This Day in Baseball History

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 5th

1960
At 41, Diomedes Olivo makes his major league debut, pitching in relief for the Pirates. The oldest rookie in National League history hurls two scoreless innings against Milwaukee at Forbes Field.


1969
Tom Seaver becomes the first pitcher in franchise history to win 20 games in one season when the Mets beat the Phillies at Shea Stadium, 5-1. 'Tom Terrific,' who will finish the season with a 25-7 record for the world champs, tosses a five-hit, complete game to reach the milestone.


1979
Just one defeat shy of the American League record, A's starting pitcher Matt Keough snaps his eighteen-game consecutive losing streak, including four losses at the end of last season. The 24-year-old right-hander tosses a 6-1 complete-game victory over the Brewers at the Oakland Coliseum to avoid the dubious distinction.


1989
Deion Sanders, the fifth player selected overall in the 1989 NFL Draft, hits a home run as the Bronx Bombers rout the Mariners at the Kingdome, 12-2. Five days later, in his NFL debut with the Atlanta Falcons, the Yankee rookie returns a punt 68 yards for a touchdown.


1995
When the game becomes official in the bottom of the fifth inning, Cal Ripken receives a standing ovation for over five minutes from the sellout crowd at Oriole Park at Camden Yards as he ties Yankee legend Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games.

 

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 6th

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

nationalpastime.com

1943
At 16 years, eight months, and five days, Carl Scheib becomes the youngest player to appear in an American League game when he tosses two-thirds of an inning in the A's 11-4 loss to New York, giving up two hits and an earned run in the ninth inning i the Shibe Park contest. The good-hitting right-handed teenager will post a 45-65 win-loss record and a .250 batting average during his 11 seasons in the major leagues.


1953
With Giants manager Leo Durocher yelling, "stick it in his ear," Ruben Gomez hits Carl Furillo, the National League's leading hitter, on the wrist by a pitch. After taking first base, the Dodgers right fielder bolts into the opposing dugout to choke 'Leo the Lip,' but in the melee, he factures the knuckle on his little finger, ending his season.


1972
Paying respect to the eleven Israeli Olympic athletes killed yesterday by terrorists in Munich, A's southpaw Ken Holtzman and first baseman Mike Epstein don black armbands on their uniforms' sleeves. The action taken by the Jewish players, affirming the importance of their faith, is well received by the club, with Reggie Jackson wearing an armband in solidarity, along with skipper Dick Williams fully supporting the symbolic gesture made by the Oakland teammates.


1976
While waiting in the on-deck circle, Steve Yeager is seriously injured when jagged pieces of Bill Russell's broken bat strikes in the throat. The 27-year-old backstop's near-fatal accident, which he amazingly recovers from to rejoin the team in three weeks, leads to the development of a protective device for catchers and umpires, sometimes referred to as a billy goat strap, which is a flap attached to the bottom of the protective face mask to prevent similar type of injuries.
(Ed. Note: The use of the throat guard is now mandatory in numerous youth and amateur baseball leagues, including Little League, and for NCAA baseball and softball teams. - LP)


1981
"I told him to quit threatening me. If he wants me to go, make the move - don't wait. I can't take it any longer" - GENE MICHAEL, speaking to the press about his relationship with George Steinbrenner.

Calling the decision the most the ''most agonizing'' he has made running the club, Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner fires Gene Michael and replaces him with Bob Lemon. The dismissal results from the former skipper's comments to the press concerning his inability to tolerate the constant threats of dismissal and his refusal to apologize for the August 28 remarks.


1982
The Pirates retire the number 8 worn by Willie Stargell, the team's all-time leader in home runs, RBIs, and extra-base hits, after spending his entire 21-year career with the Bucs. In 1988, the Hall of Fame will induct "Pops," a seven-time NL All-Star who won NLCS and World Series MVP honors in 1979, in his first year of eligibility.


1985
In a matchup of aces that lives up to its advanced billing, Dwight Gooden and Fernando Valenzuela hook up in one of the best pitchers' duels in recent memory. New York beats Los Angeles at Chavez Ravine, 2-0, thanks to Darryl Strawberry's two-run double on a day that the 20-year-old Mets right-hander strikes out ten batters, throwing nine shutout innings, while the Dodger southpaw pitches 11 innings without allowing a run.


1995
Cal Ripken breaks Lou Gehrig's consecutive game record, playing in his 2,131st straight game. When the game becomes official in the middle of the fifth inning, the new 'Iron Man' takes a victory lap around Camden Yards during the 22-minute standing ovation from the sellout crowd, including President Bill Clinton.

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1996
Eddie Murray of the Orioles becomes the 15th player in major league history to hit 500 home runs when his seventh-inning solo shot goes deep, knotting the score at 3-3 off Tiger pitcher Felipe Lira at Camden Yards. The Los Angeles native joins Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the only players to reach this milestone and have three thousand hits.

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2000
Scott Sheldon joins Bert Campaneris (A's, 1965) and Cesar Tovar (Twins, 1968) to become the third player in baseball history to play all nine positions in a single game. With the White Sox ahead 10-0, the Ranger infielder comes into the game defensively in the bottom of the fourth inning, replacing backstop Bill Haselman, and will proceed to play in every spot on the field, including a third of an inning on the mound, where he strikes out the only batter he faces.

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[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 7th


1911
Cy Young loses a pitching duel to Phillies' rookie right-hander Grover Cleveland Alexander at Boston's South End Grounds, 1-0. Next month, the 44-year-old veteran Braves hurler will end his career after 22 seasons with an astonishing 511 victories, a major league record unlikely to be broken.

Career Leaders &amp Records for Wins | Baseball-Reference.com

Career W Leaders:1.Cy Young+/511/3104, 2.Walter Johnson+/417/2534, 3.Grover Alexander+/373/1982, Christy Mathewson+/373/1900, 5.Pud Galvin+/365/2788, 6.Warren Spahn+/363/2056, 7.Kid Nichols+/362/2264, 8.Greg Maddux+/355/1812, 9.Roger Clemens/354/213, 10.Tim Keefe+/34

www.baseball-reference.com

1962
With four steals in a 10-1 loss to the Pirates, Dodger Maury Wills breaks the modern National League record for stolen bases in a season with his 82nd swipe. Cincinnati's Bob Bescher established the mark in 1911, playing left field with Cincinnati.


1974
The American League suspends Graig Nettles for ten days when his bat shatters on a disallowed infield hit, releasing six super balls collected by catcher Bill Freehan. The Yankee third baseman, who said the piece of lumber was given to him by a fan in Chicago, hit a home run in his first at-bat for the game's only run in the Yankees' 1-0 victory over Detroit at Shea Stadium.


1993
In the nightcap of a doubleheader at Cincinnati, Cardinal outfielder Mark Whiten becomes the 12th player to hit four home runs in one game, helping to tie two established RBI records. With 12 RBIs in the second game, he equals the single-game mark set by Jim Bottomley in 1924, and with his ribbie in the opener, he ties a 21-year-old record established by Nate Colbert for the most RBIs (13) in a twin bill.

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2009
The Pirates become the first baseball franchise in history to post a losing record for 17 consecutive seasons when the team drops a 4-2 decision to the Cubs at PNC Park. The dubious streak, which dates back to 1993, surpasses the Phillies' skid from 1933 to 1948.

 

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 8th
1939
Bob Feller, with his 12-1 victory over the Browns in St. Louis, becomes the youngest modern-era player to win 20 games. The 20-year-old Indians' fireballer finishes the season 24-9 while posting a 2.85 ERA.


1957
Before their departure to play on the West Coast next season, the Dodgers and Giants face one another for the final time in New York. The Jints beat the Bums at the Polo Grounds, 3-2, to finish the intense 68-year-old storied rivalry with a 656-606 advantage over Brooklyn in the battle between the boroughs.


1965
In a promotion to increase Kansas City's low attendance, Bert Campaneris becomes the first major leaguer to play all nine positions in a single game. After being involved in a collision at home plate in the ninth inning, Rene Lachemann replaces Campy as the team's catcher in the A's eventual 5-3, 13-inning victory over California.
* A bar trivia question I used way to many times .

1967
At the urging of their fans, the Mets honor former Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax, who retired last season when arthritis prematurely ended his career. The 31-year-old Brooklyn-born southpaw, who threw a no-hitter against New York in 1962, started twenty times against the Amazins, compiling a 17-2 record with 14 complete games and five shutouts.


1977
Cubs' relief pitcher Bruce Sutter strikes out the first six batters he faces, including three men in the ninth on nine pitches. The future Hall of Famer will earn his sixth victory in seven decisions when the Cubs beat Montreal in 10 innings at Wrigley Field, 3-2.
(Ed. Note: Bruce Sutter tosses an immaculate inning when he retires Ellis Valentine, Gary Carter, and Larry Parrish on nine straight strikes. - LP)
split-finger fastball

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2008
Mark Saccomanno, a lifelong fan of the team that just called him up a few hours before the start of the game, hits a home run on the first pitch he sees as a major leaguer, contributing to the Astros' 3-2 victory over the Pirates at Minute Maid Park. The 28-year-old Houston native, who will not connect for another round-tripper in his career, is the first to accomplish the feat as a pinch-hitter, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to homer in his initial big-league at-bat.

 

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 9th

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

nationalpastime.com

1950
After leading off the first with a single, Dom DiMaggio swipes second base, advances to third on an error, and then scores the first run of the game on a groundout in the Red Sox's 11-3 rout of Philadelphia at Fenway Park. The stolen base is the final one the 'Little Perfesser' will get this season, but he will finish leading the American League with 15, the lowest total that has ever led either league.


1961
At the Stadium, Roger Maris hits his 56th home run of the season off Mudcat Grant in an 8-7 comeback Yankee victory over the Indians. The Fargo native and his roommate Mickey Mantle (52) now hold the record for most single-season home runs by two teammates (108), previously set in 1927 by another pair of Bronx Bombers, Babe Ruth (60) and Lou Gehrig (47).


1965
"And there's 29,000 people in the ballpark and a million butterflies." - VIN SCULLY, setting the stage in the ninth inning of Sandy Koufax's gem.

At Dodger Stadium, Sandy Koufax throws a perfect game against the Cubs, the southpaw's record fourth no-hitter, beating Bob Hendley's one-hit effort, 1-0. In the fifth inning, the Chicago left-hander gives up an unearned run, yielding the game's only hit in the seventh-inning double to Lou Johnson on a ball that barely rolls to the outfield grass.

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1978
"This is the first time I've seen a first-place team chasing a second-place team," - TONY KUBEK, NBC Game of the Week color NBC Game of the Week color commentator, remarking on the Yankees' dominance of the Red Sox.

Behind Ron Guidry's gem at Fenway Park, the Yankees win the third of their four-game sweep against the Red Sox in a series that will become known as the Boston Massacre. After giving up two singles in the first inning, 'Gator' no-hits his opponents for the remaining 8⅔ innings, bringing the team within one game of the front-running BoSox, who once had a commanding 14-game lead earlier in the season.



1987
Astros right-hander Nolan Ryan, beating the Giants, 4-2, strikes out 12 of the final 13 hitters he faces en route to a 16-K performance. The 'Ryan Express' notches his 4,500th career strikeout, whiffing Mike Aldrete to end the seventh inning.

 

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 10th

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

nationalpastime.com

1964
With his office responsible for all the costs for teams not making it into the postseason, Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick authorizes the Phillies, Yankees, White Sox, and Orioles to print tickets for the World Series. Due to a historic late-season collapse by Philadelphia, the surging Cardinals win the National League pennant on the last day of the season and will play the Bronx Bombers in the Fall Classic.

1970
The Perrys become the first siblings to win twenty games in the same season when Gaylord goes the distance in the Giants' 11-0 victory over the Astros at Candlestick Park. Big brother Jim recorded his 20th nine days earlier, also throwing a complete-game shutout in the Twins' 4-0 win over the Brewers at County Stadium.

1974
Lou Brock ties and then breaks Maury Wills's 12-year-old single-season stolen base record with his 104th and 105th swipes. The Cardinal left fielder's thievery against the Phillies doesn't help when the Redbirds drop the Busch Stadium contest, 8-2.


1985
Keith Hernandez receives a two-minute standing ovation from the Mets fans in his first game back at Shea after testifying in a Pittsburgh courtroom. The New York first baseman, who responds with a run-producing single against his former team, admitted on the witness stand to having used cocaine while playing for the Cardinals.

 

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 11th

2001
In the wake of terrorist attacks on New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Major League Baseball cancels all games for security reasons and the deep mourning of the senseless loss of lives. Yankee officials also order the evacuation of their Bronx ballpark as a precautionary measure.

 

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 12th

1930
At Ebbets Field, Dodger catcher Al Lopez hits the last major league bounced home run in National League history. The Senior Circuit joins the American League, which had enacted the rule change in 1929, awarding a ground-rule double to the player who hits the ball over the wall on a bounce.


1962
Tom Cheney sets a major league mark for K's in a single game by striking out 21 batters, throwing all 16 innings in the Senators' 2-1 victory over the Orioles. The 27-year-old right-handed fireballer tosses 228 pitches in the three-hour and 59-minute Memorial Stadium contest.


1972
In his final appearance, 29-year-old right-hander Denny McLain, who will finish his ten-year career with a 131-92 record, loses when he gives up three runs in the ninth inning without retiring a batter in the Braves' 7-5 loss to Cincinnati at Atlanta Stadium. The last batter the one-time 30-game winner, rumored to have been involved with gambling and bookmaking, will face is Pete Rose, who will receive a lifetime ban from the game for wagering on the game.


1976
At age 53, Minnie Minoso becomes the oldest player to get a hit in a regular-season game as he singles in three at-bats as the designated hitter for the White Sox. Angels' southpaw Sid Monge gives up the historic safety.


1984
Mets right-hander Dwight Gooden breaks the season strikeout record for a rookie when he whiffs Marvell Wynne in the sixth inning of his 2-0 complete-game victory over the Pirates at Shea Stadium. By whiffing 16 Bucs, Doc's total of 251 is six more than Herb Score's 1955 mark.

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1995
During a WGN pregame radio broadcast at Wrigley Field, Harry Caray remarks to the team's skipper Jim Riggleman, "Well, my eyes are slanty enough, how 'bout yours?" referring to Hideo Nomo, the Japanese rookie hurler scheduled to start for the Dodgers. The veteran announcer, known for not backing off his on-the-air off-handed comments, does issue an apology, calling the incident "unfortunate."


2021
Max Scherzer becomes the 19th player to reach the 3,000-strikeout plateau with a fifth-inning punch out of Eric Hosmer, who will break up the right-hander's bid for a perfect game with a one-out double in the eighth of LA's 8-0 victory over the Padres. The three-time Cy Young Award winner whiffs nine batters in the Dodger Stadium gem, including his third career immaculate inning, tying a major league mark shared by Sandy Koufax and Chris Sale.

 

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 13th

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

nationalpastime.com

1945
Only 281 patrons attend the Crosley Field contest to watch the hometown Reds beat New York, 3-2. The Thursday crowd will be the smallest gathering of fans during the 58-year history of the Cincinnati ballpark.


1963
On Friday the 13th, hard-luck hurler Roger Craig, en route to his 21st loss of the season, allows the game's lone run to score after getting the first two outs in the ninth inning of the Mets' 1-0 loss to Houston at the Polo Grounds. The defeat marks the fifth time the New York right-hander has dropped a 1-0 decision this season.
* as a 12 year old who read every boxscore every day from the morning and afternoon newspapers following this streak was baseball talk at home at school and at the Boys Club
Bragging..at 12 I could tell you every starting 8 for every team in both leagues... OBSESSED !


1968
Jerry Koosman ties the National League rookie record when he hurls his seventh shutout, blanking Pittsburgh on three singles. The left-hander's 2-0 victory, the Mets' 67th win of the season - a franchise high, equals the mark shared by Irving Young (Braves, 1905) and Grover Cleveland Alexander (Phillies, 1911).


1971
In the nightcap of a twin bill, Frank Robinson joins the 500 home run club with a ninth-inning three-run homer off Fred Scherman in the Orioles' 10-5 loss to the Tigers at Memorial Stadium. The Baltimore right fielder connected off Mike Kilkenny for #499 in Game 1 of the doubleheader, a 9-1 Birds' victory.

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1989
Jack Morris, earning his 162nd win since the beginning of the 1980 season, beats the Tribe at Cleveland Stadium, 3-1. During the eighties, the Tiger right-hander compiles the most victories (162-119) but never finishes higher than third place in the Cy Young Award balloting during the ten years.


1995
Tiger second baseman Lou Whitaker and shortstop Alan Trammell, appearing in the same game for the 1,915th time, set an American League record for joint appearances. The Detroit middle infielders surpass the mark established in 1990 by Royals' teammates George Brett and Frank White.


2004
At Oakland's Network Associates Coliseum, a female fan suffers a broken nose, facial lacerations, and a possible concussion from being struck by a plastic chair thrown by Ranger reliever Frank Francisco. The altercation between fans and several Rangers players, which occurs in the field box seats between the Texas dugout and bullpen, occurs with two outs in the ninth inning after Texas' Alfonso Soriano's second homer of the game ties the game 5-5.


2014
On the AT&T Park's pitching mound, Giants skipper Bruce Bochy hands the ball to his son, Brett, marking the first time an offspring has hurled for a major league team his father managed. The 27-year-old right-hander enters the game with the bases loaded and two out, walking in a run before recording the final out in the sixth inning.

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[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 14th

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

nationalpastime.com

1968
In a nationally televised game, Denny McLain becomes a thirty-game winner when the Tigers rally for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Oakland 5-4. The Detroit right-hander, who will finish the season 31-6, is the first hurler to accomplish the feat since Dizzy Dean reached the milestone in 1934.


1975
In his 242nd major league game as a teenager, Brewers shortstop Robin Yount breaks Mel Ott's forty-seven-year-old record. The youthful infielder was 18 years, two months, and six days old when he debuted with Milwaukee in 1973


1987
"What the hell — he couldn’t hit a twenty-run homer." - CAL RIPKEN SR, the Orioles manager responding to why he ended his son's consecutive-innings streak.

In an 18-3 Toronto blowout, which features the visitors hitting a major league record ten home runs, Orioles' manager Cal Ripken Sr. puts Ron Washington at shortstop, ending his son's record streak at 8,243 consecutive innings, a span of 904 games.


1990
Mariner Ken Griffey and his son, Junior, become the first father and son to hit homers in the same major league game. Angel hurler Kirk McCaskill gives up the back-to-back blasts.

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1994
Due to the strike, 26 of the 28 MLB team owners vote to cancel the remainder of the season, making baseball the first major professional sport to lose an entire postseason because of a labor dispute. The 232-day work stoppage will result in 948 canceled games, shortening the 1994 and 1995 seasons.


2011
After missing fifty contests for a PED infraction in April 2008 while playing for the Giants, Eliezer Alfonzo becomes the first player to be suspended twice under the MLB drug program. The Colorado catcher will appeal the 100-game suspension, having the ban overturned for procedural reasons when the handling of his urine sample doesn't follow the protocol outlined in baseball's agreement with the players.

 

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 16th

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

nationalpastime.com

1948
Joe DiMaggio's 300th career homer is the lone run that Detroit starter Fred Hutchinson gives up in his 2-1 complete-game win over New York at Briggs Stadium. The 'Yankee Clipper' joins Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx, Rogers Hornsby, Chuck Klein, and Hank Greenberg as the eighth major leaguer to reach the milestone.


1960
Warren Spahn pitches a no-hitter, beating the Phillies at County Stadium, 4-0. The 39-year-old southpaw sets an all-time Braves record with 15 strikeouts en route to his 20th victory of the season, marking the tenth time he has reached the plateau.


1965
In front of only 1,247 fans at Fenway Park, Red Sox right-hander Dave Morehead, the league leader in losses this season with 18, no-hits the visiting Indians, 2-1. On the same day, ninth-place Boston, who will lose 100 games, fire their general manager, Pinky Higgins.


1968
American League President Joe Cronin fires umpires Al Salerno and Bill Valentine, citing their incompetency for their dismissal. The veteran men in blue claim the firings were due to their efforts to organize the Junior Circuit arbitrators after the pair met with their National League counterparts who had formed a union in 1963.
**
Yes, American League umpires formed a union that later merged with their National League counterparts in 1970 to create the Major League Umpires Association (MLUA). This union was eventually replaced in 2000 by the Major League Baseball Umpires Association (MLBUA), formerly the World Umpires Association (WUA), which serves as the bargaining agent for all Major League Baseball umpires today.


1988
On a wet, dreary night in a game delayed by two hours and 27 minutes, Tom Browning pitches the first perfect game in Reds' history, striking out eight and allowing only eight balls to leave the infield in his 1-0 victory against the Dodgers. Over three starts, including the perfect game, the 28-year-old southpaw retires 40 consecutive batters - one shy of the major league record established in 1972 by Giants' right-hander Jim Barr.

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1993
At the age of 41, Twins' Dave Winfield becomes the 19th major leaguer to collect 3000 hits when he singles to left off A's ace Dennis Eckersley in the bottom of the ninth of a 5-4 extra-inning victory over Oakland at the Metrodome. Joining Al Kaline, the Minnesota DH becomes the second player to reach the milestone, having never played a day in the minors.

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1996
A fifth-inning triple off Royal southpaw Jose Rosado gives Twins Paul Molitor his 3000th hit, becoming the first major leaguer to accomplish the feat with a three-bagger. The 'Ignitor' reaches this milestone in the same season in which he also collects 200 hits, making him the only player to accomplish both feats in the same campaign.

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2005
Youppi!, who started at Olympic Stadium with the Expos, is named the first official mascot of the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first to switch from Major League Baseball to the NHL. The acquisition, reportedly at the cost of six figures, was made possible when the city's baseball franchise left the hairy orange arm-waving giant behind in favor of an eagle called "Screech" when they moved to Washington, D.C. to become the Nationals.

2007
In a dramatic at-bat, Jim Thome becomes the third major leaguer this season and the 23rd overall to hit 500 career home runs. The historic homer comes in the bottom of the ninth on a full count as the White Sox DH strokes a two-run walk-off round-tripper to beat the Angels at U.S. Cellular Field, 9-7.

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2008
Derek Jeter becomes the all-time hits leader at the soon-to-be-demolished Yankee Stadium. The team's shortstop and captain surpasses Lou Gehrig's record with a first-inning single in a 6-2 loss to the White Sox, bringing his total to 1,270 at the 85-year-old ballpark.

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2009
The Tigers pay tribute to 91-year-old Ernie Harwell, their long-time broadcaster (1960-2002), who recently revealed he has inoperable cancer. During the 4-3 victory over Kansas City, a ceremony in the third inning includes a three-minute video tribute followed by the Hall of Fame announcer thanking the admiring and supportive fans attending the game at Comerica Park.

 

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 17th

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

nationalpastime.com

1947
Not waiting for the end of the season, The Sporting News, in a full-page splash in today's issue, names Dodger Jackie Robinson as the publication's Rookie of the Year. Although the Brooklyn infielder faced the challenges of being the century's first black big-leaguer, 'The Bible of Baseball' makes the selection based on his hitting, running, defensive play, and value to the team, according to the article written by legendary publisher J.G. Taylor Spink.


1964
Thanks to the efforts of Charlie Finley (seen below wearing a wig), the Beatles, who had planned for a day of rest in New Orleans on the only free date scheduled during their American tour, play a concert in Kansas City's Municipal Stadium. The group's manager Brian Epstein, who had initially turned down the A's owner's offers of $50,000 and $100,000 to have the lads from Liverpool perform in the City of Fountains, agrees on $150,000, about six times the going rate, enabling the Fab Four to earn $4,838 per minute, the largest sum ever paid for a musical concert.

1968
At Candlestick Park, Giants' hurler Gaylord Perry (14-14) no-hits the Cardinals and Bob Gibson, 1-0, with the game's only run scored on Ron Hunt's first-inning home run. For the first time in major league history, the feat is accomplished in successive games when Redbird hurler Ray Washburn returns the favor tomorrow by no-hitting San Francisco, 2-0.


1984
On the seventeenth anniversary of his first major league round-tripper, Reggie Jackson connects off Kansas City pitcher Bud Black in the bottom of the seventh inning for his 500th career home run. The milestone four-bagger proves to be the only run the Angels would score in the Royals' 10-1 victory.

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1996
Dodger right-hander Hideo Nomo no-hits the Rockies, 9-0, at Coors Field, becoming the only big-league hurler to accomplish the feat in the thin air of Denver. Tornado Boy's performance in Colorado is the best-attended no-no and is the only hitless game with a paid attendance of more than 50,000 fans.

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[rocky mountain]

Today in Baseball History
September 17th

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

nationalpastime.com

1947
Not waiting for the end of the season, The Sporting News, in a full-page splash in today's issue, names Dodger Jackie Robinson as the publication's Rookie of the Year. Although the Brooklyn infielder faced the challenges of being the century's first black big-leaguer, 'The Bible of Baseball' makes the selection based on his hitting, running, defensive play, and value to the team, according to the article written by legendary publisher J.G. Taylor Spink.


1964
Thanks to the efforts of Charlie Finley (seen below wearing a wig), the Beatles, who had planned for a day of rest in New Orleans on the only free date scheduled during their American tour, play a concert in Kansas City's Municipal Stadium. The group's manager Brian Epstein, who had initially turned down the A's owner's offers of $50,000 and $100,000 to have the lads from Liverpool perform in the City of Fountains, agrees on $150,000, about six times the going rate, enabling the Fab Four to earn $4,838 per minute, the largest sum ever paid for a musical concert.

1968
At Candlestick Park, Giants' hurler Gaylord Perry (14-14) no-hits the Cardinals and Bob Gibson, 1-0, with the game's only run scored on Ron Hunt's first-inning home run. For the first time in major league history, the feat is accomplished in successive games when Redbird hurler Ray Washburn returns the favor tomorrow by no-hitting San Francisco, 2-0.


1984
On the seventeenth anniversary of his first major league round-tripper, Reggie Jackson connects off Kansas City pitcher Bud Black in the bottom of the seventh inning for his 500th career home run. The milestone four-bagger proves to be the only run the Angels would score in the Royals' 10-1 victory.

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1996
Dodger right-hander Hideo Nomo no-hits the Rockies, 9-0, at Coors Field, becoming the only big-league hurler to accomplish the feat in the thin air of Denver. Tornado Boy's performance in Colorado is the best-attended no-no and is the only hitless game with a paid attendance of more than 50,000 fans.

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Jackie Robinson what an amazing story, such a brave baller! Can't even imagine the hate he had to deal with and to perform at that level is remarkable. What a story! Good stuff OS.

 

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 18th

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

nationalpastime.com

1931
A's southpaw Lefty Grove becomes the first pitcher since 1920 to win 30 games when he beats the White Sox, 2-1. Only two more pitchers will win as many games this century, with Dizzy Dean winning 30 for the Cardinals in 1934 and Denny McLain earning 31 victories thirty-four years later for the Tigers.


1954
In front of only 6,913 fans at Detroit's Brigg Stadium, the Indians, with a 3-2 win over Detroit, clinch the American League pennant and finish eight games ahead of the Yankees, who won the AL flag the previous five seasons. The Tribe, who will set an American League record with 111 victories, will be swept in the Giants' World Series.


1963
In the Polo Grounds' final game, played in front of a paltry 1,752 patrons, Jim Hickman of the Mets hits the last home run in the 52-year history of the Coogan's Bluff ballpark. The iconic stadium, which served as the home of the Giants (1911-1957), Yankees (1913-1922), and Mets (1962-63), first opened its doors on June 28, 1911.

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1976
Indians player-manager Frank Robinson, in his final major league at-bat, strokes a pinch-hit single in a 4-3 loss to Baltimore at Cleveland Stadium. The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer ends his 21-year playing career with a batting average of .294 and 586 home runs, at the time, the fourth-best in baseball history.


1994
PBS airs Ken Burns Baseball, a nine-part documentary that explores the relationship between the sport and society using archived pictures, film footage, and a soundtrack of interviews and the music of the times. The 1995 Primetime Emmy Awards winner for Outstanding Informational Series enjoys an audience of 45 million viewers, making the 18.5-hour miniseries the most-watched program in Public Television history.


2006
The Dodgers, who are last in the National League in homers, hit four consecutive home runs in an inning when Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russell Martin, and Marlon Anderson all go deep in the bottom of the ninth to tie the Padres, 9-9. The improbable feat, accomplished only by the 1964 Twins, 1963 Indians, and the 1961 Braves, leads to Nomar Garciaparra's walk-off two-run homer in the tenth and sole possession of first place when Los Angeles beat the Friars, 11-10.

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[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 19th

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

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1968
Denny McLain posts his 31st victory, the most in the American League since 1931 when Lefty Grove finished the season with a 31-4 record with the Philadelphia A's. However, the fans will likely remember the Tiger Stadium contest for Mickey Mantle's 535th home run that surpasses Jimmie Foxx on the all-time home-run list on a pitch allegedly 'grooved' by the Detroit starter.

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1976
Braves owner Ted Turner promotes Bill Lucas to vice president of player personnel, which assumes all the responsibilities of the general manager, with the owner retaining the official title. The former minor leaguer becomes the first black to run a major league franchise nearly three decades after Jackie Robinson broke the color line.


1982
Mariner rookie Orlando Mercado becomes the third player to hit a grand slam for his first major league hit. Bill Duggelby (1898 - first at-bat) and Bobby Bonds (1968 - third at-bat) were the other two players who accomplished the feat.

2001
Major League Baseball and the Players Association announce the creation of the MLB-MLBPA Disaster Relief Fund. The organizations will each donate $10 million to aid the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks.


2008
The first reversal determined by baseball's new instant replay system occurs when Carlos Pena's two-run double becomes a three-run homer during the fourth inning in the Rays' 11-1 rout of the Twins at Tropicana Field. Umpire Mike DiMuro initially signaled fan interference but changed the call after reviewing the video of the Tampa Bay first baseman's line drive.


2010
A piece of wood from Wellington Castillo's shattered maple bat punctures Tyler Colvin's chest, the runner on third base. The Cubs' rookie outfielder, who will not play another game this season, scores on his teammate's double but leaves the game in the bottom half of the inning to be taken to a hospital.


2011
In front of 40,045 fans at a Monday makeup game, the smallest crowd in the three-year history of the new Yankee Stadium, 41-year-old closer Mariano Rivera retires Trevor Plouffe, Michael Cuddyer, and Chris Parmelee to finish the team's 6-4 win over Minnesota. The 41-year-old Panamanian's 43rd save of the season is the 602nd in his career, surpassing Trevor Hoffman's major league record.
(Ed. Note: Rivera recorded 602 saves in 674 opportunities (89.3%), with Hoffman getting 601 in 677 tries (88.8%) -LP.)


2014
LA's Clayton Kershaw becomes the season's first 20-game winner when the team routs Chicago at a windy Wrigley Field, 14-5. The 26-year-old southpaw, who has compiled a 20-3 (.870) record and an ERA of 1.80, is the first Dodger hurler to reach the 20-win plateau twice since Claude Osteen accomplished the feat in 1969 and 1972.

 

[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 20th

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

nationalpastime.com

1955
Willie Mays becomes the seventh player to hit fifty home runs in a season when he connects off Pittsburgh's Vern Law for the second time in the Giants' 14-8 victory at the Polo Grounds. The round-tripper is the 24-year-old center fielder's seventh in six consecutive games.


1958
Thanks to Gus Triandos' eighth-inning home run, recently acquired Oriole knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm no-hits the Yankees at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, 1-0. The contest will mark the last time the Yankees fail to get a hit in a game in this century.


1961
In a 13-inning contest, Sandy Koufax goes the distance, beating the Cubs, 3-2, in the last regular-season game played at the LA Memorial Coliseum, a venue originally built for the 1932 Olympics. The Dodgers are leaving the only home they have known since moving from Brooklyn four seasons ago to play in a brand new stadium in Chavez Ravine, located a few miles from downtown Los Angeles.


1966
Sandy Koufax becomes the first National League hurler in 31 years to record 25 or more victories in two straight seasons when he goes the distance in LA's 11-1 rout over the Phillies at Dodger Stadium. In 1935, Cardinals' right-hander Dizzy Dean posted a 28-12 record after winning 30 of 37 decisions in the previous campaign.


1968
Mickey Mantle hits his final home run, a solo shot in the third inning, finishing his 18-year major league career third on the all-time home run list with 536 round-trippers behind only Babe Ruth and Willie Mays when he retires at the end of the season. Jim Lonborg gives up the homer to the 36-year-old slugger in a 4-3 loss to the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
*Bar stool staple trivia question in my drunk days.


1973
The Pirates miss scoring in the top of the 13th inning when Dave Augustine's 'home run' bounces off the top of the fence into the glove of left fielder Cleon Jones, who relays the ball to Wayne Garrett in time for the third baseman to nail Richie Zisk at the plate. Mets rookie catcher Ron Hodges ends the Shea Stadium contest in the bottom of the frame, which will become known as the 'Ball on the Wall Game,' with a one-out single off Bucs' reliever Dave Giusti, plating John Milner for the 4-3 victory.

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1973
After sharing the news on the Today Show, Willie Mays officially announces his retirement at a press conference held at Shea Stadium's Diamond Club. The Mets will honor the aging superstar in five days with a pre-game ceremony at the ballpark.


1980
The Yankees dedicate a bronze plaque in memory of Thurman Munson in the ballpark's Memorial Park. The 32-year-old team captain Munson died last season while attempting to land his Cessna Citation at Akron-Canton Airport.

1988
Wade Boggs becomes the first player in this century to get 200 hits in six consecutive years. The 30-year-old Red Sox third baseman, who also joins Lou Gehrig by collecting 200 hits and 100 base-on-balls for three straight seasons, will extend the streak to seven campaigns in 1989 with 205 hits.


1992
Phillies' second baseman Mickey Morandini catches Jeff King's line drive, steps on second, doubling up Andy Van Slyke, and tags Barry Bonds to complete an unassisted triple play in a 3-2 loss to the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium. The triple killing is the first in the National League since 1927 when Cubs' shortstop Jimmy Cooney accomplished the rare feat in a contest against the Pirates.

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1998
"Let's end it in the same place it started. In my home state. In front of friends and family. In front of the best fans in the world."- Cal Ripken, JR., commenting on ending his consecutive streak.

After nearly 16 years of not missing a game, Cal Ripken, quietly and without fanfare, takes himself out of the lineup after playing in a major-league record 2,632 consecutive games. In a nationally televised ESPN Sunday night game, the Orioles shortstop's streak ends when Baltimore drops a 5-4 decision to the Yankees at Camden Yards.


2010
Matt Diaz subdues a teenage fan wearing a red spandex suit with a red mask after the intruder runs onto the field and eludes a security guard during the Braves-Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. The Atlanta left fielder tackles the costumed 17-year-old released from juvenile detention tomorrow afternoon with the parents apologizing for their son's actions.

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[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 21st
1934
"If I'da known he was gonna throw one, I'da thrown one, too." - DIZZY DEAN, after his brother tosses a no-hitter in the nightcap of a doubleheader.

In the second game of a twin bill at Ebbets Field, 22-year-old Cardinal hurler Paul Dean, called Daffy by his teammates, becomes the fifth rookie to throw a no-hitter, beating the Dodgers, 3-0. His brother Dizzy held Brooklyn hitless until the eighth inning in the opener, settling for a two-hitter in the team's 13-0 blanking of the Bums.


1966
The smallest crowd in the 46-year-old history of Chicago's Wrigley Field watches the Cubs beat Cincinnati, 9-3. The 530 fans in attendance for the Wednesday afternoon contest see Billy Williams and Adolfo Phillips go deep in a game that takes only two hours and twenty-four minutes to complete.


1981
Phillies southpaw Steve Carlton becomes the all-time National League strikeout leader when he fans Andre Dawson in the third frame of the team's 1-0 loss in 17 innings at Montreal. Lefty, who tosses ten shutout innings and fans a dozen batters in the Olympic Stadium contest, surpasses Cardinal legend Bob Gibson with his 3,118th career strikeout, taking over the top spot in the Senior Circuit.



2001
The Mets donate their day's pay, totaling approximately $500,000, from tonight's game with the Braves at Shea to a rescue fund for the families of the firefighters and policemen killed in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks. The contest is the first professional baseball game played in New York since the tragedy.


2001
A crowd of 41,235 at Shea Stadium witnesses baseball's return to New York City for the first time since the terrorist attacks of September 11th. Uplifting ceremonies before and during the game, including performances by Diana Ross, Marc Anthony, Lisa Minnelli, and NYPD bagpipers, pay tribute to victims of the tragedy. Mike Piazza's eighth-inning home run gives the Mets a 3-2 dramatic victory over the Braves.


2008
After a moving ceremony celebrating the history of the 85-year-old ballpark, New York beat the Orioles in the last game ever played at Yankee Stadium, 7-3. Babe's daughter, Julia Ruth Stevens, throws out the ceremonial first pitch, with team captain Derek Jeter at the end of the game, surrounded on the mound by his teammates, bids farewell to 'House Ruth Built,' addressing 54,610 fans attending the Bronx finale.

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[Old School]

Today in Baseball History
September 22nd

Baseball History September 22nd - National Pastime - Baseball History

nationalpastime.com

1946
Slightly more than two years after being injured on D-Day while serving in the U.S. Navy as a gunner's mate, 21-year-old Yogi Berra makes his major league debut, going 2-for-4, including a home run, in the Yankees' 4-3 victory over the A's in the Bronx. The future Hall of Famer catcher, a 15-time All-Star and three-time American League MVP, will pass away at 90 on this date in 2015.


1961
In the Orioles' 8-5 victory over the White Sox at Comiskey Park, Jim Gentile hits his fifth grand slam of the year to tie the major league record established in 1955 by Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks. Each of the first baseman's four-run homers has come with Chuck Estrada pitching for Baltimore.
* yeah ya want to know ...Don Mattingly 6 in 1987...only ones ever...Travis Hafner 6 in 2006


1966
With only 413 patrons attending New York's 4-1 loss to the White Sox, the team's head of media relations denies veteran broadcaster Red Barber's request for a camera to scan the empty stands. The Ol' Redhead reportedly loses his job when he tells his audience, "I don't know what the paid attendance is today, but whatever it is, it is the smallest crowd in the history of Yankee Stadium, and this crowd is the story, not the game."


1969
Willie Mays, joining Yankee legend Babe Ruth, becomes the second major leaguer to hit 600 career home runs. The historic two-run homer is delivered as a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh inning off Padres hurler Mike Corkins and proves to be the difference in the Giants' 4-2 victory at San Diego Stadium.

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1977
Bert Blyleven allows only two base runners, no-hitting the Angels, 6-0. A third-inning error, with the runner erased on a double play and a two-out ninth-inning walk, account for Anaheim's total offense.


1986
Dodger hurler Fernando Valenzuela (20-10) two-hits Houston en route to a 9-2 victory at the Astrodome. The 25-year-old southpaw becomes the first Mexican to win 20 games in the major leagues.

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1990
Andre Dawson becomes the second player to hit 300 home runs, steal 300 bases, and collect 2,000 hits. The Cubs’ outfielder joins Willie Mays in accomplishing the feat when he swipes his 300th career bag in an 11-5 loss to the Mets at Wrigley Field.


1993
The long career of Ranger right-hander Nolan Ryan, who had announced his plans to retire at the end of the season, ends abruptly when the Texas starter leaves the game in the first inning after injuring his right elbow. The future Hall of Famer, who gives up five runs without retiring a batter, will throw just one more pitch after giving up a grand slam to Dann Howitt in the 7-4 loss to Seattle at the Kingdome.


1993
The Rockies establish the major league home attendance record with 4,483,350 patrons attending games at Denver's Mile High Stadium. The expansion team will average 55,350 fans per game during their inaugural season.


1998
Mariner Ken Griffey Jr., with his American League-leading 54th and 55th home runs of the season, joins Babe Ruth (Yankees, 1930-32) and Lou Gehrig (Yankees, 1926-34) as the only players to drive in 140 or more runs in at least three consecutive seasons. During his 22-year tenure in the major leagues, Junior will average 111 runs batted in per season.


2002
Greg Maddux pitches seven innings of four-hit ball as the Braves beat the Marlins, 4-1. 'Mad Dog' joins Cy Young as one of only two pitchers in baseball history to win at least 15 games in 15 consecutive seasons.


2005
On the day he is scheduled to return to the team after rehabilitating his right knee and left ankle at home, the Orioles inform Rafael Palmeiro not to report to the team. The first baseman/DH, who tested positive for steroids earlier in the season, continues to stir up controversy as the 40-year-old veteran states the reason for failing the drug test is due to a vitamin B-12 shot given by his teammate, Miguel Tejada.