Tag: Red Sox

July 19th in baseball history – Mass ejections at Fenway

JULY 19, 1946 | Boston, Massachusetts – Fourteen Chicago White Sox players were kicked out of a game against the Red Sox in mass ejections at Fenway Park. It all started when White Sox pitcher Joe Haynes put Red Sox slugger Ted Williams on his fanny, the result of a pitch too far inside.

Umpire Red Jones gave Haynes a warning not to throw at Red Sox hitters. Here’s how the Associated Press described what happened next:

"A chorus of yammering from the Chicago bench resulted in [Umpire] Jones ordering four White Sox players from the bench - Ralph Hodgin, Dario Lodigiani, Ed Smith and Bling Miller." The "yammerin" didn't stop."

Before the game was over 14 White Sox were ordered from the dugout for making derisive comments about Jones’ vision and judgment.

The Red Sox went on to win easily 9-2, and increase their lead against the second place New York Yankees to 11½ games.

A YAMMERING VENTRILOQUIST?

A story surfaced some days after the mass ejections at Fenway that it wasn’t the players doing the yammering. It was, get this, a ventriloquist in the stands. If you read John Branch‘s 2006 story from the New York Times you’ll find that the facts kind of get in the way of a good story.

The Red Sox went on to win the American League pennant in 1946 (this was before division play) before losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
New York Times, July 6, 2006
The Associated Press (AP), July 20, 1946, Boston, MA  

 

July 8: Don’t blink, you’ll miss it

JULY 8, 1994 | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – One of the most unusual events in baseball occurs so quickly you could miss it if you’re not paying attention – the unassisted triple play. Boston Red Sox shortstop John Valentin turned one on this date in 1994. It was just the 10th unassisted triple in major league baseball history (there have been 5 since).

Here’s how it happened… in the top of the sixth inning at Boston’s Fenway Park, Seattle Mariner Mike Blowers singles. Keith Mitchell walks. It looks like the start of a big inning for the Mariners. Two on, nobody out. Mariner DH Mark Newfield is at bat. It’s a 1 – 1 count. Red Sox pitcher Dave Fleming fires, the runners go. Newfield hits a line shot right to shortstop Valentin, who steps on second to double off Blowers who was almost to third, and tags Mitchell who’s almost at second. Three outs, just like that with the ball never leaving Valentin’s hands.

The drama doesn’t end there. Guess who leads off the bottom of the 6th, hero John Valentin. He homers. The Red Sox come from behind to win 4-3.

Unassisted triple plays almost always unfold the same way; all 15 started with runners on first and second and the batter hitting a line drive with the runners going. Eight were hit to the shortstop. Five were hit to the second baseman. Two were hit to the first baseman. When it’s hit to the shortstop he grabs the line drive steps on second and tags the runner coming from first. When it’s hit to the second or first baseman they tag the runner coming from first and then step on second.

If you want to see an unassisted triple play, wait for runners on first and second, and no outs. If the batter hits a line drive, by all means don’t blink.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
July 8, 1994 box score/play-by-play
Unassisted triple plays

A STORY FROM APRIL 20 IN BASEBALL HISTORY – THE SPLENDID SPLINTER ARRIVES

TODAYinBASEBALL.com TAKES US TO NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 20, 1939. For my entire life – I was born in 1952 – there has always been a “Splendid Splinter.” I didn’t have to wonder who or what it was. The “Splendid Splinter” was Ted Williams. But, what, in God’s name, is a “Splendid Splinter”? As my wife would say, “Bill, you’re over-thinking it.” I’ll leave it at that.

Before he became the “Splendid Splinter,” Theodore Samuel Williams was a skinny 20-year old kid from San Diego who joined Boston Red Sox in New York on this date in 1939 to play his first major league game. The first of his 2,654 hits was a 400-foot double in the vast outfield of Yankee Stadium as the Red Sox lost 2-0.

Ted Williams’ career spanned 19 seasons and 4 decades – interrupted twice by military duty. He amassed some of the greatest offensive numbers of all time:

Lifetime Stats
• .344 lifetime batting average
• 521 home runs
• 1,839 RBI
• 2-time Triple Crown winner (1942, 1947)
• 2-time MVP (1946, 1949)

… this despite missing three full seasons – 1943 to 45 – to serve in World War II, and playing only 43 games during the 1952 and 1953 seasons because of the Korean War.

Take a close look at the stats above. Williams’ 2 MVP years and 2 Triple Crown years do not overlap. They’re 4 separate seasons. How he could win the Triple Crown and not be MVP is a mystery, but it is what it is.

And consider this; there was a 45-year stretch (1967-Carl Yastrzemski to 2012-Miguel Cabrera) where no one won the Triple Crown (lead either league in home runs, runs batted in and batting average). Williams won it twice in five years. In addition, “Teddy Ballgame” won the batting crown at the age of 40.

Williams was truly larger than life; a Hall of Famer, a decorated fighter pilot, a tireless champion of charity and the loudest guy in the room almost until his death July 5, 2002.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
The Boston Globe, New York, New York, April 21, 1939
Sports Illustrated reviews 2 books about Ted Williams
The Triple Crown

A STORY FROM APRIL 14 IN BASEBALL HISTORY-FISK IMPRESSES NEW FANS

TODAY IN BASEBALL GOES BACK TO APRIL 14, 1981 IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. Carlton Fisk had little trouble getting acclimated to his new “Sox”. He hit a grand slam home run in the home opener for his new team, the White Sox, after eleven years with the Red Sox. The blast helped the White Sox beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-3.

Fisk ended up signing with the White Sox for which he played the next thirteen years – a longer stint than he had in Boston.

Fisk’s move from Boston to Chicago was the result of a strange turn of events. He became a free agent after the 1980 season when the Red Sox failed to mail his contract to him by the deadline.

Fisk ended up signing with the White Sox for which he played the next thirteen years – a longer stint than he had in Boston. And neither Fisk nor his new Chicago fans will soon forget how much he impressed his new fans in that first game wearing a White Sox uniform.

Contributing Sources:
April 14, 1981 box score/play-by-play
Carlton Fisk Stats

A STORY FROM FEB 24 IN BASEBALL HISTORY – Tony C gone too soon

“TODAY IN BASEBALL” TAKES US BACK TO BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS FEBRUARY 24, 1990. A life of such promise ended sadly at 4:30 in the afternoon on this date in 1990. Tony Conigliaro, the youngest American League player to hit 100 home runs, died of pneumonia at the age of 45. Tony C – gone too soon [also see FEB 7th story].

The turning point in Conigliaro’s life was 23 years earlier. At the time he was on top of the world. That all changed on the night of August 18, 1967. While playing for the Boston Red Sox, Conigliaro wasn’t able to get out of the way of an inside fastball from Jack Hamilton of the California Angels. The ball hit him on the left side of his face nearly blinding him. He was out of baseball for over a year.

Conigliaro made a promising recovery in 1969. His blurred and double vision appeared to have cleared up. He hit 20 home runs and drove in 82. In 1970 he had the best year of his career – 36 home runs and 116 RBI, but by ’71 his vision had deteriorated again. He wasn’t able to play in ’72, ’73 or ’74. After an unsuccessful attempt at a comeback in 1975 he retired for good. He was 30.

A legacy of Tony Conigliaro’s beaning was players starting wearing helmets with flaps on the left side for right-handed hitters and the right side for left-handed hitters. Today such helmets are mandatory.

Contributing sources:
Associated Press (AP), Boston, Massachusetts, February 25, 1990
Tony Conigliaro