June 18
From BR Bullpen
| 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 June 18.
[edit] Events
- 1938 - Babe Ruth signed a contract to coach with the Brooklyn Dodgers. "The Babe" dons a Dodger uniform the next day, entertains observers with a batting demonstration, and works the third-base coaching box.
- 1940 - Joe Medwick of the Brooklyn Dodgers was beaned by St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Bowman. Although Medwick will return from the injury in a few days, he will never regain his previous power-hitting form.
- 1947 - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Ewell Blackwell tossed a 6 - 0 no-hitter against the Boston Braves.
- 1950 - In the nightcap of a doubleheader, the Cleveland Indians scored 14 runs in the first inning for an American League record as they trounced the Philadelphia Athletics 21 - 2.
- 1953 - At Fenway Park, Dick Gernert's home run highlighted a 17-run, 14-hit seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 23 - 3. In the big inning, Gene Stephens had three hits, Sammy White scored three runs and Tom Umphlett also reached base three times.
- 1961 - Eddie Gaedel died from a heart attack in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 36. In one of Bill Veeck's most outlandish promotions, the three-foot, seven-inch Gaedel had appeared in one game for the St. Louis Browns in 1951.
- 1967 - Houston Astros pitcher Don Wilson tossed his first of two career no-hitters. Wilson beat the Atlanta Braves and Phil Niekro, 2 - 0, facing 30 batters and striking out 15.
- 1972 - Colorful Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley hold baseball's first ever "Mustache Day." Finley agreed to pay $300 to each of his players for growing mustaches by Father's Day. Reggie Jackson had started the trend by reporting to spring training with a mustache, to became the first major leaguer to do so since Frenchy Bordagaray in 1936.
- 1975 - Fred Lynn collected 10 runs batted in with three home runs, a triple and a single in a 15 - 1 win by the Boston Red Sox over the Detroit Tigers. Lynn's 16 total bases tied an American League record. Lynn will go on to win the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in the American League.
- 1976 - Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the sales of Oakland Athletics stars Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi. Kuhn ordered the players to return to Oakland, but Athletics owner Charlie Finley will not allow manager Chuck Tanner to use any of them in a game until June 27.
- 1977 - New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson and team manager Billy Martin became involved in a dugout confrontation that is seen on national television. After Martin removed his right fielder for loafing on a ball hit to the outfield, Jackson questioned his manager in the dugout. The two were eventually separated by coach Elston Howard.
- 1986 - Don Sutton of the California Angels pitched a three-hitter for his 300th career victory as the Angels beat the Texas Rangers 5 - 1. The 41-year-old right-hander became the 19th pitcher to win 300 games.
- 2000 - Mike Lansing of the Colorado Rockies hit for the cycle in a 19 - 2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rockies set a team record with 23 hits, including five by Jeff Cirillo and four by Brent Mayne.
- 2002:
- Luis Castillo of the Florida Marlins tied Rogers Hornsby's 80-year-old record for the longest hitting streak by a second baseman, beating out a dribbler to the pitcher in the sixth inning to make it 33 games in a row. Florida beat the Cleveland Indians 2 - 1.
- In interleague play, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Texas Rangers, 4 - 3, as for the first time in major league history four members of the 400-home run club played in the same game: Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez for Texas and Sammy Sosa and Fred McGriff for Chicago.
- 2007:
- Sam Perlozzo is fired as manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Coach Dave Trembley replaces him on an interim basis.
- Freshman star Yuki Saito pitches Waseda University to its first All-Japan University Baseball Championship in 33 years, beating Tokai University, 4-1. He wins the MVP award in the tourney, the first freshman to do so.
- The New York Yankees sign Chinese catcher Zhenwang Zhang and pitcher Kai Liu. It is touted as the first time a MLB organization has signed Chinese players. This is not the case, as the Seattle Mariners had signed Chao Wang in 2001.
[edit] Births
- 1849 - Jim Tipper, outfielder (d. 1895)
- 1860 - John Grady, infielder (d. 1893)
- 1862 - Dick Blaisdell, pitcher (d. 1886)
- 1862 - Charlie Ganzel, catcher (d. 1914)
- 1866 - Varney Anderson, pitcher (d. 1941)
- 1874 - Fred Blank, pitcher (d. 1936)
- 1882 - Charlie Fritz, pitcher (d. 1943)
- 1888 - Marty Berghammer, infielder (d. 1957)
- 1890 - George Britt, Negro League pitcher (d. ????)
- 1893 - Ben Shaw, infielder (d. 1959)
- 1896 - Newt Halliday, infielder (d. 1918)
- 1910 - Russ Hodges, announcer (d. 1971)
- 1917 - Jimmy Pofahl, infielder (d. 1984)
- 1926 - Raúl Mendoza Mancilla, writer; Salon de la Fama (d. 2004)
- 1927 - Irv Medlinger, pitcher (d. 1975)
- 1929 - Bill Upton, pitcher (d. 1987)
- 1932 - Ron Necciai, pitcher
- 1933 - Taylor Phillips, pitcher
- 1939 - Lou Brock, outfielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer
- 1941 - Paul Brown, pitcher
- 1949 - Bill James, author
- 1949 - Dave Schneck, outfielder
- 1959 - Frank Russo, researcher
- 1961 - Andres Galarraga, infielder; All-Star
- 1961 - Tom McCarthy, pitcher
- 1962 - Dave Leiper, pitcher
- 1963 - Russ McGinnis, catcher
- 1964 - Tommy Hinzo, infielder
- 1966 - Sandy Alomar, catcher; All-Star
- 1972 - Chad Tredaway, minor league infielder and manager
- 1974 - Carlos Mendez, infielder
- 1975 - Felix Heredia, pitcher
- 1976 - Jeremy Powell, pitcher
- 1976 - Wilson Sido, minor league pitcher
- 1977 - Jurriaan Lobbezoo, Hoofdklasse pitcher
- 1980 - Jong-wook Lee, KBO outfielder
- 1980 - Tommy Watkins, infielder
- 1981 - Ben Johnson, outfielder
- 1985 - Chris Coghlan, minor league infielder
[edit] Deaths
- 1879 - George Fletcher, outfielder (b. 1845)
- 1915 - Charlie Faust, pitcher (b. 1880)
- 1926 - Alex Gardner, catcher (b. 1861)
- 1927 - Jack Harper, pitcher (b. 1893)
- 1929 - Frank Bishop, infielder (b. 1860)
- 1936 - Al Nichols, infielder (b. 1852)
- 1937 - Willie Adams, pitcher (b. 1890)
- 1939 - Murphy Currie, pitcher (b. 1893)
- 1947 - Lou Harding, catcher (b. 1865)
- 1955 - Jack Katoll, pitcher (b. 1872)
- 1957 - Milo Allison, outfielder (b. 1890)
- 1961 - Eddie Gaedel, pinch hitter (b. 1925)
- 1963 - Ben Geraghty, infielder (b. 1912)
- 1964 - Ten Million, minor league outfielder (b. 1889)
- 1966 - Rollie Naylor, pitcher (b. 1892)
- 1968 - Lloyd Bishop, pitcher (b. 1890)
- 1977 - Johnny Frederick, outfielder (b. 1902)
- 1979 - Hal Trosky, infielder (b. 1912)
- 1981 - Honey Barnes, catcher (b. 1900)
- 1989 - Steve Senteney, pitcher (b. 1955)
- 2001 - Sam Jethroe, outfielder (b. 1918)
- 2002 - Jack Buck, announcer (b. 1924)
- 2002 - Jack Jenkins, pitcher (b. 1942)
- 2003 - Larry Doby, outfielder, manager; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1923)
