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June 13
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
Hey Folks!
Welcome to Classic Baseball Broadcasts Daily Highlights for June 13
June 13, 1983 Kirk Gibson of the Detroit Tigers broke up a no-hit bid by Boston's Mike Brown Tuesday night with a home run that completely cleared the right field roof at Tiger Stadium and hit the top of a lumber yard across the street -- an estimated 540 feet from home plate. In his next at-bat, Gibson hit an apparent inside-the-park homer on which the runner preceding him on the basepaths was thrown out at the plate. But the official scorer, Ed Browalski of the Polish Daily News, later ruled the hit a double and that Gibson went to third on the throw and scored on an error. Tiger Stadium security guard Dan McGraw said Gibson's blast with one out in the fourth inning hit the Brooks Lumber Co. roof on the fly. Press box observers saw the ball glance off a flagpole atop the right field roof. It was also estimated that the ball was hit 120 feet high. It was only the 14th ball to clear the right field roof and the 16th to go completly out of Tiger Stadium, but the first since 1977 and only the third since 1969.
More on Gibson -
Joining the Dodgers as a free agent in 1988, Gibson's intensity spurred the team to a World Championship highlighted by his fabled Hollywood-like game-winning home run in the Series opener. Kept out of the lineup by a leg injury, he pinch-hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with Mike Davis on base and the Dodgers down 4-3. Visibly wincing on each swing, he fouled off four pitches before he hit a slider into the right field stands off the A's immaculate relief ace Dennis Eckersley and limped around the bases while pumping his fists. It was his only at-bat in the Series.
Gibson was also a hero in the LCS, with a 12th-inning solo shot to beat the Mets in Game Four, a three-run homer in Los Angeles' 7-4 Game Five victory and the game-winning RBI in the Game Seven clincher on a first-inning sacrifice fly. Not a good fielder, he displayed his defensive approach in Game Three when, playing on a sloppy field, the gimpy Gibson made a crucial slipping, lunging catch in the mud while nearly falling down three times in pursuit of the fly ball. Despite unspectacular numbers like a .290 batting average with 25 home runs and 76 RBIs, Gibson won the National League MVP in 1988 (in the process becoming the first player since the inception of the All-Star game to claim the award without a single All-Star selection in his career), an honor bestowed as much for the determined, fiery attitude he brought to the club as for his production at the plate. In a celebrated incident on the first day of spring training, Gibson grew enraged when clubhouse prankster Jesse Orosco smeared the sweatband of his cap with eye black, his reaction setting the tone for the professionalism and competitiveness that would fuel the Los Angeles' pennant drive.
An All-America football flanker and baseball outfielder at Michigan State University, Gibson was Detroit's number-one pick in the June 1978 draft. His combination of raw power and speed led the ever excitable Sparky Anderson to dub him "the next Mickey Mantle." Injuries restricted his progress until 1984, when he became the first Tiger to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in the same season, and the first with at least 10 doubles, triples, homers, and steals since Charlie Gehringer in 1930. He was the MVP of the ALCS, then led the Tigers with seven RBI and three steals in their World Series steamrolling of San Diego, including a pair of home runs in the decisive Game Five.
Though Gibson topped out at 29 homers in 1985, his awesome power resulted in several tape-measure blasts. In 1986 he set a major-league record with five consecutive game-winning RBI and was honored three times as the AL Player of the Week. Gibson's below-average defense resulted in a shift from right field to left in 1987. His game-tying home run and game-winning single at Toronto on September 27, 1987 enabled the Tigers to avoid a crippling sweep, and eventually to win the AL East title on the final day of the season.
Following his 1988 MVP campaign, Gibson's chronic leg problems began catching up to him, limiting him to a combined 160 games his last two years in Los Angeles. He signed with Kansas City in December 1990, was traded to Pittsburgh for pitcher Neal Heaton in March 1992, but was released that May. The next season he re-joined the Tigers, where he spent his last three years. Though mostly an injury-plagued shadow of his former self, he did clout 23 home runs with 72 RBIs during the strike-shortened 1994 season.
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View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Quote of the day:
'Few baseball fans will ever forget the sight of Gibson hobbling around the bases to the silken sound of Vin Scully's voice crying out, "In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!" It was his only at-bat of the series, but it didn't matter as the dramatic had broken the A's spirit.
Game of The Day:
Game of the Day — June 13, 1957 New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox
June 13, 1957 At Comiskey Park the New York Yankees defeated Billy Pierce, 10-3 and the White Sox 4-3 behind a 16 hit attack. The game took an ugly turn however as the White Sox and Yankees hooked up in perhaps the greatest “base-brawl” in history. In the first inning at Comiskey Park, New York’s Art Ditmar threw a pitch at the head of the Sox Larry Doby. As the pitch rolled to the wall, Ditmar ran to cover home. Doby warned Ditmar about the pitch, and then threw a left hook. The fight appeared to have racial overtones and lasted a full 30 minutes. Chicago native and future Sox player Bill “Moose” Skowron jumped on Doby which brought Walt Dropo into the fray. Dropo was 6-5, 220 pounds, and a monster for his time. At various times, Whitey Ford, Casey Stengel,”Jungle” Jim Rivera and Enos “Country” Slaughter were in the middle of it. Slaughter’s jersey was ripped to pieces and his hat was backwards in one of the most famous photographs of the 1950’s. After things settled down Billy Martin rushed into things and started in on Doby. Four players were ejected and fined for the melee. New York won the game 4-3. At Comiskey Park the New York Yankees defeated Billy Pierce, 10-3 and the White Sox 4-3 behind a 16 hit attack. The game took an ugly turn however as the White Sox and Yankees hooked up in perhaps the greatest “base-brawl” in history. In the first inning at Comiskey Park, New York’s Art Ditmar threw a pitch at the head of the Sox Larry Doby. As the pitch rolled to the wall, Ditmar ran to cover home. Doby warned Ditmar about the pitch, and then threw a left hook. The fight appeared to have racial overtones and lasted a full 30 minutes. Chicago native and future Sox player Bill “Moose” Skowron jumped on Doby which brought Walt Dropo into the fray. Dropo was 6-5, 220 pounds, and a monster for his time. At various times, Whitey Ford, Casey Stengel,”Jungle” Jim Rivera and Enos “Country” Slaughter were in the middle of it. Slaughter’s jersey was ripped to pieces and his hat was backwards in one of the most famous photographs of the 1950’s. After things settled down Billy Martin rushed into things and started in on Doby. Four players were ejected and fined for the melee. New York won the game 4-3.
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June 13 highlights and Historic Days!
🎙️ = Audio available in Classic Baseball Broadcasts
June 13, 1912, Christy Mathewson wins his 300th major league game. In the top of the ninth inning with no outs at New York’s Polo Grounds, Christy Mathewson strands a runner on third base to record his 300th victory when the New York Giants edge the Cubs, 3-2. During his 17-year major league career, ‘Big Six’ will compile a 373-188 record. His 373 will tie him for 3rd All-time.
June 13, 1946, the Chicago Cubs famed double-play trio of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance are inducted into the Hall of Fame together. The poem was first published in the New York Evening Mail on July 12, 1910, under the title “That Double Play Again.” The day before, the Cubs had defeated the Giants, 4–2, in Chicago, having squelched a late-inning Giants rally with a double play from Tinker to Evers to Chance.
June 13, 1948, an ailing Babe Ruth makes his final appearance at Yankee Stadium. 49,641 came out to see the Babe for the final time. The New York Yankees retire Ruth’s uniform No. 3 during ceremonies that also commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Stadium. Many teammates from the integral team the 1923 Yankees attend the event. “I saw Ruth standing there with his uniform, No. 3 and knew that was the shot. It was a dull day and most photographers were using flash bulbs, but I slowed the shutter and took the picture without a flash”- Nat Fein, photographer of “Babe Bows Out”. Babe Bows Out won a Pulitzer Prize in 1949.
June 13, 1949, a class of three are inducted into the Hall of Fame: Mordecai “Three-Finger” Brown, Charlie Gehringer, and Kid Nichols. 79-year old Nichols, who won his first major league game in 1890, is on hand in Cooperstown for the ceremony.
June 13 1957, At Ebbets Field, In a game that features the ejection of Johnny Logan and Don Drysdale as a result of the fighting, Clem Labine loses for the first time in ten months and 38 appearances in relief as the Milwaukee Braves defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 8 – 5. Logan charges the mound after getting drilled in the ribs by Drysdale resulting in banishment for both players.
June 13, 1957, At Cleveland Stadium future Hall of Famer Ted Williams hits three home runs and drives in five in the Boston Red Sox’ 9-3 win over the Cleveland Indians. Two of the gopher balls were given up by another future hall of farmer, Early Wynn. the other was against Bob Lemon. Lemon was coming back from an injury and Williams was the first man he faced.
June 13 1973, The Los Angeles Dodgers infield of Steve Garvey (1B), Davey Lopes (2B), Ron Cey (3B) and Bill Russell (SS) plays together for the first time in a 16 – 3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium. The infield quartet will set a major league record for longevity by playing 8 1/2 years together.
June 13 1973, At Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, in the 4th inning, Dock Ellis walks a batter without ever throwing a pitch to him. After going 2-0 on the Atlanta left fielder Sonny Jackson, the Pirates right-hander is replaced by Ramon Hernandez, who throws two more balls to Dick Dietz, a pinch-hitter for Jackson, to complete the base-on-balls which is attributed to the Bucs’ starting pitcher. The Pirates were crushed 18-3 by the Braves. Ron Reed goes the full way for the Braves and also drives in 4 runs, along with Darrell Evans, and Frank Tepedino. Tepedino pinch ran for Dietz.
June 13, 1975, the Cleveland Indians trade future Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry to the Texas Rangers for pitchers Jim Bibby, Jackie Brown, and Rick Waits, and $100,000 in cash. Perry will win 42 games for the Rangers over the next two and a half seasons.
June 13 2003, Roger Clemens reaches his 300th win and becomes the third pitcher in major league history with 4,000 strikeouts, leading the New York Yankees over the St. Louis Cardinals, 5 – 2, in interleague play. Edgar Renteria becomes his 4,000th victim in the 2nd inning. The 40 year old Clemens, the 21st pitcher to make it to 300, allows two runs in 6 2/3 innings and strikes out 10, raising his total to 4,006. Clemens joins Nolan Ryan (5,714) and Steve Carlton(4,136) in the select 4,000-strikeout club.
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Members Audio Vault - June 13:
Detroit Tigers Audio/Video Vault
Features well over 200 Games! Including 1934, 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984 World Series and ALCS
Dozens Games from June 13 to enjoy!
June 13, 1957 New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox
June 13,1971 Boston Red Sox vs Kansas City Royals
June 13, 1978 Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds
June 13, 1980 New York Yankees vs Oakland Athletics
June 13, 1986 Chicago White Sox vs Seattle Mariners
June 13, 1987 Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals
June 13, 2010 Washington Nationals vs Cleveland Indians
Game Highlights and Reels
Bill Stern Sports Newsreel June 13, 1947 with Roy Rogers
Game Highlight – 1970-06-13 Boston Red Sox vs Minnesota Twins
Pittsburgh Pirates vs NY Mets (June 13, 1986) “Straw-Man Walks The Mets Off Against The Buccos”
MLB Week In Review (June 13, 1987)
Cincinnati Reds vs Atlanta Braves (June 13, 1993) (Partial Game 8th Inning Only) (Radio Call)
Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox (June 13, 1994) “Fiesty Day At Fenway”
Baltimore Orioles vs Atlanta Braves (June 13, 1997) (Complete Game Radio Call)
Atlanta Braves vs Toronto Blue Jays (June 13, 2001) “Wild Night At The Skydome”
Plus many more . . . .
TRIVIA
TRIVIA: Whose record for the most strike outs in a fifty-home run season did Chris Davis break in the 2013 season?
Hint: #1 A former Rebel, he hit the first grand slam at Bank One Ballpark.
Hint: #2 The first two times he received Most Valuable Player votes in the majors, he was a strong second place both times.
Answer below
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ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA
