On June 26, 1920, the New York City Commerce High School baseball team traveled to Chicago to face Lane Tech High School for an inter-city championship game. The game was reported nationally as Commerce defeated Lane Tech 12-6.
It was a close game until the ninth inning when a young lad known as “the Babe Ruth of high schools” slammed a ball over the right-field screen at Wrigley Field by many feet. It landed on Sheffield Avenue and bounced onto a front porch across the street.
On July 4, 1939, that same young man, still only 36 years old, delivered a speech that is forever remembered in the annals of baseball and beyond. Two weeks earlier, he had been diagnosed with ALS, and in a ceremony at Yankee Stadium honoring him, Lou Gehrig spoke to those assembled and listening on the radio as he delivered the “Luckiest Man” speech.
For me, July Fourth is not gimmicky uniforms and garish stars-and-stripes caps. It’s remembering Lou and those who are afflicted with the disease named after him. That’s not to say we shouldn’t celebrate with fireworks and barbecues. We should have fun. And in that spirit, I welcome July with a Fourth of July quiz. Have fun, and learn a lot.
1. While Lou was giving his speech at Yankee Stadium, the Red Sox were playing the A’s in Philadelphia. That was the A’s home before Kansas City, Oakland and next, apparently, Las Vegas. The Red Sox’ Jim Tabor hit not one but two grand slams in that game, a feat accomplished only 13 times. Which Chicago player is part of that elite group?
a. Billy Williams
b. Robin Ventura
c. George Altman
d. Ted Klusewski
2. On July 4, 1983, Dave Righetti became the first Yankees pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. The Yankees blanked Boston 4-0. It was the second and last shutout of his career and the last complete game of his career as Rags went on to become a successful reliever. Which future Hall of Famer did Righetti strike out to end the game? It was significant because he only struck out 36 times all season.
a. Jim Rice
b. Wade Boggs
c. Carl Yastrzemski
d. Andre Dawson
3. Two pitchers recorded their 3,000th strikeout in a July Fourth game. Name both pitchers.
a. Steve Carlton
b. Nolan Ryan
c. Phil Niekro
d. Bob Gibson
4. Here’s a call-back question to a prior quiz. A summer Hall of Fame song was released on July 4, 1966, reached No. 1 on the chart Aug. 13 and stayed there for three weeks. “Summer in the City” by the Lovin’ Spoonful unforgettably reflected and contrasted the daylife and nightlife of summer. Which person was not born on July Fourth?
a. Wayne Nordhagen
b. George Steinbrenner
c. Jose Oquendo
d. Kerry Wood
5. On July 4, 1976, which future announcer hit the “famous grand-slam single?”
a. Tony Kubek
b. Ken Harrelson
c. Tim McCarver
d. Duane Kuiper
6. Two batters recorded their 300th homer in a July Fourth game. Name both batters.
a. Albert Pujols
b. Jim Thome
c. Adam Dunn
d. Frank Thomas
7. Which Chicago team was the most recent first-place team on July Fourth?
a. White Sox
b. Cubs
c. Both were in first in the same year.
8. On July 4, 1985, Keith Hernandez of the Mets had one of the least remembered cycles in baseball history. Why, you ask? Well, the first pitch was delayed by 90 minutes because of rain. Then more rain came in the bottom of the third, and play was suspended for 41 minutes. The Mets had a 7-4 lead in the top of the eighth, only to be trailing 8-7 in the top of the ninth. In the 12th, Hernandez completed his cycle, and, in the 13th, the New Yorkers took a two-run lead (remember, this was baseball before the hideous Manfred Man). But Terry Harper hit a tying two-run homer. In the top of the 18th, the Mets took an 11-10 lead only to see Rick Camp, an .060 hitter, tie it with a homer. In the 19th, the Mets took a 16-11 lead and used their next day’s starter, Ron Darling, to close the game. Time of game: 6:10. Time of day: 3:55 a.m. And that’s when the home team delivered on the promise to have July Fourth fireworks. Who was the home team?
a. Atlanta
b. Philadelphia
c. St. Louis
d. San Diego
9. Walk-off question: On July 19, 2021, Yoan Moncada hit a three-run walk-off homer to give the White Sox the win in the second game of a doubleheader. But doubleheader games that year were only seven innings, so I’m not counting that. In July 2019, both the Sox and Cubs hit extra-inning walk-offs. Because I’m a nice guy, you just need to name one of the players who hit a walk-off.
a. Jose Abreu
b. Kris Bryant
c. Kyle Schwarber
d. Yoan Moncada
ANSWERS
1. For the White Sox, Robin Ventura hit two grand slams in the same game on Sept. 4, 1995. On May 20, 1999, Ventura also became the first player in major-league history to hit a grand slam in each game of a doubleheader.
2. Wade Boggs hit .361 that season. He played 153 games and struck out in only 34 of them. In the no-no, he struck out twice, the second and last time he did so that season.
3. Nolan Ryan recorded No. 3,000 by whiffing Cesar Geronimo on July 4, 1980. Phil Niekro recorded his 3,000th strikeout on July 4, 1984. By the way, Bob Gibson earned his 3,000th on July 17, 1974. His victim? Cesar Geronimo.
4. The knock on Wood is that he was born on July 5.
5. Playing for the Phillies on this bicentennial celebration day against the Pirates, Tim McCarver launched a home run with the bases loaded, except it wasn’t a home run. McCarver passed teammate Garry Maddox on the basepath and, by rule, was called out. It was ruled a three-run single.
6. Albert Pujols hit his 300th on July 4, 2008, and Adam Dunn hit his 300th on July 4, 2009.
7. On July 4, 2019, the Cubs were tied for first place, and on July 4, 2016, they had sole possession of first. However, the White Sox were in first place by six games on July 4, 2021. Why does that seem so long ago?
8. Despite the loss and the time of day, the Braves proceeded with their postgame fireworks. The Atlanta police received numerous calls from residents who thought the city was under attack.
9. On July 3, 2019, Yoan Moncada hit a pair of homers early in the game, but it was Jose Abreu who hit a three-run homer in the 12th inning to beat the Tigers. On July 16, 2019, Kris Bryant homered in the sixth, and Kyle Schwarber walked off the Reds with a homer in the 10th.
