April 29

Events, births and deaths that occurred on April 29.

[edit] Events

• 1902 - Baltimore Orioles infielder John McGraw is hit by pitches five times, but home plate umpire Jack Sheridan refuses to allow him to take first base. In the 9th inning, McGraw is hit for the last time and sits down in the batter's box in protest. American League president Ban Johnson will suspend McGraw for five games.
• 1913 - Wearing the uniforms of the Chicago White Sox, the Cincinnati Reds lose to the Chicago Cubs, 7 - 2, at West Side Grounds. Cincinnati forgot to pack uniforms and has to don those of their opponents' crosstown rivals.
• 1918 - Cleveland Indians centerfielder Tris Speaker executes the fourth unassisted double play of his career in Cleveland's 8 - 4 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
• 1922 - The New York Giants hit four inside-the-park home runs at Braves Field. George Kelly hits a pair and Ross Youngs and Dave Bancroft both hit one apiece as the Giants defeat the Boston Braves, 12 - 3.
• 1923 - The New York Yankees sign 20-year-old prospect Lou Gehrig to a contract paying him a salary of $2,000 and a bonus of $1,500. Yankees scout Paul Krichell had watched the Columbia University star blast a 450-foot home run against New York University one day earlier.
• 1924 - Mercersburg Academy pitcher Bump Hadley throws a perfect game against the Hadley-Lynn team of Massachusetts. A future New York Yankees starter, Hadley strikes out 26 of the 27 batters he faces.
• 1930 - In seven major league games played today an average of over 17 runs a game are scored. After the dust settles 123 players have crossed the plate.
• 1931 - Wes Ferrell of the Cleveland Indians pitches a 7 - 0 no-hitter over the St. Louis Browns, whose roster includes his brother, Rick. Wes helps his own cause with a home run, a double, and four RBI.
• 1933 - In a strange play at home plate, catcher Luke Sewell of the Washington Senators tags out two Yankees runners on the same play. Lou Gehrig had held up, thinking a fly ball would be caught. Dixie Walker closes up on him, and both are tagged out by Sewell while trying to score.
• 1934:
  • Luis Aparicio is born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Aparicio will begin a distinguished 18-year major league career in 1956, when he debuts with the Chicago White Sox. Aparicio will help to redefine the role and expectations of major league shortstops with agile fielding, spray hitting and speedy baserunning. Named Rookie of the Year in his first season, he will collect nine Gold Glove Awards, lead the American League in stolen bases nine seasons and play the All-Star Game 10 times. When he retires in 1973, he will hold the major league career record for shortstops for games played, double plays and assists. In 1984, Aparicio will become the first - and only - Venezuelan player to gain election to the Hall of Fame with 341 votes on 403 BBWAA ballots (84.62%).
  • Pittsburgh becomes the last city in major league history to play a home game on a Sunday.
• 1936 - In the first professional baseball game ever played in the Japanese Baseball League, Nagoya defeats Dai Tokyo, 8 - 5.
• 1948 - St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ted Wilks loses his first game in 77 consecutive appearances dating back to September 8, 1945. Wilks posted a 12-0 record during the streak which included four starts.
• 1952 - Cleveland Indians outfielder Jim Fridley goes 6 for 6 as Cleveland soundly beats the Philadelphia Athletics, 21 - 9.
• 1953:
  • "Little-Bigger League" changes its name to the Babe Ruth League.
  • Joe Adcock of the Milwaukee Braves becomes the first player in major league history to blast a home run into the center field bleachers at the Polo Grounds. Adcock's titanic shot against the New York Giants travels an estimated 475 feet.
• 1958 - Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox becomes the tenth major league player to get 1,000 extra-base hits.
• 1959 - With shades of his 430-foot, May 6, 1955 birthday-crashing clout, Roberto Clemente once again triples over the head of his one-time mentor, Willie Mays, in the midst of a decisive, 7th-inning, three-run rally. Now, as then, Pittsburgh's outburst fuels a 3 - 2 come-from-behind win over the Giants. Clemente initiates today's uprising, reports UPI, "with a booming triple to centerfield." Centerfield, in this case, would be that of Pittsburgh's Forbes Field, whereas the earlier contest took place in New York's Polo Grounds. Both arenas, however, feature similarly ample centerfield real estate.
• 1962 - Frank Thomas of the New York Mets ties a major league mark by being hit by pitch twice in one inning. Art Mahaffey and Frank Sullivan plunk Thomas in the seven-run 4th inning at the Polo Grounds in the Philadelphia Phillies' 8 - 0 defeat.
• 1965 - Colorful New York Mets broadcaster Lindsey Nelson delivers the play-by-play of a game at the Astrodome from a hanging gondola, which is located 208 feet above the second base bag. Nelson, known for his loud sportcoats, will win the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award in 1988.
• 1967 - Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees earns his final major league victory. His 236th win comes against the Chicago White Sox, an 11 - 2 decision at Yankee Stadium. Ford will enter the Hall of Fame in 1974.
• 1978 - In a game which lasts only one hour and thirty-three minutes, the St. Louis Cardinals tie a franchise record for the quickest nine-inning game played in their history, beating the Dodgers at Busch Stadium, 1 - 0. The game also marks a victory for Ken Boyer in his managerial debut, after replacing Vern Rapp who was fired four days ago.
• 1981 - Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies becomes the sixth major league pitcher - and first left-hander - to strike out 3,000 batters in the Phillies' 6 - 2 victory over the visiting Montreal Expos. Carlton strikes out three in the 1st inning as Tim Wallach is his 3,000th victim.
• 1986 - Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox sets a major league record by striking out 20 batters in a 3 - 1 victory over the Seattle Mariners. The 23-year-old Clemens surpasses the record of 19 strikeouts shared by Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, and Tom Seaver.
• 1987 - Andre Dawson collects five hits and hits for the cycle to lead the Chicago Cubs to an 8 - 4 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
• 1988 - The Baltimore Orioles end their 21-game losing streak by winning their first game of the season, 9 - 0, over the Chicago White Sox on a combined four-hitter by Mark Williamson and Dave Schmidt.
• 1990 - Former Kansas City Royals closer Dan Quisenberry, now a member of the San Francisco Giants, decides not to go on the disabled list and opts to retire as the all-time American League saves leader with 238.
• 1994 - Kirk Rueter of the Montreal Expos becomes the first major league pitcher since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 to start his career with a 10-0 record as Montreal beats the Pirates, 3 - 2.
• 1995 - Jon Nunnally of the Kansas City Royals hits a home run in his first major league at-bat, becoming the 73rd player to accomplish the feat.
• 1996 - New York Mets closer John Franco becomes the first left-hander in major league history to record 300 saves, exactly 12 years after he gained his first save with the Cincinnati Reds.
• 1997 - Chili Davis of the Kansas City Royals becomes the 75th major leaguer to hit 300 home runs.
• 2000:
  • The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds combine to tie a major league record in Cincinnati's 6 - 5 victory by hitting a total of five sacrifice flies.
  • For the first time in seven tries, the San Francisco Giants win at Pacific Bell Park as San Francisco becomes the first major league franchise to lose six games to start a season in a newly-constructed ballpark. Barry Bonds' 8th-inning home run proves to be the difference in a 2 - 1 victory over the Montreal Expos.
• 2001 - Geoff Jenkins hits two home runs, tying a major league record with five home runs in two games to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 10 - 0 victory over the Montreal Expos. Jenkins is the 22nd player in major league history to hit five homers in two games and the first National League player to do it in 10 years.
• 2005:
  • In the first matchup between 300-game winners in almost 18 years, Greg Maddux outduels Roger Clemens in the Chicago Cubs' 3 - 2 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The last such showdown occurred in 1987 when Don Sutton of the California Angels defeated Steve Carlton of the Minnesota Twins. Maddux earns his first win of season and 306th of his career, allowing two runs on seven hits over six innings.
  • The Washington Nationals exercise Jose Guillen's $4 million contract option for 2006. Guillen, who was acquired in a trade with the Angels after feuding with manager Mike Scioscia, appears to have found a home in Washington thanks to a very pleased general manager, Jim Bowden.
  • Managers Terry Francona and Lou Piniella are included as part of the six members of the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays who are suspended for their roles in the two bench-clearing incidents during the beanball contest played on April 24th at Tropicana Field. Both managers are suspended one game each. Boston's 11 - 3 victory, which featured six ejections, also results in multi-game suspensions for Bronson Arroyo (six games), Dewon Brazelton (five games), Lance Carter (five games) and Trot Nixon (two games). The Red Sox and Devil Rays have a history of beanballs and bench-clearing incidents dating back several years. In 108 meetings between the teams since the start of the 2000 season, 120 batters have been hit by pitches. Over the same span, the Boston and Tampa Bay pitching staffs each have beaned 495 batters, easily tied for the most in the majors.
• 2006:
  • Albert Pujols sets a major league record with his 14th home run in April, a tiebreaking shot in the 8th inning that sends the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2 - 1 victory over the visiting Washington Nationals.
  • At Comerica Park, Carlos Guillen homers twice and drives in five runs as the Detroit Tigers record their most lopsided win in 13 years with an 18 - 1 hammering of the Minnesota Twins. Magglio Ordóñez and Curtis Granderson also hit home runs for the Tigers, who last won a game by 17 runs in 1993. For Ordóñez, it is his 200th career home run; he will hit his 300th on this day in 2010.
  • Jason Varitek hits a tiebreaking single in a four-run 9th inning, leading the Boston Red Sox past the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 9 - 6, at Tropicana Field. Jonathan Papelbon strikes out all three batters he faces to earn his 10th save in 10 chances. Papelbon becomes the first big league pitcher to get 10 saves in April after entering that season without a save. He has a scoreless streak of 20 1/3 innings spanning 17 appearances dating to last year as he also sets a major league rookie record and the Red Sox team mark for saves during April.
• 2007:
  • Troy Tulowitzki turns the 13th unassisted triple play in major league history. In the 7th inning, Braves hitters Kelly Johnson and Edgar Renteria reach base. They run with the pitch on a full count delivery to Chipper Jones. Jones lines the ball behind second base, which Tulowitzki catches. He then steps on second to retire Johnson and tags out Renteria to complete the rare feat.
  • Yuki Saito wins his second straight game. He becomes the first freshman in the 83-year history of the Tokyo Big Six University League to win his first two appearances in the spring season.
  • Alex Cabrera hits his 250th home run since joining the Seibu Lions. It comes in his 733rd game in Nippon Pro Baseball, tying Ralph Bryant in being the quickest player to reach that mark.
  • Jamie Moyer doubles to left field against Kevin Gregg. It has been 19 years since his last double in the majors, breaking the record for longest interval. Art Herring (15 years) had held the record for 61 years.
• 2008 - In game two of a doubleheader, the Potomac Nationals win 3 - 2 over the Winston-Salem Warthogs. The odd part of this is that Potomac is no-hit; they become the first Carolina League team since 1978 to win a game in which they do not get a hit. Potomac scores its runs in the 6th on an error, two walks, a passed ball by Billy Killian, two more walks and a fielder's choice.
• 2009:
  • Yovani Gallardo does it all by himself in Milwaukee's 1 - 0 win over Pittsburgh. He shuts out the Pirates on two hits, strikes out 11, and hits a solo home run in the 7th for the game's lone run. He is 26th pitcher in major league history to win a 1 - 0 shutout while contributing a solo homer for the offense, and the third to do so while striking out 10 or more batters, following Red Ruffing and Early Wynn.
  • Toronto ends Zack Greinke's streak of innings without according an earned run at 43, dating back to last September, but still loses, 11 - 3, as Greinke runs his record to 5-0. Billy Butler hits two home runs and a double and drives in 4 for the Royals.
• 2010:
  • Dontrelle Willis's comeback continues as he pitches his best game since joining the Detroit Tigers before the 2008 season. He gives up only 4 hits and no runs in 7 innings as Detroit blanks Minnesota, 3 - 0. He picks up his first win of the year - which is only his second for the Bengals. In the contest, Magglio Ordonez hits the 300th home run of his career, four years to the day after hitting number 200.
  • The Blue Jays get a power surge from catcher John Buck, who blasts three homers and drives in 5 runs in a 6 - 3 win over Oakland. He victimizes three different pitchers: starter Justin Duchscherer in the 3rd, and relievers Jerry Blevins and Craig Breslow in the 4th and 6th. Duchscherer has to leave the game in the 4th with pain in his hip, a condition that has already forced him to undergo two surgeries in past years. Ricky Romero is the winner for Toronto.
  • The Atlanta Braves complete an 0-7 road trip by falling to the St. Louis Cardinals, 10 - 4. David Freese hits his first home run of the year and drives in 6 runs to give Adam Wainwright his 4th win. Atlanta has now lost 9 in a row after a strong start.
• 2011:
  • The Cleveland Indians are having the best April in the team's 110-year history as today's 9 - 5 win over Detroit moves their record to an American League-best 17-8. The key hit today is a walk-off grand slam by Carlos Santana off losing pitcher Joaquin Benoit.
  • Andre Ethier extends his hitting streak to 25 games with a 5th-inning double off Clayton Richard as the Dodgers beat the Padres, 3 - 2, tying Steve Sax (1986) and Paul Lo Duca (2003) for second-longest in team history. Willie Davis, who put together a 31-game streak in 1969, holds the record since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, CA. The news is not all good for the Dodgers, however, as they place 3B Casey Blake on the disabled list with a staph infection in his left elbow; he undergoes surgery and won't be back for a month.
  • 3B Pablo Sandoval breaks a bone in his right wrist in San Francisco's 3 - 0 loss to the Nationals. Sandoval was back to form, hitting .313 with 5 home runs and 14 RBI in the early going, after struggling and finishing the season on the bench in 2010. The extent of the injury will only be revealed in x-rays taken the next day.
• 2013:
  • The Brewers hit five homers and three triples in a 10 - 4 win over the Pirates; they are the first team to get that particular combination of long hits since the Giants on May 13, 1958. Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez get a triple and a homer each, while P Yovani Gallardo hits his second homer and picks up his third win in three starts since being arrested for driving under the influence earlier this month.
  • The Marlins earn a rare victory, 4 - 3, over the Mets with a two-run rally in the bottom of the 15th inning. Ruben Tejada gives the Mets a 3 - 2 lead with an infield single off Jon Rauch in the top of the 15th, but the Fish come back on Rob Brantly's single and Nick Green's sacrifice fly against Shaun Marcum, the Mets' ninth pitcher of the night. It is the first time Miami wins back-to-back games this year, but the win is costly as the team's best hitter, Giancarlo Stanton, pulls a hamstring running out a ground ball in the 10th and is immediately placed on the disabled list.
  • That game is not the longest on the night, however, as Brandon Moss homers off Barry Enright with Jed Lowrie on first base and two out in the bottom of the 19th inning to give Oakland a 10 - 8 win over the Angels. Oakland trails 7- 2 in the bottom of the 8th, but rallies for four runs that inning and adds another in the 9th when Yoenis Cespedes drives in Coco Crisp with a two-out single, forcing extra innings. The teams trade runs in the 15th before Moss ends it with his second homer of the game. For the Angels, Albert Pujols has a pair of long balls and Mark Trumbo hits a solo tape-measure blast in the 4th. Jerry Blevins, who had struck out against Enright in the 18th because the A's had been forced to move DH Seth Smith to the outfield, gets the win. At 6 hours and 32 minutes, the game is the longest by time in both teams' history.
  • Donald Lutz becomes the first major leaguer raised in Germany, having moved there at one year of age. He grounds out as a pinch-hitter for Mat Latos against Adam Wainwright as his Reds beat the Cardinals, 2 - 1.

[edit] Births

• 1849 - Clipper Flynn, infielder (d. 1881)
• 1850 - Mike Walsh, manager (d. 1929)
• 1856 - Frank Hankinson, infielder (d. 1911)
• 1858 - Frank Beck, pitcher (deceased)
• 1876 - Pat Deisel, catcher (d. 1948)
• 1877 - Frank Dupee, pitcher (d. 1956)
• 1879 - Noodles Hahn, pitcher (d. 1960)
• 1883 - Rube Manning, pitcher (d. 1930)
• 1883 - Amby McConnell, infielder (d. 1942)
• 1883 - Bill McGilvray, pinch hitter (d. 1952)
• 1888 - Ernie Johnson, infielder (d. 1952)
• 1893 - Shag Thompson, outfielder (d. 1990)
• 1896 - Johnnie Heving, catcher (d. 1968)
• 1898 - Tom Glass, pitcher (d. 1981)
• 1898 - Dutch Levsen, pitcher (d. 1972)
• 1899 - Nip Winters, Negro League pitcher (d. 1971)
• 1907 - Forrest Twogood, minor league pitcher (d. 1972)
• 1914 - Marv Breuer, pitcher (d. 1991)
• 1916 - Art Kenney, pitcher
• 1917 - Bob Whitcher, pitcher (d. 1997)
• 1921 - George Sprys, minor league outfielder (d. 2008)
• 1924 - Freddy Rodriguez, pitcher (d. 2009)
• 1927 - Lois Florreich, AAGPBL pitcher (d. 1991)
• 1929 - Mickey McDermott, pitcher (d. 2003)
• 1929 - Steve Ridzik, pitcher (d. 2008)
• 1933 - Ed Charles, infielder
• 1934 - Luis Aparicio, infielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer
• 1935 - Akira Ohgi, NPB manager; infielder; Japanese Baseball Hall of Famer (d. 2005)
• 1938 - Phil Musick, writer (d. 2010)
• 1942 - Shozo Etoh, NPB infielder
• 1946 - Don Buschhorn, pitcher
• 1947 - Tom House, pitcher
• 1947 - John Shulock, umpire
• 1947 - Jim Williams, outfielder
• 1950 - Bob Kaiser, pitcher
• 1951 - Rick Burleson, infielder; All-Star
• 1951 - Gerry Craft, scout
• 1952 - Bob McClure, pitcher
• 1952 - Ron Washington, infielder
• 1954 - Danny Garcia, outfielder
• 1955 - Mike Stone, college coach
• 1958 - Steve Crawford, pitcher
• 1961 - Wes Gardner, pitcher
• 1961 - Louie Meadows, outfielder
• 1966 - Ed Correa, pitcher
• 1966 - John Vander Wal, outfielder
• 1969 - Hiroto Kato, NPB pitcher
• 1970 - Glenn DiSarcina, minor league infielder
• 1970 - J.R. Phillips, infielder
• 1971 - Sterling Hitchcock, pitcher
• 1974 - Hector Mercado, pitcher
• 1974 - Tony Saunders, pitcher
• 1975 - Rafael Betancourt, pitcher
• 1975 - Josh Booty, infielder
• 1975 - Mark Harriger, minor league pitcher
• 1976 - Jeff DePippo, minor league catcher
• 1976 - Brandon Harper, catcher
• 1976 - Tomohiro Nioka, NPB infielder
• 1976 - Erasmo Ramirez, pitcher
• 1978 - Tony Armas, pitcher
• 1980 - Kelly Shoppach, catcher
• 1981 - Karel Hrušovský, Extraliga outfielder
• 1981 - Omir Santos, catcher
• 1982 - Tetsuya Utsumi, NPB pitcher
• 1984 - Cesar Carrillo, pitcher
• 1984 - Rodrigo Maciel, Brazilian national team pitcher
• 1984 - Yoanner Negrin, minor league pitcher
• 1984 - Billy Petrick, pitcher
• 1985 - Austin Bibens-Dirkx, minor league pitcher
• 1985 - Chad Huffman, outfielder
• 1986 - Nate Recknagel, minor league player
• 1986 - Jacob Renshaw, minor league pitcher
• 1987 - Ki-joo Han, KBO pitcher
• 1988 - Denny Montero, minor league player
• 1989 - Freddy Asiel Álvarez, Cuban league pitcher
• 1990 - Mickey Ras, Dutch womens' national team infielder
• 1992 - Tom Mayeux, Division Elite catcher

[edit] Deaths

• 1884 - John Morrissey, infielder (b. 1856)
• 1888 - Charlie Ferguson, pitcher (b. 1863)
• 1894 - Sparrow McCaffrey, catcher (b. 1868)
• 1927 - Ben Harris, pitcher (b. 1889)
• 1931 - Jimmy McAleer, outfielder, manager (b. 1864)
• 1943 - Elijah Jones, pitcher (b. 1882)
• 1949 - Harvey Watkins, manager (b. 1869)
• 1952 - Virgil Blueitt, Negro League umpire (b. ????)
• 1952 - August Shaumeyer, minor league player and manager (b. 1872)
• 1953 - Gene McAuliffe, catcher (b. 1872)
• 1965 - Johnny Watson, infielder (b. 1908)
• 1967 - Johnny Butler, infielder (b. 1893)
• 1967 - Walt Smallwood, pitcher (b. 1893)
• 1968 - Terris McDuffie, Negro League pitcher (b. 1910)
• 1969 - Ed Monroe, pitcher (b. 1895)
• 1974 - Ernie Cox, pitcher (b. 1894)
• 1976 - Joe Berry, infielder (b. 1894)
• 1979 - John Allyn, owner (b. 1917)
• 1984 - Howie Gorman, outfielder (b. 1913)
• 1987 - Bud Bates, outfielder (b. 1912)
• 1988 - Dom Dallessandro, outfielder (b. 1913)
• 1990 - Ray Poat, pitcher (b. 1917)
• 1995 - Ray Prim, pitcher (b. 1906)
• 1997 - Mike Royko, writer (b. 1932)
• 1998 - Ron Blackburn, pitcher (b. 1935)
• 2000 - Buck Varner, outfielder (b. 1930)
• 2007 - Milt Bocek, outfielder (b. 1912)
• 2007 - Josh Hancock, pitcher (b. 1978)
• 2009 - Jack Lohrke, infielder (b. 1924)
• 2010 - Penny O'Brian, AAGPBL outfielder (b. 1919)
• 2011 - Ernest Sowada, minor league pitcher (b. 1914)
• 2012 - Daisy Junor, AAGPBL outfielder (b. 1919)
• 2013 - Jake Eliopoulos, drafted pitcher (b. 1991)