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4/21/1967: Tony Oliva of Minnesota lost a home run due to a base running blunder. Playing in Detroit in the third inning, Cesar Tovar was the runner at first base. Oliva hit the ball out of the park off Denny McLain, but then passed Tovar between first and second. He was credited with a single and one RBI for scoring Tovar.

ByTom

4/21/1967: Tony Oliva of Minnesota lost a home run due to a base running blunder. Playing in Detroit in the third inning, Cesar Tovar was the runner at first base. Oliva hit the ball out of the park off Denny McLain, but then passed Tovar between first and second. He was credited with a single and one RBI for scoring Tovar.

Hank Aaron is denied a homer when Chris Pelekoudas calls him out for stepping out of the batter’s box.
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Hank Aaron is denied a homer when Chris Pelekoudas calls him out for stepping out of the batter’s box.

ByThis Day in Baseball

After hitting a ball on top of the pavilion at Sportsman’s Park, Braves outfielder Hank Aaron is denied a homer when Chris Pelekoudas calls him out. The home plate umpire’s decision is influenced by Cardinal catcher Tim McCarver, who is jumping up and down, insisting the eventual home champion had stepped out of the batter’s box.

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8/10/1965: In the second game at Fenway Park, Brooks Robinson’s ball to left field was ruled in play by Lou DiMuro, the second base umpire. The ball hit an iron girder supporting the net above the wall, but DiMuro thought it had hit to wall. It came in the third inning with two out and one on and Robinson legged out a triple on the play. He received credit for a homer in the seventh inning of the same game.

ByTom

8/10/1965: In the second game at Fenway Park, Brooks Robinson’s ball to left field was ruled in play by Lou DiMuro, the second base umpire. The ball hit an iron girder supporting the net above the wall, but DiMuro thought it had hit to wall. It came in the third inning with two out and one on and Robinson legged out a triple on the play. He received credit for a homer in the seventh inning of the same game.

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4/30/1965: Met Ron Swoboda lost a grand slam at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. In the first inning, after a single, double and intentional walk, Swoboda hit a long drive to center field off John Tsitouris. At that time, there was a double fence; the main wall was concrete and it was topped with a plywood extension to protect the road construction crew outside. The concrete was in play while the plywood was a homer; Swoboda’s ball hit the plywood and bounced back. Vada Pinson threw the ball back to the infield; second base umpire Frank Secory ruled that the ball was in play. The slam turned into a 1 RBI single. Coach Yogi Berra was ejected for arguing the call for the first time in his National League career. After the game he uttered one of his classic lines: “Anyone who can’t hear the difference between wood and concrete must be blind.”

ByTom

4/30/1965: Met Ron Swoboda lost a grand slam at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. In the first inning, after a single, double and intentional walk, Swoboda hit a long drive to center field off John Tsitouris. At that time, there was a double fence; the main wall was concrete and it was topped with a plywood extension to protect the road construction crew outside. The concrete was in play while the plywood was a homer; Swoboda’s ball hit the plywood and bounced back. Vada Pinson threw the ball back to the infield; second base umpire Frank Secory ruled that the ball was in play. The slam turned into a 1 RBI single. Coach Yogi Berra was ejected for arguing the call for the first time in his National League career. After the game he uttered one of his classic lines: “Anyone who can’t hear the difference between wood and concrete must be blind.”

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7/15/1962 (Game 2): Frank Bolling of the Braves lost an apparent homer in the sixth inning of a game at Milwaukee’s County Stadium. After Wally Post failed to catch the fly at the wall, fan interference was ruled and Bolling declared out on the play. The Braves lost to Cincinnati, 3-2.

ByThis Day in Baseball

7/15/1962 (Game 2): Frank Bolling of the Braves lost an apparent homer in the sixth inning of a game at Milwaukee’s County Stadium. After Wally Post failed to catch the fly at the wall, fan interference was ruled and Bolling declared out on the play. The Braves lost to Cincinnati, 3-2.

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8/28/1960: Ted Kluszewski of the White Sox pinch hit in the eighth inning of a game at Baltimore. The Orioles’ Milt Pappas, leading 3-0, delivered a pitch as third base umpire Ed Hurley called time. Klu hammered a three-run homer to right, but it was called back by Hurley. Baltimore won 3-1.

ByTom

8/28/1960: Ted Kluszewski of the White Sox pinch hit in the eighth inning of a game at Baltimore. The Orioles’ Milt Pappas, leading 3-0, delivered a pitch as third base umpire Ed Hurley called time. Klu hammered a three-run homer to right, but it was called back by Hurley. Baltimore won 3-1.

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6/24/1960: The Cubs were at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh to play the Pirates. They lost their eighth consecutive game by a score of 4-1 as the Pirates gathered ten hits, all singles, to score their runs. Meanwhile, the Cubs were hitting the ball all over the yard without much to show for it. Frank Thomas hit two long flies that were caught in the spacious ballpark and Dick Gernert hit another. In the top of the third, Jerry Kindall hit a fly ball off the clock in left center field that, by rule, was a homer. However, neither third base umpire Ed Sudol and second base umpire Vinnie Smith saw the ball strike the clock. Kindall was held to a double on the play and never scored.

ByTom

6/24/1960: The Cubs were at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh to play the Pirates. They lost their eighth consecutive game by a score of 4-1 as the Pirates gathered ten hits, all singles, to score their runs. Meanwhile, the Cubs were hitting the ball all over the yard without much to show for it. Frank Thomas hit two long flies that were caught in the spacious ballpark and Dick Gernert hit another. In the top of the third, Jerry Kindall hit a fly ball off the clock in left center field that, by rule, was a homer. However, neither third base umpire Ed Sudol and second base umpire Vinnie Smith saw the ball strike the clock. Kindall was held to a double on the play and never scored.

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7/1/1959: Harmon Killebrew was robbed of a home run in the bottom of the seventh inning according to fellow 500-homer slugger Ted Williams. The Killer blasted a Jerry Casale pitch towards left field where Williams was patrolling. According to umpire Bob Stewart, the ball struck the visiting bullpen fence and was not out of the park. The ball rolled almost all the way back to third base. Williams stood watching the ball roll with his hands on his hips. According to Williams the ball struck the screen on the left field pole a couple of feet above the fence. “I saw no point in chasing a home run.” Killebrew ended up with a double on the play.

ByTom

7/1/1959: Harmon Killebrew was robbed of a home run in the bottom of the seventh inning according to fellow 500-homer slugger Ted Williams. The Killer blasted a Jerry Casale pitch towards left field where Williams was patrolling. According to umpire Bob Stewart, the ball struck the visiting bullpen fence and was not out of the park. The ball rolled almost all the way back to third base. Williams stood watching the ball roll with his hands on his hips. According to Williams the ball struck the screen on the left field pole a couple of feet above the fence. “I saw no point in chasing a home run.” Killebrew ended up with a double on the play.

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4/28/1956: Mickey Mantle drilled a ball into the Fenway Park center field bleachers in the eighth inning. The blast off Dave Sisler landed three or four rows up in the stands. The ball bounced once while a number of fans tried to grab it and then bounced back onto the field. Mantle hustled and beat the throw to third. Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey and Frank Crosetti surrounded second base umpire Ed Rommel, trying to convince him that his ruling was incorrect. The argument took five minutes and Stengel was ejected by Rommel. Rommel ruled that the ball hit the top of the wall and not in the stands.

ByTom

4/28/1956: Mickey Mantle drilled a ball into the Fenway Park center field bleachers in the eighth inning. The blast off Dave Sisler landed three or four rows up in the stands. The ball bounced once while a number of fans tried to grab it and then bounced back onto the field. Mantle hustled and beat the throw to third. Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey and Frank Crosetti surrounded second base umpire Ed Rommel, trying to convince him that his ruling was incorrect. The argument took five minutes and Stengel was ejected by Rommel. Rommel ruled that the ball hit the top of the wall and not in the stands.

Babe Pinelli forfeits the second game of the twin bill to the visiting Phillies
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Babe Pinelli forfeits the second game of the twin bill to the visiting Phillies

ByThis Day in Baseball

In the fifth inning at Sportsman’s Park, Babe Pinelli forfeits the second game of the twin bill to the visiting Phillies. The umpire makes the rare call when the Cardinals, trailing 8-1 in the not-yet-official contest and darkness approaching, delay the game by bringing in three new pitchers during the inning.