Dodgers Hope to Rekindle a Lifetime of Memories in Just Three Innings of Fun

The Dodgers of 1963 and 1965, who won titles with excellent pitching and sound defense, will be saluted in a three-inning old-timers’ game today at 12:05 p.m., before the game between the Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. More than 30 members of those championship teams will be in attendance, including Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax, who won the Cy Young Award in the National League both years.

Koufax went 25-5 and was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1963, when the Dodgers swept the New York Yankees in the World Series, and 26-8 in ‘65, when they beat the Minnesota Twins in seven games. One year later, he retired.

Don Drysdale, Johnny Podres and Ron Perranoski, who along with Koufax combined for 74 of the team’s 99 victories in 1963, will also be on hand. They will be joined by Claude Osteen, who became a 15-game winner after replacing Podres in the rotation in ’65.

In 1963, the second championship year in Los Angeles, the Dodgers had a double-Davis outfield. Tommy Davis won his second consecutive batting title (.326) after batting .346 with a league-leading 153 runs batted in the season before, while Willie Davis was in the fourth of 16 major league seasons.

They will be honored today, as will catcher John Roseboro and Lou Johnson, who replaced Tommy Davis in the outfield early in 1965 and had 12 home runs, 59 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

Pitchers Ed Roebuck, Pete Richert, Bob Miller and Nick Willhite; infielders Bill (Moose) Skowron, Ken McMullen, Dick Nen, Don Zimmer, Don (Ducky) LeJohn, Dick Traczewski, John Werhas and Nate (Pee Wee) Oliver; outfielder Lee Walls, and former coaches Danny Ozark, Leo Durocher, Preston Gomez and Joe Becker are also expected to be on hand.