11 July in Sports History

Some amazing stories from MLB All-Star games as well as an early career event for the Bambino!

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.

5 - 3 - 2 - 6 - 8 - 15 - 48 - 9 - 11 - 34 - 16

July 11, 1914 - It was an amazing day for baseball. Future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth mades his MLB debut as a pitcher for Boston Red Sox. The Bambino on the mound earned a hard fought 4-3 victory with his seven strong innings over the Cleveland Naps at Fenway Park. Even before this George Herman Ruth was somewhat of a legend. According to a SABR.org article, Babe threw a no-hitter in a 1913 semipro game in Baltimore with Jack Dunn and the Orioles. Ruth showed up eager for training camp that season, reportedly one of the first two to arrive, and was spectacular, especially in exhibitions against major-league clubs, showing himself “a sterling southpaw who (was) a terror to the big league clubs. The Red Sox pitching staff was in shambles so Ruth coming up was a bit of a breath of fresh air. They respected his pitching at that point, no one really knew about his prowess as a hitter really yet, but boy would they find out soon and then some.

July 11, 1939 - There was more than a few eyebrows raised at the 7th All Star Baseball Game when the starting line up for the American League squad was announced at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. New York Yankees and AL maanager Joe McCarthy started six players from the Yankees on that day.  It was a lot more understandable when these were the six New York roster members to trot out on the field:

• Joe Dimaggio ( Number 5) CF
• George Selkirk (Number 3) LF [Remember it was not until June 13, 1948 that the Yankees retired 3 in honor of babe Ruth]
• Red Rolfe (Number 2) 3B
• Joe Gordon (Number 6) 2B
• Bill Dickey (Number 8) C
• Red Ruffing (Number 15) P

In front of the home crowd the AL won 3-1 and later that season the Yankees won the World Series making them the first to host an All-Star game and win the MLB title in the same season. Yes the yankees regular roster was somewhat of an All-Star squad.

July 11, 1950 - In Chicago at good ole Comiskey Park the 17th All Star Baseball Game took place. This was the first televised MLB All-Star game and it brought quite a good contest, filled with drama and star power into American living rooms across the country as it was also the 1st extra inning All Star Game. It was a spectacular game as it went to 14 innings until the National League won 4-3 when Red Schoendienst sent a pitch from Ted Gray to the upper decks o the left feild at Comiskey to break up the American league domination of the game of the summer classic. Chicago Cubs star Andy Pafko, Number 48 dramatically caught back to back balls at the wall for outs in the 12th inning to thwart the AL to end the game earlier.

Superstar Ted Williams ( Number 9) broke his elbow while making a leaping catch off-the-wall of a Ralph Kiner deep drive but somehow he remained inthe game and put the AL in front 3-2 with an RBI single. Kiner in turn tied the game in the 9th inning to extend the contest. Williams later admitted that he was never the same player after this injury as he lost strength in the arm to power home runs but it did make him a smarter hitter at the age of 32. Smart indeed as a few seasons later Williams led the American League in hitting with a .388 average. The legendary Boston hitter was lost for much of the rest of the 1950 season though. Yes this All Star Game had quite an impact of the overall trajectory of the MLB.

July 11, 1971 - Philadelphia Phillies Deron Johnson wearing Number 11 drives out 3 Home Runs to cap off his streak of his 4 in a row. At 32 years old Johnson knew he had it in him to be a pwer hitter and put it on full display in going yard in his forst three appearances against the Montreal Expos to help the Phillies to an 11-5 win. He also hit one over the fence in his last at bat the evening before to start the terror of four HRs in a row.

12 Jul 1971, Mon The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com

July 11, 1985 - The Houston Astros' ace pitcher Nolan Ryan, Number 34 became the 1st MLB hurler to strike out 4000 when he sat down New York Mets' Danny Heep.

July 11, 1989 - Bo Knew How to Do it! At the 60th All Star Baseball Game it was the American League winning 5-3 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, Caifornia as Kansas City Royals outfielder and two sport star Bo Jackson wearing the Number 16 was selected as the All star MVP of the game.

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 the 1888 Boston National League Team, South End Grounds Creator/Contributor: Hastings, George H. (photographer)