Baseball History

[67RedSox]

The third largest of the five New York boroughs but the least populated is Staten Island. All five of those boroughs including Staten Island have been home to a MLB team in their history. The Bronx claims the Yankees, Brooklyn claims the Dodgers or even the Mutuals if you want to go back to the inaugural NL season in 1876, Manhattan claims the Giants and the first version of the Metropolitans, Queens claims the Mets. So, what team does that leave Staten Island to claim. The answer to that is the original version of the New York Metropolitans who played from 1883 to 1887. The first three seasons they played in the Polo Grounds however for their final two they moved to Staten Island. It was on this date in 1886, 128 years ago the Mets' lavish new ballpark on Staten Island, the St. George Cricket Grounds is opened. The stadium was built along the lines of a typical horse race track grandstand. The Metropolitans folded after the 1887 season but at leaszt while there fans could keep one eye on the ballgame and one on the Statue of Liberty being constructed. The Giants played some games there from April 29 – June 14, 1889, while awaiting construction of the new Polo Grounds and that was the end of MLB on Staten Island.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/StGeorgeCricketGrounds1.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/St._George_Grounds.jpg

It was on this date in 1903 the New York Yankees play their very first game and lose to Washington. They were known as the Highlanders then because they played their games in a ballpark built on high ground…how original. Because they played in the American League their ballpark was called either Highland Park / Hilltop Park or American League Park…also original.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1903...n-new-york-as-the-1903-highlanders%2F;375;343

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1903...homaspollman.com%2Famerican-lines%2F;1000;875

A player few remember today…Mickey Vernon, was born on this date in in 1918. Aside from being one of the most popular ballplayers of the 1940s and 1950s some of his accomplishments include 2 AL Batting Crowns - .353 in 1946 after missing the previous two seasons due to the War and .337 in 1953, no one in ML history was involved in more double plays than his 2,044, one of 29 players to play in 4 decades (1939-1960…as was the case with Ted Williams) and the 1st Manager of the Washington Senators expansion team in 1961.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=mick...%2F206791-help-finding-photos-18.html;444;666

I saw a great picture of Bob Gibson ( a classic of him falling off the mound toward 1B ) and was going to do a blurb on it and realized there was an article went with it. I was familiar with the Jim Ray Hart story, my personal favourite, of which a small portion is in the article but I had never heard the Pete LaCock story so the whole thing is here if you’re interested. Listen to Gibson tell the Ron Fairly story…wonderful stuff.

Bob Gibson Quotes, Stories and Anecdotes | Mop Up Duty

 

[67RedSox]

Warren G. Harding was the 29th President who took Office in March of 1921 and would die suddenly in Office a scant couple of years later. Despite that in the 3 Season Openers for the Washington Senators that occurred while he was in office…1921, 1922 and 1923 he attended at Griffith Stadium for each and tossed out the 1st pitch. He not only played baseball, he co-owned a Minor League team, often invited Babe Ruth to the White House and was an expert at keeping score at a ballgame, an ability that has eluded me. His Presidency was not highly rated in the years immediately following it but history has been kinder toward it.
A few weeks after Harding took Office, on this date in 1921, the 5th winningest pitcher in MLB history was born in Buffalo…Warren Spahn and he was named after President Harding. Spahn’s father who played semi-pro baseball in his day struggled to raise his family on his meager salary as a wallpaper salesman. He wanted for his son what he could have a career in the Major Leagues. To that end he built a mound in the backyard because Warren was left-handed and the best route to the Majors for a lefty was pitching. He taught him how to pitch and how deception ( thus the high leg kick ) and control, control control were the secrets to success. I guess he was right.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=warr...eague-baseball-game.html%3Fimage%3D15;620;400

https://www.google.ca/search?q=warr...player_biographies%2Fspahn_warren.htm;300;392

It was on this date in 1924 that the Cardinals visit the Cubs at Wrigley Field ( then called Cubs Park ). The game itself was “ just another game” as they say except for one thing. It began a practise that is still with us today 90 years later, thank heavens. The Cubs scored 4 in the 1st and 4 more in the 2nd on way to a 12-1 win over the Cardinals then managed by Branch Rickey. What was noteworthy about this game is Hal Totten, a Chicago Daily News play-by-play reporter, does a play-by-play radio report of the 12-1 Cubs' victory over the Cardinals. It will be the first broadcast of every Cub and White Sox home game of the season, marking the first time a team's games have been on the airwaves on a regular basis.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=base...3A%2F%2Fwww.shorpy.com%2Fnode%2F15217;512;370

It was on this date in 1952 Hall of Famer pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm of the NY Giants homers in his first ML at-bat. In his second Big League appearance at the plate two days later he will hit a three-bagger, but during the next 21 years, covering a span of 1070 games, the knuckle-balling hurler will never triple or homer again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwUCbosPayM

It was on this date in 1954 at Busch Stadium, Hank Aaron hits the first of his 755 career home runs in his 7th Major League game. The Braves outfielder's sixth-inning solo round-tripper is hit on a pitch thrown by Cardinal right-hander Vic Raschi in the Braves 7-6 extra-inning victory in St. Louis.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=hank...F%2Fwww.fanbase.com%2Fphoto%2F1194339;343;450

It was a Saturday in Kansas City on this date in 1955 and what could be better than attending a Major League Baseball game. Well, that’s what 18,338 fans thought so off they went to Municipal Stadium to watch the Athletics play the White Sox. They got to see history in the making. The White Sox tie a modern ML mark for most runs scored by a single team in a game as they drub the A's, 29-6. ( The Red Sox also scored 29 runs against the Browns in 1950 ). The game despite multiple runs and hits innings took 20 minutes less to play ( 3:08 ) than the Rockies 3-2 win in San Diego last week.

April 23, 1955 Chicago White Sox at Kansas City Athletics Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

It took 10 tries but on this date in 1962 the NY Mets win their first game in franchise history defeating the Pirates at Forbes Field, 9-1. Jay Hook's five-hit complete game snaps Pittsburgh's record-tying winning streak of 10 games from the start of the season without a loss.

April 23, 1962 New York Mets at Pittsburgh Pirates Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com

In 1969 Detroit’s Denny McLain and Baltimore’s Mike Cuellar share the AL Cy Young Award. It was on this date in 1969 the Tigers and Orioles hook up in a game in Baltimore…McLain versus Cuellar that may have had something to do with that. It was a classic pitching duel that one often saw in the 1960’s. Denny McLain retiring 21 straight batters and Baltimore's Mike Cuellar getting 20 consecutive hitters…is finally won by Cuellar and the Orioles, 3-2, when Mark Belanger's single plates Ellie Hendricks, who had doubled to start the final frame, snapping the Tigers' right-hander's streak.

April 23, 1969 Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

1969 Awards Voting - Baseball-Reference.com

 

[67RedSox]

This is a memorable day in the history of the Junior Circuit, the American League, as it was on this date in 1901 the first game in the history of the League was played in Chicago’s South Side Park III. The White Sox defeated the Cleveland Blues ( Indians ) by a score of 3-1. The game took all of 90 minutes to play or less time than a Dustin Pedroia at-bat.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=sout....org%2Fhistory%2Fua%2Fsouthside3.html;500;359

Everyone is aware that Harvey Haddix flirted with immortality when he tossed 12 perfect innings against the Braves in 1959 only to lose his no-hitter and the game in the 13th inning. Armando Galarraga, in 2010, lost a perfect game because of a blown umpire call and Haddix and Galarraga became famous for what they didn’t do. Add another name to that list. After an undistinguished 5 years in the Majors as a reliever Elmer Singleton ended up back in the Pacific Coast League and became a starter at the age of 34. Over the next six seasons he averages 16 Wins a season. On this date in 1952 Singleton pitching for the San FranciscoSeals pitches a no-hitter for 12 innings against Sacramento. Alas, Singleton is touched for 3 hits in the 13th and loses‚ 1-0.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=elme...dom-photo-colorizations-cards-24.html;370;525

On this date in 1956 AL umpire Frank Umont is the first to wear glasses in a regular season game‚ between Detroit and Kansas City. 13,963 fans were in Municipal Stadium that day…I wonder how many directed comments his way.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=fran...en.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFrank_Umont;250;168

It was on this date in 1957 the Cincinnati Reds defeat the Chicago Cubs, 9-5 at Crosley Field. The Reds send 13 men to the plate and score 7 runs in the 5th inning to seal the win however collect only 1 hit in the inning as the Cubs set a ML record by walking 9 batters.

April 24, 1957 Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Redlegs Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

There have been 11 No-Hitters thrown by NY Yankee pitchers…the last by David Cone in 1999. It was on this date in 1917 the first is thrown by George Mogridge against the Boston Red Sox in Boston.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=geor...llection.com%2Fgeorge-mogridge-1.html;640;800

Howard Ehmke was born on this date in in 1894. He pitched 15 seasons in the Majors retiring after the 1930 season with a record of 166-166. He won a Ring with one of the greatest teams of all-time the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics. Ehmke started and pitched a complete game and struck out a then-World Series record 13 batters in a 3-1 win over Chicago. At the time, Ehmke also set a record for lowest win total during the regular season by a World Series game 1 starter. He was 7-2 during the regular season. This record would stand until 2006 when St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes started Game 1 of the 2006 World Series after having gone 5-8 during the regular season.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=howa...tshistory.com%2Ftag%2Fhoward-ehmke%2F;204;300

Elio Chacon died on this date in 1992 in his native Venezuela at the age of 55. He played three years in the Majors. The first two were as a utility infielder for the Reds in 1960 and 1961 however he started 3 of the 5 games of the 1961 World Series for the Reds, playing 2B. The New York Mets selected him with the as the 4th pick in the 1961 expansion draft and he would end up being the Mets Shortstop in their first season. There are a number of stories from the Mets first year, some have been embellished over the years. One of my favourites involves Chacon and I don’t believe it has been embellished…It seems that in 1962, Chacon and CF Richie Ashburn were having a communications problem. On short fly balls they would inevitably collide even after Ashburn would scream "I got it!" After the third or fourth time this happened Ashburn takes Chacon aside and asks him, "Elio, how do you say 'I got it!' in Spanish?" Chacon replies, "yo la tengo!" So the next day a batter hits a short fly to center field. Chacon runs out and Ashburn runs in and Ashburn yells, "yo la tengo! yo la tengo!" So Chacon backs off. Ashburn gets set to make the catch -- and left fielder Gus Bell smashes into him! 1962 would be Chacon’s last season in the Majors.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=elio...riginal-1962-mets-infielder-with.html;302;320

 

[67RedSox]

The Detroit Tigers were / and are a charter member of the American League, one of the eight original American League teams that started play in 1901 and since then have played more games than any other American League team, 17,680 games to be precise. The one particular game that I want to talk about is the very first game they ever played. In that game, on this date in 1901, the Tigers y did something no other team has ever done. You’ll know what that is when I pose this question… What is the largest deficit a team has come back from in the bottom of the ninth to win a ball game? Yes, you guessed it - the Tigers scored 10 runs in the 9th inning to beat Milwaukee, 14-13. They went to the bottom of the 9th inning trailing 13-4 and won the game which supports the 4thefences theory on attending a ballgame…stay until it’s over.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=detr...ons-detroit-tiger-fans-give-thanks%2F;723;532

Life Magazine has some great baseball photos…some of them follow:

Baseball: Classic Photos of the National Pastime From LIFE Magazine | LIFE.com

Brooklyn Dodgers: Rare Photos From Spring Training, Dodgertown, 1948 | LIFE.com

Russ Ford was born on this date in 1883. He pitched but four seasons plus one game in a fifth for the New York Highlanders (Yankees) during the Dead Ball Era but made the most of his time winning 26 games as a rookie in 1910 with an ERA of 1.65 and picked up 22 Wins in his sophomore season. His early success was all about a baffling new pitch never before seen in professional baseball. Using a piece of emery board hidden in his glove, Ford roughed up one side of the ball, causing it to break at odd angles depending on how he threw it. For two seasons, Ford used the emery ball to dominate the American League, all the while hiding the origin of his new discovery. "He kept his secret a long time by pretending he was pitching a spitter," Ty Cobb later recalled. "He would deliberately show his finger to the batter and then wet it with saliva." Though Ford's signature pitch was banned by 1915, his invention set the precedent for a long line of scuff ball artists, including contemporaries Cy Falkenberg and Eddie Cicotte and Hall of Famers Whitey Ford and Don Sutton.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=russ...Fwww.lonecadaver.com%2F1909-1911.html;508;493

Fred Haney was born on this date in 1896. Haney touched all the bases in a 65-year Baseball career that led him from athletic stardom in high school to the General Manager’s office of the Los Angeles Angels. Along the way, he was a player, coach, scout, World Series winning manager and broadcaster. On the field, Fred was a fierce competitor, disputing calls and plays with opponents, umpires and fans. Off the field, he was a devoted family man, with many lifelong friends, and a heart for charitable works, particularly those involving youth, veterans, and baseball.
After his playing career he spent three seasons managing the hapless St. Louis Browns and then spend time with some success managing the Hollywood Stars in the Pacific Coast League. That success caused Branch Rickey, then running the Pittsburgh Pirates, to bring Haney in as the manager of the Pirates, then the worst team in MLB. In a word his results in Pittsburgh, like in St. Louis, were woeful. In the five full seasons he managed those clubs they lost an average of 100 games a season. Haney spent three tough years managing the Pirate “Kiddie Corps.” Rickey had signed a large number of players and instructed Fred to play the kids even if they were not the best so as to build for the future. They finished a dismal last each year. On September 25, 1955, Fred received a registered letter from Branch Rickey dismissing him as Manager. Fred’s contract would have automatically renewed if he had not been notified by midnight on that day. Haney was bitter over being coldly dismissed by letter when Rickey had promised him a face-to-face meeting.
When the Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee for the 1953 season Charlie Grimm ended up as their Manager and the Braves began to play some pretty good ball and were consistent winners. Future Hall of Famers playing for the Braves were Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron. Despite their success under Grimm they just could climb above the Dodgers or Giants. After being dismissed by Pittsburgh he took a job as a coach with the Braves for the 1956 season. Shortly into the season with the Braves floundering under Grimm the Braves decided to make a change…Grimm was out and Haney in as Manager. The rest they say, is history. Under Haney the Braves won the NL Pennant in both 1957 and 1958 losing the 1959 Pennant to the Dodgers in a Play-Off. Despite the success he enjoyed in Milwaukee he resigned after the 1959 season likely as a result of a dispute he had with the Braves’ owner over the level of authority he would have on baseball matters.
When Gene Autry won the Los Angeles franchise of the American League at the Winter Meetings in December 1960, he quickly hired Haney as the General Manager. Eight years later at the age of 70 Haney’s active career ended.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=fred...ore-short-shorts-hollywood-stars.html;640;565

https://www.google.ca/search?q=fred...dom-photo-colorizations-cards-38.html;375;525

 

[67RedSox]

I think covered bridges are a thing of beauty. Since this first blurb is about Jack McCarthy it gives me a chance to talk about two beautiful things…Baseball and covered bridges. ( I can hear the groans already and realize no one may read past this point ).
Jack Mccarthy must have been a pretty good ballplayer because he lasted 12 years in the Majors. He was an outfielder and played most of his career in the National League, more with the Cubs than any other club. He’s remembered today only because of two things, one would be described as an accomplishment, the other just the opposite. It was on this date in 1905, playing for the Cubs, he accomplished something no other ML outfielder has done…he threw out three runners at the plate in one game. You have to believe the 3rd guy caught might have been sent to the Minors after the game. The other thing McCarthy is still in the books about is his inability to hit a HR. He did hit 8 in his career but they all came in bunches and in his first two full seasons while playing for Pittsburgh. His last home run was hit in 1899, and from 1900 to the present no one has had more at-bats without a home run: 2,736.

O.K. back to the covered bridge. McCarthy was born in Harwick, Massachusetts a town not far from Worcester. Harwick was first settled in 1737 and named in honour of an English nobleman. It includes the villages of Hardwick, Gilbertville, Wheelwright and Old Furnace. The covered bridge is known as the Ware–Hardwick Covered Bridge on Old Gilbertville Road. Nearly 150 feet across it was built in 1886. I’m not sure when the following photograph of the bridge was taken but it’s possible McCarthy might well have been on it at the time, just hidden from view.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=jack...org%2Fwiki%2FJack_McCarthy_(baseball);200;208

https://www.google.ca/search?q=cove...ered_Bridge%2C_Gilbertville%2C_MA.jpg;800;600

Are there any firefighters out there…it was on this date in 1900 New York Giants George Davis‚ Kid Gleason‚ and Mike Grady spot smoke rising from an apartment building and rush to help with the rescue. Davis climbs a fireman's ladder to rescue a woman who fainted in the heat‚ and Gleason and Davis help a woman and child down a fire escape. Forty-five families are left homeless from the major blaze. With their work done they continue on to the game.

File:1900 New York Giants.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1900...r-kraus-families-nyc-1890s-1910s.html;800;591

It was on this date in 1909 the popular Philadelphia Athletics catcher, Doc Powers, dies at the age of 38. On April 12, 1909, Powers was injured during the first game played in Philadelphia's Shibe Park, crashing into a wall while chasing a foul pop-up. He sustained internal injuries from the collision and died two weeks later from complications from three intestinal surgeries, becoming likely the first Major Leaguer to suffer an on-field injury that eventually led to his death. The immediate cause of death was peritonitis arising from post-surgery infections.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=doc+...orst-career-ending-injuries-in-sports;599;399

It was on this date in 1996 Milt Gaston died at the ripe old age of 100. If you are judged by the company you keep, and not your baseball achievements, Gaston would be in the Hall of Fame. He pitched in the AL 1924 until 1934. Twice he led the AL in Losses with 18 in 1926 pitching for the Browns and with 20 in 1930 pitching for the Red Sox. His first roommate in the Majors was Lou Gehrig when he played for the New York Yankees and Gaston's career record was 97–164. He is the ML record holder for most games under .500 in a career. He had 18 Hall of Fame teammates and managers‚ more than any player in history.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=milt...%2Fwww.wcnet.org%2F~dlfleitz%2Fwl.htm;322;397

The Cubs may have been the last ML teams to install lights for night games but on this date in 1941 Wrigley Field becomes the first ballpark to employ an organ to entertain fans.
It was on this date in 1959 Willard Schmidt becomes the first ML’er to be hit by a pitch twice in one inning. The odd thing about it…he’s a pitcher. The Reds hurler is the third inning target of Braves’ pitchers Bob Rush and Lew Burdette as Cincinnati beats the Braves, 11-10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAj8FYkcvXQ

 

[67RedSox]

It was on this date in 1926 Mel Ott makes his ML debut in the only uniform he ever wore, that of the NY Giants. He strikeouts as a pinch-hitter. It would be 22 seasons and 511 HRs later before he would call it a career, after many said he was too small to play in the Majors. Of course, he’s a Hall of Famer. At the time he retired in 1947 he was the NL’s Home Run leader…by how many you ask…his 511 was 200 more than any other NL player had hit. Ott held National League career records in RBIs (1,860), Runs scored (1,861) and bases on balls (1,708) all of them later surpassed. He was also considered the best National League right fielder for most of his career. On top of that he was one of the Game’s most popular players. Among all the stats one could throw out on his marvelous career my favourite is that he led the Giants in HRs for 18 consecutive seasons. No player has ever led his team in HRs for such a lengthy period.
Incidentally, the headlines that day went to Walter Johnson who won his 400th career game that day. I suspect there was nary a mention of Ott’s pinch-hitting duties that day other than in the box score.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yoi-OuqGvkg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tddCW_FdmnA

The only Dudley I know is the Angel ( Cary Grant ) from The Bishop’s Wife. There was a Dudley who played in the Majors with the Dodgers, Phillies and Pirates from 1929-1933. It was on this date in 1929, at Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl, Clise Dudley becomes the first player in MLB history, Post-1900, to hit a home run on the first pitch thrown to him. Wouldn’t you know it…he was a pitcher!

https://www.theconloncollection.com/clise-dudley.html

It was on this date in 1932 Cardinals Manager Gabby Street was fined by the NL for breaking the rule prohibiting talking with spectators. Street holds the record for the longest gap between Major League games - 19 years (1912–1931).

https://www.google.ca/search?q=gabb...9784787_charles_evard_gabby_street%2F;640;800

This was a big day in Yankee Stadium on this date in 1947. It’s Babe Ruth Day at all MLB parks. A crowd of 58‚339 at Yankee Stadium honours the ailing slugger. A frail Babe‚ choking back tears‚ tells the "kids of America" that‚ "the only real game in the world is baseball. In this game you have to come up from youth. You've got to start way down at the bottom‚ if you're going to be successful like those boys over there." pointing to the Yankee dugout. "There's so many lovely things said about me‚ I'm glad I had the opportunity to thank everybody." The program was broadcast nationwide and piped into all the ball parks. Ruth receives a bronze plaque with his image on it from the AL: the NL's gift is a leather book with signatures of all the players in the League.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20glDlJIcC4

It was on this date in 1956 a ruling by Pacific Coast League President Leslie O'Connor that the stripes on Portland's shirts did not distract batters‚ Sacramento players appear on the field with white polka dots on their shirts. Umpire Chris Pelekoudas disallows them saying they are sewn on. I couldn’t find a picture of the polka dot uniforms but I love their 1940 home jersey.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1956...s.tripod.com%2Fsolons%2F1956team.html;648;409

https://www.google.ca/search?q=sacr...-solons-flannel-jersey-with-cardinals;500;502

It was on this day in 1961 the Los Angeles Angels ( American League version ) play their first ever Home Opener in front of a disappointing crowd of 11,931 at Wrigley Field (West). Ty Cobb throws out the first pitch…it would be his last appearance at a ballpark as he would die just 2 ½ months later.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1961...times-celebrates-130th-anniversary%2F;970;615

It was on this date in 1981 "Fernandomania" hits fever pitch at Dodger Stadium as a sellout crowd watches the 20-year-old rookie pitch his 4th shutout in 5 starts 5-0 versus the Giants. Valenzuela is 5-0 with a 0.20 ERA and is batting .438.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=fern...s%2Fstory%3Fpage%3Dstarting9%2F100616;300;200

 

[The Derski]

You're slacking 67RedSox.

 

[Silas]

You're slacking 67RedSox.

67Red Sox has been engrossed in managing his entry in the Rockies Fantasy League. I'm sure after he clinches this week's game, he will be back to educate and entertain us.

 

[67RedSox]

AZ-DbacksAZ...you're absolutely correct. My last couple of weeks has been totally consummed with entertaining folks from England...actually watched a Premier League soccer game with them but I'll deny doing so if ever asked. They're gone, so I'm back...for better or worse.

 

[67RedSox]

The Phillies have lost 10,482 games in their history. That’s more Losses than any other club in the Majors. They’ve also managed to win a few games ( 9,408 ) since they began playing as the “Quakers” back in 1883 and it was on this date In in 1883 they won their first Big League game ever, a shellacking of the Chicago Cubs ( then known as the White Stockings ), 12-0. There are no players who participated in that game still actively playing in the Majors. Home to Philadelphia in those days was Recreation Park. It had a seating capacity of 6.500 and was built on maybe the oddest shaped lot of any MLB park. The shape of the lot dictated that outfield fence distances were: LF-300', CF-331', RF-247'. Couldn't find a picture of the 1883 team but the 1884 version of the Philadelphia Quakers follow:

File:Philadelphia Quakers 1884.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://www.google.ca/search?q=recr...g%2Fwiki%2FFile%3ARecreation_Park.jpg;500;297

It was on this date in 1920 Walter Johnson, reached a milestone, by winning his 300th game in the Majors by beating the Tigers 9-8. Johnson will beat Detroit 66 times in his career‚ the most wins over one team by an AL pitcher. Just as Cy Young’s career Wins was approaching 500 and his career coming to a close the greatest pitcher of the Dead Ball Era, Johnson, was starting to make his mark in the Majors and on his way to winning 417 games himself. In the 10 year period 1910-1919 which closed out the Dead-Ball Era Johnson, with a fastball that sizzled, won 265 games with an ERA of 1.80 and tossing on average 342 Innings a season. Try that today and see if you can avoid Tommy John surgery. The great Ty Cobb admitted Johnson’s fastball "made me flinch" and "hissed with danger." Johnson was admired all over America not only for his pitching exploits and his fierce competitiveness, but also for the modesty, humility and dignity with which he conducted himself, never arguing with umpires, berating his teammates for their errors, brushing back hitters or using "foreign substances" on the baseball. At a time when many ballplayers were ruffians and drunkards, Walter was never in a brawl and didn't patronize saloons. As superlative as his pitching record was, Baseball writer, Shirley Povich said… "Walter Johnson, more than any other ballplayer, probably more than any other athlete, professional or amateur, became the symbol of gentlemanly conduct in the heat of battle."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv9cvdLKVn8

On this date in 1939 it’s Mother’s Day and Bob Feller's mother travels from Iowa to watch her son pitch against the White Sox. It is the first time she's seen him play in the Majors‚ and she is given a box along the 1B line at Comiskey Park. Sox 3B Marv Owen then lines a Feller fast ball that knocks Mrs. Feller unconscious. She’s revived and receives 6 stitches over the eye but otherwise is none the worse for wear. The Indians win‚ 9-4. Ah, what mothers endure for their children.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search

Sticking with milestones…it was on this date in 1967 that Mickey Mantle becomes just the 6th ML’er to hit 500 HRs in his career when he takes Stu Miller of the orioles deep in a game at Yankee Stadium on Mother’s Day in front of a crowd of 18,872. In the same game the greatest fielding ML Shortstop of the 1970’s, Mark Belanger, hits his 1st ML Homerun. Belanger would fall 480 HRs short of hitting 500 career HRs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioALzM98jaQ

Jim Gilliam, Frank Howard, Ron Santo, Joe Christopher, Richie “Call Me Dick” Allen, Tommy McGraw, Zoilo Versalles, Rich Rollins, Bob Allison, Harmon Killebrew and Don Mincher all hit HRs 50 years ago today on this date in 1964.

 

[67RedSox]

There have been dozens, hundreds of ballparks across the country that have contributed significantly in the history of the Grand Old Game. Some, at both the Major and Minor League level, are still in use. Most however served their purpose for whatever period of time they were required and have disappeared from the landscape. One of those long gone and not even known of by likely 99.9% of today’s Baseball fans was The Union Base Ball and Cricket Grounds, or as it became known as… The Union Grounds in Brooklyn.
When you think Brooklyn and Baseball you think of the Dodgers and Ebbets Field. Although the Dodgers are long gone from Brooklyn and played their last game at Ebbets Field in 1957 most fans young and old know of Ebbets Field. Ebbets Field though was only the last of four stadiums the Dodgers played at after being established in 1883. I wonder how many are familiar with the first three? Now go back even further…20 years further to the 1860’s and we get to aforementioned…The Union Grounds. It was on this date in 1862 The Union Baseball Grounds at Marcy Avenue and Rutledge Street in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn opens for the first time. This is significant as it’s the first enclosed ball field and the first to charge an admission fee. The Union Grounds had seating for 1,500 spectators but many more could be accommodated around the extremely large field without being likely to interfere with play. A band provided music for the spectators throughout the first game proceedings. An estimated 3,000 visitors helped the Union Grounds to an auspicious beginning.
Until ballparks became enclosed it was common for games to be interrupted by rowdies, those having had a little too much to drink or people simply walking across the field of play. The enclosed field and admission kept the undesirables out and women could now begin to attend games and feel safe doing so.
The park did not sit idle during the winter. Its field was flooded and served as the rink for an ice skating club. Aside from its early status as an enclosed field, the Union Grounds had one other highly unusual feature: a pagoda was in play in deep center field. This structure was three storeys high, and during skating season it would be filled with lamps each evening to decorate the pond with glittering reflections.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=unio...ww.brooklynballparks.com%2Funion.html;400;303

It was on this date in 1894 a fight breaks out in a game between the Baltimore Orioles ( then of the National League )and the Boston Beaneaters ( Braves ). The combatants were future HOF’er John McGraw of the Orioles and Beaneaters’ 1st baseman, Tommy Tucker. During the fight a devastating fire, probably caused by a tossed cigarette‚ starts in the RF stands at Boston's South End Grounds. The fire spreads to adjacent blocks and eventually destroys or severely damages 170 buildings and leaves 1‚900 homeless.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=bost...ed%2Fthe-most-beautiful-ballpark-ever;672;389

It was on this date in 1941 Joe DiMaggio begins his 56-game hitting streak with a hit against White Sox pitcher Edgar Smith. The Yankee outfielder will collect at least one hit in every game until July 17, when his unrivaled accomplishment, which captures the attention of a Nation at War, is stopped in Cleveland with the help of outstanding defensive plays by third baseman Ken Keltner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hFM2v1mdq4

I have to admit that despite playing 14 years in the Majors from 1934 to 1949, leading the NL one year in Saves and another in Winning % ( 14-5, .737 ) I had never heard of Clyde ‘Hardrock’ Shoun. It was on this date in 1944, in his first start of the season in front of maybe the smallest crowd to witness a No-Hitter, just 1,014 fans at Crosley Field, Reds' hurler Shoun no-hits the Braves, 1-0.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=clyd...%2Feggers.freeshell.org%2Fbaseball%2F;466;663

After three mediocre seasons in Philadelphia, The Phillies trade RHP Don Cardwell to the Cubs and on this date in 1960 he pitches a No-Hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals in his first start for his new team, the only pitcher ever to do so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyIu7UGbKR0

Dick Drago was a good ML pitcher for 13 seasons, 1969-1981. He was a starter for his 5 seasons winning as many as 17 games in a season and a relief pitcher for his last 8 seasons and was the Red Sox closer in 1975 when they went to the World Series against the Reds and lost in 7 games. On his way to the Majors Drago played for the Rocky Mount Leafs of the Class A Carolina League in 1966. His roommate that year was another pitcher by the name of Darrell Clark. On this date in 1966 the Rocky Mount leafs played a doubleheader against the Greensboro Yankees. Drago started the 1st game and tossed a No-Hitter, Clark started the 2nd game and also tossed a No-Hitter. Not a bad’s day work for roommates.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=dick...om%2F2010%2F05%2F271-dick-drago.html;1047;746

In 1976 Mark “The Bird” Fidrych owned the American League. He was a rookie with the Detroit Tigers. It was on this date in 1976 Fidrych wins his first ML game. The Tigers in 1976 were not a good team finishing with a record of 74-87, 10th among 12 AL teams however Fidrych would have none of that. He tossed 24 Complete Games, won 19 games, led the Majors with an ERA of 2.34 and captured the AL’s Rookie of the Year Award. It would be the only full season he would spend in the Majors. He was a sight to behold on the mound and if you click on the video below, appropriately named “The Bird” and watch the antics of the singer you’ll get a feel for Fidrych’s antics on the mound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gc4QTqslN4

It was on this date in 1993 the Montreal Expos retired Rusty Staub’s uniform # 10. I suppose outside of Montreal and Expos fans this fact would be unknown both at the time and now. However, I can say with certainty that no player has ever had more of an impact on any one team than Staub did in Montreal and I don’t care what player of what city you want to mention. A sad note to this story is when the Expos were transferred to Washington thanks to the underhanded efforts of Bud “The Dud “ Selig and Mr. Sleaze, Jeffrey Loria, the Washington club chose not to honour the uniform #’s the Expos had retired. Oh sorry, did I editorialize there…didn’t mean to.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=rust...%2F0%2FMontreal-Expos%3FPageIndex%3D8;500;347

 

[67RedSox]

If you were in Boston on this date in 1871 you would have been able to take in the first professional baseball game played in Beantown. The Troy Haymakers beat the Red Stockings 29-14 in front of a crowd of 5,000.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1871...va%2Fhistory%2Fmaking-segregation.asp;800;523

The Canary Islands are a gorgeous group of 12 islands located about 60 miles due west of North Africa’s Morocco with Tenerife being the largest. 12 million tourists flock there every year so it has a lot going for it. There’s a lot to see and do in the Canaries, alas baseball is not one of them. The Canary Islands although part of the African continent belong to Spain, 800 miles to the northeast. Now that the geography lesson is out of the way what’s the point of even mentioning the Canaries. Well, on this date in 1913 Alfredo Cabrera played his one and only ML game. He went a disappointing 0–2 at the plate in that game. However, he did make history as he became the first Spanish-born and also the first and even to this day only African-born Major Leaguer. Although he didn’t make his mark in the Majors other than being the first of 4 Spaniards and the only African born player among the 18,236 players to don a ML uniform he did play in Cuba and is in the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=alfr...84046-gambo-t_wil1-photopack-454.html;271;369

https://www.google.ca/search?q=cana...mage%2Fcountrys%2Feurope%2Fcanary.htm;320;350

During a 7-4 Giants win over the Reds at the Polo Grounds on this date in 1921‚ Giants' fan‚ Reuben Berman‚ refuses to return a foul ball‚ and he is detained‚ given his ticket price back‚ and ejected from the park. Berman sues for $20‚000 and wins a $100 claim in Court. The Giants will then allow fans to keep foul balls. The Cubs were the first to institute the policy‚ in 1916. The Pirates will follow suit in two months. Here's a typical foul ball in the stands...great facial reactions.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=foul...6%2Ffoul-ball-in-stands-in-texas.html;660;436

On this date in 1933 Cecil Travis plays his first ML game and collects 5 basehits. We all have a player or even several players who are not in the Hall of Fame but who we consider worthy to be there. Cecil Travis is one of those players for me. Travis came up with the Washington Senators as a 19 year old in 1933 and was their Shortstop until after the 1941 season when the Army came calling and he spent the next four years in an Army uniform rather than a Washington Senators uniform. Those four years and what he endured ended up costing him his baseball career. How good was he? The Sporting News named him as the best all-around Shortstop pre WWII. He was born on a farm in Georgia in 1913. One of his tasks as a kid was chopping cotton ( chopping down weeds that are growing in the rows that the cotton is planted )and Baseball offered one of the few means of escape from something he’d rather not be doing so he took it. In his 9 seasons before heading off to War he hit over .300 in 8 of them and .292 in the other. At the conclusion of the 1941 season his lifetime batting average was .328.
The historic 1941 baseball season set the stage for Travis' most remarkable season in the majors. After experimenting that spring with a heavier bat, different grip, and a stance farther back in the batter's box, the former opposite-field hitter emerged as a pull hitter with some pop. He went on to set career highs in batting average (.359), doubles (39), triples (19), home runs (7), RBIs (101), and runs scored (106). He also collected a career-best 218 hits, which led all of baseball that season-a surprising fact when considering that Joe DiMaggio staged a record 56-game hitting streak and Ted Williams hit .406 that same year. In the classic 1941 All-Star game in Detroit, Travis' take-out slide at second base in the ninth inning prevented a double play and kept the game alive, allowing Ted Williams to follow with his memorable game-winning home run. Soon after Pearl Harbor, Travis was inducted into the United States Army. Later, as a member of the Special Forces in the 76th Infantry Division (nicknamed "Onaway" Division), Travis was sent to Europe for active duty. The 76th was stationed briefly in England before crossing the channel and entering the European Theater in December. That winter, the 76th performed "mop-up" duty in following behind the Germans as Hitler's forces retreated from the Battle of the Bulge. American soldiers battled the elements during that cold winter; Travis developed frostbite to two toes of his left foot and spent time in a hospital in Metz, France, before rejoining his unit. Onaway Division pursued Hitler's army on into Germany and, following the surrender of Germany in May 1945, remained as part of the occupying forces.
When he returned to the Majors after the War it was evident he was not able to perform at the level he had previously and after a couple of mediocre seasons his career was over. Travis is remembered as one of the classiest players in the Game. He was a quiet, unassuming star, and American League umpires once voted him their favorite player. Such names as Ted Williams, Bob Feller, and Bowie Kuhn (who served as a batboy and scoreboard operator for the Senators during Travis' tenure) have called for Travis' induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Travis himself refused to campaign for himself. "I was a good player, but I wasn't a great one," he told Furman Bisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has never bemoaned the playing years lost to military service. "We had a job to do, an obligation, and we did it. I was hardly the only one". After a long life he died at the age of 93 in 2006.

Cecil Travis: The MLB Star Who Lost The Most Because Of WWII? | Seamheads.com

It was on this date in 1939 the first night game in AL history is played in Shibe Park in Philadelphia in front of 15,109 on a cold night. The Indians defeat the A’s 8-3. Frankie Hayes, the Athletics catcher hit a HR in the 2nd inning to become the first player to hit a HR in a night game. Hayes was a 6-time All-Star who still holds two records…when he caught 155 games in 1944, he set a still-standing American League record for games played in a season as catcher. His accomplishment of 312 consecutive games caught remains an unbroken ML record.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=firs...a-home-run-during-a-night-game-9e54d0;500;364

It was on this date in 1951 Mickey Mantle slams the first Yankee Stadium HR of his career in an 11-3 win over the Indians.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1951...w.org%2Fpost%2Fthursday-april-17-2014;300;300

On this date in 1970 during a game against the Giants at Dodger Stadium, a 14 year old boy, Alan Fish, sitting with friends from the Poinsettia Playground in the second row seats along the first base line, is struck in the head by a foul ball off the bat of Manny Mota. He initially reports feeling fine‚ but after the game he becomes disoriented and starts walking in circles. He will be hospitalized and die in four days. The parents will bring a lawsuit against the team and the doctor‚ but it will be concluded in 1973 in favour of the team. He becomes the only fatality as a result of a batted ball in ML history although it has happened four times in Minor League games.

 

[67RedSox]

It was on this date in 1906 that Ty Cobb successfully bunts to break up Rube Waddell’s No-Hitter. Shame on Cobb. Waddell, a Hall of Famer, was one of the Game’s more colourful characters of his day. He was also as good a pitcher as they came. His fastball rivaled Walter Johnson’s and for six consecutive seasons he led the AL in strikeouts…1902-1907. In 1904 he struck out 349 - an AL record that stood for over 70 years until surpassed by Nolan Ryan.
He spent money as fast as he got it. For a time the A's paid him in dollar bills, hoping to make his money last longer. He was forever borrowing or conning extra money out of Mack.Waddell enjoyed waving his teammates off the field and then striking out the side. He actually did so only in exhibition games, since the rules prohibit playing with fewer than nine men on the field in regulation play. But, in a League game in Detroit, Waddell had his outfielders come in close and sit down on the grass. He struck out the side.
Waddell wrestled alligators in Florida, hung around in firehouses, married two women who then left him, and tended bar when he wasn't the saloon's best customer. He held up the start of games he was scheduled to pitch while he played marbles with children outside the park. There was a provision in Waddell's contract barring him from eating Animal Crackers in bed. In those days, two players had to share a double bed on the road, and Ossie Schreckengost was Waddell's catcher and roommate. "Schreck wouldn't sign unless he saw that clause in Waddell's contract," said Mack, "so I wrote it in there, and the Rube stuck to it."

YouRememberThat.Com - Taking You Back In Time... - Rube Waddell Baseballs Oddest Player

Lou Chiozza was born on this date in 1910 and his name is worth mentioning for three reasons despite a rather non-descript 6 year career as primarily a 3B with the Phillies and Giants. First, he and his brother, Lou's brother, Dino, a catcher were one of the first sets of brothers to play on the same team in MLB history. Second, While playing for the Phillies, Chiozza was the first ML player in history to bat in a night game. He was the leadoff man for the Phillies when he appeared against the Reds in Cincinnati in the first night game in the Majors on May 24, 1935. Finally, it was as a result of a ball hit by Chiozza that Babe Ruth decided it was time for him to retire. On May 29, 1935, the Phillies were playing against the Boston Braves at Baker Bowl, the old cracker-box park of the old Philadelphia Nationals. Babe Ruth, playing left field at age 40 for the Braves, had been through for years but was still being exploited for his name. Just a few days before the Philadelphia series, the Babe hit three home runs in Pittsburgh. Chiozza, who had just been brought up from the Memphis Chicks, hit a short fly ball down the left field line that would have ordinarily at best been a double. Due to his advanced age and decreased mobility, Ruth stumbled after the ball in the outfield. The shortstop ran out, retrieved the ball and threw the ball home to barely stop Chiozza from an inside-the-park home run. Many in the park believed that the umpire felt sorry for the aging star and called an obviously safe Chiozza out at home plate. After Ruth realized that he was so slow that Lou almost made a home run on an ordinary base hit, he stood for a minute, folded his glove and walked off the field into the clubhouse. The Babe knew he was done and he officially retired a few days later on June 2, 1935.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=lou+...lou-chiozza-retro-images-archive.html;720;900

It was on this date in 1970 at Crosley Field in Cicinnati that Hank Aaron collects his 3‚000th hit‚ a first-inning infield single.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=hank...000-hits-yankees-new-york%2Fslide%2F4;755;600

It was on this date in 1978 the Dodgers trade outfielder Glenn Burke‚ 25‚ to Oakland for Billy North. Burke was the first, and only MLB player known to have come out as gay to teammates and team owners during his professional career and the first to publicly acknowledge it. He died from AIDS-related causes in 1995. Burke contended that he was traded from the Dodgers for dating Tommy Lasorda's son, also gay and that Dodgers’ General Manager, Al Campanis, offered to pay for a lavish honeymoon if Burke agreed to marry. Burke refused to do so. It was also Burke who “invented” the high five…in 1977, Burke ran onto the field to congratulate his Dodgers teammate Dusty Baker after Baker hit his 30th home run in the last game of the regular season. Burke raised his hand over his head as Baker jogged home from third base. Not knowing what to do about the upraised hand, Baker slapped it.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=glen...fthehighfive%2Fwho-invented-high-five;300;200

Welcome to the Majors. On the first 10 pitches he tosses in his Major League debut, on this date in 2005, 22-year old Ervin Santana allows a collective cycle to the first four Indian batters he faces: a triple by Grady Sizemore, a double by Coco Crisp, a single by Travis Hafner followed by a home run blasted by Ben Broussard.

May 17, 2005 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Cleveland Indians Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

 

[67RedSox]

Carroll Hardy, the primary architect of the Denver Broncos bruising Defense of the 1970s known as the “Orange Crush” was born on this date in 1933. Of course, that’s what he did after his Baseball career and as interesting as that is it’s what he did in a Baseball uniform that’s more interesting.
Hardy attended the University of Colorado from 1951–1955 and was selected in the 3rd Round of the NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49er’s. He played one season for the 49er’s as a halfback, caught 12 passes including 4 for touchdowns but after that one season decided to play baseball instead. After playing two seasons with the San Diego Padres in the Pacific Coast League the Indians called him up to the play in the Bigs. He played 8 seasons in the Majors with the Indians, Red Sox, Astros and Twins. His time in the Majors was mostly as a 4th outfielder playing full-time in only one year, 1962 with the Red Sox.
Again, interesting but why Hardy is remembered is for two pinch-hit appearances he made other than his pinch-hitting for Roger Maris when on this date in 1958 he hits a 3-run homer pinch-hitting for Maris. He is the only player who ever pinch-hit for Carl Yastrzemski and he is also the only player to ever pinch-hit for Ted Williams.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=carr....com%2Finductees%2Fcarroll-hardy%2F;1292;1823

https://www.google.ca/search?q=carr...s.com%2Fblog%2Ftag%2Fcarroll-hardy%2F;430;644

Happy Birthday to a couple og Hall of Famers. The Human Vacuum Cleaner, a.k.a. Brooks Robinson, was born on this date in 1937 and The Straw That Stirs The Drink, Reggie Jackson was born on this date in 1946. That means one is pushing 80 and the other is pushing 70…I must be getting old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG-X4AFbooM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZNTzxVNv24

Sticking with birthdays a bit longer it was on this date in 1929 Jack Sanford was born. Few remember him despite his accomplishments in the Majors. He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1957 when he won 19 games for the Phillies and led the NL in Strikeouts which was quite surprising since he wasn’t a strikeout pitcher in the Minors. After the following season the Phillies traded him to the Giants in what the Phils’ owner, Robert Carpenter, later called the worst deal of his career. In 1962 he had a career year with 24 Wins, including 16 consecutively, and started 3 games in the World Series against the mighty Yankees and there are few pitchers who can put that sort of stuff on their Big League resume. Had two things not gotten in way that year he might be remembered today…the first was something that roamed Southern California 338 miles to the South in the form of Don Drysdale who won 25 games that season, led the NL in Strikeouts and won the NL Cy Young Award. The second was Ralph Terry who outpitched Sanford in Game 7 of the World Series which the Yankees won by the narrowest of scores, 1-0…in the most dramatic Baseball game I’ve ever witnessed.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=jack...o%2F1960sBaseball_PP_JackSanford.html;285;399

Ah, the good old days when such a thing as a doubleheader existed. It was on this date in 1929 the Dodgers and Phillies play a doubleheader in the band box in Philadelphia known as the Baker Bowl. It had a little something for everyone except those who like low scoring pitching duels. The Dodgers and Phillies combined for 66 basehits and 50 runs in the space of about 4 and ½ hours. So many runs, in fact, it’s still the ML record for most runs scored in a doubleheader. We’ve mentioned the Baker Bowl before but I’ll say again it was one of the most unique MLB ballparks of all time and maybe had the most bizarre dimensions of any.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=bake...wclem.com%2FBaseball%2FBakerBowl.html;500;480

May 18, 1929 Brooklyn Robins at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

May 18, 1929 Brooklyn Robins at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

This is how the game used to be played…at least by Mickey Lolich. On this date in 1969 Rod Carew steals 2B‚ 3B‚ and Home in the 3rd inning of Minnesota's 8-2 loss to Detroit. Cesar Tovar also steals 3rd and Home ahead of Carew‚ and the 2 steals of home in an inning ties a ML record. Tovar pays a price when Mickey Lolich hits him in the head with a pitch in his next at bat.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=mick...otDetail.aspx%3Finventoryid%3D34496;1612;2130

https://www.google.ca/search?q=care...Fwww.rmyauctions.com%2Flot-1467.aspx;1000;786

 

[67RedSox]

I’m going to go back a bit with this one but it never hurts to mention a Hall of Famer who no one knew when he was elected to the HOF and few would know even today. Players of accomplishment should never be forgotten. It was on this date in 1898 that Jake Beckley hit three consecutive triples in one game. Three triples in a game is not a common thing but it does happen once in a while. Post WWII it has happened 15 times. Ernie Banks has done it, so has Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente. Beckley was a powerful 5'10" 200-lb slugger who hit .300 or better 13 times, including six straight years, 1899-1904. He had 2,930 hits lifetime, and his 244 triples rank fourth on the career list. He scored 100 runs five times in the 1890s, and stole 315 bases in his career. Until Eddie Murray surpassed him he was the all-time leader in games played by a 1st Baseman however he still ranks # 1 among 1st basemen all-time with 25,000 chances and 23,696 putouts. He was a marvel with the glove.
Beckley had a few idiosyncrasies. He yelled "Chickazoola!" to rattle opposing pitchers when he was on a batting tear, and he perfected the unusual (and now-illegal) practice of bunting with the handle of his bat. As the pitch approached the plate, Jake flipped the bat around in his hands and tapped the ball with the handle. Casey Stengel was a teenager when he saw the maneuver performed. "I showed our players," said Stengel 50 years later, when he was managing the Yankees, "and they say it's the silliest thing they ever saw, which it probably is but [Beckley] done it." Beckley wasn't afraid to bend the rules. He didn't mind cutting across the infield if the umpire's back was turned. One day, when umpire Tim Hurst wasn't looking, Jake ran almost directly from second base to home, sliding in without a throw. Hurst called him out because he knew something was amiss saying, "You big son of a bitch, you got here too fast!"
Jake also loved pulling the hidden-ball trick and tried it on every new player who came into the league. Sometimes he hid the ball in his clothing or under his arm, and other times he hid it under the base sack and waited for the unsuspecting player to wander off first. One day, with Louisville's Honus Wagner on first, Jake smuggled an extra ball onto the field and put it under his armpit, partially exposed so Wagner could see it. When the umpire's back was turned, Wagner grabbed the ball and heaved it into the outfield. Wagner lit out for second, but the pitcher still held the game ball and threw Wagner out.
When Jake Beckley gained election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971, 53 years after his death, most Baseball fans had no idea who he was or why he should be honored with a plaque in Cooperstown. Beckley's reputation suffered because he never played on a Pennant winner, and only one team he played for (the 1893 Pirates) finished as high as second place.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=jake...ngs-you-never-knew-about-jake-beckley;279;391

Jake Beckley Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com

It was on this date in 1946 that Ted Lyons, the best pitcher in the history of the Chicago White Sox, pitched his last game in the Majors at the age of 45. In the game he did what was his trademark…pitch on Sunday and toss a Complete Game in under 2 hours. Although it was his final game as a player he wasn’t taking off the uniform as he became the team’s Manager.
Lyons is a Hall of Famer and deservedly so. His ML career and professional baseball career began with the White Sox in 1923 ( he never played in the Minors ) and ended in 1946. He pitched a total of 21 seasons, all with the White Sox, and missed 1943, 1944, 1945 serving in the Marines.
Ted Lyons is remembered as the “Sunday pitcher” who started only once a week for much of his career. But he completed more games than any other contemporary starter. In 1942, his 20th season in the Majors, the 41 year-old completed all twenty of his starts, going 14-6 and led the AL with a 2.10 ERA. How did he top that…by joining the Marine Corps and was the oldest active ML’er to serve in the War. He was too old for the military draft, but he was single without dependents. While he made no patriotic speeches about his decision to enlist, he had seen fellow players who had families sign up to do their part for the war effort. “So, take him away, marines,” the Chicago Tribune’s Irving Vaughn wrote, “but don’t lose the return address.” Lyons was commissioned a second lieutenant and eventually was promoted to captain.
Ted Lyons was the face of the White Sox for a quarter-century. He held club records for wins, innings pitched, and complete games. (He still does.) The Sox had finished as high as third place only twice during his career; many sportswriters later said his 260 victories would have been 300-plus with a decent team.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=ted+...2%2Fblow-out-candles-december-28.html;371;480

I’m old enough to remember Billy O’Dell, through his baseball cards, who pitched in the Majors for 13 years starting in 1953. For all but the final 4 years of his career he was a starter and pitched mainly with the Orioles and the Giants. In 1962 he won 19 games for the SF Giants and started Game 1 of the World Series against the Yankees. It’s not his pitching that gets him a mention today but his hitting and a pretty famous HR he hit on this date in 1959.
Before getting to that HR let me ask you a question…what is the distance from home plate to 2nd Base? If you were a mathematician you would answer probably by saying something like this…well, the distance between each of the four bases on a baseball diamond is 90 feet. A straight line from home plate to 2nd Base creates two equal triangles in that diamond so using the pythagorean formula and squared both sides of 90 and adding them together you get 16,200. The square root from that would be 127.279. Thus, the distance from home plate to 2nd Base is 127’ 3 3/3 inches.
Now, back to the Billy O’Dell HR. O’Dell was pitching for the Orioles in a match-up against Billy Pierce of the White Sox. ( O'Dell and Pierce would be teammates in 1962 in the Giants starting rotation ) With the Orioles batting in the bottom of the 2nd inning O’Dell comes to the plate with 2 out following a walk to the Orioles # 8 hitter, 2B Billy Gardner. O’Dell lines a pitch into right field and it travels all of 120 feet but bounces over the head of the White Sox’ incoming RF’er Al Smith. O’Dell ends up with a 2-run inside the park HR and wins the game 2-1 on a ball that wouldn’t even reach 2B in the air.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=bill...logspot.com%2F2009_08_01_archive.html;498;697

It was on this date in 1962 Stan Musial gets hit number 3‚431‚ to break Honus Wagner's then recognized NL record of 3‚430 (since revised to 3‚418)‚ as St. Louis downs the Dodgers 8-1. Musial's 9th-inning single comes off Ron Perranoski.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=stan...ial-50-Baseball-Card-Value-Prices.htm;274;386

 

[67RedSox]

Hall of Famer, Cap Anson, was a premier batsman and leader, Anson is widely regarded as the foremost on-field baseball figure of the 19th century. He led the NL in hitting three times and was the first man to get 3,000 hits. As a Manager, he took his Chicago team to five Pennants. Counting five years in the National Association, he played 27 seasons at the highest level of Baseball competition and was a regular each year. He was stern, iron-willed, and incorruptible, and his influence went far beyond the field as baseball became the national game. It was on this date in 1880 the modern “Pitching Rotation” system is introduced by Anson when, as the Manager of the NL’s Chicago White Stockings (later the Cubs ), he begins using hurlers Larry Corcoran and Fred Goldsmith in alternating games‚ thereby establishing the first "pitching rotation" ever.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=cap+...ns%2Fart-56497%2FCap-Anson-circa-1876;351;450

During his career Babe Ruth hit 16 Grand Slam homeruns. It was on this date in 1919 he hit his first in a game against the Browns in St. Louis. If you were wondering, and I know you weren’t, Tony Cloninger is the only ML pitcher to hit 2 Grand Slams in one season and he hit both in the same game. On July 3, 1966 he hit one in the first inning off of Bob Priddy and in the 4th inning slammed one off of Ray Sadecki . He had 9 RBI’s in the game and picked up a Complete Game victory against the Giants, 17-3. Cloninger would hit 5 HRs and have 23 RBIs that season.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=tony...45th-anniversary-of-pitcher-tony.html;666;577

July 3, 1966 Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com

On this date in 1972 the LA Dodgers do something they never did before that game or since…play a complete 9 inning game in 1 hr, 30 minutes. Bobby Valentine homers on the first pitch of the game and Al Downing shuts out Houston on 2 hits to give the Dodgers a 3-0 win. What this means is that some of the late arrival fans the Dodgers are known to have might have missed the game.

May 20, 1972 Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com

There’s a couple of birthdays today well worth noting. Hall of Fame pitcher Hal Newhouser was born on this date in 1921. Newhouser was the Majors best pitcher in the 1940’s. Toiling for the Detroit Tigers he led the AL in Wins in 4 out of 5 seasons 1944, 1945, 1946 and 1948 averaging 22 Wins a season over that 5 years stretch. He won back-to-back MVP Awards in 1944 and 1945 and narrowly lost out to Ted Williams in 1946. He scouted for a number of ML teams…the Astros, Orioles, Indians and Tigers and knew talent when he saw it whether it was on the pitching mound or not. He discovered and signed players like Milt Pappas who won more than 200 games in the Majors, Dean Chance who won a Cy Young and is credited as being the scout who discovered Derek Jeter. He was so high on Jeter he pleaded with the Astros to draft him but they ignored his advice and signed Phil Nevin instead. Newhouser was so upset he resigned although had intended on retiring anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWAXw8QueYU

Ken Boyer was born on this date in 1931. He’s not in the Hall of Fame…yet. He may never end up in the Hall of Fame but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be there. Usually when Boyer’s name is mentioned the comments are focused on 1964 when he won the MVP and hit the Grand Slam in the pivotal Game 4 of the World Series allowing the Cardinals to win the game, 4-3 and knot the Series, 2-2. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg as far as Boyer was concerned. His value to the Cardinals was defined by two things, one, his work ethic ( I could spend some time on this topic alone as far as Boyer is concerned ) and his focus on the big picture…winning, being the best. The 1964 St. Louis Cardinals were a bad team for almost 5 months of the season. They languished in 5th, 6th even 7th place into July playing a little above or a little below .500. When they finally got their act together toward the end of August when they were still 11 games behind the Phillies it still required a collapse by the Phillies to allow them to go to the World Series. A number of Cardinals struggled for much of the year like Bob Gibson, Tim McCarver, Bill White and others for one reason or another. Lou Brock didn’t come over from the Cubs until 2 ½ months into the season. It was the first time since the 1940’s Stan Musial wasn’t around to lead them. Contributions from lesser names like Mike Shannon, Curt Flood, Curt Simmons and Ray Sadecki helped keep them above water but the glue that held everything together, the one guy that everyone looked up to, the guy who stepped forward to mentor the young players, often by example, when Musial retired was Ken Boyer. That’s why he was the MVP that year and that’s why his value is never fully appreciated because you can’t see that in statistics and that’s why he should be in the HOF.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=ken+...ogspot.com%2F2011_04_01_archive.html;1096;625

Leo Cardenas was the typical Shortstop of the 1960’s and into the 1970’s. Light hitting but defensive wizards. He was a 5-time All-Star, four times with the Reds and once with the Twins in a career that spanned 1960-1975. The record for the fewest runs scored by a player in a season playing in at least 150 games is 25 and it’s held by Leo Cardenas… a.k.a. Chico or Mr. Automatic.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=leo+...05%2Fremembering-leo-cardenas-mr.html;488;353

 

[67RedSox]

Earl Sheely’s MLB career began with the advent of the Live-Ball Era thanks, in part, to the Black Sox scandal. He became the White Sox’ 1B after the suspension of the ‘8 men out’ became effective. Sheely was a big slow-footed 1B but a whiz with the glove. He also had a knack for driving in runs and hitting .300 so he was a valuable player during his 9 year career. He was a career .300 hitter and on this date in 1926 he ties the ML record by collecting 7 straight extra-base hits…3 doubles followed by a HR followed by 3 more doubles over two games. More on Sheely in a minute but exactly 70 years later to the day, on this date in 1996 Larry Walker of the Rockies begins his record tying 7 consecutive extra-base hits in a 12-10 win over the Pirates. Walker connects for 2 HRs‚ a triple and a double as Colorado tallies 20 hits. Walker begins the following game with a double‚ triple‚ and triple.
Back to Sheely…he didn’t make it to the Majors until he was 28 thus his ML career was limited to 9 years but he also played 15 seasons in the Minors before and after the Majors where he collected over 2,300 base hits including almost 2,000 in the Pacific Coast League. After 7 full seasons with the White Sox he played with Sacramento in the Pacific Coast League in 1928 and merely hit .381 on 240 base hits. That got him back to the Majors with the Pirates in 1929 where he hit .293. He went back to the Pacific Coast League in 1930 with the SF Seals to see if he could duplicate the .381 he had hit two years previously. He fared even better collecting 289 hits on way to a .403 batting average and another Batting Crown. The Boston Braves were impressed enough to bring the 38 year old back in 1931, his last season in the Majors after which he both managed and GM’d in the Pacific Coast League and scouted at the ML level.
He died in 1952, still in 50s, but spent almost his entire life doing what he loved in one capacity or another. My guess is he lived his dream.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=earl...ely-99-Baseball-Card-Value-Prices.htm;231;386

In 1915 the New York Yankees were purchased by Colonel Jacob Ruppert and Captain Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston for $1.25 million. Ruppert had inherited a brewery fortune, providing the Yankees with an owner who possessed deep pockets and a willingness to dig into them to produce a winning team. This would lead the team to more success and prestige than Ruppert could ever have envisioned. The acquisition of Babe Ruth and the multitude of HRs proved so popular that the Yankees began drawing more people in the Polo Grounds than their landlords, the Giants. Other important newcomers in this period were manager Miller Huggins and General Manager Ed Barrow. The hiring of Huggins by Ruppert would cause a break between the owners that eventually led to Ruppert buying Huston out in 1923. That same year, 1923 saw the Yankees move to their new home, Yankee Stadium. It was the first triple-deck venue in baseball and seated an astounding 58,000 people. In the first game at Yankee Stadium, Babe Ruth hit a home run, which was fitting as his home runs and drawing power paid for the stadium, giving it its nickname of "The House That Ruth Built". That however is not what’s really important here. It was on this date in 1923 Formal transfer of T. L. Huston's interest in the Yankees to Jake Ruppert is completed for $1.5 million and… insert drum roll here…Ruppert buys 2 more sets of uniforms so his players can wear a clean outfit every day‚ an unprecedented move.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=jake...travel-watch.com%2FJake-Ruppert1.htm;1188;884

Can’t let the day go by without mentioning this which belongs in the category of…”it can’t be true, but it is”. It was on this date in 1952 the Dodgers score a ML record fifteen 1st inning runs en route to a 19-1 victory over the Reds at Ebbets Field. Wait that’s not it…what does seem it can’t possibly be true is the Dodgers after seeing their first batter retired then have 19 batters in a row reach base…10 hits, 7 BB & 2 HBP. I’m not from Missouri but I’d almost have to see it to believe it. Scroll down beneath the box score to see the 1st inning that went on, batter after batter.

May 21, 1952 Cincinnati Reds at Brooklyn Dodgers Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com

I’ve mentioned “Harvard” Eddie Grant before but I’ll mention him again because Baseball + War always is worth mentioning. Grant was born on this date in 1883 and was Harvard educated. He played 10 years in the Majors retiring at the age of 32 after the 1915 season to practice law. His career as a lawyer lasted but one year. When the United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, he became the first ML’er to enlist (Hank Gowdy was the first active major leaguer). Arriving in France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces, Grant's division saw some combat before being assigned to the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the final great American drive of the war. His Regiment launched an attack in the Argonne Forest, a rugged, heavily wooded area with thick underbrush, deep ravines, and marshes. Later that day the 307th was moving forward when Major Jay, as he was carried past on a litter, ordered Captain Grant, the highest-ranking officer left in his battalion, to assume command. The major had hardly spoken when a shell came through the trees, wounding two of Grant's lieutenants. Eddie was waiving his hands and calling out for more stretcher bearers when a shell struck him. It was a direct hit, killing him instantly. Eddie Grant was buried in the Argonne Forest, only a few yards from where he fell.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=harv...w.worldwar1.com%2Ftgws%2Fsmtw1103.htm;255;212

On this date in 1964, 50 years ago today, there were 8 ML games played. The youngest pitcher to toss a Win that day was Wally Bunker a 19 year old rookie with the Orioles who would win 19 games that year and finish as the runner-up to the AL Batting Champion, Tony Oliva in the Rookie of the Year race. The oldest pitcher to win a game that day was 31 year old Bennie Daniels as the Washington Senators defeated the Detroit Tigers 8-2. Daniels went W-L record over 9 ML seasins was 45-76 but he does have the distinction of starting the last game played in Ebbets Field on September 24, 1957. Daniels, pitching for the Pirates, was defeated by Danny McDevitt of the Brooklyn Dodgers, 2-0.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qx8skq8QYk

https://www.google.ca/search?q=benn...enators-587-Baseball-Card-%2F92253883;213;300

 

[67RedSox]

The 1929-1931 Philadelphia Athletics, The Team That Time Forgot, were otherworldly. The 1929 Athletics may have been the greatest baseball team ever assembled…better than the 1927 Yankees, better than the 1938 Yankees. it was on this date in 1902 that the guy who led those Philadelphia Athletics on the field, Aloys Szymanski, was born. He played under the name of Al Simmons and is a Hall of Famer. Like the team that time has forgotten Al Simmons is the Baseball great that has been forgotten. His mistake was having a career that happened to coincide with Ruth, Gehrig and the Yankees of the 1920s and 1930s. He was an extraordinary hitter. He spent his first 9 seasons in the Majors with the Athletics until after the 1932 season. The success of the Athletics led to Connie Mack not being able to afford to keep the team together and Simmons was sold to the White Sox for $100,000.00. In those 9 seasons with the Athletics he averaged .357 and 130 RBIs. Pick a number… 3,5,6,7,8,10,20,28,32 or 38 Simmons wasn’t hung up on wearing a certain uniform number…during his career he wore 10 different numbers.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=al+s...2010%2F08%2Fal-simmons-superhero.html;770;538

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1929...com%2FTeamPhotos%2F1929Athletics.html;700;263

Joe Sewell’s opportunity to play in the Majors resulted from a horrifying tragedy: That was what the death of Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman presented to 21-year-old Joseph Wheeler Sewell in the late summer of 1920. Chapman, a stellar shortstop for the contending Indians, died on August 17 after being struck in the head by a pitched baseball. The Indians purchased Sewell’s contract from the New Orleans Pelicans of the Class A Southern Association. Sewell’s professional experience at the time amounted to 346 at-bats, yet out of necessity he was inserted into the middle of the infield of a team that was competing for the American League pennant. Sewell debuted on September 10, 1920, against the New York Yankees, going 0-2 at the plate. His arrival was expected to stabilize the infield, and despite his 15 errors in 22 games, 10 hits in his first 24 opportunities provided and unanticipated offensive bonus. The team capped Sewell’s first season with World Series win over Brooklyn, and Cleveland’s double play tandem of Wambsganss and Sewell was set for the next three years. It proved to be the opening foray of what would become a Hall of Fame career for the shortstop.
Here’s a couple of numbers – 66 and 63. These are not just random numbers but are the number of players in the Majors who struck out more than 114 times in 2012 and 2013. In those 2 seasons there were 216 players strike out at least 100 times. Clearly, it’s safe to say that neither players nor MLB teams care any more about strikeouts…it is not a negative statistic. Adam Dunn can strike out 200 times a season and still be paid more than 350 average Americans earn in a single year. It wasn’t always that way. Yes Virginia, there was a time when a ML batter possessed the ability to put his bat on the ball. It was on this date in 1933 Joe Sewell then the NY Yankees 3B struck out, a victim of Cleveland's Wes Ferrell. In 1933 that was news because it was the first time Sewell had struck out that season and he would only do so three more times that year despite coming to the plate over 600 times. Sewell played 14 seasons in the Majors and struck out a total of 114 times or about 8 times a year on average. In his last 9 ML seasons he struck out a total of 48 times and in 5 of those seasons it was less than 5 times.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=joe+...2F%2Fwww.leaguepark.org%2Fsewell.html;247;353

It was on this date in 1949 Don Newcombe makes his first ML start. Although he coughs up hits to the first two batters he faces he ends up pitching a dandy‚ shutting out the Reds‚ 3-0 in Cincinnati. It's the first shutout in a National League debut in eleven years. He would win 17 games, be an All-Star and the NL Rookie of the Year that season started 2 games in the World Series. Not bad for a rookie. He would stay with the Dodgers through the rest of their stay in Brooklyn and move West with them for their 1st year in Los Angeles going to the World Series three times ( but never winning a WS game, going 0-4 ) and winning an MVP and the first ever awarded Cy Young Award along the way.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=don+...-ever-cy-young-award%2F2013%2F11%2F27;640;360

Roger Maris played 12 seasons in the Majors and oddly the only season he did receive an Intentional Base on Balls was in 1961 when he hit a then record 61 HRs (still considered the record by many). It was on this date in 1962 Maris is intentionally walked four times to establish a MLB record. That record would be broken 28 years to the date when on this date in 1990 HOF’er, Andre Dawson, is walked intentionally 5 times in the Cubs' 2-1 victory against the Reds in a 16-inning contest at Wrigley Field.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=roge...2011%2F05%2Fon-this-day-may-22nd.html;800;561

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SIIwP3_xWo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtENQqMZQGY

Mario Mendoza was a light hitting Shortstop who played 9 seasons in the Majors with the Pirates, mariners and Rangers. Most Baseball fans, even if they have never heard of Mendoza directly, have heard of the Mendoza Line. The Mendoza Line is an expression in baseball named after Mendoza whose batting average is taken to define the threshold of incompetent hitting. The cutoff point is most often said to be .200 and, when a position player's batting average falls below that level, the player is said to be "below the Mendoza Line". This is often thought of as the offensive threshold below which a player's presence in Major League Baseball cannot be justified, regardless of his defensive abilities. It was on this date in 1982 that Mario Mendoza has his last ML at-bat and reaches on a fielder’s choice, ending his 9-year career with a .215 batting average…5 of those 9 seasons his BA was under .200. The story could end there but before you go can you guess what job Mendoza retired to…it’s true…he became a Minor-League batting instructor…go figure.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=mari...m%2Fgeorge-brett-and-mario-mendoza%2F;412;294

 

[67RedSox]

Can you remember playing ball with your friends as a kid. If it was anything like me then maybe you can relate to this story…at least the essence of it. It was on this date in 1895 the Louisville Colonels drop a game to Brooklyn because they have run out of baseballs. The home team is responsible for supplying balls‚ but the game begins with just three baseballs on hand‚ two of them practice balls borrowed from Brooklyn. By the 3rd inning‚ the balls are worn out and a messenger sent for new ones does not arrive back in time. Louisville is forced to forfeit the game.

On this date in 1901 the Cleveland Blues are trailing Washington 13-5 with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning and 2 strikes on the batter. Guess who wins the game? Surely Washington, you say. Na, Na. Cleveland puts 10 straight men on base, score 9 runs and win the game 14-13. The Blues were actually the Bluebirds in that inaugural American league season but changed their name the following seasons to the Bronchos/Broncos and the season after that to the Naps ( in honour of their Manager, HOF’er, Nap Lajoie ). It wasn’t until 1915 they adopted the nickname of the Indians and are now playing their 100th season so named.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1901...nges-names-without-changing-cities%2F;806;447

Do you ever visit the Cot’s Baseball Contracts website. If you ever want accurate and detailed salary information on any player on any team it’s the place to go…but I’m sure you know that. It was on this date in 1923 the Pittsburgh Pirates sends 2B Cotton Tierney and P Whitney Glazner to the Phils for 2B Johnny Rawlings and P Lee Meadows. In 2005, Jeff Euston, Tierney's great-great-nephew, created a website tracking all salaries of MLB players, naming it "Cot's Baseball Contracts", after his baseball ancestor. Considered "the unofficial clearinghouse for MLB contracts", the website had 4 million page views by the end of 2008. In 2010, Baseball Prospectus purchased Cot's Contracts, and began hosting the site.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=cott...ton-tierney-retro-images-archive.html;720;900

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/

How many times has a player hit 2 HRs in one inning? It was on this date in 1962 Joe Pepitone, a rookie with the NY Yankees, became the 6th AL’er to it. In a stat that blows my little mind the feat has happened 58 times…32 times in the NL and 26 times in the AL.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=joe+...new-autographs-week-of-june-1-2009%2F;352;251

May 23, 1962 Kansas City Athletics at New York Yankees Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com

Pop-boy Smith was born on this date in 1892. His ML career was almost forgettable as he Won only 1 game in 26 games pitched over 3 seasons with the Indians and White Sox. He’s worthy of a mention because of his unique nickname. His given name was Clarence but as a young boy Clarence was always a baseball fan, and he took a job selling sodas in the bleachers of the then-new stadium in Birmingham just to see the games. Such workers were called "Pop Boys" in that era, a nickname that would stick with him.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=pop+...2Flibrary_of_congress%2F3842841362%2F;640;471

 

[67RedSox]

It seems too wild to be true but on this date in 1928 in the 1st game of a doubleheader between the Yankees and Philadelphia Atletics played at in Philadelphia a record 13 players on the field were future Hall of Famers. Technically there were 17 Hall of Famers on the field that day including the two Managers Miller Huggins and Connie Mack‚ as well as two umpires Tom Connally and Bill McGowan. The players included Combs‚ Durocher‚ Ruth‚ Gehrig‚ Lazzeri‚ and Hoyt for New York; Cobb‚ Speaker‚ Cochrane‚ Simmons‚ Collins‚ Grove‚ and Foxx for the A's. Pitchers, Herb Pennock and Stan Coveleski, both future Hall of Famers, were also in uniform but not playing that day. The 40,000 or so in Shibe Park that day not only got to watch a doubleheader but 19 Hall of Famers.

May 24, 1928 New York Yankees at Philadelphia Athletics Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com

1957 was a good year, a very good year if you were the Milwaukee Braves who defeated the NY Yankees in the World Series that season led by the best pitcher in Baseball at the time, Warren Spahn who won the Cy Young Award as the Game’s best pitcher and by Hammerin Hank Aaron the NL’s MVP with stats of .322-44-132. On the opposite end of the spectrum were the Chicago Cubs who would finish last in the NL (tied with the Pirates) for the second year in a row. Frank Ernaga will fondly remember 1957. It was on this date in 1957 the native of Northern California makes his ML debut with the lowly Cubs.. There was good news and bad news to go with this for Ernaga. The bad news, The Cubs were facing the powerful Braves and Spahn would be pitching. The good news is that at the end of the game the Cubs would win the game and defeat Spahn, 5-1 and the hitting star would be Frank Ernaga.
Ernaga started the 1957 season with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League, a team like the Cubs, destined to finish in last place. Ernaga did nothing in Portland to distinguish himself but obviously enough to warrant a call-up to the Big League club. Elvis Presley’s All Shook Up was atop the music charts at the time and would end up the #1 song of the year and Ernaga for one game anyway would shake up Spahn…in his first at-bat in the Majors and facing Spahn he hits a long flyball to deep LF for a HR. In his second at-bat, also against Spahn he lines a triple to the nether reaches of the outfield. Two at-bats against the HOF’er and Cy Young winner and 7 total bases. Ernaga’s ML career would consist of 29 games and 43 at-bats but I bet the now 83 year old fondly remembers what he accomplished 57 years ago today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNPTwk8NAYE

https://www.google.ca/search?q=fran...ted-photo-request-1960-1969-a-14.html;981;771

Lou Gehrig had 7 seasons in which he collected at least 150 RBIs. That’s easily the ML record. The NL record for most seasons with at least 150 RBIs is 2. Speaking of RBI records here’s another interesting fact…the record for the most RBIs is in a players first game in the Majors is 6 set by the Cubs Starlin Castro in 2010.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=lou+...st.php%3Fp%3D61233969%26postcount%3D6;688;492

https://www.google.ca/search?q=star...stro-hits-home-run-in-first-at-bat%2F;400;316

Here’s some pictures from the World Series in 1914, 100 years ago. If anyone spots themselves in the crowd they are entitled to free tickets for this years’ World Series.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1914...om%2Fnode%2F3373%3Fsize%3D_original;1800;1099

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1914...cture-of-the-day-1914-world-series%2F;600;398

Panopticon Store | Boston Public Library

Panopticon Store | Boston Public Library

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1914...%2F%2Frmyauctions.com%2Flot-532.aspx;1000;741

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1914...iginal-worst-to-first-world-series%2F;640;468

https://www.google.ca/search?q=1914..._shake_hands_before_th-lot96797.aspx;800;1001