On July 31, 1972, At Metropolitan Stadium, Dick Allen of the Chicago White Sox becomes only the seventh player in major league history to hit two inside-the-park home runs in a game and the first since 1939. Allen’s two circuit clouts, which come against Bert Blyleven of the Minnesota Twins, in the first…
Royals OF Amos Otis scores the game’s only run, swiping home in the 4th inning with a surprised John Mayberry at bat. Otis reached 3B when Angels pitcher Nolan Ryan makes two of his three errors trying to pick his former teammate off base. This is only the second time in the post-war years that a steal of home accounts for a game’s only run.
Ralph Garr and Earl Williams collect 10 hits and 10 runs between them to lead the Braves to 14 – 4 and 5 – 4 victories over the Dodgers. They each have four RBIs in the two games.
1972 – Steve Carlton wins his 10th straight for the last-place Phils, beating the Cubs’ Milt Pappas, 2 – 0. Lefty allows four hits and strikes out 7, while setting the club record for consecutive wins.
The National League wins the All-Star Game, 4 – 3, at Atlanta behind hometown hero Hank Aaron’s two-run home run and Joe Morgan’s 10th-inning RBI single. It is the 7th time the classic has gone into extra innings.
Cubs general manager John Holland announces Whitey Lockman will manage the Cubs, replacing Leo Durocher, who ‘stepped down’ as the team’s skipper after posting a 535-526 (.504) record during his seven years at the helm. ‘Leo the Lip’ will be hired by the Astros to replace Harry Walker at the end of next month.
July 24, 1972 – Ted Simmons, who has been playing all season without a signed contract, signs a new contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. The team claim the signing, reportedly for two years at $35,000 per year, when the Federal Pay Board exempted athletes from wage controls. Whether the owners fear a possible…
On July 21, 1972, the Los Angeles Dodgers release longtime major league pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm, ending the career of the 48-year-old right-hander, two days before his 49th birthday. A 21-year veteran, Wilhelm retires with 1070 appearances the most of any major league pitcher to that point. 227 saves and 143 victories. He is also the…
1972 – A two-run inside-the-park homer by Cesar Cedeno highlights an 11-3 triumph over St. Louis . The young phenom raises his average to .351 with three hits. Jim Wynn drives in three while Jerry Reuss spins a four-hitter and adds two hits of his own.
On July 14, 1972, umpire Bill Haller works the game between the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers, who feature Bill’s brother, Tom, as their catcher. The occasion marks the first time in major league history that the home plate umpire and a participating player are brothers. The arbitrator plays no favorites when his younger…
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