Apr. 27, 1963 - Mickey Mantle, sidelined with a muscle strain since April 13, returned to the Yankee lineup today and drew thunderous applause from a gathering of 15,677 at Yankee Stadium. He also drew a walk, but then struck out on his next three times at bat. However, the mere presence of the famed Switcher appeared to have such a positive effect on his colleagues that the Bombers put on a smashing performance in crushing the Cleveland Indians, 8-1. Joe Pepitone, also back in the lineup and out to prove he isn’t losing any ground in his struggle for the first-base job, jolted the Tribe’s Dick Donovan in the fourth for a homer. So did Tom Tresh an inning later. In the eighth, however, came the most devastating blow of all. This was a grand slam by Cletis Boyer. Ron Nischwitz was the victim of that blast. Behind all that bombing, Ralph Terry had an easy time gaining his third victory against one defeat. “It was good to see Mick in there, even if he didn’t do much,” Terry said after the game. The grand slam was the second of Boyer’s career. “It was a fastball, and he laid it in there after he fell behind 2-0,” Boyer said. “I thought they might put in a righthander with the bases full at that point.” That point was in the eighth, with the score 4-1. Lefthander Ron Nischwitz had worked the seventh nicely, giving Mickey his third K. So, manager Birdie Tebbetts let the former Tiger face Boyer with the bases loaded. It was a mistake. Boyer’s shot went high toward the left-field seats. Tito Francona gave it the full try, leaping with his glove high in the air, but it just eluded him. “It was good to see those homers going the other way,” Terry grinned. “After the game, Kubek kidded me about there being three homers and that I didn’t throw one.” Terry holds the Yankee record for giving up homers. But today, the slim righthander gave but seven singles.
Comments