Summer of '68: The Season That Changed Baseball--And America--Forever (19 page)

Few sluggers had more success in the “Year of the Pitcher” than Frank Howard of the Washington Senators. He hit ten home runs in six games early in the season.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, N.Y.

Nearing the end of his eighteen-year career in the major leagues, New York Yankees’ star Mickey Mantle proved he could still go deep, especially if he had a little help from his friends.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, N.Y.

While Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination “jolted” Bob Gibson, Robert Kennedy’s death “infuriated” the Cardinals’ pitching star. Admittedly, Gibson pitched better angry and he soon put together one of the best seasons by a pitcher ever to play the game.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, N.Y.

During the regular season, Bob Gibson compiled a 1.12 ERA—the third-best mark since 1900 and the lowest in a season not played in the “deadball” era. He completed 28 of his 34 starts, with 13 of them being shutouts.

Associated Press

After a disappointing 1967, Denny McLain established himself as the winningest pitcher in baseball. He became the first pitcher since Dizzy Dean thirty-four years earlier to reach the thirty-victory plateau.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, N.Y.

Ever the showman, Denny McLain used his 31–6 record in 1968 to make a big splash in the entertainment world. Here he shows an ailing Jerry Koosman of the New York Mets how to hit the right notes.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, N.Y.

As the ’68 season began, Tigers’ left-hander Mickey Lolich was determined to win the big games and deliver a championship to Detroit.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, N.Y.

Lolich often rode one of his several motorcycles to Tiger Stadium for his home starts. He said the wind in his face helped him relax.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, N.Y.

A major reason for Lolich’s inconsistency on the mound was the time he spent away from the ballclub due to his National Guard obligations. Despite the aggravation, Lolich often joked about the situation.

Associated Press

While Denny McLain won thirty-one games, many considered Luis Tiant of the Cleveland Indians to be as good or better in 1968. When Tiant started the All-Star Game for the American League, his mother back in Havana was able to catch a glimpse of him on television. Tiant had left his home country of Cuba six years earlier unsure of when he would see his family again.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, N.Y.

Only twenty-one years old during the 1968 season, Larry Dierker was a starting pitcher for the Houston Astros, going against the likes of Don Drysdale and Bob Gibson. But what rocked his world was witnessing the demonstrations in Chicago surrounding the Democratic National Convention late that summer.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, N.Y.