May 29, 1963 - Ed Bailey’s three-run homer and a game-saving catch by Willie Mays gave the National League-leading San Francisco Giants a 5-4 victory over Cincinnati today in a game played under protest by the Reds. Mays made his spectacular catch in the bottom of the ninth inning at Crosley Field’s center field wall on Ken Walters’ lofty fly. The center fielder conked his head against the concrete, 400 feet from the plate, while making a leaping one-handed grab of Walters’ shot for the second out. Giants starter Juan Marichal had scattered nine Reds hits until the eighth. But he walked Frank Robinson, who stole second and third, Marty Keough homered, and Billy Pierce took over. Bailey slammed his three-run homer in the sixth after Willie McCovey drew a one-out walk and Orlando Cepeda singled. In the rowdy fourth inning, Bob Purkey, the Reds’ starting pitcher, was ejected for arguing a ball called by the plate umpire, Shag Crawford. Chuck Hiller of the Giants was also ejected by Crawford that inning. He argued when Willie McCovey was called out on an interference play involving a fan leaning over the third-base railing on a foul pop. In the bottom of the fourth, Reds’ manager Fred Hutchinson made his formal protest, claiming Marichal had too many warmup pitches. Rule 8.03 of the official baseball rules says a pitcher warming up is “not to exceed eight preparatory pitches to his catcher during which play shall be suspended.” The key word in that line is “catcher.” Marichal threw several preparatory pitches to Harvey Kuenn — who is not a catcher and who did not play in today’s game — before the Reds batted in the fourth while his catcher, Bailey, was donning his gear. Then Marichal, over Hutchinson’s protest, was given eight warmup pitches to Bailey. National League president Warren Giles was at the game and saw the hassle. He will not make a ruling until Hutchinson puts his protest in writing.
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