Larry Doby becomes the second black major league manager, replacing Bob Lemon as skipper of the White Sox. Chicago has a 34-40 record at the time, and will go 37-50 the rest of the way.
On June 30, 1978 On an 0-2 pitch from Atlanta Braves pitcher Jamie Easterly, San Francisco Giant first baseman Willie McCovey launches his 500th career home run over the left field fence at Fulton County Stadium becoming the 12th player to accomplish the feat. The historic homer occurs in the 2nd inning of…
On June 27, 1978 New York’s Graig Nettles belts a two-run homer in the 14th to give the Yankees a 6 – 4 win over the Red Sox. Dick Drago serves up Nettles’ 13th homer of the year. Sparky Lyle (6-1) wins in relief. Ron Guidry (13-0) starts for New York and gives up eight hits in six innings.
1978 – Toronto’s Dave McKay and Otto Velez each hit two doubles in one inning during a 24 – 10 rout of Baltimore. With the score 19 – 6 following a homer by Lee May, Earl Weaver brings in OF Larry Harlow to pitch to the Blue Jays. Harlow gets two batters out in the 5th, then walks three in a row and hurls a wild pitch. He then allows a single, a walk, and a grand slam by John Mayberry makes the score 24 – 6. Bullpen catcher Ellie Hendricks then relieves Harlow and gives up just a walk and no runs in 2 1/3 innings. Closer Don Stanhouse takes over in the 8th.
The Red Sox lose the first of two games with Minnesota, 5 – 4, to stretch their losing streak to five games. Rod Carew’s two-run double in the 6th inning, off Dick Drago, gives the Twins the 5 – 3 lead. In the nitecap, the Red Sox score four runs in the 6th inning to win, 4 – 2, overcoming the loss of starter Mike Torrez, who is tossed in the 1st inning for protesting a balk call. Carl Yastrzemski drives home a run, collecting his 1,500th career RBI, and Carlton Fisk hits his 15th homer of the year.
Rubio Malone of the Elizabethton Twins (Appalachian League) no-hits Johnson City, 8 – 1. Twenty-six days later, Malone will no-hit Bluefield, 6 – 0.
In Cleveland’s 8 – 3 win over visiting Toronto, the Jays C Brian Milner, 18, is 1 for 4 in his major league debut, He is the youngest player to start in the American League since Ed Kirkpatrick, 17, in 1962; Alex Rodriguez, in 1994, will be next youngest.
At Veterans Stadium, the Phils whip the Cubs twice by 6 – 1 scores to take over first place in the National League East, a spot they will hold for the rest of the season.
Mookie Wilson, of the Jackson Generals, and his wife Rosa are married at home plate in Jackson, Mississippi.
On June 21, 1978 On the first pitch in his first at-bat, Dave Machemer hits his only major league home run. The rookie second baseman, batting leadoff for the visiting Angels, starts the Angels eventual 5-2 victory over Minnesota with a long fly over the left field wall at Metropolitan Stadium. Machemer will never hit…
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