July 7, 1964

Flushing, Queens, Long Island, New York

1964 was a big year in Flushing:

“Peace Through Understanding” was the theme of the 1964 World’s Fair which was held in Flushing Meadows.
After playing their home games at the ancient Polo Grounds in the Coogan’s Bluff section of Manhattan during their first two years of existence, the New York Mets moved their base of operations to brand new Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadows.
Major League baseball chose Shea Stadium to host the 1964 All-Star Game.

1964 All-Star Game

That All-Star Game was played on July 7, 1964 – exactly 51 years ago today. And that All-Star Game would become a big day in Phillies history. In fact, it would become the second big day in Phillies history that took place at the brand new Shea Stadium.

Just 16 days earlier, on Father’s Day, Jim Bunning went 27-up and 27-down with the Mets batting order. How fitting for a father of nine to pitch a perfect game on Father’s Day.

This day’s heroics would take place in the bottom of the ninth inning.

50,850 fans showed up for the game with Dodgers Walter Alston managing the National Leaguers and Cleveland Indians Al Lopez managing the American League team.

Three Phillies made the All-Star Team:

Johnny Callison
Jim Bunning
Chris Short

Richie Allen was hitting .308 with 16 home runs and 45 RBIs ─ but he didn’t make the team. The Cardinals Ken Boyer was voted in as the starter at third. Boyer was hitting .288 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs. Cubs’ third-sacker Ron Santo – batting .303 with 17 HRs and 52 RBIs – was selected as the reserve third-baseman.

Jim Fregosi, the future Phillies manager who would guide the Phils to the 1993 World Series – which the Phils lost four games to two to the Toronto Blue Jays on Joe Carter’s walk-off home run off Mitch Williams –was leading off and playing shortstop.

The starting pitchers were both from L. A. teams:

Don Drysdale (11-7) from the Dodgers
Dean Chance (5-5) from the Angels

Jim Fregosi led off the top of the first with a single to left and moved to second on a passed ball. Two outs later, Harmon Killebrew singled and Fregosi scored to put the AL on top 1-0.

Dean Chance and Don Drysdale then traded zeroes through the bottom of the third.

Jim Bunning (9-2) came in to pitch for the NL. He gave up two singles in the top of the fourth, but kept the AL off the scoreboard.

John Wyatt (5-4) replaced Chance to start the bottom of the fourth.

Billy Williams greeted Wyatt with a home run to deep right-center to tie the game 1-1. Two outs later, Ken Boyer homered to deep left to put the NL ahead 2-1.

Bunning got the AL 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth. Norm Siebern pinch-hit for Wyatt and Camilo Pascual (9-6) replaced Wyatt in the bottom of the fifth.

With one out, Johnny Callison pinch-hit for Jim Bunning and popped to short for the second out. Callison stayed in the game to play rightfield. Roberto Clemente followed with a single and scored when Dick Groat doubled to give the NL a 3-1 lead.

Chris Short (7-4) replaced Bunning on the mound in the top of the sixth.

After Short struck out Tony Oliva to start the inning, he gave up back-to-back singles to Mickey Mantle and Harmon Killebrew to put runners on first and second with one out. Brooks Robinson then cleared the bases with a triple to right-center to tie the game 3-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Camilo Pascual retired the National Leaguers 1-2-3.

In the top of the seventh, former Phil Turk Farrell (10-3) replaced Short. Farrell started off by hitting Elston Howard. Rocky Colavito came up to pinch-hit for Camilo Pascual and doubled to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Jim Fregosi hit a sacrifice fly to put the AL in the lead at 4-3.

In the bottom of the seventh, Dick “The Monster” Radatz (7-4) replaced Pascual on the mound for the AL.

Radatz got the National Leaguers in order in the seventh and eighth innings ─ dominating as he struck out four of the six batters he faced.

Bill White was one of the strike-out victims, pinch-hitting for Farrell.

In the top of the ninth, Juan Marichal (11-4) replaced Farrell and retired the AL in order.

Just three outs stood between Radatz and the AL win.

In the bottom of the ninth, Willie Mays drew a walk and then put the tying run in scoring position by stealing second.

Orlando Cepeda dropped a Texas Leaguer into short right, behind first and just out of the reach of Yankees first-baseman Joe Pepitone. Willie Mays had to hold to see whether or not the ball was going to be caught. Still, when the ball hit the turf, Mays took off and was soon rounding home and making a dash toward home.

Pepitone retrieved the ball and fired toward the plate, but the throw bounced in the dirt and rolled away from Elston Howard, allowing Mays to score easily and tie the score 4-4. Cepeda advanced to second on the throw.

Radatz got Ken Boyer to pop to third for the first out. He then walked Johnny Edwards intentionally to get to Ron Hunt. That put runners on first and second with still just one out.

Walter Alston sent Hank Aaron up to pinch-hit and Radatz struck out Aaron swinging for the second out.

With two on and two out, Johnny Callison stepped up to bat. He was 0-for-2 so far. Callison got a Radatz fastball and drove it into the rightfield seats to win the game 7-4.

Juan Marichal was the winning pitcher and Dick Radatz was the loser. But the biggest winner on the day was the Phillies Johnny Callison for hitting the walk-off homer.