RetroSimba

Described in a 1967 wire service story as having “the diplomacy and tact of a marine drill sergeant at boot camp,” Red Sox manager Dick Williams accused Cardinals pitcher Nelson Briles of deliberately hitting Boston slugger Carl Yastrzemski with a pitch in Game 3 of the World Series.

The incident became the biggest on-field controversy of that memorable Series between two of the game’s most storied franchises.

Following the lead of their manager, Red Sox players complained bitterly.

Whether he hit Yastrzemski intentionally or, as Briles first claimed, the pitch squirted uncontrollably out of his tight grip, the Cardinals got the upperhand in a Series they would win in seven games.

Williams, a St. Louis native who grew up rooting for Cardinals outfielder Joe Medwick, died July 7, 2011, at 82 in Nevada. One of the game’s best managers, he led the Red Sox, Athletics and Padres to pennants, won consecutive World Series titles with Oakland and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1967, the fiery Williams took a dispirited Red Sox franchise that had finished ninth in the 10-team American League in 1966 and pushed them to an unlikely pennant in his first year as a big-league manager.

So respected was Williams that one of his managerial adversaries, Eddie Stanky, whose White Sox finished three games behind Boston in 1967, sent the Red Sox skipper a telegram that read, “You did a remarkable job. Continued success in the World Series. Win, lose or draw, you’re the greatest.”

Relishing the underdog role, Williams implored his players not to back down against the National League champions. After St. Louis won Game 1 behind ace Bob Gibson, Boston took Game 2 on Jim Lonborg’s one-hitter. Lonborg, following Williams’ tone, was the intimidator, brushing back several Cardinals.

Entering the pivotal Game 3 in St. Louis, the Cardinals needed to regain their swagger. Briles took the initiative, telling reporters the Red Sox are “a weaker hitting team than any team we face in the National League.”

After Boston right fielder Jose Tartabull led off Game 3 with a groundout against Briles, the ball was being tossed around the infield until it got to third baseman Mike Shannon. In the book “Spirit of St. Louis,” Briles told author Peter Golenbock:

“Shannon, who had a strong arm, … took the ball and tried to throw it through my chest. He was saying, ‘What the hell is going on? Isn’t anybody going to protect us?’ That’s the message that came with that throw.”

After the next batter, third baseman Dalton Jones, struck out, the ball again was whipped around the infield until reaching Shannon. He fired it back to Briles, with even more force than the first throw.

Briles got the message. Up next was Boston’s best player, Yastrzemski, who had led the American League in batting average, home runs and RBI.

Briles’ pitch hit Yastrzemski in the back of the left leg, in the middle of the calf. As the Red Sox star went sprawling to the ground, Williams shot out of the dugout and confronted plate umpire Frank Umont.

“He did that deliberately,” Williams said to Umont. “What are we going to have, a throwing contest here?”

Umont replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll take charge of the situation.”

The umpire beckoned Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst and told both skippers that any more purpose pitches would result in substantial fines.

Yastrzemski attempted to steal second base and was thrown out by catcher Tim McCarver. Lou Brock then led off the Cardinals’ half of the first with a triple and scored on Curt Flood’s single. Inspired, the Cardinals went on to a 5-2 victory behind Briles’ complete-game seven-hitter. Boxscore

“From that point on,” Briles told Golenbock, “we had a Series. All that junk was out of the way. There were no more knockdowns, no more nonsense. And I think at that moment I gained the respect of the ballclub.”

After the game, Williams and his players lashed out.

“I know he was trying to hit him,” Williams told Will McDonough of the Boston Globe.

Said Lonborg: “When a pitcher goes behind the hitter like that, he is definitely trying to hit him. If a pitcher doesn’t have better control than that, he shouldn’t be in the big leagues.”

Yastrzemski told McDonough: “He tried to hit me. There’s no doubt about it.”

Briles and Schoendienst told different stories.

Briles to McDonough: “I didn’t throw at him. I was just gripping the ball too hard and the pitch got away from me.”

Said Schoendienst: “We hear so much about Lonborg brushing guys back.”

Responded Williams, “Yes, but there’s a difference between brushing someone back and deliberately hitting him.”

Red Sox pitcher Jose Santiago called the Cardinals “bush league” and Boston center fielder Reggie Smith said Briles “is a big-mouth popoff.”

All the huffing and puffing played into Briles’ hands. Smith admitted, “We wanted to beat him so bad that I think we got all fouled up. Everyone was overanxious and not waiting for good pitches.”

The Series went seven games, but only one other batter was hit by a pitch.

In Game 6 at Boston, Briles entered in relief to jeers in the fifth. The first batter he faced was Red Sox starting pither Gary Waslewski.

Briles hit him.