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4/21/1970: The Dodgers were in Montreal to play the Expos at Jarry Park in an afternoon contest. Willie Crawford smacked a three-run homer for Los Angeles in the first inning. Adolfo Phillips hit a homer in the bottom of the first and another in the third. Andy Kosko added a homer for LA in the third. These four round-trippers were lost when the game was called after a 70-minute rain delay in the bottom of the third with the Dodgers ahead, 7-3.

ByTom

4/21/1970: The Dodgers were in Montreal to play the Expos at Jarry Park in an afternoon contest. Willie Crawford smacked a three-run homer for Los Angeles in the first inning. Adolfo Phillips hit a homer in the bottom of the first and another in the third. Andy Kosko added a homer for LA in the third. These four round-trippers were lost when the game was called after a 70-minute rain delay in the bottom of the third with the Dodgers ahead, 7-3.

1968 – Roberto Clemente comes within a hair’s breadth of hitting inside-the-park home runs in consecutive innings. Ironically, his 4th-inning home run is basically a single plus the kind of bounce that typically plagues “in-” rather than “out-” fielders in Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. The Sporting News’ Les Biederman elaborates: “He hit a ‘single’ to right-center off Lindy McDaniel but as Ty Cline set himself, the ball took a big bounce over his head and rolled to the wall. Clemente circled the bases standing up.” This fluke four-bagger provides a stark contrast to the previous inning’s bomb: “His 3rd-inning triple landed on top of the batting cage at the 457-foot sign on the center field wall, a tremendous blast… Clemente said he didn’t turn on the gas because he was the leadoff batter and figured if he could get as far as third base, it would be fine. ‘With nobody out, I didn’t want to take a chance,’ he added. ‘When I turned second base and saw Alex Grammas give me the green light, I kept going. It had to be a perfect relay to get me.'”

ByTom

1968 – Roberto Clemente comes within a hair’s breadth of hitting inside-the-park home runs in consecutive innings. Ironically, his 4th-inning home run is basically a single plus the kind of bounce that typically plagues “in-” rather than “out-” fielders in Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. The Sporting News’ Les Biederman elaborates: “He hit a ‘single’ to right-center off Lindy McDaniel but as Ty Cline set himself, the ball took a big bounce over his head and rolled to the wall. Clemente circled the bases standing up.” This fluke four-bagger provides a stark contrast to the previous inning’s bomb: “His 3rd-inning triple landed on top of the batting cage at the 457-foot sign on the center field wall, a tremendous blast… Clemente said he didn’t turn on the gas because he was the leadoff batter and figured if he could get as far as third base, it would be fine. ‘With nobody out, I didn’t want to take a chance,’ he added. ‘When I turned second base and saw Alex Grammas give me the green light, I kept going. It had to be a perfect relay to get me.'”

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4/21/1967: Tony Oliva of Minnesota lost a home run due to a base running blunder. Playing in Detroit in the third inning, Cesar Tovar was the runner at first base. Oliva hit the ball out of the park off Denny McLain, but then passed Tovar between first and second. He was credited with a single and one RBI for scoring Tovar.

ByTom

4/21/1967: Tony Oliva of Minnesota lost a home run due to a base running blunder. Playing in Detroit in the third inning, Cesar Tovar was the runner at first base. Oliva hit the ball out of the park off Denny McLain, but then passed Tovar between first and second. He was credited with a single and one RBI for scoring Tovar.

1967 – After 737 consecutive games, the Dodgers are rained out for the first time since moving to Los Angeles. The St. Louis Cardinals were scheduled.

ByTom

1967 – After 737 consecutive games, the Dodgers are rained out for the first time since moving to Los Angeles. The St. Louis Cardinals were scheduled.

Chicago Cubs make one of the best trades in franchise history, acquiring future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins

Chicago Cubs make one of the best trades in franchise history, acquiring future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins

ByThis Day in Baseball

On April 21, 1966, the Chicago Cubs make one of the best trades in franchise history, acquiring future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins from the Philadelphia Phillies in a five-player deal. The Cubs surrender pitchers Bob Buhl and Larry Jackson for Jenkins, outfielder Adolpho Phillips, and first baseman John Herrnstein. Jenkins, who had made his major league debut in 1965, will win 20 games for the Cubs in 1967.

The Twins play their first home game, losing to the ‘new’ expansion Washington Senators at Metropolitan Stadium
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The Twins play their first home game, losing to the ‘new’ expansion Washington Senators at Metropolitan Stadium

ByThis Day in Baseball

The Twins, formerly known as the Washington Senators before moving to Minnesota, play their first home game, losing to the ‘new’ expansion Washington Senators, 5-3 in front of a crowd of 24,606 at Metropolitan Stadium. The club’s move to the North Star State will attract 1,256,723 fans, third best in the American League, and far better than their last season in the nation’s capital, where the team drew only 743,404 fans, the worst gate in the league.

Don Demeter of the Dodgers hits three home runs, including the game winner in the 11th inning, in a 9 – 7 victory against the Giants at the Los Angeles Coliseum. One of his homers is an inside-the-park home run, as he drives in six runs.
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Don Demeter of the Dodgers hits three home runs, including the game winner in the 11th inning, in a 9 – 7 victory against the Giants at the Los Angeles Coliseum. One of his homers is an inside-the-park home run, as he drives in six runs.

ByTom

Don Demeter of the Dodgers hits three home runs, including the game winner in the 11th inning, in a 9 – 7 victory against the Giants at the Los Angeles Coliseum. One of his homers is an inside-the-park home run, as he drives in six runs.

At Wrigley Field, Stan Musial breaks up Glen Hobbie’s no-hitter with a two-out seventh-inning double.

At Wrigley Field, Stan Musial breaks up Glen Hobbie’s no-hitter with a two-out seventh-inning double.

ByThis Day in Baseball

At Wrigley Field, Stan Musial breaks up Glen Hobbie’s no-hitter with a two-out seventh-inning double. The 23 year-old right-hander settles for a one-hitter, going the distance in the Cubs’ 1-0 victory over the Cardinals.