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Old 10-09-2014, 08:43 AM   #22351
KenRaffensberger16
Major Leagues
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: New jersey most of my life; Gulf Coast Florida since 2010.
Posts: 422
1964 Phils Vs. Mets Opening Day

I was thinking about the 1964 Phillies a little lately since last week marked the 50th anniversary of their ultimate collapse. Looking at the box scores from that year via a baseball website, I noticed an interesting game on that season's Opening Day - 4/14/64.
The Phillies defeated the Mets 5-3 in Philadelphia and I noted the following from the box score:
Richie (Dick) Allen was handed the third baseman's starting job from Day One of that season (he had made his MLB debut the previous September).
Danny Cater started as the Phils' Left Fielder making his major leagues debut. IMO - the Phillies foolishly traded him before the 1965 season. He went on to have a good career as a .276 lifetime hitter who peaked with a .301 season in over 600 at-bats for the 1970 Yankees. I believe Cater was the only player on either team debuting in the majors that day.
Roy Sievers hit a three run home run in the first inning to give the Phils a lead they would never relinquish.
Phillies Starting Pitcher, Dennis Bennett was unable to go the required five innings to get the win.
Reliever,Johnny Klippstein pitched 5 shutout innings to finish the game and get the win, something you'd never see a reliever do these days in the age of reliever specialization.
The current Phillies' GM's father Ruben Amaro Sr. entered the game late as a defensive replacement.
Infielders Dick Smith and Amado Samuel started the game for the Mets. I grew up in the NYC area and was living there in 1964 and I have absolutely no memory of either of those two players.
OF-1B Frank Thomas was in the starting lineup for the Mets that day, but he would finish the season with the Phillies.
Can members provide photos of the above mentioned players with their respective 1964 teams? (Please include photos of Thomas with both the Mets and Phillies).

Last edited by KenRaffensberger16; 10-09-2014 at 08:45 AM.
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