Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Charlie Bicknell gives up four home runs to Erv Dusak, Red Schoendienst, Enos Slaughter and Nippy Jones in the sixth inning of a 11 – 1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Baseball cancels today’s scheduled eight-game slate due to the Allied invasion of Normandy known as D-Day. The military operation has 60,000 Allied troops, including six minor leaguers who will be killed in action, landing along a heavily protected 50-mile stretch of the coastline in France to fight Germany to begin an offensive assault against Hitler and the Nazi party.
1941 – The New York Giants become the first team to wear protective headgear as they used plastic helmets in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh wins the doubleheader, 5 – 4 and 4 – 3. In the nightcap, the Pirates’ Rip Sewell sets a National League record by totaling 11 assists for a pitcher.
Warren Spahn, who will become the winningest left-hander in baseball history with 363 victories, signs a contract with the Boston Bees (Braves). Due to a clash with manager Casey Stengel and his enlistment in the U.S. Army, the 19 year-old southpaw will have to wait six years before he gets his first major league win.
The New York Giants hit five home runs in the 4th inning to defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 17 – 3, at the Polo Grounds. With two out, Harry Danning, Al Demaree, Burgess Whitehead, Manny Salvo and Jo-Jo Moore connect as the Giants score eight runs in the inning.
Bert and George Bebble and Carl Stotz form the Little League organization in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The three youth teams in the league have uniforms thanks to a $35 donation.
Carl Stolz’s dream of providing a wholesome baseball experience for local boys as a means of teaching the concepts of sportsmanship, fair play, and teamwork becomes a reality when the first Little League game is played, with Lundy Lumber defeating Lycoming Dairy in Williamsport, PA, 23-8. Allen “Sonny” Yearick, a participant in the inaugural game, will be the first graduate of the fledgling youth league to play professional ball, becoming a farmhand in the Boston Braves organization in 1948.
On June 6, 1937, Woody English of the Brooklyn Dodgers takes advantage one of baseball’s most difficult promotional opportunities. English wins a free suit of clothes when he hits the famous “Abe Stark” clothing advertisement sign, with a line drive off Johnny Vander Meer, the sign was located just below the scoreboard at Ebbets…
6/6/1937: Al Simmons of the Senators hit a grand slam in the top of the first inning in the second game at Cleveland. The contest was washed out after three innings.
6/6/1937(2): Joe Medwick of the Cardinals lost a homer in the second game of a doubleheader against the Phillies in Philadelphia. He had hit what would have been his tenth homer of the season in the first inning and St. Louis was leading 8-2 in the top of the fourth. An 88 minute rain delay in the first game delayed the start of game two and the 7 o’clock closing law was approaching. The Phils started stalling by making unnecessary pitching changes, mound conferences and asking for different balls. Eventually umpire Bill Klem forfeited the game to the Redbirds and all stats were wiped out because the game failed to go five innings. Manager Jimmie Wilson was later fined $100 by Ford Fick for his stalling tactics. Medwick was still able to win the triple-crown in that year even though he tied with Mel Ott with 31 home runs.
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