On April 11, 1959, Don Drysdale of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits his second Opening Day home run, becoming the only pitcher to hit more than one career homer in opening games. Drysdale’s historic blast doesn’t prevent the Dodgers from losing their game, 6-1, to the Chicago Cubs…
1959 – On Opening Day at Briggs Stadium, Chicago White Sox second baseman Nellie Fox goes 5 for 7 and hits an unlikely 14th-inning two-run home run off Don Mossi to beat the Detroit Tigers, 9 – 7. Fox did not homer in 623 at-bats last season.
Dr. Creighton Hale recommends Little League pitching mounds be moved back from home plate by 24 inches. The organization’s vice president believes a ball thrown by a youngster at 70 mph from 46 feet would give the batter about the same the amount of time to swing at a pitch, proportionately, as the major leaguers have.
On April 9, 1959, the Baltimore Orioles become the first team in major league history to turn a triple play on Opening Day. The O’s turn the triple killing in front of Vice-President Richard Nixon, who throws out the ceremonial first pitch as a substitute for President Dwight Eisenhower.
1959 – The Milwaukee Braves send pitcher Gene Conley and infielders Joe Koppe and Harry Hanebrink to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Stan Lopata, shortstop Ted Kazanski and infielder Johnny O’Brien. Conley will go 12-7 before going on the disabled list from August to the close of the season.
1959 – The St. Louis Cardinals trade P Sad Sam Jones and minor leaguer Don Choate to the San Francisco Giants for 1B/OF Bill White and 3B Ray Jablonski.
A photo of Pete Whisenant taken before an exhibition game played against the Dodgers in Havana, Cuba, shows the Reds outfielder toting a machine gun. The weapon shown in the posed picture belongs to a rebel from Fidel Castro’s revolutionary army.
1959 – In Havana, Cuba, the Cincinnati Redlegs and Los Angeles Dodgers play an exhibition game. For a pre-game photo, Reds outfielder Pete Whisenant swaps his glove for a Fidel Castro rebel’s machine gun.
On March 23, 1959, the San Francisco Giants clear space for future Hall of Famers Orlando Cepeda and Willie McCovey by trading first baseman Bill White to the St. Louis Cardinals. Cepeda won the National League’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1958 after batting .312 with 25 home runs and 96 RBIs. McCovey, a…
1959 – The Players Association drops its threat of a strike against the International League.
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