RetroSimba

Frank Lary, who mastered the Yankees during his prime with the Tigers, couldn’t beat the Cardinals when he was near the end of his pitching career with the Mets.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, Lary was a durable and consistent winner in the American League.

When he got sent by the Tigers to the Mets in May 1964, Lary no longer was an elite pitcher, but he still had the guile and ability to be effective as a starter and in relief.

In two starts for the Mets versus the Cardinals _ one in 1964 and another in 1965 _ Lary was matched against Bob Gibson. Lary was poised to win the first matchup until the Cardinals rallied in the ninth inning. In the second matchup, Lary hit against Gibson better than he pitched against the Cardinals.

A right-hander, Lary pitched 12 years (1954-1965) in the major leagues and posted a career record of 128-116 with a 3.49 ERA. He was 28-13 versus the Yankees, including 7-1 in 1958.

Throwback to Gashouse Gang

Lary led the American League in wins (21) in 1956 and was second (with 23) in 1961. He three times was the AL leader in innings pitched and in complete games. Unafraid to pitch inside, Lary four times led the AL in batters hit by pitch.

“He is a throwback to the Cardinals of the ’30s, a cotton-pickin’, gee-tar-strummin’, red clay Alabama farm boy, unspoiled by a little college and a lot of success,” Sports Illustrated wrote of Lary in 1961. “He is mean on the mound and a joker off it.”

In June 1963, Chuck Dressen replaced Bob Scheffing as Tigers manager. Lary and Dressen clashed. On May 30, 1964, before a game against the White Sox at Detroit, Dressen informed Lary, 34, his contract had been sold to the Mets.

“Dressen was hurting me,” Lary said to The Sporting News. “He gives up on a pitcher too soon.”

The uniform No. 17 Lary wore was inherited by a future Tigers ace, Denny McLain.

On May 31, the day after the trade, Lary arrived at Shea Stadium in New York during the first game of a doubleheader between the Giants and Mets. Lary made his Mets debut in the second game, pitching the sixth and seventh innings and retiring all six batters he faced, including Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda. The Giants won, 8-6, in 23 innings. Boxscore

Cardinals comeback

Lary made his first career appearance against the Cardinals on July 19, 1964, at St. Louis. The Cardinals scored twice in the first and once in the second. Lary held them scoreless over the next six innings.

At one point, Lary “cheated a bit” on a pitch to Dick Groat, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Lary delivered a pitch “while standing a couple of feet short of the pitcher’s rubber,” the Post-Dispatch reported. “Third base umpire Chris Pelekoudas spotted the infraction and called it no pitch.”

The Mets took a 6-3 lead into the ninth. The Cardinals sent six batters to the plate against three Mets pitchers and each got a hit.

Carl Warwick, batting for Gibson, led off the ninth against Lary and laced a line drive into the left-field corner for a double. “He threw me a slider that broke over the plate and I was able to pull it,” Warwick said.

Curt Flood followed with his fourth single of the game against Lary.

Willard Hunter relieved and gave up three hits _ singles by Lou Brock and Bill White and a double by Ken Boyer. Each hit drove in a run, tying the score at 6-6.

With White on third, Boyer on second and Groat at the plate, Darrell Sutherland relieved. “I was surprised they didn’t walk me,” Groat said.

Mets manager Casey Stengel said he considered having Sutherland intentionally walk Groat, loading the bases and setting up a force at any base, but instead “I just told him to pitch the way he wanted to.”

With the infield playing in, Groat looped a single over the outstretched glove of second baseman Ron Hunt, scoring White from third and giving the Cardinals a 7-6 victory. Gibson, who struck out 11, got the win. Boxscore

From foe to friend

Seven days later, on July 26, Lary sparked a brawl in a start against the Braves at New York. After Denis Menke led off the game with a home run, Lary hit the next batter, Lee Maye, in the back of the neck with a pitch. Maye yelled, “That’s a lousy thing to do,” and headed toward the mound. Catcher Chris Cannizzaro grabbed Maye before he could reach Lary, but both benches emptied and fights broke out.

“I don’t know what I would have done if Cannizzaro hadn’t grabbed me,” Maye said.

Said Lary: “I was just pitching him inside. Sometimes a ball goes more inside than you want it.” Boxscore

Two weeks later, on Aug. 8, Lary was traded to the Braves.

Encore performance

Near the end of spring training in 1965, the Braves dealt Lary back to the Mets. He made his final Mets appearance on July 2, 1965, in a start against the Cardinals at Shea Stadium.

The Cardinals, who had Phil Gagliano batting leadoff and Curt Flood in the cleanup spot, scored six runs against Lary _ two each in the second, third and sixth. Flood, who batted .714 (5-for-7) in his career against Lary, had a single and a sacrifice fly.

Lary did more good with his bat than his arm. He singled twice and scored twice against Gibson. The Cardinals won, 6-3. Gibson struck out 13, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch. Boxscore

“Gibson’s ball was moving so much he couldn’t control it,” said Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst.

Said Gibson: “I didn’t know where half of the pitches were going.”

Previously: Phil Regan talks Lou Brock, Roger Maris, Al Hrabosky