Posts Tagged ‘Bill Hands’
BLEACHER BUMS MAR CUBS WIN IN SEASON FINALE WITH METS, JONES FINISHES 3RD IN BATTING; METS TO FACE BRAVES IN NLCS
Thursday, October 2, 1969
At the end of a season that began so promisingly, the Cubs saved a little face with a win against the Mets at Wrigley in the regular season finale for both teams.
New York jumped out to two runs in the first, both on a single by Ken Boswell. Gary Gentry, the team’s projected no. 3 starter for the playoffs, gave up one run in a four-inning tuneup. Don Cardwell took the loss, giving up four runs in two innings. Ernie Banks had a triple, home run, and three RBI for the Cubs. Ron Santo also homered. Bill Hands allowed three runs in five innings before rookie Joe Decker came on to earn his first Major League win with four scoreless innings in relief. Chicago won despite committing four errors in the field.
Recapping from 1969: The Year Everything Changed:
During the season finale on October 2, one member of the Bleacher Bums tossed a smoke bomb onto the field near Cleon Jones that sent a stream of red smoke wafting into the air. Later, a procession of Bums left their seats, made their way past the Wrigley Field ushers, and found their way down to the top of the home and visitor dugouts, where they tried to take over the show. They eventually returned to the left-field stands, and after the last out of a meaningless win, they climbed over the ivy-covered outfield wall and jumped onto the field. Some ran around the infield and slid into bases, urged on by civilian base coaches. In the ugliness, one girl severely hurt her back and was taken to the hospital, and another girl suffered an ankle injury. Amid the commotion, the park’s organist mockingly played “Happy Days Are Here Again.” The season had come to a bitter conclusion. As one player had said before the final game, “This is just like the last day of school. I can hardly wait for it to end.”
Cleon Jones went 2 for 5 and finished third in the National League with a .340 average. Pete Rose won the batting title with a .348 mark, and Roberto Clemente finished strong at .345. Next up for Jones and the Mets: Game One of the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, October 4.
Cubs 5, Mets 3. W: Decker (1-0) L: Cardwell (8-10)
FINAL NL EAST STANDINGS W L T PCT GB RS RA New York Mets 100 62 0 .617 - 632 541 Chicago Cubs 92 70 1 .568 8.0 720 611 Pittsburgh Pirates 88 74 0 .543 12.0 725 652 St. Louis Cardinals 87 75 0 .537 13.0 595 540 Philadelphia Phillies 63 99 0 .389 37.0 645 745 Montreal Expos 52 110 0 .321 48.0 582 791
BEDLAM AT SHEA AS METS CLINCH DIVISION TITLE
Wednesday, September 24, 1969
With Bill Hands pitching the Cubs to a win over the Expos at Wrigley today, the Mets had to take care of business themselves if they wanted to clinch the Eastern Division of the National League.
And take care of business they did, scoring five runs out of the gate off Steve Carlton, the starting pitcher for the National League in this past summer’s All-Star game.
Don Clendenon got the scoring started in a big way with his first inning home run, after Bud Harrelson had lead off with a single and Tommie Agee reached on a walk. Two batters latter, Ed Charles went deep with a two-run shot to knock Carlton out of the box, and the Shea Stadium crowd could sense that this was the Mets’ night.
From there, rookie Gary Gentry kept the Cardinals at bay, allowing just four hits on the night. Clendenon homered again in the fifth inning, his fifteenth roundtripper of the season, to give the Mets another insurance run.
Gentry carried the shutout into the ninth. Lou Brock and Vic Davalillo both singled to open the inning. But Gentry struck out Vada Pinson for the first out, and the next batter, Joe Torre, bounced a tailor-made groundball to Harrelson. The Mets shortstop threw to Al Weis for the out at second, and Weis turned and fired to Clendenon for the final out of the game.
I recount what happened next in 1969: The Year Everything Changed:
Mets announcer Lindsey Nelson officially proclaimed: “At 9:07 on September 24th, the Mets have won the championship of the Eastern Division of the National League!”
As the Mets players ran into the dugout and began spraying champagne inside the locker room, fans stormed the field to celebrate an event that had seemed unthinkable in the team’s first seven years. In what the Associated Press called “one of the most incredible souvenir-snatching safaaris in baseball history,” the Shea crowd tore up as much as 1,500 square feet of sod. The AP quoted a police report the next day that summarized the festive damage: “They celebrated by breaking three wheels off the batting cage and stripping the netting off it. They celebrated by tearing up the all-weather matting in the coaches’ boxes behind first and third base. They celebrated by taking pieces of the scoreboard. They celebrated by stealing home plate.” Fans also sprayed graffiti across the wall in centerfield and stole the stadium’s American flag from atop its outfield post.
The Mets now await the winner of the National League West, which the Atlanta Braves currently lead by 1.5 games over the San Francisco Giants and 3 over the Cincinnati Reds.
Cubs 6, Expos 3. W: Hands (19-14) L: Renko (6-7)
Mets 6, Cardinals 0. W: Gentry (12-12) L: Carlton (17-11)
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NL EAST W L T PCT GB RS RA New York Mets* 96 61 0 .611 - 615 531 Chicago Cubs 90 67 1 .573 6.0 706 595 Pittsburgh Pirates 82 73 0 .529 13.0 691 632 St. Louis Cardinals 82 74 0 .526 13.5 567 527 Philadelphia Phillies 62 92 0 .403 32.5 624 711 Montreal Expos 52 105 0 .331 44.0 574 762 * clinched division
NL WEST W L T PCT GB RS RA Atlanta Braves 89 68 0 .567 - 667 613 San Francisco Giants 87 69 0 .558 1.5 690 619 Cincinnati Reds 85 70 1 .548 3.0 771 750 Los Angeles Dodgers 82 74 0 .526 6.5 628 538 Houston Astros 78 76 0 .506 9.5 652 638 San Diego Padres 50 106 0 .321 38.5 447 716
MOOSE NO-HITS METS AT SHEA, CARDS TAKE 2 OF 3 AT WRIGLEY
Saturday, September 20, 1969
The Mets may be in first place, but the Pirates are looking like the top team in the East right now.
Bob Moose threw a no-hitter at Shea, giving Pirates their third win in two days against New York. Moose walked 3 and struck out 6. After walking Rod Gaspar to lead off the ninth, Moose got Tommie Agee to pop up, retired Wayne Garrett on a ground out to third, and then secured the no-hitter when Art Shamsky grounded out to second.
Pirates 4, Mets 0. W: Moose (12-3) L: Gentry (11-12)
Errors by All-Stars Ron Santo and Glenn Beckert opened the door for four Cardinals runs as St. Louis emerged with a victory in Wrigley, despite a triple and home run from Jim Hickman.
Cardinals 4, Cubs 1. W: Carlton (17-10) L: Hands (18-14) SV: Grant (7)
Friday, September 19, 1969
Looking for something to build off next year, the improving Pittsburgh Pirates jumped on the streaking New York Mets to sweep a doubleheader at Shea. Matty Alou led the charge in game one by going 4 for 4 with 3 RBI, and Willie Stargell was 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 RBI in the second game. New York’s Al Weis went a combined 4 for 7 on the day and Jerry Grote a combined 3 for 6.
Pirates 8, Mets 2 (1). W: Veale (13-12) L: Ryan (6-3)
Pirates 8, Mets 0 (2). W: Walker (3-6) L: McAndrew (6-7)
Both Ken Holtzman and Bob Gibson recorded extra-inning complete games in the front end of a doubleheader at Wrigley, and Jim Hickman touched Gibson for a double with two outs bottom of tenth to drive in Billy Williams with the winning run. The Cardinals struck back with 5 runs, 3 unearned, off the Chicago bullpen to pull away in game two.
Cubs 2, Cardinals 1 (1, 10 inn.). W: Holtzman (17-11) L: Gibson (18-12)
Cardinals 7, Cubs 2. W: Torrez (9-4) L: Selma (12-9)
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STANDINGS AT CLOSE OF PLAY ON 9/20/69
NL EAST W L T PCT GB
New York Mets 91 61 0 .599 -
Chicago Cubs 88 66 1 .571 4.0
Pittsburgh Pirates 82 70 0 .539 9.0
St. Louis Cardinals 82 70 0 .539 9.0
Philadelphia Phillies 61 91 0 .401 30.0
Montreal Expos 50 104 0 .325 42.0
WILLIAMS AND GAMBLE GO DEEP, REGAN AND HUNDLEY SAVE IT FOR CHICAGO
Tuesday, September 16, 1969
Someone old and someone new helped make Expos fans blue.
Billy Williams, owner of the National League consecutive games record, struck a two-run shot and rookie Oscar Gamble hit his first Major League home run as the Cubs edged Montreal. Glenn Beckert also went 3 for 5 for Chicago.
Bill Hands pitched well for seven innings but gave up a two-run home run by Mack Jones to cut the Chicago lead to one run and then walked ex-Met Kevin Collins to put the trying run on first. But after Phil Regan came on in relief, catcher Randy Hundley caught pinch-runner Remy Hermoso stealing, and Regan then retired the next four Expos hitters to close out the game.
Cubs 5, Expos 4. W: Hands (18-13) L: Robertson (5-14) SV: Regan (17)
The first-place Mets were idle today.
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NL EAST W L T PCT GB New York Mets 89 58 0 .605 - Chicago Cubs 86 63 1 .577 4.0
METS MOUND MEN DO ALL THE WORK IN DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP, HANDS STOPS CUBS LOSING STREAK
Saturday, September 12, 1969
Jerry Koosman and Don Cardwell were a pair of one-act men for the Mets in Pittsburgh.
Koosman tossed a three-hit shutout in game one of a doubleheader at Forbes Field and also chipped in with an RBI single in the fifth inning to score the only run of the game.
Not to be outdone, Cardwell threw eight shutout innings in the nightcap and also produced the only run of the game with his second inning single to drive in Bud Harrelson. Cardwell got out of a jam in the eighth, after his wild pitch moved the potential tying run to third, by striking out pinch-hitters Jose Pagan and Roberto Clemente. Tug McGraw then came on to pitch a scoreless ninth and preserve the doubleheader sweep.
The first-place Mets have now won nine games in a row.
Mets 1, Pirates 0 (1). W: Koosman (14-9) L: Moose (10-3)
Mets 1, Pirates 0 (2). W: Cardwell (7-9) L: Ellis (9-16) SV: McGraw (12)
After giving up a single run in the first inning, Chicago’s Bill Hands settled in and held the Cardinals scoreless the rest of the way at Busch Stadium. Ernie Banks led the comeback charge for the Cubs with an RBI single in the seventh and a bases-loaded double in the eighth.
The win broke Chicago’s eight-game losing streak
Cubs 5, Cardinals 1. W: Hands (17-13) L: Taylor (7-3)
NL EAST STANDINGS
W L T PCT GB
New York Mets 87 57 0 .604 -
Chicago Cubs 85 60 1 .586 2.5
KOOSMAN, AGEE ANSWER BACK CHALLENGE FROM CUBS, METS JUST 1.5 GAMES OUT
Monday, September 8, 1969
Jerry Koosman answered Bill Hands’s knockdown pitches and the Mets stood up to the Cubs in the opener of their crucial two-game series at Shea.
Hands, looking to deliver a message to the pesky Mets, knocked down leadoff batter Tommie Agee not once but twice in the first inning. But Koosman responded by drilling Cubs leader Ron Santo to begin the second inning, and then the lefthander proceeded to strand Santo on first by striking out the next three batters.
In the bottom of the third, Agee got his own measure of revenge. With two outs and Bud Harrelson standing on first, Agee drove a Hands offering over the fence to give the home team a 2-0 lead.
Koosman faltered in the top of the sixth. He gave up a run by surrendering singles to Don Kessinger, Glenn Beckert, and Billy Williams to begin the inning, and then Ron Santo’s sacrifice fly tied the game.
But again, New York answered back. Agee led off the bottom of the inning with a double and came around to score on Wayne Garrett’s single.
Koosman hung tough from there. Chicago threatened in the eighth when Beckert and Williams opened the inning with consecutive singles, but then Koosman induced Santo to ground into a double play, short to second to first. Ernie Banks stepped in the box with the tying run 90 feet away, but Koosman retired him on strikes and then worked around a Randy Hundley single in the ninth by notching his eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth strikeouts of the game.
The Mets’ victory drew the team to within just 1.5 games of first, the closest they’ve been all season.
Mets 3, Cubs 2. W: Koosman (13-9) L: Hands (16-13)
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NL EAST STANDINGS
W L T PCT GB RS RA
Chicago Cubs 84 57 1 .596 - 653 519
New York Mets 81 57 0 .587 1.5 548 490
CUBS SHUT OUT, METS LOSE LATE
Wednesday, September 3, 1969
Jim Maloney two-hit the Chicago Cubs at Crosley Field today. Oscar Gamble was the only Cubs player to reach second base when he walked later advanced on Don Kessinger’s single. Bill Hands pitched well but took the loss by giving up a two-run homer to Alex Johnson in the fourth inning.
Reds 2, Cubs 0. W: Maloney (8-4) L: Hands (16-12)
Trailing 4-0, the Mets rallied to tie the game on a pair of two-run homers from Tommie Agee and Don Clendenon off Claude Osteen in the eighth. But Jack DiLauro surrendered a double to Willie Davis that scored Maury Wills with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
Dodgers 5, Mets 4. W: Mikkelsen (7-3) L: DiLauro (1-4)
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NL EAST STANDINGS
W L T PCT GB
Chicago Cubs 84 53 1 .613 -
New York Mets 77 56 0 .579 5.0
CUBS LEAVE BASES LOADED, FALL ONE SHORT AGAINST REDS
Monday, August 25, 1969
Tony Perez hit two home runs to lead the Cincinnati Reds over the Cubs at Wrigley. The normally dependable Bill Hands gave up 11 hits and 6 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings. Chicago rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th but fell one run short when Paul Popvich lined out with the bases loaded.
Ron Santo had 3 RBI and Jim Hickman knocked in 2 for the Cubs.
Reds 9, Cubs 8. W: Nolan (4-5) L: Hands (15-11) SV: Ramos (1)
NL EAST STANDINGS
Team W L T PCT GB
Chicago Cubs 78 50 1 .609 -
New York Mets 71 52 0 .577 4.5
METS SWEPT, FALL INTO THIRD; HANDS WINS 15TH FOR CUBS
Wednesday, August 13, 1969
The Astros completed a three-game sweep of the Mets in the Astrodome. Gary Gentry was roughed up early, surrendering a three-run shot to Denis Menke in the first inning. Manager Gil Hodges pinch-hit for Gentry in the top of the second and replaced him on the mound with Cal Koonce, who proceeded to give up four runs in just one inning of work himself. Larry Dierker tossed a complete game. Tommie Agee notched a solo home run.
Astros 8, Mets 2. W: Dierker (14-9) L: Gentry (9-10)
The Cubs collected all they needed with four runs in the fourth at San Diego. Billy Williams has 2 hits and 2 RBI, and tablesetters Don Kessinger and Glenn Beckert both went 2 for 4, as well. Bill Hands went the distance to collect his 15th win of the season.
Cubs 4, Padres 2. W: Hands (15-8) L: J. Niekro (6-10)
Team W L T PCT GB
Chicago Cubs 73 43 1 .629 -
St. Louis Cardinals 65 52 0 .556 8.5
New York Mets 62 51 0 .549 9.5
SHORT OUTING FOR SEAVER, RYAN GOES THE DISTANCE; LUCKY NO. 13 FOR HANDS
Tuesday, August 5, 1969
Tom Seaver lasted just three innings as the Reds took a second straight game from the Mets in Cincy. Art Shamsky had three hits, including a two-run homer, and Cleon Jones also had three hits for New York.
Reds 8, Mets 5 (1). W: Gary Nolan (2-3) L: Seaver (15-7) SV: Carroll (5)
In the second game, the Mets erupted for eight runs in the third inning, and Nolan Ryan pitched a complete game while striking out 7. Don Clendenon had the big hit with a three-run home run, and Tommie Agee added a solo shot. Agee, Clendenon, Ron Swoboda and Jerry Grote had 2 hits apiece.
Mets 10, Reds 1 (2). W: Ryan (4-1) L: Arrigo (2-3)
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In Houston, Bill Hands pitched 6 2/3 of solid ball as the Cubs cruised by the Astros with 16 hits, including 3 from Ron Santo.
Cubs 5, Astros 2. W: Hands (13-8) L: Lemaster (8-11) SV: Regan (13)
NL EAST STANDINGS
Team Name W L T PCT GB
Chicago Cubs 69 41 1 .627 -
New York Mets 59 46 0 .562 7.5