Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio both homered against the Houston Buffaloes in the spring of 1951 – and the Pecan Park Eagle will always count it among his most treasured days that he got to see it all, standing in the first row behind the SRO rope in left center field. We only wish that he had brought his camera with him that day because the pictures that still exist in my mind are truly awesome from the time that descriptive word really still meant something.
Sunday, April 8, 1951 was near the wrap on spring training and several of the big league clubs were making their annual homestretch run through Texas on their way to Opening Day, most making their last minute roster decisions against the talent of AA Texas League clubs. The New York Giants (NL) and the Cleveland Indians (AL) also made most f the same city stops, but preferred the pleasure of each other’s company in direct competition. Here’s how some of those games from that particular Sunday were summarily reported on Monday, April 9, 1951 by various Associated Press writers:
Games of April 8, 1951 ~
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Yanks Maul Buffs
Houston, April 8. (AP) – Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle belted homers Sunday as the New York Yankees crushed the Houston Buffaloes, 15-9, before an overflow crowd of 13,963.
DiMag(gio) played the full nine innings despite a strained Achilles tendon in his left heel and enjoyed his first three-hit day of the spring. The homer was his fourth and came with a runner on in the ninth.
Rest of the Story: Jerry Witte played first base for the Buffs that day. He reported this other fact to me while we were working on our 2003 book, “A Kid From St. Louis.” Witte had asked DiMaggio for one of his bats as a souvenir prior to the game. DiMaggio had promised him one, but did not respond until he hit that ninth inning home run. Then Dimaggio delivered that very same HR bat to Witte, via a bat boy, after returning to the Yankee dugout following his homer. Witte then turned right around and used that same gift bat to hit a homer of his own in the bottom of the ninth for the Buffs. – It may be the only time in baseball history, at this level of play, that two professional opponents have used the same bat to hit home runs against each other’s teams in the same inning of the same game.
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Browns Rap Missions
San Antonio, April 8. (AP) – Roy Sievers, Ken Wood, and Don Lenhardt blasted out home runs to help the St. Louis Browns to an 11-5 triumph over the San Antonio Missions Sunday.
It was the Browns fifth consecutive victory – all against their Texas League farm club.
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Ruffs Shade Cards
Beaumont, April 8. (AP) – The Beaumont Roughnecks finally wore down big Red Munger in the eighth inning to take a 6-5 victory from the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday.
Munger held the Beaumont club to two hits for seven innings, but let go with two walks and three hits for two runs in the eighth.
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Braves Rap Tulsa
Tulsa, April 8. (AP) – The Boston Braves “plane” team rampaged for ten runs in the seventh inning Sunday as they outslugged the Tulsa Oilers, 16-11.
The Braves were down three runs to the Texas Leaguers when they sent 16 batters to the plate in the seventh and knocked out two pitchers as 5,400 fans watched.
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Cats Bow to Braves
Fort Worth, April 8. (AP) – Veteran third baseman Bob Elliott and rookie outfielder Bob Addis each drove in four runs Sunday as the Boston Braves “train” team walloped the Fort Worth Cats of the Texas League, 14-5.
The Tribe clouted the minor leaguers for 15 hits as only a small crowd of 1,024 fans watched.
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Other Scores of Sunday, April 8, 1951
@ Dallas TX: Dallas Eagles (Texas League) 17 – Wichita Falls Spudders (Big State League) 5.
@ Crowley LA: Crowley Millers (Evangeline) 4 – Texarkana Bears (Big State) 2.
@ Birmingham AL: Boston Red Sox (AL) 20, 13 – Birmingham Barons (Southern) 6, 6.
@ Dallas, TX: New York Giants (NL) 10 – Cleveland (AL) 3.
@ Atlanta GA: Atlanta Crackers (S0uthern) 8 – Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) 6.
@ Charlotte NC: Cincinnati Reds (NL) 6 – Washington Senators (AL) 1.
@ Baltimore MD: Philadelphia A’s (AL) 7 – Baltimore Orioles (AAA American Association) 1.
@ New Orleans LA: Philadelphia Phillies (NL) 10 – Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) 9.
@ Nashville TN: Chicago White Sox (AL) 6 – Chicago Cubs (NL) 5.
@ Memphis TN: Memphis Chicks (Southern) 5 – Detroit Tigers (AL) 4.
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Source for Above Material: Associated Press, Abilene (TX) Reporter News, Page 4.
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Have a nice weekend, Everybody!. Get warm. Stay warm. Enjoy warm.
The Pecan Park Eagle 
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