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ON THIS DATE (June 11, 1952) ... Rookie
Sammy White hammered out his first major league grandslam home run in
the bottom of the ninth inning, to hoist the Red Sox to an 11-9
victory over the St. Louis Browns.
Trailing by four runs in their final turn at bat, 9 to 5, the Sox
turned the crowd into a screaming mob as the loaded the bases and
scored two runs, before White blasted the ball into the left field
screen.
Jimmy Piersall, who had opened the inning by beating out a bunt, was
almost responsible as was White for the victory. As he came to the
plate, he yelled out to Browns pitcher Satchel Paige that he was
going to bunt on him and that he should watch out. On Paige's second
pitch, Piersall pushed a bunt down the first base line and beat Paige
to the bag.
Then Piersall, standing on first, flapped his arms and imitated every
move that Paige made. Paige gave up a hit to Hoot Evers and Piersall
went down to second, yelling at Paige, jumping up and down and
imitating a pig.
George Kell fouled off numerous pitches as the Piersall taunts
continued. Kell finally drew a walk to load the bases. Piersall's
taunts increased and Paige grew grimmer with every comment and
motion. Clearly rattled, Paige walked Billy Goodman and forced
Piersall in with another run. Even in the dugout, Piersall still kept
his ravings going.
Ted Lepcio then slashed out another single, that scored Evers with
the second run of the inning, bringing up White who took Paige's 3-2
pitch out of the park. Even White got into the act. About 10 feet
from the plate, he got down on his hands and knees and crawled across
the plate.
The Browns had gotten three runs in the third inning with Cass
Michaels hitting a homer into the center field bleachers. The Sox
added one in their half of the third inning on a base hit by Dom
DiMaggio, a walk to Piersall and a hit by Evers.
But the Browns came back with three runs in the fourth inning, that
knocked out Willard Nixon, to take a 6-2 lead. A gift run was given
to the Sox in the fourth inning on an error, a hit batsman and a
double by Bill Henry. The Browns got additional runs in the fifth and
sixth innings, and pushed their lead up to 9-3.
In the Red Sox half of the sixth inning, a double by Ted Lepcio, a
single by Sammy White and a base hit by pitcher Ray Scarborough,
earned the Sox another run. Then in the seventh inning hits by
Piersall and Evers brought Paige into the game. An RBI groundout by
Vern Stephens cut the deficit to 9-5. |
