On an off day at Fenway Park, Ted Williams, using his shotgun, shoots approximately 35 pigeons, sitting on a chair in front of the bullpen of the empty ballpark. The ‘Kid’s’ target practice predictably upsets the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, but Red Sox owner and avid sportsman Tom Yawkey’s participation in the ‘hunt’ helps to quell the outrage usually directed at the superstar ballplayer.
In his first big league at-bat, Frank Ernaga hits a third-inning home run to deep left field off future Hall of Fame southpaw Warren Spahn in Chicago’s 5-1 victory over Milwaukee. The rookie right fielder follows his Wrigley Field round-tripper with a three-bagger in the following frame to become the first Cubs player to have hit a home run and a triple in his major league debut.
At Ebbets Field‚ the Yanks top the Dodgers‚ 10 – 7‚ in the Mayor’s Trophy game. Al Cicotte allows 2 hits in 6 innings‚ and smacks two himself. Mickey Mantle is 4 for 5.
The Red Sox set an American League record by smashing four home runs in the 6th inning in an 11 – 0 win over Cleveland. Gene Mauch, Ted Williams, Dick Gernert and Frank Malzone do the honors. All of these come on the first 16 pitches from Cal McLish. Williams had set the record with Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin and Jim Tabor in 1940.
Boston baseball writers reaffirm their decision to bar women from the press box and refuse to allow Doris O’Donnell, a Cleveland feature writer traveling with the Indians, to sit in the Fenway Park press area.
For his part in the Copacabana incident, Yankee OF Hank Bauer is arraigned. He is eventually cleared and threatens to sue the alleged victim, Edward Jones, who suffered a concussion and a broken jaw. In today’s game, Yogi Berra, Billy Martin and Whitey Ford are benched, while Bauer bats 8th. Mickey Mantle has a single, two walks, and a homer to back Bob Turley’s four-hit, 3 – 0 shutout over the A’s. Turley helps his cause by starting a triple play. The Yanks now trail the White Sox by a half game.
Dick Williams of the Baltimore Orioles hits a 9th-inning, game-tying solo home run off Paul LaPalme of the Chicago White Sox seconds before 10:20 p.m., the curfew set so Chicago can catch a train out of Baltimore. If Williams had done anything else, the White Sox would have won. The game is later replayed from the beginning and Baltimore wins.
The Yankees top Kansas City, 3 – 0, behind Bob Turley’s four-hit shutout. Mickey Mantle has a homer off Alex Kellner, the 11th time in his last 12 at-bats he’s reached base safely. That night a group of Yankees celebrate Billy Martin’s 29th birthday in raucous fashion. An ensuing fight at Manhattan’s Copacabana Club leads to $5,500 in fines and the eventual trade of Billy to Kansas City. Hank Bauer allegedly starts the fight by hitting a patron, although Bauer denies it. The Yanks fine Whitey Ford, Bauer, Yogi Berra, Mantle and Martin $1,000 each and Johnny Kucks $500.
Roberto Clemente’s 4th-inning blast aborts Juan Pizarro’s embryonic no-hitter and puts Pittsburgh ahead of Milwaukee, 1 – 0. “Clemente collected the first hit and it went for everything off Pizarro in the 4th,” reports Jack Hernon of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Clemente gave Bob Friend a lead when he sent his third home run of the season sailing into the few bleacherites in right field.” Although the Bucs never relinquish this lead, Dick Groat’s infield single, a walk to Hank Foiles and Gene Baker’s RBI single in the 7th will be much appreciated when, leading off the bottom of the 9th, Eddie Mathews manages to get one just beyond the grasp of centerfielder Bill Virdon and over the right centerfield fence. Immediately thereafter, Friend’s gratitude is tempered somewhat when Baker boots Joe Adcock’s grounder, putting the tying run aboard with no one out. Having barely grasped the goat horns, Baker is bailed out by Milwaukee’s Chuck Tanner, who misses a bunt sign and bounces into a 4-6-3 double play.
With today’s deadline to cut rosters to 25 players, a number of veterans are handed their walking papers. Among them are: pitchers Ellis Kinder and Jim McDonald, OF Bob Kennedy (White Sox), 1B Preston Ward (Indians), and 1B Eddie Robinson (Tigers).
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