Hum Drum Days as Yankees thrash Cubs in 61 WS

The Yankees appeared to spend the majority of the 1961 regular season stuck in first gear and stuttered to a first place finish, only one game ahead of the Reds, losing 11 games in the process.  But, as soon as the Post season commenced, the slumbering giant awoke, and the players realised they had a job to complete. It means nothing being lauded as the best team (2nd best??) of all time if the Series is lost. After duly despatching the Reds 4-0, and scoring 25 runs against 8 in the process, they were expected to do the same to the surprise PL Champions, the Chicago Cubs.  If truth be told they barely needed second gear, as the Cubs offered scant resistance, being shut out 3 times, and all 6 runs coming in a spirited display in Game 2 where they led 6-0 in the 8th. The Yankees scored 23 meaning they finished post season with an 8-0 record scoring 48 runs and conceding only 14. This without any effective offence from Mantle who batted 200 in the WS. The mantle (sic) was taken up by Berra (353) and Blanchard (308). Ford looked supreme on the mound winning two and giving up no runs.  Spare a thought though for Jesse Gonder. Most people in New York were scambling through their records looking for him when he was named on the WS roster, but he posted an important walk in Game 2, which sparked the Yankees fightback, and then posted a hit in Game 6, to leave him batting 1000. If that doesn't typify the magic of baseball in October this scribe doesn't know what does......