Year In Review : 1957 American League
Off the field…
President Dwight D. Eisenhower deployed Federal troops to uphold the integration of public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas after local authorities refused to implement court-ordered desegregation. Little Rock Mayor Woodrow Mann had sent the President a telegram asking for assistance in maintaining order and completing the integration process. The President responded by sending 1,000 members of the 101st Airborne Division and federalizing the 10,000-man Arkansas National Guard. On September 25th, nine black students finally entered Central High School under Army escort.
In the American League…
Ted Williams set an American League record after being intentionally walked thirty-three times during the regular season. It was the highest American League total since the league had started compiling the statistic in 1955.
On June 2nd, New York Yankees ace Whitey Ford fanned six batters in a row to tie an American League record as he shut out the Chicago White Sox 3-0.
Twenty-five days later, Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox tossed his third straight shutout while obliterating the strikeout record after retiring twenty-six Washington Senators in a row before pinch-hitter Ed Fitz Gerald looped a double to become the only base runner in the 3-0 effort.
In the National League…
On August 17th, Richie Ashburn of the Phillies proved that lightning could strike twice after hitting spectator Alice Roth twice in the same at bat. The first foul struck the wife of Earl Roth, sports editor at the Philadelphia Bulletin in the face and the second hit her body while she was being removed from her seat on a stretcher. Mrs. Roth went on to the hospital to be treated for a broken nose and Philadelphia went on beat the New York Giants 3-1.
The Brooklyn Dodgers tied a National League record on August 24th after using eight pitchers during a single game. The expanded rotation failed miserably as the first-place Milwaukee Braves dominated the entire bullpen for a 13-7 massacre. The Dodgers' Johnny Podres surrendered three home runs in the fourth and Hammerin' Hank Aaron added insult to injury with the first grand slam of his career. The St. Louis Cardinals also tied the record on September 21st while losing 9-8 (in ten innings) against the Cincinnati Reds.
Milwaukee Braves' ace Warren Spahn hurled the forty-first shutout of his career during an 8-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on September 3rd setting a new National League record for left-handed pitchers.
Around the league…
The Dodgers became the first Major League baseball team to own their own plane after they purchased a forty-four passenger, twin-engine airliner for $775,000 to transport the club during the season.
The Associated Press named Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jack Sanford as its National League Rookie of the Year and the Milwaukee Braves' Henry Aaron as the 1957 National League Most Valuable Player with two-hundred thirty-nine votes. Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals was a close second with two-hundred thirty. On the American League side, Tony Kubek of the Yankees was elected the American League Rookie of the Year and teammate Mickey Mantle edged out Red Sox rival Ted Williams two-hundred thirty-three to two-hundred nine votes to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award.
After the Minor Leagues threatened to sue Major League Baseball if Sunday games were televised in their territory, the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) announced that it would not broadcast any big league match-ups at the time a Minor League game was scheduled.
New York City Mayor Robert Wagner formed an exclusive four-member committee to find a National League "replacement team" for the vacating Dodgers and Giants.
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