IN THE NEWS: In an agreement with the major leagues, the Continental League abandons plans to join the American League and National League. Walter O'Malley, chairman of the NL Expansion Committee, says, "We immediately will recommend expansion and that we would like to do it in 1961." Braves owner Lou Perini proposes a compromise that four of the CL territories be admitted to the current majors in orderly expansion. Branch Rickey's group quickly accepts. The Continental League ends without playing a game.
IN THE NEWS: Believing that Chicago's Jim Brewer is throwing at him, the Reds 2B Billy Martin throws his bat toward the mound. Then, advancing to retrieve it from Brewer, who has picked it up. The two exchange words and Martin launches a hard overhand right that fractures the orbital bone of Brewer's right eye. Both benches empty and Martin continues swinging, decking Frank Thomas. Brewer requires surgery and will be out of action for a month. The Cubs win, 53, on Ernie Banks' homer at Wrigley. Martin will be fined $500 for the punch and Brewer and the Cubs will sue the combative infielder on August 22nd for $1,000,000. Years later, when the courts award Brewer $100,000, Martin's comment will be, "how can they ever collect it? I haven't got that kind of money,"
IN THE NEWS: The White Sox win a pair from the Senators, with reliever Gerry Staley picking up two victories. Staley will be 138, all in relief, with both wins and losses topping the American League relievers.
IN THE NEWS: Before a day crowd of 48,323, the largest day crowd ever at Comiskey Park, cheer Billy Pierce 4-hit victory over the Yankees, 91. Pierce faces just 31 batters.
IN THE NEWS: With fine relief pitching of Lindy McDaniel in the opener and a 5-hitter by Curt Simmons in the nitecap, the Cards sweep the Phils, 54 and 60. Phillie Tony Taylor ties a major-league record for 2B by going the entire doubleheader (18 innings) without a putout, the first to achieve the feat since Connie Ryan of the Phillies, June 14, 1953.
Ted Williams blasts his 19th home run and 511th of his career, off Perry, but the Red Sox lose to the Indians, 63. Ted's 5th inning home run ties him with Mel Ott for 3rd on the all-time list. Francona and Power homer for the Tribe to back Perry (14-5). Power's hit ricochets off the top of the RF fence in Cleveland toward Lu Clinton. The ball hits Clinton's foot and is "kicked" over the fence. Umpire Hal Smith rules the hit a home run, since the ball never touched the ground.
IN THE NEWS: Ted Williams hits a pair of homers and a double to pace the Red Sox to a 61 win over the Indians. Ted has 21 homers for the season. The 1st of the two today, #512, moves Ted past Mel Ott into 4th place on the all-time list. After the game, Williams announces that he will retire at the end of the season.
IN THE NEWS: The Pirates sweep a doubleheader from 2nd-place St. Louis to take a 6-game lead in the National League pennant race. Don Hoak's RBI single in the 11th inning gives Pittsburgh a 32 win in the nightcap, following a 94 win in the opener. The Cards Bill White connects for the cycle in the opener.
The Yankees lose a doubleheader to Washington and fall to 3rd place in the American League, a half game behind the Orioles and White Sox. P Camilo Pascual's grand slam is the difference in a 54 first-game win. In the 2nd, Mickey Mantle, believing there are two outs, jogs to 1B on a grounder to 3B. The Senators turn a DP, with New York's Roger Maris suffering bruised ribs trying to break it up at 2B. Maris will miss 18 games as a result. Mantle is heavily booed, and Casey Stengel replaces him with Bob Cerv. The clubs set a major-league record by using 17 pinch hitters9 by the Yankeesin the doubleheader (more than 18 innings), while playing a major-league record 24 errorless innings.
IN THE NEWS: Behind Art Ditmar's 5-hitter and Mickey Mantle's two home runs, off Jerry Walker and Hoyt Wilhelm, New York cops a 43 win and first place in the American League. The 2nd home run comes after C Clint Courtney drops a Mantle foul pop-up. Baltimore's loss is only its 2nd in the last 15 games. Baltimore and Chicago now trail by a half-game.
In the first of two games at Crosley Field, Frank Robinson and Eddie Mathews exchange punches after Robbie slides in hard at 3B in the 7th inning. Robbie comes out on the short end with a swollen eye, bloody nose, and jammed thumb, but comes back in the nitecap with a double and homer to lead the Reds to a 40 win. Bob Purkey wins the shutout, despite allowing 11 hits.
IN THE NEWS: Clem Labine, picked up yesterday after being released by Detroit, pitches three 2/3 innings of hitless ball for Pittsburgh to save a 53 win over the Phils.
IN THE NEWS: Facing just 27 batters, Lew Burdette pitches a 10 no-hitter against the Phillies. Tony Gonzalez, the only Phil to reach base, is hit by a Burdette pitch in the 5th inning but erased on a DP. The Milwaukee pitcher also scores the only run of the game.
Bob Sprout sets a Midwest League record with 22 strikeouts, and pitches a 7-inning no-hitter as Decatur defeats Waterloo 30. The 18-year-old lefty needs a dropped foul ball for his chance at the record. Sprout will pitch just one game in the ML, with the Angels in 1961.
IN THE NEWS: Ted Williams draws the 2,000th walk of his career in the Red Sox' split of a twi-night doubleheader with Baltimore. Williams joins Ruth as the only batters to collect 2,000 walks. The Splendid Splinter also clouts home runs 514 and 515 in game 1, an 86 Boston win. The O's win the nitecap, 60, behind Brown, but drop into 3rd place, two games behind the 1st-place Yankees.
IN THE NEWS: For Billy Martin's fight on August 5th, Jim Brewer and the Cubs hit back with a $1,040,000 law suit. The claim will be settled in court and Martin will be liable for $25,000 in damages.
IN THE NEWS: Following up his no hitter, Lew Burdette fires his 3rd shutout in a row, pitching the Braves to a 70 win over the Dodgers. The Braves stroke five homers, including Aaron's 33rd and Mathews 29th.
IN THE NEWS: Despite Roy Sievers two homers and a double, the Yankees beat the White Sox, 32, dropping Chicago one 1/2 games off the pace and into a 2nd place tie with the Orioles. Art Ditmar is the winner over Herb Score.
IN THE NEWS: Boston's Vic Wertz's 2nd career slam, off Don Newcombe, as a pinch hitter ties the record set by Bill Skowron in 1957. Ted Williams hits his 516th home run in a 107 Boston win over Cleveland.
IN THE NEWS: The Yanks crash five solo homers and four pinch hits, the latter tying an American League record, to top the Indians 76. Berra's 2nd homer gives New York the win in the 11th. In game 2, the Yankees win 75 with Bob Cerv's 3-run home run the big blow.
IN THE NEWS: After pitching 32 2/3 innings without allowing a run, Braves P Lew Burdette gives up a Felipe Alou home run as San Francisco defeats Milwaukee 31.
IN THE NEWS: In a battle of New York's chief rivals for the American League pennant, Baltimore's Milt Pappas has Chicago down 30 in the 8th. An apparent 3-run home run by Ted Kluszewski is nullified because umpire Ed Hurley calls time just before Pappas delivers. Hurley spotted Floyd Robinson and Earl Torgeson warming up along the RF sideline. The Sox argue for 15 minutes, with Nellie Fox and Al Lopez being tossed, before Klu hits again and lines out. The O's prevail 31 and take over 2nd place, two games behind the Yankees, and the Sox are three 1/2 back.
In New York, the Yankees snap a 33 tie when Mickey Mantle hits a 2-run homer in the 5th and Berra follows with a solo shot. The Yanks top the Tigers, 85.
In Los Angeles, the Reds drop nine runs6 unearnedon the Dodgers in the 1st inning, then get shut out the rest of the way. The Reds win, 93, behind Bob Purkey. Roseboro's two run home run in the 5th followed by Irv Noren pinch solo are all the Dodger scoring.
IN THE NEWS: Boston 2B Pete Runnels goes 6-for-7, as the Red Sox edge the Tigers in the 15-inning opener of a twin bill. His 15th-inning double brings Frank Malzone home with the winning run to win, 54. Runnels has three more hits in the nightcap victory, 32 in 10 innings. His six hits are the most in an American League game since July 8, 1955. With 9-for-11 in the doubleheader, Runnels ties the ML record.
At San Francisco, Sam Jones strikes out 14 Phillies and drives in the winning run in the 5th to beat Robin Roberts, 21.
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