Today in Baseball History

[Dead Simmons]

1940... Warren Spahn, who will become the winningest left-hander in baseball history with 363 victories, signs a contract with the Boston Bees (Braves). But soon he has a bitter clash with manager Casey Stengel and ups and joined the Army!

 

The 19-year old southpaw will have to wait six long years before he ever records a ML victory.

[JohnBriggs12]

I don't believe that account is entirely accurate. Spahn did start his pro career in 1940 but he pitched in the minors in 1940 and 1941. He started with the Braves in 1942, but got sent down by Stengel after refusing to throw at Pee Wee Reese. He also wasn't pitching well either. Stengel got fired by the Braves after that year and he later regretted sending Spahn down. It was after the 1942 season that he enlisted in the Army where he fought heroically in Europe. I don't think that had anything to do with Stengel. Had he not enlisted, he would have been drafted.

[Dead Simmons]

I'm sure you're right John. This was my condensed account. Thanks for the info.

[topper09er]

Appropriate on d-day, Spahn served in the battle of the bulge

[yfinn6]

Appropriate on d-day, Spahn served in the battle of the bulge

 

Which didn't start until December '44, but point taken and observed. Speaking of which, here is a good story of a couple of professional players who did work in WWII (well worth the read):

 

http://deadspin.com/visitors-to-hell-how-two-minor-leaguers-earned-their-m-1586961942

[RockCoCougars]

I thought that you were referring to June 6, 1983, a day that will live in infamy for the Brewers faithful when Gorman Thomas was traded to Cleveland, basically spelling the end of the Harvey's Wallbangers era.

 

In honor of Gorman, my favorite Cardboard Gods piece (warning for a bit of vulgar language):

http://cardboardgods.net/2007/01/05/gorman-thomas/

[Dead Simmons]

Thanks for the article yfinn6. D-Day- Battle of the Bulge- Iwo Jima. Tragedies of an insane war.

 

My old man was one of the Marines dropped on Iwo. One of the lucky ones that made it past the beach. He absolutely never spoke of it, not even on his death bed.

[Dead Simmons]

1989..... For the first time in major league history, the same game is played partly outdoors and partly indoors when the Blue Jays beat the Brewers, 4-2, in a contest that features the closing of the SkyDome's retractable roof in the fifth inning due to inclement weather.

 

2008... Johnny Damon goes 6-for-6, including a walk-off single which gives New York a wild 12-11 comeback victory over the Royals. The outfielder becomes the first Bronx Bomber, and only the second player, to collect six hits at Yankee Stadium...I was a big Damon fan 'till he bolted to the Evil Empire.

[yfinn6]

Thanks for the article yfinn6. D-Day- Battle of the Bulge- Iwo Jima. Tragedies of an insane war.

 

My old man was one of the Marines dropped on Iwo. One of the lucky ones that made it past the beach. He absolutely never spoke of it, not even on his death bed.

 

You want to read about real tragedies of WWII, read about the Japanese and their invasion/occupation of China.

[Dead Simmons]

Thanks for the article yfinn6. D-Day- Battle of the Bulge- Iwo Jima. Tragedies of an insane war.

 

My old man was one of the Marines dropped on Iwo. One of the lucky ones that made it past the beach. He absolutely never spoke of it, not even on his death bed.

 

You want to read about real tragedies of WWII, read about the Japanese and their invasion/occupation of China.

Yes, I know.

 

1999.... After being ejected in the 12th inning by plate umpire Randy Marsh for arguing a catcher's interference call, Bobby Valentine returns to the dugout with a fake mustache and glasses. The National League will suspend the Mets' manager for two games and fine him for using the disguise. At the time I thought that BV was just colorful. A few years later I decided that he was an idiot.

[HiAndTight]

Thanks for the article yfinn6. D-Day- Battle of the Bulge- Iwo Jima. Tragedies of an insane war.

 

My old man was one of the Marines dropped on Iwo. One of the lucky ones that made it past the beach. He absolutely never spoke of it, not even on his death bed.

 

 

Wow...I just cannot fathom what it would have been like to storm the beaches of Normandy, to fight on these desolate Islands in the Pacific, to withstand German Artillery in the Ardennes....

 

My Grandpa won't go to the VA because he never saw action in the War and doesn't feel like a "real veteran." He volunteered when he was 17 years old(tried to use his brothers ID when he was 16 years old) but he never saw live action, so he's not a "real vet," in his opinion. To me, you sign up of your own accord with the possibility of death and you're a better man than I and you deserve to be taken care of.

 

But that aside, I'm just constantly in awe of what that generation did and how they changed the course of the world...and they did so against just HUGE overwhelming odds that people forget about. France had the worlds second strongest army at the time WWII started...and Germany cut through them like nothing. Germany was a power like the world had never seen. And we beat them. And the Japanese might have been even more evil than the Nazi's(just not as successfully evil).

 

 

Your old man has my respect.

[HiAndTight]

Thanks for the article yfinn6. D-Day- Battle of the Bulge- Iwo Jima. Tragedies of an insane war.

 

My old man was one of the Marines dropped on Iwo. One of the lucky ones that made it past the beach. He absolutely never spoke of it, not even on his death bed.

 

You want to read about real tragedies of WWII, read about the Japanese and their invasion/occupation of China.

 

 

 

Yeah, this is what I was thinking of when I was talking about how the Japanese were actually worse than the Nazi's in terms of just pure evil. However you want to put it. That's a helluva standard to beat by the way. Worse than the Nazi's.

 

Ishi was worse than Mengle(Arguably).

And the Nazi's..as inhuman as they were...what the Japanese did to Chinese Women. It's just sickening.

[Dead Simmons]

1974...Mike Schmidt collects one of the longest singles in big league history when the ball he hits off Astros hurler Claude Osteen caroms of the public address speaker hanging 117 feet in the air and 329 feet from home plate is ruled in play due to the ballpark's ground rules. The Rice University mathematics department calculates the Astrodome blast would have traveled 550 feet if left unimpeded.

[Dead Simmons]

This reminds me of a story I have read over the years regarding the Babe who is supposed to have hit an infield pop up so high that when it was dropped he scored.

 

Supposedly it was ruled an inside the park HR due to high winds. Urban legend?

[HiAndTight]

This reminds me of a story I have read over the years regarding the Babe who is supposed to have hit an infield pop up so high that when it was dropped he scored.

 

Supposedly it was ruled an inside the park HR due to high winds. Urban legend?

 

 

I'm pretty sure that was from a movie and not something that actually happened. The physics of something like that just don't add up.

 

But it's a helluva story!

[Dead Simmons]

This reminds me of a story I have read over the years regarding the Babe who is supposed to have hit an infield pop up so high that when it was dropped he scored.

 

Supposedly it was ruled an inside the park HR due to high winds. Urban legend?

 

 

I'm pretty sure that was from a movie and not something that actually happened. The physics of something like that just don't add up.

 

But it's a helluva story!

I guess it's at least as believable as his "called shot".

 

 

1938.... Johnny Vander Meer keeps the Bees hitless in Cincinnati's 3-0 victory at Crosley Field. The Reds' southpaw, in the first night game played in Brooklyn, continues his no-no mojo four days later by beating the Dodgers, 6-0, without giving up a hit in the Ebbets Field contest.

[Dead Simmons]

1981.... Attempting to break Stan Musial's National League record for hits, Pete Rose hits a wicked infield grounder which the official scorer rules an error rather than giving the Phillies first baseman his historic hit.

 

Amidst the loud booing by the large vocal crowd at Veterans' Stadium, fireworks begin as an anxious stadium engineer ignites the planned celebration prematurely thinking he heard Bill Giles said 'go' into the walkie-talkie, when the Phillies president had really said 'no'.

[TooLiveBrew]

Dead Simmons (or anyone else!), please keep the quality content coming in this thread. Awesome to re-visit these moments.

[HiAndTight]

Dead Simmons (or anyone else!), please keep the quality content coming in this thread. Awesome to re-visit these moments.

 

 

Definitely a fun thread....

 

I guess it's at least as believable as his "called shot".

 

Yeah, but the "called shot," story is so much more fun. C'mon, the Cubs, AT Wrigley, the Chicago fans booing him in the World Series and Ruth points to CF and hits one out? I'll suspend any critical thinking on this one and just go with the legend!

[Dead Simmons]

1939.... With much of its funding provided by the Clark Foundation, a charitable organization established by the Singer Sewing Machine Company, the Baseball Hall of Fame is dedicated in Cooperstown, the site selected due to an erroneous report made that claimed Abner Doubleday had invented the game in the small town located in upstate New York. Players selected from the first four Hall of Fame induction elections are enshrined as its first members.

 

You will note that Cobb is not in the picture below. That omission fueled a story that he was so loathed that he was not allowed to pose. The fact is that Ty, the ultimate prima donna did not want to be one of the first to show up. He wanted to "make an entrance". But he was a tad too late for this group shot. He did, however pose for several others after he arrived.

 

Aside from Honus Wagner (top left) and of course the Babe and Judge Landis, I can't identify these geezers in street clothes!

[Dead Simmons]

1940....1940 In a trade which stuns the baseball world, the Dodgers obtain Ducky Medwick and pitcher Curt Davis from the Cardinals for outfielder Ernie Koy, pitcher Carl Doyle, two minor leaguers and $125,000. The deal signals the emergence of Brooklyn as a serious contender.

 

Not since the trade of Rogers Hornsby had there been such an uproar in St. Louis over a trade. It was yet another testament to the cheapness of owner Sam Breadon and GM Branch Ricky who were more interested in lining their pockets than winning. Joe remains the last NL'er to win the triple crown.

[TooLiveBrew]

1939.... With much of its funding provided by the Clark Foundation, a charitable organization established by the Singer Sewing Machine Company, the Baseball Hall of Fame is dedicated in Cooperstown, the site selected due to an erroneous report made that claimed Abner Doubleday had invented the game in the small town located in upstate New York. Players selected from the first four Hall of Fame induction elections are enshrined as its first members.

 

You will note that Cobb is not in the picture below. That omission fueled a story that he was so loathed that he was not allowed to pose. The fact is that Ty, the ultimate prima donna did not want to be one of the first to show up. He wanted to "make an entrance". But he was a tad too late for this group shot. He did, however pose for several others after he arrived.

 

Aside from Honus Wagner (top left) and of course the Babe and Judge Landis, I can't identify these geezers in street clothes!

Pretty certain Connie Mack is seated to Ruth's left. Is it Walter Johnson sitting on the other side of Mack?

 

This link elaborates on the full inaugural class(es), as four classes -- '36, '37, '38, &'39 -- were all inducted in the 'opening ceremony' of the HoF.

 

EDIT: Here is another link to the picture, with all names cited. Before I found this, I was going to say the guy second from the left in the top row is Grover Alexander, so a self-back-pat to me! But I got Johnson wrong... he's the one with his head turned down... Cy Young is seated far right.

 

(File, Associated Press) Ten Baseball Hall of Famers pose outside the museum in Cooperstown, June 12, 1939. Front row; Eddie Collins, Babe Ruth, Connie Mack, Cy Young. Back row: Honus Wagner, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Tris Speaker, Napoleon Lajoie, George Sisler and Walter Johnson.

[Dead Simmons]

Right you are that it's Mack and not the Judge next to Ruth. I knew it, but my typing fingers didn't! And I thought maybe the Big Train was the humble one with the shock of dark hair looking at his feet.

 

I should have been able to spot Ol' Pete Alexander as he damn near single handed won the Cards 1st WS in '28.

[Dead Simmons]

1948....With the crowd of 49,641 singing 'Auld Lang Syne' to the Babe, the Yankees celebrate the silver anniversary of Yankee Stadium by holding 'Babe Ruth Day'. With members of the 1923 team (the first team to play in the stadium) looking on, the dying superstar's uniform number 3 is retired and sent to Cooperstown. He carried the bat for support.

[Dead Simmons]

2012....Matt Cain tosses the fifth no-hitter and second perfect game of the season when he retires 27 consecutive batters in the Giants' 10-0 rout of the Astros at AT&T Park. The San Francisco right-hander, with the help of two great defensive plays from outfielders Melky Cabrera and Gregor Blanco, becomes the first pitcher in the 129-year history of the franchise and the 22nd in major league history to accomplish the feat.

 

Talk about baseball anomalies! Without any knee-jerk rule adjustments things just went back to normal in 2013 (and Cain returned to earth)