Baseball History: Norm Cash

Editor’s note: This is the final installment of a three-part series about some unusual happenings during a baseball game.

The first story in this series featured Texas Rangers shortstop Toby Harrah, while the second was about Baseball Hall of Fame member Lloyd Waner of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Norm Cash‘s unique part of history is similar to that of Harrah, who played an entire doubleheader without a fielding chance at shortstop.

Cash played a game at first base and didn’t have a putout or an assist for the Detroit Tigers on June 27, 1963.

Unlike Harrah and Waner, Cash didn’t have a good afternoon at Metropolitan Stadium as the Minnesota Twins beat the Tigers 10-6.

Going hitless in four trips to the plate at least Cash didn’t strikeout against Jim Perry, who tossed a complete game for the Twins.

Adding to the unusual circumstances was that Detroit third baseman Bubba Phillips led the Tigers infielders with four putouts.

Batting Title

After his first two seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Cash spent 15 years with the Tigers. His 377 career homers is second in the history of the Tigers behind Al Kaline‘s 399.

In 1961, Cash won the batting title with a .361 average with an American League best 193 hits. He made the all-star game twice that season and was selected for for three other contests in 1966, 1971 and 1972.

Playing on a pair of AL pennant winners, Cash helped the White Sox reach the World Series in 1959 before winning the title with the Tigers in 1968.

Yes, He Did

Perhaps one of the most famous moments in his career, Cash went to the plate with a table leg on July 15, 1973.

Against California Angels pitcher Nolan Ryan in the ninth inning, Cash apparently knew that he wasn’t going to get a hit after fanning twice against the future Hall of Fame pitcher.

In a 15-second video on YouTube, Cash made home plate umpire Ron Luciano bust out laughing just before throwing it to the dugout.

With an actual bat, Cash popped up to Angels shortstop Rudy Meoli and Ryan had his second no-hitter in a 6-0 California victory.