Month: June 2017

June 14-The real Roy Hobbs

*1949 | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Eddie Waitkus was shot by a deranged fan on this date in 1949. The event became the inspiration for The Natural, first a novel, then a movie.

The book was written by Bernard Malamud in 1952. The movie came out in 1984 starring Robert Redford. The character in the book and movie, Roy Hobbs, was out of baseball for a while after being shot, but eventually made a dramatic comeback.

Eddie Waitkus didn’t make quite as dramatic a comeback, but was back in the Phillies lineup in 1950, and went on to play six more years in the majors.

Waitkus started his career with the Chicago Cubs in 1941, but World War II interrupted and he ended up in the Philippines. He didn’t return to the Cubs until 1946. It was during this time that a young Chicago secretary named Ruth Ann Steinhagen became obsessed with Waitkus. Though not a term used at the time, she became a stalker. The Cubs first baseman was oblivious to the attraction.

Waitkus was traded to the Phillies before the 1949 season. The Phillies played a one-game series in Chicago in May, but a three-game series in June brought Waitkus closer to Steinhagen for an extended period for the first time since he left the Cubs. She got a room at the upscale Edgewater Beach Hotel where the Phillies were staying. She lured him to her room by using the name of a former high school friend of his. When he arrived Steinhagen shot him in the chest. He was close to death several times before the bullet was successfully removed.

Ruth Ann Steinhagen was never put on trial for the shooting, instead she was committed to a mental institution.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
The Natural by Bernard Malamud, published by Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1952
Associated Press (AP), New York, November 10, 1950, via Ellensburg Daily Record, Ellensburg, Washington
More on Eddie Waitkus

JUNE 13-Yankees, Tigers instigate riot

*1924 | DETROIT, MICHIGAN – You think fans get out of control today? Few events of this generation would match what occurred in Detroit today in baseball history – June 13, 1924. The New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers got into a melee that became a full-blown riot involving fans at Detroit’s Navin Field. The situation got so out of control Detroit had to forfeit the game.

Tensions between the two teams had been building for days, led by Tiger star Ty Cobb, and Yankee star Babe Ruth. The animosity came to a head in the 9th inning of this, the 3rd game of the series. The Yankees’ Bob Meusel was batting. He got hit by a pitch from Detroit’s Bert Cole and proceeded to charge the mound. Several fights broke out.

The Associated Press went on to describe it this way in the next morning’s newspapers: “By this time the disorder was general and all Yankee and Tiger players were fighting among themselves. This was the signal for the irate fans to swarm upon the field. Policemen rushed from all corners of the park, but they were unable to cope with the situation.”

Seeing that peace could not be restored, the umpires declared the game forfeited to New York.

After the dust settled, the American League suspended Bert Cole and Bob Meusel, and fined Babe Ruth.

Contributing Sources:
Detroit, June 13, 1924, The Baltimore Sun
Greater Astoria Historical Society

June 12 – A RECORD THAT WILL NEVER BE BROKEN

*2010 | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTES – Boston Red Sox outfielder Daniel Nava did something today in baseball history – JUNE 12, 2010 – that had only been done once before – hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues.

Kevin Kouzmanoff is the only other player to accomplish what Nava did. Kouzmanoff hit a grand slam on the first major league pitch he saw for the Cleveland Indians on September 2, 2006.

It’s a fete that will never be topped – tied, yes – but never topped, because there’s only one first pitch, and four is the most runs that can be driven in with one swing of the bat.

Ironically, Daniel Nava, was never a home-run hitter. He played in 60 games for the Red Sox in 2010, had 188 at-bats and that first pitch slam was his only home-run that year. In his, as of today, seven year major league career, he’s hit a total of 27 home runs.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
June 12,2010 box score/stats/play-by-play
Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9BLMdRRZ-s
Nava takes historic swing, Ian Browne, MLB.com, June 12, 2010

 

June 11-Vander Meer out-hits Boston

*1938 | CINCINNATI, OHIO – Cincinnati Red Legs pitcher Johnny Vander Meer got more hits than the entire Boston **Bees (today’s Atlanta Braves) team on this date in baseball history – one. Vander Meer no-hit the Braves 3-0 in the first of his two consecutive no-hitters.

There are records in baseball many believe will never be broken; Joe DiMaggio‘s 56 game hitting streak, Cy Young‘s 511 career wins, Don Larsen‘s World Series perfect game (it may be tied, but broken? Unlikely). What about this one? What are the odds someone will throw THREE no-hitters in a row? It’s highly unlikely the record will ever be tied.

Vander Meer walked three and struck out four in his first no-hitter. He was down right wild in the second consecutive no-hitter, walking eight and striking out seven. Vander Meer created some drama in the 9th by walking the bases loaded before inducing the Dodgers’ Leo Durocher to fly out to center.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
June 11, 1938 Cincinnati/Boston box score/stats
June 15, 1938 Cincinnati/Brooklyn 2nd no-hitter box score/stats
The Image of Their Greatness, by Lawrence Ritter & Donald Honig, 1979
Consecutive no-hitters

**The Boston Braves were known as the “Bees” for 5 seasons from 1936 to 1940.

June 10-Colavito muscles 4 out of the park

*1959 | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – Rocky Colavito hit four home runs against the Baltimore Orioles today in baseball history – June 10, 1969. He became the eighth major leaguer to jack four in a 9-inning game. His Cleveland Indians beat the Orioles 11 to 4.

“Rocky Colavito” was born Rocco Domenico Colavito in New York City in 1933. What a name. He could have been a prize fighter if he wasn’t a ball player. He was signed by the Indians in 1951.

Colavito hit 374 home runs in his relatively short 13 year major league career, which, as of June 10, 2017, puts him 77th on the all-time career home run list.

He was never a threat to the record, but in one eleven year span Colavito averaged 33 home runs, which is the same number career leader Henry Aaron averaged per season, and on par with the other career home run leaders; Barry Bonds (2nd-34), Babe Ruth (3rd-34), Willie Mays (4th-30) and Sammy Sosa (5th-35)

The 6-time all-star bounced around the majors a bit. Besides Cleveland, he played for the Detroit Tigers, and had short stints with the Kansas City A’s, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. His best year was 1961 with the Tigers when he hit .290 with 45 home runs and 113 RBI.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
Career HR leaders