BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

5/12
OTD
BIRTHDAYS
1925 Lorenzo "Yogi" Berra, American Baseball Hall of Fame catcher and manager (18X MLB All-Star; 13X World Series champion; NY Yankees, Mets; AL MVP (1951, 54, 55), and Purple Heart recipient, born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2015)

1957 Lou Whitaker, American MLB 2nd baseman (Detroit Tigers, 1978 AL Rookie of the Year), born in Brooklyn, New York

1966 Rafael Bournigal, Dominican infielder (Oakland A's), born in Azua, Dominican Republic

1967 Cara Coughenour, American pitcher (Colorado Silver Bullets), born in Sioux City, Iowa

1968 Mark Clark, American pitcher (NY Mets), born in Bath, Illinois

1978 Josh Phelps, American baseball player, born in Anchorage, Alaska

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1884 Umpire Van Cort infuriates the visiting Detroit Wolverines when he calls their batter out on a third-strike foul tip in a National League contest played at the South End Grounds. Mike Hines, the Beaneaters' backstop, clearly did not catch the strike three because the ball becomes wedged in his catcher's mask.
1910 Issuing just one walk, which spoils his bid for a perfect game, A's right-hander Chief Bender, who is part Chippewa, throws a 4-0 no-hitter at Shibe Park against the Cleveland Naps. The home plate umpire is Bill Dinneen, who tossed a no-hit game against the White Sox playing with the Pilgrims (Red Sox) in 1905, making him the only person in big-league history to both throw a no-hitter and call one as an umpire.

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1915 White Sox hurler Red Faber hurls only 67 pitches in his complete-game 4-1 victory over the Senators. The future Hall of Fame right-hander keeps his pitch count by needing to throw just three pitches to retire the side in both the third and fifth innings.

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1937 At Philadelphia's Baker Bowl, Ducky Medwick hits two home runs and two doubles. The Cardinal outfielder's 12 total bases contribute to the Redbirds' 15-3 rout over the Phillies.

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1941 After five undistinguished seasons of being called the Bees, the National League club in Boston reverts to its original name. New owners of the Braves had hoped to change the team's image by renaming the franchise.
1948 On WBZ-TV, the first Red Sox game ever televised from Fenway becomes must-see TV when Boston scores three times in the bottom of the tenth inning for a 6-5 walk-off victory. After the White Sox had tallied two runs in the top of the frame to break the 3-3 deadlock, Bobby Doerr's three-run home run dramatically ends the contest.

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1950 Ted Williams apologizes to Red Sox fans for the 'insulting' gestures he made after being booed by the Fenway Faithful for allowing the eventual winning run to score on his second error of yesterday's game. In response to the patrons' vocal displeasure, the 'Splendid Splinter' had bowed three times to various sections of the Boston ballpark and made an obscene gesture with his finger.
1955 After Sam 'Toothpick' Jones walks the bases full in the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs right-hander whiffs Dick Groat, Roberto Clemente, and Frank Thomas to preserve his 4-0 no-hitter against the Pirates. Unfortunately, only 2,918 fans are on hand at Wrigley Field to witness the first no-hitter ever thrown by a black player and the ninth rookie to throw a hitless game.

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1956 At Ebbets Field, Carl Erskine tosses his second career no-hitter when he holds the crosstown rival Giants hitless in the Dodgers' 3-0 victory. The right-handed 'Oisk' also threw a no-no against the Cubs in 1952.

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1956 Don Ferrarese gets his first major league victory, blanking the Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium, 1-0. The Orioles rookie southpaw loses a no-hitter when Andy Carey leads off the ninth inning with a single.
1958 In a 12-3 rout of their West Coast rival, Willie Mays homers twice against the Dodgers in the LA Memorial Coliseum contest. The 'Say Hey Kid's' second round-tripper, a fifth-inning shot off Ed Roebuck, is the first grand slam ever hit by a San Francisco Giant.

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1962 Craig Anderson, who will not win another major league game, dropping his next 19 decisions that include 16 this season, gets credit for the wins in both ends of a twin bill when the 5-17 Mets beat the Braves at the Polo Grounds, 3-2 and 8-7. The victories account for the first doubleheader sweep in franchise history and mark the first time a major league team has accomplished the feat with two walk-off homers, thanks to the ninth-inning heroics of Hobie Landrith and Gil Hodges.

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1966 The first game ever played at Busch Memorial Stadium is an extra-inning affair. Lou Brock plates Curt Flood with a 12th-inning single off future Hall of Fame knuckleballer Phil Niekro, giving the Cardinals a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Braves in their new ballpark.

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1968 Luis Tiant improves his record to 5-2 when he tosses his fourth consecutive shutout, blanking the Orioles in the first game of a twin bill at Memorial Stadium, 2-0. 'El Tiante,' finishing the season with a 21-9 record, will post a league-leading 1.60 ERA in 34 appearances for the Tribe.

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1968 The Mets play their 1000th game in franchise history, losing to Chicago at Wrigley Field in the first game of a doubleheader, 4-3. The Amazins compiled a 332-664 record with four contests ending in a tie during the span but start their next 1000 matchups with a resounding 10-0 rout of the Cubs in the nightcap.

 

1970 At Wrigley Field, only 5,264 fans are in attendance to see Ernie Banks hit his 500th career home run, but on hand to witness the historic home run is Frank Secory, one of the umpires of the 1953 contest in which Mr. Cub hit his first round-tripper. The second-inning line drive hit off Braves' pitcher Pat Jarvis into the left-field bleachers, bounces back onto the field, and the Atlanta outfielder Rico Carty gives the Cubs' first baseman the ball.

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1971 In the top of the seventh inning, Carl Taylor goes into the Baltimore clubhouse and sets fire to his baseball equipment and uniform in front of his locker. The soon-to-be suspended 27-year-old Royals' outfielder told manager Bob Lemon earlier to get a new left fielder because he was not helping the team or himself.
1972 In a contest that takes five hours and 47 minutes to complete, the Brewers beat the hometown Twins at Metropolitan Stadium, 4-3. Mike Ferraro singles off Bert Blyleven to plate Ron Theobald with the decisive run in the top of the 22nd inning.
1974 In a 4-3 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Bronx native Ed Kranepool collects his 1000th major league hit. The James Monroe High School graduate will play his entire 18-year career with the Mets, retiring as the all-time franchise leader with 1,418 hits.

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1978 At Royals Stadium, a potential game-ending routine flyball to right-center field becomes an Amos Otis walk-off inside-the-park homer when Reggie Jackson and Mickey Rivers collide in the outfield. The misplay turns a sure Goose Gossage save into a devastating loss for the World Champions Bronx Bombers.
1979 Bill Murray, an anchorman on Saturday Night Live Weekend Update, reports 42-year-old Chico Escuela (a fictional baseball player portrayed by Garrett Morris) has informed the Mets that he is quitting baseball. Although "baizabol be berry berry good to him," a crushing blow off the bat of Dodger first baseman Steve Garvey into the Dominican's infielder's crotch ends an inspiring comeback.

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1990 Blanking the Dodgers at Shea Stadium, 7-0, Frank Viola gets his seventh consecutive win from the start of the season. The Mets southpaw sets a franchise record of nine straight victories, dating back to his past two decisions last season.

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1996 Jerry Goff, playing in his first game of the season, ties a modern major league record when he allows six passed balls in the Astros' 7-6 loss to the Expos at Olympic Stadium. The 32-year-old Houston backup backstop, filling in for starter Rick Wilkins, who caught all 13 frames of yesterday's extra-inning loss to Montreal, equals the dubious mark for misplaying six pitches in one game shared by Harry Vickers (1902 Reds) and Geno Petralli (1987 Rangers).
1997 In a Jet magazine article, Frank Thomas, "hurt" and "embarrassed" by the portions of his ESPN interview that ABC's "Nightline" used in their segment about Jackie Robinson, says the piece misrepresented his remarks. The network shows the White Sox All-Star sharing he rarely thinks about Robinson's efforts in breaking down baseball's color barrier.
1998 The Padres' home game streak, which started in April of 1983 without a rainout, ends in a scheduled contest against the Mets, a team washed out eight times already this season. A game in San Diego hadn't been rained out in the previous 15 years, covering a total of 1,184 games.
1998 Mark Grace is the first player to have his home run ball land in the swimming pool, located 415 feet from home plate just behind the right-center field fence of the new Bank One Ballpark. The Cubs' first baseman, who will become a fan favorite in Arizona after signing as a free agent with the club in 2000, will not accomplish the feat again during his three seasons of playing in the desert.
2000 Striking out 15 Orioles, Boston's Pedro Martinez ties an American League record set in 1968 by Indian hurler Luis Tiant for most strikeouts over two games, 32. The Red Sox fireballer had 17 strikeouts in his last start against the Devil Rays.

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2000 John Wetteland, in a less-than-spectacular outing, earns his 300th save when he allows five hits and gives up three runs in 1.1 innings of work in the Rangers' 13-11win over the Angels at Edison Field. The right-handed hurler, who will end his career with 330 saves, becomes the 12th reliever in history to reach the milestone.

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2001 Arbitrator Alan Symonette orders baseball to reinstate nine of the 22 'resigning' umpires released two years ago and must give them back pay for missed time. The ruling also states veteran umpires Frank Pulli and Terry Tata need not retire after the season.

 

2001 Carlos Delgado surpasses Joe Carter to become the all-time Blue Jay career leader in round-trippers. The first baseman hits his 204th home run in a Toronto uniform in a 7-2 loss to Seattle at the SkyDome.
2001 At Qualcomm Stadium, Marlin right-hander A.J. Burnett no-hits the Padres, 3-0, in a game in which every opposing regular batter he faces reaches base. Although no Friars reach base with a hit, San Diego has plenty of opportunities when the 24-year-old North Little Rock (AK) native throws 129 pitches, issuing a record nine walks and hitting one batter in the hitless gem.

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2004 As the Minute Maid Ballpark crowd responds with a standing ovation, former Iraqi hostage Thomas Hamill throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the Astros' game against Miami. The 44-year-old Houston-based Halliburton subsidiary KBR employee, who escaped after being wounded and captured during an attack on his convoy, throws a strike despite wearing a cast on his throwing arm.
2004 In one of the most remarkable at-bats in big-league history, Alex Cora fouls off 14 consecutive pitches and then hits the 18th thrown to him by the Cubs' Matt Clement over the right-field fence for a two-run home run which doubles LA's lead to 4-0. The Dodger Stadium crowd cheered each foul ball, watching the increasing total displayed on the scoreboard.

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2007 Angels' right-hander Bartolo Colon wins his 12th straight decision against the Rangers as a starter to tie a major league mark. Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez, who accomplished the feat facing Seattle from 1998-2004, is the only other hurler to win a dozen consecutive starts against an opponent.

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2008 In the nightcap of a twin bill against the Blue Jays, Asdrubal Cabrera completes the 14th unassisted triple play in major league history. The Indians' second baseman catches Lyle Overbay's line drive, then steps on second to force out Kevin Mench, and gets the third out tagging Marco Scutaro, the runner from first base.

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2008 Buster Posey, who starts the game as the catcher, eventually plays all nine positions for the Florida State Seminoles in a 10-0 victory over Savannah State. The future Rookie of the Year, after playing every infield position from the second to the fifth inning, moves to left field to begin the sixth before shifting to center with two outs, strikes out both hitters that he faces in the seventh before becoming the right-fielder for the final out of the frame.

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2009 In a 5-3 victory over LA at Citizens Bank Park, Jayson Werth steals home to complete his journey around the bases, including the swiping of second and third base. In addition to becoming the first major leaguer to achieve the stolen base cycle since Eric Young accomplished the feat in 1996 with Colorado, the Phillies' right-fielder ties a team record established by Sherry Magee (2, 1906) and Garry Maddox (1978).
2013 The Cubs and Anthony Rizzo agree to a $41 million, seven-year contract that could reach $68 million over nine seasons. In January of 2012, Chicago acquired the 23-year-old first baseman and right-handed starting pitcher Zach Cates from the Padres in exchange for right-handed starter Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na.

 

2014 Yankee right fielder Alfonso Soriano becomes only the seventh player to collect a thousand hits in both leagues when he singles off Mets starter Bartolo Colon in the bottom of the second inning of the team's 9-7 loss at the Bronx ballpark. The 38-year-old Dominican outfielder, the first major leaguer to record 100 HRs, 500 RBIs, 500 runs, and 100 RBIs in each circuit, joins Frank Robinson, Dave Winfield, Vladimir Guerrero, Fred McGriff, Orlando Cabrera, and Carlos Lee in reaching the milestone.

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2015 Giancarlo Stanton becomes the fourth player to hit a home run out of Dodger Stadium, joining Mark McGwire (1999), Mike Piazza (1997), and Willie Stargell, who accomplished the feat twice (1969, 1973). The jaw-dropping first-inning blast off Mike Bolsinger, estimated to have traveled 475 feet, proves to be the only bright spot in the Marlins' 11-1 loss to LA at Chavez Ravine.

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9,920

 

Today in Baseball History
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Search archives: Historical Events Baseball Birthdays Baseball Deaths
On May 12 in Baseball History...

• • 1926 - Walter Johnson wins the 400th game of his career, defeating the St. Louis Browns 7-4.
  • 1932 - Carey Selph of the White Sox strikes out for the ninth time this season. It won't happen again. Selph will go another 89 games, a major league-record, without whiffing, hitting .283 (in 396 at bats) in his second and last season.
  • 1950 - Red Sox star Ted Williams apologizes to the hometown fans for "insulting gestures" he made in response to catcalls prompted by his two errors in a doubleheader loss (13-4 and 5-3) to Detroit. His second bobble allowed the Tigers' eventual winning run to score in game two.
  • 1958 - Willie Mays hits the first grand slam in the history of the San Francisco Giants and adds another home run as L]os Angeles loses 12-3.
  • 1966 - The Cardinals open new Busch Memorial Stadium with a 12-inning 4-3 win over the Braves.
  • 1970 - Ernie Banks becomes the eighth member of the 500 home run club, connecting off Pat Jarvis during a 4-3 Cubs win over the Braves. It his 1,600th career RBI. Atlanta's Rico Carty, meanwhile, hits safely in his 30th consecutive game.

Baseball Birthdays on May 12...

• • 1862 - Wolf, Jimmy
  • 1864 - Oberlander, Doc
  • 1866 - Cross, Lave
  • 1870 - Truby, Harry
  • 1874 - Buckingham, Ed
  • 1886 - Netzel, Milo
  • 1887 - Hageman, Casey
  • 1887 - Krapp, Gene
  • 1888 - McCarthy, Alex
  • 1889 - Schulz, Al
  • 1893 - Kaiserling, George
  • 1893 - Hiller, Hob
  • 1895 - Poole, Jim
  • 1897 - Dugan, Joe
  • 1898 - McNeely, Earl
  • 1899 - Dennehey, Tod
  • 1900 - Voyles, Phil
  • 1902 - Henry, Dutch
  • 1906 - Butler, Charlie
  • 1910 - Mills, Lefty
  • 1911 - McKain, Archie
  • 1915 - Dean, Harry
  • 1916 - Borowy, Hank
  • 1916 - Parsons, Dixie
  • 1918 - Quinn, Wimpy
  • 1922 - Hetki, Johnny
  • 1923 - Lyons, Ed
  • 1925 - Berra, Yogi
  • 1930 - Umphlett, Tom
  • 1935 - Alou, Felipe
  • 1938 - Gigon, Norm
  • 1940 - Timmermann, Tom
  • 1941 - Weaver, Floyd
  • 1942 - Kubiak, Ted
  • 1947 - Heise, Bob
  • 1947 - Albury, Vic
  • 1950 - Darcy, Pat
  • 1951 - Nolan, Joe
  • 1953 - Duncan, Taylor
  • 1955 - Botting, Ralph
  • 1957 - Whitaker, Lou
  • 1959 - Bass, Kevin
  • 1959 - Lozado, Willie
  • 1965 - Escobar, Angel
  • 1966 - Bournigal, Rafael
  • 1967 - Greer, Kenny
  • 1968 - Clark, Mark
  • 1976 - Helms, Wes
  • 1978 - Phelps, Josh
  • 1979 - Dawkins, Travis
  • 1980 - Lopez, Felipe

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