RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
George Kell was a former American professional baseball player who played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons from 1943 to 1957. Kell was born on August 23, 1922, in Swifton, Arkansas. He began his professional baseball career in the Detroit Tigers organization and made his MLB debut in 1943.
Kell was known for his excellent hitting and fielding
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1962 NL Tie-breaker G1 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants Radio
The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers faced off in Game 1 of a best-of-three tiebreaker series on October 1, 1962, at Candlestick Park to determine the National League pennant winner. Both teams had finished the regular season with identical 101-61 records, forcing this playoff. The Giants sent Billy Pierce to the mound against the Dodgers' ace Sandy Koufax. This matchup was particularly significant as the Dodgers had just endured a late-season collapse, losing six of their last seven games and failing to score in their final 21 innings. Meanwhile, the Giants had surged, winning five of their last seven to force this tiebreaker.
The Giants wasted no time in breaking the Dodgers' scoreless streak, as Willie Mays hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Koufax. Jim Davenport added a solo shot in the second, chasing Koufax from the game after just one-plus innings. The Giants continued to pour it on, with Mays hitting his second home run of the game in the sixth inning, followed immediately by an Orlando Cepeda homer. Meanwhile, Pierce was dominant on the mound for San Francisco, keeping the Dodgers' bats quiet throughout the game. The Giants added three more runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach.
The final score was 8-0 in favor of the Giants, giving them a 1-0 lead in the tiebreaker series. Pierce pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits while striking out six. Mays finished the game 3-for-3 with two home runs, three RBIs, and three runs scored. This victory put the Giants one win away from the National League pennant. They would go on to win the series in three games, advancing to face the New York Yankees in the World Series, which the Yankees would win in seven games.
Here is "Tigers 87" - the Detroit Tigers pregame show from Sunday, May 10, 1987...
Part 1 of "Tigers '87" WDIV Pregame show. / Here is "Tigers 87" - the Detroit Tigers pregame show from Sunday, May 10, 1987 which was Mother's Day. This aired on WDIV Channel 4 in Detroit and previews the Tigers versus the Oakland A's.
Featuring Bernie Smilovitz, Sparkey Anderson, George Kell, Al Kaline, Frank Beckman, Vern Plagenhoef, Mickey Lolich and the Wayne State Men's Glee Club - plus great shots of old Tiger Stadium!
It also has special Mother's Day tributes from players Dan Petry, Darnell Coles and Billy Bean.
Here is "Tigers 87" - the Detroit Tigers pregame show from Sunday, May 10, 1987...
Part 3 of "Tigers '87" WDIV Pregame show. / Here is "Tigers 87" - the Detroit Tigers pregame show from Sunday, May 10, 1987 which was Mother's Day. This aired on WDIV Channel 4 in Detroit and previews the Tigers versus the Oakland A's.
Featuring Bernie Smilovitz, Sparkey Anderson, George Kell, Al Kaline, Frank Beckman, Vern Plagenhoef, Mickey Lolich and the Wayne State Men's Glee Club - plus great shots of old Tiger Stadium!
It also has special Mother's Day tributes from players Dan Petry, Darnell Coles and Billy Bean.
George Kell calls the heavy moment when Milt Wilcox came within one out of a perfect game, when Chicago White
TV call of Milt Wilcox's near perfect game / George Kell calls the heavy moment when Milt Wilcox came within one out of a perfect game, when Chicago White Sox batter Jerry Hairston, Sr. singled off him in the ninth inning.
On October 3, 1962, the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers faced off at...
1962 NL Tie-breaker G3 - San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers Radio / On October 3, 1962, the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers faced off at Dodger Stadium in a critical matchup, closing the National League's regular season. The Giants, led by right-hander Juan Marichal, entered this game needing a win to continue their pursuit of a postseason berth, while the Dodgers, starting left-hander Johnny Podres, were looking to halt the Giants' momentum and secure their spot. The game was emblematic of the fierce rivalry and high stakes that defined the season, as both teams were battling for the National League pennant in one of the most tightly contested races of the decade.
The game itself was a back-and-forth battle, with the Giants taking an early lead in the third inning, capitalizing on a series of defensive miscues by the Dodgers. San Francisco held that slim margin until the sixth inning, when Dodgers third baseman Tommy Davis launched a two-run homer to give Los Angeles a brief lead. Maury Wills, always a threat on the bases, added to the Dodgers' edge by stealing multiple bases, including his 104th of the season. However, the Giants orchestrated a dramatic ninth-inning rally, led by Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda, to reclaim control and secure the victory with a four-run burst.
With this win, the Giants forced a tie with the Dodgers, necessitating a tiebreaker playoff to determine the National League champion. The intense pennant race, marked by remarkable performances from players like Wills and Mays, would ultimately see the Giants advance, although they would fall short in the World Series against the New York Yankees. The game remains a key moment in a storied rivalry and a pivotal chapter in the Giants' and Dodgers' long-standing competition.
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