5 July in Sports History

Some early trail blazing moments by brave athletes occurred in the MLB on July 5 in sports history. Hear these memories and more.

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.

4 - 5 - 14 - 36 -12 -25 - 24

20 Jul 1898, Wed Logansport Pharos-Tribune (Logansport, Indiana) Newspapers.com

July 5, 1998 - Lizzie Arlington became the first woman to play professional men's baseball when she pitched the 9th inning for the Reading Coal Heavers against the Allentown Peanuts. The young female phenom allowed 2 hits and walked a batter but preserved the game for a Coal Heavers 5-0 win. In the months leading up to this day in the spring of 1898, sporting and theatrical promoter William J. Connor hired Ms. Arlington for the sum of $100.00 a week and negotiated with Atlantic League president Edward G. Barrow for her to sign a minor league contract. She showed up in the baseball annals later that year while pitching for the reserve team of the Philadelphia Nationals, and continued to pitch and play infield against several professional clubs in exhibition games around the country throughout the summer. She got the expereince to prepare for her brief career by playing a lot of ball with her father and brothers in her younger years.

A throng of spectators showed up for the game in anticipation that Lizzie would take the field, and they had to be excited when she did and made history. According to reports she entered the field with much fanfare, arrivng to the mound in a "stylish carriage drawn by two white horses" and, responding to applause by lifting her cap, revealed her hair done in the latest fashion. She wore black stockings and a gray uniform with knee-length skirt. During the pre-game practice, Arlington played second base like a professional, "even down to expectorating on her hands and wiping them on her uniform", according to the report.

06 Jul 1898, Wed Reading Times (Reading, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com

July 5, 1934 - Lou Gehrig, Number 4 hit a record 17th career grand slam in Yankees 8-3 win v Washington, passes Babe Ruth's total.

July 5, 1937 - NY Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio, Number 5 hit his 20th Home Run of the season and first career grand slam in an 8-4 win vs Boston Red Sox

July 5, 1947 - History was made in the American League on this day. Cleveland Indians rookie Larry Doby became the first black player in AL when he strikes out in 6-5 loss vs Chicago White Sox. Doby had on the Number 14 jersey in his inaugural season as he was the second player of color, behind legend Jackie Robinson in playing in the MLB.

July 5, 1953 - Do you like to hear about amazing streaks? Well check this one out. Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts, wearing his Number 36 stood tall on the mound to throw his 28th consecutive MLB complete game in a 2-0 win over the Pirates of Pittsburgh.

July 5, 1961 - St Louis Cardinals first baseman Bill White, Number 12 crushed 3 Home Runs  to go along with an additional double in a 9-1 rout of the LA Dodgers.

July 5, 1987 - Oakland A's 1st baseman Number 25, Mark McGwire becomes first rookie to hit 30 HRs before the MLB All-Star Game as Oakland beats Red Sox, 6-2

July 5, 1989 - Barry Bonds wearing the Pirates Number 24 homers in Pittsburgh's 6-4 loss vs SF Giants, joining father Bobby Bonds, who wore Number 25 the majority of his career on the Giants, as the MLB father-son HR record holders (408).

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 Newspapers.com, from the Jul 20, 1898, Logansport Pharos-Tribune (Logansport, Indiana), sketched by an unknown.