1963 Los Angeles Dodgers Pitching

1963 Los Angeles Dodgers Pitching

1963 Los Angeles Dodgers: Pitching Greatness

The 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers will be remembered as one of the best pitching teams in the history of Major League Baseball, mainly because of a dynamic duo of starters who took the league by storm the moment they stepped onto the pitcher’s mound. The Dodgers went 99-63 in 1963, winning the National League pennant by 6 games over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers went 12-6 against the Cardinals in head-to-head play.

The Rotation: Koufax, Drysdale and Company

Sandy Koufax is considered one of the most dominant starting pitchers in the history of baseball. Koufax went 25-5 in 1963, recording 306 strikeouts and a 1.88 ERA while completing 20 games and throwing 11 shutouts. Koufax’s partner in crime was Don Drysdale, who went 19-17 with 251 strikeouts and a 2.63 ERA, recording 17 complete games and 3 shutouts. Drysdale anchored the rotation alongside Koufax as one of the National League’s most feared arms. Johnny Podres was a solid third starter, going 14-12 with 134 strikeouts and a 3.54 ERA and recording 10 complete games and 5 shutouts. Bob Miller went 10-8 with 125 strikeouts and a 2.89 ERA, recording 2 complete games. Pete Richert went 5-3 with 1 complete game.

A Deep and Reliable Bullpen

The bullpen was held together by closer Ron Perranoski, who went 16-3 with 21 saves and a 1.67 ERA. Relief pitcher Larry Sherry had 3 saves and a 3.73 ERA. Dick Calmus went 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA. Ken Rowe went 1-1 with 1 save and a 2.93 ERA.

A Balanced Offense Supports the Arms

While the pitching received a ton of attention, the offense for the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers was nothing to sneeze at, as the lineup had plenty of capable hitters. Left fielder Tommy Davis batted .326 with 15 home runs and 88 RBIs off 181 hits, 19 doubles and 15 stolen bases. Shortstop Maury Wills batted .302 with 159 hits, 19 doubles and 40 stolen bases. Second baseman Jim Gilliam batted .282 with 6 home runs, 148 hits, 27 doubles and 19 stolen bases. Right fielder Frank Howard batted .273 with 28 home runs, 114 hits and 16 doubles. First baseman Ron Fairly batted .271 with 12 home runs and 77 RBIs off 133 hits and 21 doubles. Center fielder Willie Davis had 9 home runs and 60 RBIs off 126 hits, 19 doubles, 8 triples and 25 stolen bases. Catcher John Roseboro had 9 home runs, 111 hits, 13 doubles and 7 triples. Reserve outfielder Wally Moon had 8 home runs, 90 hits, 13 doubles and 5 stolen bases in 122 games.

A Historic Sweep of the Yankees

The Los Angeles Dodgers faced the American League champion New York Yankees in the 1963 World Series, and though many viewed it as a possible back-and-forth series, it ended in a quick four-game sweep.

Game 1: Koufax’s 15-Strikeout Masterpiece

On October 2 at Yankee Stadium, the Dodgers beat the Yankees 5-2. Koufax pitched a complete game and gave up 6 hits, 3 walks and 2 runs, but recorded a phenomenal 15 strikeouts. In the top of the 2nd inning, first baseman Bill Skowron had an RBI single for the Dodgers, and John Roseboro followed by walloping a three-run home run. Skowron added another RBI single in the top of the 3rd, and though left fielder Tom Tresh put the Yankees on the board in the bottom of the 8th with a two-run home run, Koufax’s pitching made the difference.

Game 2: Podres Doubles Down

On October 3, the Dodgers beat the Yankees 4-1. Johnny Podres pitched 8 innings and gave up 6 hits, 1 walk and 1 run, but recorded 4 strikeouts. In the top of the 1st inning, Willie Davis had a two-run double. In the top of the 4th, Skowron hit a solo home run, and Tommy Davis added an RBI triple in the top of the 8th. Catcher Elston Howard’s RBI single in the bottom of the 9th was too little, too late for New York.

Game 3: Drysdale’s Shutout at Dodger Stadium

The Dodgers made a triumphant return to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles by winning Game 3 on October 5 with a 1-0 shutout. Don Drysdale pitched a complete game and gave up 3 hits and 1 walk, but recorded 9 strikeouts. All the Dodgers needed was an RBI single by Tommy Davis in the bottom of the 1st inning to secure the victory.

Game 4: Koufax Closes It Out

The Dodgers completed their impressive sweep of the Yankees by winning 2-1 in Game 4 on October 6. Sandy Koufax pitched another complete game, giving up 6 hits and 1 run, but recording 8 strikeouts. Yankees starter Whitey Ford gave it his best shot, pitching 7 innings and giving up 2 hits, 1 walk and 2 runs, while recording 4 strikeouts of his own. In the bottom of the 5th inning, Frank Howard hit a solo home run. In the top of the 7th, center fielder Mickey Mantle hit a solo home run to tie the game, but a sacrifice fly by Willie Davis in the bottom of the 7th gave Los Angeles its second World Series championship.

Awards and Recognition

The 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers accumulated a multitude of honors and awards. Tommy Davis was selected to the National League All-Star Team as a starter, while Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Maury Wills were selected as reserves. Walter Alston was named The Sporting News Manager of the Year. Sandy Koufax had an amazing year, as he was selected The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year and Major League Pitcher of the Year, and the Associated Press Athlete of the Year, and won the National League Cy Young Award, the National League Most Valuable Player Award and the World Series Most Valuable Player Award.