Society For American Baseball Research The year of blue snow: the 1964 philadelphia phillies, paperback/mel marmer

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Catcher Gus Triandos dubbed the Philadelphia Phillies' 1964 seasonthe year of the blue snowa rare thing that happens once in a greatwhile.

The Phillies were having a spectacular season in which everything wasgoing right.

They held a 6 1/2 game lead at the conclusion of play on September 20.

With just 12 games to play, they seemingly had it made.

But the Cincinnati Reds and St.

Louis Cardinals never gave up, andwhen the Phillies lost ten consecutive games, it became a thrillingpennant race for Cardinals and Reds fans, but a horrific collapse for Phillies fanatics.

But wait a minute.

When it was seemingly too late, the Philliesfinally won a game--and the first-place Cardinals lost two games to thelowly New York Mets, so on the last day of the season there was thedistinct possibility of a three-way tie for first place.

It would havebeen a first in baseball history.

On the final day of the season, the Phillies beat the Reds handily, 10-0.

All eyes and ears were fixed onthe Mets-Cardinals game.

Could the Mets knock off the first-place Cardinals for a third straight game? The Mets carried a 3-2 lead intothe bottom of the fifth inning, but finally succumbed, 11-5.

But what a season for Phillies fans.

Jim Bunning had thrown the firstperfect game in the last 84 years of NL history.

The hero of the 1964All-Star Game was the team's right fielder Johnny Callison, whobrought the National League victory with the third walk-off home runin the history of the All-Star Game.

The team also boasted theelectrifying NL Rookie of the Year - the team's slugging third baseman Richie Allen (later called Dick Allen).

Louis won the pennant, and went on to beat the Yankees in the World Series.

But in Philadelphia, the '64 campaign left an ache thatlasted for years.

The 1964 Phillies not only lost the pennant but, following 1964, they got steadily worse.

This book sheds light on the facts for the reader to determine answersto lingering questions they may still have about the Phillies team inthe 1964.