Category: August

AUG 1: Colbert matches idol

AUGUST 1, 1972 | ATLANTA, GEORGIA – Eight-year old Nathan Colbert was in awe when he saw his favorite player, Stan Musial, hit five home runs in a double-header in 1954. Little did the St. Louis native and Cardinal fan know he would inspire the same awe eighteen years later. Today in baseball (1972) Nate Colbert of the San Diego Padres tied Musial’s record by hitting five home runs in a double-header sweep of the Atlanta Braves, 9-0 and 11-7. Colbert hit two home runs in the opener and three in the second game, driving in a total of 13 runs.

The best of Colbert’s ten years in the majors was 1976; 38 HRs, 111 RBI, and though his batting average was a modest .250, his slugging percentage was .508. His abilities diminished rather quickly. His HR/RBI stats fell to 22/80 in 1973, 14/54 in 1974, 8/29 in 1975 and he was out of baseball by 1977. He remains in the record books, however, alongside is childhood hero Stan Musial.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES
Associated Press, August 3, 1972 

 


Aug 19: Eddie Gaedel goes to bat

AUGUST 19, 1951 | ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI • A dwarf went to bat on this date in baseball history, and guess what? He walked. What a long shot that was. It was the famous, or infamous, depending on your outlook, marketing gimmick of that great baseball promoter Bill Veeck.

Veeck owned the old St. Louis Browns (today’s Baltimore Orioles) at the time, and needed to boost sagging attendance. He would only say that he planned a surprise between games of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers. It didn’t seem like such a big deal when a huge cake was rolled out, out of it coming 3-foot 7-inch, 65 lb. Edward Carl “Eddie” Gaedel with number “1/8” on his back. Veeck’s real surprise, however, was having Eddie Gaedel pinch hit for the leadoff hitter, which took everyone off guard.

Veeck knew he’d get some resistance from the umpires, but he was ready. He had Gaedel sign a major league contract two days earlier. Veeck sent it to the Commissioner’s office on Friday, knowing it wouldn’t be looked at until Monday. Browns manager Zack Taylor had a copy of the contract in his pocket in the event home plate umpire Ed Hurley wanted proof Gaedel was a major leaguer. Hurley did. Taylor showed him the contract and Gaedel stepped into the batter’s box. The pitcher tried to find his strike zone. Gaedel walked on four pitches. He took a couple bows as he headed to first base, and received a standing ovation from the crowd.

The baseball establishment wasn’t crazy about the stunt. The rules were soon changed forbidding anyone from appearing in a major league game until after the Commissioner approves a contract.

Ironically, because walks don’t count as official times at bat, according to the statistics, Eddie Gaedel never batted.

Eddie Gaedel Statistics

SEASON-1951  TEAM-St. Louis Browns
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP    SLG   AVG
1 0 0  0  0   0   0    0   0  1 0   0   0  1.000  .000 .000
Career Totals
1  0 0  0  0   0   0    0   0  1 0   0   0  1.000  .000 .000

Contributing Source:
ESPN Outside The Lines

AUG 16: Ray Chapman Tragedy

AUGUST 16, 1920 | NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Cleveland Indians shortstop, Ray Chapman was hit in the head while batting in the 5th inning of a game against the New York Yankees on this date in 1920. He died the next day.

Chapman was beaned by Yankee pitcher Carl Mays. Mays was described as having an underhand delivery. Both Mays and Chapman were right-handed so a typical curve would have broken away from Chapman. Instead one of Mays pitches must have tailed inside striking Chapman in the head. 

Chapman was having a fine career with the Cleveland Indians – the only team he ever played for. He was their regular shortstop. He had a .278 batting average through nine seasons. He was known to be a good base stealer.

Mays was known to throw a spitball, which was a legal pitch at the time. A report in the San Antonio Evening News of August 17, 1920, said, “The crack of the ball hitting his head could be heard all over the Polo Grounds.” Chapman was rushed to St. Lawrence Hospital in New York. Doctors decided to operate at around midnight, but were unable to save him.

The Indians were in first place at the time of Chapman’s death and went on to win the American League pennant and the World Series. 

Ray Chapman is the only player to be killed by a pitch.

Contributing sources:
New York Times
Chicago Daily Tribune, August 18, 1920
The San Antonio Evening News, August 17, 1920

AUGUST 14: Stealing home – twice!

[FROM THE TIB ARCHIVES]

AUGUST 14, 1958 | CLEVELAND, OHIO – How’s that for a sports name – Vic Power! Sounds like a Power Ranger. Power electrified the Cleveland Indians on this date in baseball history (1958). The 3rd baseman stole 3 bases in all of 1958, two of those were stolen on this date, and both were thefts of home! No American Leaguer had ever done that before, not even Ty Cobb. Even more amazing, Power’s second pilferage was a walk-off theft of home in the tenth! It gave the Indians a 10-9 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

He was born Victor Felipe Pellot in 1927 in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. He was known mostly as a first baseman, winning seven Gold Gloves, but played every position on the field except pitcher and catcher during his 12-year career. Power was a six-time all-star, with some pop in his bat. He reached double digits in home runs nine times.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
More Vic Power stats
August 14, 1958 box score/details 

August 13: Rain, rules beat Yankees

AUGUST 13, 1978 | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND • Was the grounds-crew as swift as it could have been? Earl Weaver wouldn’t try to stall for rain would he? Either way, the New York Yankees were not pleased with the outcome of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on this date in baseball in 1978.

The O’s were leading the Yankees 3-0 after six innings. The Yankees scored five in the top of the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. The Orioles came to bat, and it started raining. The rain got heavier. Some think Orioles Manager Earl Weaver, one of the real characters of America’s pastime, saw the handwriting on the wall – or the raining falling on the ground – and stalled so the Orioles would not finish their time at bat. If the home team does not complete an inning because of rain, the score reverts back to the previous inning.

Some also think the Baltimore Memorial Stadium grounds crew was less than swift in getting the field covered. Needless to say, the game was called after 36 minutes. The umpires said the field was in bad shape because of so many rain delays, this only made it unplayable.

Rule 4.12 has since been changed (largely because of that game) so that the game is suspended should the visiting team take the lead when play stops because of rain before the home team has had a chance to complete the inning. The game is resumed from that point at a future date. Here’s the rule:

4.12 SUSPENDED GAMES.
(a) A game shall become a suspended game that must be completed at a future date if the game is terminated for any of the following reasons:
(5) Weather, if a regulation game is called while an inning is in progress and before the inning is completed, and the visiting team has scored one or more runs to take the lead, and the home team has not retaken the lead;

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
Game stats https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL197808130.shtml
United Press International (UPI), Baltimore, Maryland, August 14, 1978
Official Rules http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/foreword.jsp