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 | |
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| Baseball Library Chronology | |
| Today in Baseball History | |
Events, births and deaths that occurred on June 18.
[edit] Events
- 1938 - Babe Ruth signs 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 is 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 tosses a 6 - 0 no-hitter against the Boston Braves.
- 1950 - In the nightcap of a doubleheader, the Cleveland Indians score 14 runs in the first inning for an American League record as they trounce the Philadelphia Athletics 21 - 2.
- 1953 - At Fenway Park, Dick Gernert's home run highlights a 17-run, 14-hit seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 23 - 3. In the big inning, Gene Stephens has three hits, Sammy White scores three runs and Tom Umphlett also reaches base three times.
- 1961 - Eddie Gaedel dies from a heart attack in Chicago, IL, 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 tosses his first of two career no-hitters. Wilson beats the Atlanta Braves and Phil Niekro, 2 - 0, facing 30 batters and striking out 15.
- 1972 - Colorful Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley holds 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 collects 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 tie 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 voids the sales of Oakland Athletics stars Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi. Kuhn orders the players to return to Oakland, but spiteful 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 become involved in a dugout confrontation that is seen on national television. After Martin removes his right fielder for loafing on a ball hit to the outfield, Jackson questions his manager in the dugout. The two are eventually separated by coach Elston Howard.
- 1986 - Don Sutton of the California Angels pitches a three-hitter for his 300th career victory as the Angels beat the Texas Rangers 5 - 1. The 41-year-old right-hander becomes the 19th pitcher to win 300 games.
- 2000 - Mike Lansing of the Colorado Rockies hits 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 ties 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 beats the Cleveland Indians 2 - 1.
- In interleague play, the Chicago Cubs defeat the Texas Rangers, 4 - 3, as for the first time in major league history four members of the 400-home run club play 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; he will later be confirmed as full-time manager.
- 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 wrongly touted as the first time a MLB organization has signed Chinese players. However, the Seattle Mariners had signed Chao Wang in 2001.
- 2009:
- In a start delayed by rain for over five hours at New Yankee Stadium, Craig Stammen earns his first career victory when the Nationals shut out the Yankees 3 - 0. It is the first homerless game at the ballpark since its opening in April.
- In a rain-shortened game, Carlos Torres of the Charlotte Knights throws a five-inning perfect game against the Pawtucket Red Sox. The last five-inning no-hitter in the International League was thrown by Mariano Rivera in 1995.
[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)
- 1918 - Virgil Thompson, minor league pitcher
- 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
- 1965 - Anthony Scaglione, minor league pitcher
- 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 - Darren Heath, minor league outfielder
- 1980 - Jong-wook Lee, KBO outfielder
- 1980 - Tommy Watkins, infielder
- 1981 - Ben Johnson, outfielder
- 1983 - Jarrett Hoffpauir, infielder
- 1983 - David Wennerlund, Elitserien outfielder
- 1984 - Fernando Rodriguez, pitcher
- 1985 - Chris Coghlan, infielder
- 1985 - Eammon Portice, minor league pitcher
- 1987 - Jason Castro, minor league catcher
- 1987 - Jeremy Bleich, minor league player
- 1988 - Alberto Soto, Cuban league pitcher
[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)
- 2009 - Palmer Muench, minor league player/college coach (b. 1939)
