BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

1960 The Indians trade southpaw Herb Score to the White Sox for Barry Latman, a right-hander who will post a 35-37 record during his four seasons with Cleveland. The southpaw, whose promising career was shattered three seasons ago after being struck by Gil McDougald's line drive, will return to Cleveland in 1964 to begin a 34-year stint as the team's beloved television and radio play-by-play announcer.

1969 Cesar Tovar and Rod Carew combine to set a major league record for most steals by teammates in one inning, swiping five bases against the Tigers' battery of Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan. During the third inning, Tovar, the Twins' leadoff hitter, steals third base and home, followed by Carew, who pilfers second and third base and home plate in the 8-2 loss at Metropolitan Stadium.

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1973 Bill North's bat sails onto the infield when he swings and misses the first pitch thrown by Royals rookie reliever Doug Bird, who will be shocked when the A's center fielder, retrieving his bat, unexpectedly goes to the mound and begins to pummel him. The Oakland outfielder, who will be ejected, suspended for three days, and received a $100 fine for initiating the brawl, retaliated against the 23-year-old KC right-hander for an incident in a Class A game played in Waterloo (IA) three seasons earlier.

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1976 In a 5-3 victory at Tiger Stadium, Carl Yastrzemski plays in his 2,293rd game wearing a Red Sox uniform, surpassing Ted Williams' team record. The Boston legend will extend the franchise mark to 3,308 contests before retiring in 1983.

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1986 In the bottom of the tenth inning at Fenway Park, the Red Sox score two runs on an unusual play to beat the Rangers, 6-5, thanks to George Wright's errant throw.

1988 In the 'Year of the Balk,' Dave Stewart breaks a major league record, committing his twelfth balk of the season. The A's right-hander will extend the single-season mark to 16 thanks to the strict interpretation of umpires on a minor rule change.


1990 The Orioles, en route to a 13-1 victory over the Rangers, tie an American League record when the team collects eight consecutive singles in the seven-run first inning at Memorial Stadium. Baltimore consecutive one-baggers off right-hander Bobby Witt equals the mark shared by the 1951 Senators and 1981 A's.

1990 At the Astrodome, Cubs' second baseman Ryan Sandberg's errorless game streak ends after 123 games and 582 chances when his errant throw to first base trying to rob Eric Anthony of an infield single allows Ken Caminiti to advanced to third. The seven-time Gold Glove second baseman surpasses the marks for the position previously established by Joe Morgan (91 games) and Manny Trillo (479 errorless plays).

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1992 WQAM becomes the voice of the Marlins, signing a four-year deal as the flagship radio station of the team. In Miami and southern Florida, listeners will be able to pick up the play-by-play action of the new National League expansion team at 560 am on their radio dial.

 

1998 Due to drastic payroll cuts reducing the World Champions' effectiveness, two class-action lawsuits are filed against the Marlins - one for breach of contract and the other accusing the team of false advertising. Florida will finish last in the NL East with a 54-108 record (.333.), 52 games behind the division-leading Braves.

1998 With a 6-3 victory over the Orioles, the Devil Rays become only the second expansion team in major league history to sweep an away four-game series. The 1993 Colorado Rockies, who did it against the Dodgers, is the other club to accomplish this feat.

1999 After missing the team's first 36 games, Joe Torre returns to the Yankee dugout two months after undergoing successful surgery for prostate cancer. Before the 6-3 loss to the Red Sox, the 58-year-old skipper receives a two-minute standing ovation from the Fenway Park crowd when the scoreboard welcomes him back.

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1999 Diamondbacks' outfielder Luis Gonzalez homers in his first at-bat to extend his hitting streak to 30 games, establishing a franchise record. Expos' outfielder Vladimir Guerrero Montreal Expos will also enjoy a consecutive stretch this season, reaching base on hit in 31 straight contests.

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2000 In a 6-2 loss to the Padres, the Marlins steal ten bases, one shy of the National League record. Luis Castillo (3), Cliff Floyd (3), Preston Wilson (2), and Mark Kotsay (2), the top four batters in the Fish lineup, are responsible for the grand theft.

2000 Mark McGwire passes Mickey Mantle on the all-time home run when he goes deep in the first inning when he hits a three-run drive off Curt Schilling for No.537, placing him in front of the Yankee legendary slugger in eighth place. 'Big Mac' adds to his total with two more round-trippers Cardinals' 7-2 victory over the Phillies at Veterans Stadium.

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2002 At Fenway Park, Pedro Martinez becomes the 11th pitcher in American League history to record an immaculate inning when he strikes out the side on nine pitches in the first frame. The Red Sox right-hander fans Ichiro Suzuki, Mark McLemore, and Ruben Sierra to begin Boston's eventual 4-1 victory over Seattle.

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2004 At the age of 40, southpaw Randy Johnson becomes the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game when the Diamondbacks beat the Braves, 2-0. The 'Big Unit' joins Cy Young, Jim Bunning, Hideo Nomo, and Nolan Ryan as the only hurlers to throw no-hitters in both leagues and creates the most extended span between no-no's, having first accomplished the feat against the Tigers in June of 1990.

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2008 Marlins' second baseman Luis Castillo, who has stolen seven bases in his last two games, is one theft shy of tying a National League mark. Walt Wilmont set the record of eight pilfered bags in consecutive contests playing for the Chicago Colts (Cubs) in 1894.


2008 A pitchout and a perfect throw by Brewers catcher Jason Kendall finally catches Jacoby Ellsbury attempting to steal a bag, snapping the 24-year-old rookie's string of 25 consecutive stolen bases to start his big league career. The Red Sox outfielder is second all-time to Tim Raines, who recorded 27 straight thefts with the Expos before being caught in 1981.


2009 Jason Kendall collects his 2000th career hit when he singles in the Brewers' 8-4 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The 34-year-old backstop becomes the 254th player, but only the eighth to be primarily a catcher to reach that milestone.


2012 Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander misses pitching his third career no-hitter when he allows a single to Josh Harrison with one out in the top of the ninth inning. The reigning MVP and Cy Young winner completes the one-hitter, beating Pittsburgh, 6-0, in front of a wildly enthusiastic Friday night crowd at Detroit's Comerica Park.

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2012 Kerry Wood ends his major league career on his terms when he strikes out the one batter he faces before walking off the mound into an embrace from his six-year-old son in front of the Wrigley Field dugout. The 35-year-old much-injured Cubs' right-hander, an All-Star as both a starter and closer, believes today's final strikeout to be the most significant and the most memorable moment of his 14-year career.
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James Bell, better known as “Cool Papa” Bell, was born OTD in 1903, is regarded as the fastest to ever play the game! His base running feats are legendary. He twice scored from 1st base on a bunt in games vs @mlb all-stars.
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“I have discovered in 20 years of moving around a ballpark that the knowledge of the game is usually in inverse proportion to the price of the seats.” ~ Bill Veeck
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45 Years Ago Today: Mike Schmidt hits a 10th inning HR vs. Bruce Sutter to give the Philadelphia #Phillies a 23-22 lead over the Chicago #Cubs in a wild slugfest at Wrigley Field! (May 17, 1979)
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MAY 19 BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS
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1929 Curt Simmons pitcher (3 x MLB All-Star; World Series 1964 St. Louis Cardinals; Philadelphia Phillies)
Simmons was the last surviving member of the “Whiz Kids,” which was the nickname for the Phillies 1950 team that won the pennant. After retiring from professional baseball, Simmons and fellow Phillie Robin Roberts owned Limekiln Golf Club in Ambler (Horsham Township). Simmons managed the club.
Simmons & Gibson


1954 Rick Cerone, catcher (Yankees/Red Sox/Mets/Expos)



1955 Ed Whitson, pitcher (Pirates, NY Yankees, San Diego Padres)

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This Day in Baseball History
May 19th​

1915 Pirates player-manager Fred Clarke files a patent for flip-down sunglasses designed for outfielders. In addition to the sunglasses, which he believes are "good for motorists, too," the future Hall of Famer also creates and will be issued patents for a sliding pad and a mechanical method of positioning the tarpaulin.

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1918 The Senators play the District's first Sunday game, beating Cleveland in a dramatic, 1-0 twelve-inning contest in front of the largest crowd in the history of American League Park. The 17,000 spectators packed into the Washington D.C. ballpark include several U.S. Senators, a Supreme Court Justice, and 2,000 soldiers invited by the team.


1929 At Yankee Stadium in a section known as Ruthville, two fans die, a 17-year-old college sophomore and a sixty-year-old truck driver, and another seventy-five fans reported hurt when an unusually violent storm causes the crowd to stampede trying to seek cover. The incident in the right-field bleachers occurs when the sudden cloudburst makes it obvious the contest will end with New York ahead of the Red Sox, 3-0, at the end of four and a half innings, making it an official game.

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1933 For the first time in major league history, brothers on opposite teams homer in the same game. Red Sox catcher Rick Ferrell takes his brother Wes deep, but the Indians' righty returns the favor as he homers in the third on a pitch called by his sibling.

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954 Bob Carpenter apologizes to second baseman Granny Hamner for having him followed by a detective. Although his team is one game behind from first place, the Phillies' owner suspected his players were not ready to play mentally or physically.

1956 Dale Long's eighth-inning Forbes Field's two-run round-tripper against Chicago is the first in a string of eight consecutive games in which the Pirates' first baseman will homer. Don Mattingly (Yankees, 1987) and Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners, 1993) will match the Adam, MA native's major league mark.

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1962 Cardinal Stan Musial singles for his 3,431st career hit, establishing a National League record. 'Stan the Man' delivers the historic hit as a pinch-hitter, something he will accomplish coming off the bench 14 times in 19 at-bats (.735) this season.

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1968 At Tiger Stadium, Earl Wilson stops Senator Frank Howard's home run streak. The 'Capital Punisher' established the major league mark by hitting ten home runs in the previous six games.

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1972 In an exchange of outfielders, Cincinnati trades Bernie Carbo, their number-one pick in the 1965 draft, to the Cardinals for Joe Hague. Unknown at the time, the move resulted from an ugly incident when the spring training hold-out becomes physical with Reds' GM Bob Howsam during a contentious negotiation session.

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1976 The day after Carl Yastrzemski passes Boston legend Ted Williams for the most games played in a Red Sox uniform, he enjoys a memorable day a the plate, going 4-for-4, including three home runs and four RBIs. Yaz's offensive output contributes to the team's 9-2 victory over the Tigers in the Motor City.

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1979 After a bitter strike, the major league umpires return to work when the MLUA and MLB agree on a contract allowing umps to have in-season vacations, the institution of a 401(k) plan, increases in salaries, pensions, and per diems, and a return to merit-based assignments for post-season games. During the six-week work stoppage, amateur arbiters replaced the men in blue.

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1981 After giving up a single to leadoff hitter Terry Harper, Pirates' hurler Jim Bibby retires the next 27 Braves en route to a 5-0 one-hitter. The right-hander threw a no-hitter as a rookie with the Rangers.

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1984 Joining the club in St. Louis, Reds' rookie Eric Davis makes his major league debut, grounding out to short as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning of the Reds' 9-1 loss to the Cardinals. When Cincinnati forgets to pack an extra road uniform, the 22-year-old rookie wears a numberless jersey.

1993 With the team record mired at 13-25, Jeff Torborg is replaced by Dallas Green as the Mets skipper. The 1990 American League Manager of the Year with the White Sox posted an 85-115 record (.425) during his brief stint with New York.

1994 The first 'Jay Buhner Buzz Cut Night,' which will become a popular recurring promotion, is held at the Kingdome. Mariners fans, willing to have their heads shaved to emulate the team's right fielder, who plays an active role by encouraging fans to participate and giving a few haircuts himself, receive free admission to seats in right field to cheer on 'Bone.'

1998 For the second time this season and fourth time in his career, Mark McGwire hits three homers in a game. 'Big Mac' becomes the 12th player to have two three-homer games in a season when he smacks three two-run round-trippers against the Phillies.

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1998 After giving up an eighth-inning three-run homer to Bernie Williams, Armando Benitez nails Tino Martinez between the shoulder blades, igniting a bench-clearing brawl. Graeme Lloyd races in from the Yankee bullpen to punch the O's closer, and Alan Mills bloodies Darryl Strawberry's face after the New York outfielder ends up in the Baltimore dugout also trying to get a shot at Benitez.

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2000 In the park's final year, Jason Kendall became the first Pirate to hit for the cycle in Three Rivers Stadium. The Pittsburgh backstop has a two-run homer in the first inning, a single in the second, a double in the third, and a two-run triple in the eighth to join Giant Jeff Kent (1999) as the only other player to accomplish the feat in the stadium's 31-year history.

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2001 Reversing their original decision, the Elias Sports Bureau, major league baseball's official statistician, will now list Randy Johnson's 20 strikeouts as tying a record. Although the game went extra innings, the Big Unit's nine-inning performance now ranks with Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood's 20K outings in the record book.

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2002 Cubs' first baseman Fred McGriff's two-run homer at Miller Park ties Ellis Burks' record of homering in 40 different major league parks. The Crime Dog's eighth-inning blast knots the score 3-3 in an eventual 4-3, 11-inning victory over the Brewers, snapping Chicago's nine-game losing streak.

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2004 Brad Thompson breaks a 97-year-old minor league record set in 1907 by Irvin Wilhelm, hurling 57 consecutive scoreless innings. The 22-year-old Cardinals farmhand, playing in the Southern League for the Tennessee Smokies, falls just two innings short of Orel Hershiser's professional mark of 59 established in 1988.

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2004 Yankee spokesman Jason Zillo announces Cracker Jack, baseball's most famous snack for over 100 years, will not be sold at Yankee Stadium, being replaced by a product known as Crunch 'n Munch. According to team officials, the short-lived change, due to the fans' adverse reaction, is being made because Crunch 'n Munch tastes better but may have happened due to Frito-Lay's decision to package the game's well-known treat in only bags and not boxes.

2004 Julio Franco, breaking a record he set two weeks ago, becomes the oldest player to hit a pinch-hit home run. The Braves first baseman is 45 years, 269 days old when he accomplishes the feat.

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