On this date in 1969, former Oriole Steve Barber had the dubious distinction of allowing the only inside-the-park home run that Boog Powell hit in his entire career, as
the Orioles pounded the Seattle Pilots 15-3 at Sick's Stadium. Indeed it wasn't a good day to be a Seattle pitcher, as Diego Segui, Marty Pattin, Jim Bouton, and Barber each allowed multiple runs, with none lasting longer than starting pitcher Segui's 3.1 innings of work. Only John Gelnar was unscored upon, and he faced just three batters. The mighty O's got production from some unlikely sources, as Paul Blair socked a home run and drove in three and Andy Etchebarren and Chico Salmon each went 4-for-4 in the seventh and eighth slots in the batting order. Salmon, acquired from the Pilots during Spring Training in exchange for Gene Brabender and Gordy Lund, had a pair of homers and six RBI. Meanwhile, Dave McNally was scored upon only twice in seven innings despite allowing six hits, six walks, and a hit batter.
But it was Boog's daring dash around the bases that put the exclamation mark on this rout. Facing ex-teammate Barber with one out and Dave May on first base in the top of the ninth inning, the humongous slugger walloped a ball that somehow eluded center fielder Wayne Comer and right fielder Billy Williams (no, not the Cubs' Hall of Famer). The 250-plus-pound Powell chugged all of the way around the bases for the only one of his 339 career round-trippers to not clear the fence. Oh, that video existed of this play.
Speaking of memorable trips around the bases by slow-footed Orioles, today is the tenth anniversary of Jack Cust's infamous belly flop. Of course,
there's video for that one.
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