[Nick Soulis]

Series #226

Broadcast Team:
Curt Gowdy and Howard Cosell



Ted’s Triumph: Red Sox Conquer Houston, 4–2
Williams Focus On Team As Boston Thrives After Scare



Game 1
At Fenway Park
1963 Houston Colts 45's 2
1946 Boston Red Sox 1
WP: T. Farrell (1-0) LP: T. Hughson (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Turk Farrell (9 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 119 P)

Ladies and gentlemen, what we have witnessed here tonight at Fenway Park was nothing less than a testament to perseverance, strategy, and, dare I say, the human will. The Houston Colt .45’s — a franchise still in its infancy in 1963, still clawing for relevance in a landscape dominated by baseball royalty — marched into Boston and, against the odds, struck first blood. Turk Farrell, the right-hander with grit more than glamour, stood tall on this autumn night. No, he did not dazzle with a blazing fastball or an array of strikeouts. Instead, he methodically dissected the Boston Red Sox, scattering but three hits, allowing but a single run. This was not pitching brilliance in the form of dominance, but rather in the form of defiance. Farrell refused to bend, even when Ted Williams, the Splendid Splinter himself, lashed a double and Rudy York threatened to turn the tide.
And what of Houston’s offense? Humble, opportunistic, and precise. Al Spangler — a name not destined for Cooperstown, perhaps not even destined for the long annals of memory — played the hero’s role. A single in the first, a double in the sixth. Two runs driven in, and in a game decided by a solitary run, that was enough.
The mighty Red Sox, with DiMaggio, Pesky, Doerr, and the iconic Williams, faltered when it mattered. The Fenway faithful, restless and hopeful, left the yard with questions. Can their club recover? Or has the upstart from Houston struck a psychological blow that will linger?
Yes, America — this is why they play the games. The great are tested, the overlooked rise, and the narrative unfolds, one inning at a time. The Colt .45’s lead this series, and Boston must now summon its pride, its heritage, its vaunted history, or face the ignominy of defeat.”

Game 2
At Fenway Park
1963 Houston Colts 45's 4
1946 Boston Red Sox 7
WP: M. Harris (1-0) LP: D. Nottebart (0-1)
HR: A. Spangler (1)
POG: Mickey Harris (8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 127 P)
Series Tied 1-1

Behind the steady arm of Mickey Harris and the timely power of Bobby Doerr, the 1946 Boston Red Sox evened their Field of Dreams showdown with the 1963 Houston Colt .45s, notching a 7–4 victory before a raucous Fenway Park crowd.
Harris, the left-hander who mixed craft with grit, tossed eight innings of three-hit ball, striking out seven and silencing Houston bats until the ninth. At the plate, he chipped in with a clutch two-run single in the second inning, sparking BostonÂ’s offense.
“It felt good to help myself out,” Harris admitted afterward. “But mostly, I just wanted to give our club a chance.”
Doerr delivered the knockout blow in the seventh inning, launching a three-run homer that cleared the Green Monster and pushed Boston’s lead to 7–1. Dom DiMaggio added a solo shot earlier, and the Red Sox offense fed off Fenway’s energy all night.
The Colt .45s refused to fold quietly, with Al Spangler hammering a three-run blast in the ninth inning off reliever Earl Johnson. But the comeback bid ended there, and Boston claimed its first win of the series.
The best-of-seven set now shifts to HoustonÂ’s Colt Stadium, where the Colt .45s will look to regain their footing. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday, October 4, with the series knotted at one game apiece.

Game 3
At Colt Stadium
1946 Boston Red Sox 1
1963 Houston Colt 45s 4
WP: K. Johnson (1-0) LP: J. Dobson (0-1)
HR: T. Willians (1)
POG; Ken Johnson (9 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 146 P)
1963 Colts 45's Lead Series 2-1

The underdog Houston Colt .45s rode the right arm of Ken Johnson to an improbable 4–1 victory over the Boston Red Sox of 1946 on Saturday night, seizing a 2–1 advantage in their best-of-seven Field of Dreams series. Johnson, the unheralded Houston right-hander, authored the game of his career, scattering five hits in a complete-game effort. His only blemish was a fourth-inning solo home run by Boston’s Ted Williams, who continues to provide the Red Sox’ lone offensive spark. Otherwise, Johnson dominated a lineup filled with Hall of Fame talent, striking out six while walking none. “Ken was terrific,” Houston manager Jim Smith said afterward. “He never rattled, not even when Williams got him. He stayed aggressive and gave us a chance to win.”The Colt .45s seized control in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bob Aspromonte ignited the home crowd with a run-scoring triple that tied the game at 1–1. Two batters later, Bobby Lillis punched an RBI single through the infield to put Houston ahead for good. An inning later, Al Spangler added insurance with a line-drive single to right that stretched the lead to 3–1. Boston starter Joe Dobson, effective early, unraveled in those middle innings. He lasted just over four frames, surrendering four runs on eight hits. Despite Williams’ solo blast — his second home run of the series — the rest of Boston’s offense was muted, as stars like Dom DiMaggio and Bobby Doerr were held hitless.
The 1963 Colts, a franchise barely out of its infancy, now find themselves two wins away from toppling one of baseballÂ’s historic clubs. For a Houston team that lost 96 games in real life that season, the victory was nothing short of transformative.
“We’re not supposed to be here, but here we are,” Johnson said on the field after the game. “This was for the fans in Houston. We’ve got momentum now, and we’re going to keep pushing.” The Red Sox, meanwhile, return to the drawing board. Manager Joe Cronin faces mounting pressure as his club, favored from the start, must find answers before Houston extends its lead further. Game 4 will be played tomorrow night at Colt Stadium, where the Red Sox will look to even the series and reassert their pedigree. But for now, the story belongs to Ken Johnson and the young Colts, who have turned this series on its head.

Game 4
At Colt Stadium
1946 Boston Red Sox 8
1963 Houston Colt 45s 2
WP: D. Ferriss (1-0) LP: B. Bruce (0-1)
HR: B. Lillis (1)
POG: Dave Ferriss (9 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 134 P)
Series Tied 2-2

The magic that carried the Houston Colt .45s through the first three games met a harsh reality Tuesday night. A relentless Boston Red Sox attack and a stubborn Dave Ferriss combined to silence Colt Stadium, as Houston fell 8–2 in Game 4, squaring the series at 2–2.
BostonÂ’s third inning was a nightmare for Houston starter Bob Bruce. A string of disciplined plate appearances and timely contact produced four runs before an out could be recorded. Bruce lasted just three innings, yielding seven hits and five runs, leaving manager Harry Craft scrambling to his bullpen.
“Our guys are young, but they’ll learn from this,” Craft said. “Boston showed why they’re a championship club. They pounced on every mistake.”
The Colt .45s managed only two runs on five hits, their offense bottled up by Ferriss, who threw a complete game despite HoustonÂ’s best efforts to extend at-bats. John Bateman and Bob Aspromonte each knocked in a run, but it was never enough to overcome the early deficit.
Now, with the series even, Houston faces a must-win scenario in tomorrowÂ’s Game 5. A loss would send them back to Boston trailing, their once-surprising run in jeopardy.

Game 5
At Colt Stadium
1946 Boston Red Sox 6
1963 Houston Colt 45s 0
WP: T. Hughson (1-1) LP: T. Farrell (1-1)
HR: B. Doerr (1)
POG: Tex Hughson (9 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 123 P)
1946 Red Sox Lead Series 3-2

The Colt .45s came with their crowd, their grit, and the young spirit of a franchise trying to author a miracle. But on Monday night at Colt Stadium, all of that was silenced by one man. Tex Hughson, Boston’s tall right-hander, pitched the game of his life — a nine-inning, one-hit shutout that suffocated the Houston 1963 lineup and propelled the 1946 Red Sox to a 6–0 victory in Game 5 of Series #226. With the win, Boston seizes a 3–2 edge in the best-of-seven, heading home to Fenway Park with two chances to clinch. “This is what you dream of as a pitcher,” Hughson said afterward, his uniform soaked in sweat and champagne mist from the clubhouse celebration. “You want the ball when it matters most. Tonight it all came together.”
Hughson faced 29 batters, throwing 123 pitches. He walked none, struck out five, and allowed just one harmless single. Houston never mounted a serious threat, as Hughson kept them guessing with a darting sinker and a pinpoint fastball that pounded the corners.
“Tex gave us the start we needed,” Boston manager Jim Smith said. “He never gave them a chance to breathe. That’s how you take control of a series.”
Offensively, Boston struck early with a Bobby Doerr RBI single in the first, then broke the game open in the fourth. With the bases loaded and Colt .45s starter Turk Farrell fighting to escape, Johnny Pesky lashed a bases-clearing double into right center. The hit sent Colt Stadium into silence and gave Hughson a cushion he never came close to surrendering.
“I just wanted to put the barrel on the ball,” Pesky said. “Tex was throwing a masterpiece, and I wasn’t about to waste it.”
Even as Hughson owned the spotlight, eyes remained fixed on Ted Williams. The Splendid Splinter has yet to deliver the towering October moment so many expect, finishing Game 5 with two walks and a single. His presence, however, continued to alter the dynamic — Houston pitchers nibbled carefully, often choosing to battle others instead.
“Williams changes everything,” said Colt .45s manager Harry Craft. “Even when he’s not hitting the ball out of the park, he’s dictating how we pitch every inning.”
For the Colt .45s, the loss was a gut punch. After leading the series 2–1 and thrilling their fans in Game 3, they now face elimination on the road in one of baseball’s most storied cathedrals.
“This isn’t over,” Craft said defiantly. “We’ve come too far to roll over now.”

Game 6
At Fenway Park
1963 Houston Colts 45's 2
1946 Boston Red Sox 8
WP: M. Harris (2-0) LP: D. Nottebart (0-2)
HR: None
POG: Mickey Harris (9 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 2 K, 135 P)

On a crisp evening at Fenway Park, the ghosts of 1946 were silenced at last. With Ted Williams swinging a mighty bat and Mickey Harris delivering nine steady innings, the 1946 Boston Red Sox defeated the 1963 Houston Colt .45s, 8–2, to capture Field of Dreams Series #226, four games to two.
For Williams, the newly crowned Series MVP, the performance was as sweet as any in his storied career. The Splendid Splinter went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI, finishing the series at a blistering .409 with a .500 on-base percentage. His bat was not only productive but magnetic, bending the shape of every Houston strategy.The game began with a brief flicker of hope for the underdog Colt .45s. In the third inning, Al Spangler lined a single to right, plating a run and giving Houston a 1–0 lead. Fenway Park fell momentarily hushed.
But Boston responded like champions. Rudy York’s RBI single tied the contest in the bottom of the frame, and in the sixth, the Red Sox offense erupted. Catfish Metkovich lined a single to push Boston ahead, and Johnny Pesky — forever the scrappy heartbeat of this club — delivered the decisive blow, a two-run double that rattled the Green Monster and sent Fenway into delirium.
From there, the game belonged to Harris. The left-hander scattered four hits across nine innings, refusing Houston any path back into contention. He struck out four, walked none, and ended the evening with his arms raised as fans roared their approval.
“This was Ted’s series,” Harris admitted afterward, “but I’m proud I could do my part. All I wanted was to keep us steady until our bats came through. And boy, did they.”Houston fought gamely throughout the series, with Pete Runnels and Spangler providing bright spots, but in the end they could not overcome Boston’s balance and star power.For Boston, the victory is more than a line in the record book. In 1946 reality, the Red Sox came agonizingly close to a title, only to fall in Game 7 of the World Series. In the Field of Dreams, they have been given a second chance — and this time, they seized it.
As Williams jogged around the bases after his sixth-inning home run, the Fenway crowd stood and thundered, chanting his name. It was a moment of closure, of redemption, of baseball at its most poetic.The Red Sox of 1946 are champions of Series #226, and Ted WilliamsÂ’ legend has never shone brighter.

1946 Boston Red Sox Win Series 4 Games To 2

Series MVP:

(.409, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 4 2B, .500 OBP, .727 SLG)