August 24, 1973: John Adams, the Cleveland Drummer Boy

August 24, 1973: John Adams brings his bass drum to a Cleveland Indians game for the first time. The Indians beat the Texas Rangers, 11-5.

He became a fixture at Indians games. It was really funny watching a Yankee game against the Indians at the old Municipal Stadium on WPIX-Channel 11: He'd be there in the back row of the bleachers, 513 feet from home plate, and since the Indians couldn't draw flies in those days, Adams' drumming echoed through the place often known as "Cavernous Cleveland Stadium." But even when the Indians got a lot of fans in, he could still be heard.

In a 1985 interview, he said that he hadn't missed many home games, "maybe nine or ten," mostly early-season games when his employer, AT&T, wouldn't give him the day off. He also said he drums a bit harder when the Red Sox are in town, because Carl Yastrzemski used to complain about it.

When the Indians moved in 1994 to Jacobs (now Progressive) Field, he still parked himself in the back of the bleachers, underneath the big left-field scoreboard, and saw the Indians make the Playoffs 12 times, winning 3 Pennants -- but not a World Series. And he saw them become the Cleveland Guardians, rendering his drumming out of context.

He was invited to throw out some ceremonial first balls, and the team sold bobblehead dolls with his likeness. In 2009, he was given a free lifetime pass to the games. Through the 2019 season, 47 seasons, he missed a total of only 37 home games. But due to COVID restrictions, no fans could attend in 2020; and, after that, heart and thyroid issues prevented him from attending games. In 2022, the Guardians elected him to the the Cleveland Guardians Distinguished Hall of Fame, an honor for non-uniformed personnel, the first fan so honored. They also announced that a statue of him, drumming in his seat, would be unveiled at Progressive Field.

UPDATE: Adams died on January 20, 2023. He was 71 years old. In his will, he left his drum and his mallets to the Guardians organization. They donated his mallets to the Baseball Hall of Fame, for their exhibit on famous fans.

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August 24, 1973 was a Friday. These other Major League Baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Oakland Athletics, 5-1 at the Oakland Coliseum. Jim "Catfish" Hunter outpitched George "Doc" Medich. Dick Green hit a home run for the A's. Reggie Jackson went 2-for-2 with 2 walks and 2 RBIs. Both Jackson and Hunter would become Yankee legends. Light-hitting Gene Michael, nicknamed "Stick" for his body type, not his bat, had the only Yankee RBI.

* The New York Mets beat the San Francisco Giants, 1-0 at Shea Stadium. Jerry Koosman and Juan Marichal both went the distance, until the bottom of the 10th inning, when Félix Millán singled Ken Boswell home with the winning run.

* The San Diego Padres beat the Montreal Expos, 5-3 at Jarry Park in Montreal.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-0 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Tommy John pitched a 3-hit shutout. Rookie Mike Schmidt went 0-for-3.

* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals, 6-0 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Dave McNally pitched a 3-hit shutout. Bobby Grich went 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Rich Coggins hit a home run, and he and Al Bumbry each had 3 hits. Brooks Robinson went 1-for-3 with a walk.

* The Atlanta Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2 at Atlanta Stadium (later renamed Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium). The Braves scored a run in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to win, on a game-winning home run by Dusty Baker. Hank Aaron did not play. Nor did Willie Stargell.

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-4 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. José Cruz hit a home run in the top of the 11th inning. Lou Brock went 1-for-5 with a walk and a stolen base. Pete Rose went 4-for-6 with a solo home run. Johnny Bench went 1-for-4 with a walk.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox, 6-5 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Mickey Lolich outpitched Wilbur Wood. Al Kaline went 1-for-5 with an RBI.

* The Minnesota Twins beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-0 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Joe Decker pitched a 4-hit shutout. Harmon Killebrew did not play. Rod Carew went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

* The Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-2 at the Astrodome in Houston.

* And the Boston Red Sox beat the California Angels, 3-2 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). Carl Yastrzemski went 2-for-5. Frank Robinson went 0-for-4 for the Angels.