What Really Happened in 1963 The San Francisco Giants Home     What Really Happened in 1963
	"After our great 1962 season, we slipped to third place behind the Dodgers and Cardinals. This was despite great seasons from [Willie]Mays and [Orlando] Cepeda, and Willie McCovey finally emerging from their shadows and leading the league with 44 homers. Sanford won 16 games and I went 14-10. We pitched pretty well but nothing like Juan Marichal, who pitched about 320 innings and went 25-8. He no-hit Houston 1-0, becoming the first Latin to throw a no-hitter. That was the first Giants' no-hitter since Carl Hubbell's in the late 1920s. And he beat Warren Spahn in one game, 1-0, on a home run by Mays in the bottom of the sixteenth inning. He and Spahn both went the distance. By this time you could call Marichal a great pitcher. If he had been as tough as Drysdale or Gibson, he might never have lost a game. Only Koufax was as good as Marichal. Sandy just threw so hard. He had a great curve but mostly he just overpowered you...." --Billy O'Dell We Played the Game Stretch Returns with 44 HRs Even though he won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1959, Willie McCovey was not altogether ready for the majors. He had to return to the Pacific Coast League the following year for more seasoning. The 1963 campaign was the first in which he held a regular job for the entire season. He tied with Hank Aaron for the [NL] home run crown that year, racking up 44 round-trippers. Juan Kicks in 25 Wins In 1963, Juan Marichal tied Sandy Koufax for the most wins in the majors (25). Marichal ranked high in virtually every National League pitching department -- 321 innings pitched, 248 strikeouts, a 2.41 ERA. -- The Baseball Chronicle