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1968 Redux: Tigers vs. Cardinals
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DTMagazine Home Player comparisons and series prediction
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 -- -- vs. -- --  1968 Redux: Tigers tangle with Redbirds in a Fall Classic
Rick Gagliano | 10/20/06
If the 2006 World Series lives up to the drama of the 1968 fall classic that the Tigers and Cardinals played, this will be a series to remember.
In 1968, people were driving Cadillacs and VW Vans, gas was 35¢ a gallon and the term "closer" had yet to be invented. Pitchers threw on 3 days rest routinely and the best of them threw complete games with amazing regularity.
The Cardinals' Bob Gibson had dominated the National League during the regular season, winning 22 games, including an amazing 13 shutouts. Not to be outdone, the Tigers boasted staff ace Denny McLain, who won 31 games (he's still the last pitcher to win 30 or more games in a season) and led the Tigers to the AL pennant.
The series boasted more than a number of stars and future Hall of Famers. In addition to Gibson and McLain, there was the unbelievable Lou Brock, the blazing outfielder who shattered most of the stolen base records during his outstanding career. Along with Brock, the Cardinals fielded an outstanding team, having won the World Series in '67, including Orlando Cepeda, Curt Flood and catcher Tim McCarver. A little-known lefty by the name of Steve Carlton was also in the St. Louis bullpen.
The Tigers had their share of bats, starting with outfielder and perennial All-Star Al Kaline; the slugging 1st baseman, Norm Cash, Willie Horton and Mr. Grand Slam, Jim Northrup.
The Series began with Gibson striking out 17 Tigers en route to a 4-0 whipping in Game 1. Detroit bounced back behind the six-hit pitching of Mickey Lolich to win Game 2, 8-1 as Cash, Horton and Lolich homered.
The Cardinals captured games 3 and 4, 7-3 and 10-1, with Gibson again dominating in game 4, and appeared ready to capture their 2nd consecutive championship. But in game 5, with the Cardinals ahead 3-2, Lou Brock, who tied his record of 7 stolen bases in a series and had 13 hits over the seven games, doubled with one out in the 5th inning and tried to score standing up on Julian Javier's single - a routine play for the speedy Brock.
Willie Horton had other ideas, however, and fired a strike to Bill Freehan who was standing and straddling home plate. Brock and the ball arrived simultaneously and Freehan applied a swift tag. Brock and Cardinals' manager Red Schoendist argued the call, but later, aerial photographs confirmed that Brock's foot had narrowly missed the plate.
The Tigers got out of the inning and rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh, staying alive with a 5-3 win. Mickey Lolich pitched all nine innings for his second win.
Back in St. Louis for Game 6, the Tigers battered the Cards 13-1, scoring 10 times in the 3rd inning. McLain finally got a win in the series and the Tigers had forced a decisive Game 7.
Gibson and Lolich locked into one of the great pitching duels of all time, blanking each other's team through 6 innings each. But in the 7th, the Tigers finally got to Gibson, putting a 3-spot on the scoreboard. It was all Lolich would need (though the Tigers tallied another run in the top of the 9th) as he blanked the Cardinals until 3rd baseman Mike Shannon blasted a solo shot in the bottom of the frame. It proved to be not enough as the Tigers celebrated a dramatic come-from-behind World Series victory by winning the final three games.
For more on the 1968 World Series, see the outstanding recap, records, line and box scores, here, at Baseball Almanac.
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