Hall of Champions: 1961

1961 World Series

New York Yankees 13, Cincinnati Reds 5

Yankees win series 4 games to 1 (2-0, 2-6, 3-2, 7-0, 13-5).

The 1961 World Series pitted the New York Yankees (109–53) against the Cincinnati Reds (93–61), with the Yankees winning in five games to earn their 19th championship in 39 seasons. Cold War political puns became popular at the time of the Series (the "Reds" against the "Yanks"), but attention was primary focused on the "M&M" boys, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, who spent the summer chasing Babe Ruth's 60–home run season of 1927.

Champion

Yankees

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Game Date

Monday, October 9, 1961

Runner-Up

Reds

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The Most Valuable Player Award for the series went to lefty Whitey Ford, who won two games while throwing 14 shutout innings.

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1962 World Series

Game 5 was the final World Series game ever played at Crosley Field, and the last postseason game in Cincinnati until the team moved to Riverfront Stadium in 1970.

  • The 1961 five-game series was the shortest since 1954, when the New York Giants swept the Cleveland Indians in four games.
  • The Yankees won the American League pennant, finishing eight games better than the Detroit Tigers. The Bronx Bombers also set a Major League record for most home runs in a season with 240.
  • Along with Maris and Mantle, four other Yankees, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, Bill Skowron, and Johnny Blanchard, hit more than 20 home runs.
  • The Reds featured four 20-plus home run hitters of their own: NL MVP Frank Robinson, Gordy Coleman, Gene Freese and Wally Post.

©CCM Feb 19 2022

1961 AFL Championship Game

Houston Oilers 10, San Diego Chargers 3

Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California. Attendance 29,556.

The 1961 AFL Championship Game was a rematch of the first American Football League title game, between the Eastern Division champion Houston Oilers (10–3–1) and the Western Division champion San Diego Chargers (12–2) two of only three AFL teams with winning records in the 1961 season. The 1961 AFL championship game was the sixth meeting between the two teams during the calendar year beginning with the previous season's title game on January 1, won by Houston.

Champion

Oilers

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Game Date

Sunday, December 24, 1961

Runner-Up

Chargers

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The first AFL title game was originally scheduled to be played in the 103,000 capacity Los Angeles Coliseum, however the Chargers had drawn less than 10,000 fans per home game.

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The gamed drew a near-capacity 32,183 despite raining for five days straight prior to the game.

  • The only score of the first half came on a 46-yard George Blanda field goal, coming after a nine-yard San Diego punt.
  • The game was not a sellout; the attendance of 29,556 was several thousand under Balboa Stadium's capacity.
  • The second AFL title game was held down by sloppy play and turnovers: Houston had seven and San Diego six.
  • The only other AFL team with a winning record in 1961 was the Boston Patriots at 9–4–1.

©CCM Feb 19 2022

1961 NFL Championship Game

Green Bay Packers 37, New York Giants 0

City Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Attendance 39,029.

The 1961 NFL Championship Game was the 29th title game, played on December 31 at "New" City Stadium, later known as Lambeau Field, in Green Bay. The game matched up the Eastern Conference champion New York Giants (10–3–1) and the Western Conference champion Green Bay Packers (11–3). Packers and military men Ray Nitschke, Boyd Dowler, and Paul Hornung, were on leave from the U.S. Army, and Hornung scored 19 points (a touchdown, three field goals, and four extra points) for the Packers.

Champion

Packers

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Game Date

Sunday, December 31, 1961

Runner-Up

Giants

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The victory was the first of five NFL titles won in a seven-season span by the Packers and their head coach, Vince Lombardi. It was the Packers' seventh league title and their first in 17 years.

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All the Packers players used cleats and about half of the Giants players, led by head coach Allie Sherman, chose sneakers, believing they would grip better on a frozen field.

  • Paul Hornung was named the MVP of the game, and awarded a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette from Sport magazine.
  • Lombardi utilized a strategy of fundamentally sound football (the Packers had no turnovers and only 16 yards in penalties) and beat the Giants running at their strength - linemen Andy Robustelli and Rosey Grier.
  • The Giants were in their third championship game in four years, falling in 1958 and 1959 to the Baltimore Colts.
  • With 40,000 tickets sold at $10 each and $615,000 in TV revenue, this game was the first NFL Championship to generate $1 million in revenue.

©CCM Feb 19 2022

1962 NBA Finals

Boston Celtics 110, Los Angeles Lakers 107 (OT)

Celtics win the series 4 games to 3 (122-108, 122–129, 115-117, 115-103, 121-126, 119-105, 110-107).

The 1962 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1962 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1961–62 season. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers and Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. This was the Celtics' sixth straight trip to the Finals; It was the second time in NBA history and the most recent Finals in which the series was decided by overtime in Game 7. The only other Finals series decided in overtime in the seventh game was the 1957 Finals.

Champion

Celtics

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Game Date

Tuesday, April 17, 1962

Runner-Up

Lakers

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Celtics center Bill Russell set a still-standing record for rebounds in a 7-game series with 189, and tied his own record for rebounds in a single game with 40 in Game 7.

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1963 NBA Finals

In the last 5 seconds of regulation in Game 7, Laker Frank Selvy missed an open 12-footer from the baseline that would have won the championship for Los Angeles and ended the Celtics dynasty.

  • During the series, Lakers forward Elgin Baylor scored a Finals record 61 points in Game 5 and 284 points total in the series.
  • The Celtics defeated the Warriors, 4–3 in the Eastern Finals, while the Lakers subdued the Pistons 4-2 in the West.
  • The Lakers were spearheaded by future Hall-of-Famers Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.
  • 1962 would start the Lakers' pattern of not winning the big games in the NBA Finals, something that lasted until 1972 when the Lakers finally won their first title in Los Angeles.

©CCM Feb 19 2022

1962 Stanley Cup Finals

Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Chicago Black Hawks 1

Maple Leafs win the series 4 games to 2 (4-1, 3-2, 0-3, 1-4, 8-4, 2-1).

The 1962 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1961–62 season, and the culmination of the 1962 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the defending champion Chicago Black Hawks (coached by Rudy Pilous) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (skippered by Punch Imlach) who had last appeared in the Final in 1960. The Maple Leafs won the best-of-seven series, four games to two, to win the Stanley Cup, their first since 1951.

Champion

Maple Leafs

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Game Date

Sunday, April 22, 1962

Runner-Up

Black Hawks

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Chicago defeated the Montreal Canadiens in six games to advance to the finals, while Toronto bested the New York Rangers (4 games to 2).

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Several holdouts on the reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago Black Hawks were reported before the season. Stan Mikita, Reg Fleming and Dollard St. Laurent refused to sign their contracts, but they eventually came to terms.

  • The Maple Leafs were led in the playoffs by their three All-Stars: Frank Mahovlich, Carl Brewer and Dave Keon.
  • The Black Hawks' Stan Mikita broke Gordie Howe's 1955 playoff record of 20 points, finishing with 21 for the series.
  • During the season, Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks, became the second 50-goal scorer in NHL history.
  • Toronto's Dave Keon, making his playoff debut, scored two goals and an assist in the Final.

©CCM Feb 19 2022