X-Nico

7 unusual facts about 1963 in baseball


Bill Landis

William Henry Landis (born October 8, 1942 in Hanford, California) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1963 through 1969 for the Kansas City Athletics (1963) and Boston Red Sox (1967–1969).

Chuck Schilling

He was still the Red Sox's regular second baseman in 1963, but hit .234 in 143 games and lost his regular job to Felix Mantilla and Dalton Jones in 1964, both good hitters but mediocre-at-best fielders.

Georgia-Florida League

In 1963, the minor leagues reorganized and the Georgia-Florida League was designated Class A. But there were only four teams in the '63 GFL, and its champion, the Thomasville Tigers, a Detroit affiliate, attracted only 7,234 fans over the entire course of a home schedule of over 60 games — an average of about 120 fans per game.

Jack Damaska

Damaska's five games in the majors were all in July of 1963.

Jim Constable

From 1957 through 1963, he played for the New York/San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators and Milwaukee Braves.

Marshall Bridges

During 1963 spring training in a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, bar, a disagreement between Bridges and a female patron resulted in her shooting him in the leg.

Norm Larker

Norman Howard John Larker (December 27, 1930 – March 12, 2007) was a first baseman/outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1958 through 1963.



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