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Picture Credits:
The game got underway with the usual lineups and field positions. Angels at bat: 1B - Vic Power, 2B - Bobby Knoop, SS - Jim Fregosi, 3B - Paul Schaal, OF - Jose Cardinal, OF - Jimmy Piersall, OF - Albie Pearson, C - Buck Rodgers, and on the mound Marcellino Lopoez.
For the Yankees: 1B - Joe Pepitone, 2B - Bobby Richardson, SS - Tony Kubek, 3B - Clete Boyer, OF - Tom Tresh, OF - Mickey Mantle, OF - Ross Moschitto, C -Elston Howard and pitching - Whitey Ford.
A word about Yankee Stadium. Surely many people have attended Yankee Stadium at one time in their lives! Opened April 18, 1923, it became the premiere ballpark in the American league and still is. Babe Ruth slammed a three run homer that opening day. Subsequently, due to this fact and because the Babe saved the game of baseball (after the 1919 Black Sox scandal almost destroyed its credibility), and also because he was a huge draw, the stadium's nickname was "The House that Ruth Built." That first game yielded a crowd of over 74,000. The stadium had many alterations and a major renovation in the 70's. It remains the Grand Cathedral of baseball, steeped in history and tradition.
Constructed with a triple deck which ended at each foul pole, a 15 foot high copper facade was the crowning feature along the top of the third deck. It was torn down during renovations and the remnants are place today around portions of the park. There are five monuments in tribute to Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Miller James Huggins, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. In 1965 these monuments were exposed in the outfield, today they are fenced off in sort of a field museum.
With all its storied history, the year 1965 marked the turning point for the Yankees. All downhill, from the heights of glory to mediocrity. The team wouldn't play in another World Series for 12 years. And this was a lousy year for them.
Nothing unusual happened until the bottom of the fourth inning. With the Yankees at bat, Piersall, who normally played a shallow center field was nowhere to be found on the field! Joey's cousin, John Henry, nudged himn in the ribs, "Joey," he said with excitement in his voice, "Look at that nut Piersall." He was pointing to where Jimmy was playing peek-a-boo behind one of the monuments. This was almost a repeat of years back when he did the exact same thing playing center for the Cleveland Indians. "What a maniac. Look, he's hiding behind the monument over there. Hurry, look!" he continued. Joey and cousin John Albert went into hysterics along with thousands of other fans. Bedlam broke loose. The stadium was in an uproar. Everyone in the bleachers seem to be throwing things at Piersall. It wasn't long before two umpires ran out and got him into his position again. They didn't eject him from the game either. But a warning went out to the fans not to throw garbage on the field. It took a while before the grounds crew cleaned up the mess.
You'd expect something like this rowdy behavior at a Mets game, not the with sophisticated Yankee fans. But whenever Piersall was in town, things got crazy and so did he. It was an amusing break in the action. But the best was yet to come.
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