1966 World Series

The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in 4 games to capture the first championship in franchise history. Despite the general consensus that the Orioles were short of pitching when compared to the likes of Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax, Orioles pitching allowed only two runs in the entire series and ended up with a 0.50 team ERA, the second lowest in World Series history.

Records: Baltimore Orioles (W: 97, L: 63, Pct: .606, GA: 9) - Los Angeles Dodgers (W: 95, L: 67, Pct: .586, GA: 1.5)

Managers: Hank Bauer (Baltimore), Walt Alston (Los Angeles)

Umpires: Bill Jackowski (NL), Nestor Chylak (AL), Chris Pelekoudas (NL), Johnny Rice (AL), Mel Steiner (NL), Cal Drummond (AL)

Series MVP: Frank Robinson (Baltimore)

Television: NBC (Curt Gowdy, Chuck Thompson and Vin Scully announcing)

Summary

AL Baltimore Orioles (4) vs. NL Los Angeles Dodgers (0)

Game	Score	Date	Location	Attendance
1	Orioles – 5, Dodgers – 2	October 5	Dodger Stadium	55,941
2	Orioles – 6, Dodgers – 0	October 6	Dodger Stadium	55,947
3	Dodgers – 0, Orioles – 1	October 8	Memorial Stadium	54,445
4	Dodgers – 0, Orioles – 1	October 9	Memorial Stadium	54,458

Matchups

Game 1, October 5

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California - Attendance, 55,941

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Baltimore (A)	3	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	5	9	0
Los Angeles (N)	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	0
W: Moe Drabowsky (1-0) L: Don Drysdale (0-1)
HR: BAL – Frank Robinson (1), Brooks Robinson (1)    LAD – Jim Lefebvre (1)

Starting pitchers: Don Drysdale (13 Wins -16 Losses, 3.42), Dave McNally (13-6, 3.17)

In the top of the first innning, after Luis Aparicio flied to right, Drysdale walks Russ Snyder, and American League Triple Crown winner Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson hit back to back home runs to take an early 3-0 lead. McNally walked Dodger leadoff man Maury Wills, who subsequently stole second. However, the Dodgers failed to score. In the second inning, with Andy Etchebarren on second base, Russ Snyder slapped a base hit past the shortstop and Etchebarren scored to widen the lead 4-0.

However, McNally began to struggle with his command. In the bottom of the second inning, second baseman Jim Lefebvre tagged him for a 400 ft. home run. First Baseman Wes Parker hit a fair ball down the right foul line, but a fan reached over the wall and picked the ball out of the dirt, turning a possible triple into a ground-rule double. After he walked Jim Gilliam, John Roseboro hit a fly ball to right center, and Orioles left fielder Russ Snyder saved at least a run with a lunging catch, and neither baserunners scored. Drysdale is pulled in the third and replaced with Joe Moeller, who allowed another run in the fourth when Davey Johnson scored from second on a fielder's choice by Aparicio.

With one out in the bottom of the third inning, McNally is replaced by Moe Drabowsky after loading the bases on walks. Drabowsky strikes out Parker and walks Gilliam, forcing in a run before Roseboro fouls out. Drabowsky strikes out 6 consecutive batters in the next two innings, tying a World Series record and setting single game World Series record will 11 overall - 1 in the third inning, 3 in the fourth and fifth innings, one in the seventh and eighth innings, and two in the ninth inning. Orioles win, 5-2, and the Dodgers would not get another runner across the plate in the series.

Game 2, October 6

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California - Attendance: 55,947

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Baltimore (A)	0	0	0	0	3	1	0	2	0	6	8	0
Los Angeles (N)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	6
W: Jim Palmer (1-0) L: Sandy Koufax (0-1)

Starting Pitchers: Sandy Koufax (27-9, 1.73), Jim Palmer (15-10, 3.46)

Game 2 pitted a 20-year-old future Hall of Famer Jim Palmer against Sandy Koufax, whose 1966 season was among his best with 27 wins, 317 strikeouts, 5 shutouts, and his career best 1.73 ERA. Palmer gets into trouble in the second with two on and two outs, but walked Roseboro and got Koufax to pop up to second base. Despite the obvious mismatch, Palmer and Koufax traded zeroes on the scoreboard until the top of the fifth inning, when Koufax's defense let him down.

John "Boog" Powell singled, and then Paul Blair hit a routine fly ball to center, but Willie Davis loses the ball in the sun and both runners are safe on the error. Etchebarren hit another fly to Center, and Davis bobbles the ball and drops it. Powell scored on the error, and Davis rushed the throw to third base, which is high, and Blair capitalizes on the error, scoring. Luis Aparicio hits a stand-up double, scoring Etchebarren from third and Davis is charged with three errors in this inning alone.

The O's then earned one from Koufax in the sixth as Frank Robinson tripled and Boog knocked him in with a single to right-center. Johnson singled to right and the runners advance on an error by Ron Fairly. Koufax gets out of it after walking Blair intentionally and getting Etchebarren to ground into a double play. Etchebarren would be the final batter that Koufax would ever face in his career. He was replaced in the seventh by Ron Perranoski, who set the Orioles down 1-2-3. They would get two from him in the eighth, however, on a walk to Frank Robinson, a single by Brooks Robinson, a sacrifice bunt from Boog Powell and a Davey Johnson single off of Perranoski's shins. Perranoski threw the ball away in a desperate play for an out at the first, and Brooks scored on the error. Palmer completed the shutout when Roseboro popped to short. Orioles win, 6-0.

Game 3, October 8

Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland - Attendance: 54,445

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles (N)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
Baltimore (A)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	X	1	3	0
W: Wally Bunker (1-0) L: Claude Osteen (0-1)
HR: BAL – Paul Blair (1)

Starting pitchers: Wally Bunker (10-6, 4.29), Claude Osteen (17-14, 2.85)

The series moves to Baltimore with the Orioles enjoying a 2-0 series lead.

Wally Bunker, plagued with injuries in the regular season retires the first three batters he faced, and pitched a six-hit, complete game gem, while Osteen allows only three hits in seven innings. Unfortunately, one of those hits was a solo home run from Paul Blair in the fifth, which turned to be the deciding run. The Dodgers' defense woke up after game two's 6-error embarrassment, and turned several excellent plays, most notably first baseman Parker robbing Curt Blefary of a base hit with a spectacular jump to snare his sixth inning line drive. Bunker, without a complete game shutout in the regular season, completes the Orioles' second consecutive shutout, and they win 1-0.

Game 4 - October 9

Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland - Attendance: 54,458

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles (N)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Baltimore (A)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	X	1	4	0
W: Dave McNally (1-0) L: Don Drysdale (0-2)
HR: BAL – Frank Robinson (2)

Starting Pitchers: Dave McNally (0-0), Don Drysdale (0-1)

On the brink of a sweep, Game four is a rematch of the first game, pitting young Dave McNally against veteran Don Drysdale, both of whom struggled in their previous match. However, in this outing, both pitchers excelled as Drysdale and McNally each allowed only four hits. Again, the only run scored was on a solo home run, this one by Series MVP Frank Robinson. Willie Davis redeems himself from his miserable Game 2 defense by robbing Boog Powell of a home run in the fourth, but to no avail as Paul Blair does the same to Jim Lefebvre in the eighth, and the Dodgers were shutout for the third consecutive time and for 33 consecutive innings, a World Series record. Orioles win game four, 1-0, and sweep the 1966 World Series.

Composite Box

1966 World Series (4-0): Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Dodgers

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Baltimore Orioles (A.L.)	3	1	0	2	4	1	0	2	0	13	24	0
Los Angeles Dodgers (N.L.)	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	17	6
Total Attendance: 220,791   Average Attendance: 55,198
Winning Player’s Share: – $11,683   Losing Player’s Share – $8,189

Trivia

• The Orioles shut the Dodgers out for a World Series record 33 consecutive innings - from the 4th inning of Game 1 to the end of Game 4.

• Los Angeles' Sandy Koufax announces his retirement after the Series due to a chronic sore elbow.

• The Orioles' Moe Drabowsky set a record for relief pitchers in World Series play by recording 11 strikeouts in Game 1, six of them consecutively, tying Hod Eller's six in the scandal-tainted 1919 World Series.

• Jim Palmer, just shy of his 21st birthday, became the youngest pitcher to throw a complete game shutout in the World Series.

• The Baltimore Orioles became the first non-Yankee American League team to win the World Series since 1948.

• The Baltimore Orioles pitching staff only allowed two (2) earned runs and finished with a team ERA of 0.50.

American League World Series pitching staffs through 1966:

Rank      A.L. Teams              ERA      World Series

1st       Baltimore Orioles       0.50     1966 World Series
2nd       Cleveland Indians       0.89     1920 World Series
3rd       New York Yankees        1.22     1939 World Series
4th       Philadelphia Athletics  1.29     1911 World Series
5th       Philadelphia Athletics  1.47     1905 World Series
          Boston Red Sox          1.47     1916 World Series
7th       Chicago White Sox       1.50     1906 World Series
8th       Boston Red Sox          1.70     1918 World Series
9th       Philadelphia Athletics  1.73     1930 World Series
10th      New York Yankees        1.80     1941 World Series

External Links

• 1966 World Series at Baseball-Reference.com
• 1966 World Series at WorldSeries.com (MLB.com)
• 1966 World Series at Baseball-Almanac.com
• 1966 World Series box scores and play-by-play at Retrosheet.org

Reference(s)

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series. 1st ed. New York: St Martins, 1990.