44 years later...

[Rich]

I was watching MLB Network's showing of the 1965 WS Game 7, where Koufax threw a complete game shutout on 2 days' rest.

Most of the differences between then and now were mechanical, like the funny way umpires called outs and safes and how U2 was always outside the diamond. And of course, the plate guy was from the AL and wore a balloon and all the umpires wore coats and ties. And U1 always called plays on the run and was really, really close at first base.

The one difference in how the game was played/called that struck me was the handling of the check swing. It appears that back then the criteria for a swing was "if the plate umpire thought he swung" and the guy on the plate last night used "if he didn't go all the way around, it wasn't a swing."

One batter, on two consecutive pitches, offered (2009 interpretation) and the plate guy called the pitches balls. No complaining, no gestures, no nothing. Koufax simply got the ball back and prepared to throw his next pitch. Which, in that game, was 90% likely to be a fastball that he blew past everyone.

Oh, and Vin Scully was on the game, and he was just as good then as he is now, 44 years later.