A rightful decider featuring this season’s two best teams by far. For the third straight year, some big names will be missing from the Fall Classic, as a late injury to Detroit star Norm Cash really evens up this contest. It’s not just his big bat they’ll miss but also the protection and balance he offers their lineup.
Still, that’s easy peasy compared with the poor old Giants. They’ll have to win it all without solid SS Horace Clark, who is done for the year after suffering a broken bone in his elbow from an errant pitch, gun 3B Jim Ray Hart and veteran OF Dick Kokos.
All of which sets this up to be a fascinating contest. The Giants have the best rotation in baseball at the moment, and while Mays is getting a bit long in the tooth he can still rake when he’s in the mood. With McCovey at his peak and a few other underrated hitters such as Catcher Duke Sims and leadoff man OF Jim Northrup, if they can give their staff enough runs to work with then anything can happen. After more than two decades in the wilderness, you’d hope the Jints boys turn up to play, even in their decimated state.
Still, you don’t win 103 games by luck. Throw in the home-field advantage along with their quality throughout the group and I think this one is the Tigers’ for the taking. Detroit in five for mine.