Oct 4, 1972 — Milwaukee Brewers beat New York Yankees (1-0). Oct 4, 1972, Attendance: 5210, Time of Game: 1:57.
The Milwaukee Brewers defeat the New York Yankees 1-0 at Yankee Stadium on this final day of the regular season. Jim Lonborg scatters three hits in winning his 14th game of the season. Larry Gowell is the losing pitcher for the Yankees. Announcers are Phil Rizzuto, Bill White, and Frank Messer. Aired on WGY Radio.
NOTE: New York Yankee pitcher, Larry Gowell was the last AL pitcher to record a hit in a regular-season game before the DH was instituted.
On October 4th, 1972, Gowell made his mark in baseball history when the rookie right-hander faced Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jim Lonborg, and slugged a 3-2 fastball down the left-field line for a double.
Interestingly enough, it was Larry Gowell's first and last MLB hit, as well as the final regular-season hit by an American League pitcher until interleague play and the designated hitter was implemented for the 1973 American League season.
Frank Messer, New York Yankee announcer from 1968 to 1985 calls the first, second, and third inning with Bill White.
Bill White, New York Yankee announcer form 1971 to 1988 calls the fourth, fifth and sixth inning with Phil Rizzuto.
Phil Rizzuto, New York Yankee announcer from 1957 to 1996 calls the seventh, eighth and ninth inning with Frank Messer from County Stadium, Milwaukee Wisconsin.
Larry Gowell leads off the bottom of the third inning and on a 3-2 count doubles down the left field line. Messer states, "Even if this is Gowell's only hit he'll ever get (which is was)...a special memory."
72 minutes into this broadcasts Phil Rizzuto comments on Gowell.
NOTE: The baseball Gowell hit now resides in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
Also, interesting, 1972 had the lowest Yankee Stadium attendance record since 1945 (under 1 million).
At his final game of the season only 5,210 fans were in attendance watching a Hall of Fame baseball historic moment transpire.
Although Larry Gowell allowed only one run during this game the Yankees lost 1-0. It was to be Gowell's only MLB decision.
ON FEBRUARY 29, 2020 LARRY GOWELL CONTACTED YOURS TRULY, PHIL GRIES STATING HE HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR ANY BROADCAST RECORD OF THIS GAME FOR THE PAST 45 YEARS. One DVD SOUNDTRACK of the broadcast mastered from the original 1/4" reel to reel audio tape was sent to Gowell and he sent a second one sent to him to Cooperstown, audio courtesy of Archival Television Audio, Inc.
An email I received on February 29, 2020, from Larry Gowell.
Hi Phil
A facebook friend of mine just let me know about your company. His name is Chris and he was looking into my time with yhth Yankees as a pitcher. The first game was in Milwaukee on September 21, 1972 in County Stadium where I pitched two perfect innings. In my second game, I started the last game of the year in Yankee Stadium on October 4th and pitched against Jim Lonborg.
These were my only two starts with the Yankees. In that last game in Yankee Stadium it became an historical night for me and the game of baseball.
In the third inning of the game I got up to bat which was the only time in my major league career, and ended up getting a hard hit double down the line that got to the wall. This being the last game of the season in the major leagues I found out about 8 years later that the hit I got ended up being the last hit by a pitcher before the enactment of the Designated Hitter rule (DH). I had the baseball because they always would give the baseball on the occasion of your first hit in the the big leagues. After I found out about this ai Sent the baseball to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. to be evaluated and to confirm this actually was the baseball and that I was the pitcher that hit it. With further review, they asked me if I wanted to donate the ball to the Hall of Fame as an historical baseball that is very valuable to the hall and to the history of baseball. So, with that said, I am looking for any Video or Audio I can find on that game at Yankee Stadium. Chris Chafin checked it out and he said you have it.I know that Mrs. Babe Ruth was in the stands for that last game too.
I look forward to hearing from you.
The Best,
Larry Gowell
45 Seventh Street
Auburn, Maine 04210
PH. 207...-....
ON March 11th I mastered for Larry Gowell a DVD sound track containing the complete game broadcast which runs 131 minutes.
An additional copy was sent to him to send to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
It is heartening to know that Larry finally had a chance, after 48 years, to share with his family, especially grandson, and friends and to reflect while listening to the actual broadcast of his historic hit...only two months prior to his passing, at age 72, on May 11, 2020.