Dem LA Bums: The 1963 Dodgers

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The 1963 World Series

The 1963 World Series provided a matchup that the Dodgers had wanted in the previous season. Game one was a battle of two future hall of fame lefties as Sandy Koufax took the mound against the Yankees Whitey Ford. Whitey Ford looked to be shaken up in the first three innings, allowing 5 runs. The Yankees wouldn’t recover from the three innings, losing the game 5-2.

Game’s 2 and 3 featured great pitching by Johnny Podres and Don Drysdale. They combined to allow one run in the two games and the Dodgers won both games. The feature moment was in game 2 when former Yankee legend Bill Moose Skowron hit a homerun for the Dodgers against his former club.

Game 4 was held at the in LA where the Dodgers sent their ace Sandy Koufax to the mound. He had that determined look on his face, the type of look that only a hall of famer gets in the World Series. Despite a game tying homerun by Mickey Mantle in the seventh inning, the Dodgers rebounded in the bottom of the inning. Power threat Frank Howard hit a game winning homerun in the seventh to give the Dodgers the lead; a lead that Koufax would not relinquish. Koufax threw a scoreless 8th and 9th inning to give the Dodgers the World Series crown.

After Thought:

The 1963 World Series MVP was given to Sandy Koufax as well as the NL CY Young Award and regular season MVP. The Dodgers would go on to win the 1965 World Series and appear in the 1966 Series as well.

Frank Howard would leave the Dodgers after a few more seasons and go to Washington. He had 382 career homeruns. 1962 NL MVP Maury Willis would never steal 100 bases again. (He came close in 1965 with 94.) Maury Willis would retire with 586 career stolen bases and over 2100 hits.

Don Drysdale would retire in 1969 and Sandy Koufax would retire after 1966. Both would be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Dodgers established themselves as a baseball powerhouse in 1963. This was certainly a season that should never be forgotten in the eyes of both LA Dodger fans and baseball fans alike.