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March 11
Johnny Mize THE BIG CAT March 11
TODAY ON THE DAILY HIGHLIGHT
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March 11, 1981, the Veterans Committee elects slugger Johnny Mize to the Hall of Fame. Mize won four National League home run titles, a batting title and three RBI crowns. He was revered by fans in St. Louis and New York, where he ended his career by playing on five World Series champions in his last seasons as a Yankee. In the 1952 Fall Classic against the Dodgers he belted homer sin games three, four and five, batting .400 with six RBI. Like many others from his era Mize lost 3 years to WWII service, yet he totaled 359 home runs and batted .312 during a 15-year major league career.
Feats: When he retired, Mize had hit three homers in one game more times (six) than any other player in the National League.
When he retires, 359 homeruns were 6th all time.
Surprisingly, despite his notoriety as a slugger he averaged only 38.5 strikeouts over 12 seasons in which he made at least 400 plate appearances. Even more impressive, he once hit 51 home runs while striking out just 42 times, the highest total with the fewest strikeouts in baseball history.
Mize was the first to smear mud under his eyes to reduce glare, and was so focused and comfortable as a hitter he never stepped out of the batter's box between pitches.
Game of the DayWorld Series Game 4 Boston Braves vs Cleveland indians
The Braves last bit of glory in Boston
Did you know?
Born: Sunday, March 11, 1945 in Los Angeles, CA . . . It was a bizarre world in the late 60’s and early 70’s and there was no one more bizarre than one of the Pittsburgh Pirates greatest starters during the time period, a man by the name of Dock Ellis.
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Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history?
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Trivia:
Only two players have tied Johnny Mize with 6 , 3 homerun games. How are they?
Hint: The answer is below
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
March 11, 1933 -- Rogers Hornsby returns to the Cardinals as a player after being fired as the Cubs' manager last August. The 'Rajah's' return to the Redbirds, after a six-year absence, will be short-lived when he is claimed on waivers in July by the crosstown AL's Browns, who make him the skipper of the last-place club, replacing the recently-resigned Bill Killefer.
March 11, 1953 - Boston Braves owner Lou Perini proposes a ban on the move of any major league franchise to that of a minor league city until October 1st. In two days, he will shock Boston fans and break his own proposed rule by moving his team to Milwaukee.
March 11, 1958 -- American League president Will Harridge informs the circuit's umpires the wearing of a helmet is mandatory for batters this season, reinforcing the edict passed by a 7-1 vote of the owners at their December meeting in Colorado Springs. The Red Sox dissent, knowing their slugger Ted Williams adamantly is opposed to wearing headgear, asserting the protective equipment will interfere with the timing of their hitters.
March 11, 1974, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn orders the Atlanta Braves to play Hank Aaron in at least two of the team’s season-opening three games on the road. The Braves had planned to bench Aaron on the road in order to increase his chances of hitting his record-breaking 715th home run at home.
March 11, 1991 — Jim Palmer, who is in the Baltimore Orioles’ training camp as a non-roster player, has a shaky outing against the Boston Red Sox, giving up five hits and two runs in two innings. Palmer, who retired in 1984, will retire again tomorrow, citing a hamstring injury.
Quote of the day:
"His bat doesn't travel as far as anybody else's. He just cocks it and slaps, and when you're as big as he is, you can slap a ball into the seats. That short swing is wonderful. ..." - Casey Stengel
MILESTONES
Birthday Boys
Bobby Winkles, Cesar Geronimo, Dock Ellis and George Crowe
Debuts
None today
Final Games
None Today
Passings
Zack Wheat
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Trivia Answer: Mize holds the major league record for the most three-homer games, a feat he performed 6 times, tied with Sammy Sosa and Mookie Betts. He also was the first player to do it in both leagues — 5 times in the National League and once in the American League.
