On this day in 1956 the Milwaukee Braves split a doubleheader with the Cardinals, taking the opener 10-1 but losing the nightcap 3-2 in ten innings. Hank Aaron went 1-for-5 with an RBI in the first game but went 0-for-4 in the second, snapping a 25-game hitting streak.
Aaron hit .407/.439/.759 during the streak, which is tied for the longest of his career. 20 of his 44 hits in the stretch went for extra bases, including seven home runs.
The fact that anyone could remain consistent playing as frequently as the 1956 Braves is pretty remarkable. On July 29 of that season they started a stretch where they played 44 games in 39 days. On this particular week they played doubleheaders on August 5, 8 and 9.
With help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:
- Third base coach Ed Sedar, who turns 51.
- Doug Melvin, who turns 60. We covered his birthday in this space last year.
- Milwaukee native and Madison alum Greg Mahlberg, who turns 60. He was a member of the 1978 and 1979 Rangers.