On July 8, 1951, in the second game of a doubleheader at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, future Hall of Fame second baseman Red Schoendienst hits home runs from both the left and right side of the plate.
The feud between Joe DiMaggio and Casey Stengel reaches a head in the 2nd inning against the Red Sox. Because of a misplay in the 1st, Stengel sends reserve Jackie Jensen out to CF to relieve the Yankee Clipper after he has already taken his position. The Red Sox clip the Yankees, 6 – 3, as the red-hot Clyde Vollmer belts a two-run homer.
Hoot Evers strokes four singles and a double in the Tigers’ 13-3 rout of the Indians. The Detroit outfielder’s 5-for-5 day is a productive one when he scores five times in the Briggs Stadium contest.
At Fenway Park, the Yankees lose to the Red Sox, 10 – 4, with the Sox being led by Clyde Vollmer’s grand slam in the 1st inning. Vollmer had a two-run triple in yesterday’s 6 – 2 win over the Yankees.
At the Polo Grounds, the Braves smack two homers (Willard Marshall and Walker Cooper) in the top of the third, only to have the Giants answer with three home runs – by Wes Westrum, Bobby Thomson, and Don Mueller – in the bottom of the inning. The Giants outslug the Braves for the game, 12 – 10.
At Ebbets Field, Gil Hodges hits his 27th homer of the year to lead the Dodgers to a 8 – 4 win over the Giants. Andy Pafko also homers, off Larry Jansen. Don Newcombe notches his 12th win, giving up seven hits. After sweeping the Giants in the 3-game series, Dodger manager Chuck Dressen declares, “We knocked ’em out. They won’t bother us anymore.” The Dodgers now lead the Giants by 7 1/2 games but will be surpassed by season’s end.
Rich “Goose” Gossage is born in Colorado Springs, CO. Making his debut with the Chicago White Sox in 1972, the flame-throwing reliever will save 310 games over his career, make the All-Star team nine times and win a World Series title with the New York Yankees in 1978. He will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 2008.
In a wild doubleheader featuring a double ejection of manager Charlie Dressen, the first-place Dodgers sweep the Giants, winning 6 – 5 in 11 innings, and 4 – 2. The Dodgers drive out Sal Maglie in the opener after the Giants build a lead on homers by Don Mueller and Willie Mays. Brooklyn counters in the 8th with a pinch homer by Roy Campanella, a homer by Pee Wee Reese, and a tying single from Gil Hodges. Bobby Thomson’s homer in the 11th puts the Giants ahead by one, but Preacher Roe wins it with a squeeze bunt. Ralph Branca wins the nitecap with homer help from Hodges and Duke Snider. Dressen is tossed in the 2nd inning of the second game for protesting pitch calls; after he takes a seat behind the dugout umpire Scotty Robb tosses him a second time. The victories put Brooklyn 6 1/2 games up.
On July 3, 1951, former major league pitcher Hugh Casey commits suicide by shooting himself in the neck. The 37-year-old Casey won 75 games and saved 55 games over a nine-year career, mostly with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
On July 3, 1951 Giants rookie Willie Mays blasts a 13th-inning solo homer off the Phillies’ Jocko Thompson to give New York a win. It is Willie’s second extra-inning homer in two weeks: he will hit another on July 7th, against the Braves’ George Estock. @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IGp1c3QgY2xpY2sgdGhlIHRhZ3MhICAiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsImxpbmtfdG9fdGVybV9wYWdlIjoib24iLCJzZXBhcmF0b3IiOiIgfCAiLCJjYXRlZ29yeV90eXBlIjoicG9zdF90YWcifX0=@
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