Baseball – 1961

Baseball in 1961

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January


January 1Briggs Stadium is renamed Tigers Stadium.
January 3Frank Lane quits as GM of the Indians to take the same post with the Athletics.
January 9Leo Durocher joins the Dodgers as 3B coach.

The new Minnesota Twins and the American Association finally agree on a $500‚000 indemnity payment to the minor league for the Minneapolis/St. Paul territory‚ ending 2 months of negotiation.
January 12Charlie Grimm and Verlon Walker (brother of Rube Walker) are named the 6th and 7th members of the Cubs coaching staff.
January 24The A’s trade outfielders Whitey Herzog and Russ Snyder to the Orioles for IF Wayne Causey‚ P Jim Archer‚ OF Bob Boyd‚ and OF Al Pilarcik. Boyd‚ with the Orioles since 1956‚ leaves with a .301 average with the Birds‚ a team career mark that won’t be topped this century.
January 26The Reds send Joe Nuxhall to the KC A’s for pitchers John Tsitouris and John Briggs. Nuxhall first pitched for the Reds in 1944 when he was 15 years old.
January 28The International League Board of Directors unanimously votes to move the Montreal franchise to Syracuse‚ NY.
January 29Billy Hamilton and Max Carey are voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee.
January 31Houston voters approve a bond to finance a luxury domed stadium‚ the final hurdle standing between the city and ML baseball.

February


February 7Jackie Jensen‚ out of baseball in 1960‚ signs a $40‚000 deal to come back with the Red Sox.
February 9Willie Mays signs for $85‚000‚ currently the biggest contract in ML baseball.
February 16Charlie Finley purchases the outstanding 48 percent of the Athletics stock to become their sole owner.

March


March 3Frank Robinson is indicted in Cincinnati for carrying a concealed weapon. He was arrested on February 8 when he was discovered to be carrying a .25 caliber pistol. The discovery occurred after an incident in a restaurant where Robinson was eating with two friends. He was fined $250 for it.
March 14George Weiss is lured from retirement to become president of the New York Mets.
March 24The New York State Senate approves $55 million for a new baseball stadium at Flushing Meadows Park in Queens.

In Mesa‚ LF Orlando Cepeda gives the Cubs 2 runs then hits a 3-run HR as the Giants shave the Cubs‚ 13-12.
March 27In a spring training game Cardinals P Larry Jackson suffers a broken jaw when hit by a fragment of Dodger Duke Snider’s broken bat. Jackson will be sidelined 4 weeks.
March 29Powel Crosley’s will directs the Reds to stay in Cincinnati and be run under nonprofit ownership. The late Crosley’s daughter and husband‚ Stanley Kess‚ will head the foundation.
March 31A Pacific Coast League proposal to use a designated batter for the pitcher is voted down 8-1 by the Professional Baseball Rules Committee. The committee also rules that every club must designate a manager within 30 minutes of game time‚ a move prompted by the Cubs’ college of coaches.

The Milwaukee Braves send infielders Andre Rodgers and Daryl Robertson to the Cubs for pitchers Moe Drabowsky and Seth Morehead.

April


April 3Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia is sold to J. Schleifer Properties. The park is to be torn down after the 1963 season and replaced by bowling alleys.
April 4The Yankees reacquire P Duke Maas‚ trading INF Fritz Brickell to the Angels in exchange. The Angels had paid the Yanks $75‚000 for Maas in the 1960 expansion draft.
April 6Vedie Himsl is designated as head coach of the Cubs for the first 2 weeks of the season.
April 10After President John F. Kennedy throws out the first ball‚ the new Washington team loses its first regular-season game‚ 4-3‚ to the White Sox. Former Sox pitcher Dick Donovan‚ picked up in the expansion draft‚ is the loser‚ though he will end the season with a league-leading 2.40 ERA.
April 11Robin Roberts ties Grover Cleveland Alexander’s NL record with a 12th-straight Opening Day start‚ but Philadelphia loses 6-2 to Don Drysdale and the Dodgers. Roberts is 5-6 on Opening Day.

Ted Kluszewski‘s two HRs highlight the AL Los Angeles Angels first win‚ as Eli Grba beats Baltimore 7-2.

At Yankee Stadium‚ the Yankees‚ led by new manager Ralph Houk‚ are shut out by Minnesota’s Pedro Ramos‚ 6-0. Ramos has a two-run single and allows just three singles in beating Whitey Ford. Ford‚ however‚ will finish the season at 25-4.

The wine of victory turns sour for the Giants in their home opener when Bill Virdon clouts a 2-out 3-run HR off reliever Mike McCormick to give the Pirates an 8-7 win.

At Fenway‚ Kansas City’s Ray Herbert surrenders Carl Yastrzemski‘s first ML hit‚ but beats Bill Monbouquette‚ 5-2.
April 13Alvin Dark pulls all the right strings to give the Giants a 6-5 win over the Pirates. Joey Amalfitano‚ hitting for cleanup man McCovey in the 8th‚ singles in Mays for a 4-4 tie; new catcher Hobie Landrith homers in the 11th to tie at 5 apiece‚ and Kuenn’s single in the 12th wins it.
April 14Joe McClain earns the new Senators’ first win‚ defeating Cleveland 3-2.

At Busch Stadium in St. Louis‚ the Reds Wally Post lines a tape measure shot off the Budweiser sign atop the scoreboard in the Reds‚ 7-3 win. If the ball had not hit the sign‚ some estimate the shot could have traveled close to 600 feet.
April 15The Dodgers and Pirates tie a ML record by turning 9 DPs (Los Angeles 5‚ Pittsburgh 4) in a 9-inning 4-1 Buc home win. It is the only the 2nd time (July 3‚ 1929) that 9 DPs have been turned in a NL game.
April 17In a 9-5 St. Louis win in the opener of a doubleheader‚ Dodger Duke Snider hits his 370th HR over the LF screen taking 7th place on the all-time list. But in his next at bat‚ the Duke suffers the consequences‚ sustaining a broken elbow when hit by Bob Gibson pitch.

At Yankee Stadium‚ 1‚947 fans braves the freezing rain to watch Whitey Ford shut out Kansas City‚ 3-0. Mantle drives in all 3 Yankee runs‚ connecting a solo shot off Jerry Walker in the first inning.
April 19Washington’s Marty Kutyna pitches brilliantly in relief‚ yielding 4 hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings to ruin Chicago’s home opener‚ 7-2. As in Washington’s opener‚ JFK throws out first ball-but this JFK is from Oak Lawn‚ near Chicago. Eddie Gaedel and 7 other midgets act as vendors in the box seat sections. This is Veeck’s response to complaints that vendors were blocking the view of fans.
April 22The Red Sox snap a 13-game losing streak in Comiskey Park by edging the White Sox‚ 7-6‚ on Pumpsie Green‘s 11th-inning homer.
April 23Art Mahaffey fans a batter in each inning and 17 in all‚ a Phillies’ record‚ while beating the Cubs‚ 6-0. The Phils win the first game 1-0 behind Frank Sullivan‘s pitching and a game-ending homer by Bobby Smith off Dick Ellsworth.
April 25Two weeks after the Celtics win the NBA Championship‚ reserve center Gene Conley tosses his first AL victory‚ a 6-1 win over the visiting Senators. Conley‚ obtained from the Phils over the winter‚ beats Pete Burnside.

Norm Bass picks up the win for the Kansas City Athletics in a 20-2 rout of the visiting Twins. Norm’s brother Dick will pick up 1‚000 yards this year for the Rams.
April 26Roger Maris hits his first HR of 1961 off Paul Foytack of Detroit‚ and Mickey Mantle adds HRs from both sides of the plate (for the 8th time)‚ as New York wins 13-10 at Tiger Stadium. Mantle’s 2nd homer‚ a 2-run shot off Hank Aguirre‚ snaps a 10-10 tie in the 10th.

Cincinnati’s Jerry Lynch becomes the 6th player in NL history to hit 2 consecutive pinch-hit HRs. This one today is not enough as Chicago wins 3-2.
April 27The Angels draw a disappointing crowd of 11‚931 for their home opener against the Twins at LA Wrigley Field. Ty Cobb‚ in his last appearance at a ball park‚ throws out the first ball. The Twins Camilo Pascual spoils the opener by winning 4-2‚ sending the Angels to their 8th loss in 9 games.

Following a dispute with management‚ Gabe Paul resigns as GM of the Houston Colt 45s for the same job at Cleveland. He replaces Frank Lane.

The Reds trade C Ed Bailey to the Giants for Don Blasingame‚ C Bob Schmidt‚ and P Sherman Jones. Bailey immediately replaces Haller behind the plate.
April 28Five days past his 40th birthday‚ Warren Spahn becomes the 2nd-oldest ML pitcher (after Cy Young) to hurl a no-hitter‚ blanking San Francisco 1-0. Hank Aaron drives in the only run off loser Sam Jones‚ who strikes out 10. It is Spahn’s 290th win and 52nd shutout. Spahn faces just 27 men‚ following each walk by starting a DP.
April 30Frustrated by a poor start‚ Jackie Jensen jumps the Red Sox for 8 days.

Using Joey Amalfitano‘s bat‚ Willie Mays becomes the 9th player in ML history to enjoy a 4-HR game‚ and his 8 RBI pace the Giants to a 14-4 win at Milwaukee’s County Stadium. Led by Willie’s 4‚ the Giants total a record tying 8 homers (and 13 in 2 games) as Orlando Cepeda (2)‚ Felipe Alou‚ and Jose Pagan also homer. Willie’s 6th inning homer clears the LF bleachers at County Stadium. Hank Aaron collects a pair for the Braves for all the scoring. Billy Loes is the winning pitcher‚ and it marks the 4th time he has been in uniform at a game where a player has hit 4 homers: Loes was with the Dodgers in ’50 and ’54 when Gil Hodges and the Braves Joe Adcock connected‚ and with the Orioles in ’59 when Rocky Colavito collected four.

Jim Gentile‚ Gus Triandos‚ and Ron Hansen hit consecutive HRs in the 7th inning for the Orioles‚ as they beat Detroit 4-2 to split a twin bill. The O’s had 1 hit in the 1st 6 innings off Foytack. The Tigers win the opener‚ 8-2‚ after going scoreless in 6 innings against young Steve Barber.

Philadelphia and St. Louis tie a ML record‚ and set a NL mark‚ by using 8 pinch hitters in the 8th inning. The Phils finally win in 10 innings‚ 11-7.

May


May 2In their first appearance in Minnesota‚ the Yankees top the transplanted Washington team‚ 6-4. Mantle’s grand slam in the 10th inning off Camilo Pascual‚ is the big blow. Luis Arroyo picks up the save after the Twins score 2. Mick’s extra inning grand slam is the 6th by a Yankee‚ joining Pipp (1923)‚ Ruth (1925)‚ Meusel (1929)‚ and DiMaggio and Henrich (1948).

Don Cardwell and the Cubs top the Giants‚ 9-4‚ though Willie McCovey‘s 2-run homer in the 9th gives San Francisco a record-tying total of 14 homers in 3 games.
May 3Another brilliant Warren Spahn performance is spoiled when LF Mel Roach‘s misplay costs the Milwaukee ace a 2nd no-hitter in a row. He settles for a 2-hitter in topping the Dodgers 4-1.

In an International League game at Toronto‚ the home town Maple Leafs score 10 runs in the 8th inning to win 15-3. Leaf switch hitter Ellis Burton homers twice in the big inning‚ once from each side of the plate. His 2nd homer is a grand slam over the RF fence. Teammate Sparky Anderson scored on both HRs after reaching base on walks.
May 4At Crosley Field‚ Reds pitcher Joey Jay pitches a one-hitter to beat the Phils‚ 4-0. Johnny Callison‘s 1st-inning single is the only hit.

The Phils send P Dick Farrell and SS Joe Koppe to the Dodgers for 3B Charlie Smith and OF Don Demeter. Demeter will give the Phils 3 solid years.

Mantle homers and extends his hitting streak to 16 games‚ as the Yankees top the Twins‚ 5-2. New York sweeps all 3 games in Minnesota.
May 6In Cleveland, the Indians Woodie Held loses a first inning grand slam when rain washes out the game with the Washington Senators after two innings.
May 7At LA’s Wrigley Field‚ the Angels draw their largest day crowd (19‚722) and beat the Yankees‚ 5-3. The Angels take two out of three from New York to drop the Yankees 2 1/2 games behind Detroit.

Trailing Milwaukee‚ 4-0 after 7 innings‚ the Reds unleash the fire power. They score 3 runs in the 8th on homers by Frank Robinson and Wally Post‚ and two more in the 9th‚ on homers by Leo Cardenas and Gordy Coleman‚ to win 5-4.

The Phils outhit the Giants‚ but first place SF wins‚ 7-0‚ behind Billy Loes. Three of the Giants six hits off Robin Roberts are HRs.
May 8The Angels trade P Tex Clevenger and OF Bob Cerv to the Yankees for P Ryne Duren‚ P Johnny James‚ and OF Lee Thomas. For Cerv‚ it is his 3rd tour of duty in pinstripes.

The new NL entry is New York is officially named the “Mets.” Not Metropolitans‚ just Mets. At a ceremony at the Savoy Hilton‚ owner Joan Payton swings a bottle of champagne and after three unsuccessful whacks turns the job over to a waiter who uses a bottle opener. The “Mets” was the choice among the 10 finalists: Continentals‚ Burros‚ Mets‚ Skyliners‚ Skyscrapers‚ Bees‚ Rebels‚ NYBs‚ Avengers‚ and Jets. The original list was 644 names from 9‚613 suggestions.
May 9Jim Gentile of Baltimore becomes the 3rd player to hit grand slams in consecutive innings (Tony Lazzeri in 1936‚ Jim Tabor in 1939: Rudy York in 1946 also hit 2 grand slams‚ but not in consecutive innings) when he belts one off Pedro Ramos in the first and adds another off Paul Giel in the 2nd. His 8 RBI in consecutive innings set a ML record. Gentile also tacks on a sacrifice ?y to give him a club record 9 RBI in the 13-5 drubbing of the Twins.

The Indians tie a ML record with just 23 official at bats as Chicago’s Herb Score pitches a 2-hit 4-2 win.
May 10The Cardinals tie a ML record when 3 pinch hitters-Charlie James‚ Don Taussig‚ and Alex Grammasstrike out in the 9th inning against the Reds. Cincinnati’s Bill Henry pitches just the 9th to save the 3-2 win‚ the Reds’ 9th in a row.

The White Sox purchase Wes Covington from the Braves. Covington will play for 4 teams in 1961‚ before settling in with solid years for the Phillies.

The Reds trade 2B Jim Baumer to the Tigers for 1B Dick Gernert.

Mike McCormick fires his 2nd 3-hit shutout of the year‚ stopping the Pirates‚ 3-0. The Giants are 3-up‚ 3-down in 8 of the 9 innings‚ but score 3 in the 5th‚ 2 on McCormick’s single.

The Twins trade OF Ernie Oravetz and cash to the Dodgers for Joe Altobelli and Ed Palmquist. The 5’4” Oravetz hit .262 in 1955-56 for the Senators. Oravetz will see no more ML action, while the pair of Twins will only play briefly.
May 12Bill Monbouquette’s 17 strikeouts for the Red Sox are a club record and the most yet by an AL pitcher in a night game. He beats Washington 2-1.

At Minnesota‚ Angels P Eli Grba hits a 5th-inning solo HR off P Pedro Ramos‚ who then returns the favor in bottom of the inning. Ramos wins 5-4.

In the 8th inning at Yankee Stadium‚ Tiger OF Rocky Colavito goes into the stands behind 3B after a drunken fan who has been heckling Rocky’s wife and father. Colavito is ejected‚ but the Tigers win in the 9th on P Frank Lary‘s HR. For Lary‚ it is his 25th win over the Yankees against just 8 losses.
May 13Rocky Colavito returns to the Tigers lineup and rocks the Yankees with a 4-for-5 game‚ including two homers. The Tigers win‚ 8-3.

Wondrous Willie Mays clouts 2 HRs‚ one a grand slam‚ to drive in 6 runs as the Giants whip the Braves‚ 8-5.
May 14Senators pinch hitters tie a ML record by drawing 3 walks in the 9th inning of the 2nd game of a doubleheader against the Red Sox. The Nats edge Boston 2-1 to sweep. Joe McClain shuts out the Red Sox 3-0 in the lidlifter and also doubles and scores a run.

The Yankees win a pair from Detroit‚ taking the opener with Jim Coates pitching the 11th inning for the win. Coates pitches another 5 innings of relief to win the nitecap as well.

The Indians top the Orioles‚ 1-0‚ in 15 innings‚ scoring the lone run on a wild throw by 2B Jerry Adair. Perry and Funk combine on the shutout. The Tribe completes the sweep with a 6-4 win in the nitecap.
May 15The Alou brothers and Cepeda lead an 18-hit attack as San Francisco overpowers the Cubs‚ 14-1. Dick Ellsworth gives up 6 runs in the 1st without retiring a batter. Cepeda hits 2 homers and a double and drives in 5 runs‚ while Felipe hits his 1st grand slam and brother Matty his first ML homer. Matty will combine with Jesus in 1965 to homer in the same game. Mike McCormick is the easy winner.
May 17Rogers Maris connects for his 4th homer‚ and his first of the year at Yankee Stadium‚ against the Senators. Roger will hit an incredible 24 homers in his next 38 games.
May 18Ryne Duren comes in for the Angels and notches 4 strikeouts in the 7th inning against the White Sox. He fans Minnie Minoso‚ Roy Sievers‚ J. C. Martin‚ and Sammy Esposito to tie the ML record. One pitch eludes C Del Rice and results in the winning run. Chicago takes it 6-4.

Ray Kendrick ties the California League record with 19 strikeouts in Fresno’s 12-3 defeat of Stockton.
May 20Ed Bouchee hits a game-ending homer in the 9th to break up a scoreless pitching duel between the Cubs Dick Ellsworth and the Cardinals Larry Jackson. The Cubs win 1-0 at Wrigley‚ their 2nd 1-0 win in a row. Bouchee also ties a ML fielding record when he handles 22 chances at 1B; 19 PO and 3 assists. Ellsworth allows 3 hits and throws 101 pitches.
May 23Norm Cash‚ Steve Boros‚ and Dick Brown hit consecutive HRs for the Tigers in a 5-2 win over Minnesota.

At Chicago‚ Ernie Banks makes his debut in left field and goes 1-for-4 with no errors. But the Cubs lose‚ 2-1‚ in 10 innings to the Phillies.
May 28After losing the first game 14-9 at home to Chicago‚ the Yankees take the nightcap 5-3 with the help of a Roger Maris HR. Maris’s 9th HR of the season is one of 27 hit in today’s 7 AL games-a record. Twelve more in 4 NL games make a total of 39‚ a one-day ML record for 11 games in the 2 leagues.

Ernie Banks clouts a 2-out grand slam in the bottom of the 8th to tie the Giants at 4-4‚ but 1st-place San Francisco wins over the Cubs‚ 6-5.
May 29At Fenway‚ Ike Delock outduels Whitey Ford to beat the Yankees‚ 2-1. New York’s scoring is Mantle’s first homer in two weeks.
May 303B Gene Freese hits 2 HRs‚ and Joey Jay and the Reds both win their 6th straight game‚ 8-7. Cincinnati completes a sweep of the Los Angeles‚ moving into a first-place tie with the Giants. Cincinnati will spend the rest of the season in first place.

Roger Maris‚ Mickey Mantle‚ and Moose Skowron each belt 2 HRs‚ tying the ML record for most players (one club) with multiple HRs in a 9-inning game. Berra adds a homer as New York wins at Fenway Park 12-3.

The Indians sweep a pair from the Twins‚ winning‚ 4-3 and 7-5. They end Lenny Green‘s 24 game hit streak in the opener. Cleveland scores the winning run in the opener on a bunt by Piersall‚ who reaches 2B on a wild throw by 1B Mincher. On a foul out‚ Piersall dashes for 3B‚ then scores on a sac fly.

The Dodgers trade IF Bob Lillis and OF Carl Warwick to St. Louis for IF Daryl Spencer.
May 31Mantle and Maris again homer as New York edges Boston‚ 7-6. Mantle’s is #14‚ two ahead of Roger. In the 8th inning‚ Carroll Hardy pinch hits for rookie Carl Yastrzemski: last year he pinch hit for Ted Williams‚ making him the only player to go in for both future Hall of Famers.

June


June 1Veteran Vic Wertz hits his first triple in 6 years as he leads the Red Sox to a 7-5 win over Bob Turley and the Yankees. Since June 14‚ 1955‚ Wertz has played in 596 games and collected 537 hits‚ but no 3-baggers.
June 2The Cubs Ernie Banks ties a ML record with 3 run-scoring sacrifice flies in one game. Chicago beats the Reds 7-6.
June 5In the first of two games at the Stadium‚ Mantle hits an 8th inning homer to help New York top the Twins 6-2. Mantle‚ Maris‚ and Colavito each have hit 15.
June 6Cleveland’s 8th straight win‚ a 14-3 rout of Washington‚ moves the Tribe into first place.

At San Francisco‚ Robin Roberts wins his 1st game of the year‚ 3-2‚ after 7 straight defeats. Pancho Herrera‘s 3-run homer decides it. Roberts will finish the year 1-10‚ the worst record ever for a Hall of Fame pitcher.

Twins manager Cookie Lavagetto is given a week’s vacation by owner Calvin Griffith. Coach Sam Mele temporarily replaces Lavagetto.
June 7The O’s trade OF Gene Stephens to the A’s for 1B Marv Throneberry.

The Twins lose to the Yankees‚ 5-1‚ for their 13th straight loss. They’ll win tomorrow but will reach 14 losses in a row in 1982. Ralph Terry allows the Twins a run in the 1st on 2 hits‚ then pitches hitless ball for the next 8 innings. Berry and Mantle homer off Pascual in the 3rd; it is a record setting 31 homers in the last 16 consecutive games.
June 8Milwaukee sets a ML record with 4 consecutive HRs in the 7th inning against the Reds. Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron hit back-to-back HRs off Jim Maloney; Joe Adcock greets reliever Marshall Bridges with another HR‚ and Frank Thomas sets the record. When these four teammates end their ML careers‚ they will have hit a combined total of 1‚889 homers. For all the bombardment‚ the Braves lose 10-8.

The Kansas City Athletics hit 3 consecutive triples in a 5-run 3rd inning while trimming the Yankees 9-6 after a first-game loss 6-1. Skowron has a homer in the opener‚ the 17th straight game the Yanks have homered‚ for a total of 32. The Bombers are shut out in the nitecap by Archer.
June 9Ryne Duren sets an AL record with 7 straight strikeouts against the Red Sox. He fans 11 batters in a 5-1 win for the Angels.

In a rain-interrupted game in New York‚ Mantle’s 3-run homer in the 3rd is the difference in a 8-6 win over Kansas City. Maris also homers‚ the third time this year the two have gone deep in the same game.
June 10The Braves tie the NL record with 14 HRs in 3 straight games (at least one in each game) as they outscore the Cubs at Wrigley 9-5.

At New York‚ ex-Yank Hank Bauer hits a inside-the-park homer over Mantle’s head to the CF monuments‚ but Mantle’s homer in the bottom of the 8th off rookie Bill Kunkel cements New York’s 5-3 win over Kansas City.

Pitchers Ray Herbert and Don Larsen‚ 3B Andy Carey‚ and OF Al Pilarcik of the A’s go to the White Sox for pitchers Bob Shaw and Gerry Staley and outfielders Wes Covington and Stan Johnson.
June 11The Yankees sweep two the Angels‚ winning the opener‚ 2-1 behind Ralph Terry‘s 5-hitter. Yogi Berra clouts a pair of solo homers. In the nitecap‚ Mantle’s 1st inning homer‚ #19‚ gives him the AL lead‚ but Maris adds a pair of home runs‚ his 19th and 20th‚ as New York wins 5-1. The Yanks have won 10 of 11 games.
June 12An ailing Bill Veeck sells his interest in the White Sox to Arthur Allyn‚ a minority partner. Allyn also buys Hank Greenberg‘s stock to acquire a controlling interest. Greenberg remains as GM.
June 14Sound familiar? The KC A’s ship P Bud Daley‚ their top winner the past 2 seasons‚ to the Yankees for P Art Ditmar and OF Deron Johnson. The Yanks then send P Danny McDevitt to the Twins for infielder Billy Gardner.
June 15Undefeated Ralph Terry‘s 11-inning 3-2 win at Cleveland moves the Yankees into first place. Mantle’s homer ties the score at 1-1 and Johnny Blanchard‘s pinch single in the 11th wins it.

The expansion Senators are 30-30 after winning today. It is the latest date an expansion team will be at .500. Washington will lose their next 10 games.

The Braves trade SS Johnny Logan to the Pirates for OF Gino Cimoli.
June 16Detroit’s Phil Regan beats New York 4-2 at home‚ as the Tigers take first place.

Kansas City bonus baby Lew Krausse‚ Jr.‚ who just graduated from high school‚ debuts with a 3-hit 4-0 shutout of the Angels before 25‚869 fans at Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium. His father ended his brief ML career with the Philadelphia A’s in 1932 with a shutout.
June 17With 2 out and 2 on in the 9th‚ Mickey Mantle homers off Paul Foytack into the RF upper deck. Elston Howard follows with a HR‚ but Detroit hangs on to win 12-10 over the 3rd-place Yanks.
June 18Pittsburgh takes the first game 5-3 as Don Leppert makes his ML debut with a HR in his first at bat‚ off Curt Simmons. The Cards salvage a split with a 7-3 nightcap win.

Milwaukee’s Hank Aaron‚ Joe Adcock‚ and Frank Thomas hit consecutive HRs in a 10-2 triumph at Los Angeles.

The Red Sox pull off one of their greatest rallies in team history‚ against Washington as they come back from a 12-5 deficit with one out in the 9th to win‚ 13-12. Willie Tasby of the Senators and Jim Pagliaroni of the Red Sox swap grand slams in the 9th inning of the lid-lifter at Fenway Park‚ tying the ML record for slams by 2 teams in one inning. It is Pagliaroni’s 3rd dinger in 2 days.

St. Louis Browns midget Eddie Gaedel dies of a heart attack following a mugging in Chicago. He was 36. The only major leaguer who will be at his funeral is Bob Cain‚ the pitcher who walked Gaedel in his only ML game.
June 19Charlie Finley makes his first managerial change‚ booting the recently-hired Joe Gordon (26-33) in favor of Hank Bauer.

Led by 3B Gene Freese‚ the Reds sweep the Phils‚ winning 7-2 and 10-0. Freese is 7-for-8.
June 20Al Kaline plays 3B for the first time in his career. His 2 hits and 2 RBIs lead the Tigers to a 5-4 win over the Senators. Kaline will return to the OF and play 3B just once more in his career‚ in 1965.
June 21The White Sox go on the offense to sweep a pair from the Indians‚ 15-3 and 11-1. Roy Sievers comes off the bench in game 1 to collect 7 RBI with a grand slam and 3-run homer. Minoso also homers. Sievers has another homer in game 2 as he scores 4 times. Al Smith has 4 RBI on 2 homers.
June 22Roger Maris leads the Yankees on an 8-3 thrashing of the A’s by belting his 27th homer of the year. He adds two doubles and a single. Maris has now hit 20 homers in the past 30 days (May 24 – June 22) to tie the mark set by Ralph Kiner in 1947.
June 23Ernie Banks voluntarily takes the bench as a sore knee brings his 717 consecutive-games-played streak to an end. The streak started August 26‚ 1956. The Bank-less Cubs still win 5-3 over the Braves at Wrigley. Joe Adcock‚ who applied the hidden ball trick last August 31 to George Altman‚ nabs another Cub‚ Billy Williams in the 8th.

At home‚ the Cards win 10-5 over the Giants. With 2 HRs‚ Stan Musial passes Lou Gehrig on the all-time list for extra-bases hits. Babe Ruth remains first.

Cookie Lavagetto (4-6) is fired as manager of the Twins. Sam Mele again takes control of the club.

Louisville’s (AA) Howie Bedell goes hitless against Dallas-Fort Worth‚ ending his 43-game batting streak‚ the longest in the minor leagues since Mejias‚ in 1954. Bedell goes 66-for-197 (.340) during the streak‚ and ties the American Association record set in 1935

Down 9-0‚ then 11-2‚ the Phillies score 4 in the 8th and 6 in the 9th to top the Pirates 12-11 at Pittsburgh.
June 25Vic Power is the base runner on 1B in the bottom of the 9th‚ when Chuck Essegian pinch-hits a single. Power‚ thinking it is a HR‚ waits to shake hands with Essegian‚ and is forced at 2B. Detroit and Jim Bunning win‚ 6-3‚ then Cleveland takes the nitecap‚ 4-3.
June 26At LA’s Wrigley Field‚ Angel reliever Art Fowler‚ who has allowed just one hit in his last 12 innings‚ serves up a 9th inning HR to Bill Skowron as New York wins 8-6. Mantle adds an earlier homer‚ off Ken McBride‚ and Ford wins his 13th.

Don DiChiara sets a NYP league record with 4 consecutive HRs in Batavia’s 14-9 loss to Jamestown.
June 27Gene Green‚ Willie Tasby‚ and Dale Long hit consecutive HRs for the Senators‚ as they trim Cleveland 8-5.
June 28The Phillies and Giants play for 5 hours and 11 minutes‚ but the 15 inning contest ends in an 7-7 tie. Both teams score 3 in the 15th in the longest night game to date.

Ryne Duran goes 8 innings and strikes out 12 former teammates to give the Angels a 5-3 win over New York. Mantle drives in all 3 Yankee runs‚ two on a home run.
June 29With 3 round-trippers at Philadelphia-one a 10th-inning shot to win 8-7-Willie Mays becomes the 4th ML player with 3 or more HRs twice in one season. Manager Gene Mauch‘s efforts to conceal his starting pitcher and force Al Dark’s hand has a Phillie lineup including hurlers Don Ferrarese (batting leadoff‚ playing CF)‚ Jim Owens (3rd‚ RF)‚ Chris Short (7th‚ C)‚ and Ken Lehman (9th‚ P) against San Francisco. When Dark sends lefty Billy O’Dell to the mound for one batter‚ Mauch replaces Ferrarese‚ Short and Owen. Dark then replaces Billy O’Dell with Sam Jones. Mauch replaces Lehman with Dallas Green after 2 batters. All the maneuvering takes 3 hours and 20 minutes. The Giants then take the nitecap‚ 4-1‚ as Mays triples and doubles home 2 runs and completes a DP with a throw home.
June 30Whitey Ford (14-2) tops the Senators 5-1 to give the 2nd place Yankees their 22nd win of the month. Maris drives in 3 runs and Mantle lines shot over CF Willie Tasby‘s that rebounds for an inside-the-park HR.

July


July 1The Senators stake rookie Carl Mathias to a 3-0 lead over New York‚ but a Mantle solo shot‚ a few feet left of the 456-foot sign in left at Yankee Stadium‚ puts New York on the board. The Nats up the score to 5-1‚ but Mantle then bangs a 3-run homer to make it 5-4 and knock out Mathias [who in his 11 ML games will give up 3 homers to Mantle]. In the 9th‚ Maris poles a 2-run homer‚ his 28th‚ to give New York a 7-6 victory.

At Milwaukee‚ Gordy Coleman collects 8 hits and leads the Reds to a sweep over the Braves. The Reds win the opener‚ 8-5‚ as Coleman collects 5 hits‚ including a 3-run homer in the 13th off Warren Spahn. Gordy chips in with 3 more hits in the nitecap‚ a 4-3 Reds win.
July 2The Yankees hit 5 homers-#28 by Mantle and #’s 29 and 30 by Maris-to easily beat the Senators 13-4.

The Pirates sweep a pair from the Giants‚ winning 7-6 and 9-0. Sore-armed Vern Law‚ making his 1st start in more than 3 weeks‚ is lifted in the 6th and Haddix wins in relief. Bobby Shantz pitches a 5-hitter to win the nitecap as the Bucs score 6 unearned runs off Marichal. The Giants‚ 2 1/2 games back yesterday‚ will be 9 out on the evening of July 8.

Pitcher Glen Hobbie and Tony Taylor each hit a pair of homers for the Cubs‚ and pinch hitter Richie Ashburn‘s bases-loaded single in the 8th brings home the deciding run. The Cubs edge the Cardinals‚ 10-9.
July 4Before 74‚246-the largest crowd at the Stadium since 1947-the Yankees split with the Tigers‚ winning the opener 6-2‚ before losing 4-3 in 10 innings.

At Metropolitan Stadium‚ the Twins sweep a pair from the White Sox‚ winning the opener 6-4 when Julio Becquer hits a 9th inning grand slam as a pinch hitter. Cal McLish shuts out the Twins in game 2 until the 8th inning when the Twins score 4 runs‚ 2 on Harmon Killebrew‘s only career inside-the-park-HR‚ off Cal McLish. Appropriately‚ it is the Metro’s first IPHR. The Twins win‚ 4-2‚ behind Jack Kralick.

At Chicago‚ the Giants close out their road trip by rolling to a 19-3 win in game 1‚ collecting 22 hits including a homer by Orlando Cepeda that is one of the longest in Wrigley history. The Cubs come back in the nitecap to win‚ 3-2‚ overcoming Willie Mays‘ 300th homer. At the half way mark‚ the Giants are in 3rd place‚ 5 1/2 games in back of the first-place Reds.

Johnny Antonelli returns to the Braves as the Indians sell the veteran back to where he started as an 18-year-old pitcher.
July 5At Yankee Stadium‚ Roger Maris cracks a 7th inning solo HR against the Indians‚ and also is credited-erroneously‚ as it turns out-with a 3rd inning RBI on a single. The 2 RBIs are officially recorded‚ though just one appears in the game’s box score‚ and the error will not be noted until 1995. With the correction‚ Maris and Jim Gentile become co-leaders in RBIs for the season.
July 6Solly Hemus (33-41) is fired as manager of the Cardinals and replaced by coach Johnny Keane.
July 7Pittsburgh puts Vern Law on the retired list‚ on doctor’s orders‚ to rest his sore right arm.
July 8At Yankee Stadium‚ Whitey Ford tops the Red Sox 8-5. Mantle hits a HR in the 4th‚ off Tracy Stallard‚ for his 10th roundtripper this year in support of Ford.
July 9Sherm Lollar’s 9th-inning pinch-hit grand slam‚ off Frank Funk‚ for the White Sox crushes Cleveland 7-5. It is the 5th pinch slam in the AL this season-two by the Sox-and ties the ML record. The Sox also win a 2nd game 9-8. Over the afternoon 8 HRs are hit.

The Tigers take over 1st place with a doubleheader sweep of the Angels. Frank Lary’s. 13th victory in the opener‚ a 1-0 three-hitter‚ is followed by Jim Bunning‘s 6-3 win in the nitecap.

At Los Angeles‚ Frank Robinson has a pair of homers‚ a double and single to drive in 7 runs and the Reds coast over LA‚ 14-3. Vada Pinson scores 5 runs.
July 11Strong winds dominate the first All-Star Game of 1961. A capacity crowd sees P Stu Miller blown off the mound in the 9th inning at Candlestick Park. A balk is called‚ and it enables the AL to forge a 3-3 tie before losing 5-4 in 10 innings.
July 13Mack Jones of the Braves ties the NL record with 4 hits-3 singles and a double-in his ML debut‚ a 6-5 triumph over St. Louis.

Chicago’s Early Wynn gets an early departure as he retires just two Yankees in the first inning. Then Mantle (30th) and Maris (34th) belt back-to-back homers to send the vet to the showers. For Mantle‚ it is the 13th homer in his career off Wynn‚ his favorite target. New York wins‚ 6-2
July 14Willie Kirkland whacks his 5th HR in 3 games to help the Indians down the Angels 7-5 at Cleveland. His first 4 were in consecutive at bats before and after the All-Star break and tied the ML record. He now has 16 en route to 27 for the year.

At Los Angeles‚ the Phils top the Dodgers 7-5 in 10 innings. Phils’ reliever Jack Baldschun pitches in his 8th straight game to pick up the win.
July 16Detroit regains 1st place with two complete game victories from Phil Regan and Don Mossi.

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 17Following a year-long illness‚ Ty Cobb succumbs to cancer at age 74 at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

Bill White goes 8-for-10 in a doubleheader‚ as the Cards sweep the Cubs 10-6 and 8-5 at Busch Stadium.

Commissioner Ford Frick decrees that Babe Ruth’s record of 60 HRs in a 154-game schedule in 1927 “cannot be broken unless some batter hits 61 or more within his club’s first 154 games.”

The Yankees top the O’s‚ 5-0‚ behind Whitey Ford‘s 13th straight win. Mantle (#33) and Skowron hit long HRs at Baltimore. The nitecap goes into the 5th when‚ with 2 outs and the Yanks up 4-1‚ a thunderstorm strikes. The umps wait 65 minutes before calling the game‚ thus washing out homers by Maris and Mantle.
July 18Bill White and the Cards continue to beat up on the Cubs‚ sweeping 8-3 and 7-5. White goes 3-for-4 in each game and ties Ty Cobb‘s 49-year-old record of 14 hits in consecutive twin bills.

Henry Aaron‚ Joe Adcock‚ and Joe Torre of the Braves startle the Reds with a triple steal in the 6th inning. For Aaron‚ it is his first steal of home.

Mantle poles two homers‚ off rookie Joe McLain‚ to pace New York to a 5-3 win over the Senators. In pre-game ceremonies‚ Mantle teamed with New York Congressman Eddie Dooley to win the homer-hitting contest against other Congressional-player duos.
July 19The Yanks and Senators split‚ with Washington winning the nitecap 12-2. Dick Donovan is the winner. Mantle belts a 500 foot homer in the 4th over the RF wall.

Ford Frick‚ an old friend of Babe Ruth‘s‚ announces that should Ruth’s record be beaten after 154 games‚ the record will carry an asterisk. When asked about the ruling‚ Maris replies‚ “A season is a season.”
July 21With each team stranding 15 base runners‚ the Angels and Senators tie the ML record for runners left on base by 2 clubs in a 9-inning game. Los Angeles wins 16-5.

Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris slam back-to-back HRs in the first inning for New York‚ but it takes a 2-out‚ 9th-inning pinch-hit grand slam by Johnny Blanchard to finally subdue the Red Sox‚ 11-8‚ at Fenway. The pinch slam is the AL’s 6th of the season‚ a new record.
July 22John Blanchard does it again with a solo pinch-hit HR to start a 3-run 9th-inning Yankee rally to tumble the Red Sox 11-9.
July 23Using 21 pitchers‚ the Tigers (11) and A’s (10) set an AL record for most hurlers used in an 18-inning doubleheader. At 3 hours‚ 54 minutes‚ the 2nd game is the longest 9-inning contest in AL history. The entire doubleheader lasts 6 hours‚ 50 minutes‚ a ML record. The Tigers sweep 6-4 and 17-14‚ taking first place by one percentage point.
July 24At Kansas City‚ Detroit P Frank Lary collides with rookie 3B Steve Boros‚ and both players leave the game with injuries. Lary does not miss a start but Boros’ collarbone is broken and he will not return. He has 53 RBIs to date.

At Yankee Stadium‚ 50‚000 fans‚ on hand for the Yankees exhibition game with the Giants‚ save their biggest cheer for Willie Mays. Willie delivers a 2-run single in the 4-1 victory. The only score for the Yanks is a Mickey Mantle homer.
July 25Roger Maris hits 4 HRs‚ tying the AL record for a twin bill as New York beats Chicago 5-1 and 12-0. Mickey Mantle also homers off Frank Baumann in the first game. He ends the day with 38 HRs to 40 for Maris.
July 26John Blanchard ties a ML record by hitting his 3rd and 4th HRs in 4 at bats over 3 games. He drives in 4 of the Yankee runs in a 5-2 victory over the White Sox at the Stadium. New York manages just 6 hits but 4 are homers‚ including one by Mantle following Blanchard’s first-inning clout. Blanchard will end the year with 21 homers in 243 at bats‚ the first player in history to hit 20 or more in fewer than 250 at bats.

At Milwaukee‚ the Reds muscle 3 runs in the 8th inning to beat the Braves‚ 3-2. Gus Bell rings a pinch homer and Frank Robinson clubs a two-run homer for the Reds.
July 27Vada Pinson gives the Reds a 2-1 win over the Braves when he swipes home in the 9th inning. Pitcher Carlton Willey’s throw beats Pinson but he kicks the ball out of the glove of C Sammy White.

The Giants Juan Marichal fires his first shutout of the year‚ stopping the Pirates‚ 2-0‚ on 5 hits. Manager Dark says before the game that “Marichal will go all the way” and keeps his relief pitchers in the dugout to emphasis the point.
July 28The Yanks buy 1B Bob Hale from Cleveland. This will make vet Earl Torgeson‚ signed on June 17‚ expendable. They’ll release Torgy as a player in early September and sign him as a coach.
July 29Duke Snider’s pinch HR and Ron Fairly‘s RBI hit give Los Angeles a 5-4 win at Pittsburgh. The Dodgers take over first place from the Reds.

The Giants Orlando Cepeda hits a 1st inning grand slam to give the Giants a 4-3 win over the Phils. The Phillies will lose 23 straight before another victory.
July 31The 2nd All-Star Game of 1961 ends in a 1-1 tie at Fenway Park. Rocky Colavito homers for the AL run. Heavy rains end the exhibition after 9 innings.

August


August 2New York beats Kansas City 12-5 with Mantle walloping a first inning homer off Art Ditmar. Mantle and Maris are both at 40 homers.

Juan Marichal fires a one-hitter-a Tommy Davis single-at the Dodgers‚ winning 6-0. Felipe Alou has 3 hits‚ including 2 HRs‚ to pace the Giants win over the league leaders.
August 3A 19-0 rout of St. Louis by Pittsburgh matches the most lopsided shutout in modern NL history. The first had been achieved by the Cubs against the Giants on June 7‚ 1906. Harvey Haddix is the easy winner over Al Cicotte.
August 4With a little help from George Altman‚ the Cubs Bob Anderson outpitches Sandy Koufax‚ and beats the Dodgers‚ 4-2. Altman hits two homers off Koufax‚ the first time anyone has done that off the Dodgers lefty.

At Candlestick‚ Warren Spahn wins his 299th game‚ 2-1‚ over the Giants. He gets a bit of help from Hank Aaron who leads off the 7th and 9th with homers off Mike McCormick. The Giants scoring is a Cepeda homer in the 5th.
August 6Maury Wills’ first HR in 1‚167 ML at bats and a double‚ triple‚ and HR by Frank Howard give the Dodgers an 11-4 win against Chicago and first place by a half game in the NL. Wills has 3 hits and scores 4 runs‚ while Podres gives up ten hits‚ but goes the distance to win. Wally Moon drives in 3 runs with 3 hits.

Mantle leads the Yankees to a doubleheader sweep of the Twins‚ going 5-for-9 with 3 home runs and a double. His 4 RBIs gives him an even 100 for the year and his homer total is now 43. In the opener‚ Mantle’s had 2 home runs off his favorite pitcher Pedro Ramos‚ but it is Johnny Blanchard‘s homer in the 10th that ties the game at 6-6. In the 15th‚ Berra hits a bases loaded grounder and just beat the throw at first to give the Yanks the win. The Yankees win the nitecap by a run as well‚ when Clete Boyer drives in Mantle in the 9th inning to break a 2-2 tie. New York now leads Detroit by 2 1/2 games.
August 8At Fenway‚ the Twins Camilo Pascual gives up an inside-the-park grand slam to Gary Geiger in the 3rd and a solo shot to Buddin in the 7th‚ but wins‚ 6-5. Pascual drives in his first 3 runs of the year to snap the Twins 8-game losing streak.
August 9Cincinnati wins its 16th straight game against Philadelphia as Joey Jay blanks the Phils 5-0. It is the 13th loss in a row for the Quakers‚ their longest string of defeats since 1936: they’ve won just one in 19 games. Elio Chacon hits his first ML homer‚ off Don Ferrarese.

The Cards beat the Pirates‚ 4-0‚ with all the Birds scoring coming on a grand slam by Julian Javier.

The Dodgers win their 17th out of 20 to stay a game ahead of the Reds‚ beating the Braves 8-3‚ Don Drysdale hits a grand slam‚ off Don Nottebart in the 2nd‚ and allows just 4 hits while striking out 11. Two of the 4 hits are homers by Joe Adcock.
August 10The Orioles shut out Kansas City behind Milt Pappas‚ and 41-year-old Dave Philley collects his 21st pinch hit of the year‚ a new AL mark. The old AL record was set in 1936 by Ed Coleman.
August 11Warren Spahn’s 2-1 victory against the Cubs makes him the 13th 300-game winner.

In a classic pitching duel‚ White Sox lefty Billy Pierce and KC’s Jim Archer walk none and neither go to 3-2 in the count. Luis Aparicio’s HR is the only score as the Sox win 1-0 in 1 hour‚ 32 minutes.

Mantle (44) and Maris (42) belt homers off reliever Pete Burnside to lead New York to a 12-5 pasting of the Senators.

Vancouver (PCL) steals 9 bases in one inning of a 10-2 win against Salt Lake City..
August 12At Griffith Stadium‚ Roger Maris belts his 43rd homer‚ off Dick Donovan‚ but its New York’s only score as they lose‚ 5-1‚ the Yanks first loss in 10 games. For Washington it is their first win in 8 games. Gene Green‘s pinch grand slam off Luis Arroyo is the big blow for the Nats.
August 13In the first of two with the Senators‚ Maris belts his 44th homer to tie Mantle. An inning later‚ Mantle‚ hits a Bennie Daniels offering for his 45th‚ but that’s all Daniels allows‚ winning 12-2. Maris adds his 45th homer in the 1st inning in game 2 as the Yanks win‚ 9-4.
August 14The Phillies lose their 17th straight game‚ 9-2 to the Cubs Dick Ellsworth. It is the 11th straight complete game pitched against Philadelphia.

At Memorial Stadium‚ the Cards Ernie Broglio allows just 5 Dodger hits in shutting out Los Angeles‚ 5-0. Don Drysdale takes the loss. For the Dodgers‚ this will be the start of a ten-game losing streak.

The Reds purchase Darrell Johnson from the Phils.
August 15Maris hits his 46th homer‚ off Chicago’s Juan Pizarro‚ for New York’s only run in a 2-1 loss to the visiting White Sox. Pizarro allows just 4 hits. Whitey Ford loses in his bid for his 21st win.

Frank Malzone is 5-for-5 with a pair of homers in the Red Sox‚ 8-0 shellacking of the Indians. Gene Conley throws the shutout and hits a homer. Jackie Jensen and Carroll Hardy hit back-to-back HRs in the 5th.

At L.A.‚ the 2nd-place Reds Joey Jay (17-7) gives up 3 singles and 2 runs in the first and just 3 hits after that in subduing the first-place Dodgers‚ 5-2. Losing pitcher Sandy Koufax (13-8) almost adds another hit but is thrown out at 1B by RF Frank Robinson. Announcer Vin Scully says‚ “Sandy forgot to run.”
August 16Cincinnati takes the NL lead for good with a shutout sweep 6-0 and 8-0 at Los Angeles before 72‚140‚ a record crowd for a NL doubleheader. Bob Purkey gives up 4 hits and Jim O’Toole just 2 in handing the Dodgers their 1st twinbill whitewash since July 18‚ 1935.

Roger Maris ties an AL record with his 7th HR in his 6th straight game‚ as New York beats Chicago 5-4 in the 9th inning. His two blasts off Billy Pierce give him 48‚ three more than Mickey Mantle.
August 17It takes the Phils 11 innings at County Stadium‚ but they finally lose to the Braves‚ 7-6 when Al Spangler singles home the winner. For Philadelphia‚ it is their 20th loss in a row‚ a modern ML record. The Phils lose a 6-4 lead in the 8th when Joe Adcock slams a 2-run homer off Art Mahaffey to tie.

The Indians edge the Red Sox in the 14th inning‚ 4-3‚ when Mike Fornieles walks in the winning run in the 14th inning. Cleveland ties the game in the 9th on John Romano’s 2-run homer into the upper deck.

Charles Finley denies he plans to move the Kansas City Athletics to Texas. “I have no plans to move. We are a Kansas City team‚ and besides‚ we have no place to move to.” He said he put out no feelers to other cities about moving the A’s.

Chuck Weatherspoon hits his 7th grand slam of the season for Wilson (Carolina League) in a game against Winston-Salem.
August 18Ron Kline‚ purchased from the Angels on August 10‚ blanks the Red Sox on 4 hits to give the Tigers a 5-0 win. Bill Monbouquette fails for the 9th time to win his 9th‚ lasting just 4 innings and gives up homers to Billy Bruton and Rocky Colavito.
August 19The Phils rally in the 9th‚ but strand 11 and lose‚ 4-3 to Milwaukee. For the hapless Quakers‚ it is their 22nd loss in a row. For the Braves‚ it is their 9th win in a row. The Phils have 13 hits off Tony Cloninger‚ the winner‚ while Frank Sullivan allows just 7. The Braves score all their runs in the 3rd‚ the big blow being Frank Thomas’ 2-run homer.

The Reds surge to a 3-game lead in the NL by topping the Cards‚ 3-1‚ behind Joey Jay. They now lead by 3 games. The Reds get on the board in the 6th on Wally Post‘s homer‚ his 16th. He has now homered this year in every NL park.

The Red Sox top the Tigers‚ 5-3‚ as the two teams combine to hit into 8 double plays‚ tying the ML record for 9 innings.
August 20Philadelphia’s modern NL-record 23-game losing streak ends when John Buzhardt beats Milwaukee 7-4 in the 2nd of 2 games. The win snaps Milwaukee’s 10-game win streak. The Phils lost the game 5-2. Seventeen of the losses came on the road.

The Cubs and Pirates tie an NL record by playing their 3rd straight extra-inning game. The Cubs take this one 1-0. Chicago wins two of the three 11-inning games.

The Twins outslug the Angels to win‚ 9-7‚ and do it with two homers from two pitchers-a 1st in the AL and the last time it happens in the 20th century. Lennie Green starts the offense with a leadoff HR‚ the first of 2 he hits‚ and starter Jack Kralick homers. Al Schroll who pitches 4+ innings for the win‚ also homers. Earl Averill hits a pair for the Haloes.

At Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium‚ both Mantle and Maris homer in the twinbill sweep. Mantle’s first inning three run homer‚ and Maris’s in the 3rd inning make it easy for Ralph Terry. In the nitecap‚ Bill Skowron hits his 21st in the 2nd inning and the Yanks win 5-2. In the 6th‚ after Bell allows a single and then hits Gardner and Maris‚ Mantle collects his 101st walk to force home a run.

Satchel Paige is the big attraction‚ winning pitcher and MVP in the Negro American League all-star game before 7‚245 fans at Yankee Stadium. Paige pitches the first three innings for the West giving up no runs and allowing a scratch single to Fred Green. It is the only hit the East gets‚ as Don Poindexter and Dick Hemphill allow no hits in their three-inning stints as the West wins‚ 7-1. Governor Nelson Rockefeller tosses out the first pitch‚ a throw with the same speed and trajectory as Paige’s hesitation pitch thrown for a strike to Gideon Jarvis.
August 21In their first appearance in Boston since moving to Milwaukee‚ the Braves defeat the Red Sox‚ 4-1. Spahn pitches the first inning‚ striking out rookies Chuck Schilling and Carl Yastrzemski. The exhibition game is for the benefit of the Jimmy Fund.
August 22Frank Lane’s short tenure as GM of the A’s ends when Charlie Finley replaces him with Pat Friday.

Roger Maris becomes the first player to hit his 50th HR in the month of August‚ as the Yankees lose to the Angels 4-3 (Ruth and Foxx hit #50 on September 4th). Ken McBride tees up the gopher ball in the 6th inning with one on.

The hot Giants sweep a pair from the NL-leading Reds‚ winning 12-2 and 5-3. Visiting SF features 20 hits in the opener to back Mike McCormick. Orlando Cepeda‘s 35th HR‚ NL high‚ starts the scoring in the nitecap‚ as Sam Jones and Stu Miller combine. Mays has his 32nd and 33rd homers in the twinbill.
August 23Third-place San Francisco pulls within 4 games of first place with a 14-0 rout of the Reds‚ putting the game away with a record-tying salvo of 5 HRs in the 12-run 9th inning. HRs by 6 different Giants tie the ML record for a 9-inning game. San Francisco’s 27 total bases in the 9th inning are a modern ML record. Juan Marichal is the winner in the cakewalk‚ his 7th straight win.
August 24Ageless Satchel Paige signs with Portland (PCL). In 25 innings for the Beavers‚ he will have a 2.88 ERA.

Boston OF Jackie Jensen’s fear of flying gets the best of him and he refuses to fly to Los Angeles. The Sox say they will not pay him for games he misses because of the flying fear.
August 25Jim Bunning (15-9) allows just 2 hits while blanking the Senators‚ 6-0‚ in a game called after 8 innings because of rain. The win keeps the Tigers 2 games ahead of the Yankees.

In the Orioles 5-2 win over the Twins‚ O’ Dave Phillips sets a ML record for pinch hits. His swinging bunt down the 3B line is his 23rd hit‚ breaking the record set by the Giants Sam Leslie in 1932. Phillips is 23 for 63 this season.
August 26Roger Maris belts #51‚ off KC’s Jerry Walker. Roger’s homer in the 6th follows a Tony Kubek blast. Bill Stafford allows just one hit till the 9th inning as the Yanks win‚ 5-1.

Ed Short becomes GM of the White Sox‚ replacing Hank Greenberg.

San Diego (PCL) pitcher Al Worthington throws a no-hitter against Hawaii.
August 27With first place on the line after the Dodgers have won two games from them‚ Cincinnati rallies from a 5-1 deficit to a 6-5 first-game win over Los Angeles. Gene Freese hits a 3-run homer in the 7th and Wally Post adds a 2-run double in the 8th. Rookie Ken Johnson is an 8-3 winner in the nightcap as the Reds pummel Don Drysdale. The sweep gives the Reds a 3 1?2 game lead in the NL.

Detroit’s Rocky Colavito ties an AL record with 4 HRs-three in the 2nd game‚ in a doubleheader pummeling of the Senators 7-4 and 10-1 at Washington.

The Orioles Milt Pappas is the whole show as he blanks the Twins‚ 3-0. He allows just two hits while belting 2 homers. Eddie Robinson adds a homer.
August 28At LA’s Wrigley Field‚ Baltimore takes advantage of the friendly confines to hit 5 HRs and beat the Angels 11-5. Jack Fisher has a CG win‚ despite allowing 12 walks. The game is the last for Paul Richards as the manager for Baltimore.

At Washington‚ Rocky Colavito and Al Kaline belt 1st-inning homers as Detroit wins‚ 7-3 to cut New York’s lead to 1 1/2 games. Rocky now has 39 homers and 120 RBIs. Jake Wood hits a 6th inning grand slam to complete the scoring for Detroit.
August 29At Milwaukee‚ the Braves take over 3rd place from the Giants with a 13-inning‚ 7-6 victory. Eddie Mathews ends the game with his 26th homer. For SF‚ Willie McCovey cracks his 16th homer for his 3rd hit of the game‚ and the 20th hit in 45 at bats since his return to the Giants lineup. The Braves recognize a hot bat when they see one and‚ with 1st base open in the 11th‚ walk McCovey to get to Mays. Mays earlier drove in his 100th run‚ but grounds out to end the inning.
August 30Mantle connects for #47‚ off the Twins Jim Kaat‚ as the Yanks win‚ 4-0. He’ll hit #48 tomorrow‚ off Jack Kralick‚ in the Twins‚ 4-3 win.

September


September 1The AL’s biggest crowd of the year‚ 65‚566‚ sees Whitey Ford and Don Mossi duel at Yankee Stadium as a weekend battle for first place begins. Two-out‚ 9th-inning hits by Elston Howard‚ Yogi Berra‚ and Bill Skowron give New York a 1-0 win over the Tigers.

Paul Richards (38-57) resigns as manager of the Orioles to become GM of the new Houston NL club. Coach Lum Harris takes over.

Cubs 30-year-old rookie Cuno Barragan‚ sidelined since spring training when he broke his ankle‚ finally gets his first at bat and hits his only ML HR. His clout comes off Giants P Dick LeMay‚ but the Cubs lose 4-3 in 14 innings.
September 2Against Detroit’s Frank Lary‚ Maris doubles and takes 3B on a misplay. Mantle‚ hurting from a pulled muscle in his forearm‚ lays down a perfect drag bunt to score Roger. Maris then blasts homers his next two trips to the plate‚ and Elston Howard adds a three-run homer‚ for a 7-2 win.

Milwaukee manager Chuck Dressen (71-58) is axed and executive vice president Birdie Tebbetts becomes the new skipper.
September 3After taking the first two games against Detroit‚ New York is down 5-4 in the 9th when Mantle ties the game with his 2nd homer of the day. Elston Howard wins it with a 3-run drive into the LF stands and Detroit leaves town 4 1/2 games in back of New York. Mantle is now at 50 home runs‚ with Maris at 53‚ the first teammates in history to hit 50.
September 4Mantle misses the Labor Day doubleheader with a painful and swollen forearm‚ but the Yanks don’t need him as they sweep a pair from the Senators‚ 5-3 and 3-2. The sweep moves the Yanks 6 games up on the slumping Tigers‚ who lose 6-3 to the Orioles and trail 4-1 in a game suspended. Mantle’s replacement John Blanchard breaks a 3-3 tie in the opener with an 8th inning homer.

After losing‚ 4-3‚ the Royals outkick the Angels‚ 13-7 in game 2‚ using an 11-run 6th inning. KC collects 7 hits‚ 4 walks‚ 3 errors and a stolen base for their big inning. Norm Siebern and winning pitcher Joe Nuxhall homer in the frame.

In Minnesota‚ the White Sox and Twins split a pair of 9-5 decisions in a day-nite DH. Killebrew hits his 39th homer in the opener to back Schroll’s 6 innings of spotty pitching. Al Smith has 4 hits and 4 ribbies in the nitecap. Numberless rookie Joe Horlen makes his ML debut in relief and picks up the win. The only road uniform available has no number on it (as noted by Maxwell Kates).

At LA‚ Don Drysdale stops the Giants‚ 4-0‚ allowing just 2 hits. The Dodgers are now 2 games in back of the first-place Reds.
September 5Los Angeles’s Lee Thomas ties the ML record with 9 hits in a doubleheader‚ 5 in the first game and 4‚ including 3 HRs‚ in the 2nd. Thomas ties the AL record with 19 total bases in a doubleheader. But Kansas City wins both games from the Angels‚ 7-3 and 13-12.

The Yanks top Washington‚ 6-1‚ sending the Senators to their 20th defeat in their last 21 games. Mantle’s homers for his 51st. The Yanks win‚ coupled with a Detroit doubleheader loss‚ puts New York ahead by 7 1/2 games.
September 6Roger Maris connects for #54‚ off Tom Cheney of the Senators‚ as the Yankees win‚ 8-0‚ behind Whitey Ford‘s 5-hitter. Ford is now 23-3. John Blanchard hits a pair of homers‚ each time following a walk to Mantle‚ and Moose Skowron and Bob Hale also homer.

The Dodgers come from behind to defeat the Giants for the 4th straight time‚ winning 8-5‚ and moving within a game of first place.
September 7Maris lays down a bunt and also belts his 55th homer of the year in the 3rd inning as New York beats the Senators‚ 7-3. All of Washington’s scores come in the 6th on an inside-the-park homer by Tito Francona‚ off Ralph Terry. When asked by a writer after the game why he bunted‚ a testy Maris replies‚ “Trying to win the game‚ you stupid cocksucker. Why do you think.”
September 8The Yanks rout the Indians 9-1 as Mantle hits #52‚ off Gary Bell. The Yanks win for their 9th straight while Detroit loses their 8th in a row to drop 10 game in back. The Tigers purchase vet Vic Wertz from the Red Sox to shore up the offense.
September 9On Whitey Ford Day at Yankee Stadium‚ Maris hits his 56th homer‚ off Cleveland’s Mudcat Grant.‚ as the Yanks come from behind to win‚ 8-7‚ New York scores 4 in the 9th to enable Luis Arroyo to pick up his 12th relief win in a row.
September 10The Yankees sweep the Indians‚ 7-6 and 9-3 ‚ their 12th win in a row at home and the Indians 20th loss in a row at Yankee Stadium. Mantle gets number 53 in the nitecap‚ while Maris‚ homerless‚ stays at 56. The official scorecard credits Mantle with 2 runs scored: it will be discovered in 1995 that one of the runs should go to Bill Skowron. In the 2nd game‚ Clete Boyer sends a Jim Perry pitch into the LF corner that hits the lower deck of the grand stand and bounces back into play. While home plate ump Joe Linsalata calls it a HR‚ the other two umps agree with Tribe CF Jimmy Piersall who contends the ball is in play. Boyer’s home run trot is interrupted at 3B with a tag out. Piersall’s contribution in game one is fighting with a fan who climbed onto the field.

The Reds Bob Purkey allows just 2 hits in beating the visiting Cards‚ 5-2.

At Chicago‚ the Phillies score 7 in the 7th‚ including Don Demeter‘s grand slam‚ and notch 6 more in the 8th to beat the Cubs‚ 14-6. There is some solace for the Cubs as introduce a pair of gems: Ken Hubbs debuts with 2 hits and 2 runs and Lou Brock has one hit‚ one run and a pair of errors.
September 12The Phillies drive Koufax from the mound in a 9-run 2nd inning and go on to defeat the Dodgers‚ 19-10. The loss drops LA 4 1/2 games behind the Reds. The big gun for the Phils is ex-Dodgers Don Demeter‚ who hits a 2-run homer in the 1st‚ singles in a run in the 2nd‚ adds a 3-run HR in the 7th and a solo in the 9th. He scores 5 runs Two other Phils homer while 4 Dodgers go deep.

At Milwaukee‚ the Reds Joey Jay beats his old team‚ 1-0‚ for his 20th victory of the year. He’s the Reds 1st 20-game winner since Blackwell in 1947.
September 14The Cardinals and Cubs set a NL record by using 72 players in a doubleheader (more than 18 innings). St. Louis leads the way with 37 players and wins twice 8-7 and then 6-5 in 11 innings. Ken Boyer climaxes a 7-for-11 day by cycling in the nitecap‚ completing it by belting his 22nd HR of the year in the 11th inning. The Cards have won all 11 games with the Cubs at Busch this year.

At Los Angeles‚ Duke Snider caps a 4-run 9th inning by drilling a dramatic 3-run homer on a 2-strike count. The HR gives the Dodgers a 7-6 win and cuts the Reds lead to 5 games.
September 15With 10 strikeouts in an 11-2 win against the Braves‚ Sandy Koufax has 243 strikeouts‚ most ever for a NL lefty.

The Yankees set a new AL record for most homers in a season (222)‚ as they split a doubleheader in Detroit‚ winning 11-1 and losing 4-2. Circuit blows by Skowron and Berra in the opener help Whitey Ford win his 24th and increase New York’s homer total to 222 This breaks the old mark set by the 1947 Giants and tied by the 1956 Reds. Cash and Steve Boros homer in the nitecap to back Ron Kline‘s 7-hitter.
September 16At Detroit‚ Roger Maris connects for #57‚ off Frank Lary‚ to stay a game ahead of Ruth’s 1927 pace. But Lary wins his 21st‚ 10-4‚ over Ralph Terry‚ with help from Norm Cash‚ who belts a homer‚ his 37th‚ and a triple. Al Kaline adds 4 hits and a sac fly.

The Senators acquire Claude Osteen from the Reds for 1B Dave Sisler and cash.
September 17In Detroit‚ Roger Maris triples off Terry Fox in the 7th to put the Yanks ahead‚ Detroit ties it and‚ then in the 12th‚ Maris faces Fox again with Kubek on 2B. Maris steps out of the box to watch a long skein of Canadian geese fly over Tiger Stadium‚ then steps in a belts the first pitch for his 58th homer of the year.
September 19The Giants clobber Warren Spahn for 4 home runs‚ one of them a grand slam by Willie Mays‚ and then rally in the 8th and 9th to top the Braves‚ 11-10. The two teams combine for 8 home runs and 57 total bases‚ but the short ball wins it-Kuenn’s tie breaking single in the 8th‚ and Ed Bailey‘s sacks full single in the 9th.
September 20The Yankees’ 154th game of 1961 (including a tie) is Roger Maris‘ last chance to beat the Babe‚ in compliance with Commissioner Ford Frick‘s statement that‚ for the record to be broken‚ Maris must do it in the same number of games as Ruth. Maris’ 59th HR of the year‚ off Milt Pappas‚ is short of the record‚ but helps New York beat Baltimore 4-2‚ clinching its 26th AL pennant. In 1998‚ Pappas will state that he told Maris the night before that‚ if the game’s outcome is not on the line‚ he would throw him nothing but fastballs.
September 21At New York‚ Maris is held hitless in 4 at bats‚ as the Orioles win‚ 5-3‚ behind Bill Fisher’s 3-hitter. All the runs off him are unearned. Maris is the only Yankee regular to play the entire game.
September 22Jim Gentile’s 5th grand slam of 1961 ties the ML single-season record in Baltimore’s 8-6 win over Chicago: Each of his slams comes with Chuck Estrada pitching for the Orioles. Gentile will hit 46 homers this season with a total of 46 runners on base‚ the most in a season since Ruth hit homers with 48 runners on bases in 1921. Chicago’s Floyd Robinson makes the game close with a 9th inning grand slam of his own‚ the 7th Sox slam of the year.

The Giants Billy O’Dell stops the first-place Reds‚ 6-0‚ at Cincinnati‚ reducing the Reds lead to 4 games.
September 23An ailing Mickey Mantle‘s career-high 54th HR‚ his last of the regular season‚ helps New York beat Boston 8-3. Whitey Ford leaves the game in the 5th inning‚ but wins his 25th.

The Phils Wes Covington hits a solo homer in the 16th inning to top Pittsburgh’s Elroy Face‚ 5-4. Face also gives up an extra inning homer to Felipe Alou on the 11th. Malkmus earlier homered for the Phils. Jack Baldschun pitches 7 1/3 innings of shutout relief for the win.
September 24At Cincinnati‚ the Giants stage a 9-run 4th to rip the Reds‚ 12-5. Cepeda hits his 45th homer of the year‚ a grand slam‚ to climax the frame. Cepeda will hit one more HR this year and finish with 39 walks‚ the first NL player with more than 40 homers and fewer than 40 walks. Hal Trosky has done it in the AL.

Minnesota’s Joe Altobelli hits a one out 7th inning homer‚ the only hit off Washington’s Dick Donovan‚ who wins‚ 4-1. Jim Kaat loses his 16th.

A dropped fly ball by Hunt in the 10th gives the Tigers 2 runs and a 7-5 win over the Angels. Hunt had tied the game in the 8th with a HR. Rookie Howie Koplitz wins his first ML game‚ after going 23-3 with a no hitter for Birmingham (SA). Koplitz will wins his first 7 decisions in the Bigs over 4 years but an arm injury will limit him to a 9-7 record.
September 26In New York’s 159th game‚ Roger Maris rips a Jack Fisher fastball into the RF seats at Yankee Stadium for his 60th HR. New York beats Baltimore 3-2. There are fewer than 8‚000 fans on hand to view this historic event.

Cincinnati clinches its first NL pennant since 1940. Homers by Frank Robinson and pinch hitter Jerry Lynch‚ a tie breaker in the 8th‚ give the Reds a 6-3 win at Chicago.
September 27Sandy Koufax (18-13) fans 7 Phils in the course of a 2-1 loss to set a NL record for strikeouts in a season: 269. This surpasses Christy Mathewson‘s 267 in 1903‚ which was accomplished in 367 innings pitched‚ as opposed to Koufax’s remarkable 255. Both runs off Sandy are unearned.

Minnesota’s Al Schroll take a no-hitter into the 9th inning against Cleveland‚ but pinch hitter Don Dillard’s single with no outs is the spoiler. Schroll then walks 2 and gives up a triple to Francona‚ who scores on a ground out. Harmon Killebrew hits his 45th as the Twins win‚ 10-4. Jim Perry takes the loss.
September 29Johnny Blanchard singles and homers to drive in both runs in the Yanks‚ 2-1 win over the Red Sox. The Bomber handyman hits his 21st homer and singles in Roger Maris in the 9th to pin the loss on Bill Monbouquette. Whitey Ford pitches 4 scoreless innings for New York‚ and finishes the year having no stolen bases off him in 243 innings‚ a record.

Casey Stengel‚ 71‚ agrees to come out of retirement to manage the NL expansion New York Mets next year. Stengel mulled over the offer for 2 months before accepting.
September 30In a battle of tail-enders‚ the Cubs beat the Mets‚ 5-1‚ behind Bob Buhl. Willard Hunter is the loser as the two teams total 99 victories.

October


October 1Roger Maris’ torturous‚ season-long race against Babe Ruth ends in a dramatic at bat against Boston’s Tracy Stallard. Maris’ classic lefthanded swing sends home run number 61 into the RF stands in “The House That Ruth Built.” (Sal Durante‚ one of 23‚154 fans in attendance‚ grabs the historic HR ball which he sells for $5‚000). New York’s 1-0 win gives the Yanks 109 wins‚ one short of the club’s 1927 record. It is New York’s ML record 240th homer of the year.

Setting another ML record‚ the Cubs and Dodgers use 11 pinch hitters in one 9-inning game‚ seven of which are used by the Cubs. Stan Williams continues his Wrigley dominance‚ winning 8-2‚ with 9 strikeouts. Williams has 207 K’s‚ 2nd to Koufax in the NL. He also has 3 of the Dodgers’ 15 hits.
October 4Whitey Ford’s 3rd straight WS shutout‚ with HRs by Elston Howard and Bill Skowron‚ gives New York a 2-0 win in the opener against Cincinnati at Yankee Stadium.
October 5Joey Jay’s 4-hitter‚ Gordy Coleman‘s 2-run HR‚ and 2 RBI hits by Johnny Edwards lead Cincinnati to a 6-2 win and even the WS.

The Indians trade CF Jim Piersall to Washington for P Dick Donovan‚ OF Gene Green‚ and IF Jim Mahoney. Donovan will respond will 20 wins and lead the AL in shutouts with 5.
October 7John Blanchard’s pinch-hit HR ties the game in the 8th‚ and Roger Maris‘ 9th-inning HR off Bob Purkey is the difference in a 3-2 New York win for Luis Arroyo in game 3 of the WS.
October 8Five more scoreless innings by Whitey Ford and 4 by Jim Coates silence the Reds. Hector Lopez and Clete Boyer each drive in 2 runs for a 7-0 win. Ford breaks Babe Ruth‘s WS record of 292?3 consecutive scoreless innings‚ running his streak to 32.
October 9Super-subs Johnny Blanchard and Hector Lopez spark a 5-run first inning and 13-5 win for New York. Both hit HRs‚ and Lopez drives in 5 runs. Bud Daley’s long relief effort wraps up the Series‚ as Ralph Houk becomes the 3rd rookie pilot to guide a WS winner.
October 10An expansion draft to stock the new NL clubs takes place in Cincinnati. Selecting 1st‚ Houston takes Giants SS Eddie Bressoud; the Mets take 31-year-old Giant C Hobie Landrith. Second choices are Bob Aspromonte (45s) and Elio Chacon. Other Houston selections include Bobby Shantz‚ Ken Johnson‚ Dick Farrell‚ and Bob Lillis. New York takes Roger Craig‚ Gil Hodges‚ Don Zimmer‚ Gus Bell‚ Jay Hook‚ among others. Also‚ Cards C Chris Cannizzaro‚ out much of this year due to an appendectomy.

Billy Hitchcock takes the place of Lum Harris (17-10) as manager of the Orioles.
October 11Kazuhisa “Iron Man” Inao of the Nishitetsu Lions lives up to his nickname and notches his 42nd win of the season‚ tying the all-time world record since 1893 set by Victor Starfin of the Yomiuri Giants in 1939. He also sets a season strikeout record by fanning 353.
October 12Ralph Houk is given a 2-year contract extension to manage the Yankees.

The Texas League makes two franchise shifts‚ moving the Ardmore‚ OK team to Albuquerque‚ NM and the Victoria‚ TX team to El Paso.
October 14The Mets purchase 31-year-old P Johnny Antonelli‚ 1-0 with the Braves this season. Anty elects to retire rather than report. New York also purchases another lefty‚ Ken Mackenzie (6-4 with Louisville) from the Braves. In 2 days‚ the Mets sell Jim Marshall to the Cubs.
October 16Veteran pitchers Robin Roberts and Billy Loes are purchased by the Yankees and Mets respectively. Roberts will be released in April without ever pitching an inning for the Yanks.
October 18The Houston Colt 45s purchase P Hal Woodeshick from the Tigers.
October 28Ground is broken for the Flushing Meadows stadium‚ the future home of the New York Mets.
October 31A federal judge rules that Birmingham‚ AL‚ laws against integrated playing fields are illegal‚ eliminating the last barrier against integration in the Southern Association.

November


November 8Whitey Ford is voted the Cy Young Award winner over Warren Spahn.
November 14John Fetzer’s purchase of the outstanding one-third interest in the Tigers makes him sole owner of the club.
November 15Roger Maris is voted AL MVP with 202 votes to 198 for Mickey Mantle and 157 for Jim Gentile.
November 16Cleveland trades 2B Johnny Temple to Baltimore for 1B Ray Barker‚ C Harry Chiti‚ and minor leaguer Art Kay.
November 22RF Frank Robinson is the first Reds player in 21 years to win the NL MVP‚ taking 219 of 224 possible votes.
November 26The Professional Baseball Rules Committee votes 8-1 against legalizing the spitball. Only NL supervisor of umpires Cal Hubbard votes in favor.
November 27The White Sox again trade fan favorite Minnie Minoso‚ this time to St. Louis for OF/1B Joe Cunningham.
November 28Philadelphia sends P John Buzhardt and INF Charlie Smith to the White Sox for 1B Roy Sievers. The Sievers trade is announced after the Joe Cunningham trade‚ by the Sox‚ who don’t want to appear to need a first baseman.

The Braves trade slugger Frank Thomas to the Mets for a player named later. The player is Gus Bell and reported $125‚000.
November 30The Giants acquire Ps Don Larsen and Billy Pierce from the White Sox for Ps Eddie Fisher‚ Dom Zanni‚ and Verle Tiefenthaler and 1B Bob Farley. The swap is a steal for the Giants‚ one of their best trades since moving to California. Pierce‚ another Chicago favorite‚ will win 16‚ while Larsen will win 5 and save 11 for the pennant winners.

Billy Williams of the Cubs is voted NL Rookie of the Year.

December


December 2The ML clubs vote to curb bonuses. All first-year players not on ML rosters‚ except one minor leaguer‚ can be drafted by any other club for $8‚000. Clubs are expected to be unwilling to pay large bonuses for players who will be subject to a draft for just $8‚000.
December 8The Mets purchase OF Richie Ashburn from the Cubs for a reported $50‚000.
December 13Mickey Mantle signs a 1962 contract for $82‚000. Only Joe DiMaggio has been paid more by the Yankees.
December 14Roger Maris’ request for a $75‚000 contract is denied by Yankees GM Roy Hamey. Hamey trades C Jesse Gonder to the Reds for lefty Marshall Bridges.
December 15Charles Comiskey‚ Jr.‚ sells his 46 percent interest in the White Sox to a group of 11 investors.

The Braves send veteran minor league 3B Ed Charles‚ C Joe Azcue and Manny Jimenez to the Athletics for Bob Shaw and Lou Klimchock. With Eddie Mathews at 3B‚ Charles was expendable. He will hit .288 with 17 HRs in 1962‚ his rookie year.

The Reds reacquire P Johnny Klippstein‚ along with OF Marty Keough‚ from the Senators. Washington gets C Bob Schmidt and P Dave Stenhouse.

The Mets continue spending‚ sending Lee Walls and $100‚000 to the Dodgers for Charlie Neal. Neal‚ the 5th ex-Dodger on the roster‚ was downed by the measles in the Spring and a knee spur later on.
December 18Bill DeWitt is elected president of the Reds‚ and Stanley Kess‚ chairman of the board.
December 26The Mets purchase reliever Howie Nunn (2-1‚ 3.55 ERA) from the Reds.