TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

June 8, 1920, the Cincinnati Reds played the Giants at the Polo Grounds. It wasn’t just another game—it was one for the books. After tying the score 4-4 in the top of the eighth, the Reds fell into chaos when George Burns of the Giants ripped a double down the line. The Reds erupted, claiming—loudly—that it was foul by ten feet.

While players argued and fans buzzed, center fielder Edd Roush removed his glove, doffed his cap, and lay down in the outfield… and fell asleep.

The game paused for over 15 minutes while the Reds “smote the murky atmosphere with words.” When calm returned, the ump spotted Roush asleep in center. He ejected him—not for napping, but for what came next: Roush woke up, stormed in, and tried to punch the umpire.

He was suspended “indefinitely,” which turned out to mean just a few days.

Roush was the National League's most feared hitter in the dead-ball era, batting more than .300 11 straight years, and capturing the batting title in 1917 and 1919. He was also the highest-paid outfielder of his day. Contemporaries called him hardworking, classy, game, and stubborn. As a baserunner, he thought nothing of going out of his way to spike an infielder. He hated spring training, was always in shape, and frequently held out - once for a whole year (1930).

Born lefthanded, Roush learned to throw with his right arm when lefthanded gloves were scarce. He broke in as a shortstop with Evansville (Kitty League) in 1912. A shoulder injury weakened his right arm, and he went back to throwing lefthanded, moving to the outfield. After a brief stint with the White Sox in 1913, making $100 a month, he jumped to the Federal League and earned $2,000 for the season with Indianapolis. In 1915 Newark (FL) paid'Sh)''him $4,000. Then the league folded. The better players were put into a pool and sold, the Giants buying Roush for $10,000. After batting .188 through 39 games in 1916, he was traded to the Reds with Christy Mathewson and Bill McKechnie for Buck Herzog and Wade Killefer.

Roush quickly became the NL's premier centerfielder, relying as much on brains as speed. He studied his team's pitchers and opposing hitters, and knew where to move for every pitch. In the thick of the 1919 pennant race, Reds left fielder Sherry Magee was sidelined for a few weeks, with no backup outfielder to replace him. Roush suggested that manager Pat Moran put strong-hitting pitcher Rube Bressler in left. "Greasy Neale (the rightfielder) and I can carry the load," Roush said, "and I'll move Bressler and tell him where to play." At the end of two weeks Bressler told him, "There's nothing to this outfielding. We're right in front of every line drive. What I can't understand is why we have to move around so much."

Though he beat out Rogers Hornsby for the NL batting crown by hitting .341 in 1917 and .321 in 1919, it was in 1921 that Roush reached his career high of .352. He batted .351 in 1923, topping the league with 41 doubles, and in 1924 led with 21 triples. He had 27-game hitting streaks in both 1920 and 1924. In ten full seasons with Cincinnati, the lowest he batted was .323, in 1926. The following February, he was sent to the Giants for George Kelly, and was given a three-year contract at $22,500 a year.

Roush developed an iconoclastic view of Giants manager John McGraw. "McGraw expected every player to be perfectionist. He had his men so scared they couldn't follow his many orders." In 1928 Roush tore stomach muscles diving for a line drive, and in 1929 his legs began to go. As a result, the Giants cut him to $15,000 in 1930, and added this clause: if the 1928 abdominal injury returned, there would be a further cut in salary. He refused to sign the contract, and sat out the year. The next spring, he was sold back to the Reds, with whom he played his last season.

Throughout his career, Roush used the heaviest bats in the game, weighing from 46 to 48 ounces. The bats were not long, but had incredibly thick handles, giving them the appearance of being all barrel. With them he could hit to all fields, bunt, drag, and hit-and-run. He is reputed to have slapped seven hits in one season on pitchouts, including a triple.

Features 200 Games and highlights

June 8 1920 — At the Polo Grounds, Edd Roush of the Cincinnati Reds falls asleep in center field during a long argument in the infield. George Burns had doubled off Dolf Luque, he takes third on Pat Duncan’s error. Heinie Groh goes out to wake him, but the chief umpire ejects Roush for delaying the game. Burns will score the winning run on the next play as Duncan made another error. Jesse Barnes (6-7) picks up the win and Luque (2-1) takes the loss, 5-4 final.

June 8, 1933, At Shibe Park Jimmie Foxx of the Philadelphia A’s hits three home runs in a 14-10 win over the New York Yankees. His home runs come in his first three at-bats, Foxx had homered his last time up the previous day to give him four consecutive home runs.

June 8, 1945, while hosting the Philadelphia Phillies, Leo Durocher went a step too far, ambushing a fan in the dugout with the help of a stadium security guard. The incident led to his arrest on assault charges the following day.

June 8, 1950, The Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Browns, 29 – 4, at Fenway Park, and set major league records for runs scored; most long hits, 17 (nine doubles, 1 triple and 7 home runs); most total bases, 60; most extra bases on long hits, 32; most runs over two games, 49; most hits in two games, 51, including 28 this game. Bobby Doerr hits three home runs and drives in eight, while Walt Dropo and Ted Williams each slam two home runs.

June 8 1961 – The Milwaukee Braves set a major-league record with four consecutive home runs in the 7th inning against Cincinnati. Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron hit back-to-back home runs off starter Jim Maloney; Joe Adcock greets reliever Marshall Bridges with another home run, and Frank Thomas sets the record. When these four teammates end their major-league careers, they will have hit a combined total of 1,889 homers. For all the bombardment, the Braves lose, 10 – 8.

June 8, 1964 — After other teams back off in their pursuit to sign the outstanding NC high schooler when his little toe is blown off by his brother in a hunting accident, the Kansas City A’s ink Jim Hunter for $75,000. The youngest of ten children of a family from Hertferd will go on to lead the A’s win 3 Championships in the 70’s and become a Hall of Fame pitcher better known as ‘Catfish’, a name invented by club’s owner Charlie Finley.

June 8, 1965, the Kansas City A’s select collegiate star Rick Monday with the initial pick of the first-ever amateur free agent draft. Picking second, the Mets take pitcher Les Rohr. Future Hall of Famer Johnny Bench is taken by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round. Another Hall of Famer, Nolan Ryan, is chosen in the tenth round by the New York Mets.

June 8, 1969, the New York Yankees retired the uniform number of one of their greatest players on Mickey Mantle Day” at Yankee Stadium. Mantle’s No. 7 is retired before a crowd of 60,096 fans, who stay on to watch the Yankees sweep a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox. New York sweep the Chicago White Sox, 3 – 1 and 11 – 2

June 8 1977 – Nolan Ryan notches a 19-strikeout game for the 3rd time in his career, pitching the first 10 innings of a game against Toronto. His effort almost went naught, the Angels were down 1-0 in the bottom of the 9th, Bobby Bonds singles in Bobby Grich with 2 outs off Jesse Jefferson. Grich will hit a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 13th to deliver the 2-1 win for the Angels.

June 8, 1982, Hall of Famer Satchel Paige dies at the reported age of 76. Paige made his major league debut in 1948, after a long career in the Negro Leagues. He made his final major league appearance in 1965, pitching three innings for the Kansas City A’s.

TRIVIA

TRIVIA: Which Hall of Fame player was the home plate umpire in a regular season game his team was playing?

Hint: #1 He is also in the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

Hint: #2 As a player, he once hit exactly nineteen triples in each of five consecutive seasons but never led the league in any of the five. The leader was different in each of those seasons.

Hint: #3 Just the year before that streak began, he led his league in triples. It’s the only black ink in his twenty-season major league career.

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 ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA