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JACKIE ROBINSON
Q: I heard that Jackie Robinson was one of three black players originally signed to play in the major leagues, and became the first only because of the baseball schedule. Is there any truth to this?
-- Ike
A: Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey decided to try to desegregate the major leagues in 1944, when baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis (who was against integration), passed away. Withouth Landis' opposition, Rickey knew he would be able to sign players from the Negro Leagues to play for the Dodgers. When he began scouting, Rickey intended to sign more than one black player, so as to not have one man deal with the racial pressures that were to accompany being the first black player in the majors. Originally, he planned for Negroe League stars Jackie Robinson, Don Newcombe, and Sam Jethroe to break into the majors as a trio. However, he was nervous that the league would not allow the signing of three black players at once, so he decided to sign only Robinson. Robinson began playing in the minor leagues on April 18, 1946, and broke the color barrier one year later, when the Dodgers purchased his contract on April 10, 1947. Newcombe, along with fellow Negro League players Roy Campanella, Roy Partlow, and John Wright, who were all scouted by Rickey along with Robinson, joined the Dodgers the following year.
Q: Can you tell me a bit about the doubleheader that featured Stan Musial hitting five home runs?
-- Bob Kerico
A: Musial became the first player to hit five home runs in a day on May 2, 1954, in a home game against the New York Giants. In the first game, Musial went 4-4 with a walk and 3 home runs, including a game winning three-run home run in the bottom of the eigth off Jim Hearn. The Cardinals won the first game, 10-6.
In the second game, Musial hit another two home runs, both flying out of Sportsman's Park and landing on Grand Avenue, and both coming off of future Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm. And in Musial's second at-bat, in the third inning, he flied out to deep center, 420 feet away, which would have meant another homer in many other parks. However, his two homers weren't enough to overcome a 5-5 day from Giants right fielder Don Mueller, and the Cards lost, 9-7.
At the end of the day, Musial finished 6-8, with five home runs, eight RBI, six runs scored, and two walks.
On July 8, 1994, in the sixth inning of a 7-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners, Valentin (who was playing shortstop) caught a line drive off the bat of Marc Newfield, stepped on second base to double off Mike Blowers, and tagged Keith Mitchell, who had been on first base and was running with the pitch.
On June 2, 1995, Valentin became the eighth Red Sox player to hit three home runs in one game when he went 5-5, with three home runs and four runs scored, in a 6-5 victory over the Mariners. He also became the first shortstop in baseball history to have 15 total bases in one game.
And on June 6, 1996, Valentin hit for the cycle in a 7-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The game also featured a triple play turned by the White Sox, making it the first game since 1931 to feature both a triple play and a batter hitting for the cycle.
Q: Who was the last major leaguer to play for the Washington Senators at one time in his career?
-- George Laurence
A: The last player to have played for the Washington Senators was Toby Harrah, who was with the team for its final two seasons in Washington, and its first seven years as the Texas Rangers. Harrah went on to play eight more seasons after leaving the Rangers, and retired after the 1986 season, becoming the final player from the Senators to retire. In his two seasons as a Senator, he batted .229 in 135 games, with 2 home runs and 10 stolen bases.
Q: What year did Del Crandall start playing in the major leagues? With what team?
-- Andy Nystrom
A: Del Crandall's first year in the big leagues was in 1949, at the age of 19, when he came up as a catcher with the Boston Braves. In 67 games that year, he batted .263 with four home runs, 34 RBI, and 21 runs scored.
A: Stone wore #30 for the Cubs from 1974-1976. In three years, he went 23-20 for them, with a 4.48 ERA. He later went on to win the American League Cy Young Award in 1980 while with the Baltimore Orioles when he went 25-7 with a 3.23 ERA and 149 strikeouts.
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