Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Common Denominator: Pitcher That Faced Ruth & Mantle

It would seem odd given the 16 year gap between Babe Ruth leaving and Mickey Mantle coming in that one pitcher could have actually faced both. I might have guessed Johnny Vander Meer. But as it turns out, Johnny didn't face either!

The only pitcher to face Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle is Al Benton. He pitched in the bigs from 1934 (Ruth's last season in New York) to 1952 (Mantle's second season in the bigs). Second last season, second major league season. Seems appropriate.

So Benton actually faced Ruth in his first ever game. It was April 18, 1934, and Benton was making his major league debut with the Philadelphia Athletics. The A's were not the team they'd been only a few seasons earlier. The same could be said of the Bronx Bombers. The game was played at Shibe Park.

Benton came on in relief and got Ruth to ground out in the fourth. Another AB in the top of the sixth and the same result. In 4 2/3 innings of work, he held New York to just two runs. Ruth went yard later in the game, but was obviously 0-2 vs. Benton.

Babe did not play in Al's second game (and first start) vs. New York on June 9th. When Al pitched on the 29th of July, Ruth got a single and a walk off him. One for three.

But in their last ever head-to-head meeting on August 5th of that season, Ruth was 0-3 with a walk and a run scored. The Yankees won, 3-1.

Babe Ruth went over to the National League Boston Braves in 1935, so the two would never face each other again, save for perhaps the spring. Ruth did not make it to the end of the season. Benton kept pitching, but in 1951 (Mantle's rookie season) Al was in the minors with Sacramento and San Diego. It looked like he'd never face Mantle, who himself was in the minors that season for some time.

Both were back on their parent clubs by some point in 1952. Mantle was in centre for the New York Yankees, from the start of the season. Benton on the Boston Red Sox. What about Ted Williams as a teammate? But Williams was only their from April 15th to April 30th. Just six games. Benton didn't take the hill until, July 1st. So they would only have been together in the spring, at best.

But on July 1st, 1952, it was Benton facing the New York Yankees. In the game played at Yankee Stadium, Benton came on in the bottom of the eighth to face Gil McDougald. Bobby Brown tried to score on a fly ball to right. That was the end of the night for Benton.

Next day, another appearance. This time, a little earlier. Bottom of the seventh. The Red Sox, leading 5-2 to start the bottom of the seventh, scored twice, Mantle the first one. With two on and two out, Benton fanned Joe Collins.

The moment of truth came in the bottom of the next frame, as Mantle strode to the dish with two down and the bases empty. It was still 5-4, Red Sox. Mantle lined right back to Benton. It was an easy 1-2-3 inning. The ninth inning was the same as Al earned the save.

Mel Parnell, one the Red Sox best lefties in their history, was out of the game in the bottom of the ninth in a game played August 9th at the Stadium later that season. He was working on a fine three-hitter, when Benton came in. Two one, nobody out. A bunt moved two men into scoring position. The Yankees eventually loaded the bases, but Al got them out of that. When Boston scored twice more on a pair of solo home runs in the top of the tenth (The second by Don DiMaggio), it was 3-1, Red Sox.

Who should lead off the bottom of the frame for the Yankees, with Benton just three outs away from a win? You guessed it! Mantle tried to bunt his way on, but Al fielded it and got it to first in time. Hank Bauer singled, putting the tying run at the dish. But Benton got Yogi Berra on a fly and Gene Woodling made the last out of the game by skying one out to DiMaggio in centre.

Benton got another save vs. New York on August 15th, but did not face Mantle, who would have faced Al, but Phil Rizzuto hit into a game-ending force. Another game between Boston and New York three days later saw Mantle and Benton not get together. Al never faced the Yankees again, and was back in the minors for good in 1953. Mantle and New York won another World Series that year.

Final stats for you:

Ruth vs. Benton, 1-8.

Mantle vs. Benton, 0-2.


Next time you go 1-10, just remember that Al Benton held these two legends to just .100 in 10 ABs!


References


Retrosheet. Web. 15 Jul. 2015. <www.retrosheet.org>.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 15 Jul 2015.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web 15 July. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org>.

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