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9/16/1972 – Dwight Evans made his major league debut in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians when he pinch ran for Reggie Smith. The Red Sox were leading at the time, 9-0 and Cecil Cooper had already been placed in the game as a pinch runner for Carl Yastrzemski. Yaz was batting third and Smith fourth in the original lineup. In the top of the seventh, both Cooper and Evans stayed in the game and three other defensive replacements were made by manager Eddie Kasko. With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Evans batted in Cooper’s spot but flew out. No protest was made by the Indians. The next legal batter should have been Phil Gagliano but Cooper came to the plate and also made an out to end the inning and the Sox went on to win 10-0. Thus, Dwight Evans’ first major league plate appearance was out of order!

ByThis Day in Baseball

9/16/1972 – Dwight Evans made his major league debut in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians when he pinch ran for Reggie Smith. The Red Sox were leading at the time, 9-0 and Cecil Cooper had already been placed in the game as a pinch runner for Carl Yastrzemski. Yaz was batting third and Smith fourth in the original lineup. In the top of the seventh, both Cooper and Evans stayed in the game and three other defensive replacements were made by manager Eddie Kasko. With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Evans batted in Cooper’s spot but flew out. No protest was made by the Indians. The next legal batter should have been Phil Gagliano but Cooper came to the plate and also made an out to end the inning and the Sox went on to win 10-0. Thus, Dwight Evans’ first major league plate appearance was out of order!

Glen Beckert strands 12 men on base to set a new major league mark

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Glen Beckert goes 0-for-6 in the Cubs’ 18-5 victory over the Mets at Wrigley Field, leaving 12 men on base to set a new major league mark. The Chicago second baseman leaves the bases loaded in the first and seventh, strands two runners twice when he bats two times in the team’s seven-run third, and fails to plate other teammates in the fifth and seventh, the first of his two plate appearances in the frame.

Joe Coleman wins his 17th game and Dick McAuliffe clouts two home runs and drives in four to lead Detroit to a 6 – 2 win in Milwaukee. This is Detroit’s 5th win in a row and keeps them a percentage point behind Boston.

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Joe Coleman wins his 17th game and Dick McAuliffe clouts two home runs and drives in four to lead Detroit to a 6 – 2 win in Milwaukee. This is Detroit’s 5th win in a row and keeps them a percentage point behind Boston.

Following the Reds-Padres game at Riverfront Stadium, “This is your Life” host Ralph Edwards surprises Johnny Bench as the catcher is the featured guest on the program. With cameras rolling, Bench’s family and friends appear as Edwards narrates the show.

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Following the Reds-Padres game at Riverfront Stadium, “This is your Life” host Ralph Edwards surprises Johnny Bench as the catcher is the featured guest on the program. With cameras rolling, Bench’s family and friends appear as Edwards narrates the show.

Expo P Balor Moore extends his scoreless innings streak to 25 before serving up a 7th-inning three-run home run to lose to the Phillies, 3 – 1. The home run is the first for Phils rookie Mike Schmidt.

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Expo P Balor Moore extends his scoreless innings streak to 25 before serving up a 7th-inning three-run home run to lose to the Phillies, 3 – 1. The home run is the first for Phils rookie Mike Schmidt.

Steve Carlton beats the Expos, 5 – 3, raising his record to 24-9. The rest of the Phillies pitchers have a combined record of 26-80.

ByThis Day in Baseball

Steve Carlton beats the Expos, 5 – 3, raising his record to 24-9. The rest of the Phillies pitchers have a combined record of 26-80.

In a record-setting effort, the Reds and Padres combine for 28 strikeouts for a nine-inning game, the Padres winning 1 – 0, on Cito Gaston’s 4th-inning homer. Winning P Fred Normanstrikes out 15, while Don Gullett fans 11 Pads. Pedro Borbon notches the other 2.

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In a record-setting effort, the Reds and Padres combine for 28 strikeouts for a nine-inning game, the Padres winning 1 – 0, on Cito Gaston’s 4th-inning homer. Winning P Fred Normanstrikes out 15, while Don Gullett fans 11 Pads. Pedro Borbon notches the other 2.

1972 – Roberto Clemente’s batting practice moon shot again comes close to Wrigley Field’s scoreboard. Bart Ripp, writing in Sport Magazine, recalls Clemente’s confrontation with 6′ 7″ Jim McKee, a young, fireballing, Pirate pitching prospect who has just made Richie Hebner, Al Oliver and Willie Stargell look foolish: “Clemente dusted his hands, then took his usual righthanded stance deep in the box, as far from the plate as possible. Standing still, Clemente heard the first pitch go by, then primly stuck his bat out over the plate at the next three. Each time, the ball hit the club, then pirouetted to the grass, just fair, and there they stuck as if they had landed in wet cement. Roberto then took three swings, but did not move his legs or hips, just the arms and wrists – he was merely getting his eye in. The result was three line drives – to left, to center, to right. All base hits in any game. Clemente slowly hauled out his familiar swing: the front leg lifted and cocked to the catcher, his torso leaping at the ball, the swing ending with his back foot hanging in the air. He proceeded to undress the rookie, smacking severe line drives all over old Wrigley Field. Not paying any respect to a god, Hebner shouted taunting encouragement to Clemente, ‘Come on, take one more swing.’ Clemente motioned to the pitcher, wiping the side of his hand across the letters of his uniform. McKee put it right there, right on the outside corner, and Clemente swung once more. The ball nearly tipped the button of McKee’s cap, then once past second began to rise on a straight line. It was still rising when it struck the bleachers just below the scoreboard, 500 feet away. The people around the cage surveyed the landing site for a few seconds, then closed their mouths and looked back into the cage. It was empty, as Clemente walked back to the dugout, rolling his head about to relieve a crick in his neck.”

ByBaseball

1972 – Roberto Clemente’s batting practice moon shot again comes close to Wrigley Field’s scoreboard. Bart Ripp, writing in Sport Magazine, recalls Clemente’s confrontation with 6′ 7″ Jim McKee, a young, fireballing, Pirate pitching prospect who has just made Richie Hebner, Al Oliver and Willie Stargell look foolish: “Clemente dusted his hands, then took his usual righthanded stance deep in the box, as far from the plate as possible. Standing still, Clemente heard the first pitch go by, then primly stuck his bat out over the plate at the next three. Each time, the ball hit the club, then pirouetted to the grass, just fair, and there they stuck as if they had landed in wet cement. Roberto then took three swings, but did not move his legs or hips, just the arms and wrists – he was merely getting his eye in. The result was three line drives – to left, to center, to right. All base hits in any game. Clemente slowly hauled out his familiar swing: the front leg lifted and cocked to the catcher, his torso leaping at the ball, the swing ending with his back foot hanging in the air. He proceeded to undress the rookie, smacking severe line drives all over old Wrigley Field. Not paying any respect to a god, Hebner shouted taunting encouragement to Clemente, ‘Come on, take one more swing.’ Clemente motioned to the pitcher, wiping the side of his hand across the letters of his uniform. McKee put it right there, right on the outside corner, and Clemente swung once more. The ball nearly tipped the button of McKee’s cap, then once past second began to rise on a straight line. It was still rising when it struck the bleachers just below the scoreboard, 500 feet away. The people around the cage surveyed the landing site for a few seconds, then closed their mouths and looked back into the cage. It was empty, as Clemente walked back to the dugout, rolling his head about to relieve a crick in his neck.”

Roberto Clemente’s final career regular-season home run – No. 240 – propels Pittsburgh to a 6 – 4 win over Chicago. It comes, appropriately enough, off Fergie Jenkins, Clemente’s old friend and frequent HR victim (most notably, on September 2, 1966), and within the “friendly confines” of his home away from home, launching pad for numerous RC rockets over the years—most famously, Wrigley’s scoreboard near-miss of May 17, 1959. Today’s blast is a two-run, tie-breaking bomb, “crashed deep into the center field seats,” as per Post-Gazettescribe Charley Feeney. “Clemente just hit everything I had,” admits Jenkins. “He hit a slider for a single, a fastball for a triple and another slider for the home run. He’s something.”

ByThis Day in Baseball

Roberto Clemente’s final career regular-season home run – No. 240 – propels Pittsburgh to a 6 – 4 win over Chicago. It comes, appropriately enough, off Fergie Jenkins, Clemente’s old friend and frequent HR victim (most notably, on September 2, 1966), and within the “friendly confines” of his home away from home, launching pad for numerous RC rockets over the years—most famously, Wrigley’s scoreboard near-miss of May 17, 1959. Today’s blast is a two-run, tie-breaking bomb, “crashed deep into the center field seats,” as per Post-Gazettescribe Charley Feeney. “Clemente just hit everything I had,” admits Jenkins. “He hit a slider for a single, a fastball for a triple and another slider for the home run. He’s something.”