April 23, 1964

Los Angeles Dodgers (1-7)

At

St. Louis Cardinals (5-3)

“Ron Taylor failed again.” – Post Dispatch

The game 8 lineup:

1. Curt Flood CF
2. Dick Groat SS
3. Johnny Lewis RF
4. Bill White 1B
5. Ken Boyer 3B
6. Charlie James LF
7. Tim McCarver C
8. Julian Javier 2B
9. Ernie Broglio P

Ooof that’s a harsh quote. And it gives the game away, doesn’t it? Well, alternatively this game was one of those games you WISH you could remember, because someone had a great game – in this case, Curt Flood. But like a Nolan Arenado cycle, if you choose to remember it, is comes with a big fat L.

THANKS RON TAYLOR.

Curt Flood began his assault in the bottom of the 3rd, with the Cardinals trailing 1-0, with an RBI single to bring home Tim McCarver.

Then the Dodgers started to pull away.

Maury Wills hit a 2 run double in the top of the 4th to make it 3-1. And, as though taunting the Cardinals for not yet having Lou Brock, stole 3rd. He was stranded there, but it does get us our picture of the day:

If you have been following along with this series, well you’ll never guess from Frank Howard then did in the 5th! Why he homered! And not just any homer, a majestic shot deep into left center field to make it 4-1 Dodgers. “He’s just too much,” said Johnny Keane.

The next inning, Curt Flood hit a long 2-run homer onto the right field pavilion to make it 5-3. “He’s a lot of ball-player for a little man,” said Lew Berdette.

Was Lew some sort of quote machine? He literally hadn’t been in a game, but he gets quoted every day.

Flood was challenged after the game to answer if he would do a home run contest against Frank Howard. “Yes, if Howard has to hit to center, and I hit to right – and then I’m not so sure.”

Now, is this self-deprecating? Here we have the admission that Frank Howard was a better power hitter. So, ok. But I have news for you, if Howard, who had almost 300 career home runs MORE than Flood, was limited to center while Flood had to hit to right – well I am sure. Howard would have won, and it wouldn’t be particularly close.

In essence, this is like saying you’d last into the 2nd round against Mike Tyson. No. No you wouldn’t.

Oh, right, there was a game!

Harry Fanok was called on to keep the game close, and pitched 2 perfect innings. To be quite frank with you, that was a pretty un-Harry Fanok type outing. But fear is a great motivator. “I wanted to get them out before Howard could come up.” Makes sense.

Now down 5-3 in the bottom of the 7th, Julian Javier hit an RBI single to bring the Cardinals within one. He then advanced to 2nd on a groundout, and up stepped hero Curt Flood, who ripped a double to tie the game.

Celebrate!

And in the bottom of the 7th…in came Ron Taylor.

You know how this ends, “Ron Taylor failed again,” but you don’t know the steps it took to get there. Are you ready for the grisly details? Here we go…

He walked two batters on 10 pitches.

That’s it! That’s the whole story. Game was still tied!

Bobby Shantz then came in and gave up 2 singles to give the Dodgers a 7-5 lead.

The Cardinals put 2 on in the 9th – including Flood reaching on error – but it was to no avail.

Ron Taylor, dead children, he has failed you again.

I’m a tad bit fascinated by this. I mean, Ron Taylor definitely failed. But how often do you see a paper call out an individual player like that? And for 2 walks?

Ken Boyer was 0-4 and grounded into a double play. Ernie Broglio gave up 5 runs in 5 innings. That’s not great! Oh, and let’s not forget that Bobby Shantz was called on to save the game and…proceeded to give up 2 hits.

But there’s more! Failed again? Taylor was one of the Cardinals best relievers the year before. He had started the year off slowly, for sure, but in this case, failing again was a reference to the 5-4 loss to the Giants.

If you’ll recall, Taylor was brought in in the 10th after Bobby Shantz loaded the bases, and he struck out the 1st batter he faced, and he then walked in the winning run in an at bat where the Cardinals were angry about two bad calls.

So, to recap:

1. Shantz loads the bases, Taylor walks in the winning run = RON TAYLOR YOU FAILED US
2. Ron Taylor walks to batters, Shantz gives up 2 hits to score them both = RON TAYLOR YOU FAILED US

I’m not saying someone caught Taylor smooching with an editor’s wife, I’m just saying I wouldn’ be surprised.

Oh, but let’s remember this as the Curt Flood game, shall we? 3 hits, a triple short of the cycle, and 4 RBI.

Perhaps because he was known as a painter, this was in the paper the next day:

Kinda…kinda creepy. I don’t want to think about it.