May 12, 1955: The 1st Black Pitcher to Throw a Major League No-Hitter

May 12, 1955, 70 years ago: The Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-0 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Sam Jones of the Cubs pitched a no-hitter. This made him the 1st black pitcher to do so in the previously all-white major leagues.

It was far from a perfect game: He walked 7 batters. But he was also lucky. He walked Dale Long in the 2nd inning, but he was thrown out trying to steal 2nd base. He walked Toby Atwell to lead off the 3rd, but stranded him. He walked Long again to lead off the 5th, but got George Freese to ground into a double play.

The opposing pitcher, Vernon Law, nearly hit a home run to straightaway center field, but Eddie Miksis, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI on the day, caught it. He walked Long a 3rd time, leading off the 8th, and gave up another long fly to center, to Freese, by Miksis caught this one, too. Then Jones got Toby Atwell to ground into a double play.

In addition to Miksis' heroics, shortstop Ernie Banks went 3-for-5 with an RBI, and right fielder Ted Tappe went 2-for-5, with a home run and 2 RBIs. Despite being a Cub and having an unusual surname, Ted was no relation to Elvin "El" Tappe, a teammate, and later part of the Cubbies' dumb "College of Coaches" experiment. El did have a brother, Melvin -- El and Mel -- who pitched professionally.

Then came the 9th. Jones walked Freese, and threw a wild pitch that got him to 2nd base. That ended up not mattering, because he walked Preston Ward. Then he walked Tom Saffell. Bases loaded, nobody out, and the next 3 batters were Dick Groat, a rookie named Roberto Clemente, and Frank Thomas. (Not the later Chicago White Sox "Big Hurt," but a powerful slugger in his own right.) Suddenly, not just the no-hitter, but the game was in doubt: Thomas represented the tying run.

Jones buckled down, struck Groat out looking, struck Clemente out swinging, and struck Thomas out looking. It was a brilliant comeback, and he had his no-hitter.

Jones was born in 1925 in Stewartsville, Ohio, near Steubenville, and also near Wheeling, West Virginia. Because of the earlier star Yankee pitcher with the same name, he, too, was nicknamed "Sad Sam." He was also known as "Toothpick Sam": Like 1970s stars Dusty Baker and U L Washington, he was frequently seen chewing on a toothpick.

Having gotten his start in the Negro Leagues, in 1952, he pitched for the Cleveland Indians, and his catcher was a former Cleveland Buckeyes teammate, Quincy Trouppe. This made them the 1st all-black "battery" in the American League, 3 years after Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella had been the 1st in the modern major leagues, and 75 years after George Stovey had pitched to Moses "Fleet" Walker.

Jones was named to the All-Star Game in 1955 and 1959. He led the National League in strikeouts in 1955 and 1956. In 1959, with the San Francisco Giants, he led it in strikeouts, wins and earned-run average, the Triple Crown of Pitching. Had the Cy Young Award then been given out to the best pitcher in each League, he would have won it for the NL. But it was given to the best pitcher in both Leagues from its 1956 inception until 1966, and in 1959, he finished 2nd in the voting to Early Wynn of the Chicago White Sox.

He pitched for mostly struggling teams, resulting in a career record of 103-104. And his timing was bad. He pitched for the Indians in 1951 and 1952, missing their 1948 and 1954 Pennants. He pitched for the Giants from 1959 to 1961, missing their 1962 Pennant. He pitched for the Detroit Tigers in 1962, a year after their best performance since 1945, although it's hard to imagine him making an 8-game difference. He pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963, missing their 1964 World Series win. And his last major league season was 1964, finishing just 2 games behind the Yankees for the Baltimore Orioles, 2 years before their 1966 World Series win.

He pitched beyond 1962 despite having been diagnosed with cancer in his neck. He fought it bravely until it took his life in 1971, when he was only 45 years old.

In 2007, pitcher-turned-broadcaster Jim "Mudcat" Grant included Jones in his book Black Aces, about the 13 black pitchers, including himself, who had won 20 or more games in a major league season. Newcombe was the only one to accomplish the feat before Jones. Since the book was published, 2 more have done it: CC Sabathia, the only Yankee on the list, in 2010; and David Price, with the 2012 Tigers.

October 15, 1923: The 1st Yankee World Series Win

The 1923 World Champion New York Yankees.

Babe Ruth is in the top row, 2nd from the right.

October 15, 1923, 100 years ago today: The New York Yankees, managed by Miller Huggins, win Game 6 of the World Series, riding a 1st-inning home run by Babe Ruth and the pitching of "Sad" Sam Jones, to beat the New York Giants, 6-4 at the Polo Grounds, and clinch their 1st World Championship, in their 1st season of playing in Yankee Stadium in The Bronx.

This was not, however, the 1st title for many of the Yankee players. Some of them, including Ruth and Jones, had won titles with the Boston Red Sox in the 1910s. In fact, of the 25 men on the Yankee roster when they won their 1st World Championship, 12, nearly half, had been Red Sox sold off by Boston owner Harry Frazee.

This was also the beginning of the end for Giant manager John McGraw and his style of baseball: Finally, the Yankees had put together a team that did not have to simply rely on Ruth's home runs to beat McGraw's style of "inside baseball" – what would, today, be called "small ball." The Giants would win another Pennant the next season, but that would be their last under McGraw’s leadership.

Up until this moment, the Giants had won 11 Pennants and 3 World Championships, either through the World Series, pre-1900 postseason series, or the title of the only league then playing; the Brooklyn Dodgers, 6 and, by the means available to them to win a "world championship" at the time, 3, but none since 1900; the Yankees, 3 and none.

From the Yankees' 3rd Pennant in September 1923 until the end of the Giants' and Dodgers' last season in New York, September 1957, the count was: Yankees, 21 and 17; Giants, 7 and 2; and Dodgers, 7 and 1.

Lou Gehrig had made his major league debut on June 15, 1923, a 10-0 Yankee win over the St. Louis Browns at Yankee Stadium. But he only played 13 games at the major league level that 1st season, and was not included on the World Series roster.

The last surviving member of the 1923 Yankees was center fielder Ladislaw Waldemar Wittkowski, a.k.a. Lawton Walter Witt, a.k.a. Whitey Witt, who lived until 1988.

Those We Lost In 2021

Sam Jones, 1933-2021

In addition to such non-sports legends as Cloris Leachman, Christopher Plummer, Michael Collins, Charlie Watts, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Stephen Sondheim and Desmond Tutu...

And Betty White...

Paul Westphal, November 30, 1950 - January 2, 2021. Basketball Hall-of-Famer played for the Boston Celtics' 1974 NBA Champions. For the Phoenix Suns, led them to the NBA Finals as a player in 1976 and as head coach in 1993.

Colin Bell, February 26, 1946 - January 5, 2021. Midfielder starred for the great Manchester City soccer team of the late 1960s.

Tommy Lasorda, September 22, 1927 - January 7, 2021. Managed the Los Angeles Dodgers to 4 National League Pennants, including the 1981 and 1988 World Series.

Don Sutton, April 2, 1945 - January 19, 2021. Pitcher was a member of both the 300 Wins Club and the 3,000 Strikeouts Club.

Hank Aaron, February 5, 1934 - January 22, 2021. Baseball's legitimate all-time home run leader.

George Armstrong, July 6, 1930 - January 24, 2021. Hockey Hall-of-Famer was Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup winners of 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967.

John Chaney, January 21, 1932 - January 29, 2021. Longtime basketball coach at Temple University.

Tony Trabert, August 16, 1930 - February 3, 2021. American tennis legend, won the U.S. Open in 1953, the French Open in 1954, and fell the Australian Open short of winning the Grand Slam in 1955.

Leon Spinks, July 11, 1953 - February 5, 2021. U.S. boxing Gold Medalist at the 1976 Olympics, was briefly Heavyweight Champion of the World in 1978.

Yury Vlasov, December 5, 1935 - February 13, 2021. Soviet weightlifting Gold Medalist at the 1960 Olympics.

Leopoldo Luque, May 3, 1949 - February 15, 2021. Star striker at Buenos Aires soccer team River Plate, and a member of the Argentina team that won the 1978 World Cup on home soil.

Ian St. John, June 7, 1938 - March 1, 2021. Scottish soccer forward, starred for Liverpool FC in the 1960s.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler, May 23, 1954 - March 13, 2021. Middleweight Champion of the World from 1980 to 1987.

Peter Lorimer, December 14, 1946 - March 20, 2021. Scottish midfielder remains the all-time scoring leading at Leeds United.

Elgin Baylor, September 16, 1934 - March 22, 2021. Basketball Hall-of-Famer for the Los Angeles Lakers, named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary 50 Greatest Players.

Bobby Brown, October 25, 1924 - March 25, 2021. 3rd baseman was the last surviving member of the New York Yankees' World Series winners of 1947, 1949, 1950 and 1951. Served as President of the American League from 1984 to 1994.

Bobby "Slick" Leonard, July 17, 1932 - April 13, 2021. Played for Indiana University's basketball National Champions of 1953, and coached the Indiana Pacers' ABA Champions of 1970, 1972 and 1973.

Tamara Press, May 10, 1937 - April 26, 2021. Soviet athlete won the Gold Medal in the women's shot put at the 1960 Olympics, and both the shot put and the discus throw in 1964. Suspiciously retired before the next Olympics, when steroid testing began.

Del Crandall, March 5, 1930 - May 5, 2021. Catcher for the 1957 World Champion Milwaukee Braves, he was the last surviving player from the Boston Braves.

Rildo da Costa Menezes, January 23, 1942 - May 16, 2021. Defender known by his first name, starred at Brazilian soccer teams Botafogo and Santos. At Santos, was a teammate of Pelé. Played with him again on the 1977 North American Soccer League Champion New York Cosmos. Stayed in America as a coach.

Lee Evans, February 25, 1947 - May 19, 2021. American sprinter won 2 Gold Medals at the 1968 Olympics, including the 400 meters, setting a world record that lasted for 20 years.

Tarcisio Burgnich, April 25, 1939 - May 26, 2021. Defender was a member of the "Grande Inter" team of the 1960s, and the Italy soccer team that won Euro 68.

Mike Marshall, January 15, 1943 - May 31, 2021. Pitcher set each league's record for appearances in a season, and became the 1st relief pitcher to win either league's Cy Young Award, in 1974 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Giampiero Boniperti, July 4, 1928 - June 18, 2021. Forward helped soccer team Juventus win 5 Italian league titles, and was once considered the team's greatest player ever.

Paul Mariner, May 22, 1953 - July 9, 2021. Forward helped Ipswich Town win the 1978 FA Cup and the 1981 UEFA Cup. Later played in America, in the dark years between the NASL and MLS, and managed MLS' Toronto FC.

J.R. Richard, March 7, 1950 - August 4, 2021. Houston Astro was one of the best and most intimidating pitchers in baseball until his career was ended by a stroke in 1980.

Gerd Müller, November 3, 1945 - August 15, 2021. Forward led West Germany to the 1974 World Cup, and Bayern Munich to the 1974, 1975 and 1976 European Cups.

Rod Gilbert, July 1, 1941 - August 19, 2021. Right wing remains the all-time leading scorer for the New York Rangers, and a member of the Team Canada that beat the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series.

Jacques Rogge, May 2, 1942 - August 29, 2021. Sailed for Belgium in 3 Olympics, and served as President of the International Olympic Committee from 2001 to 2013.

Francesco Morini, August 12, 1944 - August 31, 2021. Defender starred for the Juventus teams of the 1970s.

Ivan Patzaichin, November 26, 1949 – September 5, 2021. Won Gold Medals in canoeing for Romania at the 1968, 1972, 1980 and 1984 Olympics.

Sam Cunningham, August 15, 1950 - September 7, 2021. USC All-American running back credited with shocking the University of Alabama into finally racially integrating their football team. Became the all-time leading rusher for the New England Patriots.

Yuriy Sedykh, June 11, 1955 - September 14, 2021. Won the Gold Medal for the Soviet Union in the hammer throw in the 1976 and 1980 Olympics, and has held the world record in the event since 1986.

Jimmy Greaves, February 20, 1940 - September 19, 2021. Forward starred for North London soccer team Tottenham Hotspur, becoming the all-time leading scorer in England's top division under any name. Member of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup. Teamed with the aforementioned Ian St. John for the popular soccer TV show Saint and Greavsie.

Roger Hunt, July 20, 1938 - September 27, 2021. Forward starred for Liverpool FC in the 1960s, winning 1964 and 1966 League titles and the 1965 FA Cup. Teammate of Greaves on England's 1966 World Cup winners.

Eddie Robinson, December 15, 1920 - October 4, 2021. 1st baseman was the last surviving player from the 1948 World Champion Cleveland Indians.

Walter Smith, February 24, 1948 - October 26, 2021. Managed Glasgow soccer team Rangers FC to 7 straight Scottish League titles from 1991 to 1997, then 3 more in a row from 2009 to 2011.

Jerry Remy, November 8, 1952 - October 30, 2021. 2nd baseman for the Boston Red Sox became a beloved broadcaster for them.

Ron Flowers, July 28, 1934 - November 12, 2021. Midfielder starred for the Wolverhampton Wanderers team that dominated English soccer in the 1950s, and was the last surviving player from their 1960 FA Cup winners. Was another member of England's 1966 World Cup winners.

Sam Huff, October 4, 1934 - November 13, 2021. Linebacker for the New York Giants' 1956 NFL Champions was the 1st football player known primarily for his defense.

Bertie Auld, March 23, 1938 - November 14, 2021. Midfielder helped Glasgow soccer team Celtic FC win 5 Scottish League titles and the 1967 European Cup.

Ray Kennedy, July 28, 1951 - November 30, 2021. Midfielder was the leading scorer on North London soccer team Arsenal as they won the Football League and FA Cup "Double" in 1971. Later starred on the Liverpool team that dominated England in the 1970s.

Horst Eckel, February 8, 1932 - December 3, 2021. Winger starred for German soccer team FC Kaiserslautern, and was the last surviving member of the West Germany team that won the 1954 World Cup.

John Madden, April 10, 1936 - December 28, 2021. From coaching the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl win, to broadcasting NFL games on all 4 networks that do so, to writing books to creating the most popular sports video game in American history, he achieved something that may well be impossible: He made himself admired by fans of every NFL team.

Sam Jones, June 24, 1933 - December 30, 2021. Guard was a 5-time All-Star, and won 10 NBA Championships with the Boston Celtics, 2nd only to teammate Bill Russell. Named to NBA's 25th, 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams, Number 24 retired.