Rookie Whitey Ford tosses a six-hitter to give the Yankees the rubber game in Detroit, 8 – 1, and move them back into first place. Joe DiMaggio hits his 30th homer and the Yanks score seven runs in the 9th as Ford drives to his seventh win without a loss. The Red Sox will follow the Yankees into Detroit and sweep three from the Tigers.
At Ebbets Field, Reds rookie Ted Tappe pinch hits in the 8th and homers in his first major league at bat. The round-tripper, off Erv Palica, helps cement a 6 – 3 win over Brooklyn. Tappe will hit four more homers, all as a member of the Chicago Cubs.
9/16/1949 – The New York Giants were at Wrigley Field to play the Cubs. In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Cubs batted out of turn and, when the Giants did not realize the mistake, the Cubs scored the winning run! The Cubs had runners on first and third with two outs when relief pitcher Bob Rush, in the eighth spot in the order, should have come to the plate. There was a “double switch” after Emil Verban pinch ran for Smoky Burgess in the ninth and remained in the game at second base and in the ninth place in the order. Verban came to the plate to hit ahead of Rush and walked to load the bases. The Giants failed to speak up. Mickey Owen then pinch hit and singled in the winning run. Once a pitch was made to Owen, the Giants lost the ability to speak up about Verban. Due to not complaining about Verban, the #9 hitter, the correct next batter was the #1 hitter, Bob Ramazzotti, so Owen was hitting in the lead off slot. The cellar-dwelling Cubs won, 5-4.
Larry Doby’s first inning grand slam proves to be the difference when the Indians hand the Senators their 16th consecutive defeat, 6-3. The four-run extends the rookie outfielder’s hitting streak to 21 games.
Joe DiMaggio’s 300th career homer is the lone run yielded by Detroit starter Fred Hutchinson in his 2-1 complete-game win over New York at Briggs Stadium. The ‘Yankee Clipper’ joins Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx, Rogers Hornsby, Chuck Klein, and Hank Greenberg as the eighth major leaguer to reach the milestone.
1944 – Jack Kramer’s one-hitter against the White Sox puts the Browns back into first place.
The Phillies, bowing to the Cubs in the nightcap of a twin bill, 4-1, become the first major league team to have five consecutive 100 loss seasons. From 1938 to the end of this season, the team will compile a 227-532 (.299) record under three different managers.
A rhubarb at Ebbets Field results in a suspension and fine for Leo Durocher for “inciting a riot.” Perhaps better known from the game is the photo showing an obese Brooklyn fan astride George Magerkurth, pummeling the veteran umpire.
Called up from the Eastern League in August, Phillies rookie Danny Litwhiler singles in both games of 7 – 1 and 3 – 2 losses to St. Louis, extending his hitting streak to 21 straight games. He will be stopped tomorrow by Whitey Moore at Cincinnati. He will hit .345 in 36 games.
Rookie Johnny Lucadello of the St. Louis Browns hits homers from each side of the plate versus the New York Yankees in a 16 – 4 Browns win. Only Wally Schang, in 1916, had accomplished the same in the American League. Mickey Mantle in 1955 will be the next AL player to do it. These are the only home runs Lucadello will hit all year.
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