President Barack Obama awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to broadcaster Vin Scully, the voice of the Dodgers for the past 67 seasons. The recently retired play-by-play announcer joins other baseball notables, including Hank Aaron, Moe Berg, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Ted Williams, and Stan Musial, to have received the nation’s highest civilian honor. Read More November 22, 2016
Carlos Beltran hits his third grand slam within a calendar month, becoming the ninth player to accomplish the feat. The New York center fielder’s bases-filled homer is the Mets’ sixth, tying the 1996 Expos and 1999 Indians for most by a team in a calendar month. Read More July 31, 2006
1967 – Reliever Bill Short and right fielder Roberto Clemente preserve Pittsburgh’s come-from-behind, ulcer-inducing 5 – 4 victory over their cross-state rivals. Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press reports: “The Phils tried to get going after Pete Mikkelsen retired the first two batters in the 9th and what remained of the crowd of 4,979 stood in the aisles. Mikkelsen dared Richie Allen with a fastball and fanned him for the second out but Tony Gonzalez rammed a line drive into the right-center hole. Usually this is good for a double, maybe a triple if the ball gets through. But Clemente dived at the ball and came up throwing to second base as Gonzalez wisely stopped at first. Cookie Rojas followed with a single to left. Had Gonzalez’s ball gone through for a double, Rojas’ single would have scored him with the tying run. Bill Short came in to pitch to Johnny Callison and walked him on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases but then he got Jackie Brandt on a slow roller for the final out.” Pittsburgh pulls even in the game during Clemente’s two-out 7th-inning at-bat, but he is a mere spectator: a wild pitch from Larry Jackson and an errant throw from Bob Uecker account for the two equalizing runs. Read More April 27, 1967