This Day in Baseball History.....August 16

[Mickey Mental]

1890: Bill Phillips becomes to first pitcher to allow two grand slams in the same inning, when Tom Burns and Malachi Kittridge both take the Alleghenys (Pirates) right-hander deep in the same frame of an 18–5 loss to the Chicago Colts. In 1999, Chan Ho Park will match the dubious feat, but will have the distinction of giving up both bases-full homers to the same batter, Fernando Tatis of the Cardinals.

1920: At the Polo Grounds, Ray Chapman suffers a fractured skull and will die the next day as a result of being hit by a Yankee Carl Mays fastball.

1948: At the age 53, with his wife Claire and his two adopted daughters at his side, Babe Ruth dies of throat cancer at Memorial Hospital in New York City.

1954: The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published. The inaugural cover features a Mark Kauffman's photo of Braves slugger Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee's County Stadium.

1996: The first major league game ever played outside of the United States or Canada takes place in Monterrey, Mexico as the Padres outslugged the Mets, 15-10.

[BobH]

1954: The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published. The inaugural cover features a Mark Kauffman's photo of Braves slugger Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee's County Stadium.

Without looking it up can anyone tell me who the catcher and umpire are? We had a subscription already in place to receive SI and this issue came to the house...when I was about 12. The early SI issues actually had Topp's Bubble Gum cards in them. Brings back memories. If you give up you can go here...-BH

http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=2029&pid=15047

[Mickey Mental]

I knew Augie Donatelli and had heard Westrum but forgot. When I first got into trivia, knowing the Mathews answer was good but as time went on, you were expected to know all three.

So Bob, I'll give you the cover price for that magazine. :) I'm not sure but I think the first SI that I actually bought had Frank Gifford on the cover. And yes, I still have it.

[BobH]

I wish I still had it, Mick. Just like my baseball card collection my mother trashed all my stuff when I joined the navy in 1961. I didn't tell her not to. I had it all lovingly wrapped and stored in the attic...and mom decided to clean house. I found out some 8 years after the fact. Needless to say, I was sick. You can buy a mint condition of the issue today for about $500.

I was glad Augie was the ump in the picture. I always thought he was the best in the League...as they still had AL and NL umpires in that era.-BH

[Mickey Mental]

I found a copy last summer in Wells, Maine at BoMar's antique shop. The asking price was $100 but it looked as though someone had ran it through the ringer of an old Maytag washing machine so I declined.

I have four or five boxes full of old SI's, Sport magazine, Baseball Digest and a bunch old yearbooks. After I move (if I ever do), I'll pull them out and take a few pictures.