Wendel: The American League pennant chase of 1967
From SABR member Tim Wendel at The National Pastime Museum on August 14, 2017:
With two weeks left in the 1967 season, the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Minnesota Twins were tied for first place in the American League, with the Chicago White Sox a half-game back.
Through the years, baseball has enjoyed plenty of memorable pennant chases and epic finishes. Back in August of 1948, four teams—the Yankees, Indians, Red Sox, and Athletics—were in a virtual tie for the lead. Eleven years later, the Dodgers, Giants, and Braves battled to the end, with Los Angeles winning a best-of-three playoff. All great moments, but they cannot surpass 1967, which baseball historian Rob Neyer calls the “best four-team race in major-league history.”
As the season began, the Baltimore Orioles were the favorites after sweeping the Dodgers the previous fall in the World Series. Yet the O’s struggled early, leaving the door wide open for this cast of daydream believers. In looking back on the season, it’s remarkable how close these teams remained atop the junior circuit (this being the penultimate year before the leagues were broken into divisions).
Read the full article here: https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/article/american-league-pennant-chase-1967
- Related link: “Felled by the Impossible: The 1967 Minnesota Twins,” by Mark Armour (The National Pastime, 2012)
Originally published: August 14, 2017. Last Updated: August 14, 2017.