TODAY IN BASEBALL courtesy of National Pastime
1947 – Larry Doby of the Indians becomes the first black to appear in the American League, when he strikes out as a pinch hitter against Chicago hurler Earl Harrist. The 23 year-old former Newark Eagle standout will play in the Major Leagues for 13 years, amassing 1,515 hits, just three less than Jackie Robinson.
1987 – The A’s first baseman Mark McGwire becomes the first rookie to hit 30 homers before the All-Star Game as Oakland defeats the Red Sox, 6-2. The Oakland infielder will finish the season with 49 round-trippers, establishing a new freshman mark previously shared by Wally Berger and Frank Robinson with 39.
2002 – Baseball legend Ted Williams, considered by many the greatest hitter in the history of the game, dies of cardiac arrest at the age of 83. The first-ballot Hall of Famer, who was a lifetime .344 hitter, won the MVP award and Triple Crown twice, led the American League in batting for six seasons, and hit .406 in 1941 during his 19-year career with the Red Sox.
And finally…in 2005, Manny Ramirez hits his 20th career grand slam, passing Eddie Murray on the all-time list, for the second-most four-run homers in Major League history. The Red Sox left fielder trails only Yankee legend Lou Gehrig, who holds the Major League record with 23, a mark which will be eventually surpassed by Alex Rodriguez.
PLAYERS BORN TODAY
Bump Hadley (1904), Gary Matthews (1950), Goose Gossage (1951) and Tim Worrell (1967)
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