» May 6, 1949: Bobby Shantz makes a sensational debut, tossing nine hitless innings in relief in a 13-inning, 5–4, Athletics' win over the Tigers. Shantz finally gives up two hits and a run in the 13th, but old-timer Wally Moses, now back with the A's, saves him with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 13th.
» April 30, 1950: The A's are pummeled by the Red Sox in a doubleheader, 19–0 and 6–5. First-game highlights are an 11-run 4th inning and a 17-hit barrage, which includes home runs by Ted Williams (2), Vern Stephens, and Bobby Doerr. A's pitcher Bobby Shantz ends the slaughter with 4-plus innings of relief, as Joe Dobson is the winner for Boston.
» June 15, 1950:
The Tigers roll over the A's, 7–3, for their 8th win in nine meetings with the Mackmen. Hoot Evers has his 19 game hit streak stopped but George Kell runs his to 15 straight. The winner is Freddie Hutchinson, while Bobby Shantz is the loser. Shantz will not lose again to Detroit until June 13, 1958, a string of 12 straight wins.
» July 22, 1950:
In a battle of diminutive southpaws, Chicago's Billy Pierce outduels the A's Bobby Shantz to win, 6–1. Consecutive homers by Dave Philley and Phil Masi in the 6th do in Shantz, pitching on three days rest.
» August 12, 1950: Allie Reynolds hits a bases loaded single and hurls the Yanks to a 7–2 win over the A's. The loss goes to Schieb, but Bobby Shantz pitches the last 6.2 innings and clouts his only career homer, off the Chief.
» May 8, 1951: Bobby Shantz, A's lefty, wins his first game of the season, stopping the White Sox, 9–4, on 12 hits. Ferris Fain and Eddie Joost hit consecutive homers for the A's.
» May 30, 1952: At New York, Mickey Mantle's homer in the 3rd is all the scoring the Yanks can muster against Bobby Shantz, as the "Mighty Molecule" strikes out 11. Mantle doubles off Shantz in the 14th, but the A's hold on for a 2–1 victory. Dave Philley knocks home the winner. In game 2, Bob Hooper loses a shutout with two out in the 9th, but wins, 4–2.
» August 5, 1952:
Bobby Shantz of the Athletics wins his 20th game.
» November 12, 1952: The baseball writers name Philadelphia P Bobby Shantz as the American League MVP. He was 24-7 for the 79-75 A's.
» May 12, 1953:
After 10 straight losses to Bobby Shantz going back to May 15, 1951, the Browns top the A's lefty, 7–3. Rookie Don Larsen, with 7+ innings of relief and an RBI triple, is the winner.
» April 13, 1954:
Rookie Spook Jacobs, in his first ML game, gets four 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 six innings for the loss.
» May 9, 1954: Athletics C Wilmer (Billy) Shantz, brother of P Bobby Shantz, hits a grand slam, the first homer of his professional career. It comes off former A's pitcher Harry Byrd, now with the Yanks. Shantz will hit just one more ML home run. Wilmer's slam is all the offense as the Yankees win, 7–4. The nitecap ends 1–1 after nine innings.
» May 29, 1955: Larry Doby of the Indians hits the first ML home run over the outer wall in Kansas City, an estimated 500-foot clout in the 6th. The Indians win 4–2 behind Herb Score, who is replaced in the 9th after singles by C Wilmer Shantz and pinch-hitter Enos Slaughter. Wilmer's brother Bobby Shantz is the loser.
» February 19, 1957: The Kansas City Athletics ship pitchers Art Ditmar, Bobby Shantz, and Jack McMahan, and infielders Clete Boyer, Curt Roberts and Wayne Belardi to the Yankees. In return they receive pitchers Maury McDermott, Tom Morgan, Gary Coleman, and Jack Urban, OF Irv Noren, plus infielders Billy Hunter and Milt Graff. Roberts didn't go to NYC till May 4, while Boyer went a month later. Hunter and Urban don't switch until April 5. The veteran Shantz and Boyer will be valuable pickups for New York, with Shantz leading the American League in ERA this year, and Boyer a tough defensive 3B for eight years in pinstripes. The A's will eventually admit that when they signed Boyer for a $40,000 bonus in 1955, it was on behalf of the Yankees, with the understanding that they'd later ship him to NY.
» September 20, 1958: Orioles P Hoyt Wilhelm, in a rare start (he is 0-6 this year when starting), pitches a 1–0 no-hitter, the first in O's history, against Don Larsen of the Yankees, fanning 8. Larsen allows one hit through six innings. The Orioles acquired Wilhelm in August for the $20,000 waiver price. The win, Wilhelm's first ML complete game, and his only this year for the O's, improves his record to 3-10. The winning margin is Gus Triandos' 30th home run, off reliever Bobby Shantz.
» July 16, 1959: After 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 Mickey 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 five 1/2 games out of first.
» August 5, 1959:
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.
» July 28, 1960: With relief help from Bobby Shantz, Whitey Ford, who leaves with an upset stomach, picks up a 4–0 win over the Indians. Kubek, Mickey Mantle, and Boyer homer for the pinstripers. The Yanks sweep, winning the nitecap, 9–2, and take over 1st place by three percentage points.
» December 14, 1960: The Angels and new Senators each select 28 players from a pool of American League talent. Among Los Angeles selections are P Dean Chance, SS Jim Fregosi, 1B Ted Kluszewski, and RF Albie Pearson. Washington selections include P Bobby Shantz, LF Chuck Hinton, OF Gene Woodling, and P Hal Woodeshick.
» July 2, 1961:
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 three weeks, is lifted in the 6th and Harvey Haddix wins in relief. Bobby Shantz pitches a 5-hitter to win the nitecap as the Bucs score six unearned runs off Juan Marichal. The Giants, two 1/2 games back yesterday, will be nine out on the evening of July 8.
» October 10, 1961: An expansion draft to stock the new National League 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.
» April 10, 1962: The Houston Colt 45s begin play before 25,271 fans at Colt Stadium, a temporary facility, adjacent to the land for the Astrodome. Roman Mejias hits two 3-run home runs, and Bobby Shantz pitches Houston to an 11–2 win over the Cubs.
» June 15, 1964: St. Louis acquires OF Lou Brock, with pitchers Jack Spring and Paul Toth, from the Cubs for pitchers Bobby Shantz and Ernie Broglio and OF Doug Clemens. Broglio, 28, has a 3–5 record, while Brock, a part-time OF with Chicago, is hitting .251. Brock will blossom in St. Louis hitting .348 while swiping 33 bases.
» September 26, 1964: At Shibe Park, the Braves and Phillies set a major-league record by using 43 players in a 9-inning game. The Braves' 25 match the 9-inning high mark for National League clubs. Eight of the 25 are pitchers, tying a league mark, but still the stumbling Phils drop their 6th in a row 6–4. The topper is Rico Carty's 3-run triple in the top of the 9th against reliever Bobby Shantz, in for starter Art Mahaffey. Torre again has three hits for Milwaukee, which shaves the Phils' lead to a half-game.
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