Adcock for the second out. Eventually National League President Warren Giles ruled Adcock's homer a double, so only the first run counted and the final scored ended up 1-0.
JIM ABBOTT DID IT WITH ONLY ONE HAND -- YOU GO FIGURE !!!
"it was Scully who told him later at the team hotel that Koufax had pitched a no-hitter. Scully said Drysdale's response was: 'How did we come out?'"
ReplyDeleteA Dodger pitcher needs to be a hitter too, Arthur, so he can throw a shutout and bat in a run.
Otherwise, no guarantee.