The First Little League World Series Opens

The First Little League World Series Opens (1947)

Twelve teams of kids, eleven from Pennsylvania and one from New Jersey, gathered in Williamsport for a tournament so small the levee beside the field served as the grandstand. Rain pushed two opening games back a day. Two days later the hometown Maynard Midgets beat Lock Haven 16 to 7 for the title, and the box score ran in papers across the country. From that muddy start grew the biggest stage in youth sports.

The Commissioner Who Never Was (1951)

Needing a successor to Happy Chandler, the owners unanimously elected Major General Rosy O'Donnell, the Brooklyn-born bomber commander, as baseball's third commissioner. There was one problem. The Korean War was on, and the military was not about to hand over a general. O'Donnell never served a single day. A month later the owners quietly turned to sportswriter Ford Frick, and O'Donnell went back to earning his fourth star.

The Braves Come Home for the Jimmy Fund (1961)

Eight years after leaving town, the Milwaukee Braves returned to Fenway Park for a benefit supporting the Jimmy Fund, the childhood cancer charity the Boston Braves had helped establish in 1948. A rainy night crowd cheered the visitors and booed the home team. Warren Spahn, 40 years old, pitched a perfect first inning and struck out two rookies named Chuck Schilling and Carl Yastrzemski. Boston never stopped loving its Braves. That night, the feeling was clearly mutual.

Brothers Share a Shutout (1975)

Rick Reuschel took a shutout into the seventh at Wrigley before a finger blister forced him out. The Cubs handed the ball to his older brother Paul, who allowed one hit the rest of the way in a 7 to 0 win over the Dodgers. Elias checked the books: no brothers had ever combined on a shutout before. None have since. Rick's only regret was not leaving earlier so Paul could get a save. Paul's take: "Just happy to be of help."