April 6: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

April 6, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1913, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Rejoice, ye Brooklyn fans, and deliver thanks, for our own Superbas fittingly dedicated Charles Hercules Ebbets’ magnificent stadium, the greatest ball park in these United States, by soundly trouncing Frank Chance’s Yankees yesterday afternoon to the merry tune of 3 to 2 in the presence of 25,000 wildly enthusiastic rooters, who jammed every available inch of space in the immense stadium — the greatest outpouring of baseball fanatics that ever turned out to witness an exhibition game — and at least 7,000 others, who witnessed the contest from the bluffs that loom above the field, over at Montgomery street and Bedford avenue. True, there were ten thousand or more who were turned away for lack of room, when, long before ‘Nap’ Rucker hurled the first ball over the plate, Charlie Ebbets found it impossible to squeeze another soul into the big stadium and ordered the entrances closed.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Eagle reported, “MOSCOW (U.P.) — Russian mobile forces converged from three directions over the immediate approaches of Odessa today, clearing the way for storming the biggest Soviet city still in Nazi hands and bringing the German disaster in the Ukraine to a quick end. Gen. Rodion Y. Malinovsky’s vanguard was within artillery range of Odessa to the north, northeast and east — distances of 10 miles or less. The Red army held out for two months under siege in the Black Sea port in 1941. The London Evening News said the Russians were within sight of Odessa, ‘which now can be seen clearly.’ German troops in the Odessa pocket, numbering about 100,000 a few weeks ago, appeared doomed to death, capture or an attempted Dunkirk evacuation because of Malinovsky’s flanking drive which cut the escape route to the northwest.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “HAVANA, CUBA, APRIL 5 — The Dodgers defeated the Montreal farmhands at Grand Stadium, 6 to 3, here today, making it eight triumphs in ten games against one loss and a tie. At the same time, the moot question of whether Jackie Robinson will wear a Brooklyn uniform this year was nearly settled. Robinson narrowly escaped serious injury in the field in the fifth inning. The Royals had Bruce Edwards hung up between first and second. The Dodger catcher scuttled back to first and plunged headlong for the bag. Robinson tried to snare a bad relay from Johnny Jorgensen and did a pinwheel over Edwards. Jackie collapsed and the players of both teams gathered around and Robinson left the game when he got up on his feet. The collision was unavoidable. He luckily suffered a slight injury to his elbow and back and a general shaking up. ‘I’ll be back tomorrow,’ he grinned from a seat on the bench, getting his wind back.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “FRANKFURT (U.P.) — A disciple of Nostradamus served fair warning today of momentous events no further away than next Sunday. The 16th Century French seer, according to his latter-day interpreter, put it down on paper, albeit in words that take some interpreting, that next Sunday is D-Day. It’s the day World War III breaks out, this German astrologist, named Johannes Lang, said today and the schedule calls for it to break out in Greece. Lang, who has devoted much of his life to interpreting the work of Nostradamus, said the veiled predictions indicated the West would win the impending war after four months of bitter fighting. Lang said the verse-like notes of the Lyon physician, who published his predictions under the title ‘Centuries’ in 1555, said the fighting, which begins in Greece, will grow into a full-scale conflict by April 17 or 21. Lang said Nostradamus predicted the outbreak of the second World War ‘precisely as to date, and also said it would begin in Poland.’”

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Marilu Henner
Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP

Billy Dee Williams
Joel C. Ryan/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include molecular biologist James Watson, who was born in 1928; “The Empire Strikes Back” star Billy Dee Williams, who was born in 1937; Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson, who was born in 1942; “Cheers” star John Ratzenberger, who was born in 1947; Baseball Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven, who was born in 1951; “Taxi” star Marilu Henner, who was born in 1952; football player and sportscaster Sterling Sharpe, who was born in 1965; “Ant-Man” star Paul Rudd, who was born in 1969; “Scrubs” star Zach Braff, who was born in 1975; actress and TV personality Candace Cameron Bure, who was born in 1976; football player and sportscaster Tim Hasselbeck, who was born in 1978; model Hilary Rhoda, who was born in 1987; World Cup-winning soccer player Julie Ertz, who was born in 1992; and “Jessie” star Peyton List, who was born in 1998.

John Ratzenberger
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

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MARCHING ON: The Grand Army of the Republic was established on this day in 1866. The fraternal organization, founded by Union veterans of the Civil War, grew to more than 400,000 members at hundreds of posts by 1890. Politically, the group advocated for voting rights for blacks, veterans’ pensions and the creation of Memorial Day as a national holiday. It was disbanded after the death of its last member in 1956.

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NOW BATTING: Baseball’s first designated hitter stepped up to the plate on this day in 1973 when Ron Blomberg of the N.Y. Yankees squared off against Luis Tiant of the Boston Red Sox. Blomberg drew a walk. The DH rule applied only to the American League until the shortened 2020 season, but starting this year National League teams will officially use a substitute batter in place of the pitcher.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

Quotable:

“Watching National League pitchers trying to hit or even bunt is depressing.”

— former N.Y. Yankee Ron Blomberg, who became baseball’s first DH on this day in 1973