"Gave Up Ted Williams' last home run in 1960, and Roger Maris' 60th the next season."
That would be Baltimore Orioles pitcher, Jack Fisher. Ironically, in 1960, he surrendered just 13 home runs all season. And, in September of that season, he posted back-to-back shutouts. Roger Maris didn't hit a home run off him all season.
Williams hadn't hit one off him either. But on September 28th, Ted came to bat at Fenway for the last time in the bottom of the eighth. Facing Steve Barber in the bottom of the first, he walked and scored the game's second run as Boston went up 2-0. Baltimore, however, ended up getting ahead 4-2.
Fisher got the last two batters out in the bottom of the first to stop the Red Sox rally. In the third, get got The Splendid Splinter out on a fly ball. Williams then flied out again in the bottom of the fifth.
But the moment came in the bottom of the eighth. It was still 4-2, Baltimore. Ted Williams took Fisher out of the park for a solo shot. It was the only run Boston scored that inning. As the top of the ninth started, Carroll Hardy replaced Ted in left. The Red Sox went on to win the game, 5-4. Although Boston had three more games in Yankee Stadium to face Roger Maris' Yankees, Williams did not go. The home run off Fisher was his 29th on the season. And the 521st of his career. Ted had gone out in amazing style.
Nearly a year later, at Yankee Stadium on September 26th, Baltimore and Fisher came to town. Roger Maris hadn't hit a single home run off Jack Fisher all season and was stuck on 59 for the year. That was about to change. In the bottom of the first, he singled. Mickey Mantle then drew a walk, but the mighty Yankees did not score.
In the bottom of the third they did. It was 2-0, Baltimore. Maris hit a solo shot deep to right with two down. That cut it to 2-1, O's. But it also tied Maris with Babe Ruth for most home runs in one single season. Fisher went on to lose the game, 3-2. The home run hit by Roger was the only one he ever hit off Jack, as it turns out.
Amazingly enough, the man who hit the most home runs off Fisher was another player who broke a home run record of Babe Ruth's. Fisher gave up six career home runs to...Hank Aaron!
Allen, Maury. Roger Maris: A Man For All Seasons. D.I. Fine, 1986. Print.
Clavin, Thomas, and Danny Peary. Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero. Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print.
Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print.
Golenbock, Peter. Fenway: An Unexpurgated History of the Boston Red Sox. Chicago, IL: Triumph Books, 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Retrosheet. Web. 24 Feb. 2016. <www.retrosheet.org>
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Updike, John. Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu: John Updike On Ted Williams. Library of America, 2010. Print.
That would be Baltimore Orioles pitcher, Jack Fisher. Ironically, in 1960, he surrendered just 13 home runs all season. And, in September of that season, he posted back-to-back shutouts. Roger Maris didn't hit a home run off him all season.
Williams hadn't hit one off him either. But on September 28th, Ted came to bat at Fenway for the last time in the bottom of the eighth. Facing Steve Barber in the bottom of the first, he walked and scored the game's second run as Boston went up 2-0. Baltimore, however, ended up getting ahead 4-2.
Fisher got the last two batters out in the bottom of the first to stop the Red Sox rally. In the third, get got The Splendid Splinter out on a fly ball. Williams then flied out again in the bottom of the fifth.
But the moment came in the bottom of the eighth. It was still 4-2, Baltimore. Ted Williams took Fisher out of the park for a solo shot. It was the only run Boston scored that inning. As the top of the ninth started, Carroll Hardy replaced Ted in left. The Red Sox went on to win the game, 5-4. Although Boston had three more games in Yankee Stadium to face Roger Maris' Yankees, Williams did not go. The home run off Fisher was his 29th on the season. And the 521st of his career. Ted had gone out in amazing style.
Nearly a year later, at Yankee Stadium on September 26th, Baltimore and Fisher came to town. Roger Maris hadn't hit a single home run off Jack Fisher all season and was stuck on 59 for the year. That was about to change. In the bottom of the first, he singled. Mickey Mantle then drew a walk, but the mighty Yankees did not score.
In the bottom of the third they did. It was 2-0, Baltimore. Maris hit a solo shot deep to right with two down. That cut it to 2-1, O's. But it also tied Maris with Babe Ruth for most home runs in one single season. Fisher went on to lose the game, 3-2. The home run hit by Roger was the only one he ever hit off Jack, as it turns out.
Amazingly enough, the man who hit the most home runs off Fisher was another player who broke a home run record of Babe Ruth's. Fisher gave up six career home runs to...Hank Aaron!
References
Allen, Maury. Roger Maris: A Man For All Seasons. D.I. Fine, 1986. Print.
Clavin, Thomas, and Danny Peary. Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero. Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print.
Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 2000. Print.
Golenbock, Peter. Fenway: An Unexpurgated History of the Boston Red Sox. Chicago, IL: Triumph Books, 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Retrosheet. Web. 24 Feb. 2016. <www.retrosheet.org>
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Updike, John. Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu: John Updike On Ted Williams. Library of America, 2010. Print.
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