Baseball – 1958

Baseball in 1958

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January

January 6Willie Mays’s $65‚000 contract is a record high for the Giants.
January 10In Mexico’s PCL Mazatlan whips visiting Navojoa-Guaymas‚ 26-10. Deer 1B Angel Castro has three homers‚ a single‚ two walks and 11 RBIs. Castro hit two of his home runs during an 11-run‚ first inning; his second home run was a grand slam.
January 11Representatives Kenneth Keating and Patrick Hillings drop their plan to bring baseball under the nation’s antitrust laws.
January 13Spokane‚ Salt Lake City‚ and Phoenix join the PCL.

Senator Keating of New York proposes a ban within 100-mile radius on telecasts into minor-league territories.
January 15In a deal worth over a million dollars‚ the Yankees announce that they will televise 140 games in the 1958 season. Six days later‚ the Phillies agree to televise 78 games into the New York City area.
January 23In a trade that might have been good for both teams, the Washington Senators trade SS Pete Runnels to the Red Sox for 1B Norm Zauchin and OF Albie Pearson. Runnels will win two batting titles in 1960 and 1962 and just miss by 6 points in 1958. With Washington, Zauchin never shows the power he displayed in 1955 when he hit 27 homers. He will leave the majors for good after the 1959 season. Pearson will become one of the American League‘s best leadoff hitters, but only after the Senators trade him.
January 28The Tigers trade 3B Jim Finigan and $25‚000 to the Giants for IF Ozzie Virgil and 1B Gail Harris. Virgil is the first black player in a Tiger uniform.

The Athletics sign P Murry Dickson as a free agent.
January 29Dodgers C Roy Campanella suffers a broken neck in an early morning auto accident on Long Island. His spinal column is nearly severed and his legs are permanently paralyzed.

The Indians buy 1B Mickey Vernon from the Red Sox for the waiver price.

Stan Musial signs with the Cardinals for an NL record $100‚000.
January 30Commissioner Ford Frick announces that players and coaches‚ rather than the fans‚ will vote for the All-Star teams this year.

February

February 4The Hall of Fame fails to elect any new members for the first time since 1950.
February 6Ted Williams signs with the Red Sox for $135‚000‚ making him the highest paid player in ML history.
February 7The Dodgers officially become the Los Angeles Dodgers‚ Inc.
February 18Cleveland sends veteran C Jim Hegan and P Hank Aguirre to Detroit for C-OF J.W. Porter and P Hal Woodeshick. Aguirre will pitch 10 years for Detroit.
February 20The Los Angeles Coliseum Commission approves a 2-year pact for use of its facility by the Dodgers.
February 21Phillies 1B Ed Bouchee pleads guilty to a series of sex offenses‚ such as indecent exposure‚ involving young girls. He will receive a 3-year probationary sentence and enter a rehabilitation program until the end of May.

March

March 5Duke Snider, Johnny Podres, and Don Zimmer suffer minor injuries in an auto accident in Vero Beach, FL as they try to beat a 12:30 A.M. curfew. This is the 3rd accident in 2 months involving Dodger players; Jim Gilliam and his family had an accident shortly after Roy Campanella was paralyzed in a career-ending car crash.
March 11Starting this season‚ AL batters will be required to wear batting helmets.
March 18In a move to change their image‚ the Dodgers announce that clown Emmett Kelly will not perform in 1958.
March 20The Phillies acquire 1B Joe Collins from the Yankees. He decides to retire rather than report‚ thereby canceling the deal.
March 21The White Sox obtain OF Don Mueller from the Giants for cash.
March 31The Indians trade OF Gene Woodling‚ the versatile Dick Williams‚ and P Bud Daley to the Orioles for OF Larry Doby and LHP Don Ferrarese. For Doby‚ Williams‚ and Woofling‚ it is their 2nd tour of duty with their new team.

Milwaukee purchases P Dick Littlefield from the Cubs. The well-traveled pitcher will be wearing his 10th and last ML uniform‚ as he goes 0-1 for the Braves.

April

April 3The Cubs send OF Bob Speake and cash to San Francisco for veteran Bobby Thomson.
April 5Shigeo Nagashima‚ a rookie phenom‚ makes his pro debut with the Yomiuri Giants. He is fanned 4 times‚ but will go on to win the Central League batting title and have one of the distinguished careers in Japanese baseball.
April 6The International League votes to open its season in Havana‚ unless the political and social strife in Cuba worsens.
April 7The Dodgers erect a 42-foot screen in LF at the Los Angeles Coliseum to cut down on HRs‚ since it is only 250 feet down the line.
April 12On a recommendation from President Dwight D. Eisenhower‚ a friend of Branch Rickey‘s‚ the Pirates sign Preston Bruce‚ the son of the doorkeeper at the White House‚ and send him to Lincoln (Western League).
April 13Buffalo refuses to play in Havana despite an IL vote and assurances.
April 14In the presidential opener in Washington‚ the Red Sox lose to the Senators‚ 5-2. The Sox are playing without Ted Williams‚ sidelined because of food poisoning attributed to eating bad oysters yesterday on the train from Richmond. The game today is the first played under the new AL rules that batters must wear a protective helmet.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors rejects the plan to move the proposed site for a new stadium from Bayview to downtown.
April 15The San Francisco Giants defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first ML game played at Seals Stadium‚ with Ruben Gomez pitching an 8-0 shutout. Giants SS Daryl Spencer hits the first HR‚ off Don Drysdale. The Giants set an attendance record for Seals Stadium by drawing 23‚192 fans.

OF Bill Tuttle of the Athletics records 2 assists in the 2nd inning‚ tying a ML record. The A’s win 5-0 and beat Herb Score in his first appearance following his injury. Score lasts 3 innings.

In the opener at Fenway Park‚ 35‚223-the largest Red Sox crowd ever for an opener-watch Don Larsen and the Yankees win‚ 3-0. Governor Foster Furcolo tosses out the first ball. Yogi Berra‘s two run homer in the 7th is the first score for New York off Russ Nixon‚ and Berra’s 4th successive opening day homer. This one is a 302-foot drive down the RF foul line.
April 16In the first Giants night game at Seals Stadium‚ the Dodgers spoil the evening with a 13-1 pasting. Johnny Podres is the winner and Duke Snider adds a 425 foot shot over the RF wall.
April 17At Fenway‚ the Yankees beat Bud Daley and the Red Sox 3-1. Mantle hits a homer off Daley and throws him out at 2B after playing a ball off the left-center wall.

The Athletics trade P Arnold Portocarrero to Baltimore for P Bud Daley.
April 18Following a downtown parade in the morning‚ the Giants-Dodgers game in Los Angeles sets a NL single-game record with 78‚682 fans in attendance ‚ as the Dodgers prevail 6-5. Hank Sauer hits 2 HRs for the Giants‚ including the first at the Coliseum. After Jim Davenport scores what would have been the tying run in the 9th‚ Giant he is called out for failing to touch 3B. Carl Erskine is the winner over Al Worthington.

In his 2nd major league game‚ Vada Pinson‚ 19 (Total Baseball will list Pinson’s birth year as 1938: Macmillan and Bill James Abstract will list it as 1936) belts a grand slam to account for all the Reds scoring in a 4-1 win over the Pirates at Forbes Field.
April 20The Giants rout the Dodgers 12-2 behind the 2 homers by Danny O’Connell and Mays’s hitting. Willie has 3 hits‚ including a HR‚ scores 3 and knocks in 3.

With a double and triple in regulation‚ Roy Sievers belts a HR in the 10th to give the Senators a 6-5 win over the visiting Red Sox. Sievers homered yesterday after going homerless during spring training and the first 3 regular games.
April 21The A’s Frank House scores 2 runs as a pinch hitter in an 8-run 8th inning‚ as the Athletics trim the Indians 9-4. House’s feat is only the 6th occurrence in the ML.

At Yankee Stadium‚ the Red Sox put 16 runners on base‚ scoring just one as the Yanks win their 5th straight‚ 4-1. Larsen‚ with 5 innings of runless ball‚ is the winner. Ted Williams has his first hits of the year‚ a single and homer for Boston.
April 23In an ongoing dispute with soap operatic properties‚ a Chicago Court orders Mrs. Dorothy Comiskey Rigney to distribute stock from her mother’s estate‚ so she can not effectively bar her brother Charles A. Comiskey from sitting on the White Sox Board.

Herb Score strikes out 13 and allows 3 hits as Cleveland beats the White Sox‚ 2-0. Billy Pierce takes the loss.

Gil Hodges hits his 300th HR and Pee Wee Reese plays in his 2‚000th game‚ but the Dodgers lose 7-6 to the Cubs. Duke Snider injures his arm before the game trying to throw a ball out of the Los Angeles Coliseum. Unamused Dodger officials dock him a day’s pay.
April 24Giants veteran Hank Sauer clubs 2 homers‚ including a two-run shot in the 9th‚ to edge the Cardinals 6-5. Sauer becomes the first NL slugger to homer in 12 parks.
April 25The Dodgers set a record for most fans at a regular season night game as 60‚635 attend a game at the Coliseum. Los Angeles beats St. Louis‚ 5-3.

The Indians coast to a 12-2 win over the Tigers behind the 6-hit pitching of Ray Narleski. 40-year-old Mickey Vernon drives in 5 runs with a grand slam and sac fly.
April 26Mays hits his first homer in San Francisco‚ a solo HR off Chicago’s Glen Hobbie‚ to help Johnny Antonelli win his first game of the year‚ 3-1. It is Willie’s 188th homer.
April 29Horace Stoneham of the Giants rejects Westinghouse’s proposal to televise their games on a non-profit basis.
April 30Ted Williams homers and becomes the 10th ML player to get 1‚000 extra-base hits. The A’s beat Boston 11-4‚ as Bob Cerv hits 2 homers and drives home 5.

The Yankees go down to their first defeat at home‚ losing to Detroit and Frank Lary‚ 10-1. The Motor City men wallop Ford for 7 runs in 7 innings.

Johnny Antonelli wins his second‚ 10-1 over the Phils as the Giants belt 5 home runs. Jim Davenport leads with 2‚ and Cepeda‚ Spencer and Bob Schmidt chip in with one each.

May

May 2In what nearly turns into a TV war‚ the Yankees threaten to broadcast their games nationwide if the NL goes ahead with its plans to allow other broadcasts‚ especially those of the Dodgers and Giants‚ into New York territory.

At St. Louis‚ George Crowe drives in 6 runs in a 7-3 Reds win over the Cardinals.
May 4At Seals Stadium‚ light-hitting OF Roman Mejias of the Pirates hits 3 HRs in the opener with San Francisco to lead Pittsburgh to a 6-2 win. Mejias will hit just 5 homers this year. SF’s two runs come on homers by Orlando Cepeda. The Giants win the nitecap 4-3 in 10 innings.
May 5Going into the bottom of the 9th‚ the Giants trail Pittsburgh 11-1‚ but rally for 9 runs. Giants rookie 1B Orlando Cepeda‘s 3rd HR in 3 games ends the scoring‚ and pinch hitter Don Taussig pops out with the bases loaded to end the game. The Giants send up a (since tied) record 6 pinch hitters in the inning‚ and 3 score‚ tying the ML mark.
May 6Giant Mike McCormick‚ 19‚ shuts out Pittsburgh 7-0 on 3 infield singles. Orlando Cepeda‘s first-inning HR helps put the game away.
May 7Pirates Bob Skinner‚ Ted Kluszewski and Frank Thomas hit HRs in the 5th inning at Seals Stadium‚ but the Giants win 8-6.
May 8At Wrigley Field‚ the Reds score 8 runs in the 9th inning to overcome an 8-2 deficit and beat the Cubs‚ 10-8. Cincy’s last 3 runs come on a homer by Smoky Burgess.

The Pirates acquire P Bob Porterfield from Boston.
May 9After six straight home rainouts‚ the Yanks play their first home night game of the year‚ against Washington. Mantle breaks a 2-2 tie in the 3rd with an inside-the-park solo homer off Pedro Ramos. New York rolls to a 9-5 win.

In the 12th inning‚ Pittsburgh’s Ted Kluszewski breaks up a scoreless tie between starters Robin Roberts and Ron Kline by belting a game-ending homer to give the Bucs a 1-0 win over the Phils.

The Tigers pick up P Herm Wehmeier from the Cards for cash.
May 11Washington P Truman “Tex” Clevenger gets both the assist and the putout in retiring Yankee batter Elston Howard. Clevenger is hit by a line drive and the ball bounces off his leg into foul territory near 1B. Tex then covers 1B to receive the toss from 1B Norm Zauchin.

In the Phils 10-4 loss in the lidlifter with Pittsburgh‚ Phils OF Richie Ashburn pulls a muscle. He sits out the 2nd game‚ ending his consecutive game streak at 473. Bob Friend wins the opener‚ overcoming back-to-back first inning HRs by Repulski and Hamner. In game 2‚ AL castoff Bob Porterfield wins a brilliant pitching duel with Curt Simmons‚ winning 1-0 in 11 innings.

Despite 14 walks by Cards pitchers in game 1‚ the Cubs lose 8-7‚ then drop a 6-5 decision. Musial has a HR and 4 singles to come with 2 hits of 3‚000. The Cards use a NL record 10 pinch hitters in the regulation DH: they will tie the record in a DH on July 13 vs. Pittsburgh.
May 12Willie Mays hits the first grand slam in the history of the San Francisco Giants and adds another HR as Los Angeles loses 12-3.

The Reds farm out Vada Pinson‚ who was in Cincy starting lineup on Opening Day. Vada will hit .343 at Seattle (PCL) and return next year.
May 13With his pinch double in Wrigley Field off Moe Drabowsky‚ Stan Musial of the Cardinals becomes the 8th hitter in history to get 3‚000 hits. The Cards win‚ 5-3.

Willie Mays goes 5-for-5 against the Dodgers‚ as the Giants win 16-9. Mays has another 2 HRs‚ plus 2 triples‚ and 4 RBIs to compete with Daryl Spencer‘s 2 HRs‚ triple‚ double‚ and 6 RBIs. The Giants pound out 26 hits‚ while the Dodgers collect 11‚ the longest being Charlie Neal‘s HR over the distant RF fence at the Coliseum. The Giants set a ML-record (since 1900) as 5 players collect 4 hits apiece.
May 14The Senators sell OF Whitey Herzog to the A’s and buy P Al Cicotte from the Yankees.
May 18The Indians’ Carroll Hardy pinch-hits for Roger Maris and smacks a 3-run HR off Billy Pierce to pace the Tribe’s 7-4 win. Hardy will pinch-hit for Ted Williams in 1960.

The Yanks score 5 in the 4th off Pedro Ramos to top the Senators‚ 5-2.
May 20In Chicago‚ New York coast to a 5-1 win over the last-place Sox behind the pitching of Johnny Kucks. Mantle’s line drive between Al Smith and Jim Rivera goes for his 2nd inside-the-park homer of the year. The Yankees have now won 7 in a row. Mantle will hit three inside-the-park this year‚ and a Yankee-record six during his career.

The Cards trade SS Alvin Dark to the Cubs for relief P Jim Brosnan.
May 21At Cincinnati‚ Willie Mays belts a 10th inning HR off Hal Jeffcoat to give the Giants a 5-4 win.
May 22Ted Williams hits his 16th career grand slam to provide the Red Sox with the margin in an 8-5 win over the A’s. Ted’s 4th inning blast‚ off Urban‚ tied him with Ruth for 2nd place on the career slam list.
May 24The Tigers buy Bob “Hurricane” Hazle from the Braves. Hazle, hitting .170, became expendable when Billy Bruton returned to action today. Bruton, who last played on July 11, appeared in the 9th of the Braves 6-3 win over the Cardinals.

The Detroit Tigers snap a nine-game losing streak and break the New York Yankees‘ 10-game win streak with a 3-2 win behind Frank Lary. Lary is now 11-4 against the Bronx Bombers.

In Cincinnati, NL umpire Jocko Conlan criticized batting helmets, saying, “In my opinion helmets are an inviting target for pitchers to throw at. Last season at least seven helmets were cracked in our league by bean ball pitches, intentional or not.”
May 26Murry Dickson pitches brilliant relief for the A’s and clouts his 3rd career HR in the 10th‚ a game ending clout to beat the Orioles‚ 5-4. The veteran pitches 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball.
May 30Cubs Walt Moryn hits 3 HRs in the 2nd game at Wrigley Field as the Cubs sweep the Dodgers 3-2 and 10-8. Moose hits a RBI double in game 1 in the 9th to tie‚ and then scores the winning run. In game 2 Moose goes back to back with Banks in the 4th and Tanner in the 7th‚ and his 2-run HR in the 9th tags Koufax with his 1st loss.
May 31Braves Hank Aaron‚ Eddie Mathews‚ and Wes Covington homer in succession off Ron Kline of the Pirates in an 8-3 win. The same trio hit successive HRs on June 26th last year. Spahn coasts to his 8th win.

June

June 1In cold and windy Wrigley Field‚ Stan Williams makes his first ML start (3 IP previously) and allows just 2 hits as the Dodgers beat the Cubs‚ 1-0. A crowd of 3674 watch.

In Boston‚ Bob Turley wins his 8th‚ 10-4‚ for the first-place Yankees. He allows 5 Red Sox hits‚ 3 by Billy Klaus‚ as Andy Carey helps with 5 straight hits.

It’s a bad outing for Billy Loes. The Orioles pitcher allows 3 runs in the 5th inning against Washington in the 5-2 loss and fails to catch Ken Aspromonte who scores in a rundown. Loes protests to umpire Larry Napp saying he tagged him‚ and after bumping the ump‚ fires the ball away allowing another run to score. He gets tossed and the errant throw will earn him a $100 fine and suspension from the O’s. “If he (Paul Richards) don’t like me he can trade me‚” says Loes. Richard reprimanded Loes for baiting umpires in Boston two weeks ago when several times he pretended to spit on the ball while on the mound.

Al Kaline homers to lead off the bottom of the second inning against Chicago’s Ray Moore but the game is rained out after 3 innings. This washed-out homer would have given Kaline 400 for his career‚ and also would have made him the first American Leaguer with 3‚000 hits and 400 homers. Yastrzemski will be the first.

In the Negro League’s first appearance at Yankee Stadium in 12 years‚ the Detroit Clowns and Memphis Red Sox split a doubleheader‚ 13-3‚ and‚ 7-6‚ in 6 1/2 innings called because of darkness. The talent showcase draws a crowd of 9‚506 including six scouts and Yankee co-owner Dan Topping. James Farley‚ former postmaster general‚ throws out the first ball. The stars of the game include Johnny Childress‚ 19‚ for Detroit who pitches a 2-hitter in game 1 and collects three triples‚ a double and single. Bernard Porter‚ 19‚ has a homer in each game‚ and Lonnie Harris‚ 24‚ has 5 stolen bases‚ including a steal of home.
June 2Brooks Robinson‚ in a 2-1 Orioles loss to the Washington Senators‚ hits into the first triple play of a record 4 of his career. The Birds also lose hot-hitting Bob Nieman who‚ while standing on 3B‚ is hit by a line drive off the bat of Bob Boyd. It will slow him for 2 months.

Yankee P Whitey Ford fans 6 in a row to tie an AL record as he shuts out the White Sox 3-0. Sox pitcher Jim Wilson allows just 6 hits but three-2 by Bauer and one by Mantle-are out of the Stadium. On a botched hit-and-run attempt‚ Luis Aparicio is thrown out at 2B ending his streak of 26 consecutive steals.
June 3Led by Mantle’s 3-run homer in the first‚ the Yanks jump on Dick Donovan‚ who does not retire a batter. New York rolls to an easy 13-0 win over the White Sox.

The Dodger referendum passes by a slim margin 24‚293 votes. The proposition allows the city to sell 300 acres of Chavez Ravine to the Dodgers for their stadium. The NL president had stated that the Dodgers should vacate Los Angeles if the bill failed.
June 4After 32 scoreless innings, the Chicago White Sox score in the 3rd, and go on to win 7-4 over the first place New York Yankees. Billy Pierce is the winner, despite giving up a moon shot to Mickey Mantle that lands in the left-center field bleachers. The drive is measured at 478 feet.

Against the Giants , Wes Wes Covington hits a 2-out 3-run homer against reliever Pete Burnside to tie the game for the Milwaukee Braves. After the Braves score a pair of unearned runs in the 10th, Giant pinch hitters Hank Sauer and Bob Schmidt connect for back-to-back homers off Ernie Johnson. The consecutive pinch homers are the first in the National League (Bob Cerv and Elston Howard did it in the AL for the New York Yankees on July 23, 1955). Warren Spahn hits an RBI-pinch single in the 11th, then shuts down the Giants to win, 10-9.
June 5The Giants again top the Braves in extra innings‚ 5-4. In the 12th‚ Jim Finigan doubles after Mays singles‚ but Willie is thrown out at the plate by Hank Aaron. Cepeda‚ with 3 hits already‚ then hits a Gene Conley fastball for the game-winning home run. Cepeda also helps in the field‚ nabbing Wes Covington in the 9th with a hidden ball trick.

In the opener of two‚ the Yanks rout Sox starter Early Wynn for a 12-5 win at the Stadium. In the 3rd‚ Mantle legs out his 3rd inside-the-park homer in a month. The Sox take the nitecap‚ edging New York‚ 3-2.
June 6Ozzie Virgil‚ acquired from the Giants in January‚ becomes the first black player to appear in a Tiger game. He goes 1-for-5 in the 11-2 win over Washington.

In New York‚ Mantle homers in the first against Indians P Dick Tomanek‚ then ties the game at 4-4 with a 3-run tomahawk off the Tribe starter. New York wins 6-5.

The Little League announces that 4 foreign teams will play in its World Series.
June 8Moe Drabowsky of the Cubs beats the Pirates 4-0. Ted Kluszewski‘s broken bat single in the 2nd inning is the only Pittsburgh hit.
June 10The Tigers fire manager Jack Tighe‚ replacing him with Bill Norman.
June 11On his birthday‚ Frank Thomas hits 2 homers‚ one a grand slam‚ and drives in 7 runs as the Pirates wallop the Giants 14-6. Bill Mazeroski contributes a 3-run homer to back Vern Law‘s pitching.

Joe Adock belts a first inning grand slam and it proves the difference as the Braves top the Cubs‚ 10-7. Neither starter‚ Taylor Phillips for the Cubs and Bob Rush for the Braves‚ get the decision.
June 12The A’s and Indians swap shortstops‚ the Tribe getting Bill Hunter and the A’s taking Chico Carrasquel.
June 13At Yankee Stadium‚ Mickey Mantle connects of Detroit lefty Billy Hoeft and the Yankees win‚ 4-2.

In a home game between his Columbus (GA) Foxes and the Graceville Oilers (Alabama-Florida League)‚ Tom Kanapky hits HRs in the 6th‚ 7th‚ and 8th innings to lead a 22-3 romp. He finishes with 5 hits.
June 14P Shoichi Kaneda of the Kokutetsu Swallows wins 7-1 over the Yomiuri Giants‚ his 28th victory in only 70 days. He wins 20 games or more for his 8th consecutive season.

The Cardinals obtain P Sal Maglie (1-1) from the Yankees for Joe McClain and $25‚000. For Maglie‚ who will go 3-7 for the Cards‚ this will be his 4th straight year of pitching in both leagues‚ a ML record.

In the 2nd inning at Wrigley Field‚ Reds manager Birdie Tebbets reacts to a sac bunt situation by switching second baseman Johnny Temple and 1B George Crowe. Crowe continues to wear his first baseman’s mitt. Temple charges the plate‚ catching Johnny Briggs popped up bunt‚ and throws to Crowe at first for a double play. Cubs’ manager Bob Scheffing protests the move‚ but when the Cubs win 4-3‚ he withdraws the protest. The next day‚ NL president Warren Giles rules that a first baseman switching to another position must discard his mitt in favor of a glove (as noted by Cliff Blau).
June 15At New York‚ Yankee killers Jim Bunning and Frank Lary sweep New York 2-0 and 3-0 in a Detroit twin bill. Lary gives up 4 hits and Bunning 3.

On the last day of trading‚ the Yanks send 1954 Rookie of the Year P Bob Grim and OF/1B Harry “Suitcase” Simpson to the Athletics for P Virgil Trucks and RHP Duke Maas. The Tigers trade P Bob Shaw and 1B Ray Boone to the White Sox for OF Tito Francona and P Bill Fischer.

The Indians trade OF Roger Maris‚ 1B Preston Ward‚ and LHP Dick Tomanek to the Athletics for 1B Vic Power and SS Woodie Held. Insiders fear the worst: that A’s president Arnold Johnson will follow script and put Maris in Yankee pinstripes.

Dick Donovan and Jim Wilson of the White Sox sweep the Orioles 4-0 and 3-0 in a double header. Wilson allows only 2 hits.

The White Sox send OF Tito Francona and P Bill Fischer to the Tigers for 3B Ray Boone and P Bob Shaw. Shaw will lead the AL in win percentage in 1959.
June 16The Cincinnati Reds acquire Dodger P Don Newcombe.
June 17In his Briggs Stadium debut‚ Tigers 3B Ozzie Virgil goes 5-for-5 against Washington as Detroit wins 9-2. Frank Bolling adds 4 hits to back Hoeft.
June 19The University of Southern California wins the College WS in Omaha‚ defeating the University of Missouri 8-7 in 12 innings. It is their first of 10 titles under coach Rod Dedeaux.

Early Wynn of the White Sox hurls a 2-hitter-his 2nd of the year-in beating Boston‚ 4-0.
June 20At Detroit‚ Jim Bunning fans 14 Yankees to win 7-1‚ Detroit’s 6th win in a row over the Bombers. Mantle and Howard each fan 3 times.
June 21White Sox lefty Billy Pierce hurls a 2-hitter against the Orioles‚ winning 1-0 over Billy Loes. It’s the Sox 5th shutout in the last 6 games.

Frank Lary pitches his 3rd straight shutout‚ beating the Yankees Duke Maas‚ 1-0. Kaline throws out Maas at the plate and hits his 7th HR to extend his hitting streak to 18 games.
June 22Willie Kirkland unloads a 14th inning HR to give SF a 5-4 win over the Phils. Johnny Antonelli‚ in relief‚ tosses 6 shutout innings for the victory. The nitecap is called after 6 innings with the Giants ahead 1-0. When play is resumed July 23rd‚ the Phils will win 3-2.

A game between Olean (New York-Penn League) and Erie is rescheduled from 7:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. But the Erie Sailors don’t get the word and arrive at the Olean ball park 50 minutes after the 4:00 P.M. starting time‚ and the umpires forfeit the game to Olean.
June 23The White Sox bring former Cubbie Turk Lown back to Chicago‚ buying him from the Reds. Lown will prove a valuable addition‚ going 9-2 for the Sox in 1959. The Reds claim P Alex Kellner from the waiver list where the A’s had put him. Tomorrow‚ the Reds will buy White Sox 1B Walt Dropo.
June 24The Yankees erupt for 5 runs in the 4th inning off Early Wynn to beat the Sox 6-2 at Comiskey. Mantle’s clout into the CF bleachers leads off the inning‚ followed by a single‚ walk and Jerry Lumpe‘s first ML HR‚ and a HR by Siebern. Duren K’s 6 of the last 9 batters to preserve Bob Turley’s win.
June 26Hector Lopez of the Kansas City Athletics hits 3 HRs in a 8-6‚ 12-inning home win against Washington. His 3rd homer is a 2-run shot to win the game. Roy Sievers almost matches Lopez with 2 homers.

Joe Gordon replaces Bobby Bragan as manager of the Cleveland Indians‚ signing a contract through 1959.

The Braves fall to the Dodgers 4-1 and cut their lead over St. Louis to 11?2 games.
June 27In a bid for a perfect no-hitter‚ Billy Pierce of the White Sox retires 26 Washington Senators in a row before pinch-hitter Ed Fitzgerald loops a double to become the only base runner. Pierce then fans Albie Pearson to win‚ 3-0. It is Pierce’s 3rd straight shutout.

At Cincinnati‚ Johnny Temple drills a 2-out triple in the 9th inning to drive in 2 runs. The Reds beat the Giants‚ 6-5.
June 29Left fielder Del Ennis of the Cards throws out 2 Phillie runners in the 3rd inning‚ tying a ML record. But the Phils win in the 13th‚ 5-4‚ on a double by Anderson. The nitecap is suspended in the 8th with the Phils leading‚ 4-2.

Former Yankee Ralph Terry gets 12 runs from his KC teammates to top New York‚ 12-6. Mantle gets his first hit in his last 17 at bats against the A’s‚ a 3rd inning homer.
June 30In a 7-6 win against the A’s, the Tigers execute a triple steal in the 2nd inning with Billy Martin on the front end of Red Wilson and Frank Bolling. Martin did the same last year with the Yankees. Martin later gets picked off 2B.

July

July 1The Cubs Tony Taylor hits a ball inside the 3B line that falls into the rain gutter in fair territory at Wrigley Field. San Francisco rookie OF Leon Wagner chases the ball‚ but is fooled by Cubs relief pitchers staring intently under the bench. Wagner neglects to look for the ball in the gutter 40 to 50 feet further down. Taylor reaches home with the inside-the-park drive to help the Cubs win 9-5.

The Orioles and Yankees split‚ the O’s winning the opener‚ 7-5 and New York taking the nitecap‚ 2-1. Mantle has a homer in each game‚ including the game two winner with 2 out in the 8th inning off Jack Harshman.
July 2The Dodgers split a doubleheader with St. Louis‚ winning 3-2 before dropping the nightcap 6-4. A crowd of 66‚ 485 see the game at the Coliseum. This puts the Dodgers over the one million mark in just 35 home dates.

Behind the slugging of Jackie Jensen and Ted Williams‚ the Red Sox rout the Senators‚ 10-3. The two have combined to slug 9 homers in the past 5 games and have driven in 20 runs.

ML baseball reinstates 1B Ed Bouchee of the Phils‚ who was suspended on a morals charge.
July 3At Griffith Stadium‚ Mantle homers twice off Russ Kemmerer to lead New York to an 11-3 veto of the Senators. The first clears the 31-foot high wall over the 372-foot marker in right CF and is still rising when it leaves the ball park. Whitey Ford coasts to his 12th straight win.
July 4In the first of a twinbill‚ Bosox P Frank Sullivan beats the Orioles‚ 5-1‚ for the 7th straight time. He last lost to the O’s on September 7‚ 1956. The O’s take the nitecap‚ 5-3.

Bob Cerv‚ sidelined with a fractured toe‚ hits a pinch homer off Turk Lown to give KC a sweep of the DH with Chicago‚ 6-5 and 4-3. The A’s are in 2nd place‚ 10 1/2 games behind the Yankees.

The Braves score one run in 18 innings‚ losing 5-1 and 4-0 to the Phils‚ and see their NL lead drop to 1 1/2 games over the idle Cards. Curt Simmons wins the opener over Rush‚ while Carl Sawatski‚ obtained recently from the Braves‚ has a HR‚ double‚ and 2 singles. Felix Mantilla‘s HR is the only Braves tally. Sanford beats Spahn in the nitecap. A critical loss to the Braves occurs when Red Schoendienst fractures his finger in game 1. He’ll play just 106 games this year‚ but will still ead the NL in fielding.
July 5At Yankee Stadium‚ the Red Sox take a 5-3 lead in the top of the 11th‚ only to watch the Yankees stall in their at bats until the 11:59 P.M. curfew is reached. The outcome then reverts to the 10th inning 3-3 tie. Mantle has a game-tying homer in the 9th‚ off Dave Sisler.
July 6Cubs pitchers Dick Drott and Don Elston combine on a 1-hit‚ 6-2 win over the Dodgers. Jim Gilliam‘s’ single in the 7th‚ off Drott‚ is the only Los Angeles safety.

Against Cards starter Jim Brosnan‚ Whitey Lockman and Willie Kirkland hit homers to start the game. St. Louis comes back to tie but with the bases loaded and 2 out in the 9th inning‚ Cards reliever Larry Jackson hits Jim Davenport with a pitch to hand the Giants a 5-4 win. With the sacks full in the 9th yesterday‚ Jackson walked Willie Kirkland to lose 5-4.

At the Stadium‚ Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle match homers‚ but the Bosox win 10-4. Mantle has now hit 5 homers in 4 games.
July 7At the NL meeting‚ William Shea outlines plans for a $12 million stadium at Flushing Meadows‚ the eventual site of Shea Stadium. NL President Warren Giles appoints a committee to study the possible expansion of the league to 10 teams.
July 8The AL edges the NL 4-3 in the All-Star Game played at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. The Yankees Gil McDougald singles to score Boston’s Frank Malzone with the deciding run. Billy O’Dell of Baltimore pitches perfect ball for 3 innings and gets the save. This is the first All-Star Game played without an extra-base hit.

Senator Carl Mundt offers legislation to curb franchise shifts.
July 9In front of the Subcommittee on Anti-Trust and Monopoly‚ U.S. Senators are treated to a long‚ rambling, barely comprehensible discourse on baseball and America by New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel. When Stengel finishes, the Senators ask Mickey Mantle about his feelings, and the Yankee centerfielder deadpans, “My views are just about the same as Casey’s.” The manager and player return to New York in time to help thrash the Cleveland Indians, 13-2.
July 10Pitcher Lew Burdette of Milwaukee hits 2 homers and a NL record-tying (for pitchers) 5 RBIs and beats the Dodgers 8-4. (Tony Cloninger will tie Burdette’s mark in 1966‚ then set the NL mark.) Burdette was the last pitcher to hit 2 homers (August 13‚ 1957). He’ll total 12 for his career.
July 11In New York‚ Mantle and Larry Doby both propel shots in the 500-foot range to the RF upper deck‚ as New York tops Cleveland 11-3.
July 12Orlando Cepeda’s 3-run HR off Spahn gives the Giants a 5-3 win and pulls San Francisco to within a half game of the Braves.
July 13Orlando Cepeda’s 3rd HR in 3 days and Felipe Alou‘s run-scoring hit in the 9th‚ give the Giants a 6-5 win over the Braves. San Francisco now leads the Braves by 1?2 game.
July 14Superior Court Judge Praeger voids the Chavez Ravine pact‚ stating the city cannot sell its land to private concerns. Los Angeles will appeal Judge Praeger’s ruling.
July 15Frank Lary survives Mantle’s 8th homer of the month and Detroit drives by New York‚ 12-5. Lary’s record this year against the Yankees is 5-0.
July 16At Baltimore‚ after Dick Donovan gives the White Sox a 6-1 win in the lidlifter‚ P Jack Harshman of the Orioles hits 2 HRs and drives in 4 runs in a 6-5 win in the nitecap.

Testifying before the Senate subcommittee on Anti-Trust and Monopoly, Commissioner Ford Frick asks the Senate to approve legislation to curb television and radio broadcasts of baseball games. Minor league baseball towns are being wrecked, he claims. “We have got to be able to handle this problem or within 10 years there will be no television problem because there will be no baseball.” When asked about the possibility of the Washington franchise shifting cities, Frick replies, “Removal of the club from Washington would be catastrophic. Baseball cannot afford not to be in Washington.”
July 19The Yanks Norm Siebern has his 2nd 5-hit game of the month‚ against the Athletics‚ but New York loses 6-4.

The Red Sox beat the Tigers 7-6 in 12 innings at Fenway Park on a Ted Williams HR.

At Los Angeles‚ Sandy Koufax starts the 2nd successive game for the last place Dodgers. He does better than yesterday‚ when he walked 4 in the 1st and was lifted‚ but still loses to Robin Roberts and the Phils‚ 6-2. Post’s homer in the 8th with a man on breaks up a 2-2 tie. Gilliam makes 3 errors for LA.
July 20Jim Bunning of the Tigers pitches a 3-0 no-hitter over the Red Sox and fans 12. Only 2 walks and a hit batsman mar Bunning’s performance as he wins his 6th game in 7 decisions (8-6). In game 2‚ Ike Delock wins his 10th straight‚ 5-2‚ for Boston.
July 22The Phillies replace manager Mayo Smith with Eddie Sawyer‚ who had managed the club l948-52.
July 23Dodger Norm Larker hits a ball just inside the 1B 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 had rolled into the bullpen. Though not playing‚ Porterfield is ejected for intentional interference with a ball in play. Larker is safe on 2B. The Dodgers still lose 11-3 in the doubleheader opener and are now in last place. Bob Friend wins his 12th in the nitecap‚ 6-3.

In Detroit‚ the Yankees finally defeat Frank Lary‚ beating up on the Tigers 16-4. It’s their first win in ’58 against Lary after 5 losses. Berra and Mantle hit back-to-back homers in the 9th off reliever Bill Fischer. Art Ditmar has 3 hits and wins his 6th against a loss.

The Sawyer-led Phils sweep a pair from the Giants‚ winning 3-2 and 2-0. Harry Anderson clubs a three-run homer to help Robin Roberts win a suspended game‚ and rookie Ray Semproch shuts out the Giants‚ knocking them out of the NL lead.

The Braves regain first place on Joey Jay’s 2-hit‚ 6-0 win over the Cards. Eddie Mathews 3-run homer supplies the Braves punch.
July 24It’s McDougald and Mantle today hitting back-to-back shots‚ in the 9th‚ as New York outhits Detroit‚ 10-7. Paul Foytack is the reliever today. Mantle is 3-for-4 as the Yanks sweep the Tigers.

Ted Williams is fined $250 for spitting at the Boston fans again.

At Wrigley‚ Ed Bailey hits a 2-run homer in the 8th to give the Reds the 4-3 win over the Cubs.

For the 2nd time in a week‚ a Dodger pitcher makes successive starts in a game. Stan Williams‚ who pitched 2 innings yesterday‚ loses his 2nd in a row at Pittsburgh‚ 5-3. Dick Stuart‘s 2-run HR in the 4th kayoes Williams.
July 26The White Sox beat Boston and hand P Ike Delock his first loss after 13 straight wins.
July 28For the 6th time in his career‚ Mickey Mantle hits HRs from both sides of the plate. New York beats the Athletics 14-7. New York picks up a game on Boston and now leads the AL by 15 games. Mantle and KC’s Bob Cerv are one behind Jackie Jensen (29) in the home run race.
July 29Ted Williams hits his 17th career grand slam‚ tying him for 2nd place with Babe Ruth‚ and behind Lou Gehrig‚ who had 23. Williams also added a 3-run HR‚ as Boston beats Detroit 11-8.
July 30At Milwaukee‚ Warren Spahn defeats the Dodgers for the first time in nearly 7 years‚ beating them‚ 4-3. His last victory against them was September 25‚ 1951‚ though in fact he had not faced them since June 5‚ 1955‚ when they beat him. Eddie Mathews 21st HR in the 8th inning decides the game and puts the Braves back in 1st place ahead of the Giants.

The Reds Bob Purkey stops the Giants‚ 5-1‚ though San Francisco stops his scoreless inning streak against them at 46 innings. Spencer’s single in the 5th drives in the run; The Giants last scored on Purkey on May 7‚ 1955.

August

August 1At Wrigley‚ Robin Roberts wins his 200th game with a flourish‚ allowing just 3 hits‚ as the Phillies win‚ 3-1. Dale Long‘s HR is the only score for Chicago. Roberts wins his 11th this year‚ one more than he did last year.

At San Francisco‚ Lew Burdette allows 11 hits‚ but fans 8 and hits a bases-loaded single in the Braves 4-2 win over the Giants. The win increases the Braves lead to 2 games over SF. Burdette has now won 10 in a row over the Giants since September‚ 1954.
August 3Pulling away in the race‚ the Braves twice beat the faltering Giants‚ 4-3 and 6-0‚ to sweep the 4-game series. Trowbridge‚ with 7 innings of hitless relief‚ wins the opener‚ and Spahn allows 4 hits in the nitecap shutout. It is Spahn’s 43rd shutout to increase the Braves’ lead to 5 games.

The Cards Larry Jackson fans 12‚ including the last 5 batters‚ to beat the Dodgers‚ 3-2. It is Jackson’s 8th straight against the Dodgers‚ who now replace the Cards in last place. The Cards finally score a run in the 2nd-after 32 scoreless innings against Pittsburgh-to beat Podres. Rookie catcher Gene Green homers for the winning run: Green is now exclusively catching‚ but as of June 18‚ when he registered his 12th OF assist to lead the NL‚ he was in RF.
August 5At Memorial Stadium‚ New York tops the O’s‚ winning 4-1. For the 2nd day in a row‚ Mantle leads the charge with a homer.
August 9Yankee Stadium has its biggest crowd in 7 years‚ 67‚916 for Old Timers’ Day‚ but they are disappointed as Boston takes a 7-0 and holds on for a 9-6 win.

Behind Harry Bright‘s 1st ML HR‚ the Pirates beat the Reds‚ 5-2. Curt Raydon wins his 6th buts gives up 2 runs in the 5th‚ breaking the Pirate pitchers scoreless streak at Forbes of 45 2/3 innings.
August 10The Pirates complete a 4-game sweep of the Reds‚ beating them 3-2 and 4-3. Relievers Gross and Face are the winners. In the nightcap‚ Pirates CF Bill Virdon records 2 assists in the 7th‚ tying a ML mark.
August 12New York tops the O’s‚ 7-2 in New York. Mantle’s 33rd homer‚ off a Ken Lehman knuckler‚ gives him the AL lead.

Behind the 2-hit pitching of Witt‚ the rampaging Pirates top the Braves‚ 10-0‚ and move into 2nd place‚ 5 games behind Milwaukee. Pirates attracts 36‚867 to see them win their 17th in the last 22 games.
August 13Dodger P Fred Kipp relieves in the 9th and throws one pitch to retire Walt Moryn‚ then wins his 5th when Elmer Valo hits a pinch double to beat the Cubs‚ 6-5.

Despite allowing two 3-run pinch homers to Rip Repulski and Bob Bowman‚ the Pirates hold on to edge the Phillies‚ 10-9. Roberto Clemente has a pair of homers‚ Mazeroski has one‚ and Kluszewski hits a double and triple.
August 14Vic Power steals home in the 8th inning and again in the 10th to give the Indians a 10-9 win over Detroit. Power becomes the first AL player since l927 to steal home twice in the same game. He will have only 3 steals all season.

Manager Birdie Tebbetts of the Reds resigns. Jimmy Dykes takes over as interim manager.

The 7th place Dodgers draw just 6‚195‚ the smallest regular-season crowd in LA history‚ as Don Drysdale tops the Cubs 7-3 at the Coliseum. Duke Snider and Jim Gilliam hit HRs for the winners. The smallest Dodger Stadium crowd‚ 6‚559‚ will show up on September 13‚ 1976.
August 16Pirates slugger Frank Thomas clouts 3 consecutive HRs in a 13-4 pasting of the Reds. Pittsburgh is now 7 games behind Milwaukee.
August 17Curt Flood and Gene Freese‚ the first two Cardinal batters‚ blast home runs off Dodger Sandy Koufax‚ who lasts but 1 1/3 innings. It’s the 5th time in NL history the first 2 batters in a game have homered. The clouts propel the Cards to a 12-7 win‚ but the Dodgers come back to win the nitecap‚ 9-3.
August 19Giants hurler Johnny Antonelli hits the 1st homer by as pitcher at Seals Stadium‚ and also tosses a 4-3 win in 10 innings over the Reds.

In an oddity‚ each starting player of the Douglas Copper Kings team hits a HR in a 22-8 rout of the Chihuahua Dorados (Arizona-Mexican League).
August 20Phils’ 3B Willie Jones hits a pair of 3-run HRs‚ a double and single and drives in 8 runs as the Phils beat the Cardinals 12-2. Musial has 2 hits including a double‚ and is now tied with Mel Ott with 2‚165 on the all-time list.

Out of catchers‚ the Cubs put left-handed 1B Dale Long behind the plate in the opener against the Pirates. He is the first lefty backstop since 1905 when Homer Hildebrand donned the tools of ignorance. The Cubs lose 4-2‚ then win the nightcap 5-1 with Long back at 1B.
August 22Cleveland Indians Chairman William Daley rejects a $4 million bid for his team

Monterrey‚ Mexico repeats as Little League WS champions‚ beating the Kankakee‚ IL‚ Yankees 10-1. Hector Torres pitches a 3-hitter for the victory.

The pipeline is working‚ as Kansas City‚ just 2 1/2 games out of 4th place‚ ships Murry Dickson‚ their 2nd biggest winner‚ to the Yankees for a player to be named later: it turns out to be minor leaguer Zeke Bella. Dickson will provide unneeded pennant insurance for the Yankees and‚ not surprisingly‚ will return to KC next May. The Yanks win today‚ topping Chicago‚ 8-5.
August 23Dodgers P Don Drysdale hits 2 HRs in a 10-1 clipping of the Cards‚ and has now homered in each of his last 3 starts. He has 7‚ tying Don Newcombe‘s 1955 total. Veteran Gil Hodges hits the 14th grand slam of his career‚ a new NL record. It is also the first slam in the history of the Dodgers on the West Coast.

The Orioles purchase Hoyt Wilhelm (2-7) from the Indians. The knuckleballer will lead the AL in ERA in 1959.
August 27Owner Cal Griffith says that the Senators will probably accept a good offer from Minneapolis/St. Paul‚ if one is made. President Dwight D. Eisenhower says that the Senators should improve the team and stay in Washington‚ DC.

The Braves Bob Trowbridge walks Orlando Cepeda with the bases full in the 12th to give the Giants a 4-3 win. It is the Giants first win in the last 9 games against the Braves.
August 28White Sox 2B Nellie Fox sets a record for consecutive games without striking out (98).
August 30The Orioles Dick Williams plays all 3 OF positions without a single PO or assist in a 7-2 win against Boston.

September

September 1The Cardinals Vinegar Bend Mizell beats the Reds‚ 1-0‚ while walking a NL record (for a shutout) 9 batters. The Reds also swipe 5 bases. Mizell allows 4 hits‚ the same number as his opponent Joe Nuxhall‚ who loses on an unearned run. The Reds come back to win the 2nd game of the doubleheader‚ 9-3. Alex Kellner is the winner with 8 1/3 innings or shutout relief.

In San Francisco‚ the Giants sweep a doubleheader from the Dodgers (and 5 of 6 in the Labor Day series) by taking the 1st in an A.M.-P.M. doubleheader‚ 8-6. Mays is 5-for-5 with 2 doubles and a HR to drive in 5 runs. The nitecap is a memorable 4 hour: 35 minute marathon. The Giants tie in the 9th on Schmidt’s homer‚ and the Dodgers go ahead‚ 5-4‚ in the 16th on Furillo’s RBI. Whitey Lockman‘s HR in the bottom of the 16th ties it‚ then a bunt single by Ray Jablonski is followed by another bunt by P Ruben Gomez. Errors by Roseboro and Furillo follow allowing Jabo to score the winning run‚ 6-5. Mays is 11-for-20 for the series‚ with 4 homers. San Francisco Police Chief Frank Ahern‚ sitting behind home plate‚ dies of a heart attack at the climax of the 2nd game.

Bob Buhl‚ sidelined by shoulder ailments‚ makes his first appearance since May 13‚ beating the Cubs‚ 2-1 for the first-plave Braves. He beats Bob Anderson. The Cubs rout former teammate Bob Rush in the nitecap to win 9-3. Glenn Hobbie picks up his 3rd win of the year against the Braves and his 10th overall.
September 2At Yankee Stadium‚ New York snaps a scoreless tie with Boston when Berra and Mantle crash back-to-back 6th inning homers off Dave Sisler. Mantle has hit three this year of Sisler. New York wins‚ 6-1. Mantle‚ with 38 homers‚ leads the AL. Mantle and Berra will hit back-to-back homers 12 times together‚ and homer in the same game 50 times before they are through.

Minneapolis approves a $9 million bond issue to expand Metropolitan Stadium to 41‚000 seats. City alderman Byron Nelson predicts it is a “dead cinch” that Washington will move there.
September 3The Yankees spot Boston a 5-3 lead before Mantle homers in the 8th and Berra cracks a 3-run homer in the 9th to win it 8-5. Mantle and Berra each have 85 RBIs for the year.
September 4At the Coliseum‚ the Giants score 8 in the 1st inning off Johnny Podres and Stu Miller then coasts to a 13-3 win. The Giants take the season series from the Dodgers‚ 16-6.
September 5At St. Louis‚ the Dodgers manage only 3 hits but bunch the safeties in the 2nd inning off Mizell to win‚ 2-1. In the 8th with 2 outs‚ Junior Gilliam tries steal to steal home on a 3-1 pitch to Hodges‚ but he is tagged out on what is called a ball: Hodges‚ though he is credited with a walk‚ never goes to 1B.

At Pittsburgh‚ Bill Virdon hits a 10th inning HR to break up a brilliant pitching duel between the Braves Carlton Willey and Red Witt. The Pirates win‚ 1-0.
September 8In a special meeting of AL owners in Chicago‚ Washington owner Calvin Griffith succumbs to pressure from other AL owners and that night advises Minneapolis officials that he is staying in Washington.

The Pirates RF Roberto Clemente hits 3 triples in a 4-1 win over Cincinnati. Rookie pitcher Curt Raydon (8-4) collects his only ML hit in the 5th to ignite a 3-run rally. This is also his last ML decision.
September 9Athletics 1B Preston Ward hits 3 HRs in a row in an 8-6 win against Baltimore.

The Cardinals beat the Cubs‚ 8-7‚ with Jim Brosnan earning the win over his old team. Don Elston takes the loss. Ernie Banks hits his 1st HR in St. Louis in 2 years while Eddie Kasko cracks a grand slam.
September 10In Cleveland‚ 50‚021 fans turn out for “Back the Indians” night. It is Cleveland’s largest crowd since 1955‚ but the Yankees dampen the enthusiasm with an 8-3 win.

Dick Stuart clouts a 10th inning homer to give Bob Friend his 20th win of the year as the Pirates beat the Giants‚ 6-4.
September 11Orioles manager Paul Richards lists 3 pitchers in his starting line-up‚ hoping for a scoring chance in the first inning‚ at which point he can remove the extra pitchers for a batter of his choice. O’Dell‚ batting 9th at P; Harshman in CF‚ batting 5th; Pappas at 2B‚ batting 7th. Only O’Dell bats as he goes to 14-11‚ losing to KC’s Ned Garver‚ 7-1. The A’s plate 5 in the 8th‚ paced by Bob Cerv‘s 33rd HR.
September 12The Giants sweep the Phillies 5-2 and 19-2 as Mays has 6 hits to raise his average to .333. Jim Davenport tops him with 7 hits‚ including a 3-run inside-the-park HR in the first inning of game 2‚ and scores 7 runs.
September 13The Braves Warren Spahn becomes the first lefty to win 20 or more games 9 times‚ as he beats St. Louis 8-2. Eddie Plank and Lefty Grove each won 20 games 8 times.
September 14The Yankees win their 24th pennant‚ and 9th under Casey Stengel‚ winning game 1 against the A’s‚ 5-3. This ties Casey for first with Connie Mack for the most AL pennants won. New York completes the sweep with a 12-7‚ 14-inning win in game 2. Virgil Trucks allows 2 hits over the last 6 innings for the win.
September 16The Pirates keep their slim pennant hopes alive as they win a suspended game from the Cards‚ 2-1‚ then take the regular game‚ 3-1‚ behind Ron Kline. In the opener‚ young George Witt (9-2) picks up where he left off when the game was suspended 6 weeks ago‚ winning his 8th straight game. For Witt‚ plagued with arm troubles all year‚ it is his last appearance of the year‚ as he leaves on the 24th to finish his senior year at Long Beach State. Witt’s 1.61 ERA in 106 innings is the NL’s best. Alas‚ he’ll go 0-7 next season with a 6.96.

Yankee killer Frank Lary is the 3rd pitcher to beat them 7 times in the same season‚ as the Tiger star defeats them‚ 4-2. Ed Walsh (9-1 in 1908) and Ed Cicotte (7-1 in 1916) were the others. But Lary sets the AL record for most wins in a season against the pennant winner. The NL record is 8‚ by Bob Buhl in 1956.

Former AL batting champion George Stirnweiss is killed in a train wreck in Red Bank‚ NJ.
September 17Despite a wind blowing in at Briggs Stadium‚ Mantle poles a Jim Bunning pitch down the right field line over the roof onto Trumbull Avenue‚ some 500 feet away. The 2-run homer is all the Bunning allows as the Tigers win 5-2.
September 18For the second time in a month‚ the first two leadoff hitters homer. This time it is KC’s Bill Tuttle and Roger Maris connecting off Boston’s Ted Bowsfield as the A’s win‚ 4-1. Bob Cerv hits #37 for the A’s and Pete Daley homers off winner Bud Daley for Boston’s score.
September 20Orioles P Hoyt Wilhelm‚ in a rare start (he is 0-6 this year when starting)‚ pitches a 1-0 no-hitter‚ the first in O’s history‚ against Don Larsen of the Yankees‚ fanning 8. Larsen allows one hit through 6 innings. The Orioles acquired Wilhelm in August for the $20‚000 waiver price. The win‚ Wilhelm’s first ML complete game‚ and his only this year for the O’s‚ improves his record to 3-10. The winning margin is Gus Triandos’ 30th HR‚ off reliever Bobby Shantz.

The Giants Ruben Gomez gives up 3 hits‚ all to Bobby Gene Smith‚ as the Giants beat St. Louis 5-1. Willie Mays‘s 3 hits raises his average to .340‚ and he steals his 30th base‚ the first to steal 30 three times since Kiki Cuyler in 1930.
September 21The Braves clinch their 2nd straight pennant‚ beating the Reds‚ 6-5. Spahn wins his 21st.

The Cubs 1B Dale Long‚ a lefty‚ catches in the 9th inning in a 2-1 loss to the Dodgers. This time he wears a lefty catcher’s mitt‚ not a 1B glove. The Cubs strand 15 runners as Sandy Koufax tops Bob Anderson: each pitch 7 innings before relief.

At Fenway Park‚ the Red Sox complete a three game sweep of the Senators‚ all by 2-0 shut outs. The Boston winning pitchers were Tom Brewer‚ Frank Sullivan and Ike Delock. Today’s win was marred when Ted Williams‚ in a fit of anger‚ flings his bat into the stands striking Joe Cronin‘s housekeeper‚ Gladys Heffernan‚ in the face. She is not badly hurt‚ and Williams is very apologetic. But AL President Will Harridge will fine Ted Williams for a bat-throwing incident
September 22The Pirates set strikeout records in their twinbill loss‚ 3-2 and 1-0‚ to the Phillies. Starting pitcher Ronnie Kline of the Pirates fans 5 times in a 14-inning game‚ as 3 Phillies pitchers strike out ML-record 21 Bucs. In the 2nd game of the doubleheader‚ the Phillies Jack Sanford fans 6 Bucs in a row to help his team fan 10 for the game‚ and a ML record 31 for the day. Ashburn regains the bat lead going 6-for-10 to move to .343.
September 23For the 2nd time in 1958‚ P Jack Harshman of the Orioles hits 2 HRs‚ in a 3-2 win over the Senators.
September 24The Red Sox close out their home schedule with a 7-5 loss to the Yankees. Mantle cracks his 42nd homer of the year to put him 3 ahead of Colavito‚ who will finish at 42 HRs.
September 26After today’s doubleheader sweep of the Senators‚ Red Sox teammates Ted Williams and Pete Runnels are exactly tied for the AL batting leadership at .32258. Williams is 130-for-403‚ while Runnels is 180-for-558. Williams is 2-for-3 in the opener‚ with a HR‚ then sits in game 2. Runnels is 2-for-9 on the afternoon. The Nats lose‚ 6-4 and 3-1‚ to run their loss streak to 11.

Corpus Christi (Texas League) agrees not to use black players in the Dixie Series with the Southern Association.
September 27The Red Sox drill a 9-5 win over Washington as Runnels and Williams each have 3 hits‚ but Ted has 2 less at bats to move ahead in the bat race. The 2 sluggers hit back-to-back HRs in the 4th‚ off Romanosky.
September 28In a 6-4 Boston win over Washington‚ Ted Williams wins the AL batting title with a .328 mark‚ edging out teammate Pete Runnels by 6 points. Williams goes 2-for-4 against Washington with a HR and 2B against Pedro Ramos while Runnels is hitless. Williams hit .403 in his last 55 games. The Nationals finish the season with 13 straight losses.

Two sons of former stars shine in the White Sox’ 11-4 win over Kansas City. New Trier High School star Chuck Lindstrom‚ son of Fred‚ walks his first time up‚ then triples in his only ML at bat after being tipped off to the pitch by catcher Frank House. Pitcher Hal Trosky‚ Jr.‚ making his 2nd ML appearance‚ relieves in the 6th for the win. It is the last appearance for both players.
September 29In a race that goes down to the last game‚ Richie Ashburn wins the NL batting title with a 3-for-4 day that raises him to .350‚ 3 percentage points ahead of Mays‚ despite Willie’s 3 hits in the Giant’s 7-2 win over St. Louis yesterday. In a 10-inning 6-4 Phillies win in Pittsburgh‚ the Phils Dave Philley sets a ML record by getting his 8th consecutive pinch hit.

The Cardinals fire manager Fred Hutchinson (69-75 and a 5th-place finish)‚ replacing him with Solly Hemus‚ who will be a player-manager. Hemus was just acquired today from the Phillies for Gene Freese.

Minneapolis (American Association) wins the Little WS‚ defeating the IL champs‚ the Montreal Royals‚ in 4 straight games. This is the 4th time in a row the AA has won the title.

Mayo Smith signs as the new Reds manager‚ replacing Birdie Tebbetts‚ who resigned on August 14th.
September 30In the Phillies 6-4‚ 10-inning win at Pittsburgh‚ Richie Ashburn clinches the batting title going 3-for-4 to finish at .3495. Mays‚ leading off in SF’s win over St. Louis‚ is 3-for-5 to finish at .3466. Dave Philley sets a ML record for consecutive pinch hits when he doubles in the 7th for his 8th straight pinch hit. Peanuts Lowrey had 7 straight pinch hits in 1952.

October

October 1In the WS‚ the Braves pick up where they left off the previous year‚ defeating the Yankees behind Warren Spahn 4-3 in 10 innings.
October 2The Braves erupt for 7 runs in the first and go on to defeat the Yankees 13-5. Lew Burdette is shaky but beats New York for the 4th consecutive time. He also chips in with a 3-run HR.

The Orioles acquire OF Dick Williams from Kansas City for SS Chico Carrasquel.
October 3The Cardinals ship OF Del Ennis‚ SS Eddie Kasko‚ and P Bob Mabe to the Reds for George Crowe‚ P Alex Kellner and SS Alex Grammas.
October 4Yankee pitchers Don Larsen and Ryne Duren combine for a shutout as New York wins 4-0. Yankee OF Hank Bauer accounts for all 4 runs‚ including a 2-run homer in the 7th.

A Tokyo schoolboy star named Sadaharu Oh is signed by the Yomiuri Giants for a bonus of Y13‚000‚000 (about $55‚000). Oh will become one of the most famous players in baseball‚ setting many world hitting records.

The Sporting News names Washington OF Albie Pearson and Yankee P Ryne Duren as its AL Rookies of the Year; the Giants 1B Orlando Cepeda and P Carl Willey of the Braves as its NL Rookies of the Year.
October 5Milwaukee goes up 3 games to one with a 3-0‚ 2-hit shutout by Warren Spahn‚ who allows just 2 hits. The Braves stop Hank Bauer‘s 17-game WS hitting streak‚ dating back to 1956.
October 6The Yankees finally solve Lew Burdette‚ scoring 6 runs in the bottom of the 6th and winning 7-0 behind the 5-hit pitching of Bob Turley.
October 7The Yanks pull even at 3 games‚ as Hank Bauer hits his 4th HR of the Series and New York wins 4-3 in 10 innings.

The Cards keep shuffling as they send C Hobie Landrith‚ P Bill Moffett‚ and 3B Benny Valenzuela to the Giants for pitchers Marv Grissom and Ernie Broglio.
October 8The Yankees win the WS handily on Moose Skowron’s 3-run HR off Lew Burdette in the 8th that puts the game on ice 6-2. Eddie Mathews strikes out for the 11th time‚ a record that will stand until l980 when broken by Willie Wilson of Kansas City. The Braves’ 53 strikeouts are also a new WS record. This is Casey Stengel‘s 7th championship‚ tying him with Joe McCarthy for the most Series won.

The Giants send pitchers Ernie Broglio and Marv Grissom to St. Louis for Billy Muffett‚ C Hobie Landrith‚ and Ben Valenzuela. The Card win this swap as Broglio will blossom into a star.
October 9Twenty members of the Cardinals embark on an Asian goodwill tour‚ stopping in Manila and Tokyo.
October 13The commissioner fines 22 Milwaukee players $50 each for divulging their WS share.

The ML fines Yankees P Ryne Duren $250 for giving the “choke” sign to an umpire during the WS.
October 21P Kazuhisa Inao posts his 4th consecutive win in the Japan Series to bring the Nishitetsu Lions to a dramatic win after losing the first 3 games to the Yomiuri Giants.

November

November 5Lee MacPhail becomes GM of the Baltimore Orioles.
November 11The AL announces that Kansas City will play 52 night games in 1959‚ a new league mark.
November 12Yankee Bob Turley wins the Cy Young Award‚ gathering 5 votes to 4 for last year’s winner‚ Warren Spahn.
November 13Mayor Robert Wagner of New York announces preliminary plans for a 3rd major league. Chairman William Shea‚ of what will become the Continental League‚ says it is apparent that the NL is going to ignore New York City. He implies that the new league will be free to raid ML rosters.
November 18In a power struggle that has been brewing for some time within the Cleveland Indians organization‚ minority stockholders‚ led by Hank Greenberg‚ sell their stock to the majority stockholder‚ Chairman William Delay‚ who controls about 34 percent of the stock. Greenberg had proposed to Daley that he either buy Greenberg’s group stock or sell his stock to the group.

Red Schoendienst of the Braves is diagnosed with tuberculosis. He’ll miss the entire 1959 season‚ compiling just 3 at bats.
November 20The Tigers trade INF Billy Martin and RHP Al Cicotte to Cleveland for relief Ps Ray Narleski and Don Mossi and SS Ossie Alvarez.
November 25The BBWAA names Chicago Cubs slugger Ernie Banks the 1958 MVP. Willie Mays is the runner-up.
November 26The AL MVP is Boston slugger Jackie Jensen‚ winning over New York’s Bob Turley and Cleveland’s Rocky Colavito.
November 28The AL announces that its Opening Day game in 1959 will be the earliest date ever‚ April 9.
November 30Italian baseball commissioner Prince Borghese visits the U.S. to seek aid in organizing Italian teams.

December

December 2IL President Frank “Shag” Shaughnessy reports that club owners are sympathetic to player demands for a pension plan‚ but says there is no way that $250‚000 can be raised to start one.

NL President Warren Giles says he doubts New York City will get a franchise for several years. He says the NL will reject expansion now‚ even if assured of a stadium and financial backing.

The Indians send 2B Bobby Avila to the Orioles for P Russ Heman and cash.

The Red Sox box up Jimmy Piersall to Cleveland for 1B Vic Wertz and OF Gary Geiger.
December 3AL President Will Harridge announces his retirement.

The Giants trade P Ruben Gomez and C Valmy Thomas to the Phils for P Jack Sanford. Sanford‚ who slipped in his sophomore year will win 24 games in 1962‚ including 16 in a row‚ while leading the Giants to a pennant. The Phils Bob Carpenter will later rue‚ “it was the worst trade I ever made.”

The NL reelects Warren Giles to a new 5-year term.
December 4The American Association expands to 10 teams by admitting Houston‚ Dallas‚ and Fort Worth from the Texas League. This effectively denudes the Texas League‚ leaving it with 5 teams and a vacancy.

The Dodgers trade OF Gino Cimoli to the Cardinals for OF Wally Moon and RHP Phil Paine.
December 5The Phils‚ under pressure provided by the Yankees’ threat to broadcast into their territory‚ drop any plans for 1959 broadcasts to New York City. The Cards and Pirates follow suit.
December 6The Senators give walking papers to 3B Eddie Yost‚ sending him to Detroit along with Rocky Bridges and OF Neil Chrisley. The Nats receive infielders Reno Bertoia‚ Ron Samford‚ and OF Jim Delsing in exchange.
December 10The University of Pittsburgh agrees to buy Forbes Field from the Pirates and lease it to them for 5 years‚ or until a new municipal stadium is built.
December 23The Dodgers trade minor league infielder Sparky Anderson to the Phillies for OF Rip Repulski and pitchers Gene Snyder and Jim Golden. Sparky will be the Phils’ regular 2B in 1959‚ his only big league season as a player. His 152 games is the most for a one-season career and his 119 total bases is the fewest ever for a player with 500 at bats.