Gus Zernial from the Chronology

Jun 4, 2003 - The Angels pound out 7 homers in defeating the Expos‚ 11-2. Garrett Anderson hits 3 round-trippers‚ while Jeff DaVanon has his 3rd straight 2-homer game. DaVanon ties the major league record (Gus Zernial‚ 1951; Frank Thomas‚ 1962; Lee May‚ 1969)‚ ties the AL record with 6 HR in 3 games (1st set by Lazzeri in 1936)‚ and becomes the 3rd player to homer from both sides of the plate in consecutive games (Eddie Murray‚ 1987; Ken Caminiti‚ 1995).

Sep 17, 1998 - Cleveland OF Manny Ramirez ties a major league record by hitting his 6th HR over a 3-game span. It's his 43rd on the year. The last AL player to do so was Gus Zernial in 1951. The Indians defeat the Minnesota Twins‚ 9-1.

May 25, 1960 - George Crowe's ML-record 11th pinch-hit HR‚ off Don McMahon‚ gives the Cardinals a 5-3 win over the Braves. Crowe began the season tied with Smoky Burgess and Gus Zernial in career pinch HRs.

Nov 20, 1957 - The Kansas City Athletics trade INF Billy Martin‚ OFs Gus Zernial and Lou Skizas‚ Ps Mickey McDermott and Tom Morgan‚ and C Tim Thompson to Detroit. In exchange‚ the Tigers send OFs Bill Tuttle‚ Jim Small‚ Ps Duke Maas and John Tsitouris‚ C Frank House‚ SS Kent Hadley‚ and a player to come later.

May 30, 1957 - Before a crowd of 40‚944 at Briggs Stadium‚ the Tigers sweep a pair from the A's‚ winning 6-5 and 3-2. Pitcher Lou Sleater wins the opener with his first ML homer‚ a game-ending homer off Burnette. Kuenn opened with a HR‚ but homers by Gus Zernial and Mickey McDermott gave the A's a 5-3 lead going into the 9th. Bolling has a pair of homers in the nitecap.

Apr 17, 1956 - Gus Zernial hits a pinch double to drive in 2 runs and spoil the one-man effort of Detroit's Frank Lary. The A's win‚ 2-1. Lary hurls a 6-hitter and accounts for the only run with an inside-the-park HR off Alex Kellner.

Jul 11, 1954 - The Red Sox whip the lowly Athletics 18-0 for one of the worst shutouts in AL history. Frank Sullivan is the victor over Bob Trice. In the nitecap‚ the Sox lighten up to win‚ 11-1. Not a good day as A's slugger Gus Zernial breaks his collarbone diving for a ball and is out of the lineup until late August.

May 26, 1954 - Slugger Gus Zernial hits the last grand slam in the history of the Philadelphia Athletics franchise‚ as the A's down the Red Sox 6-5.

Apr 13, 1954 - Rookie Spook Jacobs‚ in his first ML game‚ gets 4 hits while Bill Renna and Gus Zernial bang homers in the A's 6-4 victory over the Red Sox. Bobby Shantz is the winner‚ but leaves in the 6th because of a pulled muscle which will take several years to completely heal. He won't pitch again this year ending the season today at 1-0. Mel Parnell goes 6 innings for the loss.

Sep 26, 1952 - The Yanks clinch their 4th straight pennant with an 11-inning 5-2 win at Philadelphia behind Ed Lopat and Johnny Sain. Billy Martin's two out‚ two run single in the 11th clinches it. The loser is starter Harry Byrd‚ who gives up early solo homers to Mantle and Irv Noren. Gus Zernial's 2-run homer is all the A's offense.

Aug 12, 1952 - At Boston‚ with the A's leading 4-3 in the 13th with 2 out‚ Sox George Kell hits a fly ball down the LF line. When LF Gus Zernial attempts to catch the ball‚ a fan knocks it out of his glove. Interference is called and A's win‚ 4-3.

Jun 28, 1952 - At New York‚ the 6th-place A's wallop the AL-leading Yankees‚ 12-0 behind Bobby Shantz's 13th win‚ tops in the majors. Shantz allows 2 hits. Gus Zernial belts 2 homers and single to drive in 5 runs. Shantz's ERA drop to 1.50.

Aug 24, 1951 - In another of Bill Veeck's legendary PR stunts‚ "Fans Managers' Night‚" the Browns defeat the Athletics 5-3. The Browns coaches hold up placards for 1115 fans‚ who vote "yes" or "no" on the options given them. Manager Zack Taylor sits in a box behind the dugout with 2 fans who monitor the voting. Adding to the festivities is Max Patkin‚ the clown prince of baseball‚ who coaches at 1B for several innings. Sherm Lollar voted in behind the plate instead of Matt Batts‚ has three hits including a homer‚ and Hank Arft‚ also voted in‚ knocks home two. Gus Zernial's 28th HR‚ off Garver‚ accounts for all the A's runs. When the stunt was announced on August 15th‚ A's GM Art Ehlers bitterly denounced it as "farcical."

Jul 12, 1951 - Paced by a grand slam by Gus Zernial off Dick Starr‚ the A's outslug the Browns‚ 9-7. Zernial's homer gives him 22 to lead the AL; 10 of the homers have come of St. Louis pitching‚ and 4 of those are served up by Starr.

Jul 1, 1951 - Elmer Valo belts three homers to help the A's sweep the Senators‚ 10-7 and 3-2. Two of his homers come in the first game‚ when teammate Gus Zernial hits his 18th homer. Irv Noren has a pair of doubles and a homer for the Nats.

Jun 2, 1951 - The 7th place A's hand the White Sox a 5-1 defeat‚ Chicago's first since May 13th. The first-place Sox had won 14 straight. Bob Hooper tops Joe Dobson‚ who made the mistake of serving up a grand slam to Gus Zernial.

May 17, 1951 - Gus Zernial hits his 7th HR in 4 successive games to tie the ML record set by Tony Lazzeri in 1936‚ as his A's beat the Browns 7-6. Yesterday‚ in a 10-9 loss to the Browns‚ Big Gus hit 2 homers to equal Lazzeri's mark of 6 home runs in 3 games (and tied by Kiner in 1947).

Apr 30, 1951 - In a complex 3-way deal‚ the White Sox get OF/3B Minnie Minoso from the Indians and OF Paul Lehner from the Athletics. Philadelphia sends P Lou Brissie to Cleveland and gets OF Gus Zernial and Dave Philley from Chicago and P Sam Zoldak and C Ray Murray from Cleveland. Hard-luck lefty Lou Brissie is considered the plum in the proceedings. Rookie Minoso‚ who hit .339 at San Diego (PCL) last year is leading all Indian hitters with a .461 mark.

Oct 1, 1950 - Gus Zernial of the White Sox hits one homer in a 4-3 first-game win over the visiting Browns. He adds three more in the nightcap‚ a 10-6 loss‚ to tie an AL record for a twinbill and set a club record with 29 homers‚ 10 of which came against St. Louis. Zeke Bonura held the Sox homer record with 27‚ set in 1934‚ and tied by Kuhel in 1940.

Sep 21, 1949 - In New York‚ the Yankees take an 8-1 lead against Chicago‚ only to see Chicago rally for a 9-8 win. Gus Zernial clouts a 3-run homer in the 9th off Joe Page for the victory. Yank starter Tommy Byrne takes a no hitter into the 6th inning‚ gives up a double and one out later leaves with a sore shoulder. New York now leads by 2 games.

May 28, 1949 - White Sox rookie LF Gus Zernial breaks his collarbone making a diving catch against Cleveland in the 10th. He will be out of action for 2 months. The Indians push across a run in the 11th to win for Early Wynn‚ 3-2. Wynn allows 4 hits and retires the last 21 batters in a row.

May 3, 1949 - Taking advantage of the shortened fence installed by White Sox GM Frank Lane‚ the Senators belt 7 homers-and need them all-in beating Chicago‚ 14-12 in 10 innings. This is only time a team has collected 7 homers in an extra inning contest. Clyde Vollmer leads the hit parade with 2‚ followed by Christman‚ Coan‚ Evans‚ Eddie Robinson‚ and Stewart. The Sox get homers from Joe Tipton and Gus Zernial.