Baseball – 1959

Baseball in 1959

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January

January 13State Senator Joseph W. Cowgill introduces a bill to build a stadium in Camden to induce the nearby Phillies to move to New Jersey. This effort is based on statements by Phillies owner Bob Carpenter that he is thinking of moving the team unless he gets a new stadium.

John Quinn resigns as GM of the Braves and immediately accepts a similar post with the Phillies.
January 15The Texas League votes to issue automatic intentional walks instead of throwing 4 wide pitches.
January 19The Players Association orders IL members not to sign a pact unless it includes their pension plan.
January 30The Cincinnati Reds trade C Smoky Burgess‚ P Harvey Haddix and 3B Don Hoak to the Pirates for 3B Frank Thomas‚ RHP Jim Pendleton‚ OF Johnny Powers‚ P Whammy Douglas‚ and cash. The deal will turn out to be one on the worst in Reds history while Hoak, Haddix, and Burgess will each make vital contributions when the Pirates become World Series champions in 1960.
January 31Joe Cronin‚ former Senators and Red Sox SS signs a 7-year pact to become head of the AL.

Caribbean countries agree to use native players in winter ball‚ no matter how many years they have played in the U.S.

February

February 1Zack Wheat‚ Dodger favorite of the teens and twenties‚ is unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame by the 11-member veterans committee.
February 7White Sox President Mrs. Dorothy Rigney agrees to sell the team to Bill Veeck for a reported $2.7 million. Chicago insurance broker Charles O. Finley allows that he can match the price. Charles Comiskey will try and stop Veeck from buying the Sox but will be unsuccessful.
February 9Frank D. Lawrence‚ owner of the Portsmouth‚ VA‚ club‚ files a $250‚000 suit against Commissioner Ford Frick and ML baseball for breach of contract‚ alleging that broadcasts of ML games effectively forced him out of business.
February 14The Orioles purchase veteran 1B Whitey Lockman from the San Francisco Giants‚ then trade him to the Reds in June for 1B Walt Dropo.
February 17The Yankees invite Australian cricket player Norman O’Neill for a tryout at SS. U.S. Davis Cup captain Billy Talbert‚ while playing tennis in Australia‚ arranges the deal after hearing of O’Neill’s prowess.

March

March 3The Indians send Larry Doby to Detroit for OF Tito Francona. Francona will hit .363 for the Tribe‚ while Doby will be released after playing just 16 games for Detroit.
March 6Charlie Comiskey loses his bid to stop the sale of the White Sox to Bill Veeck.
March 10Dorothy Comiskey Rigney‚ granddaughter of the Old Roman‚ sells her 54 percent ownership in the White Sox to Bill Veeck‘s syndicate for $2.7 million. Brother Chuck fails in his attempt to match or improve the bid. Comiskey control of the franchise ends after 60 years.
March 11The Players Association drops its threat of a strike against the International League.
March 23The Giants send OF/1B Bill White and 3B Ray Jablonski to St. Louis for P Sam Jones.
March 24In Havana‚ The Reds and Dodgers play an exhibition game. For a pre-game photo‚ Reds Pete Whisenant swaps his mitt for a Castro rebel’s machine gun.
March 31In a trade that helps neither team‚ Milwaukee swaps P Gene Conley‚ IF Joe Koppe and IF Harry Hanebrink to the Phillies for C Stan Lopata‚ SS Ted Kazanski and Johnny O’Brien. Conley will go 12-7 before going on the disabled list from August 20th to the close of the season.

April

April 7In an effort to protect its players‚ Little League moves its pitcher’s mound 2 feet back‚ from 44 to 46.
April 9In the 5th against Washington‚ the Orioles become the first team in history to turn a triple play on Opening Day. Ed Fitzgerald lines out to Bob Boyd to start the tri-killing. Vice President Richard Nixon‚ a righthander‚ substitutes for President Dwight D. Eisenhower‚ who’s away golfing‚ and watches the Senators win‚ 9-2. It’s the first time since FDR died just before the 1945 Opener that a chief executive was not on hand. Ramos loses his shutout when Gus Triandos hits a 2-run‚ 2-out HR in the 9th.
April 10Chicago 2B Nellie Fox gets 5 hits in 7 at bats on Opening Day in a 14-inning 9-7 win in Detroit. His 5th hit is a 2-run homer‚ off Don Mossi‚ to win the game: Nellie went homerless last season in 623 at bats. Nellie’s 5 hits in an opener ties a record that won’t be matched in the next 40 years.

In St. Louis‚ the Cards lose their Opener 6-5 to the Giants. Jackie Brandt drives home the winner in the 9th for SF.

Phils 2B Sparky Anderson drives in the winning run in his first major league game‚ as Philadelphia beats the Reds‚ 2-1.
April 11After being snowed out yesterday‚ the Cubs open at home against the Dodgers‚ Don Drysdale hits his 1st Opening Day HR‚ but it is the only Dodger score against Bob Anderson. Drysdale goes 5 innings and the Dodgers lose to the Cubs‚ 6-1. Sammy Taylor has 4 RBIs for the Cubs.

The White Sox top the Tigers‚ 5-3‚ as Early Wynn racks up his 250th career victory. He retires the last 10 batters in tossing a complete game. Luis Aparicio hits a homer‚ and Sherm Lollar belts two.

Herbert E. Tucker‚ president of the Boston NAACP‚ seeks a probe of the Red Sox for alleged discrimination when the team farms out its only black ball player‚ “Pumpsie” Green. Tucker cites a 12-year history of discrimination toward blacks.

Sad Sam Jones strikes out 7 in facing his former teammates the Cards as the San Francisco Giants win 5-2. Orlando Cepeda has 4 RBIs for SF.
April 12After two rainouts‚ the Yankees and Red Sox open at Yankee Stadium before 22‚559‚ as the 42 degree temperature threatens a third postponement. Bob Turley allows just two Sox hits and Norm Siebern‘s 8th inning homer provides a 3-2 New York victory. Siebern’s hit is his 3rd of the game off Tom Brewer.

At St. Louis‚ the Giants break a 3-3 tie when‚ with 2 out in the 9th‚ Jim Davenport bunts safely off Vinegar Bend Mizell. Orlando Cepeda follows with a triple and Felipe Alou homers. Giants win‚ 6-3.
April 14Let’s hit two! Ernie Banks clouts a pair of 2-run homers off Jack Sandford to give the Cubs a 5-2 win over the Giants. Bob Hillman pitches into the 9th inning for the win. Sanford won’t forget and will hit Ernie three times this year with pitches‚

The Dodgers set a new night-game attendance record when 61‚552 fans watch their home opener against the Cards. Lindy McDaniel spoils the party with a 6-hitter and beats Johnny Podres‚ 6-2. Hal Smith hits a 2-run homer for St. Louis.

In Havana‚ Fidel Castro throws out the first ball the open the International League season and the game between Havana and Toronto. The ambassadors of the U.S.‚ Canada‚ Venezuela and Mexico look on. Fireworks and the release of 26 pigeons add to the festivities.
April 15William Shea confers with Phillies owner William Carpenter on the possibility of shifting the Phils franchise to New York City.

P Bob Grim of the Athletics hits a grand slam off Barry Latman‚ as the A’s nip the White Sox 10-8.

Red Sox rookie Jerry Casale makes his ML debut‚ beating the Senators‚ 7-3. Casale helps his cause with a 3-run homer‚ off Russ Kemmerer‚ a shot that clears Fenway’s right-center field wall and lands on the street.

Don Drysdale scatters 8 hits in shutting out the Cardinals‚ 5-0. The loser is Jackson‚ who goes 6 innings before giving way to Bob Gibson‚ making his ML debut. It’s a rude initiation as the first batter he faces‚ Jim Baxes‚ homers off him. For the 31-year-old Baxes‚ it is his first ML homer: he’ll hit 17 in just 246 at bats‚ 16 more than his brother Mike‚ in this his only season.
April 16Phillie Dave Philley‚ who ended 1958 with 8 consecutive pinch hits‚ starts 1959 with a pinch-hit double in his first pinch at bat to extend his ML record. Despite Philley’s new mark‚ Lew Burdette and the Braves win 7-3. Burdette allows just 6 hits in beating Russ Meyer.

Reliever Billy O’Dell gets the win as the Orioles top the visiting Yankees‚ 7-4. O’Dell relieves George Bamberger‚ who pitches 6 1/3 innings in his only ML start.
April 17Led by rookies Rudy Arias and Norm Cash‚ the White Sox top Detroit 6-5. Arias picks up his 1st win and Cash contributes a 3-run HR.

Boston’s Tom Brewer shuts out the Yankees‚ 4-0‚ on 2 hits‚ besting Bob Turley who beat him last week. It is the 1st shut out by a Bosox pitcher since August 7‚ 1956-a 55 game stretch.
April 18Branch Rickey becomes president of the Continental League. He appoints a committee to study problems associated with acquiring players.

Jack Sanford of the Giants allows only a 7th-inning bloop single to pinch hitter Stan Musial in beating St. Louis 8-1 in San Francisco. The Cards score in the first on 3 walks‚ a hit batter‚ and a wild pitch. Cepeda hits his 5th HR in 4 games.

The Phils get 15 hits‚ including a grand slam by pinch hitter Gene Freese‚ to outslug the Reds‚ 14-9. Don Newcombe loses for the 2nd time to the Phils this year‚ with the win going to reliever Al Schroll. The Reds get homers from Frank Robinson‚ Roy McMillan and pinch hitter Jerry Lynch.
April 21OF Don Demeter of the Dodgers hits 3 HRs‚ including the game winner in the 11th in a 9-7 win against the Giants in the Los Angeles Coliseum. One of his HRs is an inside-the-park 4-bagger‚ as he drives in 6 runs.

Stan Musial breaks up another no-hitter. His 7th-inning double off Glen Hobbie is the Cards’ only safety in a 1-0 loss to the Cubs.
April 22The White Sox‚ down 6-1 after two innings‚ storm back and score 11 runs in the 7th inning on one hit; there are 3 errors‚ a near-record 10 walks‚ a HBP‚ stolen base‚ and single in the frame. Kansas City Athletics relief P George Brunet gives up 5 bases-loaded walks and a bases-loaded HBP‚ as the White Sox garner just one hit‚ by John Callison. Jim Landis makes 2 outs‚ both grounders to the pitcher‚ in the strange inning. Nellie Fox drives in two runs in the inning‚ both times by walking. Fox does collect 4 hits in the game‚ while Aparicio has a 3-run homer. There are 3 other bases-loaded walks as Kansas City loses‚ 20-6.

Whitey Ford pitches 14 innings against the Senators striking out 15. The Yankees finally win it in the 14th on a Moose Skowron solo homer 1-0‚ the longest contest ending 1-0 on a four-bagger.
April 23The Senators tally only 3 hits off Bob Turley‚ but beat the Yankee righty‚ 3-2‚ snapping his 12-game winning streak over Washington. Russ Kemmerer is the winner‚ despite allowing a HR to Mantle.

After a conference with Fidel Castro‚ Havana club president Bobby Maduro says the team will stay in Cuba despite the political unrest.
April 26Was it something I said? Reds pitcher Willard Schmidt is twice hit by pitches in the 3rd inning in an 11-10 win over the Braves. Braves pitchers Bob Rush and Lew Burdette do the plunking. It is a first in the major leagues‚ but the ML mark will be tied in 3 years by Frank Thomas and later by Brady Anderson. But Schmidt will likely remain the only batter to hit and be hit twice in an inning. While on the mound in the 4th inning‚ Schmidt is hit again when a Johnny Logan line drive strikes him on the right hand and he has to leave the game. The two teams use 14 pitchers between them to tie a NL record‚ with the 8 pitchers by the Reds tying another NL record. Warren Spahn is tagged for the loss‚ his 2nd in 2 days to the Reds.

Surprising Baltimore sweeps a pair from the Yankees‚ coming from behind to score 2 in the 9th and win the opener‚ 5-4‚ and scoring in the final frame of the nitecap to win‚ 3-2. The O’s use 6 pinch hitters in the opener‚ while New York uses 4 for a new ML mark. Hoyt Wilhelm goes the distance in the nitecap‚ but his knuckler proves elusive for Gus Triandos‚ who ties the ML record with 4 passed balls. Ray Katt‚ who was the lone holder of the record‚ also caught Wilhelm.

Los Angeles move into first place ahead of the Braves with a 17-11 win over St. Louis. The Dodgers score 4 in the 8th and 4 more in the 9th. Charley Neal has 5 hits and Hodges 5 RBIs to lead the Dodgers.

Sadaharu Oh of the Yomiuri Giants hits the first of 868 career HRs.
April 29At Comiskey Park‚ the Yankees get homers from Mantle‚ Bauer‚ and Skowron to beat the Sox‚ 5-2.

At Crosley Field‚ the Reds outslug the Cubs‚ 18-8‚ on 18 hits‚ including HRs by Robinson‚ Bell (2)‚ and McMillan.

May

May 1White Sox pitcher Early Wynn, 39, tosses a one-hitter for a 1–0 victory over Boston. He fans 14 and belts a homer in the inning for the only run off Tom Brewer. Outfielder Bill Renna gets his glove on Wynn’s fly ball but it deflects into the stands. Wynn last hit a homer at Comiskey Park on June 3, 1944.

Harmon Killebrew‘s 10th inning HR‚ the 2nd of the game for the third sacker‚ gives Washington a 4-3 win over the woeful Tigers (2-14). Jim Bunning and Camilo Pascual each go the rout. Bunning is done in by errors by Yost and Bridges in the 8th‚ though Yost hits a double and HR against his old team.

The ML executive council approves the Players Association proposal for 2 All-Star Games each year.

The White Sox send OF Lou Skizas and LHP Don Rudolph to the Reds for OF Del Ennis. Tomorrow the Sox will send Ray Boone to the A’s for Harry Simpson.

The Washington Senators start a baseball lecture series for women.
May 2Frank Robinson of the Reds hits for the cycle‚ in a 16-4 rout of the Dodgers.

The Red Sox send P Dave Sisler and 2B Ted Lepcio to the Tigers for P Billy Hoeft‚ then trade Hoeft on June 15 to Baltimore for P Jack Harshman. Harshman will last a month before he’s sold to the Indians.
May 3Jimmy Dykes replaces Bill Norman as manager of the Tigers‚ who are 2-15.

Charley Maxwell‚ restored to the Tigers lineup although batting only .136‚ hits 4 consecutive HRs in a doubleheader sweep of the Yankees 4-2 and 8-2. “Paw Paw” is 2-4 in the opener‚ with a 9th inning homer‚ then homers his first three at-bats in game 2.

C Hank Foiles of Pittsburgh makes an unassisted DP in a 2-1 loss to St. Louis.

At Crosley Field‚ Jerry Lynch cracks a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 9th and the Reds top the Dodgers‚ 6-3.
May 7The Los Angeles Coliseum is jammed by 93‚103 on “Roy Campanella Night” for an exhibition game between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees. This is the largest crowd in ML history. The Yanks win 6-2.
May 9Mrs. Dorothy Rigney‚ her husband John‚ and Hank Greenberg all resign their posts with the White Sox.
May 10The Phils Jim Hearn comes on in relief to pitch 11?3 innings against the Pirates. He allows 2 earned runs before the game is suspended‚ with the Pirates ahead 6-4. Hearn is released before the game is completed in July and will be charged with the loss 2 months after his retirement.

In the first game of a doubleheader‚ Cubs reliever Elmer Singleton defeats reliever Lindy McDaniel of the Cardinals 10-9. In the nightcap‚ McDaniel is the winner and Singleton the loser 8-7.

The Yanks sweep two from the Senators at the Stadium‚ winning 6-3 and 3-2 in 10 innings. Mantle’s homer in the 3rd inning of the opener starts the Yanks scoring as they beat Chuck Stobbs. Mantle singles and scores the winning run in the 10th of the nitecap. Berra has a HR in the nitecap and sets a new ML record for consecutive errorless games by a catcher with 148.
May 12At Yankee Stadium‚ Yogi Berra‘s errorless streak of 148 games comes to an end when he makes an error on his 34th birthday today. Berra also homers‚ as do Howard and Mantle‚ but New York loses 7-6 to the first-place Indians.

Ted Williams plays his first game after being sidelined since March with neck and shoulder trouble. He is 0-for-5 in Boston’s 4-3 loss to Chicago in 12 innings.

Harmon Killebrew hits his 11th and 12th HRs and drives in 5 runs to lead the Senators to a 7-4 win over the Tigers. He also leads the AL in runs (26) and RBIs (28).

At Wrigley‚ the Braves Lew Burdette loses a 3-2 lead in the 9th when he serves up a gopher to Walt Moryn. After loading the bases‚ Burdette fires what he thinks is strike 3 to pinch hitter Earl Averill. His next pitch is grand slammed by Averill for a 7-3 Cubs win.
May 13Milwaukee’s Warren Spahn becomes the 3rd NL lefty to win 250 games‚ beating the Cards 3-2.
May 15Massachusetts marks the 100th anniversary of the first college baseball game‚ between Amherst and Williams. Teams reenact the original contest.
May 18Detroit pitcher Jim Bunning hits a 3-run homer‚ one of 5 Tiger homers‚ as the Bengals down the Red Sox‚ 14-2. Frank Bolling scores 5 runs.
May 19At Baltimore‚ Billy O’Dell’s 120 foot 2-run HR is all he needs to beat the White Sox‚ 2-1. O’Dell slices a ball that bounces over Al Smith’s head in LF for an inside-the-park HR in the 2nd.
May 20The Yankees sink to last place‚ the first time since May 25‚ 1940‚ as Detroit drubs them 13-6. Fittingly‚ it is Yankee Killer Frank Lary who wins it‚ improving his lifetime record against New York to 18-5.
May 21Commissioner Ford Frick announces that he foresees the formation of a 3rd league within 5 years.
May 22Baltimore’s Hoyt Wilhelm one-hits the Yankees 5-0‚ with Jerry Lumpe‘s single in the 8th the spoiler. Switch hitter Mantle hits righty against Wilhelm and does no better than he has been lefty. On May 28‚ Wilhelm will beat the Yankees again‚ 5-0.
May 23The Athletics’ Bud Daley beats the White Sox 16-0‚ keeping Chicago a 1?2 game behind Cleveland‚ a loser to Detroit 6-4.
May 25Buffalo seeks membership in the Continental League.
May 26In a singular performance‚ Harvey Haddix of the Pirates pitches a perfect game against Milwaukee for 12 innings‚ only to lose in the 13th. Felix Mantilla opens the last inning by reaching base on an error. A sacrifice and an intentional walk to Hank Aaron brings up Joe Adcock‚ who hits one out of the park in right-CF for an apparent 3-0 victory. Aaron pulls a “Merkle‚” leaving the field‚ and Adcock passes him on the basepaths. Both are called out as Mantilla scores. Initially the score is 2-0 as Aaron returns and score; it is later called a 1-0 game. Lew Burdette goes all 13 innings for his 8th win‚ scattering 12 hits. As a consequence of the baserunning in the 13th‚ the Braves leave an NL-record one runner on base. Haddix’s gem makes him the 9th pitcher to lose a no-hitter in extra innings; A combined effort of three Reds pitcher‚ on May 26‚ 1956‚ was the last. Making Haddix’s effort even more remarkable is the fact that the Braves hitters knew what was coming. In 1993‚ Bob Buhl admitted that the Braves pitchers were stealing the signs from Smoky Burgess‚ who could not crouch down all the way. They would place a towel on the bullpen fence in such a way to signal fastball or breaking ball.

At Comiskey Park‚ a helicopter lands behind 2B before a Sox-Indians game‚ and four midgets dressed as spacemen jump out. Capturing 5’9″ Nellie Fox and 5’10” Luis Aparicio‚ the spacemen‚ led by Eddie Gaedel‚ present the 2 with ray guns. Gaedel reportedly says‚ “I don’t want to be taken to your leader; I already know him.” Don Ferrarase then allows 4 hits to beat the Sox‚ 3-0. The pitcher hits 3 doubles and drives in 2 runs to pace the attack.

In a trade that benefits the Yankees‚ New York send pitchers Tom Sturdivant and Johnny Kucks‚ SS Jerry Lumpe and that player to be named later to Kansas City. The Yankees get P Ralph Terry‚ who has been ripening on the vine‚ and Hector Lopez. Terry will win 73 games for NY and pitch in 5 straight World Series.

San Francisoc beats the Dodgers‚ 6-4‚ when Leon Wagner hits a 9th inning pinch grand slam.

The Senators trade last years Rookie of the Year Albie Pearson to Baltimore for Lennie Green. Pearson‚ 5’3″‚ bothered by a hernia‚ has lost his job to rookie Bob Allison.
May 27League President Warren Giles rules that the final score of the Harvey Haddix perfect game should be amended to 1-0‚ since both runners Henry Aaron and Joe Adcock were ruled out-Aaron for leaving the field‚ and Adcock for passing him in the basepath. Adcock is credited with a double and not a HR.
May 29President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his White House staff attend a game. He gets slugger Harmon Killebrew‘s autograph on a HR ball for his grandson David‚ as Washington defeats the Red Sox 7-6. The Killer will bang 15 homers in May.
May 30Ted Williams celebrates his 20th season by clouting a dramatic HR in an 8-3 Boston win in a doubleheader nitecap against Baltimore. The Sox were trailing 3-2 in the 7th when the Splinter connects for his 1st homer this year. The Sox take the opener‚ 5-4‚ after spotting the O’s a 4-1 lead.
May 31Seven pitchers record 23 strikeouts in the Cards-Dodgers game tying the NL mark. Koufax is high with 9 as Los Angeles wins 5-3.

In the 2nd game of a doubleheader‚ Gene Freese‘s HR accounts for the only Phillies run in a 2-1 loss to the Braves and Warren Spahn. For Freese‚ it is his 5th pinch homer of the season‚ one short of the NL record. Freese will hit 23 HRs this season‚ but no more in the pinch. The Phils win the opener‚ 6-0‚ behind Robin Roberts.

At Washington‚ the Yankees beat the Senators‚ 3-0‚ on Bob Turley’s two-hitter. Moose Skowron accounts for the scoring with a three-run homer. Mantle almost homers‚ but his 438-foot drive is caught by CF Bob Allison.

June

June 1Two-time champ Monterrey‚ Mexico is barred from 1959 Little League competition for its failure to comply with the rule that specifies using only players from a predetermined geographical area.
June 2At Comiskey Park‚ The Sox-Baltimore game is delayed 30 minutes due to a swarm of gnats over the field. Groundskeepers tried bug spray to no avail before bringing in the post-game fireworks display and attaching a smoke bomb to framework. It works‚ dispersing the gnats‚ and the O’s dispense the Sox 3-2.

In a 5-3 loss to Kansas City‚ Boston’s Ted Williams records his 2‚500th career hit‚ a double.
June 3At Detroit‚ Mickey Mantle homers off Ray Narleski in the 9th to give the Yankees a 6-5 win. New York chases nemesis Frank Lary with 5 runs in the 3rd.
June 4Earl Torgeson hits a 2-out HR in the 17th‚ off Jerry Walker‚ to give the White Sox a 4-3 win over Baltimore.
June 6In the Cubs 8-2 win over Pittsburgh‚ Bucs reliever Ron Blackburn collects his only hit of his ML career‚ a homer‚ off Moe Drabowsky. Blackburn hurls 4 innings of hitless ball. The Cubs score 6 in the 1st‚ lead by Bank’s triple and Moryn’s HR.

The Dodgers bring up SS Maury Wills from Spokane‚ where he was hitting .313 with 25 stolen bases.
June 9Joan Payson‚ a wealthy investor‚ is identified as the principal backer of a New York franchise in the proposed 3rd league.

At the Stadium‚ the Yanks edge Kansas City‚ 9-8 in 13 innings. Mantle homers in the 4th‚ off Murry Dickson‚ but it is Hector Lopez’s single that wins it in the 13th.
June 10Rocky Colavito hits 4 consecutive HRs in Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium to lead the Indians to an 11-8 win. Colavito joins Lou Gehrig and Bobby Lowe as the only ML players to hit 4 consecutive four-baggers. He also scores 5 runs.
June 12Giants P Mike McCormick does not yield a single hit in the first 5 innings of a game against the Phillies. In the top of the 6th‚ he gives up a single to Richie Ashburn‚ but the game is called because of rain. The incomplete inning is not included in the records‚ thereby giving McCormick a 3-0 shortened no-hitter.

The Yanks top Jim Bunning and Detroit‚ 6-4‚ to give Casey Stengel his 1‚000th win as the Yankee skipper. Don Larsen picks up the win.
June 14Ken Boyer of the Cards hits his 3rd weekly inside-the-park HR‚ this one against the Reds at St. Louis in a 5-4 first-game win. On May 30 he connected at Los Angeles and June 7 at Philadelphia.

Boston manager Pinky Higgins benches Ted Williams in a scheduled double header with Kansas City. The Splinter‚ hitting just .175‚ has been slowed by injuries. Williams will pinch hit in the next 2 games. The Sox win 6-1 with cold and rain postponing game 2.

At New York‚ the Tigers sweep a pair from New York‚ 3-2 and 8-2. Charlie Maxwell unleashes his Sunday punch in the opener‚ hitting a 3-run homer in the 8th. It is his 14th homer‚ 8 of which have come on Sunday. Lary wins his 3rd of the year against the Yankees. Paul Foytack is the winner in game 2. Al Kaline has 3 hits in each game.
June 15Cleveland‚ behind the pitching of Gary Bell‚ beats the Red Sox‚ 5-1‚ to move into 1st place in the A.L.
June 16At Baltimore‚ the Tigers stop Hoyt Wilhelm‘s 9-game win streak to start the year‚ kayoing the vet knuckler in the 6th to win‚ 6-4.
June 17At Yankee Stadium‚ Mantle lashes a Ray Moore 3-0 pitch some 470 feet into the RF bleachers to lead New York to a 7-3 win over the White Sox.
June 18At Baltimore‚ Chico Carrasquel drives in 2 urns in both the 8th and 9th innings to give the Birds‚ a 6-7 win over the Tigers. Tiger star Al Kaline‚ hitting .357‚ fractures his shoulder and will be out of action.

At a news conference‚ the Continental League announces that franchises in the 3rd league will be priced at $10 million.

Oklahoma State wins the NCAA college baseball championship‚ defeating Arizona 5-3 in the deciding game.
June 19Veteran P Roger Craig‚ recently brought up from Spokane‚ makes his first start this year for the Dodgers. He gives up 5 hits in beating the Reds‚ 6-2.
June 21Milwaukee’s Henry Aaron hits three 2-run HRs at Seals Stadium to power the Braves to a 13-3 win over the Giants. It’s the only 3-homer game of Aaron’s career.

The Indians take two‚ 4-2 and 5-4‚ before 68‚680 at Yankee Stadium‚ to increase the Tribe lead to 2 games over Chicago.

At Los Angeles‚ the Reds Don Newcombe subdues the Dodgers‚ 17-3. Newk pitches a complete game and collects 4 hits and 4 RBIs.
June 22Dodger southpaw Sandy Koufax fans 16 Phillies‚ to set a new record for a night game‚ and wins 6-2.

At Kansas City‚ Mantle drives in 6 runs with a triple and 2 homers to lead New York to a 13-6 win. Skowron adds his 4th homer in 4 days to move New York to 3 games out of first place.
June 23The Yankees ride 2-run homers from Mantle‚ Bauer and McDougald to a 10-2 win over KC.

The perceived excessive payments of $650‚000 to $1‚000‚000 for Candlestick Park become an issue in Mayor Christopher’s bid for reelection in San Francisco.
June 26The “Emperor’s game‚” the greatest in Japanese baseball history‚ is played by the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers‚ with Emperor Hirohito and his wife attending at Tokyo’s Korakuen Stadium. The game is tied 4-4 in the 7th on Giants rookie Sadaharu Oh‘s 2-run HR‚ then won 5-4 in the last of the 9th on a HR by the Giant’s Shigeo Nagashima. This starts the famed “O-N cannon‚” the hitting combination of Oh and Nagashima‚ that will bring the Giants 9 pennants between 1965 and 1973. In all‚ the O-N cannon hits dual HRs in 106 games.
June 27With the players voting‚ Henry Aaron gets a unanimous vote for the All-Star Game‚ making him the first player so selected.
June 28The Phils Wally Post becomes the only player in baseball history to twice throw out 2 runners from the OF in one inning. The Giants win 6-0.
June 30At Wrigley‚ a bizarre play occurs in the 4th inning when two balls are put into play. On a 3-1 count‚ Bob Anderson‘s pitch to Stan Musial is wild and bounces back to the screen. Catcher Sammy Taylor ignores the ball‚ assuming it ticked off Musial’s bat‚ but Cubs 3B Alvin Dark rushes in to retrieve the wild pitch/foul tip. The bat boy tosses the ball to field announcer Pat Piper‚ and Dark finally retrieves it from him. Meanwhile home plate ump Vic Delmore has handed a second ball to Anderson. Through all this‚ Musial reaches first with what he thinks is ball four‚ and then streaks for 2B. Simultaneously‚ Dark and Anderson fire to the bag. Anderson’s throw goes into CF‚ but Dark’s to Banks catches the sliding Musial. Stan ignores the tag and rambles to 3B as play is stopped. Delmore then rules Musial is out at 2B‚ while Al Barlick rules Stan safe at 1B. Both managers play the game under protest‚ but the Cards drop theirs after dropping the Cubs‚ 4-1. The NL will drop Vic Delmore at the end of the season.

The Giants Sam Jones throws a 2-0 one-hitter against the Dodgers‚ allowing only Jim Gilliam‘s controversial single in the 8th‚ a grounder SS Andre Rodgers has difficulty picking up. Willie Mays‘s 2-run HR against Don Drysdale accounts for all the scoring.

July

July 1The Reds purchase veteran 3B Willie Jones from the Indians.
July 2Gene Freese hits his 2nd grand slam of the season‚ off the Reds Jim Brosnan‚ as the Phils win 7-6. Don Newcombe wins the nitecap for the Reds 8-4.
July 3Boston fires manager Pinky Higgins‚ replacing him tomorrow with Billy Jurges. Coach Rudy York takes over for today’s game.

After giving up a grand slam to the A’s Bob Cerv‚ Herb Score settles down and strikes out 14 in Cleveland’s 8-4 win.
July 4Yankee Bob Turley turns in another one-hit masterpiece at Washington. A lazy ?y in the 9th by PH Julio Becquer drops in front of LF Norm Siebern for the only Senator safety. SS Tony Kubek goes 8-for-10 in the doubleheader‚ as the Yanks sweep 10-6 and 7-0.
July 7The NL defeats the AL 5-4 in the All-Star Game at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Willie Mays knocks in Henry Aaron with the deciding run. Don Drysdale pitches perfect ball the first 3 innings.
July 9ML baseball announces that the 1960 season will open one week later than this year in hopes of getting better weather.

Ray Herbert and Johnny Kucks of Kansas City sweep the Tigers 5-0 and 4-0 in a doubleheader.

Two 20-year-old Baby Birds-Milt Pappas and Jerry Walker-shut out the Senators 8-0 and 5-0. The Orioles recall young Brooks Robinson from the minors.

In the first game of a doubleheader‚ Gene Freese blasts his 3rd grand slam of the year as the Phils top the Cards 11-0 at home.

Roger Craig relieves in the 3rd and pitches 11 scoreless innings‚ throwing just 88 pitches‚ to give the Dodgers a 4-3 victory over the Braves. The loss drops the Braves from 1st place to 3rd‚ as Brooklyn takes over 2nd place.

The Red Sox club the Yankees‚ 14-3‚ before 30‚253‚ the largest crowd at Fenway so far this year. Frank Sullivan is the winner. Wertz‚ Williams‚ and Avila club homers. Williams and Avila drive in 7 runs.
July 11Boston SS Don Buddin cracks a 10th inning grand slam‚ off reliever Bob Turley‚ to give the Red Sox an 8-4 win over New York. Turley replaced Bronstad‚ who took over when Ryne Duran and Yogi Berra are tossed by ump Summers.

New York’s Mark Baldwin surrenders only 3 hits‚ but is out dueled by Ed Stein‚ who pitches his 2nd one-hitter of the season to lead Brooklyn to a 3-0 victory.
July 12NBC uses outfield TV cameras with 80-inch lenses to show the catchers’ signals during a Yankee-Red Sox game. Announcers Phil Rizzuto Mel Allen are invariably correct in calling the signals of Yogi Berra and Sammy White. Commissioner Ford Frick will request that they halt its use during future Game of the Week broadcasts. It doesn’t help New York‚ which drops their last 4 games to the host Red Sox. Boston wins today‚ 7-3.

Larry Sherry loses his 2nd start for the Dodgers‚ as the Reds nip him 4-3. Sherry will not lose again‚ winning his next 7 starts.
July 13The Red Sox sweep their 5-game series with New York with a 13-3 rout featuring a big 6th inning. Gene Stephens pinch runs for Ted Williams and‚ when the Sox bat around‚ Stephens then hits a grand slam.
July 15Gus Bell collects 2 doubles and 3 singles in the Reds’ 11-5 win over the Cardinals in St. Louis.
July 16After beating the Indians yesterday‚ the Yanks sweep a doubleheader today to knock the Tribe out of first. New York wins the opener when Berra ties the game in the 9th with a homer‚ and Mantle wins it‚ 7-5‚ in the 10th with a 2-run shot off Gary Bell. Bobby Shantz wins the nitecap‚ 4-0. New York is 5 1/2 games out of first.
July 17In a dispute with the umpires‚ Cleveland manager Joe Gordon is ejected. Cleveland OF Minnie Minoso refuses to stand in the batter’s box until the argument is over. Umpire Frank Umont calls him out on strikes. The enraged Minoso charges Umont and gets the thumb also. The Indians win 8-7 to stay on the heels of Chicago.

Chicago’s Early Wynn and the Yankees Ralph Terry match zeros for 8 innings at Yankee Stadium‚ before Chicago’s Jim McAnany collects the first Sox hit in the 9th. Jim Landis adds a 2nd hit to drive home two runs to give the Sox the 2-0 win. Wynn matched Terry by also allowing just two hits.
July 18The Tigers drop game 1 to the Orioles‚ 5-2‚ their 13th loss in 15 games‚ then win the nitecap‚ 2-0‚ despite getting just 2 hits off Wilhelm. Hoyt allows 2 singles‚ but his knuckler proves elusive to Myron Ginsberg‚ who allows 4 passed balls to tie the AL record held by Gus Triandos and 2 others. O’s catchers Ginsberg & Triandos will set the modern ML record for passed balls this season with 49.
July 19Before 57‚000 at the Stadium‚ the Yankees sweep a pair from the visiting White Sox‚ winning the nitecap 6-4 on Mantle’s homer off Turk Lown. In game 1‚ Yankee veteran Enos Slaughter belts a pair of homers: at age 43‚ he is the oldest player this century to accomplish the feat. Carlton Fisk‚ a few months older‚ will top Slaughter in 1991.
July 21In a 2-1 loss to the White Sox‚ Pumpsie Green pinch runs for the Red Sox‚ who become the last ML team to play a black player. Tomorrow‚ Green goes 0-for-3 against Early Wynn in a 5-4 Sox win that propels them into 1st place.
July 22Veteran Bobby Avila‚ in his first game with Milwaukee‚ hits a 2-run 9th inning HR‚ of the Reds’ Jim O’Toole‚ to help give the Braves a 5-4 win.
July 23With Ty Cobb in the stands‚ the Tigers make 15 hits to beat the Senators‚ 11-2. Harvey Kuenn‚ the AL’s leading hitter‚ is 4-for-4 and scores 4 runs. Bunning allows 4 hits to win.
July 24As a prelude to the IL game between the Havana Sugar Kings and visiting Rochester Red Wings‚ Fidel Castro pitches two innings for his pickup team Los Barbudos against a Military Police squad. Castro pitches both innings‚ strikes out two batters with the aid of some friendly calls‚ and ground outs to short. This well-photographed event is El Jefe’s only mound appearance‚ according to Cuban expert Pete Bjarkman.
July 25Against Detroit‚ Yankee first baseman Moose Skowron reaching for a wide throw collides with Tiger runner Coot Veale. Skowron’s arm is broken in two places and he is out for the rest of the season. Marv Throneberry will fill in at 1B. The Yanks win‚ 9-8‚ when Berra hits a HR in the 9th with Mantle on. Prior to the Yogi HR‚ Richardson and Brickell hit their first ML homers for NY. Berra’s HR erases 5 Yankee errors‚ 3 by 3B Lopez.

Fidel Castro supporters‚ enjoying a raucous July 26th Celebration in La Gran Stadium in downtown Havana‚ bring a halt to the IL contest between the Red Wings and the Sugar Kings with random gunshots from the grandstand. Red Wings 3B coach Frank Verdi and Havana SS Leo Cardenas both suffer minor ?esh wounds‚ which causes manager Cot Deal to pull his players from the field and retreat to their hotel. League officials cancel the remainder of the Havana team’s homestand‚ and‚ with pressure on Ford Frick from U.S. Secretary of State Christian Herter‚ eventually relocate the franchise to Newark for the 1960 season.
July 27Organizational committee chairman William Shea announces that the Continental League has definite franchises planned for New York City‚ Houston‚ Toronto‚ Denver‚ and Minneapolis/St. Paul‚ with interest in 11 other cities. It envisions beginning play in 1961. New York City says it will build a stadium at the Flushing Meadow Park site.

The Dodgers move into first place on Roger Craig‘s 2-0 win. Joe Pignatano and Don Zimmer hit solo HRs. A year ago on this date the Dodgers were in last place.

At Detroit‚ Baltimore’s Gene Woodling drives in 5 runs‚ 4 on a grand slam off Bunning‚ in the O’s 5-2 win. Woodling drove in all 4 runs in yesterday’s 4-0 win against Chicago. Baltimore native Barry Shetrone is 2-for-4 with a triple for the O’s. Shetrone is the first home-grown player to play for the Birds.
July 28The White Sox take over first place for good by toppling the Yankees 4-3 behind pitcher Billy Pierce. Al Smith‚ with a 2-run HR in the 8th‚ provides the winning margin. The Sox will go 13-9 against the Yankees this year‚ the first time since 1925 that Chicago is over .500 for the season against the Bombers.
July 30In his ML debut‚ Willie McCovey goes 4-for-4 with 2 triples off Robin Roberts to lead the Giants to a 7-2 win over the Phils. McCovey was hitting .372 with 29 HRs at Phoenix when promoted.

The Southern Association suspends Chattanooga 1B Jesse Levan for life because of his involvement as a go-between for gamblers seeking to fix games. His teammate‚ Waldo Gonzales‚ receives a one-year suspension.

The PCL’s Portland club sues ML baseball for $1.8 million‚ citing unfair practices through television that could bring the downfall of the minor leagues. They warn the ML not to start a 3rd league or expand.
July 31Earl Wilson‚ the Red Sox’ first black pitcher‚ makes his first start. He gives up no hits against Detroit in 3 2?3 innings and leaves with a 4-0 lead after walking 9. The Sox beat Detroit‚ 6-5‚ despite issuing 15 walks. Fornieles is the winner.

Pedro Ramos holds Chicago to one hit in 7 innings but leaves with a sore elbow‚ and the Sox score 2 in the 9th to beat the Senators‚ 2-1. It is Washington’s 14th loss in a row. The Sox lead Cleveland by 2 games.

August

August 1P Bob Purkey of the Reds hits a grand slam off Johnny Buzhardt of the Cubs and wins 12-3. Purkey allows 6 hits. Glen Hobbie takes the loss.
August 2Jim Bunning of the Tigers pitches the only “perfect” inning of the last 4 decades striking out 3 Red Sox on 9 pitches. Bunning wins 3-0. The last AL hurler to K the side on 9 pitches was Lefty Grove‚ in 1928.

In the 2nd of two games‚ Billy Bruton of the Braves hits 2 bases-loaded triples‚ tying a ML record‚ in an 11-5 win over the Cardinals. Elmer Valo did it in the AL in 1949‚ and that mark will be tied in 1978. The Cards win game 1‚ 4-3.

Giants 1B Willie McCovey hits the first of his 521 ML HRs‚ off Ron Kline‚ as San Francisco downs the Pirates 5-3. Johnny Antonelli wins his 15th game.
August 3For the first time‚ there are 2 All-Star Games in the same year. With the managers picking the starting lineup‚ the AL wins this 2nd contest 5-3‚ as five HRs are hit at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
August 5The Senators lose 7-3‚ their 18th loss in a row‚ before Tex Clevenger shuts out the Indians in the nitecap 9-0.

McCovey hits 2 HRs and Mays another as the Giants whip the Braves Bob Buhl 4-1 to move into first place.

Mickey Mantle breaks up a scoreless pitching duel between Detroit’s Don Mossi and Bobby Shantz by belting an 8th inning homer with one on. New York wins at home‚ 3-0.
August 6White Sox lefty Billy Pierce and the Orioles P Billy O’Dell are even up 1-1 when Hoyt Wilhelm relieves in the 9th for Baltimore. Wilhelm tosses 8 2/3 innings of no-hit ball before allowing a safety. After 18 innings and the score still at 1-1‚ the game is mercifully called because of the midnight curfew. Pierce goes 16 innings before he gets relief from Turk Lown.
August 9The Pirates‚ down 3-1 to the Cubs in the 9th‚ tie the game‚ then win 5-3 in the 10th. Elroy Face wins in relief to go 15-0. The win is the 11th extra inning victory in a row for the Pirates; the only loss in their last 16 extra inning games was Haddix’s 12-inning perfect game against the Braves in May.
August 10Ken Boyer of the Cardinals begins a 29-game hitting streak‚ the longest since Stan Musial‘s 30-games in 1950. The Giants score 3 in the 9th to win 3-2.
August 11At Crosley Field‚ Joe Nuxhall fans 4 Braves in the 6th inning-Mathews‚ Adcock‚ Crandall‚ and Logan-and 10 overall as the Reds win 4-3 to move into 2nd place. The 3rd strike to Crandall gets by catcher Dutch Dotterer‚ giving Nuxhall the chance for the 4 K’s. Jim Davis‚ in 1956‚ was the last pitcher to K four in a frame. In the first inning‚ Joe Adcock wishes Vada Pinson a happy birthday by nabbing him at 1B with a hidden ball trick.
August 13The Giants and Cubs set a record for the longest 9-inning game in history‚ playing 3 hours and 50 minutes. Chicago wins the marathon at Wrigley by a score of 20-9‚ pounding out 19 hits and 5 HRs. Eddie Fisher takes the loss while Ed Donnelly is the winner.
August 14The Red Sox 1B Vic Wertz hits a pinch-hit grand slam off Ryne Duren of the Yanks to pace the 11-6 Boston win.

Reds teammates Vada Pinson and Frank Robinson go 5-for-6 in the first game of a doubleheader as Cincinnati outlast the Phils 15-13. The Reds trail 11-3 after 3 innings‚ and score 5 in the 9th to win.
August 18At Milwaukee‚ the Dodgers stake Don Drysdale to a 5-1 lead after five innings‚ but the Braves chip away and finally tie it with a run in the 9th. The Dodgers make it 6-5 in the 11th but Hank Aaron takes Drysdale deep to tie it up. Drysdale is finally relieved and LA wins it in the 13th‚ 7-6.

Branch Rickey resigns as chairman of the Pirates to become president of the Continental League.
August 19Honolulu seeks a franchise in the Continental League.
August 20The A’s Bob Cerv hits 3 HRs in an 11-10 loss to Boston. The Sox out hit the A’s 16-13. Reliever Earl Wilson drives in 3 runs and earns his first ML victory.
August 22The Reds Frank Robinson hits 3 HRs in a row against St. Louis‚ as the Reds win 11-4. Robby has 6 RBIs.
August 23The Pirates take a doubleheader from the Dodgers‚ beating Don Drysdale in both games. As a starter‚ Drysdale loses the opener‚ then relieves in game 2. In the 10th inning‚ with runners on 1st and 3rd and 2 out‚ Drysdale hands out an intentional pass to get to Dick Groat‚ who singles in the winning run. The win is Face’s 16th of the year without a loss tying him with Hubbell’s streak of 1936 and Blackwell’s skein in 1947. The 4th place Pirates are now 8 games in back of the 1st place Giants.

The Reds beat the Cardinals‚ 4-3 on Jerry Lynch‘s 2-run homer in the 8th. Don Newcombe is the victor. Newk also has 2 hits to give him 201 in his career: he’s the only post-WW2 pitcher who will reach that level.

At Cleveland‚ the Indians sweep the Red Sox‚ 1-0 and 6-2. Tito Francona breaks up a scoreless pitching duel between Jim Perry and Tom Brewer by hitting a game-ending homer in game 1. Francona then homers in the 1st inning of game 2 to jump start the Tribe. Minoso adds a 3-run homer.

The Braves manage just 2 hits but beat the Cubs‚ 2-0‚ behind Bob Buhl’s pitching.

Detroit beats the Orioles‚ 9-5 with Eddie Yost‘s grand slam the winning margin.
August 24New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses allocates $150‚000 for a preliminary study on building a stadium.
August 25The White Sox take out pennant insurance‚ sending Bob Sagers and Harry “Suitcase” Simpson packing to Pittsburgh in exchange for veteran Ted Kluszewski. Klu will hit .297 during the season and a torrid .391 in the World Series.

In Cleveland‚ Colavito homers twice as the Tribe tops the Yankees‚ 6-3. The Indians have now won 7 straight to move 2 games behind the first-place White Sox.
August 26The Indians stretch their winning streak to 8 games when Colavito snaps a 4-4 tie with an 8th inning HR. Jim Perry‚ in relief of Gary Bell‚ picks up the win‚ 5-4‚ over New York.

It’s “Al Smith Day” at Comiskey‚ with every fan named Smith‚ Schmidt‚ Smythe or Smithe admitted free and given a button stating “I’m a Smith and I’m for Al.” Smith himself doesn’t help‚ going hitless as the White Sox lose to Boston‚ 7-6. Bill Monboquette is the winner.
August 28Before 70‚398 fans in Cleveland‚ the first-place White Sox top the 2nd-place Indians 7-3 behind the pitching of Bob Shaw. Helping Shaw is batterymate Sherm Lollar‚ who hits a 3-run homer in the 7th‚ his 20th of the year and just the 77th of the year for the Sox. The Tribe now trail by 2 1/2 games.

Before a crowd of 66.068 in LA‚ Sam Jones pitches a 3-hitter to give the Giants a 5-0 win over the Dodgers. Willie Mays hits a 3-run HR for SF.

Joe Cunningham hits a 2-out‚ 2-run double in the 9th off the RF screen in St. Louis to give the Cards a 3-2 win over the Reds. Don Newcombe takes the loss.

Art Ditmar has a homer and 3 RBIs while shutting out the Senators on 2 hits. The Yankees win‚ 5-0.
August 29With rookie Ken McBride out with tonsillitis‚ the White Sox turn to Dick Donovan‚ who is coming off the DL. Donovan tosses a 5-hit‚ 2-0‚ win for Chicago.

Hamtramck‚ MI‚ wins the Little League WS at Williamsport‚ PA.
August 30Before 66‚586 fans in Cleveland‚ the White Sox sweep a doubleheader with the Indians to move in front by 6 1/2 games. Former Indian Early Wynn‚ judged too old at 39‚ wins the opener 6-3‚ then the Sox win the nitecap 9-4. Another former Indian‚ Al Smith‚ scores from 2nd on a fly ball. The Sox will beat the Indians 15 out of 22 games this season.

In the 2nd of two games‚ the Pirates‚ down 50‚ tie the Phillies in the 9th inning‚ then win in the 10th‚ 7-6. The victory goes to Elroy Face‚ even though he gives up a HR to Ed Bouchee in the top of the 10th. Face is now 17-0 and the Pirates are just 4 games in back of the leading Giants.
August 31Sandy Koufax breaks Dizzy Dean‘s NL mark and ties Bob Feller‘s ML record of 18 strikeouts in a game against the Giants as 82‚974 fans watch. He also totals 31 Ks for 2 consecutive games to set a new ML mark. Wally Moon‘s 3-run‚ 9th-inning HR wins it 5-2 for the Dodgers.

September

September 2Jackie Brandt crashes a homer in the 9th inning against the Cubs to give the first place Giants a 4-3 win. The Cubs score 2 in the 9th‚ off Mike McCormick‚ to tie. The Giants had lost 5 of 6 before today.

The Dodgers spot the Cardinals a 4-run lead before roaring back for a 9-6 win. Chuck Churn‚ the last of 4 pitchers‚ is the winner‚ as the Dodgers remain 1 1/2 games in back of the Giants. Ken Boyer‘s single off Churn extends his hitting streak to 21 games.

The White Sox jar the Tigers twice‚ 7-2 and 11-4‚ to extend their AL lead to 5 1/2 games. Dick Donovan tosses a 4-hitter in the opener‚ and Sherm Lollar provides a pair of 2-run doubles. The Sox tuck away the nitecap with an 11-run 5th inning. Foytack gives up a lead off homer in the 5th to Al Smith‚ retires the next 2 batters‚ and then Aparicio lines the first of 8 singles in the frame. The Sox tally an AL- record 10 runs after there are 2 outs and the bases empty. Reliever Joe Stanka‚ just up from the minors‚ is the beneficiary.

The Reds dim the Bucs’ pennant hopes with a 6-3 and 2-1 sweep. Willie Jones 3-run homer in the opener‚ off Elroy Face‚ gives the win to rookie Jim O’Toole. Face gives up the homer‚ but the loss goes to Vern Law‚ who put 2 runners on. The loss goes to Vern Law‚ who put 2 on before leaving. Pinson and Robinson also homer. Johnny Temple‘s 2-out triple and Vada Pinson‘s 44th double in the 8th win the nitecap for Don Newcombe.
September 5Jim Lemon of Washington knocks in 6 runs in the 3rd inning‚ on 2 HRs‚ tying 2 ML records. Washington scores 10 in the inning to triumph over Cleveland 14-2.
September 6The Dodgers set a record for a Coliseum doubleheader when 39‚432 fans show up for 2 games with the Cubs. Sandy Koufax runs his streak to 41 strikeouts in 3 games‚ for another ML record‚ but loses the opener 3-0 on a 3-run HR by Ernie Banks in the 9th. The Dodgers lose the 2nd game 5-3‚ also on a 3-run 9th inning HR‚ to drop 3 games behind the Giants.
September 7At Fenway‚ the trio of Don Buddin‚ P Jerry Casale‚ and Pumpsie Green tie a ML record by belting consecutive HRs in the 2nd off Bob Turley to pace the Sox to a 12-4 drubbing of New York. Andy Carey pinch hits a HR in the 3rd‚ and Mantle adds one the same inning‚ but little else happens for New York‚ which loses its first season-series with the Sox in 11 years.

In the 2nd of two at Baltimore‚ the Senators score 7 runs in the 10th to win 8-1 and earn a split. The big blow is Ron Samford’s 3-run homer off Ernie Johnson‚ which comes in his last ML at bat. He’ll get into four more games‚ and have a sac fly‚ but this is his last official appearance. The Birds win the opener‚ 7-0‚ behind Bill O’Dell’s 4-hitter.

The Indians win a pair of come-from-behind victories over the Tigers‚ 15-14 and 6-5. Jim Piersall’s 2-run single in the 9th ices the game 1 win. Rocky Colavito hits #40‚ one of 7 homers hit in the game. Eddie Yost hits 2 for the Bengals.

At Comiskey Park‚ the baseball competition in the Pan Am games finishes with Venezuela winning the gold‚ followed by Puerto Rico (silver)‚ and the USA (bronze). Collegian Lou Brock is 1-for-10 for the US. Dominican Rico Carty so impresses the scouts that‚ according to Rob Ruck (The Tropic of Baseball)‚ he is offered 9 contracts and signs them all. For the record‚ Carty signs with the Braves in December.
September 10Mickey Mantle goes 5-for-6‚ including a HR‚ in a 12-1 romp over Kansas City’s Ray Herbert.

Brothers Jim and Ed Bailey form the battery for the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd game of a doubleheader against the Cubs. Jim is lifted in the 8th inning and charged with the 6-3 loss in his ML debut.
September 11The Orioles whitewash the White Sox twice 3-0 and 1-0. Jack Fisher and Jerry Walker‚ 20-year-olds‚ hurl the shutouts. In the nitecap‚ Walker throws 16 shutout innings before a Brooks Robinson single drives in the winning run. Walker is the 7th and last pitcher this decade to throw 16 innings: Billy Pierce last month was the 6th.

The Phillies Robin Roberts beats the Giants 1-0 on a 3-hitter. Roberts also gains revenge on Willie McCovey by ending McCovey’s consecutive-game hitting streak at 22 games. Phils CF Richie Ashburn holds the rookie record of 23 games.

Los Angeles defeats Pittsburgh and Elroy Face‚ 5-4. It is Face’s first loss after 22 straight wins‚ 17 of them in 1959. The winner is Chuck Churn (2-0) and the loss is Face’s 1st to the Dodgers since September‚ 1956. His last loss to any team was May 30‚ 1958.
September 12It is a day for 20-game winners. Sam Jones’s notches his 20th victory of the season‚ 9-1 over the Phillies‚ puts the Giants back in first place by a game. Jones has a pair of hits and scores twice.

Eddie Mathews hits a 2-run homer in the 8th off Don Newcombe as the Braves beat the Reds‚ 4-3. Lew Burdette wins his 20th‚ beating Newk. The Braves Red Schoendienst returns to the line-up for the first time since being diagnosed as suffering from tuberculosis last November

White Sox veteran Early Wynn defeats the Orioles‚ 6-1‚ for his 20th win of the year‚ the 5th time in his career that he’s reached that plateau.

The Indians win‚ 7-2‚ over Washington behind the pitching Gary Bell‚ but fail to gain on the first place White Sox. Rocky Colavito hits his 41st homer‚ while Jim Lemon connects for his 30th‚ the only solid hit off Bell.
September 13Glen Hobbie of the Cubs stops Ken Boyer‘s hitting streak at 29 games. He was 41-for-117 for a .350 mark over the course of his streak. Hobbie allows just 4 hits in shutting out the Cards 8-0.

The Indians lose a doubleheader to New York‚ 2-1 and 1-0. Mantle wins the opener with a 2-run 11th inning homer‚ his 29th of the year. In the nitecap‚ Duke Maas outpitches Jim Perry. The 2 losses push the Tribe to 5 1/2 games behind leading Chicago‚ which wins today.
September 14The Braves batter Don Drysdale for 4 runs in 6 1/3 innings and top the Dodgers‚ 4-1. Bob Buhl is the winner.
September 15Carl Yastrzemski plays for Minneapolis (AA)‚ but the game is protested by Omaha because Yaz is not eligible to play until OF Lee Howell leaves for military duty on the 18th.

Dodger SS Maury Wills goes 5-for-5 in a 10-inning‚ 8-7 win over the Braves. The Dodgers tie the Braves for 2nd‚ 2 games behind the Giants.

The Giants whip Warren Spahn and the Braves 13-6 behind Jack Sanford. Willie Mays has 4 hits and 5 RBI. The Giants are now 2 games in front with 8 to play.

The leading Chicago White Sox push their magic number to 4 by topping New York‚ 4-3. All the Yankee scoring comes on 2 homers by Mantle.
September 16At Candlestick‚ Lew Burdette outduels Sam Jones‚ 2-0‚ to win his 21st game. The Giants’ loss cuts their lead over the Braves and Dodgers to a single game.
September 17The Giants knock Warren Spahn out in the 1st inning and trounce the Braves 13-6. The Giants now lead by 2 games with 8 to play.
September 18Indians manager Joe Gordon tells GM Frank Lane he is fed up with the second guessing and Lane promptly fires him. Indians president Nate Dolin then turns down Lane’s managerial choice‚ Leo Durocher‚ and Lane is forced to rehire Gordon on the 23rd.
September 19At Yankee Stadium‚ it is Yogi Berra Day‚ as the Yanks top the Red Sox 3-1. Ford allows 4 singles to win his 15th‚ but Yogi is 0-for-4.

In the 1st game of a doubleheader‚ Johnny Antonelli‚ in his 3rd bid to win his 20th game‚ is beaten by Roger Craig 4-1. The Dodgers then take the 2nd game as well‚ 5-3‚ behind Don Drysdale. The double loss leaves the Giants tied for 1st with the Dodgers‚ with the Braves just a game back.

Bill Mazeroski‚ who homered in the 3rd‚ hits a 2-run triple in the 12th as the Pirates beat the Reds‚ 4-3. Elroy Face gives up a run in the top of the 12th but chalks up the win in relief. Face is now 18-1‚ and has won 8 straight games in extra innings. He ends the year with the top winning percentage (.947) of any pitcher with 15 decisions.
September 20The Giants play their last game in Seals Stadium before moving to Candlestick Park‚ losing to Los Angeles 8-2. The Dodgers sweep the series and drop the Giants from first to 3rd. The Braves are in 2nd‚ a half game back.
September 21The Braves Warren Spahn notches his 20th win‚ 8-6‚ and his 266th NL victory to tie Eppa Rixey of the Phils and Reds for the career high in wins by a lefthander. The Braves and the Dodgers are now tied for the lead in the 3-team pennant race.
September 22The “Go-Go” White Sox clinch their first pennant in 40 years with a 4-2 win over the 2nd-place Indians. Early Wynn gets the win‚ with Gerry Staley saving the game in the 9th. Al Smith homers for the Sox.

The Dodgers‚ desperate to break a first-place tie with the Cardinals‚ send a ML record 9 pinch hitters to the plate. The last one‚ Frank Howard‚ hits a 2-out three-run HR‚ but St. Louis hangs on to win 11-10.
September 23The Cubs continue to dash the Giants’ pennant hopes as Cal Neeman‘s 10th-inning HR gives Chicago a 9-8 win. The Cubs won yesterday‚ 5-4‚ on George Altman‘s 9th-inning‚ 2-run homer. The timely blasts help Don Elston pick up both wins.

Dodger P Roger Craig allows 5 hits in shutting out the Cards‚ 5-0‚ for his 4th shutout. Craig‚ brought up in early June‚ will tie for the NL lead in whitewashes. The win gives the Dodgers a tie for 1st..
September 24The Phillies P Humberto Robinson says that gambler Harold Friedman offered him $1‚500 to throw a game with the Reds. The pitcher ignores him and hurls a 7-2 win. Friedman is held on bail. Commissioner Ford Frick later commends Robinson for promptly reporting to him.

Pittsburgh’s Bob Friend gives up 12 hits‚ but shuts out St. Louis‚ 6-0.
September 25The Tigers top the White Sox 6-5 when Kaline dashes home with the winning run in the 3-run 9th as Norm Cash is protesting a call with the umpire Rice on a play at 1B. Kaline hit a 2 run HR in the 1st
September 26At Milwaukee the Braves beat the Phillies 3-2 behind Warren Spahn‘s 21st win. He is now ahead of Eppa Rixey as the winningest NL lefty.

The Cubs put the pennant race in a tie by blasting the Dodgers 12-2 at Wrigley. The Cubs tally 18 hits in chasing Johnny Podres. A season-ending three-way tie is now possible.

At St. Louis‚ Sam Jones keeps the Giants in the race by pitching a 7-inning no-hitter‚ but NL President Warren Giles will rule it unofficial after rain wipes out the last 2 innings. But Jones gets credit for his 21st win 4-0 as Willie Mays and Willie McCovey HRs account for the runs.
September 27In one of the NL’s frequent tight races‚ the Braves and Dodgers finish in a tie (86-68)‚ with the Giants a close 3rd (83-71). The Dodgers beat Chicago 7-1 while the Braves beat the Phillies 5-2. The Giants‚ eliminated following the Dodgers’ win‚ drop 2 games to the Cards‚ 2-1 and 14-8.
September 28In the first game of a best-of-3 playoff‚ the Dodgers beat the Braves 3-2 in a cold Milwaukee drizzle. Rookie Larry Sherry pitches 7 2?3 innings of scoreless relief.

Cubs manager Bob Scheffing (208-254) resigns and is replaced by Charlie Grimm‚ making his 3rd appearance in the dugout for the Cubs. Grimm managed the team from 1932-38 and from 1944-49.
September 29Milwaukee knocks Don Drysdale out of the game and take a 4-2 lead‚ but the Dodgers come back to win Game 2 of the playoff‚ 6-5‚ and take the NL pennant. Los Angeles overcomes a 5-2‚ 9th-inning deficit to tie the game; they win it in the 12th when Gil Hodges scores from 2nd on Felix Mantilla‘s off-balance heave past 1B after a difficult chance on Carl Furillo‘s grounder. In the losing cause‚ Braves slugger Eddie Mathews hits his 46th home run‚ off Don Drysdale‚ to win the NL home run title. Ernie Banks finishes with 45.
September 30The Red Sox fire clubhouse attendant Johnny Orlando. Orlando was hired as a bat boy in 1925.

October

October 1The Go-Go Sox change character at home and hammer the LA Dodgers 11-0 in the first game of the WS‚ as Ted Kluszewski has 2 HRs and 5 RBI. Early Wynn and Gerry Staley combine for the shutout. Yankee manager Casey Stengel‚ sitting out only his 2nd Series since 1947‚ covers the game as a reporter.

Commissioner Ford Frick bars a Chicago auto dealer’s plan to give out a free auto for every HR hit by a White Sox player.
October 2In Game 2‚ the Dodgers get a 2-out pinch homer and score 3 in the 7th to win 4-3 and even up the Series. Charley Neal has 2 HRs for the Dodgers‚ including one in the 5th that becomes a famous photograph by Ray Gora when a fan named Melvin Piehl tries for the ball and accidentally knocks over a cup of beer on Al Smith’s head.
October 4In Los Angeles‚ the Dodgers win 3-1 behind the pitching of Don Drysdale and Larry Sherry. Carl Furillo‘s pinch 2-run single in the 7th is the difference. The 92‚394 in attendance sets a new WS mark.

The Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame‚ next to Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo‚ is dedicated.
October 5In Game 4‚ the Dodgers edge the White Sox 5-4‚ as Larry Sherry wins in relief of Roger Craig. The Sox tie the game at 4-4 after spotting the Dodgers a 4-0 lead. The previous day’s record-crowd is bested by today’s attendance of 92‚650.
October 6White Sox hurler Dick Donovan keeps the Series alive with a splendid 1-0 win over the Dodgers. Sherm Lollar’s DP grounder scores the only run. The attendance mark falls for the 2nd day in a row‚ as 92‚706 fans jam the Coliseum.
October 8The Los Angeles Dodgers win 9-3 to take the series in Chicago‚ again behind Sherry in relief of Johnny Podres. The Dodgers have an 8-0 lead after 4 innings and hold on despite Ted Kluszewski‘s 3-run HR. The round-tripper gives the slugger a new 6-game RBI record of 10. Chuck Essegian hits his 2nd pinch HR to establish a new record‚ later equaled by Bernie Carbo of the Red Sox in 1975. Each Dodger receives a record $11‚231 winning share. The White Sox get a record $7‚275 for losing.
October 20Clark Griffith of the Senators says the team will not move the franchise.
October 21The Players Association approves 2 All-Star Games in 1960‚ to be held in Kansas City and New York. The players would like to have them within 4 days of each other.

President Branch Rickey says that a Continental League franchise will be awarded to Buffalo. Montreal‚ Atlanta‚ and Dallas/Ft. Worth are still in the running for the remaining 2 slots.
October 29The Nankai Hawks of the Pacific League win the Japanese WS by sweeping the Yomiuri Giants 4-0.

Early Wynn of the White Sox wins the Cy Young Award‚ getting 13 of the 16 votes.

November

November 4“Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks wins his 2nd MVP award in a row on the strength of his 45 HRs and 143 RBI. Eddie Mathews finishes 2nd.
November 12The White Sox 2B Nellie Fox wins the AL’s MVP award. Teammates Luis Aparicio and Early Wynn finish 2nd and 3rd in the voting.
November 17William Shea of the Continental League shows sketches of the proposed stadium in New York City with its transparent retractable roof.

Giants slugger Willie McCovey is the NL Rookie of the Year. McCovey gets all 24 votes to make him the 2nd Giant in a row to win the award unanimously.
November 18OF Bob Allison of Washington is voted the AL Rookie of the Year . Cleveland’s Jim Perry is a distant 2nd.

Kansas City announces that Bob Elliott will be its new manager‚ replacing the often-ill Harry Craft‚ who was released at the end of the season.
November 21In the first inter-league trade not involving a waiver‚ the Cubs send 1B Jim Marshall and P Dave Hillman to the Red Sox for 1B Dick Gernert.
November 23Branch Rickey‚ President of the Continental League‚ sends a telegram to Joe Cronin‚ American League prexy‚ declaring his disappointment with Cronin’s wire of November 20. “You must know of course that‚ almost alone‚ the American League‘s widely publicized position on alleged expansion has forestalled completion of the Continental League. I have so state repeatedly and publicly for the past several weeks. However‚ I must admit that the Commissioner’s completely negative attitude toward a third Major League has made an effective contribution to our forced delay and his continuous statement of preference for internal expansion hurts even more.”
November 30The Orioles trade Billy Loes and Billy O’Dell to the Giants for P Gordon Jones‚ OF Jackie Brandt‚ and C Roger McCardell. O’Dell will win 56 games for the Giants.

The Cards send popular SS Don Blasingame to the Giants for INF Daryl Spencer and Leon Wagner.

December

December 5Representing ML baseball‚ the Yankees’ Yogi Berra visits Italy to present baseball equipment and aid in the sports development.

The Phils ship Chico Fernandez and Ray Semproch to Detroit for Ken Walters‚ Ted Lepcio‚ and minor leaguer Alex Cosmidis. The Cuban born Fernandez was the first black for the Phils‚ and will be the second black to play for Detroit.
December 6The White Sox reacquire Minnie Minoso‚ along with C Dick Brown and pitchers Jake Striker and Don Ferrarese from the Indians. The give up young 1B Norm Cash‚ OF Bubba Phillips‚ and C Johnny Romano.

The Cubs trade OFs Lee Walls and Lou Jackson‚ and P Bill Henry to the Reds for slugger Frank Thomas.
December 7AL umpires Bill Summers and Ed Rommel retire.
December 8AL President Joe Cronin reports that expansion plans are indefinite. Branch Rickey scores him again for his indecisiveness.

The Continental League awards a franchise to Atlanta.

Two days after trading Norm Cash‚ the White Sox send young OF Johnny Callison to the Phillies for veteran INF Gene Freese. This ranks as one of the Phils’ better trades.
December 11The Athletics Arnold Johnson gives the New York Yankees an early Christmas present when he gift wraps Roger Maris in pinstripes. The Yankees acquire the slugger in a 7-player deal that sends P Don Larsen‚ RF Hank Bauer‚ 1B Marv Throneberry‚ and LF Norm Siebern to the A’s.

The Orioles elect Lee MacPhail as president of the club.
December 15The Reds send 2B Johnny Temple to the Indians for 2B Billy Martin‚ P Cal McLish‚ and 1B Gordy Coleman.
December 17In a child-payment hearing related to his divorce‚ Ted Williams alleges the Red Sox paid him $60‚000‚ not the reported $100‚000. He claims his entire yearly income was $83‚000.
December 22The Continental League awards its last franchise to Dallas/Ft. Worth.
December 24The Braves sign Dominican star Rico Carty.