On October 13, 1970, Baltimore Oriole, Dave McNally, became the first, and only, pitcher to hit a grand slam during a World Series match-up.
McNallly hit the ball out of the park with two outs in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, his grand slam helped the Orioles gain insurance in their 9-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. It was the third of a five game series, won by the Orioles.
Tony Cloninger, who lost the game for the Reds pitched five innings, letting five runs score off of six hits. He was relieved by Wayne Granger who let three runs in. McNally let three runs score off of nine hits and struck five batters out.
McNally was taken in by the Orioles as an amateur free agent in 1960 and stayed in Baltimore for 13 of his 14 seasons in the majors. He played for the Montreal Expos in the final season of his career.
McNally was on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981, ’82, ’85 and ’86. Despite winning almost 16 percent of his games and getting 18 shutouts, McNally’s name was never eternalized in the baseball’s hallowed halls.
“Commitment is the enemy of resistance, for it is the serious promise to press on, to get up, no matter how many times you are knocked down.” -Dave McNally
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