Retro maps « billsportsmaps.com

June 30, 2023

Billsportsmaps’ 15th anniversary throwback: Major League Baseball, 1903 to 1952 [Hand-drawn map].

Filed under: 15th anniversary maps,Baseball,Hand Drawn Maps,Retro maps — admin @ 9:20 pm

Major League Baseball, 1903 to 1952 [Hand-drawn map]

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By Bill Turianski on the 30th of June 2023; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.

Billsportsmaps.com had its 15th year anniversary, on the 17th of August 2022. So I am posting a series of maps from the early days of this blog. This hand-drawn map was originally posted in November 2007.

Major League Baseball, 1903 to 1952 [Hand-drawn map]
Between 1903 and 1952, there was no franchise movement among the 8 National League and 8 American League baseball clubs. This map shows all the 16 MLB clubs from that time period, with emblems, cap crests and uniform details. Included is an inset map of the Greater New York City area. In the inset map, the locations of Yankee Stadium (NY Yankees), the Polo Grounds (NY Giants), and Ebbets Field (Brooklyn Dodgers) are marked. The evolution of these three NYC clubs’ crests and the evolution of the three ball clubs’ colors are also shown here.

This map would not have been possible without the incredible book “Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century” {at Amazon, here}. That book was researched, written, and illustrated by Marc Okkonen. His artwork for this book can now be found as the main uniform database (from 1900 to 1994) for the Baseball Hall of Fame site “Dressed to the Nines – A History of the Baseball Uniform”…{exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/database}

I made this map in early 1993, after my brothers had given me, for Christmas, the now-out-of-print “Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century” by Marc Okkonen. I used Caran d’Ache watercolor pencils and graphite pencil, on Bienfang semi-transparent paper. In 2023, I added the banner at the top of the map.

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May 1, 2023

Billsportsmaps’ 15th anniversary throwback: The American League, established in 1901 as a major league. [Hand-drawn map from 2005.]

Filed under: 15th anniversary maps,Baseball,Hand Drawn Maps,Retro maps — admin @ 4:39 pm

The American League, established 1901 as a major league [Hand-drawn map from 2005]
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By Bill Turianski on the 1st of May 2023; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.

Billsportsmaps.com had its 15th year anniversary, in August 2022. So I am posting a series of maps from the early days of this blog. This map was originally posted in October 2007.

The National League was established in 1876. It had competition from other pro baseball leagues, most notably the American Association (1882-91). Then for several years at the close of the Nineteenth Century, the National League was the sole major league. That changed in 1901: The Western League had renamed itself the American League for 1900, while it was still a minor league. But the next year – 1901 – the American League broke from the National Agreement, and declared itself a major league. So starting in 1901, there were once again two major leagues in pro baseball, and that has not changed since then. And since 1903, the winner of each league has gone on to play in the best-of-7-game World Series.

I hand-drew this map in 2005. The media I used were Caran d’Ache watercolor-pencils, graphite pencil, and Sharpie markers. Featured on this map are caps, logos, and cap crests from the past, with the ball clubs’ years of existence listed. I usually selected the oldest distinctive logos of each team. The text-box overlays, for each team’s formation-dates and for the logos’ time periods, were done on the computer in 2007. Franchise shifts are also noted. The map was updated and tightened up in 2023. And I added a banner at the top showing the 8 charter members of the 1901 American League, which includes any name-changes or franchise-shifts of those 8 ball clubs {info gleaned from this page at Wikipedia…American League: Charter franchises}.

The map lists every ball club that has played in the American League, since its inception as a major league in 1901. The main map is focused on the Northeast and the Midwest of the United States, which, of course, is the area where all of the original teams of both the National League and the American League were located. There are also 5 inset-maps. One inset-map is of Greater New York City (the New York Yankees), and the other four inset-maps are for areas where the American League expanded to, or moved into: California (the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakand Athletics), the state of Washington (the defunct Seattle Pilots, and then the Seattle Mariners), Texas (the Texas Rangers, and the Houston Astros [who switched over from the N.L. in 2013]), and Florida (the Tampa Bay Rays).

The logos and cap designs were primarily sourced from Sportslogos.net and from Marc Okkonen’s drawings found at the HoF site Dressed to the Nines.
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In the 18-year interim between when I made this map [2005], and now [2023], there have been 5 changes. These following five things I have added to the information on the map…There have been two changes in the names of teams in the American League, there has been one league-status change, and there will be another change – a franchise-shift – after the 2024 season, plus there is one change in the way that the history of the A.L. is officially reported.

A). The two team name changes: 1) in 2008, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays changed their name to the Tampa Bay Rays; 2) in 2022, the Cleveland Indians changed their name to the Cleveland Guardians. B). The league-status change: in 2013, the Houston Astros switched from the National League to the American League. C). The change soon to happen: the Oakland A’s will leave Oakland, CA after 2024, and will move to Las Vegas, Nevada. D). The recent ‘change’ in the history of the American League: according to Baseball-reference.com and official Baseball Hall of Fame baseball historian John Thorn, the New York Highlanders [the present-day New York Yankees] were actually an expansion team, and the franchise has no links to the defunct Baltimore Orioles of 1901-02.

The Baltimore Orioles (II, A.L., 1901-02) went bankrupt in the mid-summer of 1902, following ex-Orioles’ manager John McGraw defection to the New York Giants of the National League. And so the American League took over the operations of the 1902 Orioles for the remainder of the season. Following the 1902 season, the American League, under the directive of commissioner Ban Johnson, placed a franchise, under new ownership, in New York City. The team would turn out to be called the New York Highlanders, and they would play at Hilltop Park, about a mile south of the old Polo Grounds in northern Manhattan Island. (That team would change its name to the New York Yankees in 1913, move into Yankee Stadium in The Bronx in 1923, and then go on to become the most successful ball club in the history of Major League Baseball.) Five players from the 1902 Baltimore Orioles joined the roster of the new 1903 New York Highlanders. There are several reports in the news media, during the August-1902-to-March-1903 time frame, that the defunct 1902 Orioles’ franchise was transferred to new ownership in New York City {see 2 paragraphs below}.

And it is even more complicated than that, as described in this July 2014 article from the NY Yankees fan-site called The Captains’ Blog, Yankees Lose Their Oriole Way: BR.com Removes Baltimore Years From Franchise History. Here are some excerpts from that article…“American League President Ban Johnson endeavored to place a team in New York, which, not surprisingly, the incumbent Giants of the National League did everything possible to thwart. Although Johnson wasn’t able to establish a franchise in New York when the A.L. ramped up in 1901, his ultimate plan was to eventually move an existing team into the Big Apple. By many accounts, the Baltimore Orioles were that team.”…“John McGraw was selected to manage the Orioles in 1901, and, he believed, eventually shepherd the team to New York. However, when he learned that Johnson’s plan to reach Gotham didn’t include him, McGraw decided to write his own ticket. Not only did the fiery manager jump ship to the New York Giants in the middle of the 1902 season, but he helped his new bosses gain a majority ownership stake in the Orioles, which he then used to sabotage the franchise. This subterfuge eventually put the Orioles on the brink of collapse, and only by Johnson seizing the reigns was the team able to complete the 1902 season. Then, after negotiating a peace settlement with the National League during the offseason and securing a site for a new ballpark, Johnson folded the tents in the Baltimore and brought his show to the big top in New York.”…“…it could be argued that Johnson was the de facto owner of both the 1902 Orioles and 1903 Highlanders because the A.L. president was largely responsible for constructing their rosters and determining where they played. Who knows, if not for the inhospitable political climate in New York, which forced Johnson to award the franchise to owners backed by the powerful Tammany Hall, the A.L. might have retained control of the team in its early goings. In Yankees Century, baseball historians Glenn Stout and Richard A. Johnson go so far as to say Johnson was basically extorted out of the franchise by Tammany big wig Joseph Gordon, who forced the sale to a syndicate led by cronies Frank Farrell and Bill Devery in exchange for being able to build a ballpark within the city. “To make it happen,” Stout and Johnson wrote, “all Johnson had to do was say yes – and hand the franchise over to Tammany.” [New paragraph]…“Stout and Gordon’s research also showed that the American League footed some of the bill for the construction of the new ballpark, giving further credence to the notion that the league was a “part owner” of the new franchise in New York. Finally, the commissioner’s lawyers directly advanced a legal argument asserting Johnson’s status as owner. In response to a lawsuit filed by the remnants of the Baltimore American League Baseball Club, which asked for a judge to place the team’s assets in receivership, the New York Times wrote, “Mr. Johnson’s attorney…claims that Mr. Johnson, as President of the American League, is continually acting not only as owner of the Baltimore club, but all other clubs of the American League.”…“…[Ban Johnson]‘s mission was to land a franchise in New York, with or without nominal ownership, meaning only one asset had real value: the right to operate as a franchise. This asset was retained by Johnson and eventually conferred to new owners. Had McGraw not instigated a coup, it’s likely that the transition would have preceded more smoothly and with legal blessing. That it did not shouldn’t erase the clear ties that bind the Baltimore Orioles of 1901 to 1902 to the Yankees of the present day.” [Excerpts written by William Juliano / twitter.com/williamnyy23.]

Via the Wayback Machine, here is a fascinating thread from Baseball-Reference.com…1901-02 Orioles Removed from Yankees History [76 Responses to “1901-02 Orioles Removed from Yankees History”.] In this thread, you can see that John Thorn never addresses the issue, raised by irate commenters, that there is media evidence of a franchise transfer. Here are two, plus a screen-shot of the newspaper article quoted in the second comment. Comment #54…[via the Cleveland Leader from Aug. 27 1902]: “The players, it is said, were given to understand that the franchise of the Baltimore club would be transferred to New York and all hands signed by the Baltimore management switched over there.” Comment #63…[via the Philadelphia Inquirer from March 10, 1903]: “Baltimore franchise will be formally transferred to Gotham and all details announced”. Comment #74: {screenshot of Philadelphia Inquirer from March 10 1903}.

Here’s one more link, from the Reddit.com/Orioles page, posted by u[deleted] on the 22nd of July 2014, On the nonsense that is BBRef trying to strip the 1901/1902 Orioles from the Yankees history.
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April 4, 2023

1970 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the 1970 World Series champions the Baltimore Orioles & AL and NL Stats Leaders.

Filed under: Baseball,Baseball-1970 MLB season,Retro maps — admin @ 5:29 pm

1970 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’70 World Series champions the Baltimore Orioles & AL and NL Stats Leaders
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By Bill Turianski on the 4th of April 2023; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-1970 MLB season (en.wikipedia.org).
-1970 MLB (baseball-reference.com).
-Year in Review: 1970 American League (baseball-almanac.com).
-Year in Review: 1970 National League (baseball-almanac.com).
-1970 MLB logos (sportslogos.net).

1970 MLB Location-map with jersey-logos with 1970 attendances, featuring the 1970 World Series champions: the Baltimore Orioles.
This is my fourth in a series.
Here are links to the first three posts in this series:
•1967 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’67 World Series champions: the St. Louis Cardinals;
•1968 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’68 World Series champions: the Detroit Tigers.
•1969 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos and Attendances, featuring the ’69 World Series champions: the New York Mets.

The map shows the locations of the 24 Major League Baseball teams of 1970.
On the map, next to each MLB team’s location-dot there are 3 things: their cap-logo, one of their 1970 jersey-logos (either home or away jersey), and a rectangular box (listing: ballpark, win total in 1970, and home average attendance in ’70). All but one of the jersey-logos are from photos of the old jerseys (see 23 photo credits at the foot of this post); one jersey-logo – the Detroit Tigers’ 1970 away jersey-logo – I drew myself.

The jersey-logo for each team is sized to reflect that team’s 1970 average attendance: the larger the jersey-logo, the higher their attendance was that year. Any other team logos on the team’s uniforms in 1970 are also shown (specifically, shoulder-patch-logos, of which there were 6 of such in 1970: for the Astros, the Braves, the Cubs, the Royals, the Mets, and the Twins).

1970 Average Attendances are shown at the right-hand side of the map-page. Best-drawing MLB team in 1970 were the reigning champions, the New York Mets, who drew 32.8-K per game at the then-7-year-old Shea Stadium in Queens, NYC. For this time period, that was a rather impressive figure, as it was slightly more than ten thousand per game better than any other big league club that year. Second- best draw were the NL pennant-winners, the Cincinnati Reds, who drew 22.2-K per game in the 1970 season, half of which they played at their old Crosley Field, and half at their then-new venue Riverfront Stadium. Three other teams drew above 20,000 per game in 1970: the LA Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs, and the St. Louis Cardinals.

At the top of the map-page is a section for the 1970 MLB champions, the Baltimore Orioles. I featured photos of the 13 players on the ’70 Orioles with the highest WAR [Wins Above Replacement], plus the their manager, Earl Weaver. Photo credits are at the foot of this post. The players are: Jim Palmer (RHP & HoF), Paul Blair (CF), Boog Powell (1B & 1970 AL MVP), Frank Robinson (RF/1B & HoF), Merv Rettenmund (OF/PH), Don Buford (LF/Infield), Dave MacNally (LHP), Brooks Robinson (3B & HoF), Davey Johnson (2B), Pete Richert (LHP/Reliever), Mike Cuellar (LHP), Mark Belanger (SS), Elrod Hendricks (C/PH).

At the foot of the map-page are 1970 MLB Statistical Leaders (in both the American League and the National League), in the following categories: ERA, Wins, WAR for Pitchers; Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs, WAR for Position Players. A photo of each player is shown, with stats; photo credits are at the foot of this post.

In 1970, there was an MLB franchise-move… after only one season, the just-formed Seattle Pilots of 1969 (AL) moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. This strange affair resulted in two things. First it gave the city of Milwaukee a big-league ball club once again, after the city had lost their Milwaukee Braves to Atlanta, Georgia (following the 1965 season). Second, the abrupt departure of the Seattle Pilots resulted in the city of Seattle suing Major League Baseball for breach of contract. {See this, Seattle Pilots: Lawsuit (en.wikipedia.org).} The lawsuit was finally settled out of court 6 years later, when MLB awarded Seattle another expansion franchise: the Seattle Mariners of 1977. On the map-page here, I have shown the 1970-franchise-move of Seattle-Pilots-to-Milwaukee-Brewers, using a long pale-gray line-segment with arrows, and with the Pilots’ old gear shown in gray-tone.
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1970 World Series – Baltimore Orioles beat Cincinnati Reds in 5 games

The Baltimore Orioles were the dominant team in the American League in 1970, winning the AL East by 15 games. The 1970 Orioles featured no less than three 20-game-winners in their pitching rotation (Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Dave McNally). Baltimore’s offense was powered by a couple of sluggers in Frank Robinson (OF) and the 1970 AL MVP Boog Powell (1B), plus Gold Glove winner Brooks Robinson (3B). In the playoffs, the O’s swept the Minnesota Twins 3-0 (again), and so Baltimore was headed back to the World Series, hoping to make amends for losing to the underdog NY Mets in the previous year’s Fall Classic.

The Cincinnati Reds were likewise the dominant team in the National League in 1970, winning the NL West by 14.5 games, and then sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates in the playoffs. Compared to the Orioles, the Reds boasted more offensive firepower (with Johnny Bench, Lee May, Tony Pérez, and Pete Rose), but the Reds had a less commanding, and somewhat disabled, pitching staff.

Game 1. The Reds took a 3-0 lead with 1 run in the 1st inning, and 2 in the 3rd. But Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer settled down, and did not allow any more runs in his 8.2 innings. The Orioles evened up the 3-0 deficit, starting with a 2-run HR by Boog Powell in the 4th inning, and a solo shot by catcher Elrod Hendricks in the 4th. Then there was a huge fielding play by Brooks Robinson in the 6th inning: a back-handed grab of a hard grounder down the line by the Reds’ Lee May, with Robinson spinning to throw him out. It was one of several spectacular plays Brooks Robinson would make in the series. Also in the 6th inning there was a missed call by the home-plate umpire {see photo and caption below}, which prevented the Reds from reclaiming the lead. (Replays showed that in the collision at the plate, Orioles’ catcher Hendricks tagged Reds’ baserunner Bernie Carbo with an empty mitt.) The Orioles claimed the lead for good in the 7th, on a Frank Robinson HR. Orioles won 4-3; Win: Jim Palmer; Save: Pete Richert.

Game 2. Again the Reds took a lead, and again the Orioles rallied back. The Reds chased O’s starter Mike Cuellar after 2.1 innings. Trailing 4-0, the Orioles got one back in the 4th, on a Boog Powell HR. Then in the 5th inning, Baltimore scored 5 runs…the O’s hit 5 consecutive singles, followed by a 2-run double by Elrod Hendricks. The Reds got one back in the 6th, but Baltimore’s bullpen kept the lead. Orioles won 6-5; Win: Tom Phoebus [in relief]; Save: Dick Hall.

Game 3. Dave McNally and Brooks Robinson were the heroes of the day for the Orioles. Brooks Robinson made three spectacular fielding plays. In the 1st inning, he made a leaping grab of a Tony Pérez hopper, stepped on third and fired to first for the double play. In the 2nd, Robinson snagged a slow grounder by Tommy Helms, and threw him out. And in the 6th, he made a diving catch off a liner by Johnny Bench. With Baltimore leading 4-1, Brooks Robinson then led off the bottom of the 6th, and received a standing ovation from the home crowd; he then doubled. Three batters later, with the bases full, pitcher Dave McNally stepped up, and hit the ball out of the park. McNally became the first (and only) pitcher to hit a World Series grand slam. McNally pitched a complete game, and the O’s coasted to a 3-0 lead in the Series. Orioles won 9-3; Win: Dave McNally.

Game 4. The Reds avoided a Series sweep. Cincinnati came back from a 4-2 deficit, thanks to fine relief pitching by both rookie Don Gullett (2.2 innings), and veteran Clay Carroll (3.2 innings). The Reds won it on a game-winning 3-run HR, by Lee May, in the 8th inning. Reds won 6-5; Win: Clay Carroll.

Game 5. Mike Cuellar gave up 3 runs in the 1st inning, but settled down and shut the door, going the whole 9 innings. The Orioles scored 2 runs in each of the first three innings. Frank Robinson and Merv Rettenmund each hit homers, and both had 2 RBI, as did Davey Johnson. The Orioles won 9-3, and claimed their second World Series title in 4 years. Orioles won 9-3; Win: Mike Cuellar. Orioles won the World Series in 5 games.

Brooks Robinson won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, thanks his clutch fielding, but also thanks to his offensive contributions: he hit .429, and he broke the record for total bases in a five-game series, with 17.

So in 1970, the Baltimore Orioles (established 1954) won their second World Series title in 4 years (they had swept the LA Dodgers in 1966). The Orioles would go on to their third straight World Series appearance in the following year of 1971 (losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 7 games). The Baltimore Orioles [as of 2022] have won 3 World Series titles (their third WS title was won in 1983, when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games).

1970 WS photo and image credits -
-Memorial Stadium (Baltimore), aerial photo unattributed at eutawstreetreport.com. -Orioles’ 1st Baseman Boog Powell holds the Reds’ Pete Rose at 1st, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@sigg20]. -Orioles’ Catcher Elrod Hendricks tags out Reds’ Bernie Carbo at home (Game 1), photo unattributed (Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) at pinterest.com. -Brooks Robinson fielding a grounder, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Dave McNally, pitching in game 3 of 1970 WS, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.co.jp. -Frank Robinson, photo by SPX/Diamond Images/Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Mike Cuellar hugs Brooks Robinson as Davey Johnson rushes to the mound in celebration, photo from Baltimore Orioles via pressboxonline.com.
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Jersey-logo photo credits -
-Atlanta Braves 1970 home jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Baltimore Orioles 1970 jersey, photo from mitchellandness.com.
-Boston Red Sox 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-California Angels 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Chicago Cubs 1970 road jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Chicago White Sox 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Cincinnati Reds 1970 home jersey photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Cleveland Indians 1970 home jersey, photo from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-Houston Astros 1970 home jersey, photo from lelands.com.
-Kansas City Royals 1970 jersey, photo from worthpoint.com.
-Los Angeles Dodgers 1970 jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Milwaukee Brewers 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Minnesota Twins home jersey circa 1968-71, photo from lelands.com.
-Montreal Expos 1970 road jersey, photo from goldinauctions.com.
-New York Mets 1970 jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-New York Yankees road jersey circa 1967-71, photo from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-Oakland A’s 1970 home (gold) jersey, photo from worthpoint.com.
-Philadelphia Phillies 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Pittsburgh Pirates 1970 home alternate jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com
-San Diego Padres 1970 road jersey, from lelands.com.
-San Francisco Giants 1970 home jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-St. Louis Cardinals road jersey circa 1967-71, from scpauctions.com.
-Washington Senators 1970 home jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
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Baltimore Orioles players: photo and image credits – 1970 Baltimore Orioles road jersey, from goldinauctions.com.1970 Baltimore Orioles home jersey, from mitchellandness.com. -Jim Palmer, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via camdenchat.com. -Paul Blair, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Boog Powell, photo by Getty Images via camdenchat.com. -Frank Robinson, photo unattributed at pinterest.com. -Merv Rettenmund, photo unattributed at pinterest.ie. -Don Buford, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via camdenchat.com. -Dave McNally, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@Orioles]. -Brooks Robinson, photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.ca. -Davey Johnson, photo unattributed at ebay.com. -Pete Richert, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.co.uk. -Mike Cuellar, photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.in. -Mark Belanger, photo unattributed at pinterest.com. -Elrod Hendricks, Topps 1970 card, from psacard.com. -Earl Weaver (manager), photo unattributed at mlb.com.
-1970 Baltimore Orioles uniforms, illustration by Marc Okkonen at exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines.
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Photos of 1970 MLB leaders on map page…
-Diego Seguí, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Tom Seaver, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via nytimes.com.
-Mike Cuellar, photo unattributed at alchetron.com.
-Dave McNally, photo unattributed at whentoppshadballs.blogspot.com.
-Jim Perry, photo unattributed at classicminnesotatwins.blogspot.com.
-Bob Gibson, photo by Diamond Images/Getty Images via nytimes.com.
-Gaylord Perry, photo unattributed at lastwordonsports.com.
-Sam McDowell, photo by the Stanley Weston Archive/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Bob Gibson, photo by Walter Iooss, Jr at si.com.
-Alex Johnson, photo unattributed at ebay.com.
-Rico Carty, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.co.uk.
-Frank Howard, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Johnny Bench, photo by Diamond Images/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Frank Howard, Topps 1971 card, from pinterest.com.
-Johnny Bench, Sports Illustrated cover [July 13, 1970] at sicovers.com.
-Carl Yastrzemski, photo unattributed at ebay.com.
-Johnny Bench, photo by SPX/Diamond Images via Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
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Thanks to all at the following links…
-Base map, by US federal government employee at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StatesU.svg.
-Baseball-Reference.com.
-1970 Major League Baseball season (en.wikipedia.org).

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January 24, 2023

NFL 1964 season, map with helmets/jerseys & final standings + offensive stats leaders; champions: Cleveland Browns.

Filed under: NFL> 1964 map/season,NFL/ Gridiron Football,Retro maps — admin @ 6:53 pm

NFL 1964 season, map with helmets/jerseys & final standings + offensive stats leaders; champions: Cleveland Browns
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By Bill Turianski on 24 January 2023; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-1964 NFL season
-1964 NFL Championship Game (en.wikipedia.org).
-1964 NFL season (pro-football-reference.com).

1964 NFL title game: Cleveland Browns 27, Baltimore Colts 0.
In 1963, Blanton Collier replaced the Cleveland Browns’ 17-year head coach Paul Brown. Owner Art Modell had fired Paul Brown, after the team went 7-6-1 in 1962. This came about because by the early 1960s, Paul Brown had hardened into an autocratic leader unwilling to work with the owner, or to let others share the limelight. The power struggle between Modell (the owner), Paul Brown (the head coach and team founder), and the star player (Jim Brown) could only end one way, and that was for Paul Brown to go.

Collier had been an assistant coach under Paul Brown from 1946 to 1953, back in the glory days of the Browns in the AAFC (winning all four AAFC titles) and then in the NFL (winning the 1950 title in the Browns’ first NFL season). Circa the early 1950s, Blanton Collier had been the first coach in the NFL to utilize film analysis. Collier went on to coach the University of Kentucky Wildcats from 1954-61. Collier then went back to Cleveland in 1962, as offensive assistant. One year later, Collier was the Browns’ new head coach.

As head coach, Blanton Collier was a patient perfectionist who brought calm to the Browns’ locker room.
•In 1963, the Browns under Collier went 10-4, finishing 1 game behind the Giants in the NFL East.
•In 1964, the Browns under Collier went 10-3-1, finishing 1/2 game above the Cardinals, and winning the NFL East.

1964 NFL Championship Game, Sunday December 27 1964.
Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH. Attendance: 79,544 [overflow-capacity of 101.7%]. Game-time temperature was 32°F (0°C), with a strong 20-MPH wind off of Lake Erie, and occasional light snow flurries. The Baltimore Colts were heavily-favored. Oddsmakers had the Colts favored by 7 points, and virtually everyone in the national media - and the local Cleveland media - predicted a huge Colts victory. The Colts were led by second-year head coach Don Shula and QB Johnny Unitas, and featured the league-leader in TDs, HB Lenny Moore. The Colts had coasted to the Western Division title, going 12-2 and clinching their post-season berth with 3 games to spare, and had the highest-scoring offense and the least-scored-upon defense. Meanwhile, the Browns had struggled to win the Eastern Division, and squeaked into the post-season with only a half-a-game lead over the surprise St. Louis Cardinals. The Browns were led by second-year head coach Blanton Collier, QB Frank Ryan (the league-leader in TD passes), FB Jim Brown (the league-leader in rushing and in yards from scrimmage), and WRs Gary Collins and rookie Paul Warfield. This was the Browns’ eighth NFL championship game appearance since joining the NFL in 1950, but it was their first in seven years.

The first half went scoreless, with both teams unable to move the ball. Late in the 3rd Quarter, with the Browns up 3-0, Jim Brown broke open for a 46-yard run {see photo below}. (Jim Brown ran for 114 yards in the game.) That run set up the Browns’ first TD, on the next play: an 18-yard pass from Browns QB Frank Ryan to WR Gary Collins {see photo below}. Then late in the 3rd quarter, Ryan found Collins again, on a 42-yard pass. That gave the Browns a 17-0 lead {see photo below}. In the 4th quarter, Ryan found Collins yet again, on a 51-yard pass play that carried Gary Collins into the end zone standing-room-only crowd {see photos below}. Gary Collins’ 3 TD pass receptions in an NFL title game is a record that still stands (as of 2022). The Cleveland Browns’ 1964 title was the only NFL title that Jim Brown won. It was the Browns’ 4th NFL title. And 58 years later, it is still the last NFL title that the Cleveland Browns have won.

Photo and Image credits above -
Screenshot of exterior of Municipal Stadium’s “Home of the Cleveland Browns” banner, from video uploaded by jstube36 at youtube.com. Interior shot of Municipal Stadium for 1964 NFL title game (Sunday December 27, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio), shot from upper deck before game, photo unattributed at goldenrankings.com/nflchampionshipgame1964. Blanton Collier and Jim Brown [photo circa 1963], unattributed at fold3.com/[Blanton Collier]. Photo of Blanton Collier and QB Frank Ryan, unattributed from Cleveland Browns (II) at artsci.case.edu. Jim Brown running for 46-yard gain, photo unattributed at brownswire.usatoday.com. Screenshot of WR Gary Collins catching his 1st TD pass in end zone, from video uploaded by Cleveland Browns at youtube.com. Screenshot of WR Gary Collins catching his 2nd TD pass in end zone, from video uploaded by Cleveland Browns at youtube.com. Gary Collins after his record-setting 3rd TD pass reception, emerging from standing-room-only section behind endzone, photo unattributed via dawgsbynature.com/2019/12/26/21038201/where-are-your-former-browns-now-wr-gary-collins. Jim Brown immediately after the game, swarm by congratulatory fans, screenshot from video uploaded by NFL Films at youtube.com.

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Browns players on map page,
Frank Ryan [photo circa 1965], unattributed at thedelite.com. Dick Schafrath [1965 Fleer card], from vintagecardprices.com. Jim Brown [photo from 1964], photo by Neil Leifer via pinterest.com. Paul Warfield [1965 Fleer card], from psacard.com. Gary Collins [photo from 1964 NFL Championship Game (Dec. 27 1964)], unattributed via dawgsbynature.com/2019/12/26/21038201/where-are-your-former-browns-now-wr-gary-collins. Brownie the Elf with crown (1964 NFL title-winners), photo from worthpoint.com.
Game-worn mid-1960s Cleveland Browns helmet (Paul Warfield), photo from helmethut.com/Browns/Warfield. Lou Groza [photo circa 1963], unattributed at gamedaysportsmemorabilia.com. Jim Houston [1962 Post Cereal card], from footballcardgallery.com. Dick Modzelewski [photo circa 1964], unattributed at clevelandbrowns.com. Bill Glass [photo from 1962], photo by Neil Leifer via gettyimages.com. Bernie Parrish [1965 Fleer card], from maaravamall.com. Segment of NFL-logo-themed playing cards [from 1964], from grayflannelsuit.net/blog.

Offensive stats leaders on map page,
Bart Starr QB (Packers) [photo circa 1963], 1964 Packers Yearbook from ebay.com
Charley Johnson QB (Cardinals) [photo from Jan. 1965], photo by Walter Iooss Jr via gettyimages.com.
Frank Ryan QB (Browns) [photo circa 1963], photo from Getty Images via pinterest.com.
Jim Brown FB (Browns) [photo circa 1964], photo unattributed at brownswire.usatoday.com.
Johnny Morris FL (Bears) [image from 1963], screenshot from video at chicagobears.com/video/chicago-bears-decade-series-1960-s.
Lenny Moore HB (Colts) [image circa 1965], screenshot from video uploaded by NFL Films at youtube.com/[#94: Lenny Moore | The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players]
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Thanks to all at the following links…
-Blank map by anonymous US federal government employee, at File:StatesU.svg (commons.wikimedia.org).
-Thanks to the contributors at pro-football-reference.com
-Thanks to the contributors at NFL 1964 season (en.wikipedia.org).
Special thanks to Tim Brulia, Bill Schaefer and Rob Holecko of The Gridiron Uniform Database, for giving billsportsmaps.com the permission to use football uniforms illustrations from Gridiron Uniform Database {GUD}.

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May 31, 2022

Billsportsmaps’ 15th anniversary throwback: NFL 1920 to 1960 [hand-drawn map].

Filed under: 15th anniversary maps,NFL/ Gridiron Football,Retro maps — admin @ 7:40 pm

By Bill Turianski on the 31st of May 2022; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-National Football League (en.wikipedia.org).
-Gridiron Uniforms Database: gridiron-uniforms.com.
-Sportslogos.net: sportslogos.net/[NFL].
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Billsportsmaps.com will have its 15th year anniversary, on the 17th of August 2022.

So to mark the 15th anniversary of my site, I am posting a series of maps from the early days of this blog. Here, I am re-posting my first-ever post {originally, here}. It is a hand-drawn map of the early days of the NFL. This map shows the prominent NFL teams of the period from 1920 to 1960.

NFL 1920 to 1960 [hand-drawn map]

There are 35 teams shown on the map. The criteria I used to determine which teams to include on the map, and which teams to leave out, was this: a team (franchise) had to have played at least 4 NFL seasons. So the map shows every NFL team which was established between 1920 and 1960, and which existed for at least 4 seasons.

Franchise shifts are shown as well, with arrows indicating the franchise relocations. Those franchise relocations I showed on the map are:
1) 1921: Decatur Staleys move from central Illinois, up to Chicago, to eventually become the Chicago Bears in 1922; 2) 1934: Portsmouth Spartans move from southern Ohio, up to Detroit, to become the Detroit Lions; 3) 1937: Boston Redskins move from Massachusetts, down to the nation’s capital, to become the Washington Redskins; 4) 1946: the reigning 1945 NFL champions the Cleveland Rams move all the way out to the West Coast, to become the Los Angeles Rams; 5) 1960: the Chicago Cardinals move down to Missouri to become the St. Louis football Cardinals.

The evolution of the football helmet is depicted at the top of the map. The 6 helmets shown at the top of the map are, from left to right:
1) a generic plain leather football helmet from the late 1910s/early 1920s; 2) Green Bay Packers yellow/gold-painted leather helmet (with multiple round air vents) circa late 1930s; Chicago Bears navy-blue-painted padded leather helmet from the 1940s; 4) Detroit Lions silver-painted plastic-shell helmet from the early 1950s; 5) Cleveland Browns orange plastic helmet with white center-stripe from the early 1950s; 6) Philadelphia Eagles green plastic helmet with silver eagle-wing decal and facemask circa late 1950s.

Other images of note on the map:
Helmets shown on the map:
A) New York Giants dark-blue leather helmet with red-painted sunburst design from 1929; B) Philadelphia Eagles green leather helmet with wavy silver/white painted top section [aka the feather helmet], from 1942 to ’48; C) Los Angeles Rams dark-blue leather helmet with yellow/gold hand-painted rams’ horns design (made and painted by Rams’ Halfback Fred Gehrke) [which was the first helmet-logo in gridiron football history], from 1948; D) Washington Redskins burgundy plastic helmet with white-&-pale-red feather decal on the back-center of helmet, from 1958 to ’64; E) Dallas Cowboys first helmet, a white plastic helmet with a plain dark-blue star decal and two thin dark-blue center-stripes, from 1960 to ’63.

Players shown on map:
Inset-map of northeastern Ohio at the top of the map: Jim Thorpe in his Canton Bulldogs gear circa 1920, based on a famous photo, seen at his Wikipedia page, here. Central Illinois: George Halas in Chicago Staleys gear in 1921. This is an anachronism I was not aware of when I drew this map: a few years ago the Gridiron Uniforms Database unearthed the fact that the early Staleys/Bears teams wore red, and not navy-blue-and-orange until 1922. The uniform I have on the map wasn’t in use until 1928, and you can see that by scrolling through the first decade of the Bears’ uniform history, here. And finally, the player tossing the ball in the Packers’ logo on the map is not a particular player, but a generic player, and that is based on the team’s primary logo from the late 1950s, here.

The list of the 35 teams shown on the map can be found at the foot of this post.
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The American Professional Football Association was formed in 1920, in Canton, Ohio. The APFA changed its name to the National Football League in 1922. Today, only two of the original 1920 franchises, the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) and the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals), remain as NFL franchises.

The early days of the NFL were marked by franchise instability and public indifference. College football was far more popular, and club finances were further eroded by the onset of the Depression in the early 1930s. Many teams came and went. In fact, there wasn’t a balanced schedule until 1936. In other words, for the first 16 seasons of the NFL, some teams played more games than other teams, and scheduling games was left to the teams themselves (and not the league). The roster of defunct NFL teams would startle the average NFL fan of today. Very few fans who cozy up to their TV each autumn Sunday to watch pro football know that in the early 1930′s, New York City boasted three NFL teams: the New York football Giants, the Brooklyn football Dodgers, and the Staten Island Stapletons (NFL, 1929-32). Or that the list of teams that have won an NFL title include the Frankford Yellow Jackets, of Philadelphia, in (1926), and the Providence Steam Roller in (1928). Or that the Detroit Lions, est. 1934, began as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans (1930-33). The league soldiered on through the Depression in the 1930s, and by the end of World War II, the NFL was poised for its future success. The post-War era saw the end of leather helmets in the late 1940s. And the post-Wa era also saw a more emphasized passing game, which helped gain more fan interest. By the late 1950′s, television coverage began turning the NFL into the sports entertainment juggernaut it is today.

To see a list of defunct NFL teams that played for at least 4 seasons, click on the following:

Chart by billsportsmaps 2022; Canton, Columbus, Dayton, Duluth, Frankford logos drawn by gridiron-uniforms.com/[Defunct Teams]; Milwaukee logo by Darth_Brooks at reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/Revising Defunct NFL Teams
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To see a list of all NFL teams (past and present) shown on the map, scroll down to the foot of this post, under the enlarged map below.

NFL 1920 to 1960 [hand-drawn map]

The 35 NFL Teams on the map (which includes every NFL franchise established between 1920 and 1960 which existed for at least 4 seasons)…

[Teams below listed by: years played, alphabetically, with {NFL titles up to 1960 listed} (and with franchise-shifts noted).]
1920 APFA (NFL): 10 franchises est. 1920 on the map…
•Akron Pros, of Akron, OH (1920-26; 1926 as Akron Indians {1920 APFA title}.)/ Defunct.
•Buffalo All-Americans, of Buffalo, NY (1920-29; 1924 & ’25 as Buffalo Bisons; 1926 as Buffalo Rangers; 1928 team suspended operations {1921 disputed APFA title}./ Defunct.
•Canton Bulldogs, of Canton, OH (1920-26; in 1924: played in Cleveland, OH as Cleveland football Indians {1922, 1923 NFL titles}.)/ Defunct.
•Chicago Cardinals (1920-59; 1960: franchise moved to St. Louis, MO as the St. Louis football Cardinals (NFL, 1960-87) {1925, 1947 NFL titles}.)/ Present-day Arizona Cardinals (NFL, 1988- ).
•Columbus Panhandles, of Columbus, OH (1920-26; 1923-26 as Columbus Tigers.)/ Defunct.
•Dayton Triangles, of Dayton, OH (1920-29; 1930: franchise moved to Brooklyn NY, as Brooklyn football Dodgers (NFL, 1930-43; 1944 as Brooklyn Tigers.)/ Defunct.
•Decatur Staleys, of Decatur, IL (1920; 1921: franchise moved to Chicago, IL as Chicago Staleys)./ Present-day Chicago Bears (NFL, 1921- ).
•Hammond Pros, of Hammond, IN [Greater Chicago, IL]/ traveling team (1920-26.)/ Defunct.
•Rochester Jeffersons, of Rochester, NY (1920-25.)/ Defunct.
•Rock Island Independents, of Rock Island, IL (1920-25.)/ Defunct.
1921 APFA (NFL): 2 new franchises and 1 relocated franchise est. 1921 on the map…
•Chicago Staleys, of Chicago, IL (orig. est. 1920 as the Decatur Staleys (1920)/ 1921: franchise moved to Chicago, IL as the Chicago Staleys (1921); 1922: changed name to the Chicago Bears {1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1946 NFL titles}.)/ Present-day Chicago Bears (NFL, 1921- ).
•Green Bay Packers, of Green Bay, WI (1921- {1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1944 NFL titles}.)/ Present-day Green Bay Packers (NFL, 1921- ).
•Minneapolis Marines, of Minneapolis, MN (1921-24.)/ Defunct.
1922 NFL: 1 franchise est. 1922 on the map…
•Milwaukee Badgers, of Milwaukee, WI (1922-25.)/ Defunct.
1923 NFL: 1 franchise est. 1923 on the map…
•Duluth Kelleys, of Duluth, MN/ primarily a traveling team (1923-27; 1926: changed name to Duluth Eskimos.)/ Defunct.
1924 NFL: 1 franchise est. 1924 on the map…
•Frankford Yellow Jackets, of Frankford, a section of NE Philadelphia, PA (1924-31 {1926 NFL title}.)/ Defunct.
1925 NFL: 3 franchises est. 1925 on the map…
•New York football Giants, of Manhattan, NYC, NY (1925- {1927, 1934, 1938, 1956 NFL titles}.)/ Present-day New York Giants (1925- ).
•Pottsville Maroons, of Pottsville, PA (1925-28 {1926 disputed NFL title}.)/ 1929: franchise moved to Boston, MA as Boston Bulldogs (1929)/ Defunct.
•Providence Steam Roller, of Providence, RI (1925-31 {1928 NFL title}.)/ Defunct.
1929 NFL: 1 franchise est. 1929 on the map…
•Staten Island Stapletons, of Stapleton, NE Staten Island, NYC, NY (1929-32.)/ Defunct.
1930 NFL: 1 new franchise & 1 relocated franchise est. 1930 on the map…
•Portsmouth Spartans, of Portsmouth, OH (1930-33 {1932: lost 1st-ever NFL playoff game to Chicago Bears}.)/ 1934: franchise moved to Detroit, MI as the Detroit Lions (NFL, 1934- )./ Present-day Detroit Lions (NFL, 1934- ).
•Brooklyn football Dodgers, of Brooklyn, NYC, NY (orig. est. 1920-29 as the Dayton Triangles of Dayton, OH/ 1930: moved to Brooklyn, NYC, NY as the Brooklyn football Dodgers; 1944 as Brooklyn Tigers.)/ Defunct.
1932 NFL: 1 franchise est. 1932 on the map…
•Boston football Braves (1932-36; 1934: changed name to Boston Redskins. )/ 1937: franchise moved to Washington, DC as the Washington Redskins (1937-2019; 2020-21:Washington Football Team)/Present-day Washington Commanders (1932- ).
1933 NFL: 2 franchises est. 1933 on the map…
•Philadelphia Eagles, of Philadelphia, PA (1933- {1948, 1949, 1960 NFL titles}./ Present-day Philadelphia Eagles (NFL, 1933- ).
•Pittsburgh football Pirates, of Pittsburgh, PA (1933- ; 1940: changed name to Pittsburgh Steelers)./ Present-day Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL, 1933- ).
1934 NFL: 1 relocated franchise on the map…
•Detroit Lions, of Detroit, MI (orig. est. as the Portsmouth (OH) Spartans (1930-33)/ franchise moved to Detroit, MI in 1934 as the Detroit Lions (1934- {1935, 1952, 1953, 1957 NFL titles} .)/ Present-day Detroit Lions (NFL, 1934- ).
1937 NFL: 1 new franchise & 1 relocated franchise est. 1937 on the map…
•Cleveland Rams, of Cleveland, OH (1937-42; ’44-45) {1945 NFL title}/ 1946: franchise moved to Los Angeles, CA as the Los Angeles Rams (1946-94; 2016- ) {1951 NFL title}/ 1995: franchise moved to St. Louis, MO as the St. Louis Rams (1995-2015)/ 2016: franchise moved back to LA as the Los Angeles Rams)/ Present-day Los Angeles Rams (NFL, 1937- ).
•Washington Redskins, of Washington, DC (orig. est. 1934-37 as the Boston Braves/Redskins/ 1937: franchise moved to Washington, DC (1937-2019; 2020: changed name to Washington Football Team; 2022: changed name to Washington Commanders {1937, 1942 NFL titles}.)/ Present-day Washington Commanders (NFL, 1934- ).
1944 NFL: 1 franchises est. 1944 on the map…
•Boston Yanks, of Boston, MA (1944; ’46-48)/ 1949: franchise moved to New York City, NY as the New York Bulldogs (1949; 1950: changed name to New York Yanks (1951-51)/ 1952: franchise moved to Dallas Texas as the Dallas Texans (1952/ Defunct).
1946 NFL: 1 franchises est. 1946 on the map…
•Los Angeles Rams, of Los Angeles, CA (orig. est. 1937 as the Cleveland Rams (1937-42; ’44-45) {1945 NFL title}/ 1946: franchise moved to Los Angeles, CA as the Los Angeles Rams (1946-94; 2016- ) {1951 NFL title}/ 1995: franchise moved to St. Louis, MO as the St. Louis Rams (1995-2015)/ 2016: franchise moved back to LA as the Los Angeles Rams)/ Present-day Los Angeles Rams (NFL, 1937- ).
1950 NFL: 2 franchises est. 1950 on the map [AAFC/NFL merger of 1950]…
•[AAFC-merger team] Cleveland Browns (1950-1995; 1999- {1950, 1954, 1955, 1964 NFL titles}.)/ Present-day Cleveland Browns (NFL, 1950-1995; 1999- ).
-[AAFC-merger team] Baltimore Colts (I) (1950./ Defunct.) [Not shown on the map.]
•[AAFC-merger team] San Francisco 49ers (1950- )/ Present-day San Francisco 49ers (NFL, 1950- ).
1953 NFL: 1 franchises est. 1953 on the map…
•Baltimore Colts (II) (1953–1983 {1958, 1959 NFL titles}./ 1984: franchise moved to Indianapolis, IN as the Indianapolis Colts (1984- ).)/ Present-day Indianapolis Colts (NFL, 1952- ).
1960 NFL: 1 new franchise & 1 relocated franchise est. 1960 on the map…
•Dallas Cowboys, of Greater Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (1960- .)/ Present-day Dallas Cowboys (NFL, 1960- ).
•St. Louis football Cardinals (est. 1920 as the Chicago Cardinals (1920-59 {1925, 1947 NFL titles}/ 1960: franchise moved to St. Louis, MO as the St. Louis Cardinals (1960-87)/ 1988: franchise moved to Greater Phoenix, AZ (1988- ), as the Phoenix Cardinals; 1994: changed name to Arizona Cardinals.) / Present-day Arizona Cardinals (NFL, 1920- ).
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April 21, 2022

1969 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’69 World Series champions: the New York Mets; & AL and NL Stats Leaders.

Filed under: Baseball,Baseball-1969 MLB season,Retro maps — admin @ 12:56 pm

1969 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’69 World Series champions the New York Mets & AL and NL Stats Leaders
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By Bill Turianski on the 21st of April 2022; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-1969 MLB season (en.wikipedia.org).
-1969 MLB (baseball-reference.com).
-Year in Review: 1969 American League (baseball-almanac.com).
-Year in Review: 1969 National League (baseball-almanac.com).
-1969 MLB logos (sportslogos.net).
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1969 MLB Location-map with jersey-logos with 1969 attendances, featuring the ’69 World Series champion New York Mets.
This is my third in a series.
Here are links to the first two posts in this series:
•1967 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’67 World Series champions: the St. Louis Cardinals;
•1968 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’68 World Series champions: the Detroit Tigers.

The map shows the locations of the 24 Major League Baseball teams of 1969.
At the foot of the map-page are 1969 MLB Statistical Leaders (in both the American League and the National League), in the following categories: ERA, Wins, WAR for Pitchers; Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs, WAR for Position Players. A photo of each player is shown, with stats; photo credits are at the foot of this post.

At the top of the map-page is a section for the 1969 MLB champions, the New York Mets. I featured photos of the 12 players on the ’69 Mets with the highest WAR [Wins Above Replacement], plus the their manager, Gil Hodges. Photo credits are at the foot of this post. The players are: Tom Seaver (RHP & 1969 Cy Young Award winner), Cleon Jones (LF), Tommie Agee (CF), Jerry Koosman (LHP), Jerry Grote (C), Tug McGraw (LHP/reliever), Gary Gentry (RHP), Bud Harrelson (SS), Art Shamsky (OF/1B/PH), Ron Taylor (RHP/reliever), Don Cardwell (RHP), Ken Boswell (2B).

On the map, next to each MLB team’s location-dot there are 3 things: their cap-logo, one of their jersey-logos (either home or away jersey), and a rectangular box (listing: ballpark, win total in 1969, and home average attendance in ’69). The jersey-logos are either from a photo of the old jerseys (see 22 photo credits at the foot of this post) or illustrations of such: one (California Angels) from sportslogos.net; one (Detroit Tigers) that I drew myself. The jersey-logo for each team is sized to reflect that team’s 1969 average attendance: the larger the jersey-logo, the higher the attendance that year. Any other team logos on the team’s uniforms in 1969 are also shown (specifically, shoulder-patch-logos, of which there were 6 of such in 1969: for the Astros, the Braves, the Cubs, the Mets, the Padres, and the Twins).
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Speaking of shoulder-patch logos, there was another thing going on in Major League Baseball in 1969: the 100th anniversary of the first professional touring baseball club: the Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869. A special red-white-&-blue modernist logo was created – reputedly using the formidable silhouette of Minnesota Twins’ slugger Harmon Killebrew. {See this: MLB logo looks like Harmon Killebrew at bat (from 2011, by Pioneer Press/news@pioneerpress.com via twincities.com). Also see this: Who is that silhouetted man? (from 2008, by Paul Lucas at espn.com).} So anyway, this logo, in the form of the Centennial patch, was worn by almost all the MLB teams in 1969 (on at least one of their jerseys that year), except for the Pittsburgh Pirates (I have no idea why, and neither does this baseball card blogger, at wrigleywax.blogspot.com). {To get a quick glance at all those uniforms, here are links to the Baseball Hall of Fame website’s ‘Dressed to the Nines’ database’s 1969 pages: 1969 AL; 1969 NL (illustrations by Marc Okkonen).} If you are wondering about the Cubs, in the illustration in the preceding link, the logo is not visible, as it is located on the raised shoulder that is holding the bat. But I included an image of the logo on the Cubs’ road jersey on the map here. I included several of the MLB-100th-anniversary-logos on the map, on the jerseys of the A’s, Astros, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Indians, and Mets. This MLB-100th-anniversary logo, in a very slightly altered form, has become the official MLB logo to this day. And each MLB team wears a version of this logo on the back of their ball caps, done in team colors.
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1969 MLB expansion & Divisional re-organization…

Major League Baseball’s 1969 season was the first season of the Divisional Era.
1969 also saw a 4-team expansion – MLB’s third expansion of the decade. The Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Pilots joined the American League; the Montreal Expos and the San Diego Padres joined the National League. [Note: the Seattle Pilots relocated to Milwaukee, WI as the Milwaukee Brewers just one year later (in 1970); the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, DC as the Washington Nationals 36 years later (in 2005).] So in 1969, the now-12-team AL, and the now-12-team NL were divided into two 6-team divisions each, with those divisional winners playing in a best-of-5-series, the winners, of course, advancing to the World Series.
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Brief re-cap of the 1969 regular season…
The American League saw no real divisional title-races in 1969. The Baltimore Orioles, with an MLB-best record of 109-53, won the AL East easily, by 19 games, and then, in the new playoffs, swept the AL West champion Minnesota Twins in 3 games. In the National League East, the once-hapless New York Mets, who had never had a winning record in their 7 seasons, came back from 9 games behind the Chicago Cubs, going 37-11 down the stretch. In their relatively new, 5-year-old venue, Shea Stadium (which they shared with the NFL’s New York Jets), the Mets drew the biggest crowds in all of baseball that year, drawing 26.5 K per game. The Mets went 100-62, and beat out the faltering Cubs by 8 games to win the NL East title. The NL West saw an unusual 5-team divisional race, with the Astros dropping out first, then the Dodgers and the Reds fell off, while the Giants and the Braves battled it out until the second-to-last day. The Atlanta Braves won the NL West, but then were swept by the Mets in the playoffs. But going into the Fall Classic, the Baltimore Orioles were the oddsmakers’ choice, and were heavy favorites to win the World Series over the New York Mets…
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1969 World Series: New York Mets beat Baltimore Orioles in 5 games…

The “Amazin’ Mets” beat the heavily-favored Orioles, in a huge upset. The 8th-year Mets became the first expansion-team to win the World Series. There were spectacular catches by two Mets outfielders (Tommie Agee & Ron Swoboda – see below). The Mets’ Donn Clendenon hit 3 HRs, and was the MVP. Tom Seaver, Gary Gentry, and Jerry Koosman all pitched effectively for the Mets, with Koosman winning twice, including the Game 5 clincher (see below).
-Here is a 9-minute video of the 1969 WS, 1969 World Series – Baltimore Orioles versus New York Mets (video uploaded by Scott Gordon at youtube.com).
-Here is a 40-minute video on the ’69 Mets (with much sharper video images), 1969 World Series Film New York Mets (video uploaded by Sports Revisited at youtube.com).

Photos and Images above – 1969 NY Mets/Shea Stadium WS pin-logo from sportslogos.net. Aerial shot of Shea Stadium (circa late 1960s, and probably taken during the 1969 WS), photo unattributed at flickr.com. Tommie Agee’s two catches (game 3)…1st catch: photo unattributed at centerfieldmaz.com; 2nd catch: unattributed at thisdayinbaseball.com. Ron Swoboda catch (game 4), unattributed at slicethelife.com. Donn Clendenon in ’69 WS, photo by Herb Scharfman/Getty Images at gettyimages.com. Jerry Koosman pitching in ’69 WS, photo unattributed at mets.tumblr.com. Nolan Ryan & Jerry Grote celebrate on the mound, photo unattributed at centerfieldmaz.com. View from 3rd-base-side box seats as Mets (and their fans) begin their celebration, photo by AP via nydailynews.com.
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Photos of Mets players on map page…
-Tom Seaver, photo unattributed at theathletic.com.
-Cleon Jones, photo by AP via newsday.com.
-Tommie Agee, photo unattributed at sabr.org.
-Jerry Koosman, Topps 1969 card via amazon.com.
-Tug McGraw, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via risingapple.com.
-Jerry Grote, photo unattributed at metsinsider.mlblogs.com.
-Bud Harrelson, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images at gettyimages.in.
-Gary Gentry, photo unattributed at posterazzi.com.
-Art Shamsky, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@artshamsky].
-Ron Taylor, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Don Cardwell, photo by Eric Sckweikardt/Sports Illustrated via gettyimages.in.
-Ken Boswell, Topps 1969 card via picclick.com.
-Gil Hodges (manager), photo unattributed at metsmerizedonline.com.
-1969 NY Mets uniforms, illustration by Marc Okkonen at exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines.

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Photos of 1969 MLB leaders on map page…
-Dick Bosman, 1970 Topps card via tcdb.com.
-Juan Marichal, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@sfgiants].
-Denny McLain, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Tom Seaver, photo by Neil Leifer at si.com.
-Denny McLain, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Bob Gibson, photo unattributed at lehmansbaseball.wordpress.com.
-Rod Carew, photo by Neil Leifer at si.com.
-Pete Rose, photo unattributed at cardboardmemories.com.
-Harmon Killebrew, photo unattributed at twinstrivia.com.
-Willie McCovey, photo unattributed at first-draft.com.
-Harmon Killebrew, photo by Neil Leifer at si.com.
-Willie McCovey, photo unattributed at cooperstownexpert.com.
-Rico Petrocelli, Topps 1969 card at ebay.com.
-Henry Aaron, Sports Illustrated cover [Aug. 13 1969] at sicovers.com.
-Willie McCovey, photo by Diamond Images/Getty Images via gettyimages.de.
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Photos of jersey-logos used on the map-page…
-Tom Seaver 1969 NY Mets road jersey, from worthpoint.com. -Tom Seaver 1969 NY Mets home jersey, from greyflannelauctions.com.
-Atlanta Braves 1969 home jersey, from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-Baltimore Orioles 1969 road jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com
-Boston Red Sox home jersey-logo, photo from sports.ha.com.
-Chicago Cubs 1969 road jersey, from mitchellandness.com.
-Chicago White Sox 1969 road jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Cincinnati Reds 1969 road jersey, from mitchellandness.com.
-Cleveland Indians 1969 road jersey, from lelands.com via nallhal.top.
-Houston Astros 1969 road jersey, from mitchellandness.com.
-Kansas City Royals 1969 road jersey, from worthpoint.com.
-Los Angeles Dodgers 1969 road jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Minnesota Twins home jersey circa 1968-71, from lelands.com.
-Montreal Expos 1969 road jersey, from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-New York Mets 1969 home jersey, from mitchellandness.com.
-New York Yankees road jersey circa 1967-71, from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-Oakland A’s 1969 road alternate jersey, from customthrowbackjerseys.com. -Philadelphia Phillies 1969 home jersey, from worthpoint.com.
-Pittsburgh Pirates ca. 1967-69 road jersey, photo from lelands.com.
-1968 St. Louis Cardinals jersey-logo, photo from scpauctions.com.
-San Diego Padres 1969 home jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-1969 San Francisco Giants road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Seattle Pilots 1969 road jersey, from scpauctions.com.
-Washington Senators 1969 road jersey, from mlbcollectors.com.
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Thanks to all at the following links…
-Base map, by US federal government employee at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StatesU.svg.
-Baseball-Reference.com.
-1969 Major League Baseball season (en.wikipedia.org).

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December 23, 2021

American Football League: 1964 AFL season, map with helmets/jerseys & final standings + offensive stats leaders + attendances. Champions: Buffalo Bills.

Filed under: AFL (gridiron football),AFL, 1964 map/season,Retro maps — admin @ 8:12 am

American Football League: 1964 AFL season, map with helmets/jerseys & final standings + offensive stats leaders + attendances. Champions: Buffalo Bills
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By Bill Turianski on the 23rd of December 2021; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-1964 AFL season
-1964 AFL Championship Game (en.wikipedia.org).
-1964 AFL season (pro-football-reference.com).

The map… The map shows the primary helmets and jerseys worn by the 8 teams in the 1964 AFL, the fifth season of the American Football League. Also shown on the map page are the final standings of the 1964 AFL season, the Offensive leaders of the 1964 AFL season, the home jerseys of the 8 AFL teams that season, and the average attendances of the 8 teams 1964 AFL season (compared to the previous season).
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AFL attendances in 1964…

Source for attendance figures: pdf at ProFootballResearchers.org [Coffin Corner newsletter, Sept 1991, by Bob Carroll], profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/13-04-430.pdf. Helmet illustrations from gridiron-uniforms.com.

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Average Attendance, NFL vs. AFL (the 10 years they were in competition: 1960-69); plus NFL/AFL/Super Bowl title-winners in the 1960s…

Source for attendance figures: pdf at ProFootballResearchers.org [Coffin Corner newsletter, Sept 1991, by Bob Carroll], profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/13-04-430.pdf. Helmet illustrations from gridiron-uniforms.com.
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1964 AFL Championship Game: Buffalo Bills 20, San Diego Chargers 7.

AFL West winners…The 1964 San Diego Chargers were coached by Sid Gillman. The Chargers had gone 8-5-1 in the regular season. The Chargers were reigning champions, but they limped into the 1964 title game, losing 3 of their last 4 games. The Chargers’ offense was powered by WR Lance Alworth (with an AFL-best 15 TD), and the rushing tandem of Keith Lincoln and Paul Lowe (who combined for 1,128 yards), but Alworth was injured for the title game. Three Chargers made the 1964 AFL All-Star Team: T Ron Mix, DE Earl Faison, and DT Ernie Ladd.

AFL East winners…The 1964 Buffalo Bills were coached by Lou Saban. The Bills went 12-2, and had the AFL’s best defense (the only defense in the AFL that yielded less than 1,000 yards rushing). And the Bills’ ground-based offense scored a league-best 400 points, and featured FB Cookie Gilchrist (with an AFL-best 981 yards rushing). Six Bills made the 1964 AFL All-Star Team: RB Cookie Gilchrist, G Billy Shaw, T Stew Barber, DT Tom Sestak, LB Mike Stratton, and S George Saimes.

December 26, 1964…Buffalo hosted the game, at their War Memorial Stadium (aka the Rockpile). ABC broadcast the game. Game time temperature was a warm and unseasonable 47°F (8°C). Rain earlier that day had made the field damp, muddy, and slippery, especially along the sidelines and in the endzones. Sand was spread on the worst spots {see image below}. The game was a sell-out, with 40,242 in attendance in the 37,500-cappacity stadium. (Around 2,700 standing-room-only were tickets sold, thus making the capacity that day an impressive 107%.)

1st Quarter…The Chargers raced out to a quick 7-0 lead, with an 80-yard drive in 4 plays. On the first play of the game, FB Keith Lincoln burst up the middle for a 38-yard gain {see photo below}. Three plays later, QB Tobin Rote connected with TE Dave Kocourek for a 26-yard TD pass. The Chargers took a 7-0 lead after just 2:11.

But on San Diego’s next possession, the Bills’ defense changed the game. On a Chargers pass-play, Bills LB Mike Stratton hit Keith Lincoln just as the Chargers FB was about to catch a swing pass from Rote. Lincoln broke a rib, and had to be helped off the field, and was out for the rest of the game. The Chargers went scoreless after that. Late in the 1st quarter, the Bills scored on a 12-yard FG by Pete Gogolak.
Score at end of 1st Quarter: Chargers 7, Bills 3.

2nd Quarter…Midway through the 2nd quarter, the Bills took the lead on a 52-yard TD drive. The Bills started with an 18-yard pass from QB Jack Kemp to WR Elbert Dubenion. After 3 running plays, a 15-yard pass from Kemp to FB Cookie Gilchrist put the Bills 1st-and-goal at the 4. That set up a 4-yard TD run by HB Wray Carlton {see photo below}. Late in the 2nd quarter, the Bills scored on a 17-yard FG by Pete Gogolak.
Score at Halftime: Bills 13, Chargers 7.

3rd Quarter…no scoring.

4th Quarter… At the start of the 4th Quarter, the Bills got the ball on their own 48. QB Jack Kemp connected with WR Glenn Bass on a slant-pattern, and Bass went 51 yards to the San Diego 1. Two plays later, Kemp scored on a QB sneak {see photo below}. Then the Bills defense held the Chargers scoreless for the rest of the game. With 26 seconds left, Bills fans got through police barricades, and stormed the field, and began tearing down the goalposts.
Final Score: Bills 20, Chargers 7. The Buffalo Bills would repeat as AFL champions the next season (1965).

Photo and Image credits above – 3 screenshots: shot of ABC television broadcast title graphic, and shot of grounds crew spreading sand on muddy War Memorial turf, and shot Chargers HB Keith Lincoln shaking hands with Bill FB Cookie Gilchrist, 3 images from screenshots of video uploaded by Classic Sports at youtube.com. Keith Lincoln, photo by Walter Iooss Jr. via pinterest.com. Colorized photo of Mike Stratton’s hit on Keith Lincoln, photo unattributed at remembertheafl.com/1964AFLChampions. Wray Carlton scores in 1964 AFL title game; and referee signals touchdown: 2 photos unattributed at pinterest.com. Jack Kemp, photo by Neil Leifer/Sports Illustrated via si.com. Celebratory Bills fans carry QB Jack Kemp off the field, screenshot of video uploaded by Classic Sports at youtube.com.
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Credits
Buffalo Bills on map page…
1964 Bills uniforms, illustrations by Gridiron Uniforms database at gridiron-uniforms.com/[1964-AFL]. Jack Kemp [photo from 1964 AFL title game], photo by Neil Leifer via gettyimages.com. Jack Kemp & Cookie Gilchrist [photo circa 1964],photo unattributed from ebay.com. Cookie Gilchrist [photo circa 1964], photo unattributed at pinterest.com. Elbert Dubenion [1965 Fleer card], from espnrochester.radio.com. Daryle Lamonica [photo from 1964], photo unattributed at buffalorumblings.com. Buffalo Bills game-worn 1963 helmet, from helmet hut.com. Billy Shaw [1962 Fleer card], from amazon.com. Stew Barber [1964 Topps card], from amazon.com. Tom Sestack [photo circa 1963], photo unattributed via remembertheafl.com. Mike Stratton [photo circa 1965], photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@HelmetAddict]. Butch Byrd [1964 Fleer card], from remembertheafl.com/[Bills]. George Saimes [photo circa 1965], photo unattributed from amazon.com.
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Offensive stats leaders on map page…
Len Dawson [photo circa 1965], photo unattributed at fs64sports.blogspot.com.
Babe Parilli [photo circa 1965], photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
Cookie Gilchrist [photo circa 1964], photo unattributed at basnnewsroom.com.
Charley Hennigan [1965 team-issue card], from talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com.
Lance Alworth [photo circa 1964], photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
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Thanks to…
-Blank map by anonymous US federal government employee, at File:StatesU.svg (commons.wikimedia.org).
-Thanks to Sportslogos.net for 1960-era AFL team logos.
-Thanks to the contributors at pro-football-reference.com.
-Thanks to the contributors at AFL 1964 season (en.wikipedia.org).
-Thanks to the Coffin Corner newsletter, for this pdf, profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/13-04-430.pdf [AFL attendance by team 1960-69] .
Special thanks to Tim Brulia, Bill Schaefer and Rob Holecko of The Gridiron Uniform Database, for giving billsportsmaps.com the permission to use football uniforms illustrations from Gridiron Uniform Database {GUD}.

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October 5, 2021

1968 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’68 World Series champions the Detroit Tigers & AL and NL Stats Leaders.

Filed under: Baseball,Baseball-1968 MLB season,Retro maps — admin @ 7:22 pm

1968 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’68 World Series champions the Detroit Tigers & AL and NL Stats Leaders
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By Bill Turianski on the 5th of October 2021; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-1968 MLB season (en.wikipedia.org).
-1968 MLB (baseball-reference.com).
-Year in Review: 1968 American League (baseball-almanac.com).
-Year in Review: 1968 National League (baseball-almanac.com).
-1968 MLB logos (sportslogos.net).

-Baseball: 1967 map w/ jersey-logos & attendances (billsportsmaps.com).

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1968 MLB Location-map with jersey-logos with 1968 attendances, featuring the ’68 World Series champions the Detroit Tigers & AL and NL stats leaders.
The map shows the locations of the 20 Major League Baseball teams of 1968. On the map, next to each MLB team’s location-dot there are 3 things: their cap-logo, one of their jersey-logos (either home or away jersey), and a rectangular box (listing: ballpark, win total in 1968, and home average attendance in ’68). Any other logos on the team’s uniforms in 1968 are also shown (specifically, shoulder-patch-logos, of which there were 5 of such in 1968: for the Astros, the Braves, the Cubs, the Mets, and the Twins).

The jersey-logos are either from a photo of the old jerseys (see 16 photo credits at the foot of this post) or illustrations of such (mainly from sportslogos.net). The jersey-logo for each team is sized to reflect that team’s 1968 average attendance: the larger the jersey-logo, the higher the attendance that year.

There was one new Major League team in 1968: the relocated Kansas City Athletics, who moved from Missouri to Oakland, California, as the Oakland Athletics (four years later in 1972, the Oakland A’s would be champions). I included both the Kansas City A’s and the Oakland A’s locations on the map. Here is the logo history of the Oakland Athletics.

The best drawing MLB team in 1968 were the eventual champions, the Detroit Tigers, at 25,085 per game. Second-best drawing ball club in 1968 were the NL pennant-winning St. Louis Cardinals, who drew 24,8291 per game. The Cardinals had been the top-drawing ball club the year before in 1967, when they had won the title. Worst-drawing ball club in 1968 were the eventually-relocated Washington Senators, who drew an abysmal 6,749 per game, and in three years’ time would be leaving Washington, DC. (The Washington Senators (II) franchise, est. 1961, moved to Arlington, Greater Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX in 1972, as the Texas Rangers.)

The whole list of 1968 attendance-figures – by-team – is found at the far right-hand side of the map-page. Also listed there are each team’s Win total for that year, as well as their Numerical Change-in-average-attendance from the previous season (of 1967).

At the top-left of the map-page are the 1968 AL and NL final standings. Then there is a section which shows the 1968 World Series result (Tigers defeated Cardinals in 7 games), and features shots of Tiger Stadium, and some photos from the ’68 Series, including shots of ’68 World Series MVP Mickey Lolich. Below that are listed the 1968 major award-winners (the MVP award winners, the Cy Young award winners, and the Rookie of the Year award winners).

At the foot of the map-page are 1968 MLB Statistical Leaders (in both the American League and the National League), in the following categories: Wins, ERA, WAR for Pitchers; Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs, WAR for Position Players. A photo of each player is shown, with stats; photo credits are at the foot of this post. There are 14 photos there, featuring 10 players: Luis Tiant (CLE), Bob Gibson (STL), Denny McLain (DET), Juan Marichal (SF), Carl Yastrzemski (BOS), Pete Rose (CIN), Frank Howard (WAS), Ken Harrelson (BOS) Willie McCovey (SF), Roberto Clemente (PIT).

And at the top of the map-page is a section for the 1968 MLB champions, the Detroit Tigers. I featured photos of the 12 players on the ’68 Tigers with the highest WAR [Wins Above Replacement], plus World Series MVP Mickey Lolich and the Tigers’ manager, Mayo Smith. Photo credits are at the foot of this post. The players are: Denny McLain (RHP/ ’68 AL MVP & ’68 AL Cy Young winner), Bill Freehan (C), Jim Northrup (RF), Dick McAuliffe (2B), Willie Horton (LF), Mickey Stanley (CF/SS), Norm Cash (1B), Earl Wilson (RHP), Al Kaline (CF/1B), Gates Brown (OF/PH), Pat Dobson (RHP), John Hiller (LHP), Mickey Lolich (LHP/ ’68 WS MVP).

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The 1968 Detroit Tigers

Photo and Image credits above – -Denny McClain 1968 Tigers home jersey, photo from sports.ha.com. -Al Kaline 1968 Tigers road jersey, photo from amazon.com. -Denny McLain [1968 Sports Illustrated cover], from sicovers.com. -Mickey Lolich [photo from 1968 WS], unattributed at vintagedetroit.com. -Mayo Smith (manager) [photo fom 1968 WS], photo by Walter Iooss, Jr./Getty Images (unattributed) at pinterest.com. -Bill Freehan [photo circa 1966], unattributed at notinhalloffame.com. -Jim Northrup [photo circa 1967], unattributed at ebay.com. -Dick McAuliffe [1967 Dexter Press card], from tcdb.com. -Willie Horton [photo circa 1968], unattributed at vintagesportsimages.com. -Mickey Stanley [1968 Topps card], from amazon.com. -Norm Cash [photo circa 1968], unattributed at bestsportsphotos.com. -Al Kaline [1967 Sports Illustrated cover], from sicovers.com. -Earl Wilson [photo from 1968 WS], photo by Focus on Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Gates Brown [photo circa 1969], unattributed at detroitcitysports.com. -Pat Dobson [photo circa 1968], unattributed at sportscollectibles.com. -John Hiller [1969 Topps card], from kronozio.com.

Detroit Tigers – 1968 World Series champions.
1968 was known as “the Year of the Pitcher”. Pitching was absolutely dominant, to the point where only one batter in the entire American League hit over .300, and the overall batting average in the AL was an all-time low .230. Meanwhile in the National League, Bob Gibson had the lowest ERA (1.12) since 1915 (which was during the dead-ball era). The pitching dominance stemmed from the enforcing of a larger strike zone (top of armpit to bottom of knee), that had begun in 1963. In both leagues, the Cy Young winner was also the MVP (Denny McLain & Bob Gibson). Major League Baseball responded to this offensive drought by introducing two measures to be implemented the following season of 1969: the pitching mound was lowered from 15 to 10 inches, and the strike zone was shrunk (to the area over home plate between the armpits and the top of the knees).

So in 1968, the year of the pitcher, it was appropriate that the Tigers won the title on the strength of two exemplary pitching performances. In the regular season, righthander Denny McLain became MLB’s last 30-game winner (and the first since Dizzy Dean in 1934), and the Tigers won the AL pennant by 12 games over the Orioles. And in October, lefthander Mickey Lolich won all three of his starts, gave up just 5 runs in 27 innings (1.67 ERA), and became the last pitcher to have 3 complete game victories in a World Series.

The 1968 Detroit Tigers season was the team’s 75th season in Detroit, Michigan, and its 68th season in the American League. In the season before (1967), the Tigers had narrowly missed out on the pennant, finishing one game behind the Red Sox. Then in 1968, the Tigers started out at 9-1, and on the 10th of May, they moved into first place and never lost the lead.

In this year of the pitcher, the Tigers had the offensive clout to stand out. The Tigers had the most home runs in 1968 (185 HR), and led that category by a considerable margin of over 50 HR. Home run leaders for the Tigers were OF Willie Horton (35 HR), 1B Norm Cash (25 HR), and C Bill Freehan (25 HR). And the Tigers had the knack for comeback wins, winning 40 games from the 7th inning on. The ’68 Tigers won 30 games with their final at bat, with many of those game-winning RBIs by their clutch pinch hitter Gates Brown (who went 34 for 92, with a .685 SlPct).

The 1968 Tigers were a tight crew: the starting lineup had been mostly intact since 1965, and several of those starters had grown up in Michigan, as Tigers fans. Willie Horton was from inner city Detroit; Bill Freehan grew up in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak; Jim Northrup was from the small town of Holly, 54 miles (87 km) NW of Detroit, and Mickey Stanley was from the city of Grand Rapids (140 mi/225 km west of Detroit).

Below: 1968 World Series: Detroit Tigers beat St. Louis Cardinals in 7 games.
Down 3 games to 1, the Tigers win the last 3 games. Mickey Lolich pitches 3 complete games, wins game 7 on two-days-rest, and is the MVP.

Photos and image credits above –1968 WS program (Tigers), from baseball-almanac.com/[1968 WS]. -Exterior view of Tiger Stadium prior to 1968 WS game 3, screenshot from video uploaded by Sports History Channel at youtube.com. -Freehan tags out Brock, unattributed at hourdetroit.com. -Mickey Lolich, photo from USA Today Sports via baseballprospectus.com. -Lolich and Freehan celebrating right after final out, photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.com/[1968 Detroit Tigers]. -Tigers players and coaches run out of dugout to congratulate players on field, photo unattributed at hourdetroit.com.
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Photos of jersey logos used on the map-page…
-Denny McLain 1968 Tigers home jersey, photo from sports.ha.com.
-Al Kaline 1968 Tigers road jersey, photo from amazon.com.
-1968 Atlanta Braves home jersey-logo, photo from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-1968 Baltimore Orioles road jersey-logo, photo from robertedwardauctions.com.
-1967 Boston Red Sox home jersey-logo, photo from sports.ha.com.
-1967-68 Chicago White Sox road jersey-logo, photo from sports.ha.com.
-1968 Chicago Cubs road jersey-logo, photo from robertedwardauctions.com.
-1968-69 Cleveland Indians road jersey-logo, from lelands.com.
-1968 Houston Astros road jersey-logo, photo from greyflannelauctions.com.
-1968 Minnesota Twins home jersey-logo, from lelands.com.
-ca. 1967 NY Yankees road jersey-logo, photo from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-1968 NY Mets road jersey-logo, photo from sports.ha.com.
-1968 Oakland A’s road jersey-logo, photo from robertedwardauctions.com.
-1968 Philadelphia Phillies home jersey-logo, photo from sports.ha.com.
-1967-68 Pittsburgh Pirates road jersey-logo, photo from lelands.com.
-1968 St. Louis Cardinals jersey-logo, photo from scpauctions.com.
-1967-68 SF Giants road jersey-logo, photo from sports.ha.com.
-1968 Washington Senators home jersey-logo, photo from mearsonlineauctions.com.
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Photos of Tigers players on map page…
-Al Kaline ’68 road jersey, photo from amazon.com.
-Denny McLain [photo circa 1969], unattributed from amazon.com.
-Bill Freehan [photo circa 1966], unattributed at notinhalloffame.com.
-Jim Northrup [photo circa 1967], unattributed at ebay.com.
-Dick McAuliffe [1967 Dexter Press card], from tcdb.com.
-Willie Horton [photo circa 1968], unattributed at vintagesportsimages.com.
-Mickey Stanley [1968 Topps card], from amazon.com.
-Norm Cash [photo circa 1968], unattributed at bestsportsphotos.com.
-Earl Wilson [photo from 1968 WS], photo by Focus on Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Al Kaline [1967 Sports Illustrated cover], from sicovers.com.
-Gates Brown [photo circa 1969], unattributed at detroitcitysports.com.
-Pat Dobson [photo circa 1968], unattributed at sportscollectibles.com.
-John Hiller [1969 Topps card], from kronozio.com.
-Mickey Lolich [photo from 1968 WS], unattributed at vintagedetroit.com.
-Mayo Smith (manager) [photo fom 1968 WS], photo by Walter Iooss, Jr./Getty Images (unattributed) at pinterest.com.
-1968 Detroit Tigers uniforms: illustrations by Marc Okkonen at exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/[1968 Detroit].

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Photos of 1968 MLB leaders on map page…
-Luis Tiant [photo circa 1968], unattributed at lavidabaseball.com.
-Bob Gibson [photo circa 1968], unattributed at msblnational.com.
-Denny McLain [1968 Sports Illustrated cover], from sicovers.com.
-Juan Marichal [photo circa 1968], unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Bob Gibson [photo circa 1968], from Major League Baseball via upi.com/Sports_News.
-Carl Yastrzemski [photo circa 1967], unattributed at theathletic.com.
-Pete Rose [photo circa 1968], unattributed at redlegnation.com.
-Frank Howard [photo circa 1968], photo by Focus on Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Willie McCovey [photo circa 1969], unattributed at baseballhistorycomesalive.com.
-Ken Harrelson [photo circa 1968], unattributed at royals.mlblogs.com.
-Willie McCovey [photo circa 1966], AP file photo via denverpost.com.
-Carl Yastrzemski [photo (Sports Illustrated poster) from 1968], from worthpoint.com.
-Roberto Clemente [photo circa 1967], unattributed at apkfunkyb.com.
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Thanks to all at the following links…
-Base map, by US federal government employee at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StatesU.svg.
-Baseball-Reference.com.
-1968 Major League Baseball season (en.wikipedia.org).

Comments (0)

April 3, 2021

1967 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’67 World Series champions the St. Louis Cardinals & AL and NL Stats Leaders.

Filed under: Baseball,Baseball-1967 MLB season,Retro maps — admin @ 2:35 pm

MLB: 1967 season – Location-map with cap-logos and uniform-logos, plus 1967 team-attendances, stats leaders, and final standings; World Series champions – the St. Louis Cardinals
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By Bill Turianski on the 3rd of April 2021; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-1967 MLB season (en.wikipedia.org).
-1967 MLB (baseball-reference.com).
-Year in Review: 1967 American League (baseball-almanac.com).
-Year in Review: 1967 National League (baseball-almanac.com).
-1967 MLB logos (sportslogos.net).
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1967 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’67 World Series champions the St. Louis Cardinals & AL and NL Stats Leaders.
The map shows the locations of the 20 Major League Baseball teams of 1967. On the map, next to each MLB team’s location-dot there are 3 things: their cap-logo, one of their jersey-logos (either home or away jersey), and a rectangular box that lists the team’s ballpark back then, plus their win total for the 1967 season, as well as their home average attendance that year. Any other logos on the team’s uniforms that year are also shown (specifically, shoulder-patch-logos, of which there were 5 of such in 1967: for the Astros, the Braves, the Cubs, the Mets, and the Twins).

The jersey-logos are either from a photo of the old jerseys (see photo credits at the foot of this post) or illustrations of such (mainly from sportslogos.net). The jersey-logo for each team is sized to reflect that team’s 1967 average attendance: the larger the jersey-logo, the higher the attendance that year. The best drawing MLB team in 1967 were the eventual champions, the St. Louis Cardinals, at 25,804 per game. Second-best drawing ball club in 1967 was the AL pennant-winning Boston Red Sox, who drew 21,331 per game. Worst-drawing ball clubs in 1967 were the Cleveland Indians, and the soon-to-be relocated Kansas City Athletics (both drew below 9,000 per game).

The whole list of 1967 attendance-figures-by-team is found at the far right-hand side of the map-page. Also listed there are each team’s Win total for that year, as well as their Numerical Change-in-average-attendance from the previous season (of 1966).

At the far left-hand side of the map-page are the 1967 AL and NL final standings. Then there is a section which shows the 1967 World Series result (Cardinals defeated Red Sox in 7 games), and features a photo of the 1967 World Series MVP (Bob Gibson, seen striking out a Red Sox player at Fenway Park). Below that are listed the 1967 major award-winners (the MVP award winners, the Cy Young award winners, and the Rookie of the Year award winners).

At the foot of the map-page are 1967 MLB Statistical Leaders (in both the American League and the National League), in the following categories: Wins, ERA, WAR for Pitchers; Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs, WAR for Position Players. A photo of each player is shown, with stats; photo credits are at the foot of this post.

And finally, at the top of the map-page is a section for the 1967 MLB champions, the St. Louis Cardinals. I featured photos of the 11 players on the ’67 Cardinals with the highest WAR [Wins Above Replacement], plus the their manager, Red Schoendienst. Photo credits are at the foot of this post. The players are: Orlando Cepeda (1B), Tim McCarver (C), Lou Brock (LF), Curt Flood (CF), Dick Hughes (RHP), Nelson Briles (RHP), Roger Maris (RF), Steve Carlton (LHP), Bob Gibson (RHP), Julian Javier (2B), Dal Maxville (SS).
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St. Louis Cardinals – 1967 World Series champions.
The 1967 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team’s 86th season in St. Louis, Missouri, and its 76th season in the National League. 1967 was the Cardinals’ first full season at Busch Memorial Stadium. (Busch Stadium was a 49,000-capacity multi-purpose facility that the Cardinals first played in on May 12, 1966. The Cardinals played there from 1966 to 2005, sharing it with the St. Louis football Cardinals for 22 years (1966-87), until the football Cardinals moved to Arizona. Busch Memorial Stadium’s distinctive 96-arch “Crown of Arches” echoed the Gateway Arch nearby that had just been completed in early 1966 {you can see the crown of arches in the Orlando Cepeda photo at the foot of the map-page}. Busch Stadium’s playing surface was originally grass, but it was changed to artificial turf in 1970 to better survive the punishment that pro football gave the turf; in 1995, following an extensive renovation, the grass returned. Here is a nice illustrated article on Busch Memorial Stadium from the site called This Great Game.com… Busch Memorial Stadium – St. Loui, Missouri.)

Prior to the 1967 season, Cardinals owner August “Gussie” Busch, Jr. hired former outfielder (and future Hall of Famer) Stan Musial as general manager. The ’67 Cardinals team featured four future Hall of Famers: speedster Lou Brock, righty Bob Gibson, lefty Steve Carlton and first baseman Orlando Cepeda. The Ponce, Puerto Rico-born Orlando Cepeda, who nicknamed the team “El Birdos”, led the NL in RBIs and was voted the league’s MVP. The Cardinals survived a mid-season knee injury to their pitching ace, Bob Gibson. Gibson missed about one-third of his starts that year, but was ably filled in by Dick Hughes. And St. Louis led the National League comfortably for most of the season. The Cardinals went 101–60, and won the NL pennant by 10½ games over the San Francisco Giants. Then they faced the Boston Red Sox in the 1967 World Series, in early October.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, reached the post-season after one of the wildest and most tightly-contested pennant-races in Major League history. In September of the 1967 AL season, no fewer than 4 teams could have won the American League pennant. On September 7th, the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers, the Chicago White Sox, and the Boston Red Sox were all tied for first place. The White Sox fell off the pace near the end of September, but on the final day of the season (Oct. 1), the Red Sox and Twins were tied for the lead, with the Tigers one-half-game behind. The Red Sox beat the Twins 5-3 that day, and the Tigers won only the first game of a doubleheader against the Angels. And so the Red Sox, led by Triple Crown winner Carl Yastrzemski and AL Cy Young winner Jim Lonborg, won the ’67 AL pennant by one game over both the Tigers and the Twins. Here is a great article from SABR.org, The 1967 AL Pennant Race: The 30,315,229 to 1 Possibility, by Andy Andres at sabr.org.

The 1967 World Series went to 7 games. Although the Cardinals had lost games 5 and 6, they won the seventh thanks to a third rock-solid outing by Bob Gibson. In the 1967 Fall Classic, Bob Gibson gave up only 3 earned runs and 14 hits in 27 innings, pitching three complete games, striking out 26, and walking only 6. Needless to say, Bob Gibson was voted the MVP of the Series.

After the 1967 season, the Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland, California as the Oakland A’s. The following season of 1968 was the last to feature only one division per league. Then in 1969, Major League Baseball would undergo a four-team expansion (to 24 teams), with both the American and National Leagues split into two 6-team divisions.

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Photos of jersey logos used on the map-page…
-1967 St. Louis Cardinals road jersey (Orlando Cepeda #30), photo from scpauctions.com.
-1967 Chicago White Sox road jersey logo , photo from sports.ha.com.
-1967 Cincinnati Reds home jersey logo, photo from amazon.com.
-1965-69 Cleveland Indians road jersey (vest) logo, photo from sports.ha.com.
-1967-68 Pittsburgh Pirates road jersey (vest) logo, photo from lelands.com.
-1967-68 SF Giants road jersey logo, photo from sports.ha.com.
-1959-69 LA Dodgers road jersey logo, photo from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-1965-70 California Angels road jersey logo, photo from sports.ha.com.
-ca. 1967 NY Yankees road jersey logo, photo from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-ca. 1967 NY Mets road jersey logo, photo from robertedwardauctions.com.
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Photos of Cardinals players on map page…
-Orlando Cepeda [photo circa 1967] , photo of the cover of Street & Smith’s 1968 Baseball magazine, from art.com.
-Tim McCarver [photo from 1967], photo of the cover of Sports Illustrated (Sept. 4 1967) by John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images via sicovers.com.
-Lou Brock [photo from 1967], photo of the cover of Sports Illustrated (Sept. 4 1967) by Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated via Getty Images via sicovers.com.
-Curt Flood [photo circa 1968], photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via calltothepen.com.
-Dick Hughes [1969 Topps card], from amazon.com.
-Nelson Briles [photo from 1967], by Herb Scharfman/unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Roger Maris [photo circa 1968], unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Steve Carlton [photo circa 1967], unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Bob Gibson [photo circa 1966], photo from si.com.
-Julian Javier [1967 Topps card], from amazon.com.
-Dal Maxvill [photo circa 1968], photo from Bettman Archive via gettyimages.com.
-Red Schoendienst, Cardinals manager [photo circa 1964], unattributed at pinterest.com.
-1967 St. Louis Cardinals uniforms: illustrations by Marc Okkonen at exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/[1967 St. Louis].
-Bob Gibson [photo from 1967 WS], photo by Walter Iooss Jr, at si.com[/Bob Gibson photo gallery].
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Photos of 1967 MLB leaders on map page…
-Phil Niekro [photo circa 1967], unattributed at asupervip.top.
-Joel Horlen [photo circa 1967], unattributed at twitter.com/[@super70ssports].
-Mike McCormick [photo circa 1965], unattributed at bleacherreport.com.
-Jim Lonborg [photo circa 1967], unattributed at galleryofchampions.com.
-Earl Wilson [photo circa 1968], unattributed at vintagedetroit.com/blog.
-Jim Bunning [photo circa 1967], unattributed at si.com.
-Jim Merritt [photo from 1967], photo by Diamond Images /Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Roberto Clemente [photo circa 1968], unattributed at espn.com.
-Carl Yastrzemski [photo from 1967 WS], photo by Getty Images/Focus on Sports via newsday.com/sports.
-Hank Aaron [photo circa 1966], unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Carl Yastrzemski [screenshot image circa 1969], from video uploaded by Butch From the Cape at youtube.com.
-Harmon Killebrew [photo circa 1969], unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Orlando Cepeda [photo circa 1968], unattributed at archcity.media.
-Carl Yastrzemski [Sports Illustrated cover Aug 21 1967], unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Ron Santo [photo circa 1968], photo by Luis Requena MLB/via Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Carl Yastrzemski [photo circa 1967], unattributed at geni.com.
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Thanks to all at the following links…
-Base map, by US federal government employee at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StatesU.svg.
-Baseball-Reference.com.
-1967 Major League Baseball season (en.wikipedia.org).

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January 31, 2021

American Football League: 1963 AFL season, map with helmets/jerseys & final standings + offensive stats leaders + attendances. Champions: San Diego Chargers.

Filed under: AFL (gridiron football),AFL, 1963 map/season,Retro maps — admin @ 7:06 pm

American Football League: 1963 AFL season, map with helmets/jerseys & final standings + offensive stats leaders; champions: San Diego Chargers
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By Bill Turianski on the 31st of January 2021; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.

Links…
-1963 AFL season;
-1963 AFL Championship Game (en.wikipedia.org).
-1963 AFL season (pro-football-reference.com).
-1963 AFL uniforms (gridiron-uniforms.com).

The map… The map shows the primary helmets and jerseys worn by the 8 teams in the 1963 AFL, the fourth season of the American Football League. Also shown on the map page are the final standings of the 1963 AFL season, the Offensive leaders of the 1963 AFL season, and the average attendances of the 1963 AFL season (compared to the previous season).

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Changes in AFL franchises in 1963

-Kansas City Chiefs, est. 1963…Right after winning the 1962 AFL title, the Dallas Texans (AFL, 1960-62) moved 453 miles (731 km) north, to Kansas City, Missouri. The franchise did this to avoid the situation in Dallas, Texas, where the team was competing with the much-stronger NFL in the form of the Dallas Cowboys. It was becoming obvious to owner-and-AFL-cofounder Lamar Hunt that the Dallas Texans were going to lose the battle for fans and ticket-support, there in Dallas, Texas. So the team moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Chiefs. Three years later, in the 1966 AFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs would play in the first Super Bowl (losing heavily to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers). Six years later, in the 1969 AFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs would upset the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings to win the fourth and final meeting between the AFL and NFL champions, in Super Bowl IV [4]. The 10-team AFL and the 16-team NFL would then merge for the 1970 season to form a 26-team NFL.

Image credits above – Blank map by anonymous US federal government employee, at File:StatesU.svg (commons.wikimedia.org). Helmet illustrations by The Gridiron Uniforms Database at gridiron-uniforms.com.
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-New York Jets, est. 1963…The hapless and broke and bankrupt New York Titans AFL franchise was bought by a much deeper-pocketed consortium, headed by entertainment executive Sonny Werblin. The team changed its name to the New York Jets. The team also changed their colors – from navy-blue & yellow-gold, to green & white. Werblin’s first order of business was to sign as head coach and GM the former Baltimore Colts title-winning head coach Weeb Ewbank, who said “I don’t see why we can’t build a winner here in five years.” The franchise finally was able to set in motion their plans to move out of the decrepit and soon-to-be-demolished Polo Grounds (on the tip of northern Manhattan, NYC), and into the new multi-purpose stadium being built by the government of New York City, in Queens, NYC. The move to the new venue would happen the following season of 1964, and attendance would skyrocket. The Jets’ improved on-field record coincided with their huge attendance increase at Shea Stadium, there in Queens, with QB Joe Namath at the helm. Five years after the name-change from the Titans to the Jets, in the 1968 season, the Jets were AFL champions. And so the AFL’s New York Jets then faced the NFL’s Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III [3]. The hugely-favored Colts were beaten by the Jets, in one of the biggest upsets in pro football history, thereby signifying to the American public that the AFL had arrived, and was the equal of the NFL. Two seasons later (in 1970), the two leagues would merge.

Image credits above – Helmet illustrations by The Gridiron Uniforms Database at gridiron-uniforms.com.

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AFL attendances in 1963…

Source for attendance figures: pdf at ProFootballResearchers.org [Coffin Corner newsletter, Sept 1991, by Bob Carroll], profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/13-04-430.pdf. Helmet illustrations from gridiron-uniforms.com.

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Average Attendance, NFL vs. AFL (the 10 years they were in competition: 1960-69); plus NFL/AFL/Super Bowl title-winners in the 1960s…

Source for attendance figures: pdf at ProFootballResearchers.org [Coffin Corner newsletter, Sept 1991, by Bob Carroll], profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/13-04-430.pdf. Helmet illustrations from gridiron-uniforms.com.
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1963 AFL champions – the San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers were one of the strongest teams in the ten seasons of the AFL (1960-69). Yet although they made it to 5 AFL title games, the Chargers won only one of them – in 1963, when they blew out the Boston Patriots by 41 points.

It all came together for head coach Sid Gillman’s San Diego Chargers in 1963. 1962 had been a bust for the Chargers (who went an abysmal 4-10). But the team regrouped, after a boot-camp type atmosphere at their ’63 training camp, out in the high desert east of San Diego. Then the Chargers cruised through the 1963 regular season with the AFL’s best record (11-3), beating out the surprise Al Davis-led Oakland Raiders, by one game to win the Western Division. Led by the AFL’s 1963 MVP Tobin Rote (at QB), and future Hall-of-Famer WR Lance Alworth, the Chargers averaged 28.5 points per game, and were the highest-scoring offense in the league. And the tough Chargers defense allowed the least amount of points that year {1963 AFL standings}.

Then the Chargers caught a break. Because the Eastern Division had no clear dominant team, and the East was deadlocked at the top with two 7-6-1 teams. And so that meant that the East had to be decided by an extra playoff game (the AFL had no tiebreakers). And when the Boston Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills in that extra game, to advance to the 1963 AFL title game, the Patriots were depleted by the effort. So the Chargers entered the ’63 title game well rested, while the Patriots were anything but that.

Sid Gillman, renowned for his forward-thinking and pass-oriented “vertical offense”, decided to change things up for the 1963 title match. The Chargers had been beaten by a strong defense in the 1960 and 1961 AFL title games (both times losing to the Houston Oilers). With that in mind, Gillman drastically changed their plan of attack for the ’63 title game. Instead of deep routes to WR Lance Alworth, the Chargers would go with swing passes to FB Keith Lincoln. And instead of runs behind their future Hall of Fame OT Ron Mix, the Chargers would go with draws (to Lincoln and to HB Paul Lowe), and misdirection plays. In other words, Gillman was going with the opposite of what the Chargers had become known for.

By the time the Boston Patriots caught on to the Chargers’ game plan, the damage was done. Powered by long TD-runs by Keith Lincoln (for 67 yards) and Paul Lowe (for 58 yards), the Chargers shot out to a 21-7 lead after the 1st quarter. And the Chargers led by 31-10 at halftime. By the start of the 4th quarter, San Diego led by 28 points, and backup-QB John Hadl replaced Tobin Rote. 13 points later, the score was 51-10, and the Chargers were the new AFL champions.

MVP honors went to Keith Lincoln. Keith Lincoln was a QB out of Washington State, who had been drafted in the 5th round of the 1961 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. But Lincoln, who grew up in southern California, decided to sign with the AFL’s San Diego Chargers instead. There he was converted to a running back. Lincoln had the game of a lifetime in the 1963 AFL title game, racking up an astounding 329 yards from scrimmage (206 yards rushing and 123 yards receiving). Plus he threw one pass for a 20-yard gain. The 329 yards from scrimmage that Keith Lincoln produced that day in San Diego has never been bested in a pro football title game, and is tied for 3rd-best all-time [NFL, 1920-2020; AFL, 1960-69]. {All-time best yards-from-scrimmage in a game (pro-football-reference.com/leaders).}

As of 2020, the Chargers have not won another title.

san-diego-chargers_1963-afl-champions_tobin-rote_ron-mix_keith-lincoln_paul-lowe_lance-alworth_john-hadl_sid-gillman_n_.gif
Photo and Image credits above – Tobin Rote & Ron Mix in the 1963 AFL Championship Game, unattributed at pinterest.com. Keith Lincoln runs for a 67-yard TD in the 1963 AFL Championship Game, photo unattributed at profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Paul Lowe runs for a 58-yard TD in the 1963 AFL Championship Game, photo by Charles Aqua Viva/Getty Images via boltsfromtheblue.com. Lance Alworth catching long pass in the 1963 AFL Championship Game, photo unattributed at goldenrankings.com/AFLchampionship1963. Keith Lincoln taking hand-off from backup-QB John Hadl, late in the 1963 AFL Championship Game, unattributed at pinterest.com. Keith Lincoln on sidelines [circa 1964], photo unattributed at alchetron.com. San Diego Chargers 1963 helmet, from helmet hut.com. Head coach Sid Gilman and the Chargers players and staff celebrate the teams first (and only) championship title, with a champagne toast, photo unattributed at goldenrankings.com/AFLchampionship1963.
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San Diego Chargers on map page… 1963 Chargers’ offense in the huddle listening to QB Tobin Rote (#18), unattributed at pinterest.com. 1963 Chargers uniforms, illustrations by Gridiron Uniforms database at gridiron-uniforms.com/[1963-AFL]. Tobin Rote & Paul Lowe [photo from 1963 Sports Illustrated cover], photo by Walter Iooss, Jr./Getty Images via pinterest.com. Tobin Rote & Ron Mix [photo from 1963 AFL Championship Game], unattributed at pinterest.com. Keith Lincoln [photo from 1963 AFL Championship Game], unattributed at pinterest.com. Lance Alworth [photo from 1963], photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.ca. San Diego Chargers 1963 helmet, from helmet hut.com. Ernie Ladd [photo from 1963], unattributed at bleacherreport.com. Earl Faison [1962 Fleer card], from psacard.com. Dick Harris [1962 Fleer card], from amazon.com. John Hadl [photo from 1965], photo by Neil Leifer/Getty Images via gettyimages.com. Chargers patch circa 1960s from ebay.com.

Offensive stats leaders on map page… Tobin Rote (Chargers) [photo from 1964], unattributed at talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com. George Blanda (Oilers) [photo circa 1964], unattributed at pinterest.com. Len Dawson (Chiefs) [1964 Topps card], from cardboardconnection.com. Clem Daniels (Raiders) [photo circa 1964], photo from raiders.com. Cookie Gilchrist (Bills) [photo from 1964], unattributed at pinterest.ie. Art Powell (Raiders) [photo circa 1965], unattributed at fs64sports.blogspot.com.

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Thanks to all at the following links…
-Blank map by anonymous US federal government employee, at File:StatesU.svg (commons.wikimedia.org).
-Thanks to Sportslogos.net for 1960-era AFL team logos.
-Thanks to the contributors at pro-football-reference.com.
-Thanks to the contributors at AFL 1963 season (en.wikipedia.org).
-Thanks to the Coffin Corner newsletter, for this pdf, profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/13-04-430.pdf [AFL attendance by team 1960-69] .
Special thanks to Tim Brulia, Bill Schaefer and Rob Holecko of The Gridiron Uniform Database, for giving billsportsmaps.com the permission to use football uniforms illustrations from Gridiron Uniform Database {GUD}.

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