July 27, 1952: The Olympic Marathon is held in Helsinki, Finland. The winner is from a country controlled by Communism -- but he is hailed as a hero worldwide, anyway.
Emil Zátopek was born on September 19, 1922 in Kopřivnice, Czechoslovakia. "The Czech Locomotive" was a veteran of World War II, fighting the Nazis. Still in the Czech Army during the 1948 Olympics in London, he won the Gold Medal in the 10,000 meters, and the Silver Medal in the 5,000 meters.
The 1940 Olympics were supposed to be held in Helsinki, but, by September 1939, Finland was among the nations wrapped up in World War II, specifically the "Winter War" with the Soviet Union. With the war over, they were awarded the Olympics for 1952.
And in those Olympic Games, Emil Zátopek won Gold in both the 5,000 meters and the 10,000 meters. That had never been before, although it has since. He had never previously run a marathon, but he entered the Olympic marathon, and won it in record time: 2 hours, 23 minutes, 3.2 seconds. At those same Games, his wife, Dana Zátopková, who was born on the exact same day tha the was, won the Gold Medal in the javelin throw.
Dana did not compete in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Emil did, attempting to repeat as marathon winner, which had never happened before (and wouldn't until 1960 and 1964). But an injury in training resulted in him coming back too soon, and he finished 6th. Dana returned in 1960, in Rome, and won the Silver Medal in the javelin.
The Zátopeks never had children. While Emil was a member of the Communist Party, it was basically a requirement, however reluctant, for any major athlete from a Warsaw Pact county. In 1968, supporting the party's democratic wing, he was expelled from the Party and stripped of his Army rank after the Prague Spring. He was only allowed to work menial jobs into his 50s.
The Velvet Revolution of 1989 freed the country, and Emil was officially "rehabilitated." He died on November 22, 2000, at the age of 78. In 2012, the International Association of Athletics Federations, the world's governing body for track & field, established its IAAF Hall of Fame, and Emil Zátopek was 1 of its 1st 12 inductees.
(Requirements: Athletes must have won at least 2 Gold Medals in "Athletics" -- their official name for track & field -- in the Summer Olympics or the World Championships, must have set at least one world record, and must be retired from competition for at least 10 years.)
Dana Zátopková died on March 13, 2020, at 97. She and her husband are buried in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, in the Czech Republic.
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July 27, 1952 was a Sunday. As was common in this era, baseball teams often played doubleheaders on Sundays. These games were played:
* The New York Yankees split with the Detroit Tigers at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. (The ballpark was renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961.) The Tigers won the opener, 8-3. Billy Hoeft outpitched Allie Reynolds. Johnny Groth's 3-run home run in the 5th inning was the key blow. Gil McDougald homered for the Yankees.
The Yankees won the nightcap, 6-0. Bill Miller pitched a 7-hit shutout. It was 1 of only 6 games he would win in the major leagues. Gene Woodling went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Over the 2 games, Mickey Mantle went 1-for-7 with a walk.
* The New York Giants lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 11-4 at the Polo Grounds. Willie Mays was serving in the Korean War, and unavailable for the Giants.
* The Brooklyn Dodgers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3 at Ebbets Field. Red Schoendienst singled Tommy Glaviano home with the winning run in the top of the 9th inning. Gil Hodges hit a home run. Jackie Robinson drew a walk as a pinch-hitter. Stan Musial went 2-for-4 with a walk.
* The Boston Braves won the 1st game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-2 at Braves Field. The 2nd game was tied 3-3 after 11 innings, but, while the ballpark had lights, and Sunday sports were now legal in Massachusetts, they had a curfew, and the game was called.
* The Philadelphia Phillies swept the Chicago Cubs, 12-8 and 3-0 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. (The ballpark was renamed Connie Mack Stadium the next season.) Karl Drews pitched a 6-hit shutout in the 2nd game.
* The Cleveland Indians swept the Washington Senators, 3-1 and 3-2 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
* The Philadelphia Athletics swept the Chicago White Sox, 3-1 and 9-3 at Comiskey Park in Chicago.
* There was a split at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The St. Louis Browns won the 1st game, 8-1. The Boston Red Sox won the 2nd game, 9-3. Ted Williams was serving in the Korean War, and unavailable for the Red Sox.
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