ozzie smith barehanded play

ozzie smith barehanded play

ByThis Day in Baseball

Padres’ rookie Ozzie Smith, a future Hall of Famer due to his defensive prowess at short, makes what he will rate as his best play ever when he dives to his left to field a grounder hit by Jeff Burroughs of Atlanta. Although the ball takes a bad hop and scoots behind the ‘Wizard’s’ head, he promptly sticks out his bare right hand, snagging the ball before popping to his feet to get the out at first base.

Roberto Clemente’s clutch… base on balls? The notoriously wild swinger works out a walk when it matters – in the 9th inning, with the Bucs down by one, two outs, bases empty, no balls, two strikes, up against a pitcher, Ted Abernathy, who’s always had Clemente’s number. The Sporting News’s Les Biederman reports: “Abernathy had Clemente no balls and two strikes, but apparently the Pirate slugger worried the Cub reliever and he grew too careful. He threw three balls and then Clemente put on a dazzling display of bat control. Abernathy threw eight straight strikes and Clemente fouled off every pitch, seven to right field. Then he drew a walk and Willie Stargell, who always hits Abernathy, hit him again.” After fouling off a 3-2 pitch of his own, Stargell falls short by a foot or two of ending the game with one swing, but his line drive off the centerfield wall brings home Clemente with the tying run en route to an extra-inning Pirate win.

ByTom

Roberto Clemente’s clutch… base on balls? The notoriously wild swinger works out a walk when it matters – in the 9th inning, with the Bucs down by one, two outs, bases empty, no balls, two strikes, up against a pitcher, Ted Abernathy, who’s always had Clemente’s number. The Sporting News’s Les Biederman reports: “Abernathy had Clemente no balls and two strikes, but apparently the Pirate slugger worried the Cub reliever and he grew too careful. He threw three balls and then Clemente put on a dazzling display of bat control. Abernathy threw eight straight strikes and Clemente fouled off every pitch, seven to right field. Then he drew a walk and Willie Stargell, who always hits Abernathy, hit him again.” After fouling off a 3-2 pitch of his own, Stargell falls short by a foot or two of ending the game with one swing, but his line drive off the centerfield wall brings home Clemente with the tying run en route to an extra-inning Pirate win.

Apr 28, 1965 Mets announcer Lindsay Nelson calls the game from the Dome's ceiling.
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New York broadcaster Lindsay Nelson calls the Mets’ 12-9 loss to Houston from the gondola at the top of the Astrodome

ByTom

1965 – New York broadcaster Lindsay Nelson calls the Mets’ 12-9 loss to Houston from the gondola at the top of the Astrodome, located 208 feet above second base . The umpires tell Met skipper Casey Stengel that any ball which might hit Nelson would still be considered in play. That doesn’t occur but a lot does as the two teams trade the lead. Bob Aspromonte’s bases-loaded single delivers the game-winner.

1964 – Barry Larkin is born in Cincinnati, OH. The shortstop will play his entire 19-year career with his hometown Cincinnati Reds, lead the team to a World Championship in 1990, and win an MVP Award in 1995 before gaining election to the Hall of Fame in 2012.

ByTom

1964 – Barry Larkin is born in Cincinnati, OH. The shortstop will play his entire 19-year career with his hometown Cincinnati Reds, lead the team to a World Championship in 1990, and win an MVP Award in 1995 before gaining election to the Hall of Fame in 2012.

1963 – Hall of Fame umpire Tom Connolly dies in Natick, Massachusetts, at the age of 90. Connolly served as an umpire for 34 years, working in both the American and National Leagues. Connolly once went 10 consecutive seasons without ejecting a player from a game.

ByTom

1963 – Hall of Fame umpire Tom Connolly dies in Natick, Massachusetts, at the age of 90. Connolly served as an umpire for 34 years, working in both the American and National Leagues. Connolly once went 10 consecutive seasons without ejecting a player from a game.

1962 – Frank Thomas, Charlie Neal and Gil Hodges hit consecutive home runs in the 6th inning to lead the expansion New York Mets to an 8 – 6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The victory is a rare occurrence for the Mets – one of only 40 during their inaugural season.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1962 – Frank Thomas, Charlie Neal and Gil Hodges hit consecutive home runs in the 6th inning to lead the expansion New York Mets to an 8 – 6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The victory is a rare occurrence for the Mets – one of only 40 during their inaugural season.

Warren Spahn second oldest to fire no hitter

Warren Spahn second oldest to fire no hitter

ByThis Day in Baseball

On April 28, 1961, 40-year-old Warren Spahn becomes the second oldest man to pitch a no-hitter in major league history. The Milwaukee Braves’ ace masters the San Francisco Giants, 1-0, for his 290th career win and second career no-hitter. Spahn strikes out nine batters and walks only two. Fellow Hall of Famer Hank Aaron drives in the game’s lone run with a single in the first inning.

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4/28/1956: Mickey Mantle drilled a ball into the Fenway Park center field bleachers in the eighth inning. The blast off Dave Sisler landed three or four rows up in the stands. The ball bounced once while a number of fans tried to grab it and then bounced back onto the field. Mantle hustled and beat the throw to third. Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey and Frank Crosetti surrounded second base umpire Ed Rommel, trying to convince him that his ruling was incorrect. The argument took five minutes and Stengel was ejected by Rommel. Rommel ruled that the ball hit the top of the wall and not in the stands.

ByTom

4/28/1956: Mickey Mantle drilled a ball into the Fenway Park center field bleachers in the eighth inning. The blast off Dave Sisler landed three or four rows up in the stands. The ball bounced once while a number of fans tried to grab it and then bounced back onto the field. Mantle hustled and beat the throw to third. Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey and Frank Crosetti surrounded second base umpire Ed Rommel, trying to convince him that his ruling was incorrect. The argument took five minutes and Stengel was ejected by Rommel. Rommel ruled that the ball hit the top of the wall and not in the stands.