The Seer (Chapter 06) Poem by Kim Barney

The World Series was about to start, and Charlie and I were both excited because the Dodgers were playing the Yankees again. Everyone predicted a seven-game series, with the Yankees winning as usual, but Charlie told me, You're going to love this!

What? This first game or the series? I asked.

You would never believe what's going to happen. Let's just say I think you'll be having a happy birthday this year, he said.

Game one at Yankee Stadium featured the ace left-handers of both clubs: Whitey Ford for the Yankees and Sandy Koufax for the Dodgers. Sandy started by striking out the first five men he faced: Tony Kubek, Bobby Richardson, Tom Tresh, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. By the end of the game he had struck out a World Series record fifteen batters, and the Dodgers won,5-2.

In game two, the Dodgers won again, behind starting pitcher Johnny Podres and Ron Perranoski in relief. Roger Maris was hurt by running into a rail chasing a Tommy Davis triple. He would not play again in this series. Final score: Dodgers 4, Yankees 1.

Now the series moved to Los Angeles, with the Dodgers up two games to none. Charlie and I were ecstatic.

Don Drysdale of the Dodgers pitched a gem in the third game, giving up only three hits and shutting out the Yankees 1-0. I could hardly believe it, but Charlie knew all along. He just didn't want to tell me.

The Yankees had beaten the Dodgers six times before in the series, and the Dodgers had only won once. The Yankees had never swept the Dodgers in four straight games, however, and the Dodgers were on the verge of doing that to them. Could they really do it?

Game four featured Ford against Koufax again, and yes, the Dodgers could. They won 2-1. They had done the impossible, sweeping the Yankees in four games. Sandy Koufax, my hero, beat Whitey Ford twice, and game four was played on my birthday, October 6,1963. It was my best birthday ever. I was on top of the world. Who would have believed that the powerful Yankees would score only four runs in four games?

About six weeks later, something happened that stunned me and millions of others.

To be continued...