OT: Dec.22,1962-Charlie Brown and Willie McCovey

[RUhasarrived]

60 years ago today,a Saturday,I opened the Newark Evening News,turning to the comic section and began to read Peanuts.
In the strip,there was Charlie Brown sitting on a curb with Linus,both saying nothing for the first three panels.
Then in the fourth panel,Charlie jumps up and exclaims:
"Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher?"
Charlie was referencing the last out of the 1962 World Series when McCovey's line drive went right to Bobby Richardson at second instead of into right where it would have scored the tying and the winning runs.

Some wondered whether Roger Maris could have made a play on the runner from second,Willie Mays,but as Giants Manager Alvin Dark put it:"Willie would have been already dressed by that time."

Most people living in NYC did not see this in the NY papers as they were on strike at the time.The only way that they found out about it was by watching the television stations that greatly expanded their news coverage,including the reading of comic strips on the air.

About 2 months later,Charlie repeated his act,this time asking for only two feet.

 

[retired711]

I hope it's OK to correct you a little. Matty Alou, who was quite speedy, opened the inning with a bunt single, and then with two out Mays doubled him to third. Maris made a remarkable play fielding Mays' ball to hold Alou to third. McCovey's liner was right at Richardson, who said it was not a difficult play. You can tell how different those days were because Ralph Terry, theYankee's starting pitcher, was not relieved in the 9th. That may be because Marshall Bridges, the Yankees' relief specialist, had given up a grand slam homer to Chuck Hiller (not exactly a power hitter) earlier in the Series. BTW, the Yankees scored their only run on a double-play grounder with the bases loaded and none out,, so there was no RBI. Alvin Dark, the Giants' manager, evidently had his infield play back to try to prevent a big Yankee rally and thought that his lineup, full of good hitters, would be able to make up a run.

BTW, the New York newspapers were not on strike during the World Series, but they were on strike in December when the Peanuts strip came out. That's probably what you meant, and I just misread it at first.

 

[colbert17]

Thanks for the memories guys. Any thread with both Stretch and Charlie Brown deserves multiple likes.

 

[mdk01]

Maris was very underrated both as a fielder and his arm strength.

 

[e5fdny]

I remember both panels by Schulz.

But only from a collection as I wasn’t even born yet for the newspaper ones.

 

[Vlife]

 

[Shelby65]

And exactly 11 months after the Peanuts panel, to the day, JFK was assassinated, and the cover-up still persists these 59 years later. That's the truth, ain't that right Colby?

So, what were you three guys doing when you heard the JFK news ? I wasn't alive spreading good tidings across the land quite yet.

-Sir Shelby

 

[rudad02]

I hope it's OK to correct you a little. Matty Alou, who was quite speedy, opened the inning with a bunt single, and then with two out Mays doubled him to third. Maris made a remarkable play fielding Mays' ball to hold Alou to third. McCovey's liner was right at Richardson, who said it was not a difficult play. You can tell how different those days were because Ralph Terry, theYankee's starting pitcher, was not relieved in the 9th. That may be because Marshall Bridges, the Yankees' relief specialist, had given up a grand slam homer to Chuck Hiller (not exactly a power hitter) earlier in the Series. BTW, the Yankees scored their only run on a double-play grounder with the bases loaded and none out,, so there was no RBI. Alvin Dark, the Giants' manager, evidently had his infield play back to try to prevent a big Yankee rally and thought that his lineup, full of good hitters, would be able to make up a run.

BTW, the New York newspapers were not on strike during the World Series, but they were on strike in December when the Peanuts strip came out. That's probably what you meant, and I just misread it at first.

It was a vicious liner that could have killed Richardson if he hadn't caught it. Saw it in real time on TV.

 

[retired711]

It was a vicious liner that could have killed Richardson if he hadn't caught it. Saw it in real time on TV.

Here it is. You be the judge. It looks like Richardson had time to take a step to his left to grab it. (Unfortunately, this comes from before the days of a million camera angles and slo-mo).