One inning set the tone for Boston as the Red Sox pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates 16-3 in the first round of the Strat-O-Matic 1959 Tournament presented by Press Room Pass.
Gary Geiger blasted a three-run triple in the second frame and later scored on an error to give the Red Sox a 4-0 advantage.
Don Buddin hit a two-run homer in the third and Boston led 6-0.
The Pirates would cut the deficit in half with an unearned run in the third and one stanza later a RBI single by Smoky Burgess and a sacrifice fly by Rocky Nelson.
The prosperty didn’t last long as the Red Sox sent Pirates starter Vern Law to the showers in the fifth.
Ted Williams homered and Jackie Jensen doubled and that was it for Law. Ron Blackburn entered the contest and got one out before he surrendered a RBI single to Buddin and a three-run blast to Vic Wertz. Bob Porterfield got the last out to end the rally.
Leading 11-3 heading into the seventh, The Red Sox score three more times as Sammy White, Gene Stephens and Williams each drove in a run.
In the eighth, Boston scored another unearned run before White’s RBI single knocked in the final tally.
Ike Delock went the distance for Boston allowing eight hits with two going to Bill Virdon.
Geiger and Jensen led the Red Sox with three hits apiece, while Williams, Buddin, Wertz, White and Frank Malzone all had two hits each,
1959 TOURNAMENT RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
(Top Bracket Opening Round)
(A1) Chicago White Sox 7, (N8) Philadelphia Phillies 1
(N5) Cincinnati Reds 5, (A4) Detroit Tigers 3
(A6) Baltimore Orioles 2, (N3) San Francisco Giants 1
(N2) Milwaukee Braves 4, (A7) Kansas City A’s 1
(Top Bracket Second Round)
(N5) Cincinnati Reds at (A1) Chicago White Sox
(A6) Baltimore Orioles at (N2) Milwaukee Braves
(Bottom Bracket Opening Round)
(N1) Los Angeles Dodgers 4, (A8) Washington Senators 3
(A5) Boston Red Sox 16, (N4) Pittsburgh Pirates 3
(N6) Chicago Cubs at (A3) New York Yankees
(N7) St. Louis Cardinals at (A2) Cleveland Indians
(Bottom Bracket Second Round)
(A5) Boston Red Sox at (N1) Los Angeles Dodgers
IN REAL LIFE:
Gary Geiger could have been a poster child for baseball’s Rule 5 Draft.
The easiest explanation of the draft is that a team can select an unprotected minor league player from any organization and bring them to the majors. The player would have to stay with the big league club for a year or be returned to their former team.
Roberto Clemente and Hack Wilson are two National Baseball Hall of Fame members who were Rule 5 picks.
Geiger was selected three times during his career.
After four seasons in the minors with the St. Louis Cardinals, Geiger was selected by the Cleveland Indians where he played in 1958.
Prior to the 1959 season, Geiger was traded to Boston with Vic Wertz for Jim Piersall. He would go on to hit 11 homers and drive in 48 runs for the Red Sox that year.
Geiger would stay with Boston until 1965 when he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves where he would be until spring training in 1968. He played that season in the minors with the Cardinals.
Houston drafted Geiger before 1969 and he would play his final big league season with the Astros in 1970.
In 12 seasons, Geiger would play in 954 games with 77 homers and 283 RBI.