Today in Baseball History

[Dead Simmons]

1931....For the third time in four days, Bronx Bomber Lou Gehrig hits a grand slam. The Iron Horse's third-inning base loaded home run off Ed Morris proves to be the difference in New York's 5-1 victory over Boston at Yankee Stadium.

 

 

1945....14 years later Vince DiMaggio's grand slam paces the Phillies to an 8-3 victory over Boston at Braves Field. The Phillies outfielder ties a major league mark with his fourth grand slam of the season.

 

http://www.i70baseball.com/wp-content/uploads/dimag-ap-shot.jpg

 

The lesser known elder brother of Dom and Joe saw a decade of NL ball in the 40's. He had power, speed, and like his little brothers, was a great outfielder. Unfortunately, in an era where strikeouts were considered shameful, he did it a lot.

 

A torrid hitter in the minors for the KC Blues in the AA in '39, (they won 107 games) and rival of the St. Paul Saints, he was the talk of the town and the Blues regularly drew over 20,000 that year. He was spotted and signed to the Reds. They worked on cutting down his K's, which they did, but w/o his free swinging approach his homers went way down, and his .250 BA was not impressive.

 

But he was still a fine fielder, and good enough for Cincy and Pittsburgh to keep him in the game. (And the name didn't hurt)

[Dead Simmons]

1939 When Babe Dahlgren* strikes out while being given an intentional walk and George Selkirk and Joe Gordon try to steal home on successive pitches by trotting to the plate, Red Sox fans throw a barrage of garbage onto the playing field at Fenway Park to protest the Yankees making deliberate outs to take advantage of the 6:30 Sunday curfew. Umpire Cal Hubbard rules the Boston crowd's action makes it impossible to continue the game and awards the game as a forfeit to the Yankees with a 9-0 'official' score.

 

*Dahlgren is the man that took Gehrig's place on 1B when when he shut himself down, but he is less remembered for the being first player to be ostracized for drug abuse, the demon weed, marijuana. He was swapped around the league for two years before he learned of the rumor, which he denied, and of which there was absolutely no evidence or witnesses.

 

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In a heart rendering biography by Woodlyn Lane, Matt Dahlgren, Babe's grandson writes that he had had promised his grand dad that he would get to the bottom of the scurrilous talk. He did, learning that it was started by Joe McCarthy, manager of seven Yankees World Series champions, and propagated by Branch Rickey, father of baseball’s farm system and a brilliant executive.

 

A succession of baseball commissioners did nothing to help Dahlgren clear his name, starting with Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who told him, according to the book, that “castration would be an appropriate punishment for the culprit behind the rumor.”

 

“Babe would write to Landis every time he heard of someone who heard the rumor, but Landis never did anything,” Matt Dahlgren said in a telephone interview: “Babe wrote to other commissioners, and none of them did anything.”

 

At age 77 in 1989 Matt finally gave up after talking to Fay Vincent, who sympathized, but could do nothing to clear the Babe's name after all the decades of buried facts and testimony.

 

2008....New York starter Jonathon Niese, who was born on the day the Mets won their last World Championship, makes his major league debut against the Brewers in Miller Park. On his second pitch of the game, the 21-year-old southpaw gives up a home run to Rickie Weeks.

[Dead Simmons]

1996 With 129 at-bats and a mediocre .254 batting average at the start of his major league career, Scott Rolen misses the remainder of the season when his arm is broken by a pitch thrown by Cubs right-hander Steve Trachsel. The hit-by-pitch will prove to be a blessing in disguise when the Phillies third baseman, technically still a rookie due to one less at-bat last season, will have an outstanding year next season winning the National League Rookie of the Year award.

 

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[Dead Simmons]

On this sad day in 1957, before their departure to play on the West Coast for next season, the Dodgers and Giants face one another for the final time in New York. The Jints beat the Bums at the Polo Grounds, 3-2, to finish the intense 68-year old storied rivalry with a 656-606 advantage over Brooklyn in the battle between the boroughs.

 

 

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[Dead Simmons]

1962...One game behind the front running Dodgers, the Giants lose Willie Mays as the ‘Say Hey Kid’ is hospitalized for nervous exhaustion. The team by-the-bay will drop six games in a row but will recover along with their All-star center fielder in time to beat Los Angeles in a playoff to win the National league pennant.

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h1srwgVeyLM/T56w2XJm8iI/AAAAAAAAaAk/NZ8B32k9X_0/s1600/willie+mays+(13).jpg

 

"Nervous exhaustion"? What exactly is that? Years later Mays admitted that he commonly used the amphetamines known as "greenies", like everybody else in those days, he said.

[Dead Simmons]

1939 September call-up Elmer Gedeon collects all three of his major league hits of his five-game career in the Senators' 10–9 victory over the Indians at Griffith Stadium. The Washington starting center fielder will be the first major leaguer to be killed in World War II when his plane is shot over France in 1944.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cqiaIdAMc5k/TAPALDhFoxI/AAAAAAAACNQ/h_95_smywA8/s1600/ElmerGedeon.jpg

 

It was his 13th mission. Gedeon was not as lucky as Ted Williams, but who was?

[Dead Simmons]

2001 Tuffy Rhodes hits his 55th homer to tie Sadaharu Oh's Japanese League single season home run record, set in 1964. For the rest of the season (5 games) opposing pitchers intentionally walked Rhodes to prevent him from breaking Sadahara Oh's record.

 

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A couple of years later Japan started testing for steroids and several Americans were busted. To date I only know of one native player suspended, and that was for detection of a masking agent. PED's aren't tolerated there, not even for weight lifters.

[Dead Simmons]

1933... Although he gives up 12 hits and 5 earned runs, 38-year old Babe Ruth goes the distance to beat the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, 6-5. The 'Sultan of Swat's' performance on the mound, a ploy to attract fans to a meaningless game, will be his last appearance as a pitcher, a position in which the future Hall of Fame slugger will post a 94-46 career record.

 

http://www.babe-ruth.com/baberuth.jpg

[TURBO]

Wow, I had no idea Babe Ruth pitched a game that late in his career... Was he on a pitch count?

[Dead Simmons]

Wow, I had no idea Babe Ruth pitched a game that late in his career... Was he on a pitch count?

LOL! Back in those days they used inning count!

 

I believe the Babe pitched 4 times in the years after switching to outfield. (no losses) Jake Rupert wanted him to stay in the rotation AND play OF the other days. Ruth flat out refused.

[Dead Simmons]

1946... And I thought this play happened last year....During Game 1 of the World Series, Whitey Kurowsk is awarded home plate on a controversial obstruction call after he gets tangled up with Red Sox third baseman Pinky Higgins, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning.

 

1957... In Game 4, Eddie Mathews' two-run shot off Bob Grim in the bottom of the tenth inning at County Stadium gives the Braves a 7-5 victory, and knots the WS at two games apiece. The Milwaukee third baseman becomes the third major leaguer to end a World Series game with a walk-off HR.

 

 

Eddie often batted ahead of Aaron, and the the prolific 1-2 punch combined to hit 863 homers from 1954-66, the highest total for teammates in ML league history, passing Ruth and Gehrig with 859.

 

http://www.whenitwasagame.net/photos_bat_stories/aaron_adcock_mathews.jpg

That's Joe Adcock, center

[TooLiveBrew]

I'm sure I'd have a lonnnnng list of things to do if I had a time machine, but going back to watch a bunch of games of those mid-1950's Braves would be one item. I'd love to have been able to watch the Mathews--Aaron 1-2 punch.

[TURBO]

I'm sure I'd have a lonnnnng list of things to do if I had a time machine, but going back to watch a bunch of games of those mid-1950's Braves would be one item. I'd love to have been able to watch the Mathews--Aaron 1-2 punch.

 

With Spahn on the mound...

 

Oh my gosh, how awesome would that be?

[Dead Simmons]

There were a lot of things to like on those late '50s teams. Frank Torre and Adcock platooned 1B and produced well. SS Johnny Logan and catcher Del Crandell were among the top defenders in the league.

 

Crazy Trader Lane dealt the super gloved, triples machine Red Schoendienst to the Braves to improve an already good infield. And don't forget the other half of the "pray for rain" pitching duo. (and Lew Burdette!)

[reillymcshane]

I'm a day early on 'Today in Baseball History', but I saw this and thought it was just awesome.

 

The Library of Congress has released newsreel footage of the 1924 World Series. The footage is amazing. After 90 years, and it's in almost perfect condition.

 

On October 10, 1924, the Washington Senators won game 7 of the World Series, 4-3. The game went into extra innings, with the great Walter Johnson pitching the last four innings for the win. Johnson was 36 and nearing the end of his career, and had never been to a World Series. It was redemption of sorts, since Johnson lost two starts in the series.

 

As said above, the footage is amazing. It was cool getting to see Walter Johnson throw a couple of pitches. The fans swarming the field is great too - you don't get that nowadays for security/safety reasons.

 

Here's the story on the discovery of the footage: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2014/10/02/watch-rare-footage-of-the-senators-beating-the-giants-in-the-1924-world-series/

 

Here's the entire newsreel - it's 4 minutes long. A music professor composed new music to go with the footage - just a piano, similar to how it might have felt back in the 20s when a live piano accompanied a the showing of a film. Kind of cool.

 

[Dead Simmons]

Pretty cool for the day McShane. Washington DC and my boy, Tony Kornheiser are more than ready to see a repeat this year, and they still have a shot with the O's. I think the O's are the better team, but KC is on a mission.

[pitchleague]

I was TOTALLY waiting for and expecting Buster Keaton to show up in a scene somewhere. That was really cool!

[Dead Simmons]

1923.... One year before that first WS game ever on National TV, veteran Giants' outfielder Casey Stengel breaks a 4-4 deadlock in the top of the ninth inning with an inside-the-park home run off Joe Bush.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3aoEYUNg-bA/Uc_M2IokEDI/AAAAAAAAub8/GMuHS4AuwMY/s300/Casey+Stengel+28.jpg __http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/1923wsprogram.jpg

 

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Regular season tickets varied from a nickel to a quarter in the '20s, but how much was this game?

 

Although the Yankees had lost two consecutive World Series to the Giants, they were fast becoming the more popular of the two. The soon to be nicknamed Bronx Bombers boasted the game's top player, the largest arena, and the best record in baseball after winning their third American League pennant by a sixteen game margin.

 

Once again, the Subway Series was on as the Yankees and the Giants met for the third consecutive year, but this time the Yanks won it.

 

1957.... Starting Game 7 on just two days rest, Lew Burdette pitches the Braves to a World Championship as he blanks the Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium, 5-0. The 30-year old righty, named the Series MVP, tosses 24 consecutive scoreless innings and posts a 0.64 ERA in his three WS victories.

 

http://cdn.thebaseballpage.com/sites/default/files/images/baseball_entity/burdette.jpg

 

This game put Burdette in rare company with Christy Mathewson and Babe Ruth, to be followed by Ford, Gibson and Koufax as the top single series WS performers in baseball history.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

There were a lot of things to like on those late '50s teams. Frank Torre and Adcock platooned 1B and produced well. SS Johnny Logan and catcher Del Crandell were among the top defenders in the league.

 

Crazy Trader Lane dealt the super gloved, triples machine Red Schoendienst to the Braves to improve an already good infield. And don't forget the other half of the "pray for rain" pitching duo. (and Lew Burdette!)

 

Johnny Sain never played for the Milwaukee Braves.

[Dead Simmons]

There were a lot of things to like on those late '50s teams. Frank Torre and Adcock platooned 1B and produced well. SS Johnny Logan and catcher Del Crandell were among the top defenders in the league.

 

Crazy Trader Lane dealt the super gloved, triples machine Red Schoendienst to the Braves to improve an already good infield. And don't forget the other half of the "pray for rain" pitching duo. (and Lew Burdette!)

 

Johnny Sain never played for the Milwaukee Braves.

Yeah, you're right. He was gone by '57. Feel free to also add positives to the thread, Super Collector.

[Dead Simmons]

1923.... At the Polo Grounds, the visiting Yankees score five runs in the eighth inning, beating the Giants in Game 6 of the Fall Classic, 6-4. The victory over their crosstown rivals gives the franchise its first World Championship.

 

1946.... In Game 7 of the WS , the Cardinals beat the Red Sox, 4-3 when Enos Slaughter "mad dashed" home from first on Harry Walker's dbl. The play surprises everyone including cut-off man shortstop Johnny Pesky who hesitates, just for a second, before throwing the ball home. It was considered at the time to be the greatest WS moment ever. By 2001 SI still named it the #10 moment.

 

The legend has it that Harry's hit was a single because the ball didn't get past the outfielders, and the official scorer may have ruled it a single, but it was a double and risky, heads up play.

 

 

 

Slaughter's new hero status may have bolstered him enough to lead a planned players strike the next year against Jackie Robinson, but Ford Frick got wind of it and squashed the revolt.

 

But that didn't stop him from taunting Jackie with vulgar, racist insults, to the St. Louis crowd's delight. He further got his point across when he slid hard into Jackie, cleats high, opening a seven inch gash on his leg.

Enos denied the planned Robinson strike (it was hushed up) for decades, but in a filmed interview he finally came clean, saying that he was just a country boy from the South, and that was the general attitude in the forties. His voice cracking, the old man said he was sorry for his behavior and if he could do it all over again, blah blah blah.

 

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[Patrick425]

Just catching up on some of this. That 24' WS film was fun to watch. I think pitching instructors today would have totally tried to correct Johnson's mechanics. Especially where he just drags his push off foot and never brings it around.

 

I wonder what the last MLB game was where fans rushed the field afterwards. That was always one of my favorite parts of watching the post season when I was a kid and I was lucky to actually take part in one of those "field rushes" at County Stadium after the 5th game of the 82' ALCS.

[AKCheesehead]

6/2/82

After scuffling to a 23-24 record, Milwaukee fires Buck Rodgers and names Harvey Kuenn interim manager.

 

http://melanddave.com/DaveWeb/jpegs/kuenn_coach.jpg

[TooLiveBrew]

Love the bump for this thread!

[AKCheesehead]

6/3/85

 

Apologies for flaking out on posting this yesterday. 30 year anniversary of the Milwaukee Brewers' only #1 draft choice, William James Surhoff.

 

http://www.tradingcarddb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/8737/8737-479840RepFr.jpg