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The Seventh Game : The 35 World Series That Have Gone the Distance

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Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
March 21, 2004
Baseball book a home run
Author: Phil O'Neill
Section: SPORTS, Page: D1

Barry Levenson, a Worcester native and lifelong Red Sox fan, has researched and written a splendid baseball volume that is chock full of nuggets about the National Pastime and bound to be a popular seller.
``The Seventh Game: The 35 World Series That Have Gone the Distance,'' which is just now reaching bookstores, is a clever approach chronicling full-length Fall Classics, from the 1909 marquee matchup of Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner right down to Anaheim's surprising victory over hard-luck San Francisco in 2002.
Highlights -- or lowlights, if you will -- include famous Red Sox failures in 1946, 1967, 1975 and 1986, along with what Levenson calls Boston's improbable seventh-game triumph in 1912 over Christy Mathewson and John McGraw's suddenly inept New York Giants.
The 340-page soft-cover book, which is published by McGraw Hill and sells for $16.95, is dedicated to his father, Jim Levenson.
``The Seventh Game'' includes an in-depth analysis of the 35 World Series, line scores of the final game, a quiz on seventh-game knowledge, a 1-to-35 ranking of the best-to-worst seventh games, computer replays of the games and a foreword by New York Yankee pitcher Ralph Terry, who gave up Bill Mazeroski's game-ending home run in the 1960 seventh game and then hurled a 1-0 shutout in the 1962 Series finale.
``The seventh game is baseball's ultimate treat,'' Levenson said in a telephone interview. ``It only happens about once every three years. It's the ultimate game of `no tomorrow.' To me, it seems like the culmination of everything going on in America.''
A nice touch is the way Levenson sets the scene for each of his 35 chapters. The epic 1946 Red Sox-Cardinals clash, for example, was the year the boys came back from war and also witnessed the birth of Dolly Parton, the invention of artificial snow and the first appearance of the bikini. ``Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah'' was a hit song, and Jimmy Stewart starred in a new movie: ``It's a Wonderful Life.''
He spent two years researching ``The Seventh Game.'' He calls time spent at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., poring over old newspaper and magazine clips ``great days. I just had a ball doing that.''
Time for Trivia (Questions from ``The Seventh Game)''

1. Which teams have the best and worst records in World Series seventh games?
2. There have been only 13 triples in WS seventh games. Name the only Red Sox player to hit a three-bagger and the last player from any team to do so.
3. Who was the last catcher to steal a base in a WS seventh game?

As a 50-year baseball fan, and a long-time fan of the NY Yankees, frequent World Series participants, I eagerly anticipated reading Levenson's "The Seventh Game." As has been the case with so many of the NFL's Super Bowls, several seventh games have fallen short of expectations; others, though, have been the perfect culmination of the marathon baseball season.

Unfortunately, Mr. Levenson's accounts DO NOT RECREATE THE DRAMA of those games. Three things are missing. While I don't know the author's age, it is obvious he has not witnessed--either in person, on TV or the radio--many of these games, for he fails to display the excitement, anxiety, or deflation a real fan would have experienced (for example, during the back-and-forth 1960 finale between the Pirates and Yanks). Further, he offers few, if any, statistics that could have "set the stage" for dramatic pitcher-batter confrontations (reference to previous at bats involving same pitcher and batter or performances in similar situations). Finally, he hasn't done the research to include comments from participants that would have reflected how they were feeling at these critical moments in their career. Consequently, I found even "the fabulous fifteen" drab and dry.

Moreover, the description offered by Amazon promised "box scores of every seventh game." Sorry, but there is a huge difference between line scores (providing inning-by-inning team run production)and box scores (providing offensive and pitching statistics for all individuals who played in the game). In fact, line scores are redundantly offered in TWO places in this book (each year and appendix) while box scores are offered NOWHERE! Since this was something I looked for specifically, its omission was a major source of my disappointment.

For those who have not been "religious followers" of the game, this volume could prove informative, though neither inspirational nor memorable. For those who have seen or heard many of these great contests, and have read accounts offering real insight into personal "stories behind the story," Mr. Levenson's book will prove unsatisfactory and rather empty.

"The Seventh Game" is a virtual encyclopedia of the World Series from 1909-2002. It covers all 35 of the Fall Classics that lasted the full 7 games-accompanied by historical anecdotes from each year. Everything is here: TSG begins with what may be the strongest introduction to any book this reviewer has read: Its' writer is none other than former Yankee pitcher Ralph Terry, the losing 7th game pitcher in the '60 WS and the winning hurler in '62. There is a wonderful 50-question quiz on 7th game trivia. 2 samples: 1) Who are the only brothers to hit home runs for opposite teams in a 7th game and 2) Who is the only pitcher to hurl a 7th game shutout, yet have a losing career record? The answers appear at the end of this review. There follows a detailed report on the featured 35 series. This observer believes that author Levenson may have missed a few facts but given the volume covered, some mistakes are inevitable. This reviewer can't resist poking some fun at the author; more detail below! There is also a ranking of the 35 series- wait till readers discover #1. Levenson also provides a computer resimulation of all 35 series-with the Mets WINNING in 1973! ( "You Gotta Believe!", as the late Tug McGraw said). There is lots of analysis by pitching, by defense and by offense. Any reader retaining a third of the material contained in TSG will be a certified expert! It is indeed all here! This piece stated above that mistakes are inevitable given the scope of TSG. With that in mind, this reviewer points no fingers. But in the open-minded spirit of those computer resimulations, here are some simulated questions/comments for the author over a simulated friendly beer or three: 1) 1909: It's not baseball but are you sure the song "Casey Jones" was recorded in the year of his death? Jones was an engineer on the Illinois Central RR. The nighttime wreck of his train in Vaughan, MS, for which he was NOT to blame, may be the most famous in history. (The stalled train in front of Casey had not set out the required warning flares). Was the upbeat tune actually recorded so quickly. 2) 1947: Why didn't you mention Al Gionfriddo's catch off Joe DiMaggio, one of the most notable in WS lore? 3) 1955: The Yankees Tommy Byrne ("That Good Hittin' Pitcher") was a lefty. 4) 1955 again: The Yankees got Don Larsen and Bob Turley in an epic 18 player trade with Baltimore after the '54 season. Casey always liked Larsen and Turley was a highly regarded young righthander. They did not get him from the "bargain table". 5) 1957: I was at that game as a little kid. If you were as well, we saw 2 different games: My version has Tommy Byrne coming up as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 9th. Are you certain Casey had the good hittin' pitcher in the game as his final hurler? 6) 1957 again: I remember the final play quite differently. Eddie Mathews was guarding the third base line, as he should have in the bottom of the ninth. Pinch hitter Bill Skowron hit a hot smash, which Eddie backhanded and stepped on third base to end the game. I did not see him dive! If he had not been such a "good hit, no field" player, the play would have gone unnoticed! Which of us is right? I'm happy that we agree that Casey never should have started rookie (!) Tony Kubek at third base. he probably cost the Yankees the Series. 7) Finally, 1973: This Series meant a lot, since the Army intervened to keep me away from the 1969 "Miracle". '73 was making up for '69. My recruiter and I agreed that the Cubs would win the 1969 flag! I was at Fort Dix, NJ just in time for the Series. I was an avid Mets fan! Are you sure the Mets did not win Game 6/'73 behind Jerry Koosman? And regarding Game 7, are you certain the Mets did not start Tom Seaver on 2 days rest, just like Jim Lonborg in 1967? I loved the '73 Mets. Few teams have gone so far with so little talent. Amazoners should take the foregoing nit picking with a grain of salt! Which sports fan could resist a little finger pointing? I'll pay for the beers either way. The answers to the 2 trivia? listed above are: 1) 1964: Kenny Boyer of the Cardinals and Clete Boyer of the Yankees. Both were 3rd basemen. 2) 1956: Johnny Kucks of the Yankees who pitched a 3 hit 9-0 shutout of the Dodgers. The pride of Jersey City, NJ never regained control of his sinkerball and faded from the majors by 1960. (He remained a dominant minor league hurler for a few more years). The bottom line is TSG is a treasure trove of good solid baseball that belongs front and center on any fan's bookshelf. It spans the ages. This reviewer admits that the foregoing has been somewhat self-indulgent. Thanks to my amazon friends for reading through it all! I hope Mr. Levenson realizes my "questions" were posed in fun, one baseball fan to another.

I'm on the phone yesterday in between the top of the 9th and the bottom of the 9th of the Red Sox/Yankee game and in the background I've got the game on television. I'm talking to my good buddy, who is a Yankee fan, and I'm telling him about Red Sox captain Jason Varitek's game tying homer in the top of the inning off of Mariano Rivera. He seemed elated.

I asked him why he wasn't upset. His answer was simple and to the point: "There's nothing better than a walk-off home run." Moments later on a 3-2 pitch Yankee captain Derek Jeter took Keith Foulke the opposite way for Jeter's first career walk-off homer and the Yankees won, 4-3.

My friend was indeed correct. Judging from the fans reactions this type of victory was all the more rewarding than the 3-2 win that they were expecting when Mo took the mound. The walk-off homer invariably creates an indelible memory - happy or sad (What is your favorite baseball memory? What walk off homers do you think of? Share your thoughts in the Billy-Ball Forum, www.billy-ball-forum.com).

To me the quintessential walk-off homer was Bill Mazeroski's Game 7 tie-breaking homer in 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees. There has never been another one like it. In fact, it wouldn't be too much of stretch to say that the homer off of Ralph Terry was really what propelled Maz into the Hall of Fame.

Terry was involved in another great 7th game moment two years later against the San Francisco Giants. Terry was holding on to a 1-0 going into the 9th. These days the manager would put in a closer, but back in the day you stuck with "the girl you brought to the dance". In that fateful 9th inning, Matty Alou batted for Giants reliever Billy O'Dell and dragged a perfect bunt for a single. Terry then struck out Felipe Alou and Chuck Hiller and up stepped Willie Mays who "was due". Mays didn't hit a walk-off, but he did line a double to the right field corner and if it weren't for a terrific play by Roger Maris, Matty would have scored the tying run.

Up stepped Willie McCovey with his chance to hit a walk-off or simply single which would have brought home the tying and World Series winning runs. McCovey smashed the ball, for a moment Giants fan hopes rose and Yankee fans hearts sank, but all Yankee second baseman Bobby Richardson needed to do was move his glove a few inches and the ball landed safe and secure in its pocket.

I realize that April 6, 2005 might be a little early to be talking World Series, but I just finished a terrific book by Barry Levenson entitled "The Seventh Game - The 35 World Series That Have Gone The Distance" (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0071412719/102-5170950-7720969?v=glance). Levenson takes you through each Game 7 beginning with the first in 1909 to the latest in 2002. He writes like a fan enabling you to relive moments with Babe Ruth (caught stealing to end Game 7 in 1926), Bob Gibson, the winning pitcher in Game 7 in 1964, the great 10-inning performance of Jack Morris in Game 7 in 1991, and, of course, Luis Gonzalez' 9th inning game winning hit for the Diamnondbacks against Mariano Rivera in the 2001 Game 7.

There is even a full-color insert that has all the ticket stubs from these 35 memorable games. These are truly a great collection of art that is reflective of the time that they were printed (my favorite is the one from 1940, Crosley Field in which Cincinnati hosted the Tigers. The game was great as well. Levenson tell us that this was the first Seventh game to see both pitchers (Bobo Newsom and Paul Derringer) pitch complete games. The Reds scored two in the bottom of the 7th when Billy Myers hit a sac fly to score Jimmy Ripple. The Reds won 2-1 in a game that lasted only one hour and forty-seven minutes, the shortest Seventh Game in history).

The book is filled with fun facts and memories both good and bad depending whether your team won or not. There is even a companion website http://www.theseventhgame.com/ with stats, clarification and much more. This is a great baseball book that is fun to read anytime of the year.

If you enjoy baseball, then you will love this book. Levenson has presented his readers with a compilation of statistics and analysis of an unique entity in itself, the seventh game of a World Series. As of the 2005 season there have been 35 such games and here in one book is an interesting discussion of these games.

The book is in three parts. The first part deals with preliminary issues. There is a foreword by Ralph Terry (who else?), sharing his insights from playing in several seventh games. Then, Levenson presents us with a short essay on the magic of a seventh game. He then includes a 50-question quiz (with answers!) on our knowledge of seventh games. He concludes this part of the book with a brief review of why the Series is a `best-of-seven' format.

The second part of the book is the main part and consists of 35 chapters, one for each of the seventh games played. A typical chapter begins with a touch of trivia pertinent to the year a seventh game was played (who remembers when the song `Ode to Billie Joe' was released or when the movie `The Color Purple' premiered?). Levenson then sets the stage for the seventh game by offering a brief review of the teams playing in the series and a recap of the first six games of the Series in mind. The majority of each chapter is a description of the seventh game itself, with trends and critical plays dominating the review. Each chapter ends with the line score of the game (there is an appendix which has all the line scores of each seventh game).

The third and final part of the book is a `deconstruction' of all the seventh games played. Levenson dissects the overall tends of teams, as well as identifies the heroes and goats in terms of hitting, pitching, base running and fielding. He then ranks the 35 games from worst (`stinkers') to the best ('fabulous'). He concludes this part (and the book) with the only section I thought was unneeded. He has utilized APBA to replay every seventh game. I found this to be both anti-climatic and even distracting to the point of taking away from what has been presented. Reality is by far enough to satisfy this baseball fan. (My copy of the book had pages 293-308 printed twice, but this is an error on the printer not Levenson).

My criticism aside, this book is well worth the price of admission and will bring to mind many forgotten details and memories to remind us why baseball has such a storied history.

The idea sounded good- I really wanted to like it...but while reading it I found it to be a yawner.

THIS BOOK COVERS ALL THE 7TH GAMES PLAYED IN THE WORLD SERIES. IT HAS SOME GREAT FACTS, DETAILS, AND SUMMARIES CONCERNING EACH INDIVIDUAL GAME. IT ALSO CONTAINS PICS OF SOME TICKET STUBS FROM A NUMBER OF WORLD SERIES. THE AUTHOR ALSO HAS A TON OF FACTS AND FIGURES FROM THE BEST HITTER AT EACH POSITION TO WHO STOLE THE MOST BASES IN A SEVENTH GAME. ALL THE GAMES COVERED IN DEATIL AND ARE ANALYZED AS TO HOW IT EFFECTED THE OUTCOME. A MUST FOR ALL HISTORY FANS OF THE WORLD SERIES.