Hall of Fame manager Dick Williams, who brought three different teams to the World Series, dies of an apparent heart attack in Henderson, NV at age 82. After a 14-year playing career, he led the “Impossible Dream” 1967 Boston Red Sox to the seventh game of the 1967 World Series in his first season as a major league manager, then won titles with the Oakland Athletics in 1972 and 1973, before quitting in disgust over owner Charlie Finley’s antics. A decade later, he returned to the Fall Classic with the San Diego Padres in 1984, which made him the first person – along with his opponent that year, Sparky Anderson – to manage a team from both leagues in the Series.

At Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, a fan named Shannon Stone tumbles over an outfield wall trying to catch a ball tossed to him by Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton during the 2nd inning of a game between the Rangers and the Oakland Athletics. Stone, a 39-year-old Brownwood, TX firefighter who attends the game with his young son, falls twenty feet from his seat in left field, landing near the A’s bullpen and passes away en route to the hospital. Incidentally, the Rangers win, 6 – 0.

The Reds take an 8 – 0 lead over the Cardinals after 5 innings, but then manage to squander it by the end of the 9th. Chris Heisey, Jay Bruce, Fred Lewis and Scott Rolen homer to help the Reds take a big lead against Jake Westbrook, but the Cards score 5 in the 7th and tie the game on Jon Jay’s homer off closer Francisco Cordero in the 9th. It then takes until the 13th for the game to be decided in Cincinnati’s favor on pinch-hitter Ramon Hernandez’s double off Raul Valdes. The Reds win, 9 – 8, in 4 hours and 11 minutes.

Justin Verlander may be headed to the All-Star Game, but it is Dan Haren who pitches a two-hitter, outduelling the Tigers’ ace in a 1 – 0 Angels victory. Verlander and manager Jim Leyland are both ejected by umpire Joe West after Verlander exits the game in the 8th inning.

It took a while, but Jason Bay is finally giving the Mets the production they have been waiting for since they signed him to a large contract before the 2010 season. Today, he hits two homers and drives in 4 runs as New York shuts out the Dodgers, 6 – 0, giving him a .347 average and 17 RBI in his last 18 games. Mike Pelfrey is the winner over Ted Lilly, with the help of three relievers.

Shaun Marcum becomes the first Brewer pitcher to hit a grand slam for the franchise since 1969, when Fred Talbot accomplished the feat in the inaugural season of the Seattle Pilots, a year before the team moved to Milwaukee. The 29 year-old right-hander’s first career round-tripper isn’t enough to get a victory when he earns a no-decision in the team’s 8-6 loss to Arizona.

Vance Worley must wonder what he has to do to stay with the Phillies. Today, he pitches 7 scoreless innings in beating the Marlins, 1 – 0, improving his record to 4-1, 2.21, but still gets sent down to AAA Lehigh Valley after the game. The Phils explain that the demotion may be short-lived, as Worley is expected back in Philly after the All-Star break.

Travis Snider’s return to the big leagues is less heralded, but the Blue Jays outfielder has a lot more success. He bangs three doubles in his return from a stint in the minors as the Blue Jays jump all over the Red Sox’sJohn Lackey, scoring 7 runs in 2 1/3 innings on their way to a 9 – 7 win at Fenway Park.

Derek Jeter resumes his quest for 3,000 hits after missing three weeks with a strained calf muscle. However, the Indians’ Josh Tomlin keeps him hitless while defeating the Yankees, 6 – 3. Jeter is still six hits away from the magic number.