Chicago Herald-American

For Cub fans of my generation, this was our "Sandberg Game." On July 2, 1967 Fergie Jenkins three-hit the Braves for a 4-1 victory that not only gave the Cubs six straight wins and 13 out of 14, but when the Cardinals lost the first game of a double header to the Mets, they were alone in first place in the National League. It was the first time they had been in first place that late in the season since 1945.

When it was announced that the Cardinals had lost, Ron Santo was at the plate and the spontaneous cheer from the 40,464 fans at Wrigley Field threw Santo for a loop. "I'm getting ready to swing and I hear this scream and I jump that high," he said at the time, holding his hands a foot apart.

And when Al Spangler caught Art Shamsky's fly ball for the last out of the game, all heck broke loose.

From the Tribune:

"Hardly had Spangler clutched the ball before youthful enthusiasts broke onto the field and it became a chasing game among them, the Andy Frain ushers, and the policemen. There were open field tackles, druing which both the demonstrators and the ushers hit the turnf in the left field sector, the path the  Cubs take from the dugbout to their dressing room."

"The crowd, almost as if transfixed, made no concerted attempt to leave.

"There was almost a solid wall of raving maniacs as Ron Santo, the Cubs' captain, moved thru the stands, escorted by several of Frain's finest and a couple of policemaen to keep a TV date upstairs. Meanwhie, bleacherites had sailed Dixie cups, newspapers, programs, and anything else handy, onto the field."

To put the event into perspective, the previous year the Cubs were 59-103 and finished last in the 10-team National League in Leo Durocher's first season as Cubs manager. In fact, the Cubs had not finished in the upper half of the NL since 1946, finishing ninth, seventh, eighth, eighth and 10th in the first five years of a 10-team league.

According to the Tribune, an estimated 10,000 fans were turned away at the gates from the Sunday afternoon "Family Day" game.

"Apartment roofs across the street from the right field stands and bleachers were weighted down with spectators, a sight reminiscent of 1929 and the 1930s when the Cubs were winning pennants."

Jenkins not only pitched a complete-game three-hitter (no walks, seven strikeouts), but had two hits, including a run-scoring triple off Reds starter Sammy Ellis in the Cubs' three-run fourth inning that broke a 1-1 tie. Randy Hundley had given the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the second when his single scored Lee Thomas.

The WGN cameras showed the "CHICAGO" flag being hoisted atop the pennants signifying the standings in the National League. For roughly three hours, the Cubs and White Sox -- who led the American League by 4 1/2 games after losing to the Tigers that day -- were alone in first place in July.

"The greatest sight in the world," Santo said in a Tribune sidebar from that game, in the aftermath of that game, "was when they put that Cup pennant in the first place spot on top of the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, Manager [Leo] Durocher was trying to compare yesterday's madhouse with the frantic days in Brooklyn's Ebbetts field.

"Well, for a world series or maybe one game we had crowds like this, but never three days in a row like here -- and in July. I've just one word for it -- won-der-ful," he said."

Alas, it was too good to be true. The Cardinals beat the Mets behind Steve Carlton to tie the Cubs for first place. The Cubs beat the Braves to stay tied for first for one more day, but then lost six straight. The briefly rallied to tie for the league lead on July 24, but faded again and finished 87-74 -- 14 games behind the pennant-winning Cardinals. Wait'll next year.