1963

1963 World Championship

Dodgers Sweep the NY Yankees in the 1963 World Series
The 1963 Dodgers were a formidable team, with 20-game winners Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, 16-game winner Ron Perranoski out of the bullpen, the National League batting king in Tommy Davis, the speed of Maury Wills and Willie Davis, and a strong supporting cast.

On the night of September 15, the Dodgers faced the St. Louis Cardinals in a series that would ultimately decide the pennant. The Dodgers held a one-game lead but the Cardinals had won 19 of their last 20 games and would play this pennant showdown in their stadium.

The Dodgers won the first two games behind Johnny Podres and Koufax, and in the third game, slammed the door on the Cardinals' pennant hopes when rookie Dick Nen homered to tie the game in the ninth inning. Then, after Ron Perranoski stranded Dick Groat at third base with none out in the 10th inning, the Dodgers scored unearned run in the 12th inning to sweep the series.

Facing the perennial World Champion New York Yankees in the World Series, Koufax returned home to his native New York City and stopped them, 5-2. Sandy set a World Series record with his 15 strikeouts, including the first five Yankees. John Roseboro, Koufax's batterymate, clubbed a three-run home run in the second inning to give Sandy all the runs he needed.

Johnny Podres returned to Yankee Stadium, the scene of his greatest triumph (a 2-0 shutout in game seven that gave the Dodgers their first World Championship in 1955) in the second game and gave the Dodgers eight strong innings before giving way to last-inning help from Ron Perranoski. Bill "Moose" Skowron, a power-hitting first baseman who had played most of his career with the Yankees, hit a two-run home run and Tommy Davis tied a World Series mark with two triples.

The two teams traveled to the West Coast for the third game and Drysdale shut out the Yankees on three hits as the Dodgers scored the only run they would need in the first inning when Tommy Davis singled home Jim Gilliam.

Once again it was Koufax who made the difference in Game Four. Frank Howard belted a monstrous home run into the loge section in left field at Dodger Stadium, but the Yankees' Mickey Mantle tied it with a home run in the seventh inning.

Jim Gilliam went all the way to third base when first baseman Joe Pepitone lost third baseman Clete Boyer's throw in the shirtsleeves and then scored on Willie Davis' sacrifice fly for the deciding run as the Dodgers won their second World Championship in Los Angeles, 2-1.

Union Oil Promo by Paul Krattera

• About the Artist: Paul Kratter, a freelance artist living in Pasadena, has numerous works to his credit among the ranks of professional sports. Besides being commissioned on several por- traits for the Dodgers over the past few years, Kratter has also worked with the San Francisco Giants, the Oakland Athletics and several teams in the National Football League. A graduate with honors from Pasadena's Art Center College of Design, Kratter also enjoys painting and photographing the outdoors and animal life.

World Champions Bat

• Los Angeles Dodgers 1963

1963 World Series Champions

1963 World Series Game 4

October 6, 1963

Dodger Stadium
FINAL: Los Angeles 2, New York 1: Dodgers Sweep the New York Yankees!

• Sandy Koufax pitched a complete game, gave up only one run
  • 6 Hits
  • 1 Run (Mickey Mantle HR)
  • 0 Walks
  • 8 Strikeouts

1960s

• 1960s Glove
• 1960s Coca-Cola
• 1963 WS Ring
• 1964 Scorecard