Hard Day’s Night

Thousands of cheering fans welcomed the Beatles home in Liverpool after the group’s historic and successful first tour of America.

The date was July 10, 1964.

The Beatles parlayed the homecoming with the Liverpool premier of their first film A Hard Day’s Night and the sound-track album of the same name.

For anyone who wasn’t alive during that era, the Beatles were as ig as big gets. Just two years later, John Lennon would say:

“Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that. I’m right and I’ll be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now.

I don’t know which will go first – rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.”

Lennon would later try to spin his remarks after receiving extensive criticism.

Two Lefties

Riding a five-game winning streak, a pair of lefties were facing each other in the second game of the Phillies-Reds series. The Phillies were going with Dennis Bennett (9-5) and the Reds were countering with Jim O’Toole (8-4).

O’Toole had one previous start against the Phillies. Back on April 28th in Philadelphia, he pitched a complete game but lost 4-2 to Art Mahaffey.

Bennett had two wins in two prior starts against the Reds – but it was no longer a secret that Bennett’s arm had been troubling him.

Bennett and O’Toole pitched scoreless first innings.

In the top of the second, Frank Robinson walked and scored when Deron Johnson followed with a double to put the Reds on top 1-0.

In the bottom of the second, Richie Allen walked. Trying to bunt, Danny Cater popped to the catcher for the first out. Then Roy Sievers singled to send Allen to third. After Gus Triandos struck out for the second out, Ruben Amaro singled and Allen scored to tie the score 1-1.

In the top of the third, Pete Rose and Tommy Harper hit back-to-back singles – with Rose taking third. Then Rose scored when Vada Pinson grounded into a 3-6-3 double-play to make it 2-1 Reds.

O’Toole kept the Phillies off the scoreboard in the bottom of the third.

Deron Johnson led off the top of the fourth with his eighth home run to make it 3-1 Reds.

At that point, Bennett’s arm was bothering him so much that he couldn’t continue. Gene Mauch replaced him with Ed Roebuck (2-2) and Roebuck retired the Reds without further damage.

O’Toole kept the Phillies off the scoreboard again in the bottom of the fourth.

In the top of the fifth, Vada Pinson tripled with one out. When Frank Robinson followed with his 15th home run, it was 5-1 Reds ─ and that was 46 RBIs on the year for Robinson.

O’Toole (9-4) pitched scoreless innings the rest of the way to pick up the win. Dennis Bennett (9-6) took the loss.

After the game, Phillies management decided to rest Dennis Bennett’s pitching arm until further notice.

Home Run Barrage

With the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field, the Giants rode that wind for five home runs in beating the Cubs 10-3:

• Willie Mays hit a pair – #26 and #27.
• Orlando Cepeda hit #15.
• Jim Ray Hart hit #11.
• Jesus Alou hit #2.

But Juan Marichal (12-4) seemed to have little trouble avoiding the long-ball He did give up 11 hits – but nine of them were singles – as he struck out 10 while walking no one in picking up his 12th win of the year.

The Giants win coupled with the Phillies loss inched the Giants to within ½ game of first place.

(Excerpted from 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant by Barry Bowe.)