1949 – Longtime Cardinal owner Sam Breadon dies. Robert Hannegan, the man to whom he sold the club, will die October 6.
1949 – Longtime Cardinal owner Sam Breadon dies. Robert Hannegan, the man to whom he sold the club, will die October 6.
1949 – Longtime Cardinal owner Sam Breadon dies. Robert Hannegan, the man to whom he sold the club, will die October 6.
At Detroit, the Tigers set back the first-place Yankees, 4 – 1, behind the five-hit pitching of Ted Gray. Vic Raschi also allows just five hits, including a homer by Dick Wakefield, in taking the loss.
The first-place Giants win their 7th in a row as Sheldon “Available” Jones stops the Cubs, 7 – 2. Aided by ten walks and homers by Sid Gordon and Willard Marshall, the Giants pin the loss on starter Ralph Hamner, who allows one hit in three innings.
In Philadelphia, the Reds score five in the 9th to take a 7 – 3 lead, but the Phils tie to go into extra innings. Cincinnati then scores seven runs in the 12th to win, 14 – 7.
On May 5, 1949, former Detroit Tigers second baseman Charlie Gehringer is elected to the Hall of Fame. “The Mechanical Man” batted over .300 in 13 seasons, including 1937, when he won the American League batting title and MVP Award. Gehringer played for the Detroit Tigers between 1926 and 1941, is selected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America with…
In his first major league start, Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers shuts out the Cincinnati Reds, 3 – 0.
Philadelphia outfielder Elmer Valo, the second major league player to be born in Czechoslovakia, becomes the first American Leaguer to hit a pair of bases-loaded triples in the same game, an A’s 15-9 victory over Washington at Shibe Park. The 28 year-old hustling line-drive hitter will deliver a third bases-loaded triple later in the season, equalling the AL mark Shano Collins established in 1918.
At Wrigley Field, Rocky Nelson of the St. Louis Cardinals hits an “inside-the-glove” two-run home run to turn a 9th-inning, 3 – 2 Chicago Cubs lead into a 4 – 3 Cardinals victory. Cubs center fielder Andy Pafko catches a blooper that is strewn with paper cups, and umpire Al Barlick calls Nelson safe on a supposedly “trapped” catch. Pafko starts arguing with Barlick, and forgets to call time. Nelson circles the bases, for perhaps the only “inside the glove” home run in history.
1949 – A New York Giants fan charges Leo Durocher with assault after the Giants lose, 15 – 2, to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Commissioner Happy Chandler suspends Durocher, who is absolved on May 3rd. Chandler criticizes teams for lax security that allows fans on the field.
1949 – Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Willie Jones hits four consecutive doubles, tying a National League mark with Dick Bartell (1933) and Ernie Lombardi (1935).
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