IN THE NEWS: Brooklyn's Roy Campanella makes his debut, catching Ralph Branca. Campy doubles in his first at-bat, adds two singles, but the Giants win 64 over Ralph Branca.
IN THE NEWS: The Senators beat the Yankees, 21, in 12 innings as Walt Masterson allows three hits and goes all the way for the win. Tom McBride makes 12 putouts to set the American League record for PO in LF in extra innings. The Yanks drop two games behind 1st-place Cleveland and one 1/2 games behind the A's.
IN THE NEWS: Dick Lane, CF of Muskegon (Central League), hits five home runs in a game against Fort Wayne. Lane, who will get a trial with the White Sox in 1949, will hit only seven other home runs during the year and only 18 in a 4-year minor league career. Lane will have a cup of coffee with the White Sox next year.
IN THE NEWS: Ted Williams faces three pitchers in the 7th inning, a first in American League history, as Boston snaps a 55 tie by scoring 14 runs on 14 RBIs to beat the visiting Philadelphia Athletics, 208. A's pitcher Charlie Harris retires one batter in 14 and cough up 12 runs, before Bill McCahan takes over. Williams, who makes the final out in the inning, and Bobby Doerr tie records by drawing two walks apiece. Pitcher Ellis Kinder has two hits, off Harris and McCahan. The 14 runs in one inning is a record, but five years later they will do even better with 17 in one inning.
Braves rookie Johnny Antonelli, 18, makes his debut in the 8th inning of a 72 loss to the Phils, giving up one run on two hits. The Phils also win game two of the doubleheader.
Led by Roy Campanella's 1st two ML homers, the host Dodgers edge the Giants 1312 in a wild game lasting three 1/2 hours. 37 players see action, 20 by Brooklyn, as both teams score four times in the 9th.
IN THE NEWS: Ralph Kiner hits three home runs for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the visiting Reds, while teammate Stan Rojek hits the first of his two ML homers, connecting off rookie Herm Wehmeier. Kiner teams up with Johnny Hopp and Wally Westlake in the outfield for a record 19 putouts in the 103 first game win. The Reds score three in the 9th to take the nitecap, 64.
The Cards Gerry Staley picks up a pair of wins in relief over the Cubs, winning 63 and 52 over Ralph Hamner and Johnny Schmitz. Staley pitches two innings in the opener and two 2/3 innings in the nitecap. It is the 2nd time in three weeks that the Cubs have lost a doubleheader to a single reliever.
Despite a hitless day by Ted Williams, the Red Sox sweep the Yankees, winning 65 and 87. Denny Galehouse wins the opener, then saves the win in game 2. But his 9th inning sac bunt results in his tripping over 1B and he will be out of action for three weeks.
IN THE NEWS: The Indians stun the baseball world by signing Satchel Paige, fabulous veteran Negro League pitcher. The move is ridiculed by some as a Bill Veeck publicity stunt, and A.G. Spink in The Sporting News editorializes, "Veeck has gone too far in his quest for publicity. . . . To sign a hurler at Paige's age is to demean the standards of baseball in the big circuits." The 42-year-old Paige will answer the critics in tomorrow, getting a relief decision in a 86 win over New York in a DH sweep. He will finish at 61. Paige is the oldest player to debut in the majors, but not the first 40-year-old: Chuck Hostetler in 1944 was 40.
IN THE NEWS: At Boston, Johnny Sain becomes the National League's 1st 11-game winner, beating Robin Roberts and the Phils, 132. Alvin Dark has three hits running his hit streak to 21 games. In the 4th inning Dark triples off the reliever Ken Heintzelman, then steals home.
IN THE NEWS: For the 6th time this year, Vern Stephens and Bobby Doerr of the Red Sox hit back-to-back homers as Boston beats the 2nd-place A's, 40. Jack Kramer scatters nine hits in the shutout to win his 7th straight. Ted Williams sits out the game with a damaged ligament, the result of being hit in the ribs while playfully sparring with Sam Mele on the train down from Boston yesterday.
IN THE NEWS: The Reds Ken Raffensberger allows just one hita single by Marty Marion in the 4thin shutting out the Cardinals, 10, in St. Louis. It's his 2nd one-hitter against St. Louis this year.
Before 51,013 at Comiskey, Satchel Paige makes his 3rd appearance and 1st start and allows five hits in nine innings to beat the Sox, 50. Teammate Larry Doby has two hits and two stolen bases.
IN THE NEWS: The Braves stop the host Cubs, 21, behind Johnny Sain, then battle to a 11 tie in 13 innings in the nitecap. Dark's hitting streak of 23 games is stopped in the opener, but he has two hits and scores the run in game 2. Bob Rush pitches all 13 innings for the Bruins.
IN THE NEWS: There are three managerial changes today. Ben Chapman is fired by the Phillies (though owner Carpenter insists he was "not fired" saying "I'd like to make it clear that there is a difference between not firing a man and concluding business with him.") and Dusty Cooke takes over on an interim basis. Eddie Sawyer, with no ML experience as player or manager, will get the job after Cooke goes 86. But the big news is from New York. The Giants remove Mel Ott and replace him with Leo Durocher, who obtains his release from Brooklyn. The Dodgers bring back mild-mannered Burt Shotton who replaced Durocher once before. In a newspaper poll over the winter, an overwhelming majority voted for the gentlemanly Shotton to replace The Lip. The changes today portend those at the end of the season: Bucky Harris of the Yankees, Ted Lyons of the White Sox, and Steve O'Neill of the Tigers will be released.
The Browns frustrate the third-place Yanks, whipping Allie Reynolds, 104. Bob Dillinger leads the way with a bases loaded triple, three singles, two stolen bases and five RBI. Cliff Fannin holds the Yanks scoreless until Phil Rizzuto's homer in the 8th.
Ordered by Bill Veeck to pass up the All-Star game, a well-rested Bob Feller is shelled from the mound with only one out in the first inning by the A's. The A's score first when Feller absent-mindedly goes into a windup with two on, and Coleman and McCosky pull a double steal. The Mackmen then jump on Bob Muncrief and roll to a 105 win over the American League-leading Indians. Lou Brissie wins his 4th straight. Joe Coleman will shut out the Tribe, 50, tomorrow to split the series.
Rookie Granny Hamner drives in seven runs to lead the Phils to an 1110 squeaker over the Cardinals. Hamner has a pair of doubles and a single to go along with spectacular fielding, starting DPs in the 8th and 9th. Ken Heintzelman, who relieves Blix Donnelly after Stan Musial's grand slam in the 2nd, is the winner.
IN THE NEWS: At Pittsburgh, a Bobby Thomson pinch single drives home the winning run in the Giants' managerial debut of Leo Durocher. The Giants win, 65, overcoming a three-run homer by Ralph Kiner.
The Dodgers down the Reds, 84 and 104 for their 12th win in 14 games. Ralph Branca wins the opener as Jackie Robinson clouts a 3-run homer in the 8th. Paul Minner wins his first ML game in the nitecap with six innings of relief. During an argument with Frank Dascoli, Reds catcher Dewey Williams grabs the ump. Willliams will be fined $100 and suspended for five games. However, with catcher Ray Mueller on the disabled list with a broken ankle, the Reds appeal the suspension, stating they have only one catcher, Ray Lamanno. Ford Frick, National League prexy, will rule that Williams will serve the suspension in the Reds clubhouse, while dressed in full uniform. If anything happens to Lamanno, Williams can substitute, and a game will added to the suspension.
Ed Lopat scatters 11 hits to beat the Browns, 4-0. It is the Yankee hurler's 2nd shutout in a row and his 3rd this year.
IN THE NEWS: Pat Seerey, chunky Sox left fielder, hits four home runs, the last in the 11th inning, to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 1211 victory over the Athletics in Philadelphia. Seerey is the 5th ML player to accomplish the feat and is the only player in ML history to twice reach 15 or more total bases in a game, having totaled 15 bases in 1945. Fat Pat's first shot is over the LF bleacher roof off Carl Scheib, the next two off Scheib and Bob Savageare on the roof, and the last, off Lou Brissie, into the upper LF stands. Brissie, the 5th pitcher, is the loser against Howie Judson. The A's take the 2nd game, 61, in five innings as Seerey is 0-for-2. On the 24th, Seerey will become the first player to strike out seven times in a doubleheader.
The Cards beat the Dodgers, 63, in 11 innings, then drop the nitecap, 134. In the 2nd inning, 17 Dodgers reach base against the Cardinals with nine hits, six walks, a fielder's choice, and an error before P Hank Behrman whiffs to end the inning. The other outs are on the bases.
In the first of two before 39,623, the Chicago Cubs beat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 32. With two outs and the bases loaded in the 9th inning, rookie Robin Roberts hits Phil Cavarretta and Andy Pafko on the back with successive pitches to force home the winner. Chicago's Johnny Schmitz allows just four hits, three by Johnny Blatnik. The Jays (as they are still occasionally referred to in print) win the nitecap, 64, collecting 17 hits, including a homer by Del Ennis. Schoolboy Rowe evens his record at 55, beating Russ Meyer.
IN THE NEWS: At Boston, Mel Parnell wins stopping the Browns, 41 as his infielders tally 11 assists. The Sox score all their runs in the 1st on Bobby Doerr's grand slam.
IN THE NEWS: An unprecedented 10-game suspension and $500 fine of an umpire, the veteran Bill McGowan, is announced by American League President Will Harridge following a confrontation in the Washington-Cleveland game. Tired of Senator pitcher Ray Scarborough continually complaining about strike calls, McGowan had thrown a ball-and-strike indicator at him. After that he ejects Nats manager Joe Kuhel and several coaches. Kuhel also lodged a protest after yesterday's 11th inning loss when Ed Stewart was thrown out at home in the 10th. When Stewart argued the call with plate ump Paparella, McGowan threw a ball at Stewart.
IN THE NEWS: The Yankees take the rubber game of the series with the Indians as Vic Raschi earns the decision over Bob Feller, 65. Joe DiMaggio's grand slam is the big blow for the Bombers: he has hit four homers and a triple in Feller's four starts against New York. His eight RBIs in the three games with Cleveland gives him a league-leading 82.
Denny Galehouse returns to the Red Sox lineup and stops Chicago, 30. Vern Stephens clouts a 2-run homer. In the 2nd game, a 53 win, Stephens adds a homer to take over the American League RBI lead with 83. The winner is Ellis Kinder, the first of 18-straight wins over Chicago (through June 1, 1952).
IN THE NEWS: After missing 15 games with a torn rib cartilage, Ted Williams is 2-for-4 to help the Red Sox down the White Sox, 131. Bobby Doerr collects his 18th homer and adds a double and single to back Mickey Harris. Boston has now won nine straight to pull within a game-and a half of the first-place Indians.
Larry Jansen's 5-hitter gives the Giants a 50 win over the Cubs. John Mize's first inning homer off Russ Meyer provides all the scoring the Giants need.
IN THE NEWS: Five members of the Duluth club in the Northern League are killed, and 13 are injured in a bus-truck crash near St. Paul. The injured include Mel McGabe, future National League manager, and Elmer Schoendienst, brother of the Cardinal infielder, Red Schoendienst.
IN THE NEWS: In the tight 4-team American League race, Joe DiMaggio leads the Yanks to a sweep over the White Sox, 53 and 73. Joe D is 3-for-3 in Game One to back Ed Lopat, then adds a triple and two doubles in the nitecap. His three RBIs in game two gives him an AL-high 86.
In Boston, the other DiMaggio makes two spectacular catches against the Indians as well as homering off Satchel Paige. The Red Sox beat Cleveland, 30 for their 15th win in 16 games. Joe Dobson tops Steve Gromek to leave the Sox percentage points ahead of the 2nd place A's. Cleveland and New York are each one 1/2 games back. With the Braves in 1st place, it is the first time since 1916 that both Boston teams are at the top spot.
IN THE NEWS: Ruth makes his last public appearance, at the New York premiere of the film The Babe Ruth Story. He will die three weeks later.
Leo Durocher makes his 1st appearance at Ebbets Field since taking over the Giants, but a turnaway crowd is disappointed as the Dodgers lose, 134. Preacher Roe is the losing pitcher while Sheldon Jones takes the victory.
IN THE NEWS: In his ML debut with the Browns, St. Louis native Hank Arft bangs a triple and a home run off Frank Hiller. Arft drives in three runs as the host Browns top New York, 40. Tomorrow's cheers of "Arft, Arft" will give Hank his nickname "Bow Wow."
IN THE NEWS: Detroit's Dizzy Trout shuts out the Red Sox, 130, to stop Boston's win streak at 13 games. Hoot Evers paces the 18-hit attack with four hits.
IN THE NEWS: In Boston, Big Bill Voiselle pitches the first-place Braves to a 21 win over the Pirates, and collects his 5th hit of the year. Voiselle raises his average to .097 average, a point higher than his uniform number. Voiselle has the highest uniform number ever in the majors in honor of his North Carolina home town of Ninety Six.
The Giants win their 3rd straight shutout, stopping the Reds, 50, behind Dave Koslo. Jansen and Hartung threw the other two shutouts. Walker Cooper's grand slam, off Ken Raffensberger, is the big blow.
The Red Sox rout the Tigers, 81, behind Jack Kramer's 10th straight win. Billy Goodman's grand slam, along with homers by Kramer and Bobby Doerr, pace the attack. The victory extends the Red Sox American League-lead to a half-game over the idle A's.