TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

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 in games three, four and five, batting .400 with six RBI winning the World Series MVP (PS - you can listen to all 7 games). Like many others from his era Mize lost 3 years to WWII service. When he retires, 359 homeruns were 6th all time.

Mize, a dependable but slow-moving first baseman, left the game with some remarkable achievements. The burly, red-faced slugger is the only man to hit three home runs in a game six times; in 30 games he homered twice; he had seven pinch-hit home runs, and he homered in all of the 15 major league parks in use during his career. A remarkable slugger who was also a contact hitter, he struck out only 524 times while hitting 359 home runs. He once hit 51 home runs while striking out just 42 times, the highest total with the fewest strikeouts in baseball history.

He was a student of hitting who relied as much on knowledge of the pitchers and an extremely graceful, well-balanced hitting style as he did on his considerable strength.

Successful surgery to correct an upper-leg bone spur saved Mize's career in 1935 and he hit .329 in his rookie year with the Cardinals in 1936. From 1937 through 1941, he powered the Cardinals' attack with more than 100 RBI each season. He was traded to the Giants after the 1941 season and gave them four excellent seasons after WWII. He tied Ralph Kiner for the NL home run title with 51 in 1947, when the Giants set a since-broken ML record with 221, and again with 40 in 1948. In August 1949 he was sold to the Yankees for $40,000. From 1949 through 1953, he was a part-time first baseman and pinch hitter deluxe for five Yankees championship teams. He led the AL in pinch hits three straight years, 1951-53.

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.

Former Cardinals teammate Stan Musial said of Mize during Mize's 1981 induction into the Hall of Fame: "Did you ever see a pitcher knock him down at the plate? Remember how he reacted when brushed back? He'd just lean back on his left foot, bend his body back and let the pitch go by. Then he'd lean back into the batter's box and resume his stance, as graceful as a big cat."

When he retires, 359 homeruns were 6th all time.

There are two great audios from Johnny, his 1981 HOF Speech and his 1993 New York Sports Hall of Fame Inductions you can listen to both on his page!

Todays highlights and Historic Days!

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.

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.

Visit Doc’s page to listen to the story about his famed LSD No-No

Jackie Robinson Show Episode 11 interviews Branch Rickey

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, 1972 Hall of Famer Zach Wheat passes away. Once described by Branch Rickey as the best outfielder Brooklyn ever had, Zack Wheat batted over .300 in 13 of his 18 years with the Dodgers. The quiet-spoken Wheat won the 1918 batting title and batted .333 in the 1920 World Series. Though he was scrappy, Wheat wore a 5 1/2-inch shoe, and frequently suffered ankle injuries.

In a game against the Boston Braves, Zack Wheat of the Dodgers once hit a ball on the fly into the crease of a flag in the right field corner at Ebbets Field. Reportedly, the ball sat nestled in that position for a moment before sliding out onto the playing field, where it was retreived. The right fielder fired the ball to home to catch Wheat as he slid, but after some consultation, the two-man crew awarded Wheat with a home run, based on ground rules. National League President John Heydler upheld the ruling and Wheat kept his peculiar home run.

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.

TRIVIA

TRIVIA: Only two players have tied Johnny Mize with 6 , 3 homerun games. Who are they?

IF you think you know the answer and bonus points for how many respond with details and if you are right I will give you a shut out! No Googling!

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A Couple of Birthday Boys!

 ANSWER TO YESTERDAY’S TRIVIA

YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA: From 1946 - 1975 Bob Elson worked in Chicago for the Cubs, White Sox, and Blackhawks (hockey) except for one year. What year did he broadcasts games from another team in another city and what team was it?

TRIVIA ANSWER: He called Oakland Athletics games in 1971, after dismal 1970 season and new owners the White Sox made sweeping changes and Elson was hanging in the wind. Red Rush pleaded with Charlie Finley to hire Elson. Finley conceded, and Elson got a one-year contract for 1971 to do an inning per game and a postgame show. Elson packed his bags and took a hotel room in Oakland, but the arrangement never worked. His contract was not renewed at the end of the season; he was free to return to his beloved Chicago. Elson recalled his Oakland experience: “I never enjoyed it. Finley won’t let you enjoy anything. He’s a very smart baseball man, and he put together a championship team. But he missed the human equation. People don’t mean anything to him. And that’s a sad state of affairs.”

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