Roberto Clemente adds an encore to the previous night’s 3-home run, 7-RBI performance. Les Biederman writes in The Sporting News: “The night Clemente put on his show, only 5,222 fans showed up in Cincinnati. The next night, the attendance jumped to 13,389 and Clemente put on a display during batting practice. He lofted five of six balls out of the park in all directions and when he left the batting cage, the fans applauded. ‘It’s the first time I’ve seen that since Ted Williams’ days with the Red Sox,’ coach Johnny Pesky remarked. Clemente left Cincinnati, trailed by admiring remarks from the Reds.”

ByThis Day in Baseball

Roberto Clemente adds an encore to the previous night’s 3-home run, 7-RBI performance. Les Biederman writes in The Sporting News: “The night Clemente put on his show, only 5,222 fans showed up in Cincinnati. The next night, the attendance jumped to 13,389 and Clemente put on a display during batting practice. He lofted five of six balls out of the park in all directions and when he left the batting cage, the fans applauded. ‘It’s the first time I’ve seen that since Ted Williams’ days with the Red Sox,’ coach Johnny Pesky remarked. Clemente left Cincinnati, trailed by admiring remarks from the Reds.”

Roberto Clemente clubs three homers to all fields plus a double off the scoreboard in left-center, driving in all seven Pittsburgh runs in the process. All this, alas, in a losing cause as all of Clemente’s contributions can’t quite keep pace with the Pirate pitchers’ even more generous contributions to their opponents’ final tally. After Bob Veale, Pete Mikkelsen and Juan Pizarro combine to give back every one of those seven runs, the 12-time Gold Glover comes up big in the 9th, scaling the right-field fence to prevent a walk-off homer from Reds reliever Gerry Arrigo, against whom Clemente himself has just gone deep. These heroics, however, only prolong the agony: before he can get one more crack at Arrigo, Clemente will watch Tony Perez’s shot to right center carry far beyond his outstretched glove, carrying with it any hope of a Pirate win, as Pete Rose scores easily from first, giving Cincinnati the 10-inning, 8 – 7 decision.

ByBaseball

Roberto Clemente clubs three homers to all fields plus a double off the scoreboard in left-center, driving in all seven Pittsburgh runs in the process. All this, alas, in a losing cause as all of Clemente’s contributions can’t quite keep pace with the Pirate pitchers’ even more generous contributions to their opponents’ final tally. After Bob Veale, Pete Mikkelsen and Juan Pizarro combine to give back every one of those seven runs, the 12-time Gold Glover comes up big in the 9th, scaling the right-field fence to prevent a walk-off homer from Reds reliever Gerry Arrigo, against whom Clemente himself has just gone deep. These heroics, however, only prolong the agony: before he can get one more crack at Arrigo, Clemente will watch Tony Perez’s shot to right center carry far beyond his outstretched glove, carrying with it any hope of a Pirate win, as Pete Rose scores easily from first, giving Cincinnati the 10-inning, 8 – 7 decision.

Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits home run number 450, a 6th-inning solo shot in today’s contest between the Braves and Pirates. Roberto Clemente responds almost immediately with his own “number 450”. Les Biederman explains in the Pittsburgh Press: “Aaron whistled when he talked of the two shots Clemente drilled. One struck the left field wall and bounced back on the field for a double. The other traveled over Mack Jones’ head in dead center (450 feet) and he got a triple.” Both the two-out, 3rd-inning double and 6th-inning, leadoff triple are followed by RBI singles from Bill Mazeroski. In the 7th, Clemente singles home the insurance run in the Bucs’ 5 – 2 win.

ByBaseball

Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits home run number 450, a 6th-inning solo shot in today’s contest between the Braves and Pirates. Roberto Clemente responds almost immediately with his own “number 450”. Les Biederman explains in the Pittsburgh Press: “Aaron whistled when he talked of the two shots Clemente drilled. One struck the left field wall and bounced back on the field for a double. The other traveled over Mack Jones’ head in dead center (450 feet) and he got a triple.” Both the two-out, 3rd-inning double and 6th-inning, leadoff triple are followed by RBI singles from Bill Mazeroski. In the 7th, Clemente singles home the insurance run in the Bucs’ 5 – 2 win.

Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees joins the 500-home run club
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Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees joins the 500-home run club

ByThis Day in Baseball

On May 14, 1967, around 4:16 pm in the bottom of the 7th Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees joins the 500-home run club when he connects against Stu Miller of the Baltimore Orioles. His shot went into the lower deck into the right-field corner of the lower deck at Yankee Stadium. It was…

Wearing his familiar uniform #9, Roger Maris hits his first National League home run on the ninth day of the month in seat 9 of section 9. The right fielder’s sixth-inning round-tripper off Woodie Fryman contributes to the Cardinals’ 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh at Forbes Field.

ByTom

Wearing his familiar uniform #9, Roger Maris hits his first National League home run on the ninth day of the month in seat 9 of section 9. The right fielder’s sixth-inning round-tripper off Woodie Fryman contributes to the Cardinals’ 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh at Forbes Field.

Roberto’s Revenge: Old Testament Style – Donn Clendenon and Roberto Clemente combine to give Don Drysdale a taste of his own medicine (perhaps taking Orlando Cepeda’s adage – “the trick with Drysdale is to hit him before he hits you” – a tad literally). Dodger beat writer Frank Finch reports: “Before Drysdale retired, he took a physical pounding from the Pirates. Clemente’s third hit almost tore Don’s right hand off, and later in the same inning Donn Clendenon’s drive drilled Drysdale on the shins so hard that it bounced to first base, where Wes Parker made an easy put-out.”

ByThis Day in Baseball

Roberto’s Revenge: Old Testament Style – Donn Clendenon and Roberto Clemente combine to give Don Drysdale a taste of his own medicine (perhaps taking Orlando Cepeda’s adage – “the trick with Drysdale is to hit him before he hits you” – a tad literally). Dodger beat writer Frank Finch reports: “Before Drysdale retired, he took a physical pounding from the Pirates. Clemente’s third hit almost tore Don’s right hand off, and later in the same inning Donn Clendenon’s drive drilled Drysdale on the shins so hard that it bounced to first base, where Wes Parker made an easy put-out.”