Mayday! Already?

No, today is NOT the first of May.

But today is THE day that Sam "Mayday" Malone made his first major league appearance when he faced the Yankees on this date in 1972. Wearing #16, Malone sported the number of Jim Lonborg, who had played with the Sox until 1971. The given middle name of the Sudbury-born hurler was not "Mayday," but is Adams: Sam Adams Malone. Luckily, Malone did not have to deal with the "Sam Adams brewer or patriot?" debate when he later owned the bar named Cheers.

In real life, though, the Yanks-Sox game on this date in '72 was started by Ray Culp (1-1), who had a 4-3 lead when Bill Lee (1) took over in the top of the seventh. Final score: 5-4, Sox. That put both teams in third place, three-and-a-half games out.

Cheers!