DODGER STADIUM - July 21, 1966
The Sports Time Traveler is covering the 1966 baseball season day-by-day. And last night I was in Dodger Stadium virtually to experience the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
I initially came back here to 1966 to follow Sandy Koufax and Willie Mays. But in the past couple of weeks some magical news has gripped me by teams and players I did not expect.
As I reported a couple of weeks ago, there was some incredible news about a stretch of games by Mickey Mantle at the beginning of July.
I “broke the news” (since it has never been previously reported) that Mickey Mantle set a home run record (that still stands in 2026) in which the Mick hit 3 homers in 3 consecutive plate appearances, TWICE, inside of one week. And this is Mantle in one of his final years in which he is a fraction of his superstar self from his heyday in 1952 - 1964.
Then I started noticing what the Pittsburgh Pirates are doing and I’ve become totally enchanted with them.
Here in 1966, no one calls them “The Lumber Company” yet. That’s coming with their 1971 World Series Championship team.
Here in 1966, there were modest expectations for the Pirates coming into the season. While they had won 90 games in 1965, the National League was dominated by the Giants and the Dodgers.
The Giants behind Willie Mays’s MVP season had won 95 games in 1965 and finished 2nd in the NL.
The Dodgers behind Sandy Koufax’s Cy Young award, won 97 games in ‘65, and captured the NL pennant and won the World Series.
At the outset of the 1966 season, the Pirates shot out to an 8 - 1 record, but then they slid badly, winning just 10 of their next 26 games to fall 6 games back at 18 - 17.
Then they exploded, going on a long stretch of 34 wins in 50 games (that’s 110 win pace) over the next 2 months. As the All-Star break began, after the games of July 10th, the Pirates were just 1 game behind the 1st place Giants, and 4 games in front of the defending World Champion Dodgers.
And they were doing it with hitting.
The Pittsburgh Pirates were the top hitting team in baseball at the All-Star break by a wide margin.
Here were the leading hitting major league teams as of July 10, 1966:
.281 Pirates (NL)
.262 Orioles (AL)
.257 Phillies (NL)
.257 Dodgers (NL)
.254 Tigers (AL)
.253 Astros (NL)
No other teams were batting over .250.
This was the beginnings of THE LUMBER COMPANY, the dominance of the Pittsburg Pirates at the plate.
But even more astounding than the team batting averages, were the averages of their star players.
Take a look at this chart from July 10, 1966 of the leading hitters in each league:
Pirates players hold the top 4 spots in the National League.
NOTE From The Sports Time Traveler
I interrupt this story to inform you that in my research, I have not found any other instance of a single team in modern major league history that had their players holding the top 4 spots in league batting after July 1st.
This story gets even better.
PIRATES WITH AN UNCONFIRMED MLB RECORD
My research also indicates that the 1966 Pirates are the only team to ever have all 3 starting outfielders after July 1, in any season, to have the 3 best batting averages in ALL major league baseball.
On July 14, 1966, all 3 Pirates starting outfielders, Willie Stargell (LF), Matty Alou (CF) and Roberto Clemente (RF), held the top 3 spots in batting average for all of major league baseball.
I think this is worth taking a moment to celebrate.
Here it is documented on July 14, 1966:
Now back to 1966.
Battle for First
On July 17, 1966, the 1st place Giants visited Forbes Field in Pittsburgh for a doubleheader. The Pirates took both games and moved into sole possession of 1st place, for the first time since May 4th.
On July 18, the Giants beat the Pirates to move the teams back into a 1st place tie.
Then the Pirates had a day off to fly to L.A. to face the Dodgers and Don Drysdale on July 20th.
I just had to travel virtually to Dodgers stadium for this one.
Pirates vs. Dodgers
Don Drysdale, one of the great pitchers of this era, had started the season poorly and came into the game on July 20 with a 4.14 ERA and a record unbecoming of the legend at just 6 - 11.
But in each of his prior 3 starts, Drysdale had not allowed more than 2 earned runs.
The game started poorly for the Pirates. Starter Vern Law was knocked out in the 2nd inning, and Don Drysdale held a 5 - 2 lead with 2 outs in the top of the 7th.
Drysdale was 7 outs away from winning the game.
Drysdale then nicked Matty Alou on the left foot. Gene Michael followed with a single to right. Roberto Clemente followed with another single, scoring Alou and pulling the Pirates to within 2 runs at 5 - 3.
And that was all for Don Drysdale.
Next up, Manny Mota drew a wild pitch and a walk from Jim Brewer to load the bases.
And that was all for Jim Brewer.
Next up was Jose Pagan, who was facing the Dodgers 3rd pitcher of the inning, Phil Regan. The count then went to 0 and 2 on Pagan. Regan’s next pitch could have gotten the Dodgers out of the inning relatively unscathed, but Pagan blooped a ball over the 2nd baseman’s head that fell in scoring both Michael and Clemente.
GAME TIED!
Now Don Clendenon came up.
Clendenon has been on a rampage. He’s 42 for 115 (.365) over the past month raising his average from a dismal .251 to an even .300.
Clendenon went to 0 and 2 on the count. Then he drilled a 3-run shot, and the Pirates were out in front 8 - 5! It was Don’s 16th homer of the season.
That’s the Lumber Company at work! a 2 out, 6 run rally!
The rally finally ended when Jim Pagliaroni flew out to left.
The Pirates then brought in reliever Al McBean. In 1964 and 1965, McBean was among the top relievers in the National League. And on this night he proved it. He shut out the Dodgers in the final 3 innings.
The Pirates won the game 8 - 5.
Meanwhile in Candlestick Park…
Juan Marichal, who is having possibly his best season, entered the game against the hapless New York Mets with a 15 - 4 record and a 1.99 ERA.
Marichal pitched 6 scoreless innings to open the game with the Mets and the Giants led 1 - 0.
By the way, Marichal started this season with the best first 100 innings of any pitcher in major league baseball history. He began the season 10 - 0 with a 0.79 ERA in 101 innings. And he was batting .325 at the time as well!
But in this game, on July 20th, Marichal allowed a homer to Al Luplow in the 7th inning to tie the game at 1.
Al who?
In the 8th, Marichal yielded another homer to the shortstop, Roy McMillan to put the Mets ahead 2 - 1.
That was Roy’s 1st homer of the season! (NOTE: that was the ONLY home run McMillan hit in 1966, and the last home run he ever hit).
In the bottom of the 9th, Willie Mays walked, went to 2nd base on a wild pitch, and scored on a Jim Ray Hart single to tie the game.
Tied at 2, the game went into extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, Ron Swoboda homered for the Mets.
And the Mets beat the Giants 3 - 2!
The Pirates now hold a 1 game lead over the Giants and are 4 games ahead of the defending World Series Champion Dodgers.
I will keep following the 1966 Pirates one day at a time. This is too much fun!
FINAL NOTE From The Sports Time Traveler
In my book, THE 1973 METS - YOU’VE GOT TO BELIEVE, I have several chapters devoted to The Lumber Company, celebrating their incredible hitting prowess in the early 70s.
There is also a chapter celebrating Roberto Clemente who perished tragically at the end of 1972, on a humanitarian aid mission to earthquake ravaged Nicaragua. Clemente is perhaps the greatest right fielder in history, and possibly the greatest man in baseball history.
You can find the book on Amazon or get a personalized, autographed copy on ETSY at these links:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07JCC1Q7H/allbooks
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SportsTimeTravelerUS