August 12

From BR Bullpen


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Stats of players who were born this day
Stats of players who died on this day
Standings on this day
Permanent link to Today's Entry
Sources
Baseball Library Chronology
Today in Baseball History

Events, births and deaths that occurred on August 12.

[edit] Events

1867 - The Atlantics beat the Mutuals‚ 18 - 15‚ in the first match of the season series between the two clubs. George Zettlein pitches the win.
1875 - With the score 1 - 0 and 2 out in the last of the 9th inning‚ Hartford's Tom York hits a triple over the center fielder's head. The next batter‚ Bob Ferguson‚ after hitting a number of fouls lefthanded‚ turns around and bats righthanded‚ getting a double to tie the score. Rain ends the game with the score Hartford 1‚ Mutuals 1.
1876 - Chicago's versatile Cal McVey has the unusual distinction of both pitching and catching in a 5 - 0 win over Cincinnati. The win goes to starter Al Spalding‚ his 10th straight win over the Reds.
1880 - After 21 consecutive victories at home‚ Chicago suffers its first defeat at Lake Front Park this season‚ losing to Providence 6 - 4. The White Stockings had not lost an NL game at home since August 25‚ 1879.
1886 - Guy Hecker allows 16 hits and 11 runs and goes 4-for-5 as Louisville wins a 27 - 11 slugfest against Brooklyn. There is scoring in 13 of the 14 half innings before the game is called to allow the Grays to catch a train.
1887 - At the Mets' grounds on Staten Island‚ Philadelphia Athletic batter Gus Weyhing hits an apparent triple that RF Ed Hogan kicks into the stage of the play "The Fall of Babylon." Since the ground rules at the park call for a double on hits into the theatrical set‚ the umpire orders Weyhing back to second base. After a futile argument‚ the Athletics leave the field and forfeit the game‚ 9 - 7.
1888 - St. Louis's Charles "Silver" King posts his 30th win of the season‚ besting the Athletics with a 2 - 0 two-hitter. The game is marred by the collapse of an elevated walkway at Sportsman's Park‚ but there are no serious injuries.
1889 - An 11 - 0 two-hitter by Elton Chamberlain completes a 3-game sweep for St. Louis (AA)‚ boosting the Browns' lead over the Bridegrooms to 3 1/2 games. Total paid attendance is 32‚911.
1890:
- William "Farmer" Weaver of Louisville (AA) hits for the cycle‚ collecting 2 singles‚ a double‚ 2 triples off Ezra Lincoln and Ed Mars of Syracuse. Weaver will go 4-for-5 tomorrow against Cannonball Titcomb of Syracuse.
- Charlie Bennett homers in the 12th inning off Philadelphia's Phenomenal Smith to give Boston a 1 - 0 victory.
1892 - The Orioles remove outfield posts‚ around which ropes holding back overflow crowds would be wrapped‚ after a ball hit by Harry Stovey strikes a post and bounces back toward the infield‚ forcing Stovey to stop at second base. Another factor in the decision is an incident three days ago in which Oriole RF Frank "Piggy" Ward missed a sure catch when he ran upon a post. It doesn't help today as visiting Philadelphia wins‚ 9 - 6.
1893 - After making 3 errors in a 9 - 3 first game loss in Cleveland‚ St. Louis LF Jesse Burkett is criticized for forgetting to follow Elmer Smith's example and wear sunglasses. Cleveland wins game 2‚ 4 - 3.
1895 - Heavyweight boxing champion Jim Corbett‚ a good ballplayer and a great gate attraction‚ plays 1B for the Scranton team in an Eastern League victory over Buffalo. Corbett collects 2 singles and knocks in 2 runs. His brother Joe‚ who will become a ML pitcher‚ plays SS. The champ will appear another three dozen times in minor league games.
1896 - Napoleon Lajoie‚ who batted .429 in the New England League‚ makes his ML debut for the Philadelphia Phillies. He goes 1-for-5 in a 9 - 0 win over Washington.
1897 - Baltimore regains 2nd place with an 11 - 7 victory over its favorite opponent‚ Philadelphia.
1899:
- The grandstand at Louisville's Eclipse Park burns down. The Colonels will try and make do with a temporary stand.
- The Giants sell pitcher Jouett Meekin to Boston for $3‚500. Meekin averaged 25 wins a year from 1894-1898‚ but has slipped to 5-11 this season.
- The Reds sweep a twinbill from Boston by 7 - 2 scores‚ and set a Cincinnati club record by winning 12 in a row.
1903:
- Giant outfielder Sam Mertes walks five times and New York eases to a 14 - 4 win over St. Louis.
- In the second game at Boston‚ Boston Nationals Joe Stanley clouts his first major league homer‚ a grand slam off Chicago's Jock Menefee. Stanley will hit his second career homer in 1905‚ again a grand slam. Pat Moran also hits a grand slam as Boston wins‚ 11 - 10‚ with Pop Williams beating Menefee. Chicago wins the opener‚ 7 - 4‚ with slow Bob Wicker outpitching Togie Pittinger.
1906 - A Sunday crowd estimated at 30‚000 are on hand in Chicago to watch the red-hot White Sox beat the Highlanders‚ 3 - 0. The gates are closed an hour before game time‚ locking many fans outside.
1907 - At Chicago‚ Ed Walsh loses to the Red Sox and George Winter‚ 5 - 3‚ but ties the American League record for assists by a pitcher in a game with 11. It is the second time this year he's had 11 assists.
1909:
- In Chicago‚ the Giants sweep a doubleheader with the Cubs to inch loser to 2nd place. New York wins the opener‚ 5 - 2‚ then Christy Mathewson sets down the Cubs‚ 3 - 0‚ for his 18th win.
- Umpire Tim Hurst is dropped by the American League following an investigation into the spitting incident in the August 3 game between the Athletics and White Sox. His replacement is Mike Thompson, a former Georgetown University football player who has been a well-known football referee. Thompson tried to join the National League umpiring staff last year but the roster was filled.
1912:
- Three men attack Ty Cobb on his way to the Detroit rail station. Cobb sustains a cut on his shoulder, but catches one of his attackers and pistol-whips him. Cobb then travels to Syracuse and gets two hits in an exhibition game.
- The Cards paste Red Ames for 6 runs in 3 innings‚ then add two more against reliever Christy Mathewson]] to win‚ 8 - 6. Matty takes the loss; his record is now 17-8.
- Chicago Cubs owner Charles Murphy hints that the Cards and other clubs go easy against John McGraw's Giants. Later Phils' owner Horace Fogel‚ a former Giants manager whose ownership of the Phils is seen as a front for Murphy and financial backer Charles Raft of Cincinnati‚ echoes the accusation and charges National League umpires with favoring the Giants. It will lead to Fogel's being expelled from the NL.
1913 - Art Fromme‚ with relief help from Christy Mathewson‚ beats Brooklyn‚ 6 - 5. Matty comes on in the 11th and gives up a lead off triple to Zack Wheat‚ but the Giants pitcher cuts down the chaff that follows‚ and New York wins‚ 6 - 5.
1915 - At Forbes Field‚ young Al Mamaux yields just 3 hits in beating Giants starter Jeff Tesreau‚ 3 - 0.
1916 - At Fenway Park‚ Babe Ruth squares off against Washington lefty Harry Harper and both pitchers leave after 7 innings‚ with Boston trailing 1 - 0. Ruth‚ with two strikeouts at the plate‚ is lifted for pinch hitter Hal Janvrin. Washington reliever Walter Johnson makes two errors in the 8th and gives up two runs in the 9th as Boston wins‚ 2 - 1.
1917 - The Lincoln Links defeated the Joplin Miners 2 - 1 in a 21-inning Western League contest.
1918:
- At Fenway Park‚ the Yankees win their 10th of 15 games with the league leaders by beating Boston‚ 2 - 1. Getting his opportunity because of the war‚ lefty Hank Robinson is making his first ML start since 1915. He allows just 3 hits in besting Babe Ruth‚ who gives up 4 safeties. Jack Fournier scores the winning run on a squeeze bunt‚ while Ruth‚ hitless on the afternoon‚ pops out for the last out of the game.
- Cleveland moves to with 2 1/2 games of the Red Sox by unraveling the visiting White Sox‚ 11 - 2. Ray Chapman leads the offense with 3 hits and 3 runs‚ while Guy Morton gives up just two Chicago hits.
- At Chicago‚ Carmen Hill coasts to a 12 - 1 win over the Cubs‚ as Pittsburgh rattles 17 hits off three Chicago pitchers. Walter Schmidt is the big Buc with 2 doubles‚ a triple‚ and a stolen base.
1921 - The Phillies' George Smith allows 12 hits but still manages to shut out the Braves‚ 4 - 0.
1922 - The Wichita Falls Spudders (Texas League)‚ winners of 24 games in a row‚ face a tough opponent in grandfathered Dallas spitballer Snipe Conley. Halfway through the game‚ Conley complains of a burning sensation on his lips and mouth‚ limiting his ability to throw his specialty. The Spudders eventually win‚ 4 - 3‚ but when the ball is examined later its revealed that a creosote compound was rubbed into the seams‚ Dallas protests the game. League president J. Doak Roberts upholds the protest‚ ending the Spudders streak at 24‚ 3 short of the record.
1929:
- Reading Keystones outfielder George Quellich gets his 15th straight hit, apparently an organized baseball record. Quellich had a single, double and homer on August 9 against the Toronto Maple Leafs to begin the streak. He is stopped by Montreal Royals' pitcher Elam Vangilder with a fly ball out.
- At Boston‚ Guy Bush‚ the National League's leading pitcher‚ loses his 2nd game‚ bowing as a reliever‚ 4 - 2‚ in 10 innings. Bush has won 16.
1930 - With 40‚000 fans on hand at Wrigley Field‚ Dazzy Vance gives up 14 hits and walks 4 but strands 16 Cubs runners. With the game tied‚ 2 - 2‚ in the 11th Riggs Stephenson bounces a single to drive in the winning run. Brooklyn loads the bases in both the 9th and 10th but comes up dry; in the 8th Brooklyn adds up a triple by Babe Herman‚ a walk to Del Bissonette‚ and an Al Lopez single for zero runs.
1931 - The Giants land highly-regarded Len Koenecke from Indianapolis for OF Harry Rosenberg‚ and pitchers Joe Heving and Jack Berly. Koenecke will have a decent season in 1932 before going to Brooklyn. He will die tragically in 1935.
1932:
- American League president Will Harridge upholds Detroit's protest of its August 1st game against New York and orders it replayed on September 8. Detroit had protested because Tony Lazzeri's and Ben Chapman's batting order was orally reversed after the lineup cards were handed in before the game.
- At Fenway Park‚ Paul Andrews holds the A's to 5 hits and Boston beats George Earnshaw, 2 - 1. The win snaps the Sox losing streak of 11 games.
- At the Polo Grounds‚ the Dodgers make 12 hits but just beat the Giants‚ 1 - 0. The Giants pull off a ML-record tying 6 double plays to keep the score down.
- George Hubbell, younger brother of Carl Hubbell, is traded from the Muskogee Chiefs to the Hutchinson Wheat Shockers for four new baseballs.
1933 - Brooklyn's longtime manager‚ Wilbert Robinson‚ is appointed president of the Atlanta Crackers (Southern Association) and will also manage the club. He is 69.
1934:
- 41,766 turn out to Fenway Park to see what will probably be Babe Ruth's last game in Boston. In game one of the doubleheader, Ruth goes 2 for 5 with a double, but misplays a Billy Werber line drive into a triple. Ruth is 0 for 1 with two walks in the second game, leaving in the sixth inning. He will in fact return to Hubtown in 1935, when he finishes his playing career with the Boston Braves.
- In St. Louis, the Cubs sweep the Deans‚ winning 7 - 2 against Paul‚ and 6 - 4 over Dizzy. Big Jim Weaver wins the opener and Pat Malone is the victor against Diz.
1936:
- The largest crowd ever to watch a baseball game turns out for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, with between 90,000 and 125,000 fans watching the US amateurs lose, 6 - 5, to the world amateurs.
- In game 1‚ Boston pitcher Wes Ferrell shows his hitting skills‚ hitting two homers off A's veteran Hod Lisenbee. Ferrell collects all six RBIs in picking up the win‚ 6 - 4. Ferrell's first homer comes in the 3rd with his brother Rick on base and he homers again in the 4th inning with the sacks full. The 6 RBIs ties a ML record for pitchers. The ace allows 9 hits while striking out 8. The A's square accounts by taking the nitecap‚ 6 - 0‚ behind Harry Kelley's 3-hitter.
1937 - In the first of two with the Yankees‚ Jimmie Foxx hits one way out of Fenway Park‚ the ball leaving the park to the right of the CF flag pole. The shot comes off New York's Kemp Wicker and helps the Red Sox overpower the Yankees‚ 16 - 10, stopping New York's win streak at 10. The Yawkeymen overcome a 6 run deficit. Buck Newsom is credited with his 11th win. In game 2‚ Bump Hadley outpitches Archie McKain to push NY's lead to 11 1/2 games over Boston.
1938 - The Senators release Wes Ferrell‚ who despite struggling with shoulder problems‚ leads the Nats staff with a 13-8 record. Clark Griffith‚ who has had differences with Ferrell over money‚ says Wes wasn't helping the club. The Yankees will sign him in 2 days.
1939 - At Shibe Park‚ the Yankees bombard the feeble A's, 18 - 4, as Steve Sundra (6-0) coasts to the win. Babe Dahlgren has 4 hits‚ including a solo homer in the 6th and a grand slam an inning later. He drives in 6 runs. Joe Gordon adds his 18th homer of the year.
1940:
- Ernest Lawrence Thayer, author of "Casey at the Bat" dies in Santa Barbara, CA at age 77.
- Cleveland and Detroit‚ deadlocked for 1st place (64-44)‚ square off. In the initial pitching duel between the two aces‚ Bob Feller tops Hal Newhouser‚ 8 - 5‚ to become the majors' first 20-game winner.
1941:
- Allie Reynolds strikes out 17 Madison Blues for the Cedar Rapids Raiders in a Three-I League contest.
- The Senators' Dutch Leonard wins his 7th in a row‚ 9 - 3‚ over the A's. The A's also lose LF Wally Moses for three weeks when he steps on a corn cob while retrieving a hit. Buddy Lewis has a pair of homers against the visiting A's.
1945:
- Mel Ott leads the Giants to a pair of wins over the Reds‚ 3 - 2 and 6 - 5. Ott hits a pinch 3-run homer in the 8th of the nitecap after his homer and another by Danny Gardella leads the way in opener. The Reds' Bill McKechnie‚ desperate for hitting‚ selects P Joe Bowman to pinch-hit for Vern Kennedy in game 1. Bowman is 0-for-42. He will hit .088 for the season.
- Phils baserunner Tony Daniels collides with Cubs 1B Phil Cavarretta‚ sidelining the Cubs star for 25 of the next 27 games. The Cubs manage to win two from the Phils‚ 4 - 3 and 12 - 6.
- In the lid-lifter at Briggs Stadium‚ pitcher Jim Tobin‚ acquired on waivers‚ pitches 3 scoreless innings against New York and clubs a 3-run game-ending homer in the bottom of the 11th to win‚ 9 - 6. Another former Brave‚ Jim Turner‚ serves up the homer. The Tigers win the nitecap‚ 8 - 2‚ behind Hal Newhouser's 18th win.
1946:
- Stan Musial gets four hits in four at-bats against the Chicago Cubs, giving Musial 12 hits over three games. The St. Louis Cardinals win, 5 - 0, behind Al Brazle's three-hitter.
- Bluefield (Appalachian League) romps over Pulaski‚ 35 - 5‚ scoring in every inning including an 11-run 6th inning.
1947 - After losing the first game to Detroit‚ 7 - 1‚ the Browns take the nitecap 6 - 5‚ beating Hal Newhouser in relief. For Newhouser‚ it is his first loss to the Browns after 15 consecutive wins.
1948 - In the second game of a doubleheader, the Cleveland Indians get 26 hits against the St. Louis Browns. The Indians set a record with 14 different players getting hits in the 26 - 3 win.
1949:
- It is a long day. Boston wins the opener against the Senators‚ 15 - 7. Then the two teams establish a new ML record for 9 innings by playing 3 hours and 14 minutes. The Sox finally win‚ 13 - 11. Roberto Ortiz‚ for the Nats‚ and Vern Stephens each drive in 5 in the opener‚ a complete game win for Chuck Stobbs. Joe Dobson‚ in relief‚ wins the nitecap‚ as the efficient Sox total 14 hits in each game.
- At Ebbets Field‚ the Braves top the Dodgers‚ 5 - 3‚ in a game that Brooklyn protests. In the 8th inning‚ Duke Snider belts a drive off the CF screen that Artie Gore signals a home run. The Braves point out that‚ according to the ground rules‚ the ball is still in play‚ and Gore sends Snider back to third base. When Duke is stranded there‚ the Dodgers protest. The protest will be rejected by Ford Frick‚ who censors Gore for the confusion he caused by his "bad judgment and slow thinking."
1950:
- The Giants' Eddie Stanky is banished by umpire Lon Warneke for refusing to stop waving his arms in an attempt to distract Phillies' batter Andy Seminick. This is a reprise of a shuffle Stanky initiated on August 9. In the 4th‚ Stanky moves over behind second base and goes into a windup the same time as the pitcher. Giants manager Leo Durocher had agreed to await a league ruling on the tactic‚ but after Seminick knocks Hank Thompson unconscious in a collision at third base‚ Durocher turns Stanky loose. In the 4th‚ Seminick reaches base on an error‚ then on a force at second base, he puts a linebacker block on Bill Rigney‚ Stanky's replacement‚ and both dugouts empty for a brawl. The Phils go on to win 5 - 4 in 11 innings‚ on Stan Lopata's triple and a sac fly by Eddie Waitkus. The Giants protest Stanky's ouster to no avail.
- Allie Reynolds hits a bases-loaded single and hurls the Yanks to a 7 - 2 win over the A's. The loss goes to Carl Scheib‚ but Bobby Shantz pitches the last 6 2/3 innings and clouts his only career homer‚ off the Chief.
1951:
- The Giants (59-51) start the day 13 games behind first place Brooklyn (70-36). On Wes Westrum Day at the Polo Grounds‚ Sal Maglie wins the first game against the Phillies 3 - 2‚ and rookie Al Corwin takes the second game 2 - 1. Eddie Stanky returns to the lineup after a week's absence and has 5 walks in the two games while leading off. The sweep launches a 16-game win streak and a spurt of 39 wins in 47 games.
- Roy Campanella breaks up a pitching duel between Don Newcombe and Boston's Johnny Sain with a 3-run homer‚ his second of the game‚ and the third time in 9 games he's collected a pair of homers. Campy's 5 ribbies give the Dodgers a 7 - 2 win.
- The [[1951 Yankees|Yankees lose a pair to the A's. The A's use 17 hits to win the opener‚ 9 - 5, then use Pennsylvania's Sunday Blue Law which calls for a 7:00 curfew to win the nitecap‚ 7 - 4. The Yanks start an 8th-inning 5-run rally at 6:37 and take a 9 - 7 lead‚ but the curfew wipes it out before Pete Suder can hit. Beginning next year‚ the American League will adopt the 40-year-old suspended game policy of the National League.
1952:
- Stu Miller of the Cardinals blanks the Cubs 1 - 0 in 10 innings in his ML debut. For Bob Rush (11-11‚ 2.67 ERA)‚ it is his second 1 - 0 loss in a row; Pittsburgh beat him on August 8th.
- At Boston‚ with the A's leading 4 - 3 in the 13th with 2 out‚ Sox George Kell hits a fly ball down the LF line. When LF Gus Zernial attempts to catch the ball‚ a fan knocks it out of his glove. Interference is called and A's win.
- A Texas League game between the Fort Worth Cats and Beaumont Roughnecks is stopped for several minutes by seagulls landing on the field. The seagulls harrass the players before settling in deep centerfield to watch the game.
1953:
- Playing without the injured Mickey Mantle - out for 10 days with a sprained knee - the Yankees explode for 28 hits off Washington pitching‚ two shy of the American League record. New York rolls to a 22 - 1 victory. Rookie Steve Kraly‚ relieving Whitey Ford‚ gives up a run to avert the largest shutout win in history. Ford has 4 hits‚ and Yogi Berra and Billy Martin each collect 5 RBIs. Hank Bauer scores 5 runs.
- The Braves and Cards draw 36‚241‚ a record crowd for a twi-night doubleheader in Milwaukee's County Stadium. The Braves don't disappoint‚ taking both games‚ 8 - 2 and 5 - 3. Eddie Mathews drives in a pair in the opener to reach 100 RBIs.
- Brooklyn slugger Duke Snider hits his second grand slam in 3 days‚ accounting for all the runs in the Dodgers' 4 - 0 win over the Giants. Carl Erskine allows New York just 2 hits.
- At Wrigley Field‚ Andy Seminick belts a grand slam in the top of the 9th to break a 6 - 6 tie and give the Reds a 10 - 6 win over the Cubs.
- At St. Louis‚ Ray Boone smashes his 4th grand slam of the year to tie a ML record‚ as the Tigers win‚ 7 - 3.
- In an 8 - 4 Phils win at Pittsburgh‚ Robin Roberts wins his 20th of the year and his 15th straight over the Bucs stretching back to May 20‚ 1951. It is Roberts' 4th consecutive 20-game year. He scatters 12 hits‚ walks none‚ and strikes out 9. He also triples in a run.
1954 - At Boston‚ Chuck Stobbs beats his former team for the 5th straight time‚ winning 9 - 5. Mickey Vernon has 4 hits. But ex-Red Sox Mickey McDermott then loses‚ 5 - 0‚ to Frank Sullivan. Eddie Yost of the Senators draws his 100th walk for the 5th year in a row.
1956:
- Mickey Mantle hits his 41st homer‚ and 7th in 8 days‚ to pace New York to a 6 - 2 win and a doubleheader sweep of the Orioles.
- At Wrigley Field‚ Stan Musial doubles in the 6th for his 1‚071st extra-base hit‚ tying Mel Ott for the National League record‚ but his Cards lose‚ 6 - 2. Bob Rush is the winner. In the nitecap‚ Herm Wehmeier and Jim Davis each throw 9 scoreless innings before darkness stops the game.
- Shreveport's Ken Guettler sets the Texas League mark with his 56th home run. He will finish the season with 62.
1958:
- New York tops the O's‚ 7 - 2 in New York. Mickey Mantle's 33rd homer‚ off a Ken Lehman knuckler‚ gives him the American League lead.
- Behind the 2-hit pitching of George Witt‚ the rampaging Pirates top the Braves‚ 10 - 0. The Pirates attracts 36‚867 to see them win their 17th in the last 22 games.
1961 - At Griffith Stadium‚ Roger Maris belts his 43rd homer‚ off Dick Donovan‚ but it's New York's only score as they lose‚ 5 - 1‚ the Yanks' first loss in 10 games. For Washington it is their first win in 8 games. Gene Green's pinch grand slam off Luis Arroyo is the big blow for the Nats.
1962 - Juan Marichal completes a 3-game Giant sweep of the Dodgers by beating Stan Williams 5 - 1.
1963:
- Stan Musial announces his retirement, effective at the end of the season, at the St. Louis Cardinals' annual team picnic.
- Back in action for the first time since being beaned by Bob Gibson‚ the Giants' Jim Ray Hart returns to the hospital after Curt Simmons plunks him in the head. Simmons has an 0-2 count in the 9th on Hart during an easy 13 - 0 Cardinal win at San Francisco.
1964 - Mickey Mantle sets a major league record when hits a home run from both sides of the plate for the 10th time in his career. Mantle hits a left-handed homer off Ray Herbert over the 461 ft. marker in centerfield that lands 15 rows into the bleachers, 502 ft. from the plate.
1965:
- The Giants split a pair with Pittsburgh‚ losing game 2 by a 5 - 2 score after winning the opener‚ 4 - 3. In the win‚ Matty and Jesus Alou hit homers‚ the first time two Alous have homered in the same game since Matty and Felipe did it on May 15‚ 1961.
- Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club‚ Inc. applies for a National League franchise. The nonprofit group has been formed to find a replacement team for the soon-to-be-departing Braves.
1966:
- At Crosley Field‚ long-ball lovers enjoy 11 home runs in one game‚ tying the most in any contest and setting a ML record for an extra-inning contest. Art Shamsky hits 3 consecutive dingers for Cincinnati‚ including two in extra innings. But Pittsburgh prevails 13 - 11‚ scoring 3 in the 13th inning. Shamsky does not enter the game until the 8th‚ when he hits a 2-run homer to put the Reds up, 8 - 7. His solo homer in the 10th ties the score at 9 - 9‚ as does his 2-run homer in the 11th. Shamsky's pair of extra-inning homers is a first in the National League‚ and just the 3rd time ever in the Majors. Also going deep are Pete Rose‚ Deron Johnson‚ Bob Bailey (twice)‚ Roberto Clemente‚ Jesse Gonder‚ and Jerry Lynch. For Lynch‚ it is his 18th pinch-hit homer‚ a ML record.
- In Los Angeles‚ Ken Holtzman and the Cubs edge the Dodgers' Don Sutton‚ 2 - 1. The Cubs will hand Sutton another loss in two days‚ beating him in the nitecap of two‚ 12 - 10 in 10 innings.
- Willie Mays hits a game-ending home run to give Juan Marichal and Giants a 1 - 0 win over Houston. Mike Cuellar serves up the 9th inning homer.
- The Spartanburg Phillies extend their winning streak to 25 games with a doubleheader sweep of the Lexington Giants. The Greenville Mets will stop the streak the next day.
1969:
- Citing "personal problems‚" Yankees 1B Joe Pepitone goes AWOL.
- Pirate Jose Pagan's second pinch-hit home run in consecutive appearances ties the ML record‚ but the Giants win 6 - 3 at Candlestick Park.
1970 - Judge Irving Ben Cooper rules against Curt Flood in his antitrust suit. Cooper says "Decisions of the Supreme Court are not lightly overruled... We find no general or widespread disregard of the extremely important position the player occupies... Clearly the preponderance of credible proof does not favor elimination of the reserve clause." However the judge says changes in the reserve clause should be made through negotiation, but denied Flood damages.
1972 - The White Sox top the A's 3 - 1 in 11 innings. The Sox‚ who were 8 1/2 games behind Oakland on July 18th‚ take over first place in the AL West.
1973 - The A's‚ 6 runs behind in the 7th inning‚ rally to beat the Yankees 13 - 12 and move to within one game of the first-place Royals in the AL West.
1974:
- Nolan Ryan fans 19 batters in the California Angels' 4 - 2 win over the Boston Red Sox. Ryan breaks the American League record of 18 strikeouts set by Bob Feller in 1938 and ties the ML record set by Steve Carlton in 1969 and Tom Seaver in 1970. He also ties the ML record with 32 Ks in his last two games.
- Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford head a group of 6 inductees at Cooperstown.
1975 - Red Sox pitcher Rick Wise beats California‚ 8 - 2‚ for his 9th straight win.
1976:
- At Philadelphia‚ the Braves edge the Phils‚ 4 - 3‚ pinning the loss on Jim Lonborg. Atlanta pitcher Frank LaCorte wins his first ML game after 9 losses.
- The Reds go long at Wrigley Field‚ scoring 7 runs in the 8th and 9th to beat the Cubs‚ 8 - 3. George Foster hits back-to-back homers with Joe Morgan in the 8th and repeats it with Johnny Bench in the 9th.
1977:
- For the second straight day‚ Oakland's Manny Sanguillen foils a no-hit bid. Today's single is off the Orioles' Jim Palmer‚ who settles for a 2-hit 6 - 0 victory. Yesterday's hit was off the Yankees' Mike Torrez‚ who finished with a 3 - 0 two-hitter.
- The Pirates win twice over the Mets 3 - 2 and 6 - 5. In the 2nd game‚ Mets 2B Felix Millan suffers a broken collarbone in a brawl with catcher Ed Ott‚ ending Millan's 12-year ML career.
1978 - Peninsula's Marty Bystrom hurls a perfect game over Winston-Salem 3 - 0 in a Carolina League contest.
1980 - Tiger Stadium is packed with 48‚361 fans to see Mark Fidrych's return to the big leagues‚ a 5 - 4 loss to the Red Sox. The 1976 American League Rookie of the Year will go 2-3 with a 5.73 ERA in what will be his final attempt to come back from injury‚ and his last ML season.
1984:
- Harmon Killebrew‚ Rick Ferrell‚ Don Drysdale‚ Pee Wee Reese‚ and Luis Aparicio are inducted into the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown‚ New York.
- In one of the ugliest brawl-filled games in ML history‚ the Braves beat the Padres 5 - 3 in Atlanta. The trouble begins when Atlanta's Pascual Perez hits Alan Wiggins in the back with the first pitch of the game‚ and escalates as the Padres pitchers retaliate by throwing at Perez all four times he comes to the plate. All in all‚ the game features two bench-clearing brawls‚ the second of which includes several fans‚ and 19 ejections‚ including both managers and both replacement managers. Padres manager Dick Williams will be suspended for 10 days and fined $10‚000‚ while Braves manager Joe Torre and 5 players will each receive 3-game suspensions. But the brawl in Atlanta‚ as Dave Campbell later observs‚ "woke the Padres up out of their doldrums."
1985:
- Baltimore's Wayne Gross and Larry Sheets connect for back-to-back solo pinch homers in the 9th inning‚ off Cleveland's Jerry Reed‚ but it is not enough to overcome the Indians' 5-run 1st inning. The Tribe wins‚ 8 - 5.
- At Chicago‚ Phil Niekro goes the route to pick up his 295th win as the Yankees beat the White Sox‚ 10 - 4. New York has a 7-run 7th to break the game open with Ron Hassey belting a 2-run homer and RBI single to lead the scoring in the frame.
1986 - Boston's Don Baylor sets an American League record when he is hit by a pitch for the 25th time‚ breaking the season record he held with Bill Freehan (1968) and Kid Elberfeld (1911). The Royals' Bud Black does the plunking in a 5 - 1 win. Baylor will end the season being hit 35 times: the modern ML record is 50 by Ron Hunt.
1987 - The Detroit Tigers, needing pitching help for the pennant drive, acquire Doyle Alexander from the Atlanta Braves for minor league pitcher John Smoltz. Alexander will go 10-1 for the Tigers, but Smoltz will turn out to be one a perennial All-Star.
1988 - The Boston Red Sox win their 23rd consecutive home game, breaking the American League record set by the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics.
1990 - After a 7 hour 12 minute rain delay‚ the White Sox-Rangers game is finally postponed.
1993 - The Tigers defeat the Orioles‚ 17 - 11‚ as C Chad Kreuter hits a grand slam. It marks the third consecutive game in which a Tiger has hit a grand slam‚ tying a major league record set by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1978. The two teams combine for 37 hits. Travis Fryman is the only one with 4 hits‚ including 3 doubles.
1994 - Major League Baseball players go on strike. For the first time in 90 years, the World Series will not be held. Matt Williams' assault on the home run record held by Roger Maris is halted.
1995 - Thanks to an odd play‚ the Dodgers defeat the Pirates‚ 11 - 10‚ in 11 innings. With the potential winning run at third base‚ Mitch Webster of the Dodgers swings at a pitch in the dirt. When Pittsburgh rookie C Angelo Encarnacion casually picks up the ball with his mask‚ Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda appeals‚ citing the rule which awards a runner two bases if a fielder uses his mask to touch a thrown ball. The umpires agree and allow the winning run to score. Encarnacion is given an error.
1996:
- Geronimo Berroa hits 3 home runs in the Athletics' 11 - 1 win over Minnesota. He becomes the 10th player in history to have a pair of 3-homer games in the same season. Berroa accounts for 5 of Oakland's runs and Mark McGwire accounts for 4 with a pair of homers himself. McGwire‚ who missed 30 games‚ now has 41 homers.
- The Expos defeat the Astros‚ 8 - 1‚ in a game marked by a 3rd-inning 10-minute brawl which will result in 4-game suspensions being handed down to Henry Rodriguez‚ Moises Alou‚ David Segui‚ Jeff Juden‚ and John Cangelosi. Danny Darwin gets 6 games. Houston manager Terry Collins receives a gash that will require four stitches to close when he's hit by a thrown batting helmet. The fight starts when Rodriguez is plunked by a pitch‚ the apparent result of his stopping and admiring a homer‚ his 30th‚ he hit his last time up. Mark Leiter pitches a 3-hitter to win‚ although he gives up a leadoff homer to Brian Hunter.
1997:
- The Texas Rangers show off for former president George Bush by routing the Boston Red Sox for the second consecutive game‚ 12 - 2‚ scoring 10 runs in the first four innings. Bush, whose son‚ Texas Governor George W. Bush‚ owns the Rangers, sits next to the team's dugout with acting Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci and a group of Secret Service agents.
- Dean Palmer homers and drives in four runs as the Kansas City Royals end the New York Yankees' three-game winning streak with a 6 - 4 victory. Palmer‚ who is 10-for-21 with runners in scoring position and has 16 RBIs in 18 games since coming over in a trade with Texas‚ singles home a run in the fourth‚ opens the 6th with his 17th homer‚ and hits a go-ahead‚ two-run double in the 7th. Mike Perez (2-0)‚ the second of 5 Royals' pitchers‚ is the winner. Jeff Montgomery pitches the 9th for his eighth save‚ the 250th of his career. He retires 32 consecutive batters‚ one shy of the club record‚ before Bernie Williams singles with two outs in the ninth.
- Rickey Henderson leads off the 7th with his 250th career homer and Greg Vaughn adds a two-run double in the inning as the San Diego Padres rally to beat the Montreal Expos‚ 6 - 4.
- Matt Beech ends his string of 22 straight starts without a victory‚ pitching the Philadelphia Phillies past the Colorado Rockies‚ 5 - 0. Beech (1-7) had not won since beating Atlanta in his first major league start on August 8‚ 1996. He was winless in his first 15 starts this season.
1998 - Alex Rodriguez becomes the fourth youngest player to 100 home runs in a 11 - 5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
1999 - Manager Phil Garner is fired by the Brewers and replaced by batting coach Jim Lefebvre. Garner had 7 straight losing seasons in Milwaukee.
2000:
- The Mets defeat the Giants‚ 3 - 2‚ despite a mental mistake by OF Benny Agbayani which costs the team a run. After catching a fly ball for the second out in the 4th inning‚ the Mets OF hands the ball to a 7-year-old boy in the stands‚ mistakenly thinking the catch was the 3rd out of the inning. Two Giant runners score.
- The Rockies defeat the Expos‚ 14 - 2. 3B Jeff Cirillo drives in 7 of Colorado's runs with 4 hits‚ including a pair of homers. For the 4th time this year‚ Larry Walker has 4 hits as the Rocks bang out 22.
- Albert Belle's 2-run home run highlights a 4-run 9th for Baltimore as they edge Kansas City‚ 12 - 11. Jermaine Dye hits two homers for KC.
2001 - The Braves fall to the Diamondbacks‚ 9 - 1‚ as Greg Maddux's National League-record streak for innings without allowing a walk is ended at 72 1/3. Maddux intentionally walks Steve Finley in the 3rd inning to end the streak. Arizona 2B Junior Spivey gets 5 singles in the contest‚ becoming the 5th rookie in 50 years to have a pair of 5-hit games in his first season. His other 5-hit contest was on June 21.
2002 - Chih-Chia Chang of the Seibu Lions strikes out a batter for the 28th consecutive inning, a new Nippon Pro Baseball record. Yutaka Enatsu and Isamu Kida had held the out mark of 23.
2003:
- The Braves obtain P Kent Mercker from the Reds for a player to be named. Atlanta also unveils a statue of Hall of Fame great Warren Spahn outside Turner Field.
- Pat Gillick of the Seattle Mariners resigns after a 4-year run. He becomes the third general manager to leave his position‚ voluntarily or not‚ this year.
2004:
- The Phillies drub the Rockies‚ 15 - 4‚ as Randy Wolf becomes the first pitcher to homer twice in a game since Robert Person on June 2‚ 2002.
- The Indians trounce the Blue Jays‚ 6 - 2. Ben Broussard hits his second pinch grand slam of the season for Cleveland and becomes only the 4th player in ML history to ever do so.
- It is all Pedro as the Red Sox down Tampa Bay‚ 6 - 0. Martinez (13-4) goes the distance with 10 strikeouts and no walks as he allows 6 hits. The Sox might have had more except for TB centerfielder Rocco Baldelli‚ who throws out two consecutive runners (Kevin Millar and Jason Varitek) at home in the 5th.
2005:
- Dontrelle Willis gives up a 6th inning home run to Randy Winn that spells a loss as San Francisco edges Florida‚ 1 - 0. Noah Lowry is the winning pitcher and raises his batting average to .289 with 2 hits.
- Josh Towers‚ backed by 4 homers‚ pitches a complete game shutout as Toronto whips the Orioles‚ 12 - 0.
- Behind Dan Haren's 7+ shutout innings‚ the Oakland A's slow baseball's hottest team‚ Cleveland‚ 2 - 0. It ends the Indians' 7-game win streak. Jason Kendall has 2 hits‚ an RBI‚ and is hit by a pitch for the 194th time in his career‚ 8th on the list.
2006:
- Takuro Ishii raps his 2,082nd lifetime hit, setting a new Yokohama BayStars record.
- With their pitching staff shot after a 14-inning marathonyesterday, the Reds summon 35-year-old Chris Michalak from Louisville and he stops the Phils on one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings in a 9 - 7 Reds win. It is Michalak's first big league win since September 2, 2001.
- At Fenway Park, the Red Sox trip the Orioles, 8 - 7. Wily Mo Pena has a double, triple and homer and Manny Ramirez runs his consective game hitting streak to 27.
2007 - Magglio Ordóñez homers twice in the second inning as the Tigers score eight against Dallas Braden. He becomes the second player in Detroit Tigers history to hit two home runs in an inning; Al Kaline was the other.
2008 - Scott Feldman has a day he would like to forget, becoming the first pitcher in 90 years and 9 days to allow 12 runs without losing as the Rangers eventually do fall, 19 - 17 to the Red Sox. Gene Packard was the last hurler to be so, um, lucky. David Ortiz hits two 3-run homers in the first inning and scores four times on the day while Kevin Youkilis drives in 5 on 2 home runs.
2009:
- In his first game for the Philadelphia Phillies, Pedro Martinez gives up 3 runs in 5 innings on his way to a 12 - 5 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez both hit three-run homers in the 4th in support of Martinez's pitching. During the game, Phillies OF Shane Victorino is hit with a cup of beer thrown from the bleachers while making a catch in the 5th inning. He files a police complaint the next day, and the guilty fan is identified and charged with battery and illegal conduct in a sports facility. Cubs management also apologizes to Victorino for the incident.
- Bud Norris becomes the first Houston Astros rookie to win his first 3 starts.