July 11, 1961: Clemente delivers a walk-off win for NL stars in 10th inning

Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente was no stranger to baseball’s big stage when he was selected for the National League’s starting lineup in the 1961 All-Star Game. He had previously participated as a substitute outfielder with one at-bat in the 1960 All-Star classic and was a key contributor to the Pirates’ dramatic win over the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series. He attained another level of recognition in 1961 when players, managers, and coaches chose him for the starting lineup for the All-Star Game. And he didn’t disappoint his teammates or National League fans, as he belted the game-winning hit in a 10-inning contest at Candlestick Park. Unfortunately for Clemente, the game is most remembered for pitcher Stu Miller being “blown off the mound” by a gust of wind that induced a costly balk during his relief appearance.

In 1961 baseball hosted two All-Star Games per year for the third consecutive season. The first game, the 30th in All-Star Game history, was scheduled for July 11 at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, while the second contest was slated for Fenway Park in Boston on July 31. In the previous season, the two All-Star Games were held during a four-day break in the regular-season schedule. The leagues changed their approach and decided to conduct the games three weeks apart in 1961, in order to minimize the disruption to the regular-season schedule.1 The usually windy Candlestick Park hosted its first All-Star Game in only the second year of its existence.

The American League held a 16-13 lead in All-Star play, although the National League had won nine of the last 13 contests. The San Francisco Examiner declared the AL a 6-to-5 favorite on the strength of the its slugging trio Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Rocky Colavito, who had 84 home runs between them.2 Mantle and Maris were currently embroiled in a battle for AL home-run leader that ended with Maris breaking the major-league single-season record.

Clemente enjoyed a breakout season in 1960. The Puerto Rican outfielder attained season highs in practically every offensive category.3 And in 1961, his seventh major-league season, he was on pace at the All-Star break to exceed those numbers. He boasted a batting line of .357/.393/.573, with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs. Thus, it should have been no surprise when his peers selected him as a starter in the All-Star outfield with hometown Giants Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda. The National League’s reserve outfielders featured perennial All-Stars Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, and Stan Musial.

The largest crowd (44,115) to attend a game at Candlestick was treated to a pair of former World Series foes, Warren Spahn and Whitey Ford, who drew the starting assignments.4 The two left-handers had previously squared off against each other in the 1957 and 1958 World Series.

Forty-year-old Spahn was perfect in his three frames, as only one AL batter hit the ball out of the infield. Spahn struck out three, including the potentially dangerous Mantle and Maris. Ford’s only trouble occurred in the second inning when he gave up a triple to Clemente, who scored on Bill White‘s sacrifice fly.

Reds pitcher Bob Purkey relieved Spahn in the fourth inning, after Johnny Temple hit a line drive that Cepeda misplayed in left field, allowing Temple to reach second. It was the first of five miscues by the National League.

In the bottom of the fourth, Frank Lary threw only one pitch before having to leave the game with an arm injury. On that pitch, Mays reached second base on an error by shortstop Tony Kubek, who bobbled a groundball into left field. Senators pitcher Dick Donovan replaced Lary and faced Clemente, who scored Mays on a 400-foot sacrifice fly near the fence in right-center field.

Hitless through the first five innings, the American League finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning on a solo home run by pinch-hitter Harmon Killebrew against Giants pitcher Mike McCormick, making the score 2-1.

The score remained the same until the eighth, when Cubs outfielder George Altman gave the Nationals another run with a pinch-hit solo home run off Mike Fornieles, who had just entered the game.

In the top of the ninth, Pirates relief ace Roy Face started the inning for the National League, which was seeking its third consecutive All-Star victory. He gave up a double to Norm Cash, who was replaced by pinch-runner Nellie Fox. Al Kaline followed with an RBI single to close the National League lead to 3-2. Dodgers lefty Sandy Koufax came in to pitch to left-handed-hitting Maris, who managed to get one of only four hits the AL collected for the day.

With runners now on first and second, Miller replaced Koufax. With strong wind gusts swirling around in the ballpark, the 165-pound Giants reliever committed his wind-induced balk on a delivery to Colavito.5 The American League evened the score, 3-3, when Kaline scored on Colavito’s groundball that was fumbled by third baseman Ken Boyer.

The National League nearly gave away the game after catcher Smoky Burgess dropped a foul ball and second baseman Don Zimmer made a bad throw to first on Yogi Berra’s groundball. With the bases loaded, Miller retired Hoyt Wilhelm on a fly ball to Frank Robinson to end the inning.

Miller returned to the mound for the 10th inning with the game tied. He struck out the first two batters but walked Fox. The NL lost its lead when Kaline hit a bouncer to Boyer, who made a wild throw to first that allowed Fox to score from first base.

With the NL down 4-3, pinch-hitter Aaron led off the bottom of the 10th against Wilhelm. Aaron singled and took second on a passed ball. Mays hit a double that scored Aaron. After Frank Robinson was hit by a pitch, Clemente delivered the game-winning walk-off single that scored Mays.

Clemente almost single-handedly won the game for the National League, as he contributed to three of his team’s five runs. However, the National League’s sloppiness in the field nearly handed a victory to the junior circuit after players committed four errors in the crucial ninth and 10th innings. The teams combined to commit an All-Star Game record seven errors. Commissioner Ford Frick said after the game, “I didn’t think either one of those team was going win it. They played like Little Leaguers.”6

Fans booed umpire Stan Landes for calling the balk on Miller. After the game, Landes said, “Miller came to a set position on the mound, leaning forward. Then he jerked back. It was a balk and I called it. Miller complained to me that the wind had blown him back. Perhaps it did, but it was a balk anyway.”7 Miller, who was the winning pitcher and was clearly familiar with the unusual playing conditions at Candlestick, said, “This was as bad a wind as I’ve pitched in here.”8

In his broken English, a joyful Clemente recalled his game-winning hit, “I jus’ try to sacrifice myself, so I get runner to third if I do. I feel good. But I get heet [sic] and Willie scored and I feel better than good.”9

Clemente commented about his other at-bats: “In other park(s), I have two home runs. I feel sure the first one [triple in second inning] is over the fence and I am surprised the ball is almost caught. The second one [sacrifice fly in fourth inning], I hit harder than the first one, but she’s caught. The wind (kept) the ball from going over.”10

Clemente finished the season with his best offensive performance to that point in his career. He led the NL in batting average (.351), with 201 hits and 100 runs scored. He hit 23 home runs and had 89 RBIs. He earned a fourth-place finish in the National League MVP voting.

SOURCES

In addition to the sources in the Notes, the author consulted the following:

Associated Press. “A Moment Blown Out of Proportion for Stu Miller,” New York Times, July 11, 2007.

Einstein, Charles. “It’s All-Star Time in Cave of Winds,” San Francisco Examiner, July 11, 1961: 48.

Einstein, Charles. “44,115 Watch a Windy Finale,” San Francisco Examiner, July 12, 1961: 49-50.

Norman, Phil. “S.F. Cyclones Hurt Hurlers: Richards,” San Francisco Examiner, July 12, 1961: 51.

h​ttps:​//www​.base​ball-​refer​ence.​com/a​llsta​r/196​1-all​star-​game-​1.​shtml.

h​ttps:​//www​.retr​oshee​t.org​/boxe​setc/​1961/​B0711​0NLS1​961.​htm.

NOTES

1 David Vincent, Lyle Spatz, and David Smith, The Midsummer Classic: The Complete History of Baseball’s All-Star Game (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2001), 190-191.

2 Charles Einstein. “A.L. 6 to 5 Favorite!” San Francisco Examiner, July 11, 1961: 47-48.

3 Clemente’s 1960 end-of-season batting statistics included a .314/.357/.458 slash line, 16 home runs. and 94 RBIs.

4 Spahn and Ford faced each other as starting pitchers once in the 1957 World Series and three times in the 1958 Series.

5 It has become part of All-Star folklore that Miller was literally blown off the mound by a gust of wind during his delivery to Rocky Colavito in the ninth inning. In fact, the wind caused him to waver back and forth a couple of inches after he went into his stretch position, which resulted in a balk call. Contrary to the popular characterization of the play, Miller wasn’t tumbled off the mound by the wind.

6 “‘Played Like LLers’ – Frick,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 12, 1961: 20.

7 “Winds at Candlestick Equally Cruel to Teams,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 12, 1961: 20.

8 “Winds at Candlestick Equally Cruel to Teams.”

9 “Clemente Explains Game-Winning Hit: ‘I Get Heet, I Feel Good,’” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 12, 1961: 20.

10 “Clemente Explains Game-Winning Hit.”