From this point until the end of the 1919 season Ruth played for the Red Sox. He was primarily a Pitcher for them until 1918, when he was used both as a pitcher and an outfielder. He was 18-8 in 1915, 23-12 in 1916, 24-13 in 1917, and 13-7 in 1918 and was winningest left-handed pitcher in baseball from 1915-1917.

In 1919 he played in 130 games, pitching 133.3 innings in 17 games with a record of 9 wins 5 lost. He had 29 Home Runs, 114 RBIs with a batting average of .322. At the end of the season his contract was sold to the New York Yankees.

After going to the Yankees he would only pitch in 5 more games. Once in 1920, twice in 1922, once in 1930 and again in 1933.

Ruth pitched in 163 in his career pitching with 148 of these games being starts and 107 complete games. His career pitching record was 94 wins, 46 lost with an ERA of 2.28. The only year in which he gave up more Home Runs as a Pitcher than he hit as a batter was in 1914.

In his 22 year career Ruth would have a career average of .342, have 2,873 hits of which 714 were Home Runs and 136 were Triples. He also received 2,062 walks. It makes you wonder what his numbers would have been if he hadn’t spent the first 4 years primarily as a pitcher.

This first All-Star Game was held as part of the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, Illinois and was initiated at the insistence of Arch Ward, a sports editor for the Chicago Tribune.

The American League team was managed by Philadelphia A’s manager Connie Mack with John McGraw managing the National league.

With all of the great hitters of the game that played that day such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Frankie Frisch, the first RBI was recorded by American League pitcher Lefty Gomez. Gomez was also the winning pitcher.

Others firsts were Babe Ruth hitting the first Home Run with Frankie Frisch hitting the first for the National League later in the game. Lou Gehrig made the first error.

The 2 hour 9 minute game was seen by 49,200 fans. The American League won that first game with the final score being 4-2.

The streak ended on July 17, 1941 against the Cleveland Indians. The Indian’s third baseman, Ken Keltner, made two plays that helped end the streak.

On the next day DiMaggio got a hit. He would have another streak, this time of 16 games. During this time he hit safely in 72 of 73 games

During his 56 game hitting streak Joe DiMaggio batting average was .408. 22 of the games he had more than one hit.

In 1933, when DiMaggio was playing in the minor league, he went 61 straight games with a hit.

In Major League history only 6 players have had hitting streaks over 40 games. Ty Cobb with 40 in 1911, George Sisler with 41 in 1922, Bill Dahlen, 1894, 42 games with hits, Pete Rose in 1978 had 44 game streak, Willie Keeler hit in 45 straight starting with the last game in 1896 and the first 44 in 1897 and DiMaggio. DiMaggio is the only one who hit in more than 45 straight games.

2. Lou Gehrig – New York Yankees – 2130 – June 1, 1925 to April 30, 1939

3. Everett Scott – Boston/New York – 1307 – June 20, 1916 to May 5, 1925

4. Steve Garvey – Los Angles/San Diego – 1207 – June 3, 1975 to June 29, 1983

5. Miguel Tejada – Oakland/Baltimore – 1152 – June 2, 2000 to June 21, 2007

6. Billy Williams – Chicago Cubs – 1117 September 22, 1963 to September 2, 1970

This day is observed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Maine, which until it became an independent State and admitted into the United States on March 15, 1820 was part of Massachusetts as Patriots’ Day.

Since 1969 Patriots’ Day has been observed on the third Monday in April.

The day is commemorated each year with dramatic battle re-enactments, parades and ceremonies throughout Massachusetts. There is an re-enactment of the battle on Lexington Green that begins at dawn. Many of the spectators arrive hours before dawn essentially spending the night.

On Patriots’ Day the Boston marathon has been run. First on April 19th whenever that day may have fell and now on the 3rd Monday in April. Also since 1959 the Boston Red Sox has been schedule is such that they have a home game on each Patriots’ Day with many of these games beginning at 11 AM which usually results in the game ending just as the marathon is heading through Kenmore Square.

It’s not too hard to be confused, since September 11th has been proclaimed Patriot Day. A day designated in memory of the nearly three thousand who died as a result of the attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.

When the National League granted their eight territories to eight teams they granted membership to the New York Mutuals. The Mutuals were expelled from the league in 1877 and the Hartford Dark Blues moved to Brooklyn under the name the Brooklyn Hartfords. This team too was shortly disbanded.

The team that eventually became the Brooklyn Dodgers began in 1884 in the American Association. They were known then as the Trolley Dodgers. When a bunch of the players were married in 1888, some in the press termed them the Bridegrooms.

After winning the American Association pennant in 1889 they moved in 1890 to join the national league, winning the pennant their in their first year, 1890. In the 1990’s the Dodgers were involved in a number of mergers including the Players League Brooklyn Wonders in 1891, The New York Metropolitans in 1895 and the National League Baltimore Orioles in 1900, when the league consolidated clubs. Between 1900 and 1932 the team went under the names Superbas (1899-1910 and 1913) Dodgers (1911-12) Robins (1914-31).

In 1957, partly due to not being able to find a suitable location to build a replacement ball park for their long time home of Ebbetts Field, the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. They played their first game in Los Angeles against the Giants, who had moved to San Francisco at the same time, on April 18, 1958 winning 6-5.

In the 1880’s the National League banned the teams from using black ball players. The Brooklyn Dodgers under General Manager Branch Rickey played Negro-League star Jackie Robinson on April 15, 1947. This is regarded as a key moment in the equal-rights movement. Robinson won the Rookie of the Year.

Including their American Association pennant they have won 21 National League pennants, 3 1900 or before. They have won 6 World Series titles with all but one being in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers have retired the uniform numbers; 1-Pee Wee Reese, 2-Tommy Lasorda, 4-Duke Snider, 19-Jim Gilliam, 2B-3B, 20-Don Sutton, 24-Walter Alston, 32-Sandy Koufax, 39-Roy Campanella, 42-Jackie Robinson, 53-Don Drysdale. Jackie Robinson’s Number has been officially retired by Major League Baseball.