On July 23, 1962, Jackie Robinson, Bob Feller, Bill McKechnie, and Edd Roush are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Robinson, the first black player to participate in major league ball during the 20th century, also becomes the first African-American elected to the shrine. Jackie Robinson burst onto the scene in 1947, breaking baseball’s color…
At Cincinnati, Reds pitcher Jim O’Toole loses his no-hit bid when Bob Skinner doubles in the 8th inning. O’Toole finishes with a 3 – 0 one-hitter against the Pirates.
1961 – Using 21 pitchers, the Tigers (11) and A’s (10) set an American League record for most hurlers used in an 18-inning doubleheader. At 3 hours, 54 minutes, the second game is the longest 9-inning contest in AL history. The entire doubleheader lasts six hours, 50 minutes, a major league record. The Tigers sweep, 6 – 4 and 17 – 14, taking first place by one percentage point.
Kansas City OF Whitey Herzog hits into the only all-Cuban triple play in major league history. The action goes from Washington P Pedro Ramos, to 1B Julio Becquer, to SS Jose Valdivielso. The win, however, goes to reliever Chuck Stobbs as the Nats take an 8 – 3 decision. Harmon Killebrew has a two-run homer.
In an effort to distract Ted Williams during his at-bats in the 6th and 8th innings, Indians CF Jimmy Piersall goes into a war dance. Piersall gets tossed for his efforts and manager Joe Gordon is also ejected for arguing Jimmy’s case. It is Piersall’s 6th ejection of the season. Gordon had previously announced that any more ejections would cost Piersall $500 each, but he thinks today’s thumbing is unwarranted and waives the fine. American League president Joe Cronin is less forgiving and fines Piersall $100. The Indians win, 4 – 2, behind Jim Perry’s pitching and the first major league home run of Mike de la Hoz.
1959 – With Ty Cobb in the stands, the Tigers make 15 hits to beat the Senators, 11 – 2. Harvey Kuenn, the American League’s leading hitter, is 4 for 4 and scores four runs. Jim Bunning allows four hits to win.
Dodger Norm Larker hits a ball just inside the first base line, which the Pirates believe to be foul. When umpire Vic Delmore signals it fair, P Bob Porterfield picks up the ball from where it has rolled into the bullpen. Though not playing, Porterfield is ejected for intentional interference with a ball in play. Larker is safe on second base. The Dodgers still lose, 11 – 3, in the doubleheader opener and are now in last place.
Baseball’s pre-eminent hitter (and spitter), Boston’s Ted Williams, is at it again although today, as noted by Bob Holbrook of the Boston Globe, Teddy Baseball branches out, irrigating an unsuspecting gathering of Kansas City supporters. After hitting a 4th-inning grounder to first, writes Holbrook, “Williams jogged part way to first, saw the play was routine and then made an abrupt turn and started back to the dugout. For his lack of fire on this play the Kansas City fans set up a crescendo of boos. Ted bristled and made his dying swan leap, spitting at the fans as he pirouetted through the air. That’s all the fans needed. They set up a thunderous round of boos, the spontaneity of which amazed the observers in this sector.”
1957 – Mickey Mantle hits for the cycle, and adds a stolen base, against Chicago’s Bob Keegan. The Yankees win, 10 – 6.
On July 23, 1956, Joe Cronin and Hank Greenberg are inducted into the Hall of Fame during the annual ceremony in Cooperstown, New York. Joe Cronin was the American League’s All-Star shortstop seven times and its MVP in 1930 when he hit .346 with 126 RBIs. The jovial, square-jawed Irishman possessed the determination and toughness…
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