Teach
12-28-2013, 07:01 PM
On Sunday evening, April 22, 2007 (Manager Terry Francona’s 48th birthday), the Red Sox connected for four straight homers off New York Yankees left-hander Chase Wright. With two out in the Boston half of third and the Sox trailing the Yankees, 3-0, Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek connected for consecutive round-trippers. It was over in a flash; it took just ten pitches. Talk about being shell-shocked.
That was the fifth time in Major League history that four consecutive homers have been hit. The most recent had been on September 18 of the previous year when the Los Angeles Dodgers hit four consecutive homers off two San Diego Padres’ pitchers. J.D. Drew, who was part of the April 22nd "fireworks" at Fenway also hit a homer for the Dodgers in their record-tying game against San Diego. Another noteworthy fact is that Red Sox Manager Terry Francona’s dad, Tito, then a member of the Cleveland Indians, was part of a four-consecutive-home-run-inning in a game (July 31, 1963) against Los Angeles Angels. The Angel's pitcher was Paul Foytack.
All this reminds me of a game I saw at Fenway Park over fifty years ago. It was a game marked by a home-run hitting display that I shall never forget.
As the baseballs headed skyward that day, it reminded me of those fireworks displays I used to see on the Fourth of July. Only it wasn’t July, it was May. And it wasn’t nighttime, it was an afternoon game.
In May, 1957, I was nearing the completion of my freshman year at a Boston high school. I had the day off that Wednesday, May 22 because my school was holding its annual “Prize Drill” Day (we had what might be labeled Jr. ROTC, but it wasn't called that, specifically). The upperclassmen would have to dress in their khaki uniforms and march up and down our school’s tarred, back play-area. I, however, was free that day. I was going to Fenway Park.
Well, I remember that the Sox were playing the Cleveland Indians that afternoon. I recall buying a seat in the reserved grandstand section, directly behind home plate; it was up some twenty rows. I preferred a seat that was back from the field; it afforded me a panoramic view.
I remember that Tom Brewer was pitching for the Sox that day. I also recall that one the Indians’ pitchers was Cal McLish. I didn’t know too much about McLish, save for the fact that he’d been with few teams and that, in 1944, at the age of eighteen, he had started his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers (Joe Nauxhall would pitch that same year with the Reds as a 15-year-old).
Oh, another thing I remembered about McLish was that he had one of the longest names of any player that had ever played MLB: Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish. Apparently, McLish’s father had his son’s naming rights and he didn’t want to waste the opportunity. I later found out that McLish, a Native American of both Chickasaw and Cherokee heritage, was from a town about fifty miles southwest of Oklahoma City called Anadarko.
I remember getting to Fenway early enough to take in both fielding and batting practice. In those days, more than a half-century ago, the Red Sox had an array of sluggers: Ted Williams, Jackie Jensen, Dick Gernert and Frank Malzone. As I watched BP, I marveled at how effortlessly those Sox hitters would tattoo Fenway Park’s leftfield wall (Williams clouted his drives into the bullpens or the bleachers, in right).
As for the game itself, the Red Sox would jump out to a 3-0 lead. Yet, little did I know at the time that this would be but a prelude to an upcoming offensive explosion. In the sixth inning, the Indians would bring in McLish. The first batter, Gene Mauch, homered into the leftfield net. The next batter, Ted Williams, also slammed a home run. Jackie Jensen then walked. The next two batters, Dick Gernert and Frank Malzone, also homered. The thunderous display by Red Sox batters was over in a flash, just ten minutes. It took only sixteen pitches.
The Red Sox went on from there to cruise to an 11-0 win. Those four Red Sox homers in an inning had tied an American League record set by the 1940 Red Sox. In those days pre-WW II days, Philadelphia Athletics’ pitcher George Caster served up home runs to Williams, Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin and Jim Tabor. Nearly twenty years later, the Minnesota Twins would become the first American League team to hit five home runs in an inning.
More recently (April 22, 2006), the Milwaukee Brewers tied a NL record when they connected for five home runs in an inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Bill Hall, Damian Miller, Brady Clark, J.J. Hardy and Prince Fielder hit the round-trippers.
As for McLish, he had some of his best years with the Indians (he’d go 46-27 with the Tribe). In 1959, then still with Cleveland, McLish would be selected to the American League All-Star team. He’d later go on to pitch for the Reds, White Sox and Phillies. He would finish his pitching career with a
92-92 record. McLish would, however, set a record with the Indians by winning 16 consecutive road games (since tied by Denny McLain, Rich Dotson and Greg Maddux). When McLish’s playing days were over, he became a pitching coach. McLish's last baseball assignment was as a special assignments coach for the Seattle Mariners. Cal "Buster" McLish died in August, 2010.
As I think back to that May 22 game against the Indians, I’m reminded of the lyrics on a song by the Starland Vocal Band: “Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon Delight. Ahh...Ahh... Afternoon Delight!”
That was the fifth time in Major League history that four consecutive homers have been hit. The most recent had been on September 18 of the previous year when the Los Angeles Dodgers hit four consecutive homers off two San Diego Padres’ pitchers. J.D. Drew, who was part of the April 22nd "fireworks" at Fenway also hit a homer for the Dodgers in their record-tying game against San Diego. Another noteworthy fact is that Red Sox Manager Terry Francona’s dad, Tito, then a member of the Cleveland Indians, was part of a four-consecutive-home-run-inning in a game (July 31, 1963) against Los Angeles Angels. The Angel's pitcher was Paul Foytack.
All this reminds me of a game I saw at Fenway Park over fifty years ago. It was a game marked by a home-run hitting display that I shall never forget.
As the baseballs headed skyward that day, it reminded me of those fireworks displays I used to see on the Fourth of July. Only it wasn’t July, it was May. And it wasn’t nighttime, it was an afternoon game.
In May, 1957, I was nearing the completion of my freshman year at a Boston high school. I had the day off that Wednesday, May 22 because my school was holding its annual “Prize Drill” Day (we had what might be labeled Jr. ROTC, but it wasn't called that, specifically). The upperclassmen would have to dress in their khaki uniforms and march up and down our school’s tarred, back play-area. I, however, was free that day. I was going to Fenway Park.
Well, I remember that the Sox were playing the Cleveland Indians that afternoon. I recall buying a seat in the reserved grandstand section, directly behind home plate; it was up some twenty rows. I preferred a seat that was back from the field; it afforded me a panoramic view.
I remember that Tom Brewer was pitching for the Sox that day. I also recall that one the Indians’ pitchers was Cal McLish. I didn’t know too much about McLish, save for the fact that he’d been with few teams and that, in 1944, at the age of eighteen, he had started his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers (Joe Nauxhall would pitch that same year with the Reds as a 15-year-old).
Oh, another thing I remembered about McLish was that he had one of the longest names of any player that had ever played MLB: Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish. Apparently, McLish’s father had his son’s naming rights and he didn’t want to waste the opportunity. I later found out that McLish, a Native American of both Chickasaw and Cherokee heritage, was from a town about fifty miles southwest of Oklahoma City called Anadarko.
I remember getting to Fenway early enough to take in both fielding and batting practice. In those days, more than a half-century ago, the Red Sox had an array of sluggers: Ted Williams, Jackie Jensen, Dick Gernert and Frank Malzone. As I watched BP, I marveled at how effortlessly those Sox hitters would tattoo Fenway Park’s leftfield wall (Williams clouted his drives into the bullpens or the bleachers, in right).
As for the game itself, the Red Sox would jump out to a 3-0 lead. Yet, little did I know at the time that this would be but a prelude to an upcoming offensive explosion. In the sixth inning, the Indians would bring in McLish. The first batter, Gene Mauch, homered into the leftfield net. The next batter, Ted Williams, also slammed a home run. Jackie Jensen then walked. The next two batters, Dick Gernert and Frank Malzone, also homered. The thunderous display by Red Sox batters was over in a flash, just ten minutes. It took only sixteen pitches.
The Red Sox went on from there to cruise to an 11-0 win. Those four Red Sox homers in an inning had tied an American League record set by the 1940 Red Sox. In those days pre-WW II days, Philadelphia Athletics’ pitcher George Caster served up home runs to Williams, Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin and Jim Tabor. Nearly twenty years later, the Minnesota Twins would become the first American League team to hit five home runs in an inning.
More recently (April 22, 2006), the Milwaukee Brewers tied a NL record when they connected for five home runs in an inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Bill Hall, Damian Miller, Brady Clark, J.J. Hardy and Prince Fielder hit the round-trippers.
As for McLish, he had some of his best years with the Indians (he’d go 46-27 with the Tribe). In 1959, then still with Cleveland, McLish would be selected to the American League All-Star team. He’d later go on to pitch for the Reds, White Sox and Phillies. He would finish his pitching career with a
92-92 record. McLish would, however, set a record with the Indians by winning 16 consecutive road games (since tied by Denny McLain, Rich Dotson and Greg Maddux). When McLish’s playing days were over, he became a pitching coach. McLish's last baseball assignment was as a special assignments coach for the Seattle Mariners. Cal "Buster" McLish died in August, 2010.
As I think back to that May 22 game against the Indians, I’m reminded of the lyrics on a song by the Starland Vocal Band: “Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon Delight. Ahh...Ahh... Afternoon Delight!”