Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Hero Of 1967 José Santiago Turns 77 Years Old Today

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!