In the 36th All Star game played in the New York Mets’ Shea Stadium on July 7, 1964, the Philadelphia Phillies dominated the game which seemed at the time to augar good things ahead for the Phillies in the 1964 season.

                               

In the 4th inning, Phillies ace Jim Bunning, having pitched a perfect game in Shea Stadium just 17 days prior, replaced NL starter Don Drysdale who had given up a run in the 1st inning, the only run thus far.

                            

Like Turk Farrell in the 1958 All Star game, Bunning struck out 4 in his two innings; fanning 1st baseman Bob Allison and 2nd baseman Bobby Richardson in the 4th inning and catcher Elston Howard and shortstop Jim Fregosi in the 5th as he pitched 2 shutout innings.

                          

In the meantime, the NL had scored 2 runs in the 4th, on 3rd baseman  Ken Boyer’s 2 run homer and 1 run in the 5th on shortstop Dick Groat’s 2 out RBI double scoring rightfielder Roberto Clemente who had singled.  NL 3, AL 1 after 5 innings.

The Phils other ace Chris Short took over for Bunning in the 6th and lasted only the 1 inning giving up 2 runs on 3 hits to the AL as the game was knotted at 3-3. 

Turk Farrell, who was by 1964 pitching for the old Houston Colt 45s who would become the Houston Astros one year later in 1965, entered and pitched the 7th inning giving up one run, as Jim Fregosi hit a sacrifice fly scoring Elston Howard.  AL 4, NL 3.

The score remained the same through the 8th inning and the AL half of the 9th inning setting the stage for the NL 9th with Dick “Monster” Radatz in his 3rd inning of pitching for the AL.

                        

Center fielder Willie Mays singled, stole 2nd base and scored on 1st baseman Orlando Cepeda’s single and a throwing error by AL 1st baseman Joe Pepitone trying to nail Mays at home.  Cepeda took 2nd base on the same error.  Curt Flood ran for Cepeda.  3rd baseman Ken Boyer popped out to the AL 3rd baseman.  Catcher Johnny Edwards was walked intentionally.  Hank Aaron then came up to pinch hit and struck out.

                    

Rightfielder Johnny Callison then plastered “Monster’s” fist pitch, a walk-off 3 run homer into the right field stands giving the NL their sixth win in seven games and finally evening up the series.”

                    

Here are excerpts of what Philadelphia Reporter Don Bostrom had to say about the most dramatic All Star game to that point in Major League Baseball history;

When it comes to stealing the show in the All-Star Game, the Phillies are batting 1-for-66.  But, oh, what a glorious, majestic hit the one was.  Johnny Callison’s three-run home run off Boston’s Dick Radatz in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the 1964 All-Star Game at Shea Stadium 7-4 on July 7 is the signature All-Star moment in Phillies history.  That swing was also the defining moment in Callison’s often distinguished, sometimes checkered major league career.  It was his Andy Warhol moment, except that those 15 minutes of fame had quite a shelf life…32 years, with no signs of fading away.

There are reasons Callison’s homer is frozen in time.  Specifically, 1964 was the enchanted summer for Phillies baseball fans.  While teen-age girls were being bitten by Beatlemania, teen-age boys in Philadelphia were going “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” to the exploits of a Gene Mauch team that was taking the National League by storm.  Folks began to realize something extraordinary was taking place when Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning fired his perfect game at Shea Stadium on Father’s Day.  Callison’s All-Star heroics only bolstered the notion that the Phillies were destiny’s darlings.  “That homer was the greatest thrill of my life, but I remember thinking that it was only the beginning.  It was going to be the Phillies’ year,” Callison said.  “We had everything going our way.  Everything.”
    
Anyone who followed the Phillies that season still bears the scars of the greatest collapse in history.  How could a 6 1/2-game lead vanish in the final 12 games?  That question has haunted Phillies fans ever since.  Perhaps that’s one reason fans cling so dearly to the positive vibes created by the Callison homer.

To read Bostrom’s complete article commemorating Johnny Callison’s dramatic 9th inning winning homerun, click Johnny Callison’s Memorable Moment.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 11th, 2006 at 9:32 pm and is filed under All Time Baseball Highlights
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