RetroSimba

Bob Gibson once squandered a 6-0 first-inning lead and was lifted before he could get three outs.

The night of April 16, 1962, was cold and windy at Philadelphia. Game time temperature was 36 degrees. Only 3,895 came to see the Cardinals play the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium that Monday night.

The pitching pairings were Gibson, making his first start of the season, against Cal McLish, making his first appearance for the Phillies after being acquired from the White Sox.

The first five Cardinals batters reached base, four on walks from McLish. The fourth walk was issued to Ken Boyer with the bases loaded. Bill White produced a run-scoring double and Doug Clemens hit a three-run double before McLish was replaced by Dallas Green. Gibson singled, driving in the sixth run of the inning.

In the bottom half of the inning, Phillies leadoff batter Tony Taylor walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Johnny Callison also walked.

After Tony Gonzalez struck out and Wes Covington flied out, Billy Klaus singled, scoring Taylor, and Frank Torre walked, loading the bases. Clay Dalrymple knocked in two more with a single, cutting the Cardinals’ lead to 6-3. After a walk to Ruben Amaro loaded the bases, Cardinals manager Johnny Keane replaced Gibson with Ernie Broglio.

Roy Sievers, batting for Green, walked, scoring Torre with the Phillies’ fourth run. Taylor singled, driving in two and tying the score at 6-6. All six runs were charged to Gibson.

When Callison made the third out, on a pop-up to the catcher, it ended a first inning that included nine walks and took 54 shivering minutes to play.

Gibson’s pitching line: 0.2 innings, two hits, six runs, four walks, one strikeout.

In his book “Stranger to the Game,” Gibson said, “I was roughed up for six runs in the first inning. After that our pitching coach, Howie Pollet, made me throw more pitches and simulate game conditions in the bullpen (before starts), which seemed to help.”

The Phillies wouldn’t score again that night. Broglio pitched 8.1 innings in relief and scattered five hits and four walks.

In the third, Cardinals catcher Gene Oliver broke the 6-6 tie with a home run off Don Ferrarese, who, two weeks later, would be traded to St. Louis.

The Cardinals won, 12-6. Broglio’s win was his first in relief since 1960. Boxscore

“We’ve been going slow with him (Broglio) because of his bad arm last year,” Keane said. “He and (Ray) Sadecki were behind in training and we were using them in long relief.”

In his next start, April 22, 1962, at Chicago, Gibson gave up four runs in eight innings and took the loss in a 5-1 Chicago victory, but limited the Cubs to four hits and struck out nine. Boxscore He finished the 1962 season with a 15-13 record and 2.85 ERA.

Previously: Bob Gibson vs. Sandy Koufax: a grand game for Charlie James