By JOHN LIKANJE
Tom Chism didn’t enjoy the confines of Evansville, Indiana and Toledo, Ohio in 1980. The veteran designated hitter missed playing in front of the Silver Stadium home crowd in Rochester. When he was reacquired by the Red Wings, Chism knew he had to produce at the plate to remain on the roster.
The 6-foot-1 designated hitter broke out against the Tidewater Tides, with three base knocks and three RBI in a 6-4 Wings victory.
Chism’s first two plate appearances occurred in key situations. His first at-bat was in the second inning with the Red Wings down 3-0. Chism singled and scored as part of a three-run rally to tie the game.
His second at-bat was in the third inning with Wayne Krenchicki on base and the game tied. Chism launched a 380-foot, two-run homer for a 5-3 lead the Red Wings wouldn’t relinquish.
Finally, Chism capped off his day with a double in the seventh inning – his fourth two-bagger since joining the ball club and 16th base knock in 16 games. Chism ran his averaged to .320 since being acquired with four homers, 11 RBI and 11 runs scored with the Red Wings.
“I just wasn’t happy with my surroundings in Toledo or Evansville,” Chism told the Democrat and Chronicle. “It’s great coming out to this ballpark again.”
Toledo batting
| Batter | p | ab | r | h | bi |
| Wilson | CF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Brooks | RF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Backman | 2B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| MacDonald | 1B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Flores | LF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cipot | DH | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rosado | C | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Smith | 3B | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Ramirez | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chapman | PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rochester batting
| Batter | p | ab | r | h | bi |
| Williams | CF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Thomas | LF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Krenchicki | 2B | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Valle | 1B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Chism | DH | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Gonzales | RF | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Corey | PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayford | 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Royster | C | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Bonner | SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Toledo pitching
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Mendoza | 1 1/3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Anderson | 3 2/3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| VanOhlen | 1 2/3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Harris | 1 1/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Rochester pitching
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Jones | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Schneider | 2 2/3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Kerrigan | 1/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Also on this day: 1902 – Harry O’Hagan, the player-manager for the Rochester Broncos, pulled off baseball’s first-ever recorded unassisted triple play in a 10-6 victory over Jersey City.
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