Category: July

July 26: Catfish, Billy & Ray enter Hall of Fame

July 26, 1987 | COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK – Three “stars” were inducted into the Hall of Fame on this date in 1987. Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Billy Williams and Ray Dandridge didn’t lust for headlines or seek attention so you know Catfish, Billy and Ray enter the Hall of Fame because of shear talent.

Catfish Hunter was a 20-game winner five times, four with Oakland A’s and once with the New York Yankees. He was in the starting rotation for five World Series Champions, usually the ace of the staff; three with the A’s and two with the Yankees.

The Hertford, North Carolina native finished his career with 224 wins and 166 losses and an earned run average of 3.26. Sadly, James Augustus Hunter was stricken with Lou Gehrig’s disease later in life and died at age 53 of injuries suffered in a fall probably caused by his illness.

Billy Williams spent most of career with the Chicago Cubs. He was NL Rookie of the Year in 1961, a 6-time All-Star, set a record for consecutive games played with 1,117 (later broken by Steve Garvey with 1,207). He finished his career with a .290 career batting average and 426 home runs. “Sweet Swingin” Billy Williams had at least 20 home runs for 14 seasons and at least 84 RBI for 13.

Ray Dandridge was a star of the Negro Leagues, so unfortunately much of American didn’t see him play. He played for teams in Detroit, Nashville and Newark.

He also played in the Mexican League in 1940 with and against Major Leaguers. He led the league with a .369 batting average but it was his fielding at 3rd base that sparkled. Monte Irvin, who played against major leaguers and Negro Leaguers said Dandridge was the one of the best 3rd basemen he’d ever seen.

Dandridge was finally signed by the New York Giants in 1949 but sent to Triple-A Minneapolis. Despite being named league MVP and leading his team to the championship, Dandridge was never called up to the majors.

  • Little known fact: Catfish Hunter hit .350 for the A’s in 1971 (before the DH), 36 hits in 103 at bats, 1 HR, 12 RBI.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
The disappearance of 20-game winners
The Hall of Fame

July 22: Most hits 9-innings

July 22, 1962 | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – Floyd Robinson of the Chicago White Sox went 6 for 6, all singles, on this date in 1962. That tied him with about two dozen other American Leaguers for the most hits in a 9-inning game.

The National League record is 7 held by Rennie Stennett of the 1975 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Floyd Robinson had a great year in 1962. He hit .312, drove in 109 runs (on just 11 home runs). He led the league in doubles with 45. But he played for a team that was otherwise anemic offensively.

The White Sox team batting average was .257. Robinson was the only regular to hit over .300. The team leader in home runs was Al Smith with 16.

Three years removed from playing the Dodgers in the 1959 World Series, the Sox finished 5th, 11 games out in 1962. Despite their lousy hitting, the Sox contended for the next few years behind the pitching of Gary Peters, Joel Horlen, Juan Pizzaro and others:

1963
Peters            19-8
Pizzaro          16-8
Horlen           11-7

1964
Peters            20-8
Pizzaro          19-8
Horlen           13-9

1965
Fisher             15-7
John                10-7
Horlen           13-13

Despite 90+ wins the Sox finished second to the New York Yankees each year (this was before divisional play).

Year   Wins
1963  94
1964  98
1965  95

When a team’s key offensive statistic is 6-singles by the same player in a game, over-taking the Bronx Bombers becomes a tall order.

July 13 – Ed Delahanty : A Tragic Star

1896 | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Ed Delahanty became the second major league player to hit four home runs in one game on this date in 1896. Bobby Lowe of the Boston Beaneaters (the current Atlanta Braves) was the first to do it in 1894.

Despite Delahanty’s display of power, the Chicago Cubs beat the Phillies at old West Side Grounds in Chicago, 9 to 8.

Reports indicate Delahanty’s four home runs were all inside-the-park, which was common in those days. While the stands were reachable down the foul lines at 340 feet, centerfield was well over 500 feet – a lot of room for a ball to roll around in, and a chance for a hitter to run all the way home.

Delahanty had a fine career. He hit over .400 three times, finished with a lifetime average of .346, drove in 1,464 runs and scored 1,599 times in a 16-year career.

He met a tragic and mysterious end, however. Exactly what happened is not known, but on July 2, 1903 he fell into Niagara Falls. His mangled body was pulled from the falls seven days later. The story is, while traveling by train through Niagara Falls after playing in Detroit, Delahanty was kicked off the train for being drunk and disorderly. He was last seen walking across the bridge over the falls. Some questioned whether Delahanty fell, suggesting he may have met with foul play.

Regardless of the circumstances of his death, Ed Delahanty lives on in Cooperstown. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
July 13, 1886 game info
Society for American Baseball Research 
Ed Delahanty” Career

July 9 – Hero’s Welcome

JULY 9, 1946 | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – World War II is over. The all-star game is back – after a one-year hiatus – so is Ted Williams.

It was fitting that the mid-summer classic was played in Boston on this date in 1946. Seven Red Sox were on the American League squad, and they did not disappoint the home town crowd, especially Williams.

Like many players, “Teddy Ball-game,” as he was known, was in his first full season back after serving in World War II as a Marine fighter pilot.

Williams went 4 for 4 with two home runs and 5 RBI on this day. The most memorable moment was Williams clobbering Rip Sewell’s eephus pitch into the right-center field bullpen.

The American League crushed the National League on that day 12-0.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
1946 All-star game box score
History of the All-star game

July 7-Connie let Ruth get away too

JULY 7, 1914 | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – The Boston Red Sox were not the only team to let George Herman Ruth get away. Philadelphia A’s (today’s Oakland A’s) owner Connie Mack turned down Babe Ruth on this date in 1914.

Ruth wasn’t the Great Bambino yet. In fact, he wasn’t even a major leaguer. He was a promising minor league pitcher, but the team he played for, the Baltimore Orioles of the International League was in financial trouble and needed cash. Orioles owner Jack Dunn offered Ruth and a couple other players to Philadelphia A’s owner Connie Mack for $10,000. Mack had his own money problems so he said no.

A couple days later the 19-year old Ruth and two other players were sold to the Boston Red Sox for $25,000. It was with the Red Sox that Ruth made his major league debut, mainly as a pitcher. He won two and lost one in 1914. The next year Ruth went 18 and 8, but it was his hitting that began to open people’s eyes. In 92 at-bats, Ruth hit .315 with 4 home runs and 21 runs batted in.

Ruth started to play the outfield, and therefore hit more often. By 1919 he was playing the outfield more than he was pitching. The owner of the Yankees needed cash to fund a Broadway play a transaction the Red Sox have never been able to live down. The first year Ruth was exclusively an outfielder – 1920 – he hit .376 with 54 home runs and 135 RBIs.

  • TIBfact: Babe Ruth pitched in 5 games during his Yankee career and won all 5.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCE:
Connie Mack refuses Babe Ruth