This Week: Reliving the Greatest Pennant Race in Baseball History
This week, we're not just telling you about the 1967 American League pennant race—we're dropping you right into the middle of it. For the next four days, we will relive the single greatest and most chaotic final stretch in baseball history, a four-team dogfight where every game mattered, legends were forged, and hearts were broken. Welcome to "The Great Race."
Today, we kick things off with two posts to set the stage. First, you're reading our series overview right now. Then, be sure to check out Part II this evening: Down to the Wire: The Stunning Conclusion of the 1967 Pennant Race, detailed into the standings leading into the final, fateful weeks, complete with a full interactive box score and recap of a pivotal game from September 10th.
Here is the schedule for the rest of this special series. Don’t miss a single day!
Tuesday: The White Sox's Last Stand. We'll look at Chicago's desperate fight to hang on as the pressure of the tightest race in modern history reaches a boiling point.
Wednesday: A Tiger's Heartbreak. Detroit feels the devastating impact of future Hall of Famer Al Kaline's injury at the worst possible moment, threatening to derail their championship hopes.
Thursday: The Final Day & The Great "What If?" We'll break down the incredible final games that decided it all and explore the lingering question that has haunted Minnesota for decades: What if Twins ace Jim Kaat had been healthy for the home stretch?
Friday: The Impossible Dream. Yaz and Jim Lonborg help end a decades -long futility. The Red Sox Win the Pennant!
The 1967 American League pennant race wasn't just a competition; it was a four-way street fight that went down to the final Sunday of the season. For fans in Boston, Minnesota, Detroit, and Chicago, it was a pressure cooker of hope and heartbreak that has become the stuff of baseball legend. This week, we're going to relive that incredible race, day by day, starting with the absolute chaos of early September.
Entering the month, the four teams were separated by a razor-thin margin. The "Impossible Dream" Red Sox, the powerful Twins, the veteran Tigers, and the pitching-rich White Sox were all poised to make a run. No one gave an inch.
Week 1: The Logjam (September 1-7)
The first week of September set the tone for the entire month: pure, unadulterated chaos. The lead seemed to change hands unofficially every single night. A win by one team was immediately answered by another. The White Sox, who many had counted out, hung tough, while the Tigers began a steady climb towards the top.
The week culminated on September 7th with a situation that perfectly encapsulated the race: the Red Sox, Twins, and Tigers were all locked in a dead-heat, three-way tie for first place. The chart below visualizes this day-by-day ballet of teams trading blows.
Week 2: Still No Breathing Room (September 8-14)
If fans thought the race would find some clarity in the second week, they were sorely mistaken. The top three teams remained in a virtual deadlock. A crucial moment came on September 11th, when the Tigers beat the Twins 9-2, briefly knocking Minnesota out of first place. But the Twins, as they did all year, battled right back.
A perfect example of the daily tension was the September 10th doubleheader between the Twins and the Senators. Minnesota needed to capitalize, and they did, sweeping both games. Harmon Killebrew hit his 40th homer in the first game, a 6-2 victory.
| GAME 1: September 10, 1967 - Metropolitan Stadium | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Senators | AB | R | H | RBI | ||||||||
| E. Brinkman, SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| F. Howard, LF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| K. Harrelson, RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| M. Epstein, 1B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| P. Casanova, C | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| B. Allen, 3B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| H. Bithorn, 2B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| D. Lisenbee, CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| P. Ortega, P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Totals | 31 | 2 | 7 | 1 | ||||||||
| Minnesota Twins | AB | R | H | RBI | ||||||||
| Z. Versalles, SS | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| C. Tovar, CF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| R. Carew, 2B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| H. Killebrew, 1B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| T. Oliva, RF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| B. Allison, LF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| C. Battey, C | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| C. Ermer, 3B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| J. Kaat, P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Totals | 31 | 6 | 10 | 6 | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Washington | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| Washington Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ||||||
| P. Ortega (L, 8-13) | 5.0 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 | ||||||
| B. Humphreys | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| B. Moore | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Minnesota Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ||||||
| J. Kaat (W, 15-12) | 9.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| 2B: T. Oliva (25). HR: F. Howard (35), H. Killebrew (40), T. Oliva (16). | ||||||||||||
The second game was a nail-biting 3-2 win, keeping them in their precarious first-place tie. By the end of the week, the situation was just as muddled as when it began. The chart for Week 2 shows a tangled mess, with Detroit and Minnesota ending the week tied for first, and Boston just a half-game behind.
After two full weeks of September baseball, nothing had been decided. The stage was set for the final two weeks, where legends would be made and dreams would be shattered.
Check back this evening for Part II: The Stunning Conclusion of the '67 Pennant Race.