1971Ā ā Is thisĀ Roberto Clementeās long lost 241st home run? Some spottyĀ official scoringĀ andĀ Dave Giustiās pyromaniacal 9th-inning relief outing conspire to obscure Clementeās contributions to theĀ PiratesāĀ performance. Giustiās silver platter features an RBI single, a walk to load the bases, a game-tying bases-loaded walk toĀ Willie Mays, and a game-winningĀ grand slamĀ served to theĀ GiantsāĀ Willie McCovey, turning Pittsburghās come-from-behind 4 ā 2 victory into an ignominious 8 ā 4 defeat. This debacle, plus an almost equally dispiriting 10-inning, 8 ā 7 defeat tomorrow, will turn out to be a preview of theNational League Championship Series, which will have a very different result. Before Giustiās meltdown, Clementeās rope to home plate preventsĀ Dick DietzĀ from even trying to score from second base on a single. Back in the 7th, with the Giants up by one, Clemente leads off with a viciousĀ line driveĀ back through the box that gets to centerfield in an instant and past Mays before he can get a glove on it, affording Roberto a quick tour of the bases before crossing home plate standing. Scored anĀ error, itās the subject of some choice post-game Mays commentary, as relayed by Giants beat writerĀ Bob Stevens: āIt should have been a home run. The error makes no difference to me and I donāt really care if the rulingās changed. But I was playing Roberto in right centerfield and I had no chance to catch up to it, it was hit so hard. I guess they gave me an error because they thought I touched it. But it was at least a foot away from my glove when it bounced past me.ā
1971Ā ā Is thisĀ Roberto Clementeās long lost 241st home run? Some spottyĀ official scoringĀ andĀ Dave Giustiās pyromaniacal 9th-inning relief outing conspire to obscure Clementeās contributions to theĀ PiratesāĀ performance. Giustiās silver platter features an RBI single, a walk to load the bases, a game-tying bases-loaded walk toĀ Willie Mays, and a game-winningĀ grand slamĀ served to theĀ GiantsāĀ Willie McCovey, turning Pittsburghās come-from-behind 4 ā 2 victory into an ignominious 8 ā 4 defeat. This debacle, plus an almost equally dispiriting 10-inning, 8 ā 7 defeat tomorrow, will turn out to be a preview of theNational League Championship Series, which will have a very different result. Before Giustiās meltdown, Clementeās rope to home plate preventsĀ Dick DietzĀ from even trying to score from second base on a single. Back in the 7th, with the Giants up by one, Clemente leads off with a viciousĀ line driveĀ back through the box that gets to centerfield in an instant and past Mays before he can get a glove on it, affording Roberto a quick tour of the bases before crossing home plate standing. Scored anĀ error, itās the subject of some choice post-game Mays commentary, as relayed by Giants beat writerĀ Bob Stevens: āIt should have been a home run. The error makes no difference to me and I donāt really care if the rulingās changed. But I was playing Roberto in right centerfield and I had no chance to catch up to it, it was hit so hard. I guess they gave me an error because they thought I touched it. But it was at least a foot away from my glove when it bounced past me.ā