In order to properly begin July 20, 1969, I need to backtrack to the early 60s:
San Francisco Giants manager Alvin Dark is talking to a reporter about his young, talented left-handed pitcher, one Gaylord Perry. Perry is showing everyone why he’s a future Hall of Famer, but his hitting, Dark says, is leaving something to be desired. In other words, the Giants may as well have 8 batters in their lineup card. To quote Dark:
“They’ll put a man on the moon before he (Perry) hits a home run.”
Fast forward to July 20, 1969.
The Giants are playing a home game. Gaylord Perry is pitching. This is the night of the first moon landing. Jeff Chandler, the Giants’ public address announcer, informs the crowd that according to news reports, Apollo XI has indeed landed on the moon. The crowd cheers loudly. Everyone is excited and happy. The game is held up slightly to let the cheering take it’s course.
The game resumes. About 10 minutes following Chandler’s announcement, the batter is Gaylord Perry. What is the result of his at bat? Perry hits his first major league home run. Right after the moon landing.
File this one under the category of “you couldn’t have made this one up.”
