At a press conference, the Mets announce Casey Stengel, the only skipper the franchise has ever known, will continue to manage next season. Although the expansion team has finished last in all three years of its existence, the ‘Old Perfessor’ is given a raise.

The Philadelphia Inquirer stops its recent practice of printing the Phillies magic number, citing the countdown digit has lost its significance in the National League race. The fading Phils, which had a 6.5 game lead just six days ago, now clings to a half-game margin, and the team will need to beat the contenders they will face in five of the six remaining games to clinch the once ‘certain’ pennant.

The Reds are winners of nine straight as they sweep a doubleheader, 4 – 1 and 3 – 1, over New York to take a one-game lead over the faltering Phillies. However, the Reds will then lose four of their final five games to finish the season tied for second with Philadelphia, one game behind the pennant-winning St. Louis Cardinals.

Despite three home runs by Johnny Callison, the Phils are 14 – 8 losers to the Braves, who complete a 4-game sweep at Connie Mack Stadium. The Phils’ 7th straight loss drops them out of first, which they had held for 73 days. Milwaukee tallies 22 hits – 10 against Jim Bunning in four innings and the others against four relievers. Joe Torre has two hits including his 20th homer.

On Fan Appreciation Day at Shea Stadium, a promotion which features egg tossing contests and wheelbarrow races between games, the Reds sweep a twin bill from the Mets to take sole possession of first place. Six days ago, Cincinnati had trailed the Phillies by six and a half games.

The Reds belt the Mets, 6 – 1, for their 7th straight win, the longest in the National League this season. Marty Keough drives in half the runs with a single and double. The Reds are now a half-game back of the Phils.

At Shibe Park, the Braves and Phillies set a major league record by using 43 players in a 9-inning game. The Braves’ 25 match the 9-inning high mark for National League clubs. Eight of the 25 are pitchers, tying a league mark, but still the stumbling Phils drop their 6th in a row, 6 – 4. The topper is Rico Carty’s three-run triple in the top of the 9th against reliever Bobby Shantz, in for starter Art Mahaffey. Joe Torre again has three hits for Milwaukee, which shaves the Phils’ lead to a half-game.

The 1st-place Phils, just 3 1/2 games in the lead after dropping three games at home to the Reds (1 – 0, 9 – 2 and 6 – 4), throw Jim Bunning at the Braves. Bunning lasts six innings but the Braves topple the host Phils, 5 – 3, as Joe Torre belts two triples to drive home three runs. In the second contest, the woes continue as the Phillies lose, 7 – 5, in 11 innings. Chris Short goes eight innings for Philley before exiting with a 3 – 3 tie. Torre slams a two-run homer in the 10th, but the Phils match it, before losing it in the 11th. Torre has three hits in the nitecap with three RBIs.

At Shea Stadium, Jim Maloney fires a one-hitter in the Reds’ 3 – 0 win over the Mets. Joe Christopher’s 2nd-inning single is the only hit.