The Year of Blue Snow: The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies

Catcher Gus Triandos dubbed the Philadelphia Phillies' 1964 season
"the year of the blue snow"a rare thing that happens once in a great
while.

The Phillies were having a spectacular season in which everything was
going right. They held a 6 1/2 game lead at the conclusion of play on
September 20. With just 12 games to play, they seemingly had it made.
But the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals never gave up, and
when the Phillies lost ten consecutive games, it became a thrilling
pennant race for Cardinals and Reds fans, but a horrific collapse for
Phillies fanatics.

But wait a minute. When it was seemingly too late, the Phillies
finally won a game—and the first-place Cardinals lost two games to the
lowly New York Mets, so on the last day of the season there was the
distinct possibility of a three-way tie for first place. It would have
been a first in baseball history. On the final day of the season, the
Phillies beat the Reds handily, 10-0. All eyes and ears were fixed on
the Mets-Cardinals game. Could the Mets knock off the first-place
Cardinals for a third straight game? The Mets carried a 3-2 lead into
the bottom of the fifth inning, but finally succumbed, 11-5.

But what a season for Phillies fans. Jim Bunning had thrown the first
perfect game in the last 84 years of NL history. The hero of the 1964
All-Star Game was the team's right fielder Johnny Callison, who
brought the National League victory with the third walk-off home run
in the history of the All-Star Game. The team also boasted the
electrifying NL Rookie of the Year - the team's slugging third baseman
Richie Allen (later called Dick Allen).

St. Louis won the pennant, and went on to beat the Yankees in the
World Series. But in Philadelphia, the '64 campaign left an ache that
lasted for years. The 1964 Phillies not only "lost" the pennant but,
following 1964, they got steadily worse.

This book sheds light on the facts for the reader to determine answers
to lingering questions they may still have about the Phillies team in
the 1964 season—but any book about a team is really about the players.
A collaborative effort by 37 members of the Society for American
Baseball Research (SABR), this work offers life stories of all the
players and others (managers, coaches, owners, and broadcasters)
associated with this star-crossed team, as well as essays of analysis
and historical recaps.

Includes:
Foreword by Mel Marmer
Introduction by Mel Marmer
Opening Day 1964
Dick Allen by Rich D’Ambrosio
Rubén Amaro by Rory Costello
The Amaro Chronicles by Rory Costello
Two Gold Glove Shortstops by Rory Costello
Jack Baldschun by Chip Greene
Dave Bennett by Mark Armour
Dennis Bennett by Mark Armour
John Boozer by Andy Sturgill
Johnny Briggs by John Saccoman
Jim Bunning by Ralph Berger
Johnny Callison by John Rossi
Danny Cater by Brian Englehardt
Pat Corrales by James Ray
Wes Covington by Andy Sturgill
Ray Culp by Mark Armour
Clay Dalrymple by Rory Costello
Ryne Duren by Gregory H Wolf
Tony González by José Ramírez and Rory Costello
Dallas Green by Gregory H Wolf
John Herrnstein by Brian Englehardt
Don Hoak by Jack V Morris
Alex Johnson by Mark Armour
Johnny Klippstein by Gregory H Wolf
Gary Kroll by Neil Poloncarz
Bobby Locke by Paul Geisler
Art Mahaffey by Ralph Berger and Mel Marmer
Cal McLish by Joe Wancho
Adolfo Phillips by Rob Neyer
Vic Power by Joe Wancho
Ed Roebuck by Paul Hirsch
Cookie Rojas by Peter Gordon
Bobby Shantz by Mel Marmer
Costen Shockley by Chip Greene
Chris Short by Andy Sturgill

The Society for American Baseball Research is the leading organization of baseball researchers, historians, and analysts. With over 6000 members worldwide, SABR fosters understanding of the game of baseball at every level and from every angle.