1949 After spending 113 days in the air at Municipal Stadium waiting for the Tribe to take first place or face elimination from the pennant race, Charley Lupica climbs down from his flagpole perch in front of a cheering crowd of 33,977 attending the Indians' final home game.After leaving his nest, shifted five miles from his confectionery store to the ballpark on a hydraulic lift, the wobbly loyal fan kisses the home plate, receiving a new automobile from team owner Bill Veeck, in addition to receiving a 50-foot flagpole as a souvenir.
1961 At Yankee Stadium, Roger Maris ties Babe Ruth's 34-year-old single-season record with his 60th home run of the year, a high drive down the right-field line off on a curveball thrown by Orioles right-hander Jack Fisher. The slugger's homer comes in the 159th game of the expanded season, keeping Ruth as the single-season home run leader according to Commissioner Ford Frick, who ruled for the mark to be shared or broken, the historic round-tripper had to come in the first 154 games of the season.
1971 Joining Oriole teammates Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson, sometimes called the Four-leaf Clover rotation, Jim Palmer records his 20th victory of the season when he blanks the Tribe at Cleveland Stadium, 5-0. The right-hander's victory makes Baltimore the second team in major league history, along with the 1920 Chicago White Sox, to have four 20-game winners on its staff.
1975 Burt Hooton sets a Dodger record for starting pitchers by winning his twelfth consecutive game. The 25-year-old right-hander, traded to LA in May for Eddie Solomon and Geoff Zahn, accomplishes the feat by beating J.R. Richard and the Astros at Dodger Stadium, 3-2.
1979 Braves knuckleballer Phil Niekro evens his record at 20-20 when he goes the distance for his 20th win of the season, beating Houston in Atlanta, 9-4. 'Knucksie' beats his brother, Joe, who earned his 20th victory four days ago against Cincinnati.
*He started 44 games in 1979..
1981 Nolan Ryan becomes the first pitcher to throw five no-hitters when the Astros defeat the Dodgers at the Astrodome, 5-0.The Ryan Express, who will finish his 27-year major league career with a record seven no-hitters, previously has thrown hitless gems against the Royals (1973), Tigers (1973), Twins (1974), and Orioles (1975).
1993 Randy Johnson becomes the 12th pitcher this century to strike out 300 batters in a season, whiffing 13 in 10 innings in the Mariners' 3-2 loss to Oakland at the Kingdome. The Seattle southpaw, en route to 4,875 career strikeouts, the most all-time for a lefthanded pitcher, second only to Nolan Ryan's 5,714, will also reach the milestone five additional times spanning the 1998-2002 seasons.
1998 Dennis Eckersley, making his final major league appearance, pitches in his 1,071st game, breaking Hoyt Wilhelm's major leaguemark for the most career pitching appearances. The 'Eck' finishes his 24-year career, tossing a one-run ninth inning in the Red Sox' 5-2 loss to Baltimore at Fenway Park.
*cuz ya want to know !
2012 After 63 years of doing play-by-play, Milo Hamilton calls his final game, painting the word picture of his Astros beating St. Louis at Minute Maid Park, 2-0. The Hall of Fame broadcaster, who also worked for the Browns, Cardinals, Cubs, White Sox, Braves, and Pirates before starting his 28-year tenure with Houston, gives an inspirational farewell speech during the seventh-inning stretch, receiving a standing ovation from the fans at the ballpark.
2013 Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte, with two out in the ninth inning, emerge from the dugout to take out legendary closer Mariano Rivera, giving the sold-out crowd at Yankee Stadium one last chance to cheer their beloved reliever.The unexpected visit to the mound, the brainchild of manager Joe Girardi, who asked permission from the umpires to implement the unorthodox move, triggers an emotional encounter between the remaining Core Four teammates that renders Mo speechless as he weeps from the admiration of his friends and fans.
1953 In a fitting finale that draws only 3,174 fans at Sportsman's Park, St. Louis plays their last game as the Browns, losing their 100th game of the season, an 11-inning, 2-1 loss to Chicago. Next season, the team will move to Baltimore and become the Orioles.
1961 Sandy Koufax breaks the National League mark for strikeouts in a season, surpassing Christy Mathewson's mark of 267 established in 1903. Unlike the turmoil caused by commissioner Ford Frick's mandate of having to hit 61 homers by the 154th game in the extended 162-game schedule to break the single-season standard, the Dodgers southpaw's 268th punch-out, occurring in the 151st game of the season, compared to the 142-game sked played early in the century raises no controversy.
1973 Nolan Ryan surpasses Sandy Koufax's major league mark for strikeouts in a season when he throws three fastballs past Rich Reese, the last batter of the game, for his 383rd of the year.The Angels' right-hander, who finishes the year with 21 wins, whiffs 16 batters in 11 innings en route to a complete-game 5-4 victory over Minnesota at Anaheim Stadium.
1992 Randy Johnson ties Ron Guidry's American League mark for strikeouts in a game for left-handers. The Mariners southpaw fans 18 batters in eight innings of work in the team's 3-2 loss to Texas at Arlington Stadium.
1992 Gary Carter doubles deep to right field in the seventh inning in his last major league at-bat, driving in Larry Walker with the lone run in the Expos' 1-0 victory over the Cubs.The Montreal fans show appreciation for one of the most beloved and talented players in franchise history with a long and loud standing ovation, causing the Kid to make two curtain calls to acknowledge the enthusiastic crowd when removed from the game.
2000 The United States Olympic team, managed by former Dodger skipper Tommy Lasorda, stuns the world, beating the much-favored Cuban team to win its first gold medal in its national pastime.Ben Sheets ends Cuba's 21-game Olympic winning streak with a 4-0 shutout.
2010 "It's a tough situation for us. A lot of the visiting teams come in and wonder where are all the fans. It's actually a little bit embarrassing for us. We're one game away from clinching a postseason spot." - EVAN LONGORIA,Rays' third baseman, commenting on the team's low attendance.
With an opportunity to see their team clinch a postseason berth, only 12,446 fans attend the Rays game against Baltimore at Tropicana Field. Inspired by third baseman Evan Longoria's criticism of the low attendance figures, the club will make 20,000 free tickets available in the series finale to get more 'energy' into the domed ballpark.
2010 *Ballpark: Tropicana Field
Attendance: 1,864,999 (9th of 14)
Record: 96-66, Finished 1st in AL_East
Postseason: Lost AL Division Series (3-2) to Texas Rangers
2025 Record: 77-83, 4th place in AL_East (Schedule and Results) Attendance: 786,750 (14th of 15)
1947 In front of 23,085 fans, the Yankees host the first Old-Timers' Day in major league history on the season's final day. The team's signature event, the brainchild of general manager Larry MacPhail and public relations director Red Paterson, pays tribute to an ailing Babe Ruth
1955 In the bottom of the second inning, Elston Howard, in his first World Series at-bat, knots the score at two to two when he homers off Dodgers' right-hander Don Newcombe. The round-tripper to deep left field at Yankee Stadium marks the first time a black batter has hit a home run off a black pitcher in the history of the Fall Classic.
1958 On the last day of the season at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field, Richie Ashburn goes 3-for-4, including a tenth-inning single, to capture his second batting crown. The Phillies' center fielder, who also led the league in 1955, ends the season with an average of .350, three points higher than Giants slugger Willie Mays.
1962 In front of only 595 fans at Wrigley Field, the Cubs (58-101) beat the Mets (39-118) in the first meeting in major league history between two 100-loss teams before the start of the series. The New York expansion team will split the remaining two games, finishing the season 40-120 to establish the record for the most losses in baseball's modern era.
1974 At Anaheim Stadium, Angel Nolan Ryan strikes out 15 batters when he no-hits the Twins, 4-0. The Alvin (TX) native's third no-no is one of the seven he tosses during his career and the third of the four hitless games he hurls for the Halos.
2011 On the last day of the season, the Braves become the first major league club to blow a lead of at least eight games in September when the team is eliminated from the playoffs when dropping a 4-3 decision to Philadelphia in 13 innings. On August 26, Atlanta was ten games ahead of St. Louis, the eventual Wild Card team.
2014 Jordan Zimmermann throws the Nationals' first no-hitter, thanks to a remarkable game-ending catch by Steven Souza, Jr. in left field that preserves the 1-0 gem against the Marlins. The victory marks the fifth no-no in franchise history but the first since the team relocated to Washington, D.C, from Montreal in 2005.
2019 Justin Verlander becomes the 18th major leaguer to record 3,000 strikeouts when he fans Kole Calhoun, who reaches first base after swinging at a wild pitch for the third strike. The Astros right-hander whiffs 12 Angels to get a career-high 300 for the season,joining Gerrit Cole as the second set of mound mates to each have 300 strikeouts in the same season. (Ed. Note: Diamondback hurlers Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling became the first teammates to strike out 300 batters in the same year, accomplishing the feat in the 2002 season. - LP)
1954 In a game best remembered for Willie Mays' spectacular over-the-shoulder grab of a ball hit deep to center field, robbing Vic Wertz of an extra-base hit, Dusty Rhodes becomes the second player in World Series history to end a game with a homer.The Giants' pinch-hitter's walk-off three-run home run off Bob Lemon beats the Indians 5-2 in Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
1959 At the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, the Dodgers capture the NL flag with a dramatic 6-5 come-from-behind victory over the Braves, taking the first two games of the three-game playoff necessitated by the teams tied on the last day of the season.The deciding run comes in the bottom of the 12th inning after the first two batters make outs when Gil Hodges walks and scores on singles by Joe Pignatano and Carl Furillo.
1968 In a pregame ceremony with Harry Caray as the master of ceremonies, the Cardinals honor retiring outfielder Roger Maris. The former two-time MVP with the Yankees, who has never had his accomplishments recognized in the Bronx, thanks the friendly Busch Stadium crowd and the team, remarking that his two seasons in St. Louis were his "most enjoyable years in baseball."
1973 Steve Carlton, a 27-game winner for the cellar-dwelling Phillies last year, suffers his 20th loss when the Cardinals beat Philadelphia, 7-1.'Lefty,' who will post a 13-20 record and a 3.90 ERA for the last-place team, becomes the first major leaguer to drop 20 decisions after winning the Cy Young Award the previous season.
1976 Tommy Lasorda is named to succeed Walter Alston as the Dodger manager. 'Smokey' compiled a 2040-1613 record (.558) during his 23-year tenure with the club, winning seven pennants and four world championships. *Tommy Lasorda would manage the Dodgers for 22 seasons * The Dodgers had 2 managers over a 45 year span
1987 Don Mattingly sets a major league record by hitting his sixth grand slam of the season, surpassing the mark shared by Ernie Banks (1955 Cubs) and Jim Gentile (1961 Orioles).The Yankees' first baseman will not hit any other round-trippers with the bases loaded during his 14-year career.
1993 George Brett plays his last game at Kauffman Stadium, and after the Royals' 3-2 ninth-inning walk-off victory, a post-game ceremony pays tribute to the future Hall of Famer. After the ceremony, with fireworks lighting up the sky, the KC third baseman circles the stadium in a golf cart, kneels, and kisses home plate.
1996 Although he is four shy of the 502 plate appearances requirement, Tony Gwynn, hitting .353, is given the National League's batting crown using the Oh-fer Clause, which has been in the rule book for 30 years but never invoked. Adding four mythical hitless at-bats would leave the Padres outfielder with a .349 average, still five points better than the runner-up Ellis Burks of the Rockies.
2007 One out away from clinching a playoff berth, Padres closer Trevor Hoffman gives up a game-tying pinch-hit triple to Tony Gwynn Jr., a former teammate's son whom he used to babysit.The Padres will lose the game and tomorrow's season finale, resulting in a one-game playoff loss to Colorado that keeps the team out of the postseason.
1956 On the season's final day at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium, 16-year-old southpaw Jim Derrington becomes the youngest pitcher to start a major league game this century. The teenager tosses six innings, taking the loss when the A's beat the White Sox, 7-6, but his single makes the Chicago bonus baby the youngest player to get a hit in the American League.
1972 Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente doubles off Mets' southpaw Jon Matlack to become the 11th major leaguer to collect 3000 hits.The two-bagger, sadly, will be his last hit as he will die in a plane crash on New Year's Eve. * there are 33 players now
Freddie Freeman has 2,431
Jose Altuve 2,388
1932 Eighteen-year-old Joe DiMaggio makes his professional debut at the end of the San Francisco Seals campaign, playing shortstop for the Pacific Coast League team.Next year, the future Yankee superstar will hit .340 with 169 RBIs and 28 home runs in his first full season in the PCL.
1932 In the fifth inning of Game 3 of the World Series, baseball lore has Babe Ruth pointing to the outfield, predicting that he will hit a home run on the next pitch before he takes Cubs pitcher Charlie Root deep for the second of his two home runs in New York's 7-5 victory at Wrigley Field.Although no definitive proof exists, the 'Bambino' continued to embellish the account of his 'Called Shot' throughout his lifetime, with the Chicago right-hander who threw the pitch denying the Yankee slugger had ever made the gesture to his dying day.
1949 "I like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee." - JOE DiMAGGIO, on the day he is honored at Yankee Stadium
The Bronx Bombers stage a Joe DiMaggio Day at the Bronx ballpark, showering the future Hall of Fame outfielder with an unprecedented haul that includes two cars, a boat, three hundred quarts of ice cream, and a cocker spaniel. The superstar tells the capacity crowd, including his mother and brother Dom, a member of the visiting Red Sox, "I like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee."
1961 Roger Maris surpasses Babe Ruth's single-season home run mark, hitting his 61st homer off Tracy Stallard's 2-0 fastball for the game's only run in the Yankees' 1-0 victory at the Bronx ballpark.Sal Durante, a 19-year-old fan who caught the ball in his palm standing on his seat in Section 33, gives the historic horsehide to the outfielder a few weeks later after accepting $5,000 from Sam Gordon, a Sacramento (CA) restaurant owner.
1967 At Fenway Park, on the last day of the season, Carl Yastrzemski collects four hits to help the Red Sox beat the Twins, 5-3, and clinch the American League pennant by one game over Minnesota and the Tigers. Yaz's remarkable streak of getting ten hits in his final 13 at-bats enables the Long Island (NY) native to win the Triple Crown (.326, 44, 121). 2004 With the second of his two singles, a ground ball through the box, Ichiro Suzuki breaks the major league record for hits in a single season. The third-inning historic safety by the Mariner outfielder from Japan surpasses George Sisler's 84-year-old mark of 257 hits established in 1920 with the St. Louis Browns.
Today in Baseball History
October 2nd 1961 Casey Stengel will be the expansion Mets' first manager. The introduction, made two days before the start of the World Series between the Reds and Yankees, takes place at the Savoy Hilton in the same room where the Bronx Bombers held a press conference at the end of last season to announce the 70-year-old Old Perfessor's mandatory retirement.
1963 In the Fall Classic opener, Sandy Koufax fans his 15th batter of the game when he strikes out pinch-hitter Harry Bright for the final out of LA's 5-2 victory over the Yankees.The Dodger lefty, who struck out the first five Bronx Bombers he faced in the game, surpasses Brooklyn's Carl Erskine's 1953 World Series mark of 14, also accomplished against New York.
1965 Los Angeles clinches the National League pennant on the next-to-last day of the season at Dodger Stadium when Sandy Koufax gets his 26th victory, defeating the Braves in the clincher, 3-1. The Dodgers, winning 14 of their last 15 games, finish the campaign with a 97-65 record, two games ahead of the second-place Giants.
1968 "Someone should have warned us that he changed his clothes in a phone booth before he got to the park and took off the suit with the big S on it." - NORM CASH, Tiger first baseman, commenting on Bob Gibson's commanding performance in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series.
Bob Gibson establishes a new World Series record by striking out 17 batters as the Cardinals defeat the Tigers in Game 1 of the Fall Classic, 4-0.The Redbird right-hander surpasses Sandy Koufax's mark of 15, which the southpaw established on this date five years ago against New York.
1969 In front of 5,473 patrons, the Pilots play their final game in Seattle, a 3-1 loss to the A's. The American League's newest franchise attracted only 677,944 fans to Sick's Stadium in its only season, prompting the last-place club to move to Milwaukee, the nation's 12th-largest city, when Bud Selig purchased the bankrupt franchise, renaming the team the Brewers.
1977 When Dusty Baker hits his 30th homer of the season against the Astros' J.R. Richard, the Dodgers become the first team in major league history to have four players hit 30 or more home runs.He joins Steve Garvey (33), Reggie Smith (32), and Ron Cey (30) to complete the foursome.
* Atlanta & Minnesota broke it w/5
1995 In a one-game playoff for the American League West title, Mariners' southpaw Randy Johnson throws a three-hitter and beats the Angels, 9-1. The 'Big Unit' finishes the shortened season of 145 games with an 18-2 record to establish a new AL mark for a winning percentage of .900, surpassing the record set of .893 by Ron Guidry in 1978.
1948 After taking his position in center field in the bottom of the eighth inning at Fenway Park, Joe DiMaggio is removed from the game by Yankee manager Bucky Harris.As the superstar of their hated rivals limps off the field, the enthusiastic Red Sox crowd of 35,000 gives Joltin' Joe a lengthy and loud standing ovation, a gesture he will later refer to as one of the greatest thrills of his career.
1951 In Game 3 of the National League playoff series at the Polo Grounds, Bobby Thomson's one-out three-run homer off Ralph Branca beats the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth, 5-4, and the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant.The round-tripper, better known as the 'shot heard around the world,’ becomes one of baseball's most famous home runs.
1968 In the third inning of Game 2 of his complete-game World Series victory over St. Louis, Tiger starting pitcher Mickey Lolich hits a solo homer off Nelson Briles. The Busch Stadium round-tripper will be the only home run the southpaw will hit during his 16-year big league career.
1974 Future Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson becomes the first black skipper in major league history when he signs a $175,000 contract to manage and play for the Indians.During his 16 years at the helm of four franchises, the former superstar will compile a 1,065-1,176 (.475) record while piloting the Tribe, Giants, Orioles, and the Expos/Nationals.
2000 Against the Braves, Cardinal rookie starter Rick Ankiel sets a modern-day major league record by uncorking five wild pitches in the third inning of Game 1 of the NLDS. The 21-year-old left-hander joins Buffalo's Bert Cunningham, who accomplished the same feat in the first inning in a 1890 Players League contest. * 12 WP's in 175 innings in 31 games
2012 Adam Dunn, having struck out 222 times, doesn't play in the team's finale to avoid the dubious distinction of breaking the major league mark for strikeouts in a season.The White Sox All-Star finishes with one less whiff than Mark Reynolds' record, established by the first baseman in 2009 when he played for the Diamondbacks.
2012 Miguel Cabrera clinches the American League Triple Crown, becoming the first player since 1967, when Carl Yastrzemski accomplished the feat with Boston. The Tigers' third baseman and eventual MVP led the circuit in average (.330), home runs (44), and RBIs (139), playing with the American League champs.
2013 Alex Rodriguez announces he has filed a lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court, accusing Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig of pursuing "vigilante justice" as part of a "witch hunt" to "destroy" his reputation and career.On August 5, the MLB suspended the Yankees' star for 211 games for allegedly violating baseball's drug agreement
2015 In the nightcap of a Citi Field twin bill, Max Scherzer throws his second no-hitter of the season when the Nationals beat the first-place Mets, 2-0. The 31-year-old right-hander becomes the fifth pitcher to hurl two no-hitters in the same regular season, joining Nolan Ryan (1973 Angels), Virgil Trucks (1952 Tigers), Allie Reynolds (1951 Yankees), and Johnny Vander Meer (1938 Reds). (Ed. Note: Max Scherzer strikes out 17 batters in his gem, a major league record for a no-hitter. -LP)
2003 At Pro Player Stadium, Jeff Conine's perfect peg to catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who holds onto the ball after a collision at home, advances the Marlins to the NLCS.The Florida outfielder's throw to the plate nails J.T. Snow trying to score on Jeffrey Hammonds' single for the final out of the team's 7-6 victory over the Giants in Game 4 of the NLDS.
2006 At Shea Stadium, Russell Martin's double kills a promising two-on and none-out rally as both Dodgers runners become outs at home in the Mets' eventual 6-5 victory in Game 1 of the NLDS.Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew try to score, but the relay from right fielder Shawn Green to second baseman Jose Valentin to Paul Lo Duca allows the catcher to tag each runner during their headfirst slides into the plate. *Ever duplicated ?
2010 Major League Baseball approves a change in the ground rules for Tropicana Field, making a batted ball that rebounds off the A-and B-ring catwalks a dead ball, with the pitch not counting, instead of being in play as in the past.The Rays requested the change for implementation in the upcoming ALDS after Jason Kubel's two-out, ninth-inning pop-up hit off one of the catwalks, driving in the go-ahead run in Minnesota's eventual 8-6 victory over the home team.
2015 MLB schedules all games to start simultaneously at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time to add more drama to the regular season's final day. The scheduling, similar to the English Premier League's "Survival Sunday," also evens the playing field by limiting teams' ability to rest potential playoff starters based on the results of contests played earlier in the day.
1953 In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 6, the Yankees win their record fifth consecutive World Series when Billy Martin singles, scoring Hank Bauer to give New York a dramatic 4-3 walk-off victory over the Dodgers. The Bronx Bombers' second baseman, named the Series MVP, bats .500 in the six contests, collecting a record-tying 12 hits to equal Babe Ruth's mark, and compiles 23 total bases, the most in Fall Classic history. * record is now 29 by George Springer in 2017 for Houston
1963 In Game 4, Mickey Mantle ties Babe Ruth's record with his 15th World Series home run. In the seventh inning, the Yankees slugger turns around a Sandy Koufax fastball to tie the score, but the blast isn't enough to stave off the Dodgers' Fall Classic sweep of the Bronx Bombers.
1977 Glenn Burke greets Dusty Baker on the dugout steps to congratulate his Dodger teammate for hitting a grand slam against the Phillies in Game 2 of the 1977 NLCS. The greeting, consisting of the two players extending their right arms above their heads and slapping their hands to make a resounding clap, is considered the first 'high five' in baseball history.
1959 The largest crowd to attend a major league game, 92,706 fans, watches a nail-biter as White Sox hurler Bob Shaw beats Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, 1-0, in Game 5 of the Fall Classic.
1963 The Dodgers complete a four-game World Series sweep of the Yankees as Sandy Koufax wins his second game, 2-1. Frank Howard leads the offense with a home run and a single, the only two hits Whitey Ford gives up, and New York's first baseman Joe Pepitone's error (he loses a thrown ball in the white-shirted crowd) leads to the decisive run in the seventh inning.
1965 "Hey, skip, bet you wish I was Jewish today, too." - DON DRYSDALE, commenting about his poor performance on the mound with manager Walt Alston after the game.
Sandy Koufax declines to pitch the first game of the World Series against the Twins because the scheduled game occurs on Yom Kippur, the most sacred of the Jewish holidays.As the Dodger southpaw attends shul and fasts on the Day of Atonement, Don Drysdale gives up seven runs in three innings in the team's 8-2 loss at Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium.
1966 Jim Palmer becomes the youngest player to pitch a shutout in the World Series when the 20-year-old Oriole right-hander blanks Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, 6-0. Next month, the contest will become more memorable when Koufax surprises the baseball world by announcing his retirement, making this game his last major league appearance.
1968 Bob Gibson, who went deep in Game 7 of last year's Fall Classic, becomes the first pitcher to hit two home runs in World Series history when he connects off Detroit's Joe Sparma leading off the fourth inning of Game 4 in the Cardinals' 10-1 rout at Tiger Stadium.Oriole southpaw Dave McNally will match the mark with round-trippers in the 1969 and 1970 series.
2010 At Citizens Bank Park, Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay throws the second no-hitter in postseason history when he beats the Reds, 4-0, in Game 1 of the NLDS.Don Larsen became the first hurler to accomplish the feat by throwing a perfect game in the Yankees' victory over Brooklyn in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.
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