Mickey Mantle at Yankee Stadium
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Mickey Mantle sets a major league record when hits a home run from both sides of the plate for the 10th time in his career.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1964 – Mickey Mantle sets a major league record when hits a home run from both sides of the plate for the 10th time in his career. Mantle hits a left-handed homer off Ray Herbert over the 461-foot marker in centerfield that lands 15 rows into the bleachers, 502 feet from the plate.

1964 – Roberto Clemente: “Step In Bucket Saves My Back.” Taking advantage of an off-day in the Pirates’ schedule, the Associated Press collars Clemente for a brief profile/interview of the National League’s leading hitter, with a particular focus on the peculiarities of his batting style. One genuine scoop emerges, Clemente’s own explanation for his distinctive and dramatic step away from the plate or, as they say, “into the bucket.” While his early tendency to bail out had been corrected in Puerto Rico in 1952 by Santurce’s player/manager Buster Clarkson [“He put a bat behind my left foot and made sure I didn’t drag my foot”], the subsequent seeming resurrection of this habit occurs in response to the damage to Clemente’s spine sustained in a December 1954 automobile accident and aggravated almost exactly two years later by a violent swing and miss during winter ball. “In 1956 I was doing good until I hurt my back,” Clemente recalls. “Since then I step to the side with my left foot faster so I don’t have to twist my body so much.”

ByBaseball

1964 – Roberto Clemente: “Step In Bucket Saves My Back.” Taking advantage of an off-day in the Pirates’ schedule, the Associated Press collars Clemente for a brief profile/interview of the National League’s leading hitter, with a particular focus on the peculiarities of his batting style. One genuine scoop emerges, Clemente’s own explanation for his distinctive and dramatic step away from the plate or, as they say, “into the bucket.” While his early tendency to bail out had been corrected in Puerto Rico in 1952 by Santurce’s player/manager Buster Clarkson [“He put a bat behind my left foot and made sure I didn’t drag my foot”], the subsequent seeming resurrection of this habit occurs in response to the damage to Clemente’s spine sustained in a December 1954 automobile accident and aggravated almost exactly two years later by a violent swing and miss during winter ball. “In 1956 I was doing good until I hurt my back,” Clemente recalls. “Since then I step to the side with my left foot faster so I don’t have to twist my body so much.”

After throwing a perfect game on Father’s Day against the Mets, Phillies right-hander Jim Bunning continues his mastery over New York, retiring a total of 44 New York batters in a row. Joe Christopher beats out a two-out bunt in the fifth inning to finally end the right-hander’s perfection over the Amazins’.

After throwing a perfect game on Father’s Day against the Mets, Phillies right-hander Jim Bunning continues his mastery over New York, retiring a total of 44 New York batters in a row. Joe Christopher beats out a two-out bunt in the fifth inning to finally end the right-hander’s perfection over the Amazins’.

ByBaseball

After throwing a perfect game on Father’s Day against the Mets, Phillies right-hander Jim Bunning continues his mastery over New York, retiring a total of 44 New York batters in a row. Joe Christopher beats out a two-out bunt in the fifth inning to finally end the right-hander’s perfection over the Amazins’.

The 10th-place Mets send 1B Frank Thomas to the National League-leading Phils (1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants) for P Gary Kroll, OF Wayne Graham, and cash. Thomas, seemingly the answer to the Phils’ first base problem, rides the Mets’ team bus to Philadelphia, then finds out he has been traded. He then drives in two runs as the Phils top the Mets, 9 – 4. The Phils will take the next two games with Thomas collecting five RBIs in the sweep.

ByBaseball

The 10th-place Mets send 1B Frank Thomas to the National League-leading Phils (1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants) for P Gary Kroll, OF Wayne Graham, and cash. Thomas, seemingly the answer to the Phils’ first base problem, rides the Mets’ team bus to Philadelphia, then finds out he has been traded. He then drives in two runs as the Phils top the Mets, 9 – 4. The Phils will take the next two games with Thomas collecting five RBIs in the sweep.

“Roberto Clemente scores 2 knockouts: Drysdale in 8, Dodgers in 9.” Clemente’s 9th-inning liner over the head of second baseman Nate Oliver, his third hit of the game, brings home Gene Alley with the winning run. Visiting beat writer Frank Finch reports: “The crowd of 11,071 figured L.A. had won another one when the Californians reeled off six straight hits with two out in the 6th to take a 3 – 1 lead, but starter Don Drysdale and reliever Ron Perranoski failed to contain the battling Buccos down the stretch. After pitching his way out of several earlier jams, Drysdale was yanked in the 8th when Bill Virdon singled and reached third on Clemente’s double. Perranoski (4-6) came in to whiff the dangerous Jerry Lynch, then wild-pitched Virdon across the plate… Perranoski gave up a score-tying home run to Jim Pagliaroni in the last of the 9th and a single to Ducky Schofield to set the stage for Roberto Clemente’s game-winning single.”

ByThis Day in Baseball

“Roberto Clemente scores 2 knockouts: Drysdale in 8, Dodgers in 9.” Clemente’s 9th-inning liner over the head of second baseman Nate Oliver, his third hit of the game, brings home Gene Alley with the winning run. Visiting beat writer Frank Finch reports: “The crowd of 11,071 figured L.A. had won another one when the Californians reeled off six straight hits with two out in the 6th to take a 3 – 1 lead, but starter Don Drysdale and reliever Ron Perranoski failed to contain the battling Buccos down the stretch. After pitching his way out of several earlier jams, Drysdale was yanked in the 8th when Bill Virdon singled and reached third on Clemente’s double. Perranoski (4-6) came in to whiff the dangerous Jerry Lynch, then wild-pitched Virdon across the plate… Perranoski gave up a score-tying home run to Jim Pagliaroni in the last of the 9th and a single to Ducky Schofield to set the stage for Roberto Clemente’s game-winning single.”