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