TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

May 7, 1957, Cleveland Indians pitcher Herb Score is struck in the right eye by a line drive hit by the New York Yankees’ Gil McDougald. Score will miss the rest of the season with a fractured nose and damaged eye.

Herb Score: A Flame That Burned Bright and Brief in Baseball’s Golden Era

When Herb Score debuted in the American League in 1955, the baseball world quickly took notice. The tall, flame-throwing lefty arrived with a reputation earned the previous year, when he was named The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year after dazzling with the Indianapolis Indians. His performance that year included staggering 16- and 17-strikeout games, a preview of the dominance to come.

Score’s rookie season with the Cleveland Indians did not disappoint. Armed with a blazing fastball and a sharp curveball, he struck out 245 batters in 227 innings, going 16-10 and earning the American League Rookie of the Year Award. On May 1, 1955, he delivered one of his most iconic outings, striking out 16 Boston Red Sox hitters just hours after Bob Feller had thrown a one-hit shutout in the first game of a doubleheader. Boston’s Sam Mele summed up what many hitters felt: "He is the fastest pitcher I have faced in the majors."

In 1956, Score reached even greater heights. He led the league in strikeouts for the second straight year with 263 and recorded a 20-9 record, including five shutouts, establishing himself as one of baseball’s brightest young stars. His combination of power and poise drew comparisons to legends and had many predicting a Hall of Fame trajectory.

But then, the unthinkable happened.

In May 1957, a line drive off the bat of Gil McDougald struck Score in the face, fracturing facial bones and damaging his eye. While he eventually returned to the mound, his dominance never fully returned. Over the next six seasons, he managed just 19 more wins. His final years came with the Chicago White Sox, where he started only 27 games over three seasons. Despite the derailment, his career ERA of 3.36 over eight seasons remains a testament to his talent. Score will blame a torn tendon in his pitching arm, and not the horrific accident on the mound for his lack of achievement.

After retiring as a player, Score transitioned to the broadcast booth, becoming the voice of the Cleveland Indians from 1964 to 1997. His tenure as a broadcaster lasted over three decades and endeared him to generations of fans. His final call during the 1997 ALCS, when Tony Fernandez hit a go-ahead homer to send Cleveland to the World Series, was vintage Herb: “...and the Indians are going to the World Series… maybe.”

Score’s unique career—brilliant, heartbreaking, and ultimately beloved—has drawn statistical comparisons to Cy Seymour, a 19th-century pitcher who also transitioned into a different baseball role. The comparison speaks to Score’s versatility and impact, even after his playing days ended.

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May 7, 1925, at Forbes Field, In the top of the ninth, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Glenn Wright turns an unassisted triple play against the St. Louis Cardinals. The play involves two future Hall of Famers. Jim Bottomley hits a line drive that is caught by Wright, who steps on second base for the second out, doubling Jimmy Cooney. He then completes the triple killing by tagging Rogers Hornsby. Despite the rare play, Pittsburgh lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 10-9. Les Bell delivered the key hit a 3 run triple during a 6 run 8th inning.

May 7, 1941, Hank Greenberg plays his final game with the Detroit Tigers before entering the Army for service in World War II. The future Hall of Famer hits two home runs and drives in three, helping the Detroit Tigers to a 7-4 win over the New York Yankees. Greenberg had won the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1940.

May 7, 1957, Vic Power becomes the first modern major leaguer to hit both a leadoff and walkoff home run in the same game. The A’s first baseman, who went deep off Hal Brown leading off the game, ends the contest in the 10th frame with a round-tripper off the right-hander, giving Kansas City a 3-2 victory over Baltimore.

May 7, 1959, the largest crowd in major league history turns out for “Roy Campanella Night” at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Campanella was paralyzed in an auto accident prior to the team moving to the West Coast in 1958. The game, which draws the largest crowd ever for a baseball game, 93,103 fans with another estimated 15,000 turned away from the sellout, begins with an emotional ceremony in which Pee Wee Reese pushes the wheelchair-bound catcher into the darkened stadium that is totally illuminated by fans holding candles or matches. The Dodgers are beaten by the New York Yankees, 6 - 2, in an exhibition game that follows the ceremonies. The crowd sets a record for a baseball game that will not be broken until the Dodgers return to the Coliseum for another exhibition contest on March 29, 2008.

May 7, 1975, the Atlanta Braves trade holdout first baseman Dick Allen and catcher Johnny Oates to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Jim Essian, outfielder Barry Bonnell, and and cash. Allen had refused to report to the Braves after being acquired in an off-season deal with the Chicago White Sox.

May 7, 1997 - The Montreal Expos score 13 runs to set a National League record for runs in a 6th inning during their 19 - 3 win over the San Francisco Giants. Montreal adds five runs in the 5th to set a National League record for runs in consecutive innings with 18.

May 7, 1999 Former Boston Red Sox Slugger, one of the best in team history Mo Vaughn return to Boston turned into the Pedro Show as Pedro set a (then) career high 15 strikeouts - a feat he would match five more times in 1999 and three more times in 2000.

May 7, 2005, Julio Franco of the Atlanta Braves goes 3 for 4, including his first home run of the season, in a 4 - 1 victory over the Houston Astros. Franco, who turns 47 on August 23rd, becomes the second-oldest player in major league history to homer at 46 years, 257 days. Jack Quinn, a pitcher who accomplished the feat when he was 100 days older, hit a home run for the Philadelphia Athletics on June 27, 1930; Franco will eventually pass him as well.

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