On June 6, 1938, Forrest "Lefty" Brewer, a promising left-handed pitcher for the St. Augustine Saints, would throw a no-hitter against the Orlando Senators with his family listening on the radio miles away. His performance caught the attention of Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith, who purchased Brewer's contract and placed him within their Minor League system.
Exactly six years later, on June 6, 1944, Brewer was no longer on the pitcher's mound but was instead among the brave soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Infantry, parachuting into Normandy as part of the D-Day invasion during World War II. Tragically, Brewer's unit missed their intended drop zone by two miles due to anti-aircraft fire. Despite regrouping and securing a bridge over the Merderet River, they faced a fierce German counterattack. In the ensuing battle, Brewer was struck by a bullet and passed away.
A total of five Minor League and semi-pro baseball players died on D-Day, along with more than 4,000 other Allied troops. No matter if it was Lefty Brewer who never got his chance to play in the majors or a legend like Yogi Berra, they all paid the price with their sacrifice that can’t be forgotten.
This Day In Sports History
1939: New York Giants become first team to hit 5 home runs in one inning in the 4th of a 17-3 win against the Reds.
1944: All MLB games canceled to honor the D-Day landings in North France.
2011: Pittsburgh Pirates select Gerrit Cole with 1st pick in the draft.
2017: Scooter Gennet becomes 17th player to hit 4 home runs in one game.
2018: Lebron James passes Michael Jordan’s record for most 30 point playoff games with his 110th in game 3 of the NBA Finals.
What’s Happening
Pacers make another historic comeback to take game 1.
Haliburton has latest game winner in Finals game since Michael Jordan’s in game 1 of the 1997 Finals.
Aaron Rodgers signs 1 year deal with Steelers.
Braves blow 6 run lead in 9th against Diamondbacks.
Texas Tech forces game 3 in WCWS Finals.
Random Stat Of The Day
Ted Williams never shot down any enemy planes in the traditional sense, but his team shot down over 470 Japanese aircrafts in one day according to GI jobs. Ted also served in the Korean War and flew 39 missions and had his plane damaged three times by enemy fire. Ted missed 4.5 seasons due to his military service and based on what he did before and after, he somehow could’ve been held in even higher regard. Always will be held high for his play and his service.