12 August in Sports History

In this edition of the Sports Break, we cover the top events in sports history along with the players and athletes that were a part of them for August 12. As a bonus, we place the jersey number worn at the time with the athlete as well.

Sports history is made every day of the year. We will preserve at least a small sampling from some great athletes every day based on the uniform number they wore.

6 - 7 - 30 - 16 - 3 - 8 - 53 - 1 - 11 - 14 - 18 - 48

August 12, 1963 - Stan Musial, the long time Number 6 of the St Louis Cardinals, announced he would retire at end of season. Stan the Man came up into the Redbird organization in 1941, helped the franchise earn 3 World Series Titles, while becoming a 3 time League MVP and taking 7 batting titles during his Hall of Fame career.

August 12, 1964 - Mickey Mantle, Number 7 of the New York Yankees pounded two home runs over the wall of Yankee Stadium, that is special in and of itself but it is even more spectacular when one finds out that he hit one from each sie of the plate. It was a switch-hits HR record as Mantle did it for 10th time in his career and final time in a single game. It is amazing to think that Mantle always said he was a better right handed hitter when he put more out of the park from the left side of the plate.

August 12, 1965 - The Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, Inc applied for a National League franchise after the cities former team the Braves left for Atlanta.

August 12, 1974 - Nolan Ryan, Number 30 struck out 19 batters and walked only 2 as the Angels doubled up the Boston Red Sox, 4-2

August 12, 1974  - New York Yankees Mickey Mantle (Number 7) and Whitey Ford (Number 16) became the first teammates inducted to Hall of Fame on same day

August 12, 1984 - Harmon Killebrew (Number 3), Rick Ferrell (Number 8), Don Drysdale (Number 53), Pee Wee Reese (Number 1), and Luis Aparicio (Number 11) were all inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY

August 12, 1985 - Baltimore Orioles Wayne Gross, Number 14 and Larry Sheets wearing Number 18 were sixth pair to hit consecutive pinch home runs in Major League Baseball history.

August 12, 1986 - The American League has had a Designated Hitter since a January 11, 1973 decision at the League meetings. That is what makes this next story so amazing. The Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Lollar, Number 48 got a pinch-hit single.

A Very Special thanks to information obtained from the following brilliant internet sites: On This Day Sports, the Sports Reference's family of website databases & Stathead.com.

Banner photo is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons of St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial as he was depicted on his 1953 Bowman baseball trading card. Bowman Gum; cropped by Crisco 1492.