The Boston Red Sox fine Ted Williams $5,000 for spitting at Boston fans, as the Red Sox edge the Yanks in 11 innings on Williams’s bases-loaded walk. It’s the serial spitter’s third incident in three weeks; in the words of Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey: “It’s got to stop, that’s all.” The costly saliva salvo comes after the crowd of 36,350, a record for a night game at Fenway Park, starts booing the Splendid but sensitive Splinter for muffing Mickey Mantle’s wind-blown fly with two out in the 11th. Immediately thereafter, the jeers turn to cheers when Williams redeems himself with a leaping grab of Yogi Berra’s drive against the scoreboard. The Splinter, however, is not so easily appeased. Thus, the fickle Fenway patrons find themselves the target of Teddy’s spittle repeatedly as he makes his way towards the Red Sox dugout. A less publicized, but potentially more disastrous, incident is narrowly averted when, before the game, Red Sox RF Jackie Jensen has to be restrained by teammates from going into the stands after a heckler. The previous year Jensen had challenged a fan to come out of the stands.

ByThis Day in Baseball

The Boston Red Sox fine Ted Williams $5,000 for spitting at Boston fans, as the Red Sox edge the Yanks in 11 innings on Williams’s bases-loaded walk. It’s the serial spitter’s third incident in three weeks; in the words of Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey: “It’s got to stop, that’s all.” The costly saliva salvo comes after the crowd of 36,350, a record for a night game at Fenway Park, starts booing the Splendid but sensitive Splinter for muffing Mickey Mantle’s wind-blown fly with two out in the 11th. Immediately thereafter, the jeers turn to cheers when Williams redeems himself with a leaping grab of Yogi Berra’s drive against the scoreboard. The Splinter, however, is not so easily appeased. Thus, the fickle Fenway patrons find themselves the target of Teddy’s spittle repeatedly as he makes his way towards the Red Sox dugout. A less publicized, but potentially more disastrous, incident is narrowly averted when, before the game, Red Sox RF Jackie Jensen has to be restrained by teammates from going into the stands after a heckler. The previous year Jensen had challenged a fan to come out of the stands.

By salvaging a split of today’s twin bill with the last-place Giants, 2nd-place Cincinnati gains half a game on idle Milwaukee. The marathon’s most memorable moment, however, comes in the 8th inning of New York’s 5 – 1 win, as Willie Mays travels far and wide to pull in Wally Post’s 430-foot blast to the Polo Grounds’ distant left center power alley over his shoulder. Willie’s circus catch comes after Stan Palys’ pinch-hit homer has put Cincy on the board, down by 4.

ByBaseball

By salvaging a split of today’s twin bill with the last-place Giants, 2nd-place Cincinnati gains half a game on idle Milwaukee. The marathon’s most memorable moment, however, comes in the 8th inning of New York’s 5 – 1 win, as Willie Mays travels far and wide to pull in Wally Post’s 430-foot blast to the Polo Grounds’ distant left center power alley over his shoulder. Willie’s circus catch comes after Stan Palys’ pinch-hit homer has put Cincy on the board, down by 4.

Roberto Clemente hits a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam
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Roberto Clemente hits a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam

ByThis Day in Baseball

Pittsburgh’s right fielder Roberto Clemente hits Cubs reliever Jim Brosnan’s first pitch off the cage surrounding the base of Forbes Field’s left field light tower, just to the right of the scoreboard, then circles the bases just in time to become the first big league player in the post-Deadball Era to hit a walk-off, inside-the-park grand slam, turning a three-run 9th-inning deficit into a dramatic win. It is Clemente’s first career grand slam. Jack Hernon of the Post Gazette writes: “Brosnan made one pitch, high and inside. Clemente drove it against the light standard in left field. Jim King had backed up to make the catch but it was over his head. The ball bounced off the slanted side of the fencing and rolled along the cinder path to center field. Here came Hank Foiles, Bill Virdon and then Dick Cole, heading home and making it easily. Then came Clemente into third. Bobby Bragan had his hands upstretched to hold up his outfielder. The relay was coming in from Solly Drake. But around third came Clemente and down the home path. He made it just in front of the relay from Ernie Banks. He slid, missed the plate, then reached back to rest his hand on the rubber with the ninth run in a 9 – 8 victory as the crowd of 12,431 went goofy with excitement.”

Honored just eight hours ago at a Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce luncheon as the Pirates’ leading hitter, Roberto Clemente continues to earn his laurels, leading the Bucs to a 6 – 2 win over Chicago with four RBI on three shots, all launched in the same direction: a long sacrifice fly to left center, an even longer triple off the wall, and one longer still into Schenley Park. The 1st-inning RBI triple ties the score at one all; Clemente scores the go-ahead tally on Dale Long’s sac fly, and the Bucs never look back.

Honored just eight hours ago at a Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce luncheon as the Pirates’ leading hitter, Roberto Clemente continues to earn his laurels, leading the Bucs to a 6 – 2 win over Chicago with four RBI on three shots, all launched in the same direction: a long sacrifice fly to left center, an even longer triple off the wall, and one longer still into Schenley Park. The 1st-inning RBI triple ties the score at one all; Clemente scores the go-ahead tally on Dale Long’s sac fly, and the Bucs never look back.

ByBaseball

Honored just eight hours ago at a Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce luncheon as the Pirates’ leading hitter, Roberto Clemente continues to earn his laurels, leading the Bucs to a 6 – 2 win over Chicago with four RBI on three shots, all launched in the same direction: a long sacrifice fly to left center, an even longer triple off the wall, and one longer still into Schenley Park. The 1st-inning RBI triple ties the score at one all; Clemente scores the go-ahead tally on Dale Long’s sac fly, and the Bucs never look back.