Celebrating the - MLB.com

Dinner Committee
Bob Gibson
Dinner Committee Chairman
Geoff Belinfante
Phoenix Communications
Joe Cozza
Cipriani
Lance Gitlin
Major League Baseball
Cheryl Goyda
Hunt Auctions
Mike Kostel
Mo Greene Associates
Ted Sizemore
President/CEO
Bobby Murcer
Chairman
Frank Torre
Vice President
Greg Wilcox
Vice President
Steve Garvey
Bob Gibson
Lou Gorman
Boston Red Sox
Jim Martin
Baseball Assistance Team
Marla Miller
Major League Baseball
Jesse Neumyer
Greenwich Associates
Erik Nilsen
Baseball Assistance Team
Yenifer Núñez
Baseball Assistance Team
Caroline Suplizio
Heather Yarashas
Major League Baseball
Board of Directors
Lou Johnson
Joe Morgan
Jim Pongracz
Process Development Corporation
Robin Roberts
Cookie Rojas
Ed Stack
Retired, The Clark Estates, Inc.
Randy Winn
San Francisco Giants
19th th
A N N U A L
G O I N G T O
B A T F O R
B . A . T .
D I N N E R
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tuesday,
January 29, 2008
NEW YORK MARRIOTT
MARQUIS HOTEL
Celebrating the
1968 World Series
40th Anniversary
Detroit tigers vs.
St. louis Cardinals

1968: Detroit Tigers and
St. Louis Cardinals World Series Teams
There’s an old adage you hear every season come playoff time: Good pitching beats good
hitting. In 1968, that axiom applied from the first sun-drenched day of Spring Training,
because more than in any other year, pitchers made hitters look downright helpless.
This past season, there was just one pitcher to reach the 20-win plateau — Boston’s
Josh Beckett. In ’68, 20 wins would simply place a pitcher in a tie for seventh in the
Majors. The 20-game winners that year included the Yankees’ Mel Stottlemyre (21-12)
and San Francisco’s Juan Marichal (26-9). And then, of course, there was Detroit’s
Denny McLain, who helped wrap up the AL Cy Young and MVP Awards with a 31-6
record. To this day, he remains the last person to record 30 victories in a single year.
McLain’s record and ERA (1.96) were certainly astounding — though he ranked just
fourth in the AL in ERA (Cleveland’s Luis Tiant led the league at 1.60) — but St.
Louis’s Bob Gibson may have performed even better. In addition to his 22-9 record,
Gibson had a ridiculous 1.12 ERA (third-best in the modern era) and 268 strikeouts.
He, too, won his league’s Cy Young and MVP Awards — just the second time in history
that the MVP Award in both leagues was awarded to pitchers. Fittingly, McLain and
Gibson led their teams to the World Series.
These highly touted pitching staffs entered the 1968 World Series ready to battle.
Bob Gibson bested Denny McLain in games one and four while the work horse of the
Tiger staff Mickey Lolich was winning games two and five. Bob Gibson and Mickey
Lolich each started three games and faced each other in the crucial game seven.
Gibson had three days rest and Lolich two. Both pitchers hurled six shutout innings
but four two out hits in the seventh by the Tigers opened the scoring and led the Tigers
to victory and the 1968 World Championship.
2008 Honorees
Dmitri Young David Wright
Big B.A.T./Frank Slocum Award Bart Giamatti Award
2008 Emcees
Joe Morgan and Gary Thorne
THE GOAL…
The Baseball Assistance Team’s primary goal is to reach out to those members of the
“baseball family” who need a helping hand. We feel this can be manifested with dignity in many
ways – but especially by providing assistance to make life livable and to keep families together.
Join scores of former and current Major League Baseball players, including Hall of Famers as
they honor the 1968 Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals World Series Teams.
19th
19th
A NNUAL
th
GOING
TO BAT FOR B.A.T. DINNER
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
New York Marriott Marquis Hotel
reception
5:45 PM
Westside Ballroom (5th Floor)
Mingle with more than 125 Big Leaguers
dinner
7:15 PM
Broadway Ballroom (6th Floor)
For additional information please call (212) 931-7821
BUSINESS ATTIRE IS REQUESTED
Souvenir baseballs will be provided to guests for autograph opportunities.
Due to increased security, please be advised that no items other
than baseballs and items made of paper (Such as cards, photographs,
note pads and magazines) will be autographed during the cocktail
reception at the B.A.T. Dinner.
No one will be permitted into the reception with any other merchandise
(Such as bats, boxes of baseballs and duffel bags.)
Each individual is solely responsible for any merchandise or
other articles brought that evening, even those items that are left
with the individuals providing coat check services.