A day after the team and fans celebrate his birthday, ailing Fred Hutchinson again takes a leave of absence as manager of Reds. Dick Sisler again takes charge. Hutch will enter a hospital for further treatments.

ByBaseball

A day after the team and fans celebrate his birthday, ailing Fred Hutchinson again takes a leave of absence as manager of Reds. Dick Sisler again takes charge. Hutch will enter a hospital for further treatments.

Mickey Mantle at Yankee Stadium
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Mickey Mantle sets a major league record when hits a home run from both sides of the plate for the 10th time in his career.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1964 – Mickey Mantle sets a major league record when hits a home run from both sides of the plate for the 10th time in his career. Mantle hits a left-handed homer off Ray Herbert over the 461-foot marker in centerfield that lands 15 rows into the bleachers, 502 feet from the plate.

1964 – Roberto Clemente: “Step In Bucket Saves My Back.” Taking advantage of an off-day in the Pirates’ schedule, the Associated Press collars Clemente for a brief profile/interview of the National League’s leading hitter, with a particular focus on the peculiarities of his batting style. One genuine scoop emerges, Clemente’s own explanation for his distinctive and dramatic step away from the plate or, as they say, “into the bucket.” While his early tendency to bail out had been corrected in Puerto Rico in 1952 by Santurce’s player/manager Buster Clarkson [“He put a bat behind my left foot and made sure I didn’t drag my foot”], the subsequent seeming resurrection of this habit occurs in response to the damage to Clemente’s spine sustained in a December 1954 automobile accident and aggravated almost exactly two years later by a violent swing and miss during winter ball. “In 1956 I was doing good until I hurt my back,” Clemente recalls. “Since then I step to the side with my left foot faster so I don’t have to twist my body so much.”

ByBaseball

1964 – Roberto Clemente: “Step In Bucket Saves My Back.” Taking advantage of an off-day in the Pirates’ schedule, the Associated Press collars Clemente for a brief profile/interview of the National League’s leading hitter, with a particular focus on the peculiarities of his batting style. One genuine scoop emerges, Clemente’s own explanation for his distinctive and dramatic step away from the plate or, as they say, “into the bucket.” While his early tendency to bail out had been corrected in Puerto Rico in 1952 by Santurce’s player/manager Buster Clarkson [“He put a bat behind my left foot and made sure I didn’t drag my foot”], the subsequent seeming resurrection of this habit occurs in response to the damage to Clemente’s spine sustained in a December 1954 automobile accident and aggravated almost exactly two years later by a violent swing and miss during winter ball. “In 1956 I was doing good until I hurt my back,” Clemente recalls. “Since then I step to the side with my left foot faster so I don’t have to twist my body so much.”

After throwing a perfect game on Father’s Day against the Mets, Phillies right-hander Jim Bunning continues his mastery over New York, retiring a total of 44 New York batters in a row. Joe Christopher beats out a two-out bunt in the fifth inning to finally end the right-hander’s perfection over the Amazins’.

After throwing a perfect game on Father’s Day against the Mets, Phillies right-hander Jim Bunning continues his mastery over New York, retiring a total of 44 New York batters in a row. Joe Christopher beats out a two-out bunt in the fifth inning to finally end the right-hander’s perfection over the Amazins’.

ByBaseball

After throwing a perfect game on Father’s Day against the Mets, Phillies right-hander Jim Bunning continues his mastery over New York, retiring a total of 44 New York batters in a row. Joe Christopher beats out a two-out bunt in the fifth inning to finally end the right-hander’s perfection over the Amazins’.

The 10th-place Mets send 1B Frank Thomas to the National League-leading Phils (1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants) for P Gary Kroll, OF Wayne Graham, and cash. Thomas, seemingly the answer to the Phils’ first base problem, rides the Mets’ team bus to Philadelphia, then finds out he has been traded. He then drives in two runs as the Phils top the Mets, 9 – 4. The Phils will take the next two games with Thomas collecting five RBIs in the sweep.

ByBaseball

The 10th-place Mets send 1B Frank Thomas to the National League-leading Phils (1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants) for P Gary Kroll, OF Wayne Graham, and cash. Thomas, seemingly the answer to the Phils’ first base problem, rides the Mets’ team bus to Philadelphia, then finds out he has been traded. He then drives in two runs as the Phils top the Mets, 9 – 4. The Phils will take the next two games with Thomas collecting five RBIs in the sweep.