May 12, 1964

On May 12, 1964, an estimated 1,000 college students gathered in New York City to protest the war in Vietnam.

Twelve young American men burned their draft cards and chanted “We Won’t Go.”

Over the months that followed, similar demonstrations were re-enacted at locations all across the country to symbolize opposition to the hostility in Southeast Asia.

“Make Love Not War” became the theme of the protesters.

On May 12, 1964, it was Art Mahaffey (2-1) versus Curt Simmons (3-2) in the second game of the series. Simmons, a former Phillies Whiz Kid, went 15-9 in 1963 and already recorded wins this season over the Giants, Dodgers, and Pirates.

Mahaffey, with wins over the Reds and Braves, was trying to end the Phillies two-game losing streak. Yet, despite his winning record, he hadn’t pitched well. He’d already surrendered five home runs on his way to establishing a lofty 6.58 ERA – plus he was complaining about stiffness in his pitching arm.

Art Mahaffey 1-2-3’d the Cards in the top of the first and Curt Simmons did likewise in the bottom half. But Mahaffey ran into trouble in the second.

After Mahaffey struck out Bill White to start the bottom of the second, he walked Ken Boyer, Tim McCarver, and Johnny Lewis to load the bases. Which prompted Gene Mauch to get the bullpen warming up.

Julian Javier singled to right, the runners all moved up a base, and the Cards jumped in front 1-0. But Mahaffey quieted the bullpen by striking out Curt Simmons and getting Curt Flood to pop out to Bobby Wine at short.

Simmons retired the Phillies in the second.

In the top of the third, Doug Clemens led off with a triple and scored when Dick Groat followed with a double to make it 2-0 Cards. Groat then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Ken Boyer’s single to make it 3-0 Cardinals.

With Boyer on first and still nobody out, Gene Mauch concluded that Mahaffey’s arm was less than 100 percent, so he replaced him with Chris Short (0-1). And once again, Short was sharp in relief. He got Tim McCarver to pop to short and Johnny Lewis to fly to center to end the top of the third with the Cards on top 3-0.

In the bottom of the third, Gene Mauch lifted Chris Short for pinch-hitter Don Hoak.

After ten seasons in the big leagues with the Dodgers, Cubs, Reds, Pirates, and Phillies, Don Hoak was playing out the string. He was a career .265 hitter.

Don Hoak grounded out 6-3.

Dallas Green (1-0) replaced Short to start the fourth.

Julian Javier led off with a double. Curt Simmons bunted, but Gus Triandos pounced on the ball and threw to third. Javier was caught between second and third and retired on a 2-6-5-3 rundown for the first out. Simmons was safe at first. One out.

Curt Flood walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Doug Clemens doubled to center and Curt Simmons scored to make it 4-0 Cards ─ the first earned run Green allowed on the season. Flood stopped at third.

With runners on second and third and one out, Dick Groat hit a liner to left that looked like trouble. But Danny Cater made a diving catch that turned into a 7-4-5 double-play to end the inning.

In the top of the fifth, Johnny Klippstein (2-0) came in to pitch for the Phillies and tossed a pair of scoreless innings.

With one out in the top of the sixth, Tony Gonzalez walked and moved to second when Danny Cater singled. Gus Triandos drove Gonzalez home with a single to trim the deficit to 4-1. But that’s as close as the Phillies got.

Jack Baldschun (1-0) came in to pitch and tossed scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth.

In the Phillies eighth, with one out, Tony Gonzalez and Danny Cater hit back-to-back singles. For Cater, that was 3-for-4 on the day to raise his average to .417.

Manager Johnny Keane replaced Curt Simmons with Roger Craig (2-1).

Gus Triandos greeted Craig with a run-scoring double to cut the lead to 4-2 and put runners on second and third with two out. The double lifted Triandos’ average to .345.

Gene Mauch sent Johnny Briggs into the game to run for Triandos.

But that was it for the Phillies. Craig got Bobby Wine to pop to short and pinch-hitter John Herrnstein to ground out 4-to-3 to end the threat.

Roger Craig got the Phillies in order in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the win for the Cards.

Curt Simmons (4-2) got the win over his old mates and Roger Craig notched his third save. Art Mahaffey (2-2) took the loss.

It was the third straight loss for the Phillies and made their record 0-4 against the Cards.

After the game, the Phillies released Don Hoak. He was hitless in four at-bats on the season as a pinch-hitter – although he did have two successful sacrifice bunts as a pinch-hitter.

In Houston, Juan Marichal (6-0) was at it again – tossing a five-hit, 6-0 shutout over the Colts that enabled the Giants to increase their first-place lead to two-games. Behind them, the Phillies, Braves, and Cardinals were locked in a virtual tie for second.