September 4, 1967: Toronto Maple Leafs play their final game

A scorecard from the 1967 season of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team’s last of 72 successive years in the International League and its predecessor. (Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)

Monday September 4, 1967, the annual Labor Day holiday in Toronto, was a day of many endings. For schoolchildren it was the last day of summer vacation and a day filled with nervousness in anticipation of the new school year and all its concomitant unknowns. Monday evening, the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) would close its 88th year. The previous night, in Exhibition Stadium, the CNE Grandstand season finished with evangelist Billy Graham delivering a message on faith and hope.

At Maple Leaf Stadium, farther east from the CNE along Lakeshore Boulevard, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the farm team of the Boston Red Sox in the International League, were scheduled to play their final game of the 1967 season. After back-to-back championships in 1965 and 1966, a three-peat was not going to happen in 1967 for this Maple Leafs team. Just one month earlier, the Leafs had been in third place (56-52), and a return to the playoffs looked probable. But the Maple Leafs’ season was now destined to end in a sixth-place finish, as the team had won only eight of its previous 30 games. On this sunny Monday afternoon, the Maple Leafs (64-74) hosted the last-place Syracuse Chiefs (62-77).

The Chiefs, the farm team of the New York Yankees, had dominated Toronto during the season. Monday’s game was the last of a four-game series over the holiday weekend. The Leafs had won 2-1 in extra innings on Saturday night, while on Sunday afternoon the Chiefs won both games of a doubleheader, 2-1 and 9-8.1

Monday also marked the end of the 84th season of the International League. The season was finishing with a tight pennant race as the Richmond Braves and the Rochester Red Wings battled for first place. With the top four teams in the eight-team league qualifying for the playoffs, there would be no postseason games for Toronto and Syracuse. This final game would not impact the standings. For the players, key statistical rankings like batting average, home run, and RBI titles could not be affected. The majority of the players would be heading to their winter homes after the game. Only a select few would continue their season with the parent clubs of Boston and New York as part of the major leagues’ September roster expansion.

For the fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs and of baseball in Toronto and across Canada, the significance of the game could not be fully known on that Monday. There was much nervousness about the future of the Toronto franchise, and of professional baseball in Toronto, as declining attendance through the 1960s had continued during the 1967 season.

With the 2:00 P.M. game time approaching and fans going through the turnstiles, the starting pitchers headed to the bullpen to warm up. Starting for the Syracuse Chiefs was Stan Bahnsen. A top prospect in the Yankees organization, Bahnsen was making his 23rd start of the season, and had a record of 8 wins and 11 losses with an ERA of 3.63. He had previous major-league experience as a call-up to the Yankees in 1966, posting a record of 1-1 and an ERA of 3.52. He had failed to make the Yankees roster out of spring training in 1967, but was having a good season with the Chiefs, highlighted by a seven-inning perfect game against Buffalo on July 9.

In the Toronto bullpen, Garry Roggenburk warmed up for his 17th start of the season. Despite a 5-9 record, he had an attractive ERA of 2.45, leading all of Toronto’s pitchers with enough qualifying appearances. Roggenburk was finishing his sixth season of professional baseball. During parts of the 1963, 1965, and 1966 seasons, he had played 60 games for the Minnesota Twins, compiling a record of 4-6 with an ERA and WHIP of 3.02 and 1.51 respectively. One year earlier, in September 1966, he had been purchased by the Boston Red Sox and called up to the major leagues. He appeared in one game, facing three batters, giving up a hit and a walk before retiring one hitter. The next spring training, he was assigned to Toronto, for whom he had played the entire 1967 season.

Roggenburk finished his warm-up pitches knowing that he would have to have his best to win his sixth game of the year. He was aware that the Chiefs had dominated the Leafs all season, winning 14 of the 19 games played.2 He knew he could not rely on the Leafs to score many runs; the Leafs’ hitters ranked last in the league in runs and in numerous other key offensive categories.

As had been the case with the weekend’s previous games, Toronto manager Eddie Kasko appointed coach Jackie Moore as the acting manager.3 Across the diamond, Syracuse manager Gary Blaylock was finishing his first season with the Chiefs. The starting lineups were:4

SYRACUSE CHIEFS

1. LF Tom Shopay
2. 2B Matt Galante
3. SS Jerry Kenney
4. C Frank Fernandez
5. IB Ramon Conde
6. RF Bill Tuttle
7. CF Ross Moschitto
8. 3B Ron Boyer
9. P Stan Bahnsen

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

1. SS Al Lehrer
2. 2B Syd O’Brien
3. CF Al Yates
4. 3B John Ryan
5. IB Jose Calero
6. LF Stan Johnson
7. RF Tony Torchia
8. C Bob Montgomery
9. P Garry Roggenburk

Roggenburk started strong against the Chiefs over the first four innings. Working quickly in this last game of the season, he limited Syracuse to two harmless singles. Bahnsen took the mound in the bottom of the first inning fully confident that he would continue his recent success against this weak-hitting Toronto team. The previous Wednesday in Syracuse, he had beaten Toronto 8-1, giving up only three hits. A similarly quick-working Bahnsen continued to dominate over the first four innings, limiting Toronto to four hits. Managing only a lone single in each inning by O’Brien, Johnson, Montgomery, and Ryan, the Leafs failed to put a runner in scoring position.

Roggenburk’s string of scoreless innings ended quickly in the fifth, when Bill Tuttle slugged his eighth home run of the year to put Syracuse ahead. The solo home run seemed to rattle Roggenburk, as Ross Moschitto followed with a single. Pitching from the stretch, Roggenburk held Moschitto on first as the eighth-place hitter, Ron Boyer, stepped to the plate. The right-handed-hitting Boyer laced a hit to left field, where Stan Johnson misplayed it, allowing Moschitto to score the Chiefs’ second run; Boyer stopped at second base with his sixth double of the season. Boyer was stranded on second as Roggenburk escaped the fifth without surrendering another hit.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Leafs went down in order. Bahnsen had retired five consecutive hitters.

With the Leafs hitting so ineffectively, Roggenburk went to the mound to start the sixth inning hoping to shut down the Syracuse hitters as he had done in the first four innings. Luck would not be on his side, however: The Leafs’ fielding let him down as it had in the previous inning. The Chiefs’ leadoff hitter of the inning, Frank Fernandez, hit a blooper into short center field. Shortstop Al Lehrer gave chase, but the ball was just out of his reach and landed on the outfield grass. Lehrer retrieved the ball and made a poor throw, allowing Fernandez to reach second base. The Chiefs capitalized on Lehrer’s 15th error of the season as the next hitter, Ramon Conde, singled, scoring Fernandez, to put the Chiefs ahead 3-0. Conde was stranded on second as Syracuse bats were silenced for the rest of the inning.

Spotted with a lead, Bahnsen again retired the Leafs in order in the bottom of the sixth inning, extending his mastery of the Leafs to eight consecutive hitters.

The Chiefs tagged Roggenburk for their second home run of the afternoon in the top of the seventh inning. Tom Shopay, a left-handed hitter, went deep with his ninth home run of the season, extending the Chiefs’ lead to 4-0.

The seventh-inning stretch did not raise the Leafs’ offense from its slumber. Bahnsen continued his excellent outing by retiring all three hitters, extending his streak of consecutive outs to 11.

Roggenburk’s afternoon ended two hitters into the eighth inning. The Chiefs’ leading hitter, Jerry Kenney, stroked his second single of the game to start the inning. Frank Fernandez followed with his third hit of the day, moving Kenney to second. Acting manager Jackie Moore headed to the mound to remove Roggenburk and summon the left-handed Billy Rohr from the bullpen. Unless the Leafs mounted an improbable comeback, Roggenburk would take the loss and finish his season 5-10. Roggenburk’s disappointing line read seven innings, 10 hits, four runs (two earned), two strikeouts, one walk, and two runners still on. After handing the ball to Moore, Roggenburk humbly exited to the dugout. His 1967 season was over.

The 21-year-old Billy Rohr was making his second relief appearance of the season. Primarily a starter, Rohr had a won-lost record of 3-5 and an ERA of 3.44. The first hitter he faced was Ramon Conde, who loaded the bases with a single, his second hit of the game. The Chiefs got their fourth consecutive hit of the inning when Bill Tuttle singled, scoring Kenney and Fernandez. Tuttle’s second and third RBIs of the game increased his season total to 55. Likely to honor Tuttle’s excellent game and his 17 years in professional baseball, Syracuse manager Gary Blaylock sent Tommie Martz to first base to run for him. With congratulations awaiting him from his teammates, Tuttle strode to the Chiefs dugout for the final time as a professional player. His career had come to an end.

Rohr retired Moschitto but then walked Boyer as Syracuse loaded the bases for the second time in the inning. Bahnsen, a poor-hitting pitcher (.143), hit a sacrifice fly to score Conde and extend the Chiefs’ lead to 7-0. Rohr retired Shopay to end the inning, but the damage had been done as the Chiefs had scored three more times.

Bahnsen extended his consecutive outs streak to 14 with his fourth consecutive perfect inning. Right-handed-hitting James Russin batted for Rohr with two outs. Russin made the final out, unable to change Toronto’s fortunes against Bahnsen.

Fred Wenz, Toronto’s third pitcher, entered the game in the top of the ninth. This was his 44th appearance of the season, all in relief. With a 4-4 record and an ERA of 3.36, Wenz was the final pitcher in Toronto Maple Leafs baseball history. He retired the Chiefs quickly, allowing one hit in his single inning of work.

Bahnsens streak of 14 consecutive hitters retired ended in the ninth when leadoff hitter Al Lehrer singled. Three outs remained in the game, and in the season, as second baseman Syd O’Brien stepped into the batter’s box. Bahnsens hope for a shutout vanished as O’Brien drilled his pitch over the fence for a two-run home run. A glimmer of hope for Leafs fans had flickered. The Leafs were now down 7-2 with none out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Were the Leafs going to make a great comeback in the game? If so, would such a comeback foreshadow the franchise’s ability to recover from its tenuous ownership and financial situation?

Sadly for Leafs fans, there was no comeback. Bahnsen settled down and retired the side while allowing one more hit. With the final out of the game, the 1967 season of the Toronto Maple Leafs had concluded in disappointing fashion.

Only 802 fans attended Maple Leaf Stadium that last game of the 1967 season. Those fans shared the anxiety concerning the future of the franchise and professional baseball in Toronto. In an article headlined “Leafs Fate Known Within a Week,” the Toronto Daily Star reported that the sale of the team was imminent and, more worrisomely, that there was “interest from out of town who might move the International League franchise elsewhere.”5

There would be no comeback for the Toronto franchise. Six weeks after the final game, a transfer to Louisville was approved by the International League directors. After 71 years, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and professional baseball in Toronto, were no more. The September 4, 1967, game against Syracuse would now be forever labeled as the “Toronto Maple Leafs’ Last Game.”

But the Toronto baseball story was not over. The faith and hope of fans and advocates of baseball in Canada persevered. And, after an absence of more than nine years, professional baseball returned to Toronto with the inaugural game of the Toronto Blue Jays, an American League expansion team. A renovated Exhibition Stadium on the Canadian National Exhibition grounds was the home field for the new franchise.

It has been said that the one constant in life is baseball, and that everything connects to everything else. On Opening Day, April 7, 1977, a snowy afternoon, Toronto welcomed the return of professional baseball as the Blue Jays players and coaches stood along the third-base line waiting to be introduced to the fans in the stands and to Canadian baseball fans watching on television. Interestingly, a connection between the “Toronto Maple Leafs’ Last Game” and the first Blue Jays game was established as Jackie Moore, the acting manager of the Leafs in the 1967 finale, was introduced as a coach of the 1977 Blue Jays.

In retrospect, it is perhaps not accurate to describe Monday, September 4, 1967, as a day of endings. Rather, the truth that “every ending is a beginning – we just don’t know it at the time” fully applies to the “Toronto Maple Leafs’ Last Game,” as the emergence of a Toronto majorleague baseball team added new chapters to the narrative of professional baseball in Toronto, and in Canada.

Notes

1 Neil MacCarl, “Leafs Finish Off With Three Losses for Sixth Place,” Toronto Daily Star, September 5, 1967: 12.

2 Neil MacCarl, “Chiefs Cop Finale, 7-2,” Syracuse Post-Standard, September 5, 1967: 17.

3 MacCarl, “Leafs Finish Off.”

4 MacCarl, “Chiefs Cop Finale, 7-2.” See also Phillip Dechman, “Powerless Leafs Bow 7-2 in Final Game of Season,” Toronto Globe and Mail, September 5, 1967: 33.

5 Neil MacCarl, “Leafs Fate Known Within a Week,” Toronto Daily Star, September 5, 1967: 12.