One swing, one close ruling, and a decision that surprised everyone watching.
On June 17, 1942, Paul Waner entered a doubleheader needing two hits for 3,000, and Fenway buzzed when he reached the mark—sort of. After getting 2,999 in the first, Waner hit a sharp grounder to short in the fifth that wasn’t fielded cleanly. Before the scorer could rule — hit or error — Waner himself waved it off, unwilling to let a milestone come on anything but a clean hit. Three days later, he got No. 3,000 the way he wanted it, lining a single that even drove in a run. It was a small moment that said a lot about how Waner thought the game should be played.
🕵️ Inside Today’s Original Newspaper Coverage:
How Waner’s reaction stunned the press box
One writer’s take on what this play revealed about his reputation
The legendary hitters who never reached 3,000
The original newspaper coverage of this moment is just below.
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