1961 Baseball Game

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$80.00In Stock
Highlights
  • NY Cool: Maris tops Ruth, Yanks top team HR record. An all-time great team wins the Series
  • Red Hot: Frank Robinson leads Cincinnati to NL pennant over contending Dodgers, Giants
  • Sizzling Stars: 101-win Tigers, Mays, Aaron, Cepeda, Spahn, Killebrew, Gentile and more
Full Summary

This product includes all game parts.

This is the Super Advanced re-creation of one of Strat-O-Matic’s most-loved seasons, when American League Expansion fueled an offensive explosion and legendary records. One of the greatest New York Yankees teams won 109 games, belted a record 240 home runs, had six men top 20 homers and dominated Cincinnati in the World Series. And all that was overshadowed by Roger Maris record 61 home runs. Even Maris’ eclipsing Babe Ruth’s record was not quite as big at the time as his first beating teammate Mickey Mantle, whose injuries kept his home run total at 54.

The Yankees needed to be that good. Detroit won a franchise-best 101 games with batting champ Norm Cash (.361-41-132), Rocky Colavito (.290-45-140) and Al Kaline (.324-19-82). Power proliferated in the AL: Baltimore’s Jim Gentile and Minnesota’s Harmon Killebrew each bashed 46 HR. The Expansion Los Angeles Angels had five 20-homer men … In the NL, Warren Spahn’s 3.01 ERA was good enough to lead the league in an era when that was usually considered ordinary. Frank Robinson (.323-37-124) led powerful Cincinnati. San Francisco had two 40-homer men: Willie Mays (.308-40-123) and Orlando Cepeda (.311-46-142). Hank Aaron (.327-34-120) and Eddie Mathews (31 HR) mauled for Milwaukee. Roberto Clemente (.351) and Dick Stuart (.301-35-117) powered Pittsburgh.

But there was pitching, too. Really. Whitey Ford was a career-best 25-4 for the Yankees, backed up by Ralph Terry (16-3), Bill Stafford (14-8) and supreme reliever Luis Arroyo (15-5, 2.19). Detroit matched that with Frank Lary (23-9), Jim Bunning (17-11), Don Mossi (15-7) and reliever Terry Fox (1.42 ERA). Cincinnati’s Big Three in the rotation was Joey Jay (21-10), Jim O’Toole (19-9) and Bob Purkey (16-12) with relievers

27 cards per team … Two-sided cards for basic, advanced and super-advanced play