Classic Baseball Radio Sidd Finch Jr.

There are pitchers who have storied careers, workhorses who can support a team’s offence for many years, and pitchers who shine brightly and burn out in a single season.

Fritz Peterson was a workhorse. He had a winning record in seven of his eleven years in the Majors and posted a career 133-131 record. His time and productivity with the New York Yankees puts him currently in ninth-place in the all-time games started, and tent on innings pitched.

However, it was the year 1970 that truly illuminated his career. With a career-best winning percentage of .645, he reached the psychological milestone of 20 wins on the last day of the season. This was also the year he received his only call up to the All-Star Game, a testament to his exceptional performance. Yet, despite these achievements, he never had the opportunity to play in a post-season game.

As the Yankees visit the Athletics, Peterson holds a 2-2 record and he's looking to establish himself in the rotation. Frank Messer and Bob Gamere share play-by-play and color duties in today's classic game.

You can find the boxscore here.

This game was played on May 7, 1970.


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Legendary manager and player Whitey Herzog died this week at the age of 92. Here at Classic Baseball Radio, we'd like to take a moment to remember a career that caught fire after the playing ended, with one of his last appearances on the diamond.

Herzog made it to the majors, playing for the Washington Senators in 1956. He spent time with the Athletics, Orioles, and Tigers before retiring from on-field duty in 1963.

Only then, with his playing career no longer a hindrance, would Herzog and his bleached near-white hair find the place the Baseball Gods had carved out for him. Working through various backroom roles, from scout and coach to general manager and director, Herzog found his joy one step back from the diamond.

As a manager, he excelled, racking up six division wins, three pennants, and one World Series-winning team.

For today's game, we're returning to the dead-rubber days of September 1961. The New York Yankees have the pennant pretty much sewn up, and the Orioles have earned third place. Herzog bats in the heart of the order, facing Ralph Terry of the Yankees.

Phil Rizzuto takes you up to the sixth inning, with Mel Allen closing out the microphone game.

You can find the boxscore here.

This game was played on September 20, 1961.


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Imagine your playing career saw you selected seven times to play in the All-Star game, led the league in stolen bases, posted four seasons of .300 plus baseball, had a hitting streak of 34 games, and averaged over 100 runs per season throughout your career.

Yet his name is one that never stood out, partly because he's on a Red Sox team with the greatest hitter who ever lived… and his older brother was Joe DiMaggio.

This is the life of Dom DiMaggio, who spent eleven years of his eleven-year career in the Majors with the Boston Red Sox. As with almost every player in the forties, the prime playing career was given to service during World War 2.

David Halberstam called him "the most underrated player of his day”, and it’s not hard to see why.

Let’s remember Dom with today’s game, which is a classic. It's 1949, and the Red Sox are facing the New York Yankees. Boston's finest have posted a 96-57 season against the Yankees 96-57. Yep, it's a winner-takes-all game on the final day of the regular season. Dom is leading off for the Red Sox, with his brother Joe in the clean-up spot for the Yankees.

Speaking of legends… Mel Allen and Curt Gowdy will take you through this crunch game.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA194910020.shtml

This game was played on October 2, 1949.


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Can you go through an entire season on First Base without having an error charged to you? Unless your name is Steve Garvey, the answer is no. As you might have surmised, Garvey did just that, posting his yet-to-be-equalled feat in 1984 with the San Diego Padres.

With a career .294 on 2599 hits and 272 home runs, Garvey's no slouch. A standout number, though, has to be his 1270 consecutive games played.

Let's rewind the clock to 1973. It's September 28th, and the Dodgers have sewn up the division and are in a dead rubber with the San Diego Padres. Garvey is camping out, as always, on first base. Years down the line, he’ll join the Padres from the Dodgers, but there were a few All-Star appearances and one World Series ring before that point.

Vin Scully has the microphone.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SDN/SDN197309280.shtml

This game was played on September 28, 1973.


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899 games pitched, all in relief, with a lifetime 99-76 record; the delightfully named Sparky Lyle was an era-defining relief pitcher.

Take his 1977 Cy Young award, the first AL reliever to do so, twice picking up the AL saves record, and three all-star appearances. Then you have his back-to-back World Series in 77 and 78, plus writing the book on the 78 season ('The Bronx Zoo'). Lyle has the numbers, the prestige, and the passion to lay claim to being one of the most important relievers in the history of the game.

He found his grove with the Boston Red Sox before being traded to the New York Yankees… a move which boosted his career but on reflection one the Red Sox might have wished they could have taken back.

Let's unite the old and new for today's game as Lyle's Yankees welcome the Lyle-less Red Soxs.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197107100.shtml

This game was played on July 10, 1971.


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Apart from the occasional “one and done” years, the only team to have a winning record over .500 in every year they played is the Milwaukee Braves.

There were losing years under the Boston Braves and Atlanta Braves banners, but the thirteen years in Milwaukee stand apart not just in this franchise but in every franchise. From the pennant-winning streak between 53 and 59, through record-breaking appearances, to a World Series win in 1957, this is a storied part of the team's history.

Let's pick up one of those stories for today's game. It's May 1957; not only have the Braves rushed out to a 17-7 record, but their divisional rivals, the Dodgers, are struggling to find their footing. Visiting Country Stadium with a 13-10 record, the Dodgers are hoping the legendary Don Newcombe can pitch them into a winning streak.

And don't forget who's behind the microphone… an incredibly young Vin Scully.

You can find the boxscore here.

This game was played on May 14, 1957.


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