June 21, 1978: Dave Machemer begins Angels’ career with home run in first at-bat

Dave Machemer was in his seventh minor-league season when he got the call.

After 2,521 career at-bats in the “bushes,” the Benton Harbor, Michigan, native was going to the big leagues. On Monday, June 12, 1978, the parent California Angels summoned the infielder from the Triple-A Salt Lake Gulls to replace the injured Carney Lansford. The rookie third baseman Lansford had been injured in a home-plate collision with Yankees catcher Mike Heath a couple of days earlier at Anaheim Stadium. Both players went to the ground and Heath came up swinging, precipitating a bench-clearing brawl.1 Lansford would miss nearly a month of action with strained ligaments in his left thumb.

Machemer had just overcome a knee injury that had sidelined him for almost a week in Triple A before he made his debut.2 In a game against the San Jose Missions, he got tangled up covering third base on a rundown play and his knee got the worst of it. The team doctor wanted to operate but Machemer nixed that idea. The gritty second baseman used ice and anti-inflammatories for a few days and then was called into manager Deron Johnson’s office. After inquiring about Machemer’s health and hearing the player say he was at about 70 percent, Johnson said, “That’s all right, kid, you’re going to the big leagues” and shook Machemer’s hand.3

Machemer was in the Angels’ lineup because regular second baseman Grich had the flu.4 Pitcher Dave Frost was standing behind Machemer as the rookie saw his name on the lineup card. Machemer recalled that Frost told him, “Mac, just relax. Baseball is baseball. It’s no different than Triple-A.”5

On the mound for Minnesota was left-hander Geoff Zahn, who came into the contest with a record of seven wins and four losses, including a pair of complete-game victories in his previous two outings.

The right-handed-batting Machemer stepped up to the plate a few minutes after 7:30 P.M. on a warm Wednesday evening, with just over 10,000 fans settled into their seats. Zahn ran the count to 3-and-2, and then Machemer lined a shot down the left-field line. The ball just cleared the fence, barely inside the foul pole. Third-base umpire Fred Spenn twirled his right index finger in the air above his head. It was a home run for Machemer in his first major-league plate appearance. And as it turned out, the homer was the only one of his two-year stint in the majors.

“When I hit the ball, I just knew it was gone,” Machemer said. As he neared first base, Angels first-base coach Bob Clear reminded Machemer to make sure he touched the bag. “It was like I was floating around the bases,” Machemer said.6

Interviewed after the game, Machemer said, “It’s a great thrill. I was really happy running those bases, as you could probably tell. I was just looking for a pitch to hit and luckily, I got a fastball up. I hit it good. I was just hoping it would stay fair.”7

Prior to the major-league homer, Machemer hit only 14 home runs in his professional career, so sending the ball out of the park in his first big-league at-bat probably came as a surprise to most people. It apparently shook up Zahn a little, since his first inning turned rockier shortly after the leadoff home run by the rookie. Dave Chalk grounded to short and Lyman Bostock flied to left for two quick outs. Joe Rudi then slapped a base hit to left-center, bringing up first baseman Don Baylor, who deposited a Zahn offering over the left-field fence, fair by plenty, for his 17th homer of the season to give the Angels a 3-0 lead.

The Twins came back in the bottom of the first with a pair of runs. Hosken Powell led off with an infield single and Roy Smalley followed with a home run to right-center, his fifth of the year.

Then Zahn settled in, so well that he retired the next 18 Angels hitters after Baylor’s home run. But with two out in the top of the seventh and the score still 3-2, the soft-tossing lefty gave up a single to center by Ron Jackson and a walk to Merv Rettenmund. Rick Miller followed with a two-run triple to right field, increasing the California lead to 5-2. Brian Downing grounded out but the damage had been done.

Meanwhile, Angels starter Don Aase set down a dozen consecutive batters after his wobbly first inning. He allowed a leadoff single to Butch Wynegar in the fifth. Wynegar was erased two batters later on a great play by center fielder Miller. Willie Norwood lined a ball to right-center that Miller caught while sliding on his knees, and then threw to first to double off Wynegar for an inning-ending twin killing.

After walking Smalley in the bottom of the sixth, Aase sent the next seven Twins batters unhappily back to their dugout.

Then, in a somewhat curious move, Angels manager Jim Fregosi sent Aase back out with a three-run lead in the bottom of the ninth. Left-hander Dave LaRoche had recorded seven saves for California but stayed in the bullpen as Aase made quick work of Powell and Smalley. With two down, everyone in the Angels dugout breathed a sigh of relief. 

Just as quickly, Rod Carew and Dan Ford both singled, putting runners at the corners. Fortunately for the Angels, Mike Cubbage grounded out to the man who started the game with a bang: Dave Machemer. The second baseman scooped up the grounder and fired to Ron Fairly at first (he had replaced Baylor) as Aase notched his fourth win of the year against three defeats.

Machemer had three other trips to the plate in the contest. He led off the third inning and flied out to right field; he led off the sixth and grounded to short; and he led off the eighth and popped up to the first baseman.

Back in December 1977, Aase had been involved in a trade that sent popular Angels second baseman Jerry Remy to Boston for Aase and cash. Perhaps the trade helped to pave the way for Machemer’s entrance into the big leagues. Bobby Grich came over as a free agent from Baltimore after the 1976 season but played only at shortstop as Remy was entrenched at the keystone in 1977.

Grich moved to second base on a full-time basis after the Remy trade, but his flu-like symptoms in mid-June gave Machemer the chance to be in the limelight. Newspapers at the time reported Machemer’s home run was the 46th first at-bat homer in major-league history, but according to Baseball Almanac, it was the 55th.8 California pitcher Don Rose also hit a homer in his first big-league at-bat and earned his first and only big-league win in a game against Oakland on May 24, 1972. He joined Machemer in a fairly exclusive Angels club, which has come to include Mike Napoli’s debut first-at-bat homer in 2006.  

Machemer had a cup of coffee in the big leagues over the next two seasons, appearing in just 29 games with 55 plate appearances with the Angels in 1978 and the Tigers in 1979. He was sent to Triple A by the Tigers in July 1979 and played in the minors until he retired in 1982. Since then, he’s been successful as a manager at all levels of minor-league ball. In December 2023 he was named the baseball coach of the Lakeshore (Michigan) High School Lancers.

But even with his long career in baseball, Machemer will never forget the first time he stepped up to the plate in a major-league game on that June 1978 evening.

“It was the biggest thrill in my lifetime besides hitting my first Little League home run,” said Machemer.9

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN197806210.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B06210MIN1978.htm

Photo credit: Dave Machemer, Benton Harbor Herald-Palladium, March 21, 1979, via Newspapers.com.

Notes

1 “Yanks in Bench-Clearing Brawl,” White Plains (New York) Journal News, June 11, 1978: 1D. 

2 “Machemer Goes to Angel Club,” Salt Lake Tribune, June 13, 1978: C1.

3 Dave Machemer interview, “Credit to Others,” The Greatest 21 Days website, http://www.greatest21days.com/2011/07/dave-machemer-interview-part-1-credit.html, accessed December 5, 2023.

4 Scott Ostler, “Aase Bugs Twins With 5-Hitter; Angels Win, 5-2,” Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1978: 3, 1.

5 Dave Machemer interview, “Credit to Others.”

6 Dave Machemer interview, “Credit to Others.”

7 “Long Wait Was Worth It for Angel Dave Machemer,” Olympia (Washington) Olympian, June 22, 1978: B1.

8 https://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats5.shtml.

9 Dave Machemer interview, “Credit to Others.”