Complimentary Reading for the Discerning Audience.
Celebrating Jacob Turner’s Birthday Along with Many Others.
On This Day in Baseball History:
1930 – In Philadelphia, the Yankees and Athletics continue their impressive home run performance, with the Yankees winning both games of a doubleheader, 10-1 and 20-13. Babe Ruth hits two home runs in the first game, joined by Ben Chapman and winning pitcher George Pipgras. In the second game, the Yankees explode for nine runs in the first two innings, but the Athletics stage a comeback to tie it at 12 runs each. Ultimately, the Yankees prevail 20-13, led by Tony Lazzeri’s 4-for-4 performance, scoring five runs and driving in four. Ruth adds another homer, while Lou Gehrig powers three homers driving in eight runs. On the other side, Jimmie Foxx hits two home runs, bringing in six runs. The two teams combined for a remarkable total of 14 home runs, with ten in the second game alone, setting a record at the time.
1963 – At Yankee Stadium, the New York team gives up a 7-0 lead, allowing the Kansas City team to tie and send the game into extra innings. In the 11th inning, Mickey Mantle, fooled by pitcher Bill Fischer, hits a mammoth home run that nearly clears the right field roof. Mantle later remarks that it was “the hardest ball I ever hit,” and a physicist estimates it could have traveled 620 feet had it not struck the façade. Mantle notes that it was the only homer he hit where the bat bent in his hands, borrowing it from Dale Long.
Significant Events in Baseball History:
- 1880: Pud Galvin plays for Buffalo, defeating Cincinnati, 2-1. His journey involved evading local detectives enforcing his California League contract.
- 1912: The Giants finish a Western trip in first place, beating the Reds 6-1, with Christy Mathewson dominating the game.
- 1923: Babe Ruth breaks a tie in the 15th inning with a two-run homer against the White Sox, ending a tense pitching duel.
- 1941: A crafty play by the Reds’ Lonny Frey helps secure a 6-4 win over the Giants by enabling a grand slam from Ernie Lombardi.
- 1968: Willie Stargell hits three home runs against the Cubs in a 13-6 victory at Wrigley Field.
- 1990: Andre Dawson is intentionally walked five times in a 16-inning game, setting a major-league record during the Cubs’ win over the Reds.
Cubs Birthdays: Jacob Turner, Bob Molinaro, Moe Thacker, El Tappe, Dick Ward, Carl Spongberg. Notable mentions include Hall of Famers Bobby Cox and Earl Averill.
Today in History:
- 1819: The SS Savannah embarks on its historic journey to become the first steam-powered vessel to cross the Atlantic.
- 1849: Abraham Lincoln becomes the only US President to receive a patent for a device to lift boats over obstacles.
- 1900: Edwin S. Votey is granted a patent for the pneumatic piano player.
- 1906: The Wright Brothers secure a patent for their ‘flying machine.’
- 1959: Benjamin O. Davis Jr. becomes the first black major general in the US Air Force.
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