IN THE NEWS: At Wrigley Field, Ron Cey drives in seven runs as the Dodgers romp over Chicago 10–0. Dodgers 3B coach Tommy Lasorda is hooked up to a "Game of the Week" microphone and predicts a Cey home run in the 2nd inning.
IN THE NEWS: On Ten-Cent Beer Night at Cleveland, unruly fans stumble onto the field and cause the Indians to forfeit the game to the Rangers with the score tied 5–5 in the 9th inning. A rally by the Tribe ties the score in the 9th, before fans pour on the field and surround OF Jeff Burroughs and try and take his hat and glove. Players from both sides then ran to his aid and the forfeit is called.
IN THE NEWS: Oakland's Reggie Jackson and Bill North engage in a clubhouse fight at Detroit. Jackson injures his shoulder, and Ray Fosse, attempting to separate the combatants, suffers a crushed disk in his neck He'll spend 12 weeks on the DL, virtually ending his season.
The June draft produces just 725 picks, the fewest in history, and only 300 of these are from the college ranks, with the low number blamed on the introduction of aluminum bats this past season. The Padres, with their 3rd number-one free-agent pick in five years, select Brown University SS Bill Almon, the TSN College Player of the Year. They had selected him three years earlier out of high school, but he attended college instead. The Rangers take P Tommy Boggs with the 2nd pick and the Phils follow with prep OF Lonnie Smith. With the 5th pick, the Braves select Dale Murphy; the Angels, picking 10th take the ill-fated Mike Miley, who quarterbacked LSU to a win in the Orange Bowl. the Tigers take Lance Parrish with the 16th pick, the Royals pick prep football star Willie Wilson with the 18th, and the Red Sox, picking 20th, take SS Eddie Ford, son of Whitey Ford. Picking next, the Dodgers get Rick Sutcliffe. The Orioles, with the 24th pick in round one pick Rich Dauer, the top player for USC's championship team; four of their other picks will end up in the NFL (QB's Andy Johnson, Steve Bartkowski, and John Sciarra, and Anthony Davis). The Cards use a pick on the NFL Giants Brad Van Pelt, the 5th time he's been selected. The Twins pick up prep C Butch Wynegar, who will make the American League All-star team at age 20.
IN THE NEWS: The Giants top Pittsburgh 6–2, dropping the last-place Pirates' record to 18-32, nine games out of first place.
At Comiskey Park, a popcorn machine catches fire in RF stands, delaying the game 70 minutes and sending fans fleeing for safety. The Sox then pop Boston, 8–6.
IN THE NEWS: During a 12–0 win over the Astros, Phillie 3B Mike Schmidt hits a ball off the public address speaker hanging from the Astrodome roof, 117 feet up and 300 feet from the plate. Schmidt must settle for a titanic single. Jim Lonborg is the winner.
IN THE NEWS: Mel Stottlemyre makes his 272nd consecutive start, with no relief appearances, to set an American League record but he loses to California, 5–4. Dick Lange is the wining pitcher.
IN THE NEWS: Henry Aaron addresses the House of Representatives in a special Flag Day ceremony. In the chamber is Representative Wilmer Mizell of North Carolina, who, as a southpaw hurler for the Cardinals, served up home run #61 in 1956 and #161 in 1959.
IN THE NEWS: Nolan Ryan strikes out 19 Red Sox in 13 innings, including Cecil Cooper six times in a row. In an unusual double-double, he also walks 10 batters for the 2nd time this year. The Angels finally win in 15 innings 4–3, with the win going to Barry Raziano over Luis Tiant.
IN THE NEWS: The Angels sell Rudy May (0–1) to the Yankees where he will post an 8–4 record this year.
Baltimore beats the White Sox, 4–3, in 11 innings. Don Baylor enters the game in the 9th as a pinch runner and makes the record books with a steal and twice getting caught stealing, thanks to misplays by the Sox. Bobby Grich opens with a single and Tommy Davis singles him to 3B. Davis is then picked off, but an error by Dick Allen at 1B allows both runners to move up. After an out, Ellie Hendricks singles Davis home and Baylor pinch runs. Baylor gets caught stealing second but 2B Ron Santo drops the throw from Ed Herrmann. Baylor then swipes 3B and, following a intentional walk to Brooks Robinson, he is caught stealing home, Herrmann unassisted. Andy Etchebarren strikes out to end the unique frame. Baylor's mark is a ML record, but will be matched four times in the National League between 1987 and 1992.
IN THE NEWS: Orioles 2B Bobby Grich makes Ross Grimsley's home win over the Twins a little easier by belting three consecutive homers. The O's win 10–1.
IN THE NEWS: George Scott, who walks to lead off the 2nd inning, is the Brewers' only base runner as the Royals Steve Busby hurls a 2–0 no-hitter. Busby is the first ML pitcher to throw no-hitters in his first two seasons.
Runners are passed in two different games tonight, depriving Giant Ed Goodson of a home run in a Cardinals–Giants match, and creating confusion in a Pirates–Dodgers match. Goodson clocks a 3rd inning pitch from Bob Gibson, then passes teammate Garry Maddox between 1B and 2B. Instead of a home run, he gets one RBI and a single. In the latter, Joe Ferguson apparently strikes out with the sacks full, and walks away, while Pirate C Manny Sanguillen agrees and rolls the ball to the mound. Lee Lacy, the LA runner on 3rd jogs to the dugout. The runner from 2B, Jimmy Wynn comes around to score but is tagged out. Lacy scurries from the dugout, slides home, and is also tagged out. Lacy, though tagged, is ruled safe according to the rules. The confusion is deemed moot as the Pirates prevail, 7–3.
IN THE NEWS: In a Pacific Coast League at Honolulu, Hawaii tops Spokane, 7–4, behind Ralph Garcia. He ties a PCL record striking out 19 Indian batters.
IN THE NEWS: The Braves fire manager Eddie Mathews, the only man to play for the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta. Clyde King is hired to replace him.
IN THE NEWS: Los Angeles Dodger closer Mike Marshall completes a sweep of the Giants, winning today, 4–3. Marshall was the winner in yesterday's 3–2 win, and also on the 21st in another 4–3 victory. Not till California's Chuck McElroy, in 1996, will another pitcher sweep a series.
IN THE NEWS: Steve Busby retires the first nine White Sox to set an American League record with 33 consecutive batsmen retired. The Royals lose, however, 3–1.
IN THE NEWS: At Cleveland, Indians OF Leron Lee crashes into Boston C Carlton Fisk, knocking him out of the game. Fisk's left knee injury is so serious he will not return to action this year, and, with a broken arm sustained in next year's spring training, will not play until June 1975.
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