{"product_id":"the-year-of-blue-snow-the-1964-philadelphia-phillies-9781933599519","title":"The Year of Blue Snow: The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies","description":"Catcher Gus Triandos dubbed the Philadelphia Phillies' 1964 season\u003cbr\u003e\"the year of the blue snow\"a rare thing that happens once in a great\u003cbr\u003ewhile.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Phillies were having a spectacular season in which everything was\u003cbr\u003egoing right. They held a 6 1\/2 game lead at the conclusion of play on\u003cbr\u003eSeptember 20. With just 12 games to play, they seemingly had it made.\u003cbr\u003eBut the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals never gave up, and\u003cbr\u003ewhen the Phillies lost ten consecutive games, it became a thrilling\u003cbr\u003epennant race for Cardinals and Reds fans, but a horrific collapse for\u003cbr\u003ePhillies fanatics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut wait a minute. When it was seemingly too late, the Phillies\u003cbr\u003efinally won a game--and the first-place Cardinals lost two games to the\u003cbr\u003elowly New York Mets, so on the last day of the season there was the\u003cbr\u003edistinct possibility of a three-way tie for first place. It would have\u003cbr\u003ebeen a first in baseball history. On the final day of the season, the\u003cbr\u003ePhillies beat the Reds handily, 10-0. All eyes and ears were fixed on\u003cbr\u003ethe Mets-Cardinals game. Could the Mets knock off the first-place\u003cbr\u003eCardinals for a third straight game? The Mets carried a 3-2 lead into\u003cbr\u003ethe bottom of the fifth inning, but finally succumbed, 11-5.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut what a season for Phillies fans. Jim Bunning had thrown the first\u003cbr\u003eperfect game in the last 84 years of NL history. The hero of the 1964\u003cbr\u003eAll-Star Game was the team's right fielder Johnny Callison, who\u003cbr\u003ebrought the National League victory with the third walk-off home run\u003cbr\u003ein the history of the All-Star Game. The team also boasted the\u003cbr\u003eelectrifying NL Rookie of the Year - the team's slugging third baseman\u003cbr\u003eRichie Allen (later called Dick Allen).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSt. Louis won the pennant, and went on to beat the Yankees in the\u003cbr\u003eWorld Series. But in Philadelphia, the '64 campaign left an ache that\u003cbr\u003elasted for years. The 1964 Phillies not only \"lost\" the pennant but, \u003cbr\u003efollowing 1964, they got steadily worse.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book sheds light on the facts for the reader to determine answers\u003cbr\u003eto lingering questions they may still have about the Phillies team in\u003cbr\u003ethe 1964 season--but any book about a team is really about the players.\u003cbr\u003eA collaborative effort by 37 members of the Society for American\u003cbr\u003eBaseball Research (SABR), this work offers life stories of all the\u003cbr\u003eplayers and others (managers, coaches, owners, and broadcasters)\u003cbr\u003eassociated with this star-crossed team, as well as essays of analysis\u003cbr\u003eand historical recaps.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIncludes: \u003cbr\u003eForeword by Mel Marmer\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction by Mel Marmer\u003cbr\u003eOpening Day 1964\u003cbr\u003eDick Allen by Rich D'Ambrosio\u003cbr\u003eRub n Amaro by Rory Costello\u003cbr\u003eThe Amaro Chronicles by Rory Costello\u003cbr\u003eTwo Gold Glove Shortstops by Rory Costello\u003cbr\u003eJack Baldschun by Chip Greene\u003cbr\u003eDave Bennett by Mark Armour\u003cbr\u003eDennis Bennett by Mark Armour\u003cbr\u003eJohn Boozer by Andy Sturgill\u003cbr\u003eJohnny Briggs by John Saccoman\u003cbr\u003eJim Bunning by Ralph Berger\u003cbr\u003eJohnny Callison by John Rossi\u003cbr\u003eDanny Cater by Brian Englehardt\u003cbr\u003ePat Corrales by James Ray\u003cbr\u003eWes Covington by Andy Sturgill\u003cbr\u003eRay Culp by Mark Armour\u003cbr\u003eClay Dalrymple by Rory Costello\u003cbr\u003eRyne Duren by Gregory H Wolf\u003cbr\u003eTony Gonz lez by Jos  Ram rez and Rory Costello\u003cbr\u003eDallas Green by Gregory H Wolf\u003cbr\u003eJohn Herrnstein by Brian Englehardt\u003cbr\u003eDon Hoak by Jack V Morris\u003cbr\u003eAlex Johnson by Mark Armour\u003cbr\u003eJohnny Klippstein by Gregory H Wolf\u003cbr\u003eGary Kroll by Neil Poloncarz\u003cbr\u003eBobby Locke by Paul Geisler\u003cbr\u003eArt Mahaffey by Ralph Berger and Mel Marmer\u003cbr\u003eCal McLish by Joe Wancho\u003cbr\u003eAdolfo Phillips by Rob Neyer\u003cbr\u003eVic Power by Joe Wancho\u003cbr\u003eEd Roebuck by Paul Hirsch\u003cbr\u003eCookie Rojas by Peter Gordon\u003cbr\u003eBobby Shantz by Mel Marmer\u003cbr\u003eCosten Shockley by Chip Greene\u003cbr\u003eChris Short by Andy Sturgill\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Society for American Baseball Research is the leading organization of baseball researchers, historians, and analysts. With over 6000 members worldwide, SABR fosters understanding of the game of baseball at every level and from every angle.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Society for American Baseball Research","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50493225468178,"sku":"9781933599519","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e2db7556-3bb0-4dcf-9266-d32a8b5cacb2.jpg?v=1730638433","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-year-of-blue-snow-the-1964-philadelphia-phillies-9781933599519","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}