Baseball – 1947

Baseball in 1947

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January

January 18The Pirates buy first baseman Hank Greenberg from the Tigers for a reported $25‚000 to $35‚000 (The Baseball Encyclopedia lists $75‚000). The veteran Greenberg led the AL in homers with 44 in 1946 and the Pirates will pair him with young slugger Ralph Kiner‚ the NL home run leader.
January 20Famed Negro League star Josh Gibson‚ arguably one of the greatest sluggers and catchers ever‚ dies of a brain tumor at age 35.
January 21Bob Feller signs for “more than $80‚000‚” according to Cleveland owner Bill Veeck.

Dodger manager Leo Durocher marries actress Lorraine Day‚ after she obtains a Mexican divorce.

A rule change that allows voting only for players after 1921 produces 4 new Hall of Famers: Carl Hubbell‚ Frank Frisch‚ Mickey Cochrane‚ and Lefty Grove. Pie Traynor misses selection by 2 votes.
January 25Five Evangeline League (Class D) players are made ineligible for allegedly betting on 1946 playoff games. The group includes P Bill Thomas (35-7 for Houma‚ LA‚ in 47 appearances)‚ who is still the all-time win leader in the minors (with 383)‚ 2 Houma teammates‚ and the Houma manager. Thomas protested‚ pointing out that he was 5-0 in the playoffs. He and Len Pecou will be reinstated in 1949. Thomas will win 26 games in 1950 for teams in the Evangeline and Rio Grande Valley leagues.

February

February 1After a meeting in New York’s Waldorf Astoria‚ Commissioner Happy Chandler announces the creation of a pension plan for major leaguers. Player with five years experience will receive $50 a month at age 50‚ and $10 a month for each o the next five years. The plan extends to coaches‚ players‚ and trainers active on Opening Day. The plan will be funded by $650‚000‚ with the teams providing 80% and the players the remaining 20%.

March

March 1New managers in training camps are Billy Herman with Pittsburgh‚ Muddy Ruel with the Browns‚ Bucky Harris with the Yankees‚ and Johnny Neun at Cincinnati. Neun had ended 1946 as manager of the Yankees after both Joe McCarthy and Bill Dickey had quit.

In anticipation of the signing of the first black players‚ Bill Veeck‚ a resident of Phoenix‚ had set up a spring training camp there for the Cleveland Indians. Arizona was chosen because of its relatively tolerant racial climate. During the season‚ Veeck will sign the first AL black player‚ Larry Doby‚ who will train at the Arizona camp. The Giants also set up camp in Arizona‚ while the Dodgers moved their training camp from Florida to Havana.
March 8In Havana’s new Stadium del Cerro‚ the Dodgers‚ behind three pitchers‚ beat the Yankees in 10 innings 1-0. Carl Furillo scores on Pete Reiser‘s double‚ and Snuffy Stirnweiss’s 10th-inning single is the only Yankee hit. On hand to watch is Connie Zimmerman‚ an associate of mobster Lucky Luciano‚ and a racing handicapper‚ Memphis Engelberg. As Burt Solomon writes‚ Durocher points out the men to sports writers Dick Young and Milt Gross‚ saying‚ “Look at that. If I had those guys in my box‚ I’d be kicked out of baseball. Are there two sets of rules? One applying to managers and one applying to club owners. When asked about if the me are his guests‚ Dodger GM Larry MacPhail snaps‚ “What are you. The goddam FBI?” MacPhail calls Durocher a liar‚ and in a bizarre turn‚ later files charges against the manager with the commissioner’s office.
March 24In a meeting at the Sarasota Terrace Hotel‚ Leo Durocher admits to Commissioner Happy Chandler that he sometimes bets on card games with Kirby Higbe.
March 26Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau orders Johnny Price off the train at San Diego after Price lets loose two five-foot long snakes on the train from Los Angeles. A coach full of women returning from the American Bowling Congress are extremely upset by the prank. When Tribe owner Bill Veeck says that‚ “either the snakes go or Price goes‚” the 35-year-old infielder’s days are numbered.

April

April 1Branch Rickey deflects pressure on Jackie Robinson by keeping him in Montreal‚ although it is clear the contending Dodgers can use the 1946 International League batting king.
April 4The adoption of a ML pension plan is effective immediately.
April 8Giants OF Whitey Lockman‚ in his 2nd year‚ breaks his leg sliding into 2B on a DP in an exhibition game against the Indians in Sheffield‚ AL. Lockman will miss all of the season‚ except for 2 pinch hitting appearances.
April 9Commissioner Happy Chandler suspends manager Leo Durocher of the Brooklyn Dodgers for the entire season for incidents detrimental to baseball. Larry MacPhail and the Dodger organization are fined $2‚000 each‚ and Yankee coach Charley Dressen is set down for 30 days. A feud involving Durocher‚ MacPhail‚ and Dodger officials rocked the training season. The Yankees’ signing of Dressen and Red Corriden‚ longtime Brooklyn coaches‚ charges of consorting with Cuban gamblers against MacPhail‚ and charges and counter charges that Durocher had sought-or been offered-the Yankee managerial post were included in the hearing before Chandler.
April 10During the 6th inning of the Dodgers-Royals exhibition game at Ebbets Field‚ the Dodgers announce that they have purchased the contract of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson from Montreal and that “he will report immediately.” Rickey says after the game that he reached a definite decision just five minutes before he made the announcement.
April 14The Yankees release two veterans‚ relief ace Johnny Murphy and first baseman Nick Etten. Murphy will be signed by the Red Sox while Etten‚ the AL home run leader in 1944 and RBI leader in 1945‚ will catch on briefly with the Phillies.
April 15Facing Johnny Sain‚ Jackie Robinson goes hitless in 3 trips in his debut but handles 11 chances at 1B‚ a new position for him‚ in a 5-3 Brooklyn win over the Braves. Coach Clyde Sukeforth‚ interim manager and the man credited with first scouting Robinson‚ guides the team to 2 wins and a loss before he steps down. The Dodgers also announce the release of Ed Head‚ who threw a no-hitter last year‚ to Ft. Worth.

In his NL debut‚ Hank Greenberg doubles home the only run in the 6th as the Pirates Rip Sewell wins the opener in Chicago 1-0. Hank Borowy takes the loss. Greenberg also handles 16 putouts and an assist at 1B.

With yesterday’s opener in Washington rained out‚ the A’s open at Yankee Stadium before 39‚344. Under new manager Bucky Harris‚ the Yanks manage just six hits off Phil Marchildon as the A’s win‚ 6-1. Eddie Joost and Elmer Valo pull off a double steal in the 5th when the A’s increase their lead to 3-0. Joost scores on the swipe of home. Former A’s vet George McQuillan‚ playing 1B for Nick Etten‚ scores New York’s only run. Spud Chandler takes the loss.

In St. Louis‚ the Browns open as usual against Hal Newhouser and the Tigers‚ losing‚ 7-0. For Newhouser‚ it is his 13th straight win against St. Louis (as noted by historian Lyle Spatz). The streak will be stopped at 15 games on August 12.
April 16The Cubs buy veteran Lonnie Frey from the Reds‚ but will keep him just 9 weeks before selling him to the Yankees.
April 17The Dodgers win 12-6 over the Braves at home‚ as Jackie Robinson gets his first ML hit-a bunt single‚ off Glenn Elliot. Robinson will bunt 42 times‚ collecting 19 hits‚ during the year. The Brooklyn offense is led by fellow rookie Johnny “Spider” Jorgensen‚ who drives in 6 runs.

Hank Greenberg belts his first NL homer in the 2nd‚ and the Pirates score 6 more in the 7th to beat the host Cubs‚ 7-1. Preacher Roe doesn’t all0ow a hit until the 7th.
April 18The Giants shell the Dodgers‚ 10-4‚ with Jackie Robinson hitting his first home run‚ off Dave Koslo‚ in the loss. In a sign of things to come this year‚ the Giants counter with 6 homers-2 apiece by Bobby Thomson and Bill Rigney‚ and one apiece by Johnny Mize and Willard Marshall. Scout Burt Shotton is the surprise choice to replace Leo Durocher: he participates in the pre game flag raising and then manages the team.

Sacramento’s Tony Freitas‚ 39‚ wins his 200th PCL game‚ beating Oakland‚ 4-2. Freitas‚ who set a PCL record with 6 straight 20-win seasons‚ will finish his career in 1950 (0-1) with 342 minor league wins and 25 in the majors. Retroactively‚ SABR will name him the minor league’s greatest pitcher.
April 19New skipper Shotton manages the Dodgers from the dugout in street clothes‚ à la Connie Mack. Johnny Mize and Bill Rigney hit homers to help the Giants edge the Dodgers‚ 4-3.
April 20At St. Louis‚ Bill Nicholson clubs 2 homers‚ including a slam‚ and drives in 6 runs to lead the Cubs‚ 7-4‚ over the Cards. Swish’s first RBI comes in the first inning when he’s hit by a Howie Pollet pitch with the bases loaded. His slam in the 5th finishes Pollet’s pitching. Johnny Schmitz is the winner.

Pitching for Portland (PCL)‚ former Tiger ace Tommy Bridges pitches a no-hitter against SF‚ winning 2-0.
April 22At Ebbets Field‚ the Phils test Robinson by yelling racial slurs and invectives from the dugout. Jackie keeps his cool‚ singles‚ and scores in the 8th inning. Hal Gregg allows just one hit and the Dodgers win‚ 1-0.

Al Zarilla‘s single in the 7th inning is the only hit off Bob Feller as the Indians beat the Browns‚ 5-0.
April 23Rudy York’s 2 hits are it for Boston as the Yankees Allie Reynolds shuts out the Hubmen‚ 3-0. Boo Ferriss is the loser.

At Detroit‚ the Tigers use consecutive solo homers in the 8th from Roy Cullenbine‚ Dick Wakefield‚ and Hoot Evers to beat the White Sox‚ 7-4. Cullenbine adds an earlier homer and Eddie Lake adds a 5th Bengal blast to back Fred Hutchinson‘s win over Eddie Lopat.

The Yankees release veteran reliever Johnny Murphy who will sign with the Red Sox.
April 24Johnny Mize of the New York Giants hits 3 successive HRs in a 14-5 loss in Boston. It is a ML-record 5th time in his career that Mize has hit 3 HRs in one game; he will do it a 6th time with the Yankees in 1950. But the Braves collect 22 hits‚ with Danny Litwhiler having a HR‚ triple and 2 singles in the attack. Winning hurler Johnny Sain is 2-for-4 with 3 RBI‚ as he strings together a hitting streak of 17 games as a pitcher. Sain will hit .346 this season.

The Red Sox collect just 3 hits off Frank Shea but beat the Yankees‚ 1-0‚ on Tex Hughson‘s 2-hitter.

Pat Seerey hits a homer off Johnny Rigney for the game’s only run as the Indians trip the White Sox‚ 1-0. Don Black is the winning pitcher.
April 26Bob Feller shuts out the Tigers to give the Tribe a 6-0 win. Hal Newhouser takes the loss.
April 27Today is Babe Ruth Day at all ML parks. A crowd of 58‚339 at Yankee Stadium honors the ailing slugger‚ A frail Babe‚ choking back tears‚ tells the “kids of America” that‚ “the only real game in the world is baseball. In this game you have to come up from youth. You’ve got to start way down at the bottom‚ if you’re going to be successful like those boys over there.” pointing to the Yankee dugout. “There’s so many lovely things said about me‚ I’m glad I had the opportunity to thank everybody.” The program was broadcast nationwide and piped into all the ball parks. Ruth receives a bronze plaque with his image on it from the AL: the NL’s gift is a leather book with signatures of all the players in the league. The Yankees lose to Sid Hudson and the Washington Senators 1-0‚ but move into first place as the White Sox lose two. Hudson scores the only run after singling.

The White Sox lose the first game to the Browns‚ 4-2. Al Zarilla snaps a tie with a 2-run homer in the 8th. Vern Stephens wins the nitecap‚ 4-3‚ by belting a three-run homer in the 8th. In the opener‚ the Browns have runners on 1B (Judnich) and 3B (Witte) when the Sox turn a Berardino grounder into an unusual triple play-all 3 runners being retired on rundowns. Witte is caught between 3B and home‚ Judnich between 2B and 3B‚ and Berardino between 1B and 2B.

The cellar-dwelling Cards drop their 5th straight losing the Cubs‚ 3-0. The Redbirds manage just 4 hits off Johnny Schmitz.

The Reds attract their largest recorded attendance-36‚961 at Crosley Field‚ and reward the faithful with a sweep of the Pirates‚ winning 6-1 and 2-1.

The Dodgers top the Giants‚ 9-8‚ for their 5th straight win. Trailing 8-4 in the 7th‚ the Brooks score two runs on Carl Furillo‘s homer‚ add two more in the 8th on Cookie Lavagetto‘s pinch homer and Reiser’s double‚ and win it in the 9th on Eddie Stanky‘s squeeze bunt. Johnny Mize hits his 6th homer for the Giants.
April 30In Brooklyn‚ the Cubs top the Dodgers‚ 3-1. Jackie Robinson‚ nursing a sore right arm‚ is hitless and is 0-for-20 since April 23rd. He’ll double tomorrow in his first at bat.

The Red Sox pick up their first win of the year in a 7-1 victory over the Tigers. Hal Newhouser (0-3) is the loser as rookie Mel Parnell wins his first ML game.

May

May 1For the first time Cleveland will play all its games at Municipal Stadium‚ abandoning League Park‚ where most weekday games have been played. New owner Bill Veeck installs an inner fence to cut power alleys from 435 to 365 feet. A more celebrated attempt to fuel HRs is at Pittsburgh where the 30-foot reduction of the LF wall is dubbed Greenberg Gardens‚ for the Pirates’ famous acquisition. Hank will hit only 25 HRs for the season‚ however‚ but sophomore Ralph Kiner will find the shortened distance more advantageous.
May 2Bob Feller fires his 2nd one-hitter in 10 days‚ stopping the Red Sox‚ 2-0‚ while striking out 10. Johnny Pesky has the only safety. Joe Gordon‘s homer off Ferriss is the only run Feller needs.

Ken Myers of the Las Vegas Wranglers (Class C Sunset League) connects for two grand slams in the 3rd inning against Ontario. Pitcher Ned Klingensmith adds a 3rd slam in the inning as the Wranglers score 16 runs. Las Vegas hits 10 homers in the game to win‚ 30-5.
May 3The Cards trade Harry Walker to the Phillies for OF Ron Northey. Although batting only .200 with the Cards‚ Walker will hit .371 for the Phils in 130 games to finish the season with a league-leading .363 batting average.

The Dodgers ship pitchers Hank Behrman‚ Cal McLish and Kirby Higbe‚ and minor leaguers Gene Mauch and C Dixie Howell to the Pirates for OF Al Gionfriddo and $100‚000. Behrman‚ with no appearances for Brooklyn this year will go 0-2 before the Bucs send him back to Brooklyn on June 14.
May 6Suspended manager Leo Durocher and his wife Lorraine Day are in the stands as the Dodgers win 7-6 over the Cards on a Pee Wee Reese HR. Robinson has two singles. The Dodgers have now won 10 of 11 while the Cards have lost 10 of 11.
May 7Portland (PCL) pitcher Jack Salveson pitches 20 innings in beating Sacramento‚ 1-0. Salveson throws 171 pitches‚ less than 9 an inning.
May 8A movement among Cardinal players to protest its first meeting with Jackie Robinson and the Dodgers is aborted by a clubhouse talk from owner Sam Breadon. According to a story by writer Stanley Woodward‚ League president Ford Frick had warned the team that if a strike occurred‚ any player involved would be suspended. Cardinal manager Eddie Dyer denies there was any strike talk. The Cards win 5-1‚ for their 2nd win in a row.
May 9Heralded Giant rookie Clint Hartung makes his first pitching appearance and throws 6 shutout innings of relief against the Braves. He will start 20 games and compile his best season at 9-7. He will also play 7 games in the OF and bat .309 for the year. But the Braves win today‚ 6-2‚ behind Warren Spahn.

In his first game outside of New York City‚ Jackie Robinson has two hits and scores twice in the Dodgers 6-5 loss to the Phillies. After the game‚ the Dodgers give their young first baseman a vote of confidence by selling Howie Schultz‚ Robby’s back up‚ to the Phils for $50‚000. Tomorrow‚ Branch Rickey announces he’s giving up his attempts to pry Johnny Mize away from the Giants.

The Pirates sell pitcher Ken Heintzelman‚ 33‚ to the Phillies.
May 10At Cincinnati‚ Ewell Blackwell whips the Cubs‚ 5-1‚ to start a 16-game winning streak. He won’t lose until July 25.

Rookie Larry Jansen‚ who won 30 games in the PCL last year‚ makes his debut as a starter and scatters 6 hits to give the Giants a 2-1 win over the visiting Braves. Willard Marsdhall’s 2-run HR off Red Barrett is the New York scoring. Jansen will go 21-5 this year and lead the NL in winning percentage.
May 11In front of 41‚660 at Shibe Park-the largest crowd to date to watch a baseball game in Philadelphia-the Phils take two from Brooklyn to take three out of 4 in the series. The Jays win 7-3 and 5-4. In the first game‚ the Phils score all their runs in the 3rd and 4th to give knuckler Dutch Leonard his 5th win against a defeat‚ and his 2nd win in three days against the Bums. Del Ennis‘s first homer of the year scores 3. Schoolboy Rowe‚ with relief help from Ken Heintzelman wins the nitecap. He also bangs a homer‚ and wins his 9th straight over two seasons. Harry Walker raises his average in a Phils uniform to .406 and “closes out the nitecap with one of the most spectacular catches of the season‚ a catch that would have made the immortal Dode Paskert of 30 years ago doff his hat.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

The Cubs take over undisputed possession of first place sweeping a pair from the Reds‚ 6-3 and 4-3 in 10 innings. Bob Scheffing drives in 4 runs in the opener and Len Merullo’s double in the 10th wins the nitecap.

The Tigers Dizzy Trout and Virgil Trucks each toss a three hit victory over the White Sox‚ winning 10-0 and 6-1. The losses drop the Sox out if a virtual tie for first down to 5th. George Kell has 3 hits‚ including a HR‚ and 4 runs in the opener‚ while Hoot Evers and Pat Mullin bang homers in game 2.
May 12At Ebbets Field‚ Brooklyn snaps its losing streak‚ beating Boston‚ 8-3. Robinson has a hit and two stolen bases and is leading the NL in scoring with 20 runs.
May 13Ted Williams hits 2 HRs to LF‚ the first to that pasture in his career at Fenway Park‚ as the Red Sox wallop the White Sox 19-6. Earlier in the day‚ Williams had promised a boy in the Malden hospital that he would hit a homer for him. Bobby Doerr cycles for the 2nd time in his career‚ the first Sox to do that‚ and has a double and single in the 9-run 8th to complete his cycle. Bill Zuber is the winner over Earl Harrist.

The Yankees pound the Browns 9-1 with Charlie Keller‚ DiMaggio‚ and Johnny Lindell combining for consecutive homers off starter Fred Sanford in the 6th inning.

At Crosley Field‚ 27‚164 fans watch the Reds beat the Dodgers‚ 7-5. It is estimated that nearly 9‚000 of the fans are black‚ attracted to the game because of Robinson. As fans head for the exits after the game‚ the organist plays Bye‚ Bye‚ Blackbird.
May 14The Reds Ewell Blackwell whips the Dodgers‚ 2-0‚ handing Brooklyn its first shutout of the year. Jackie Robinson collects 2 of the Dodgers’ six hits to run his hitting streak to 11 games.
May 15Behind Ralph Kiner‘s two home runs‚ the Pirates beat the Dodgers‚ 7-3‚ handing Brooklyn its 8th loss in 9 games. Billy Cox also homers for the Pirates.
May 16New York’s Johnny Mize scores a run in his 16th straight game‚ helping his team beat the Cubs 5-3. Mize‚ who will lead the NL in runs‚ eclipses the NL mark of Max Carey and Fred Lindstrom. Ted Kluszewski will better the league mark 7 years later.

The Dodgers beat the Pirates‚ 3-1‚ with Pee Wee Reese‘s 2-run homer the big blow. Robinson is 2-for-4 with a stolen base.
May 17A seagull flies over Fenway Park and pelts St. Louis Browns P Ellis Kinder with a 3-pound smelt‚ missing him by a gill. The unflappable Kinder holds on to top the Red Sox‚ 4-2‚ giving up 6 hits‚ including Eddie Pellagrini‘s 3rd homer of the year. Mel Parnell gives up 3 runs in 4 innings for the loss.

In Philadelphia‚ Hoot Evers breaks up a scoreless duel between Hal Newhouser and rookie Joe Coleman by hitting a two-out two-run homer in the 9th inning. The A’s load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 9th‚ but score just one run.

The Dodgers outhit the Pirates 12 to 4‚ but the Bucs win‚ 4-0‚ behind Fritz Ostermueller. Hank Greenberg‘s homer off Rube Melton in the first frame provides all the scoring until the 8th. Cookie Lavagetto has three hits‚ while Robinson‚ Furillo and Bruce Edwards collect a pair. The Dodgers have left 45 runners in five games‚ one reason they are 1-4 in that span.

The Yanks win a pair from the White Sox by 4-3 scores. Spec Shea wins the opener‚ collecting three hits a two runs scored. Joe DiMaggio‘s homer in the bottom of the 9th‚ off Maltzberger‚ is the winner. Bill Dickey‘s brother George has a pair of hits and a stolen base for the White Sox. In the nitecap‚ George McQuinn has three hits and scores the winning run in the 8th to break up the pitching duel between Spud Chandler and Chicago’s Ed Lopat.
May 18At Chicago‚ the Dodgers and Jackie Robinson attract a crowd of 46‚572-still a single game paid attendance record at Wrigley. Brooklyn scores after 18 shutout innings and beats the Cubs‚ 4-2‚ extending the Cubs’ losses to 5 straight. Robinson goes 0-for-4 to stop his hitting streak at 14 games: he’ll start a 21-game streak on June 14. Joe Hatten is the winner while Cubs starter and loser Johnny Schmitz walks 8 and strikes out 9 before relief comes in.

Ewell Blackwell outpitches Mort Cooper to give the Reds a 2-1 win over the Braves. Red Barrett then outpitches Johnny Vander Meer‚ 3-1‚ to give the Braves a split for the day. Only a game and a half separate the first-place Braves from the 5th-place Pirates.

In St. Louis‚ the Cards drop a pair to Philadelphia‚ losing 6-3 and 1-0. Ken Raffensberger wins the nitecap for the Blue Jays with a brilliant complete-game shutout. Ken Heintzelman wins the opener for the Phils. Harry Walker is 5-for-10 in the two games‚ while Emil Verban (.337) knocks in the winning run in the 12th.
May 19After 22 hitless at bats‚ Stan Musial sees his average drop to .140. Treated for appendicitis but avoiding surgery‚ Musial will not reach the .200 level until mid-June‚ just after the champion Cardinals get out of last place.

The Cubs drop the Dodgers‚ 8-7‚ and collar Robinson with another 0-for-4. Jackie grounds out in the 8th inning with 2 on.
May 20Athletics C Buddy Rosar drops a pop-up off Walt Judnich’s bat for his first error in 147 games and 756 chances. Yogi Berra will extend the record to 148 and 950 in 1957-59‚ but Rosar’s 1946 single-season record of 115 games and 605 errorless chances will not be surpassed until 1997‚ by the Marlins’ (NL) Charles Johnson. The Browns win‚ 11-1‚ behind Red Muncrief.
May 22The Pirates beat the Braves‚ 4-3‚ as both teams combine for 22 hits-all singles. The Pirates have 12.
May 23The Yankees beat Boston‚ 9-0‚ as Allie Reynolds fires his 2nd two-hit shutout over the Red Sox in a month. Harry Dorish is the loser.

At Boston‚ John Mize hits his 7th career grand slam in New York’s 6-run 3rd inning to lead the Giants to an 8-1 win. The victory moves the Giants into 1st place ahead of the idle Cubs.
May 24Matching the Chief’s game yesterday‚ Spud Chandler gives the Yankees a 5-0 win over Boston‚ allowing 2 hits.

At Brooklyn‚ Carl Furillo pinch-hits for LF Gene Hermanski-in the 1st inning-and clouts a 3-run homer to give the Brooks the lead over the Phillies. Skeeter Newsome‘s 3rd career homer in 5 years ties the game in the 8th and the Phils win it in 10 innings‚ 4-3. Freddy Schmidt wins over Hugh Casey. Furillo’s pinch homer sets a ML record-it is the only pinch home run to come in the first inning. As noted by Lyle Spatz‚ Phils manager Ben Chapman starts righty Al Jurisch just to pitch to Brooklyn’s first two hitters: Reese and Robinson. Lefty Oscar Judd‚ warming up from the start‚ then comes in to pitch to the next three lefty hitters: Reiser‚ Walker‚ and Hermanski. Reiser and Walker bat and then Furillo hits for Hermanski‚ though he is not listed in the box score as a PH.
May 25The Yankees edge into 3rd place ahead of the Red Sox‚ whipping Boston‚ 17-2. Ted Williams 2-run homer in the 9th off Floyd Bevans deprives the Yankees of 4 straight shutouts‚ George Stirnweiss scores 5 runs and King Kong Keller 4 runs in the 17 hit attack. Joe DiMaggio has 4 hits and 3 runs.

Joe Medwick returns to the Cardinals after a 7-year absence. Signed just before the doubleheader‚ Medwick pinch-hits a double in game to account for the only run in a 2-1 loss to the Reds. Ducky has lost his power from his St. Louis heyday‚ but he will hit .307 as PH and OF against lefthanders.

In the Giants 9-3 win over the Braves‚ Giant Buddy Kerr bungles a hard grounder from Bob Elliott for his first error in 384 chances and 69 games‚ the NL record to date for SS.
May 26The largest single-game crowd to this date‚ 74‚747‚ sees the Yankees win their 5th straight‚ defeating the Red Sox 9-3 at Yankee Stadium.

Eddie Lake‘s homer is the only score as the Tigers edge the Indians‚ 1-0. Stubby Overmire prevails over Black.
May 27Before 51‚780 fans at the Polo Grounds‚ the Dodgers defeat the Giants‚ 7-3. Da Bums score in the first inning when a Dixie Walker single drives home Jackie Robinson.
May 30In the first of two‚ Earl Torgeson of the Braves does not record a single putout at 1B‚ a record of idleness shared in the NL by Rip Collins (twice) and Dolf Camilli of the Phillies in 1937. Later Gary Thomasson and Len Matuszek will have zero putouts in a full game at 1B. Torgy does have one chance‚ but muffs a popup. Torgeson scores a pair as Warren Spahn wins his 8th in a row‚ 6-3. Red Barrett then shuts out the Dodgers in game 2‚ 3-0‚ dropping Brooklyn to 4th place. The Braves pull off a double steal in each game‚ and each time it is Stanky’s high throw to the plate that allows it. Boston is now in 3rd place‚ a game behind the Giants.

The Giants cop a pair from the Phils‚ 7-1 and 5-3. Monty Kennedy allows just 4 hits in the first game‚ while Dave Koslo is the winner in game 2. Koslo‚ backed by two-run homers from Bobby Thomson and Joe Lafata‚ hands Schoolboy Rowe his first loss after 6 wins.

A’s pitchers Dick Fowler and Joe Coleman stop the Yankees‚ recording 2 shutouts over New York‚ 1-0 and 4-0. Spud Chandler loses the opener‚ despite allowing three hits. Bill Bevens drops the nitecap‚ walking Coleman to force in a run and giving up a roundtripper to Eddie Joost. Joost scores a pair in the nitecap‚ and the lone run in the opener.

Before a crowd of 56‚367‚ the first-place Tigers split a pair with the Browns to move to 3 games ahead of Cleveland. Detroit wins the lidlifter‚ 2-1 as Hal Newhouser scatters 5 hits‚ but Nelson Potter tops Virgil Trucks‚ 8-3‚ to take the nitecap. Tiger rookie Johnny McHale accounts for all 3 runs in game 2 with a pair of homers.

June

June 1Joe DiMaggio has a single‚ double‚ and 2 HRs to drive in 5 runs and lead New York to an 11-9 win over Cleveland. Al Lyons wins his only decision for NY this year‚ beating Bob Lemon.
June 4In the 5th inning at Ebbets Field‚ Dodgers OF Pete Reiser crashes into the fence and is knocked unconscious. He still manages to hold onto the long fly by Cully Rickard to help the Dodgers win over Pittsburgh 9-4. In the clubhouse a priest administers the last rites of the Catholic Church to Reiser‚ who will be hospitalized for 10 days.

At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants power by the Cincinnati Reds‚ 9-3. Whitey Lockman‚ Sid Gordon‚ and Willard Marshall hit consecutive homers in the 6th inning for New York.

The Giants send 3B Babe Young to the Reds for pitcher Joe Beggs.
June 5The second place Yankees slice the Tigers lead to one game by beating Detroit‚ 7-0. Spud Chandler tosses a three-hitter while Tommy Henrich paces the drive with two homers. Ralph Houk and Fred Hutchinson are tossed after a flare-up in the 4th inning involving 5 players.

The Senators Early Wynn hurls a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Sherry Robertson and Al Evans club homers to decide the issue. Cleveland also loses Lou Boudreau who tears some muscles in his lower back and will be idle a few days.

The Dodgers vault over the Cubs and Giants‚ who split a twin bill‚ by defeating the Pirates‚ 3-0. The Dodgers sweep the 4-game series. Jackie Robinson has three hits‚ including a homer‚ while Bruce Edwards adds a single‚ double and triple to pace the Dodgers 10-hit attack. Rookie Harry Taylor allows just two hits‚ both to Wally Westlake‚ in winning his 3rd straight.

Muskogee (Western Assoc.) outfielder Marion McElreath is banned for life by George Trautman‚ association president‚ after he allegedly approached another player about betting on a game. Trautman says that in a game on May 4 against St. Joseph‚ McElreath deliberately missed a fly ball with the bases loaded‚ and later deliberately missed on a hit-and-run.
June 6At Ebbets Field‚ the first-place Dodgers win their 5th in a row‚ defeating the Cubs‚ 6-2. Robinson has a single in the first two innings‚ driving home 2 runs.
June 8On Luke Appling Day at Comiskey Park‚ the Senators take the lidlifter of two edging the White Sox 1-0 in 18 innings on Al Evans‘ triple and Sherry Robertson‘s long ?y. It is the 4th 1-0‚ 18-inning game in history. Frank Papish tosses 13 scoreless innings for the Sox‚ giving him 27 straight scoreless frames.
June 9Walker Cooper hits a 2-run HR in the 8th inning and a 3-run HR in the 9th to help give the Giants a 13-10 win over Pittsburgh. Pinch hitter Sid Gordon adds a single and double in the 8-run 8th inning. Kerr‚ Lohrke‚ and Witak also hit for the circuit. Larry Jansen pitches one inning for the win.

At Philadelphia‚ the Phils and Cards split a doubleheader‚ St. Louis taking the opener 4-2 and losing the nightcap in 15 innings 2-1. Del Ennis drives in the winner in the 15th. Schanz‚ the Phils 5th pitcher is the winner. Starter Schoolboy Rowe pitches 6 innings but leaves after being hit on the elbow by a piece of flying wood from Stan Musial‘s broken bat. Red Schoendienst sets a doubleheader record (24 innings) for futility by going 0-for-12.

At Boston‚ Red Barrett tosses a one hitter‚ winning 1-0 over the Cubs. Cubs pitcher Hank Borowy has the only hit‚ a 6th inning single. Barrett hands out one walk‚ his first in 3 games.

Good timing. The Reds Benny Zientara belts his first ML homer-a 3-run clout in the 8th‚ to beat the Dodgers‚ 9-6.

The 2nd place Yankees drop a 9-8 decision to the woeful White Sox. Allie Reynolds issues 8 passes‚ and Bill Bevens adds 3 more. Joe Page walks none in the 9th but Aaron Robinson lets a pop up drop in front of the plate for a single‚ and two hits later‚ the Sox score the winner. Johnny Lindell and Luke Appling match homers.
June 11Mel Ott makes his last appearance as a player when he pinch hits for pitcher Ken Trinkle in New York’s 8-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The future Hall of Famer pops to short.
June 12In an 8-2 win at Seattle‚ Oakland OF Vince DiMaggio hits homers over the LF and RF barriers‚ the first hitter to do that in one game at Sick Stadium.
June 13The Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 before 34‚510 “first nighters” in the first night game at Fenway Park. After the game‚ the White Sox trade 1B Jake Jones to the Red Sox for Rudy York. Jones‚ a WW2 flying ace (he shot down 7 confirmed Japanese zeroes‚ according to TSN‚ April 12‚ 1945).

Mort Cooper joins his brother on the Giants as the Braves trade the veteran pitcher to New York for former 20-game winner Bill Voiselle. The Braves will give Voiselle uniform #96 since the pitcher is from Ninety Six‚ NC.
June 14The Reds swipe pitcher Ken Raffensberger and C Hugh Poland from the Phillies for C Al Lakeman. Lakeman won’t hit his weight (195 pounds) in 2 seasons in Philadelphia while Raffensberger will win 89 games in a Reds uniform.
June 15Just-traded Jake Jones homers in the first of two‚ a 7-3 Boston win over Chicago. In the nitecap‚ Jones singles home 2 runs to tie the nitecap‚ and wins it with a 2-out 9th inning grand slam‚ 8-4. He adds a steal to his 6 ribbies in game 2. Rudy York meanwhile goes 2-for-4 in game 2‚ after an 0-for-4 game 1.
June 18Ewell Blackwell of the Cincinnati Reds no-hits the second-place Boston Braves at Crosley Field 6-0. The Braves had pounded out 55 hits in their previous 4 games. The Whip walks 4 and strikes out 3. The offense is led by newcomer Babe Young who blasts two three-run homers for Cincy. Rookie Frankie Baumholtz‚ who played in the NBA the previous winter‚ collects 4 hits and scores twice‚ while Grady Hatton adds 4 walks‚ a single and 2 runs scored.
June 19You’d think he’d learn. In a Texas League game‚ Fort Worth beats Beaumont‚ 6-5‚ in 12 innings. Fort Worth centerfielder Maurice Santomauro throws out Charles Glunt at the plate three times.
June 20Yale bests Clemson 7-3 in the first game of the NCAA East Regional. Eli 1B George Bush has a single in 4 at bats and steals a base. Winning pitcher Frank Quinn will sign a $50‚000 bonus with the Red Sox but never win a ML game. Yale will lose‚ 8-7‚ to the University of California in the College World Series.

The Browns sell P Denny Galehouse to the Red Sox‚ the team that traded to St. Louis in 1938. Galehouse‚ 1-3 with the Browns this year‚ will go 11-7 with the Sox.
June 22Ewell Blackwell just misses pitching back-to-back no-hitters when Eddie Stanky of the Brooklyn Dodgers singles with one out in the 9th inning. Stanky’s hit ends Blackwell’s hitless-inning skein at 19. Blackwell then gets Al Gionfriddo before Jackie Robinson bangs out a single. Blackwell wins 4-0‚ his 9th straight win to improve to 11-2. Joe Hatten hurls hitless ball for 4 2/3 innings before walking 4 in the 4th and the Reds score 3 in the 8th to chase him. In the nitecap‚ the Dodgers win 9-8 as Carl Furillo drives in 7 runs. His grand slam in the 4th caps a six-run inning.

The Yankees increase their lead to two games over the Red Sox by defeating the Tigers‚ 6-5‚ as the Red Sox split with the Indians. Yogi Berra‘s grand slam in the first inning is the big blow‚ sending the Tigers to their 9th straight loss. Detroit is now in 5th place.
June 24The Dodgers win 4-2 over the host Pirates‚ as Jackie Robinson swipes home in the 5th (Ostermuller pitching) for the first of 19 times in his career. Reese hits his 8th homer to back Ralph Branca‘s pitching.
June 26Ewell Blackwell posts his 10th straight victory‚ beating the Cards‚ 6-3. But the Birds snap the consecutive inning scoreless streak of the elongated Ewell‚ scoring in the 2nd frame when Galan misjudges a fly‚ an infield hit and a fly.

Hooks Iott‚ picked up from the Browns on waivers 2 days ago‚ pitches the Giants to a 11-0 win over the Cubs. Hooks allows 2 hits while striking out 8. The Giants collect 13 hits‚ including 2 homers.

Carl DeRose‚ Kansas City (AA) righthander‚ tosses the first perfect game in AA history‚ beating Minneapolis‚ 5-0. DeRose‚ who has been out a month withg a sore arm and still pitches with pain‚ throws just 93 pitches in retiring all 27 batters. He’ll pitch just twice more this year.
June 27The Cards split with the Reds‚ losing the opener to Cincinnati 9-7‚ then slugging their way to a 17-2 victory in the nightcap. Enos Slaughter is the big Bird with 10 RBIs for the day‚ 7 in game 2.

In the first ever College World Series, played on the home field of Western Michigan College in Kalamazoo, MI, Commissioner Happy Chandler throws out the first ball for the game between Yale and California. Yale’s 4-2 lead is protected by Frank Quinn, who throws 5 scoreless innings before running into trouble in the 7th. The Bears take a 6-4 lead and when Quinn in lifted for a pinch hitter in the 8th, Cal rolls to a 17-4 win.
June 28Walker Cooper of the Giants hits a HR in his 6th consecutive game to tie a record set by George Kelly in 1924. Cooper had 2 HRs in the first game of the streak‚ and his shot today helps his brother Mort win 14-6 over the Phils‚ his first win as a Giant. Al Jurisich goes all the way for the Phils‚ prompting a protest by Horace Stoneham. Phils manager Ben Chapman counters that he had no other pitchers available because of injuries and tomorrow’s twinbill. It’ll be Schoolboy Rowe‘s turn to take one for the team when the Phils vet gives up 14 hits in a 9-inning loss to Brooklyn on the 30th.

California wins the initial College World Series with an 8-7 victory over Yale. Cal freshman P Jackie Jensen, who will later star in the majors, is staked to a 7-3 lead, but is relieved by Virgil Butler after a bout of wildness. Yale 1B George Bush has no hits in the two games, but scores a run and makes 17 putouts with no errors.
June 29In game 2 at Philadelphia‚ Ferris Fain lines an inside-the-park grand slam in the 5th inning as the A’s top the Red Sox‚ 6-5. The A’s take the opener as well‚ 3-2‚ behind solo HRs by Chapman and Suder.
June 30At Cincinnati‚ Ewell Blackwell strikes out 11 Cubs enroute to a 6-4 win. Blackwell has now won 10 in a row.

July

July 2At Pittsburgh‚ the Reds do all their scoring in the 5th inning to beat the Pirates‚ 8-6.
July 4New York’s Spud Chandler defeats the Senators‚ 7-3‚ for his final major league victory. Bone chips in his pitching arm will sideline the 39-year-old vet‚ but he’ll end the year with the loop’s 2nd best ERA (2.46). Joe Haynes will top the A.L. with a 2.42 ERA.
July 5Two days after his contract is purchased from Newark‚ Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians becomes the first black to play in the AL. He strikes out as a pinch hitter‚ as the Chicago White Sox edge the Indians 6-5. Tomorrow‚ he will go 1-for-5 in his first full game at 1B.

Johnny Mize hits 2 homers‚ his 23rd and 24th‚ and Clint Hartung shuts out the Phils‚ 4-0. The New York Giants have now hit 37 home runs in 16 straight games‚ an NL record. The Giants will homer in 18 straight games to set a NL record‚ since broken.
July 6Cards pitchers Jim Hearn and Murry Dickson combine for shut out wins over the Reds. St. Louis wins 3-0 and 2-0. Hearn allows 3 safeties and Dickson‚ 4.
July 8Clutch pinch hits by Luke Appling and Stan Spence lead the AL to a 2-1 win over the NL in the All-Star Game at Wrigley Field. Schoolboy Rowe pinch-hits for Johnny Sain‚ becoming the first player to appear for each side. Rowe pitched 3 innings for the AL in 1936. The wining pitcher is Spec Shea‚ the first rookie ever to win an All-Star game.

The Wilmington Blue Rocks batter the parent Philadelphia Phillies‚ 7-4. Starter Oscar Judd gives up 11 hits in the exhibition.
July 10In a rain-interrupted game before 47‚871‚ Don Black of the Cleveland Indians pitches a no-hitter‚ beating the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0 in the first game of a doubleheader. It is the largest crowd ever to see a no-hitter and it is the first at Municipal Stadium. Black‚ waived from the A’s in 1945‚ walks six‚ but retires the last 10 batters. Bob Feller wins the nitecap‚ 2-1‚ for his 11th victory.

James “Stormy” Davis‚ 20-year-old outfielder for Ballinger (Longhorn League)‚ dies as a result of being hit in the head by a pitched ball in a game against Sweetwater on July 3. He was hitting .333 with 19 HR in 48 games.

In St. Louis‚ Yankee relief P Joe Page stops the Browns and hits a 9th-inning HR to win the game 4-3.
July 13Making his 14th ML uniform switch‚ Bobo Newsom joins the Yanks. His 7-5 record the rest of the way will help the Yankees to the title. The next season Newsom will join the Giants. To make room for Newsom‚ the Yanks sell P Mel Queen to the Pirates.
July 14At Ebbets Field‚ the Reds Bud Lively allows just one hit in setting down the Dodgers‚ 9-1. Spider Jorgensen doubles in the 2nd for the only hit.
July 16In a Yankee uniform for just 2 days‚ Bobo Newsom records his 200th victory‚ a 3-1 win over Cleveland. It is New York’s 17th straight win. Vic Raschi adds another win with a 7-2 victory in the nitecap.
July 17The Yankees sweep a doubleheader against Cleveland 3-1 and 7-2 to extend their winning streak to an AL record-tying 19 games. The streak matches that of the 1906 White Sox. New York began the streak on June 29‚ game 2‚ when they were 3 1/2 games in front; they now lead by 11 1/2.

Hank Thompson plays 2B for the Browns‚ the first black player in the franchise’s history. He goes 0-for-4 in the Browns 16-2 loss to the A’s.

Queen tops King as the Pirates rookie Mel beats the Dodgers’ Clyde‚ 7-1. Kiner (#23‚ a club tying record)‚ Greenberg‚ and Bloodworth hit solo homers in the 4th
July 18Freddie Hutchinson of the Tigers shuts out the Yankees 8-0‚ stopping the Bombers record winning streak at 19. Hutch adds a pair of doubles and two RBIs for the 2nd-place Tigers‚ now 10 1/2 back.

Willard Marshall of the New York Giants hits 3 consecutive HRs to help Larry Jansen beats the visiting Reds‚ 8-3. Marshall drives home 5 to give him the majors’ leadership with 73. Thomson and Mize add circuit clouts for the Ottmen‚ who move into 2nd place ahead of the Braves.

The first 5-for-5 game of his career moves Ted Williams among the top hitters in the AL‚ but his Red Sox lose‚ 9-8‚ to the Browns. Ted has 2 homers and 5 RBIs.

Ralph Branca takes a no-hitter into the 8th at Ebbets Field before Enos Slaughter‘s line single breaks it up. Brooklyn beats the Cards‚ 7-0‚ on the 1-hitter.
July 20The choice rhubarb of the year occurs at Brooklyn in the top of the 9th with the Cardinals leading 2-0. Ron Northey hits a long fly ball that 3B umpire Beans Reardon signals has gone into the stands-but 1B ump Larry Goetz rules the ball in play. Northey jogs around the bases only to discover Dodger catcher Bruce Edwards awaiting him with the ball. With Northey’s homer nullified‚ the Dodgers then score three runs in the bottom of the inning to win‚ 3-2. The Cardinals protest and on the 26th NL Prexy Ford Frick upholds the protest and the homer is good. But he allows the Dodger scores to remain and the game is ruled a tie‚ even though the Cards are an out short. The Dodgers will win the replay‚ the 2nd game of a day-night doubleheader on August 18.

In the lidlifter against Boston‚ Hank Thompson plays 2B and Willard Brown CF for the St. Louis Browns against the 3rd-place Red Sox‚ marking the first time that 2 black players appear in the same ML lineup. The highlite for the Browns‚ however‚ is an inside-the-park grand slam by Paul Lehner‚ the 2nd in the majors in three weeks (Ferris Fain hit one on June 29) to lead the Browns to 4-3 win. The Browns edge the Sox‚ 7-6‚ in the nitecap. with Heath driving home 3 runs. Mele has 4 ribbies for Boston‚ now 45-40.
July 23Ralph Kiner hits HRs 24 and 25‚ breaking the Pirate record of 23 by Johnny Rizzo in 1938 and tied by rookie Kiner last year. Behind HR king Johnny Mize 14 to 3 at the end of May‚ Kiner will have 25 to Mize’s 31 by the end of July. The Pirates defeat the Phils‚ 6-2.

Washington’s Ray Scarborough celebrates his 30th birthday by shutting out the Tigers‚ 6-0. He also stops Bengal first baseman Roy Cullenbine‘s streak of 22 consecutive games in which he was walked‚ a ML record that started on July 2nd. The switch-hitting Cullenbine will walk 137 times this season‚ a Detroit team record. But he’ll collect just 104 hits in compiling a .224 average‚ and Detroit will let him go‚ ending his career.
July 25At Cincinnati‚ Ewell Blackwell is battered for 13 hits‚ but wins his 16th straight game defeating the Phils‚ 5-4. The Whip fans 9 and issues no walks‚ the only walkless game in his win streak. He has gone all 9 innings in each of the 16 wins.
July 27When Jake Jones of the Red Sox hits a foul ball along the 3B line in the 6th‚ Browns P Fred Sanford throws his glove at the ball to prevent it from rolling into fair territory. Umpire Cal Hubbard awards Jones a triple on the basis of the rule about intentionally thrown gloves. In 1954 the rule is changed so that it only applies to fair balls. But it’s too late for the Browns as Jones scores after his triple and the Red Sox win‚ 4-3. Boston takes the nitecap‚ 11-2‚ to move 2 games ahead of 3rd place Detroit. Winning hurler Boo Ferriss has 3 hits and score twice.

At Pittsburgh‚ the Dodgers scuttle the Pirates twice‚ winning 8-4 and 11-4‚ to extend their lead to 7 games. Robinson and Reese homer in the nitecap and Frankie Gustine has 2 hits in each game to extend his hit streak to 20 games.
July 30The New York Giants edge the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 in 10 innings‚ ending Ewell Blackwell‘s winning streak at 16 games‚ a NL record for right handers. All the games were complete games and five were shutouts. The Giants tie in the 9th on Willard Marshall‘s 27th homer.

In St. Louis‚ the Dodgers take a 10-0 lead over the Cards after 3 1/2 innings‚ then hold on to win‚ 11-10 in 10 innings In the 10th‚ Slaughter is at bat with a 3-1 count‚ when Musial attempts to steal 2B and is thrown out to end the game. Musial has 4 hits in the game.
July 31The Reds top the Giants 8-7 despite a HR by Walker Cooper‚ the 55th of the month for the Giants‚ an NL record. The Twins will tie this mark in May‚ 1964.

August

August 2At Wrigley‚ the Cubs pummel 7 Dodgers hurlers to win a second straight from the Dodgers‚ 12-7. Peanuts Lowrey and Eddie Waitkus‚ the 1st 10 hitters for Chicago‚ have 5 hits apiece.

The Giants hit 5 homers and set a club record of 144 in a split with the Pirates. The Ottmen take the lidlifter‚ 10-2‚ then lose‚ 5-4. Bobby Thomson has a pair of homers. The Pirates also tie a club record for homers with 86 as Greenberg and Gustine go deep.
August 4The Yankees sell P Al Lyons to Pittsburgh.
August 5Orlando Moreno of Big Spring‚ TX (Longhorn) goes hitless‚ ending his consecutive game batting streak at 43 games.
August 6Can a pinch runner drive in a run? Skeeter Webb of the Tigers takes the paths for Freddie Hutchinson against the Indians and scores. Detroit bats around‚ and Webb lifts a ?y ball that scores a run in the 9-run 8th. Stubby Overmire wins‚ 13-6 in the first of 2. Detroit sweeps‚ winning the nitecap‚ 7-5 behind Fred Hutchinson.
August 8At Wrigley Field‚ Bill Nicholson breaks up a pitching duel between Johnny Schmitz and Ewell Blackwell with an 11th inning solo homer. The Cubs whip the Reds‚ 2-1. Nicholson also scores the Cubs first run‚ an unearned tally. Chicago helps Schmitz out with a 7th inning triple play when Len Merullo snags a liner‚ steps on 2B‚ and fires to Waitkus.
August 10With 5 hits Stan Musial finally lifts his average over .300‚ and the Cardinals make a run at the Dodgers sweeping the Pirates‚ 5-0 and 7-5. Murry Dickson allows 4 hits in the shutout. Musial will finish at .312‚ and the Cards‚ 5 games back of Brooklyn.
August 11Cardinal farmhand Harvey Haddix‚ pitching for Winston-Salem (Carolina) no-hits Danville‚ 8-0‚ in 7 innings. The young Kitten strikes out 14.
August 12After losing the first game to Detroit‚ 7-1‚ the Browns take the nitecap 6-5‚ beating Hal Newhouser in relief. For Newhouser‚ it is his first loss to the Browns after 15 consecutive wins.
August 13Willard Brown of the Browns is the first black player to homer in the AL when he hits a pinch inside-the-park blow in a 6-5 win over the Tigers. Hal Newhouser is the Detroit pitcher.
August 16Ralph Kiner hits 3 successive HRs for the host Pittsburgh Pirates‚ in a 12-7 win over the Cardinals in a game in which the 2 clubs bang out ML record (since topped) 10 homers. Two other Bucs‚ Hank Greenberg and Billy Cox‚ and one Cardinal (Whitey Kurowski) each contribute 2 HRs to set a ML record for most players with 2+ homers in a game. Kiner matches the ML mark of seven HRs in 4 games‚ six in 3 games‚ five in 2 games‚ and 4 in consecutive at bats. By the end of the month‚ Big Ralph will still trail Mize 39 to 43 in a head-to-head HR competition that will only be matched by Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961. Starters Roger Wolff and the Cards Ken Burkhart exit in the first inning.
August 18The Dodgers turn a scheduled single game into a day-night doubleheader‚ replaying the protested game of July 20. Brooklyn sweeps the pair from the Cardinals‚ 7-5 and 12-3. With the attendance of the two games at 32‚781 and 33‚723‚ the Dodgers donate all the receipts of the night game to the Brooklyn War Memorial Fund.
August 19Led by Eddie Miller’s grand slam and 6 RBIs‚ the Reds trounce the Giants 6-1. Johnny Vander Meer is the winner over Dave Koslo.
August 20The Boston Braves hit a million attendance for the first time in their history and the fans get their money’s worth in the 34-hit slugfest. The Pirates notch 20 to outslug the Braves‚ 16-10. Russell with a triple‚ double and 3 singles and Bloodworth with 4 singles lead the Buc shots.
August 21The first Little League World Series tournament is held in Williamsport‚ PA. The Maynard Midgets of Williamsport‚ with a tourney batting average of .625‚ win the WS‚ 16-7.
August 24The Giants break the NL record for homers in a season‚ held by the Cubs‚ with their 172nd in a 4-0 shutout by Larry Jansen. Chicago’s Hank Borowy takes the loss. The Cubs take the nitecap‚ 8-3‚ led by Eddie Waitkus‘ inside-the-park grand slam. This is the 3rd IPH slam this season and that won’t be matched till 1990.

In the 1st game of the doubleheader in Philadelphia‚ the Reds score 9 runs in the 10th inning to win‚ 12-3. Ten batters go the plate before an out is made. Schoolboy Rowe wins the nitecap for Philley‚ 8-6‚ and helps the cause with a homer.
August 25The Cubs Billy Jurges‚ shifted from coach to active player 2 days ago‚ smashes a 2-run homer in the 10th to give Chicago a 9-7 win over the Giants. Also homering are Scheffing and Pafko for Chicago and Marshall (31) and Thomson (24) for the Giants.

Future major leaguer Rocky Nelson is married at home plate at Lynchburg City Stadium of the (class A) Lynchburg Hillcats. His bride is the former Alberta Burns.
August 26Recently signed by the Dodgers‚ former Memphis Red Sox (Negro League) P Dan Bankhead becomes the first black ML hurler. The Pirates rock Bankhead for 10 hits and 8 runs in 3 1?3 relief innings‚ but Bankhead joins a small list of players who homer in their first ML at bat. Bankhead’s HR‚ off Fritz Ostermueller‚ is the only one he’ll hit in the majors. Pittsburgh wins 16-3.

Veteran Ray Poat‚ purchased from Baltimore (IL) yesterday‚ pitches the Giants to a 6-4 win over the Cardinals at the Polo Grounds. Poat helps his cause with a homer and a triple. As noted by researcher Madison McEntire‚ Poat’s only other hits this year will be a double and a single‚ giving him a season cycle‚ the first player to do so. The next will be Bruce Kison‚ in 1978.
August 29In St. Louis‚ Freddie Hutchinson does it all for Detroit‚ whipping the Browns‚ 5-4. After tripling against Ellis Kinder in the 3rd‚ Hutch takes advantage of the pitcher’s big windup to swipe home. He is the first pitcher to triple and steal home. He also adds a single.
August 31Despite a 10-4 loss to the first-place Dodgers‚ the Giants’ Jack Lohrke homers to set a season record for HRs by a club. The Giants have now hit 183 home runs‚ topping the 182 hit by the 1936 Yankees. They will end the season with 221 round trippers.

The Cubs overcome Ralph Kiner‘s 39th homer of the season to defeat the Pirates‚ 6-3‚ in Chicago. Doyle Lade goes the distance. Kiner’s homer‚ with one aboard‚ gives him 101 RBIs for the year.

September

September 1Jack Lohrke hits a homer against the Braves‚ number 183 for the season for the Giants‚ breaking the 1936 ML record held by the Yankees. Mel Ott’s club had hit 5 HRs in a doubleheader against the Cubs August 24 to break Chicago’s 1929 NL record. The Giants will finish with 221 HRs‚ led by Johnny Mize‚ Walker Cooper‚ Willard Marshall‚ and rookie Bobby Thomson.

In the nitecap 7-4 loss‚ A’s 1B Ferris Fain participates in 6 DPs to tie the ML record. Washington takes the opener as well‚ 4-0‚ on Mickey Haefner‘s 7-hitter.
September 3Rookie Bill McCahan of the Philadelphia Athletics no-hits the Washington Senators 3-0‚ as Elmer Valo drives home 2 runs. 1B Ferris Fain allows the only baserunner when his toss to McCahan on an easy grounder in the 2nd inning goes wide. McCahan‚ the former Duke University star‚ was the losing pitcher when Don Black threw his no-hitter July 10th. The Senators have not suffered a no-hitter since Ernie Shore pitched his 26-out perfect game in 1917. They did not go easily today as manager Ossie Bluege put up three lefty pinch hitters in the 9th. The A’s win snaps their 7-game loss streak.

At Fenway‚ the Yankees notch 18 hits‚ all singles‚ off three pitchers to stop the Red Sox‚ 11-2 in game one. Bobo Newsom wins his 10th. Specs Shea‚ with relief help from Joe Page‚ wins the nitecap‚ 9-6‚ to extend the Yankees lead to 12 1/2 games over Boston. DiMaggio has 6 hits in the twinbill to raise his average to .319‚ while Ted Williams‚ the AL’s leading hitter is 5-for-9 to push his average to .328. Bobby Doerr hits his 16th homer in the nitecap.

The Cards gain a half-game on the first place Dodgers by trouncing the Cubs‚ 11-1. Ron Northey leads the offense with a pinch grand slam in the 6-run 9th inning. Red Munger pitches the first 8 innings for the win.

Ewell Blackwell hangs up his 21st win‚ defeating the Pirates‚ 13-6 before an overflow crowd of 37‚299 at Forbes Field. Blackwell K’s 7 of the first 12 batters‚ and 12 overall‚ and is not scored upon till the Reds build a 7-0 lead. He allows just two hits‚ including Ralph Kiner‘s 41st homer. Eddie Miller and Benny Zientara homer for Cincy.
September 7Starting P Johnny “Ox” Miller of the Cubs hits a 2nd inning grand-slam HR‚ off Kirbe Higbe‚ in a 4-3 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates. But Ox does not go the required 5 innings and Doyle Lade is the victor. For Ox‚ these are the only RBIs of his career.
September 8Bob Feller‚ in relief of Bob Lemon in the 9th‚ keeps the Yankees scoreless to save a 4-3 Cleveland win. George McQuinn‚ who earlier hit two homers‚ bloops a single with a man on to chase Lemon. Bobo Newsom‚ who wilts in the 8th‚ is the loser‚ but New York is still 12 games in front.
September 9For the second game in a row the Cubs win a 4-3 game and hit a grand slam. Today it is Cliff Alberson’s pinch slam in the 9th inning that beats the Dodgers.
September 10Al Brazle hurls the Cards to their 9th win in 10 games‚ stopping the Phils‚ 4-1‚ on 4 hits‚ 3 by Adams. Dutch Leonard takes the loss. In the 9th‚ Schoolboy Rowe pinch hits for Walker‚ the league’s leading hitter‚ but flies out.
September 11Ralph Kiner hits 3 successive solo HRs for the Pittsburgh Pirates in game 1 and 4 on the afternoon to lead the Pirates to a double win over Boston‚ 4-3 in 13 innings‚ and 10-8. Despite Kiner’s 3 homers‚ it is pitcher Kirby Higbe‘s game-ending homer in the 13th that wins it. Kiner hit 2 on the 9th against the Giants Larry Jansen‚ as the Pirates lose‚ giving him a ML record tying 6 in 3 days. His slugging today gives him 47 and a tie with Mize.

In the start of a crucial series in St. Louis‚ Ralph Branca‚ 21‚ wins his 20th as the Dodgers clip the Cardinals 4-3. The tense battle ignites after Joe Garagiola spikes Jackie Robinson at 1B the 2nd inning. Coming to bat in the 3rd‚ Robinson has words with Garagiola (“a teeth to teeth exchange” Time) and the two are finally separated by coach Clyde Sukeforth. It is the first time that Robinson has reacted on the field.
September 12Ralph Kiner hits his record 8th HR in 4 games to pass Johnny Mize in the HR race as Pittsburgh tops the Boston Braves 4-3. The rain of HRs exceeds the 7 in 4 games hit by Tony Lazzeri in 1936. Kiner has now hit 20 home runs in the past 30 days-from August 14 through today-to set a record: Maris will tie the mark in 1961‚ and Sosa will top it in 1998. On the 18th Kiner will again pass Mize in the homer derby by belting his 50th of the season. Mize will get his 50th two days later. Kiner will get number 51 on September 23 against Jim Hearn of the Cards‚ and Mize will tie it up 2 days later off Johnny Sain of Boston. Both players have until the season finales on September 28 to break the tie‚ but neither will succeed.

The Cards bounce back to defeat the Dodgers‚ 8-7 with 13 of the runs counted in the last 3 frames. The Flatbushers score 4 in the 9th‚ 2 on rookie Lund’s 1st ML homer‚ but the Cars answer with 2 to win.
September 13It is the Dodgers turn to win‚ 8-7‚ before 33‚510‚ the largest crowd of the year at Sportsman’s Park. The game features 36 hits and extends to Dodgers’ lead to 5 1/2 games.
September 14Rookie Vic Wertz cycles and scores 5 runs to lead the Tigers to a 16-6 win over the Senators in game 1. Kell and Evers have 4 hits as well. Wertz score 2 more in the nitecap‚ 8-4 win.
September 15The Sox-Red and White-combine for a AL record-tying 12 double plays in their doubleheader split today. Chicago wins the opener‚ 6-3‚ then loses 7-5.
September 17Jackie Robinson is named Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News 2 weeks before the season is over. At the year’s end he has hit .297‚ led the league in stolen bases and sacrifices. He has 14 bunt hits‚ and in a game against the Cubs in June he scored from 1B on a sacrifice.

Second place Boston splits with the Browns‚ losing 9-4‚ then winning 4-0 on Joe Dobson‘s 1-hitter. Judnich’s single is the only hit.
September 21Braves ace Warren Spahn delays the Dodgers’ clinching the pennant by shutting them out 4-0 for his 20th win.

At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants pound homers in their 17th and 18th consecutive games to set a NL record. Philadelphia wins the opener‚ 3-2‚ in 11 innings when Del Ennis homers for the Blue Jays. In the nitecap. rookie Larry Jansen wins his 20th game‚ beating the Phillies‚ 6-4. Schoolboy Rowe takes the loss.
September 23Working 5 innings in a Series tune-up‚ Joe Hatten wins his 17th game and his first against a first-division team‚ as the Dodgers beat the Giants‚ 6-1. Dan Bankhead finishes. In a pre-game ceremony‚ Jackie Robinson receives a car‚ TV set‚ $500 watch‚ and other gifts.
September 25Giants rookie Larry Jansen wins his 21st game of the season‚ beating the Braves Red Barrett‚ 2-1. It is Jansen’s 10th win in a row‚ all complete games.
September 27Cards rookie Ken Johnson makes his 1st start a dandy‚ stopping the Cubs 3-1 on one hit‚ a single by Eddie Waitkus in the 8th. Ralph Hamner is the loser.
September 28On the season’s last day‚ the Browns‚ desperate for a ticket seller‚ bring announcer Dizzy Dean in to pitch against the White Sox. Diz gives up only 3 hits in 4 innings and laces a clean single in his only at bat‚ but a pulled leg muscle forces his retirement. The White Sox score all their runs in the 9th to win 5-2. Even with Diz‚ the game draws less than 16‚000‚ and the Browns finish the year with only 320‚000 attendance‚ less than half that of 1946. Three days before the finale a Browns’ game drew only 350.
September 29Joe McCarthy‚ who led the Yankees to 9 pennants‚ is coaxed out of retirement and signs to manage the Red Sox. Joe Cronin will become general manager of Tom Yawkey‘s team.
September 30Hitless the first 4 innings against Brooklyn’s Ralph Branca‚ the Yankees score 5 runs in the 5th inning when 6 straight runners reach base‚ and they win the World Series opener 5-3. A record WS crowd of 73‚365 at the Stadium pays $325‚828.

October

October 1New York’s Allie Reynolds spaces 9 hits and coasts to a 10-3 victory. Tom Henrich’s solo HR in the 5th puts the game away for the Yankees.
October 2The Dodgers squeak to a 9-8 win‚ jumping on Bobo Newsom and Vic Raschi in the 2nd for 6 runs. Yogi Berra becomes the first player to hit a pinch HR in WS history‚ hitting one off Brooklyn’s Ralph Branca in the 7th inning.

Ex-Giant Danny Gardella‚ suspended for 5 years for jumping to the Mexican League‚ files suit for $300‚000 in damages. He charges that the reserve clause is “monopolistic and restrains trade.” It will be dismissed.
October 3Brooklyn pinch hitter Cookie Lavagetto doubles home 2 runs with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th to break up Floyd Bevens‚ dramatic no-hit bid and give the Dodgers a 3-2 victory over the Yankees in game 4 at Ebbets Field.
October 4Frank Shea throws a 4-hitter and helps his own cause with 2 singles‚ as the Yankees win 2-1 in Game 5. A Joe DiMaggio HR in the 5th is the margin.

In the Negro League WS‚ Luis Tiant Sr.‚ and Pat Scantlebury pitch the New York Cubans to a 6-5 win over the Cleveland Buckeyes in the final game.
October 5CF Al Gionfriddo‘s magnificent catch takes a HR away from Joe DiMaggio‚ which would have tied the 6th game of the WS at Yankee Stadium. The Brooklyn Dodgers go on to win 8-6. There is another WS attendance record‚ with a crowd of 74‚065 on hand to watch the game.
October 6The New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 5-2 to win the WS in 7 games. Relief P Hugh Casey of the Dodgers appears in 6 games‚ winning 2 while notching an 0.87 ERA. Series heroes Bevens‚ Gionfriddo‚ and Lavagetto will not play another ML game.
October 7Larry MacPhail resigns as Yankees general manager moments after the final game of the series. Co-owners Dan Topping and Del Webb then buy out MacPhail’s one-third interest in the club for $2 million. George Weiss will become GM.
October 20Radio rights for the WS sell for $475‚000 for 3 years. Every franchise but Pittsburgh has sold 1948 TV rights. The Giants get $400‚000 for radio-TV rights from Chesterfield.
October 25Commissioner Happy Chandler suspends the Chicago White Sox from the American League in a dust-up that started when the Sox inked prep star George Zoeterman in violation of the ban against signing high school players. Sox GM Leslie O’Connor argued that Zoeterman was a private school student and therefore not covered‚ a position that earned him a $500 fine. O’Connor refused to pay resulting in the suspension. On November 4‚ owner Lou Comiskey will pay the fine and the AL will once again be 8 teams.

November

November 14The Pirates buy part-time INF Stan Rojek from the Dodgers.and install him as the starting SS.
November 17In a major deal that helps the Red Sox‚ Boston ships Roy Partee‚ Jim Wilson‚ Al Widmar‚ Eddie Pellagrini‚ Pete Layden and Joe Ostrowski and $310‚000 to the Browns for Jack Kramer and Vern Stephens. Stephens will lead the AL in RBIs in 2 of the next 3 seasons‚ collecting over 400 (430) RBIs in three years. No player will match that for the next fifty years.

The Pirates acquire 1B Johnny Hopp and 2B Danny Murtaugh from the Braves for C Bill Salkeld‚ P Al Lyons‚ and OF Jim Russell.
November 18In their 2nd deal in two days with the Browns‚ the Red Sox trade Sam Dente‚ Clem Dreisewerd‚ Bill Sommers and $65‚000 for P Ellis Kinder and INF Billy Hitchcock. Kinder will win 23 games in 1949.
November 22The Senators swap Gerry Priddy to the Browns for Johnny Berardino‚ but Berardino announces that he is retiring to devote full-time to his movie career. Commissioner Happy Chandler nullifies the deal and Berardino then un-retires. St. Louis won’t keep him for long. Priddy‚ who refused to sign a letter of support for manager Ossie Bluege in mid-season‚ will end up in St. Louis anyway when the Senators sell him for $25‚000 on December 8.
November 25Sam Breadon sells the Cardinals empire to Postmaster General Robert Hannegan and Fred Saigh. The price is in excess of $4 million with the new owners getting the Cardinals players‚ physical assets‚ 16 minor league franchises‚ $2.1 million in reserve funds and payment on a new ballpark site‚ 4 minor league parks‚ and the lease on Sportsman’s Park. Breadon had first acquired an interest in the Cardinals in 1917 and bought control in 1920 for an investment of $350‚000.
November 27Setting off a storm of controversy‚ Joe DiMaggio is named American League MVP by a single point over Ted Williams. Williams‚ the Triple Crown winner‚ receives 201 points‚ but is completely left off the ballot of one sportswriter. Williams‚ in his 1959 autobiography‚ accuses Mel Webb of being the villain: the Boston writer and Williams had feuded over the years. But another Boston writer‚ Harold Kaese‚ says that the 71-year-old Webb did not have a vote in 1947‚ and the culprit was a disgruntled midwest writer. A 10th-place vote would have given Williams the needed 2 points. DiMaggio receives 8 first place votes‚ Williams 3‚ Lou Boudreau‚ 1‚ Joe Page 7‚ George McQuinn 3 and Eddie Joost‚ who hit .206 with 110 strikeouts‚ receives 2. Williams is selected The Sporting News Player of the Year.

December

December 8In a move that will anchor The Boys of Summer‚ Brooklyn acquires SS Billy Cox‚ 33-year-old P Preacher Roe (34-47 in 4 years in Pittsburgh)‚ and little-used infielder Gene Mauch from Pittsburgh for pitchers Vic Lombardi‚ 25‚ Hal Gregg‚ 26‚ and former batting champ‚ 37-year-old Dixie Walker. In the spring Walker had requested in writing to be traded‚ but then changed his mind. Al Abrams‚ sports editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‚ opines‚ “I believe they [Pirates] got the better of it in the trade.”
December 9The Indians pick up Johnny Berardino from the Browns for Catfish Metkovich and $50‚000. Because of a broken finger‚ Metkovich will be returned to Cleveland‚ and the Indians will add another $15‚000 to complete the deal. At the end of 1952‚ Berardino will drop baseball as well as the 2nd “r” in his name‚ and start a successful acting career in Hollywood.
December 10Cleveland sends pitcher Red Embree to the Yankees for outfielder Allie Clark. New York almost took Embree instead of Allie Reynolds in a trade a year ago.

The Reds sell Elmer Riddle to the Pirates.
December 11The Reds trade 1B Bert Haas to the Phils for P Tommy Hughes.

Branch Rickey announces that the Dodgers have signed an agreement with Bud Holman and the city of Vero Beach to rent 104 acres of a former pre-war municipal airport. They will pay $1 a year and take over the maintenance. In 1952 the Dodgers will sign a new 20-year lease for $1 a year‚ and on March 11‚ 1953‚ a new field will be named Holman Stadium.