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| The E-I-C and José Santiago |
This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
Impossible Dream Red Sox—who miraculously won the American League pennant in 1967. One of the key—and somewhat under-appreciated—figures in that quest was starter/reliever
José Santiago. The 6'2" righty went 12-4 with a 3.59 ERA that season—making 11 starts. He held the best winning percentage (.750) in the AL. What he did in Game 1 of the World Series, however, was truly spectacular. Cardinal
Bob Gibson beat
The Carmine Hose that day, 2-1. Aside from a terrific pitching performance (7 IP, 2 ER), Santiago also accounted for the only Boston run with a HR off future Hall-Of-Famer Gibson. Way back in 1992, I was fortunate enough to attend Red Sox Fantasy Camp and have
both Santiago and
Jerry Remy as coaches (see picture). This hero of 1967 turns 77 years old today.
Happy birthday, José!
