BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

This Day in Baseball History
October 6th​

1906 On a snowy day in Chicago's West Side Park, the visiting White Sox, known as the Hitless Wonders, edge the Cubs, 2-1, in Game 1 of the first cross-town World Series. Pale Hose starter Nick Altrock outduels future Hall of Fame right-hander Mordecai' Three Finger Brown,' going the distance en route to tossing a four-hitter over the heavily favored Northsiders.

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1908 In front of nearly 30,000 enthusiastic fans at South Side Park in the season finale, the White Sox start Doc White, coming off a complete game, on only two days rest to thwart the Tigers from clinching the pennant. Chicago's efforts will fail with a 7-0 defeat to Detroit, who captures the AL flag by half a game ahead of the Cleveland Naps thanks to a rule that doesn't require a team to make up a rainout game from earlier in the season.

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1923 At Braves Field, Ernie Padgett completes the first unassisted triple play in National League history. The 24-year-old Boston rookie shortstop catches Walter Holke's line drive, doubles up James Tierney at second, then tags Cliff Lee as he retreats to first base for the third out in the fourth inning of the team's 4-1 victory over the Phillies in the shortened five-inning season finale.

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1923 For only the second time in major league history, two 100-loss teams face one another when the 52-100 Braves beat the 50-102 Phillies in the first game of a season-ending doubleheader, 5-4. Boston, then known as the Beaneaters, was also part of the first occurrence of this rare type of matchup when the 50-100 club played the 45-103 team from Brooklyn in 1905.

1926 In a 10-5 Game 4 victory over the Cardinals at Sportsman's Park, Yankee outfielder Babe Ruth becomes the first player to hit three home runs in a World Series game. History repeats itself when the 'Sultan of Swat' again goes deep three times against the Redbirds in St. Louis in the fourth game of the 1928 Fall Classic.


1933 Umpire Charlie Moran ejects Heinie Manush from Game 4 of the Fall Classic after calling out the Senator outfielder at first base in Washington's 2-1 extra-inning loss to the Giants at Griffith Stadium. The arbitrator takes exception when the future Hall of Famer pulls on his bow tie, letting it snap back.

 

1941 In Game 5 of the Fall Classic, Tiny Bonham goes the distance, limiting the Dodgers to four hits to give the Yankees their 12th World Championship in franchise history. In one inning during the Bronx Bombers' 3-1 victory at Ebbets Field, the New York fireballing right-hander will need just three pitches to retire the side.

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1943 Cardinal batterymates and brothers Mort and Walker Cooper decide to play Game 2 of the World Series on the day their dad, Robert, dies at his home in Independence. After limiting the Yankees to six hits and winning the game, 4-3, Mort heads to Missouri while his younger brother, Walker, who has a 1-for-3 day behind the plate with an eighth-inning single, will stay with the club until the Fall Classic is over.

1945 To promote his nearby Billy Goat Tavern, William Sianis buys a ticket to Game 4 of the Fall Classic ticket for his pet goat, Murphy. The bar owner, a Greek immigrant, becomes so upset when the Wrigley Field ushers ask his four-legged guest to leave he places a curse on the team, preventing the Cubs from winning a World Series again.​

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1946 During Game 1 of the World Series, Whitey Kurowski is awarded home plate on a controversial obstruction call after getting tangled up with Red Sox third baseman Pinky Higgins, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning. The Red Sox rally in the ninth to tie the score, and Rudy York's home run in the tenth gives Boston an eventual 3-2 victory over the Redbirds at Sportsman's Park.

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1949 In Game 2 of the World Series, only one run scores for the second consecutive contest time, but Preacher Roe and the Dodgers win this contest at Yankee Stadium, 1-0. Gil Hodges' second-inning single drives in Jackie Robinson to even up the Fall Classic at a game apiece.

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1952 At Ebbets Field, Billy Loes becomes the first pitcher in World Series history to commit a balk when the ball slips from his hand in the seventh inning of the Dodgers' 3-2 loss knots the Fall Classic at three games apiece with the Yankees. The advanced base leads to a run when Vic Raschi bounces a ground-ball single off the leg of the right-hander, who claims he lost the grounder in the sun.

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Although Loes’ oft-quoted explanation of losing the ground ball in the sun has become legendary, there is some truth to his account of the play. According to his Brooklyn teammate Carl Erskine, the sun slotting through a space in the grandstand behind home plate could be blinding later in the afternoon.

1957 In Game 4, Eddie Mathews' two-run shot off Bob Grim with one out in the bottom of the tenth inning at County Stadium gives the Braves a 7-5 victory and knots the Fall Classic at two games apiece. The Milwaukee third baseman becomes the third major leaguer, joining Tommy Henrich (1949) and Dusty Rhodes (1954), to end a World Series game with a walk-off home run.

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1959 The largest crowd to attend a major league game, 92,706 fans, watches a nail-biter as White Sox hurler Bob Shaw beats Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, 1-0, in Game 5 of the Fall Classic.

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1963 The Dodgers complete a four-game World Series sweep of the Yankees as Sandy Koufax wins his second game, 2-1. Frank Howard leads the offense with a home run and a single, the only two hits Whitey Ford gives up, and New York's first baseman Joe Pepitone's error (loses a thrown ball in the white-shirted crowd) leads to the decisive run in the seventh inning.

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1965 "Hey, skip, bet you wish I was Jewish today, too." - DON DRYSDALE, commenting about his poor performance on the mound with manager Walt Alston after the game. Sandy Koufax declines to pitch the first game of the World Series against the Twins because the scheduled game occurs on Yom Kippur, the most sacred of the Jewish holidays. As the Dodger southpaw attends shul and fasts on the Day of Atonement, Don Drysdale gives up seven runs in three innings in the team's 8-2 loss at Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium.

1965 Mudcat Grant becomes the first black World Series game-winner for an American League team when the Twins take Game 1 from the Dodgers at Metropolitan Stadium, 8-2. Additionally, the 30-year-old right-hander will go deep off Howie Reed in his Game 6 victory, making him the seventh pitcher to homer in a Fall Classic game.

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1966 Jim Palmer becomes the youngest player to pitch a shutout in the World Series when the 20-year-old Oriole right-hander blanks Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, 6-0. Next month, the contest will become more memorable when Koufax surprises the baseball world by announcing his retirement, making this game his last major league appearance.

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1966 In the Game 2 loss to the Orioles at Dodger Stadium, Willie Davis establishes a World Series record by committing three errors in one game. The center fielder's blunders come on two consecutive plays in the fifth inning, the first by losing a fly ball in the sun, then by dropping the next fly ball, followed by overthrowing third base.

1968 Bob Gibson, who went deep in Game 7 of last year's Fall Classic, becomes the first pitcher to hit two home runs in World Series history when he connects off Detroit's Joe Sparma leading off the fourth inning of Game 4 in the Cardinals' 10-1 rout at Tiger Stadium. Oriole southpaw Dave McNally will match the mark with round-trippers in the 1969 and 1970 series.

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1978 Despite three solo home runs off Yankees' ace Catfish Hunter by Kansas City's third baseman George Brett, the Bronx Bombers win Game 3 of the ALCS, beating the Royals, 6-5.

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1980 Although the Mets finished last during his first three seasons in the dugout, the team extends manager Joe Torre's contract through the 1982 season. The future Hall of Fame skipper will compile a 286-420 (.405) record for the struggling franchise during his five seasons with the team.

1980 In the 163rd game of the season, 35-year-old knuckleballer Joe Niekro earns his 20th victory, going the distance to defeat the Dodgers, 7-1, in the winner-take-all contest for the NL West flag. With the win, the Astros capture their first title in the 19-year history of the franchise after losing a season-ending three-game series to LA (3-2, 2-1, and 4-3) that forced the one-game playoff.

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1981 In Game 1 of the ALDS in Kansas City, Mike Norris throws a six-hit complete game, blanking the Royals, 4-0. Oakland's appearance in the playoffs makes Billy Martin the first skipper in baseball history to manage four franchises (Twins-1969, Tigers-1972, A's-1981, and Yankees 1976-78) into postseason play.

 

OCTOBER 7 BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS
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1857 Moses Walker catcher (first African-American open about his heritage to play MLB; Toledo Blue Stockings)

1904 Chuck Klein Hall of Fame right fielder (Triple Crown 1933; MLB All-Star 1933, 34; NL MVP 1932; Philadelphia Phillies)

1922 Grady Hatton, third baseman (MLB All Star 1952 Cincinnati Reds) and manager (Houston Astros 1966-68)

1943 José Cardenal outfielder (Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and 7 other teams) and coach (NY Yankees, and 4 other teams)

1964 Rich Delucia pitcher (SF Giants)

1985 Evan Longoria

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Today in Baseball History
October 7th​

1904 Jack Chesbro gets his 41st win of the season when the Highlanders beat Boston in New York, 3-2. Happy Jack's win total is considered the modern-era major league mark for the most victories in a season.


1905 Fred Odwell hits his ninth and final home run of the season, an inside-the-park round-tripper off Cardinal right-hander Buster Brown at Robison Field, making the Reds' outfielder the National League's home run champion. 'Fritz' hit just one last year as a rookie, and after leading the majors this season, he will not hit another round-tripper for the remainder of his career, a span of 154 games.

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1911 In their final game at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, the Red Sox beat the Senators, 8-1, with only 850 patrons attending the 82-minute contest due to the cold, damp weather. Despite the weather, Boston owner John I. Taylor keeps his promise of having a "Kids' Day," giving free admission to hundreds of children attending the season finale.

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1925 Before Game 1 of the World Series at Forbes Field, Commissioner Landis orders the Pirates and the Senators to wear black armbands in memory of former Giants legend Christy Matthewson, who died of tuberculosis this morning at Saran Lake (NY). Although the practice will become common, this marks the first time in major league history that teams have altered their uniform to acknowledge a fellow ballplayer's passing.


1935 In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 6, the Tigers win their first World Series in franchise history when Goose Goslin singles home Mickey Cochrane to give the team a dramatic 4-3 walk-off victory over the Cubs. Tommy Bridges goes the distance, giving up 12 hits, to win the Navin Field.



1939 In Game 3 at Crosley Field, Charlie Keller becomes the first rookie to hit two home runs in the same World Series game. The 22-year-old outfielder's round-trippers in the first and fifth innings, both off starter Junior Thompson, contribute to the Yankees' 7-3 victory over the Reds.

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1950 Rookie hurler Whitey Ford, with ninth-inning help from Allie Reynolds, beats the Phillies, 5-2, as the Yankees complete the Fall Classic sweep of Philadelphia's 'Whiz Kids.' Jerry Coleman wins the Babe Ruth Award as the World Series MVP.


1952 In the decisive Game 7, the Yankees beat the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, 4-2, to win their fourth consecutive World Championship. Some Brooklyn fans gathered at local churches asking for divine help for Gil Hodges to break his slump, but their beloved first baseman finished the Fall Classic hitless in twenty-one at-bats.
Joe Black takes the loss in his third start of the World Series. The 28-year-old right-hander appeared only twice as the starting pitcher in the regular season, making 54 appearances in relief for the Dodgers.

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1961 The Yankees win Game 3 of the World Series, beating the hometown Reds at Crosley Field, 3-2. The decisive blow is Roger Maris' home run leading off the top of the ninth inning off Cincinnati starter Bob Purkey.

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1964 Bob Uecker, who had been shagging out in left field, tries to catch batting practice balls with a tuba when an unsuspecting member of a Dixieland band leaves it unattended. Much to the delight of the crowd, the comedic Cardinals backup catcher is successful in two of his six attempts to snag a fly ball in the mouth of the instrument, but the owner, who is not amused, asks the team for $250 to cover the cost of repairing the dented brass.


1969 The Cardinals trade Curt Flood, Byron Browne, Joe Hoerner, and Tim McCarver to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Dick Allen, Jerry Johnson, and Cookie Rojas. When Flood refuses to report to Philadelphia, St. Louis sends Willie Montanez and a minor leaguer to complete the trade, but the outfielder continues his courageous challenge to the reserve clause, which will have a dramatic impact on the game.

 

1977 The Dodgers rally for three runs with none on and two outs in the top of the ninth to take a one-run lead in their eventual 6-5 victory over the Phillies at Veterans Stadium in Game 3 of the NLCS. The game appears to be over when LA's Davey Lopes is picked off first base for the final out, but a throwing error by Gene Garber advances him to second base, from where he will score the decisive run on Bill Russell's single.

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1978 In Game 4 of the NLCS, Ron Cey scores in the 10th inning on Bill Russell's two-out game-winning single, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 victory over the Phillies and their second consecutive National League pennant. Cey, who walked after the first two batters were retired, advanced into scoring position when Garry Maddox misplayed Dusty Baker's fly ball in center field.

 

1981 The first postseason game outside the United States occurs in Montreal when the Expos beat the Phillies in Game 1 of NLDS, 3-1, at Olympic Stadium. The franchise will not make playoffs again for 31 years, appearing in the postseason as the Washington Nationals in 2012.


1981 After jumping to catch Manny Trillo's liner for the last out of the NLDS clincher, Warren Cromartie borrows a Canadian flag from an Expo fan sitting in the stands and begins waving it near the Phillies' dugout. The remaining Veteran Stadium crowd, already disappointed by Philadelphia's season-ending 3-0 loss to Montreal, does not react kindly to the outfielder's patriotic gesture.

1984 In a game best remembered for Cubs' first baseman Leon Durham's seventh-inning error on an easy ground ball, the Padres win the NLCS when Tony Gwynn's seventh-inning two-run double breaks a 3-3 tie en route to a 6-3 victory at Jack Murphy Stadium. Chicago had a 2-0 game advantage and a 3-0 lead in the decisive Game 5 but could not end their thirty-nine-year World Series appearance drought.

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1988 The Yankees replace manager Lou Piniella, who had taken over for the fired Billy Martin in June, with Dallas Green. The former Phillies' skipper compiles a 56-65 record (.463) before being fired in August after calling George Steinbrenner' Manager George' due to the team's meddling with the team.

 

1995 In Game 4 of the ALDS, Edgar Martinez's eighth-inning grand slam breaks a 6-6 tie with the Yankees at the Kingdome. The Mariner DH's round-tripper, considered by many the biggest in franchise history, is the difference in Seattle's eventual 11-10 victory, forcing a decisive Game 5.

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1995 With a 10-4 victory over Colorado, the Braves win their Division Series behind the solid pitching of Greg Maddux and the power provided by Fred McGriff's two home runs. The eventual World Champs will sweep Cincinnati in the NLCS before beating Cleveland in the Fall Classic

 

2000 Benny Agbayani's 13th-inning home run ends the longest LDS game, which takes five hours and 22 minutes to complete. The dramatic round-tripper by the Mets outfielder, voted the 36th greatest athlete from Hawaii by Sports Illustrated, gives New York a 3-2 victory and a 2-1 series advantage over the Giants.

2001 On the last day of the season,Rickey Henderson bloops a double down the right-field line off Rockies' hurler John Thomson to become the 25th major leaguer to collect 3000 hits. Tony Gwynn, playing in his last major league game and a member of the 3000 hit club, meets the Padres’ outfielder at home plate in front of a sellout crowd at Qualcomm Park.

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2001 Barry Bonds extends his major league record for home runs in a season to 73 as he drives a 3-2 first-inning knuckleball off Dodger Dennis Springer over the right-field fence. The blast also secures two more major league records for the Giants' left fielder when he surpasses Babe Ruth (1920 - .847) with a .863 season slugging percentage and bests Mark McGwire (1998 - one HR every 7.27 AB) by homering in every 6.52 at-bats.


2005 The White Sox complete a three-game postseason sweep of the Red Sox, defeating the defending World Series champion in Game 3 of the ALDS, 5-3. The Fenway Park victory marks the first time the Pale Hose have won a postseason series since 1917.

2006 Three years after enduring a 119-loss season, the wild-card Tigers upset the much-favored Yankees to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 1987. After beating New York 8-3 to take the ALDS 3 games to 1, the Detroit players start spraying champagne on fans at Comerica Park, who have suffered through 12 consecutive losing seasons and a tough month of September before the team wins their first postseason series in 19 years.

2006 The Mets defeat Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium, 9-5, to complete a three-game sweep in the NLDS. The Dodgers have won only one postseason game in 13 attempts since beating the A's in the 1988 World Series.

2007 George Steinbrenner makes it clear if the Yankees do not get past the first round of playoffs against the Indians, Joe Torre's job, the longest-tenured manager under the Boss's ownership, will be in jeopardy. Trailing the ALDS 2-0, the team responds for their popular skipper with a come-from-behind 6-4 victory over the Tribe at the Stadium.

 

2010 With only 17 instances of a manager getting tossed in postseason history, two occurrences happen on the same day when umpires eject Rays' Joe Maddon and Twins' Ron Gardenhire from different ALCS games. Against Texas, the Tampa Bay skipper gets the heave-ho in for arguing a check swing with home plate ump Jim Wolf, and the Minnesota pilot suffers the same fate with Hunter Wendelstedt for arguing balls and strikes in the seventh in the contest against the Yankees.
2018 At 20 years and 293 days, Ronald Acuña Jr. becomes the youngest player in MLB history to hit a postseason grand slam, going deep off Walker Buehler in the second inning of the Braves' 6-5 victory over the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS. Yankee legend Mickey Mantle previously held the record at 21 years and 349 days old when he went deep with the bases loaded in Game 5 of the 1953 World Series.

2018 Uni-President Lions pitcher Ryan Verdugo throws nine perfect innings, but the southpaw does not leave the mound a winner in the scoreless contest against the Chinatrust Brothers. When third baseman Kuo Fu-Lin leads off the ninth inning with a walk-off home run, the former Kansas City Royal hurler will earn his perfect game, the first in the Chinese Professional Baseball League's history.

2018 At 20 years and 293 days, Ronald Acuña Jr. becomes the youngest player in MLB history to hit a postseason grand slam, going deep off Walker Buehler in the second inning of the Braves' 6-5 victory over the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS. Yankee legend Mickey Mantle previously held the record at 21 years and 349 days old when he went deep with the bases loaded in Game 5 of the 1953 World Series.


2018 Uni-President Lions pitcher Ryan Verdugo throws nine perfect innings, but the southpaw does not leave the mound a winner in the scoreless contest against the Chinatrust Brothers. When third baseman Kuo Fu-Lin leads off the ninth inning with a walk-off home run, the former Kansas City Royal hurler will earn his perfect game, the first in the Chinese Professional Baseball League's history.

 

OCTOBER 8 BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS
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1885 Johnny Lush pitcher, 1904-10 (Philadelphia Phillies, St . Louis Cardinals 2 no-hitters - 1 official, 1 rain-shortened),
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1917 Danny Murtaugh infielder (NL stolen base leader 1941 Philadelphia Phillies) and manager (World Series 1960, 71; Pittsburgh Pirates)


1946 Paul Splittorff pitcher and broadcaster (KC Royals)


1959 Mike Morgan pitcher (St Louis Cardinals)


1970 David Doster infielder (Philadelphia Phillies)

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This Day in Baseball History
October 8th​

1904 Jimmy Barrett first major leaguer to play 162 games in a season, 57 years before the schedule expands from 154 contests to 162. The Tigers outfielder accomplished the unusual feat because Detroit played ten tie games during the season.

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1908 In a make-up contest necessitated by Fred Merkle's baserunning blunder on September 23, Three Finger Brown outduels Christy Mathewson, 4-2, as the Cubs win the National League pennant by one game over the Giants in one of the most dramatic pennant races of all time.

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1915 The Phillies take Game 1 of the World Series when Grover Cleveland Alexander throws a complete game, beating the Red Sox at the Baker Bowl, 3-1. Unfortunately for the franchise, the triumph will be the team's last victory in the Fall Classic for 65 years.

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1922 Behind Art Nehf's complete-game five-hitter, the Giants repeat as World Champions, sweeping the Yankees in five games, including one tie. George Kelly's two-run single fuels the three-run eighth inning, contributing to the team's 5-3 comeback victory at the Polo Grounds.

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1927 In the bottom of the ninth of Game 4, Pirates right-hander Johnny Miljus loads the bases with no outs but strikes out Lou Gehrig (swinging) and Bob Meusel (looking). The 32-year-old Pittsburgh hurler, facing Tony Lazzeri with two outs and a 0-1 count, throws a wild pitch, and Earle Combs races home with the winning run to give the Yankees the Fall Classic sweep of the Bucs and its second world championship.


1929 In front of 50,000 fans at Wrigley Field, surprise starter Howard Ehmke establishes a new World Series record, striking out 13 Cubs en route to a 3-1 A's victory in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. The mark will last 34 years until Dodger hurler Carl Erskine fans 14 Yankees in 1953.

 

1939 In the top of the tenth, Yankee outfielder Joe DiMaggio scores from first base when Reds' catcher Ernie Lombardi lies in a daze at home plate after being run over by 'King Kong' Charlie Keller. The Bronx Bombers score three runs thanks to 'Lombardi's Swoon,' winning the game, 7-4, to complete the World Series sweep and become the first club to win four consecutive Fall Classics.

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1940 With the Reds' 2-1 victory over the Tigers in Game 7 of the Fall Classic, Bill McKechnie becomes the first manager to win a World Series with two different teams. The 'Deacon' also piloted the Pirates to a World Championship, beating Washington in seven games in the 1925 Fall Classic.


1948 Facing only thirty batters, Indians' rookie hurler Gene Bearden five-hits the Braves for a 2-0 victory in front of 70,000 fans in Cleveland. The Tribe takes a 2-1 World Series game lead.

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1953 Birmingham bans Jackie Robinson's Negro-White All-Stars from playing in the city. After Robinson gives in and drops the team's white players, city officials allow the team to play.

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Back from prepping for the big blow
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1956 "The Yankees have all the hits." - MEL ALLEN, baseball broadcaster, describing Don Larsen's Fall Classic perfect game without jinxing the outcome.

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Don Larsen pitches the first perfect game in World Series history, defeating the Dodgers, 2-0, in Game 5 of the Fall Classic at Yankee Stadium. The 27-year-old right-hander, who had a poor start in Game 2 because of a lack of control, throws only 97 pitches, striking out pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell, taking the third strike for the final out.

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1957 Club President Walter O'Malley makes it official, announcing the Dodgers will play in Los Angeles next season. The club's departure from Brooklyn corresponds with the massive social shift in the borough that finds many of its former residents leaving for the suburbs of Long Island.

1959 Chicago's speed and quickness aren't enough to overcome Los Angeles' hitting and pitching when the team drops a 9-3 decision, losing the World Series in six games to the Dodgers, who win their first championship representing the City of Angels. In the Comiskey Park, LA's Chuck Essegian sets a record with his ninth-inning shot off Ray Moore to become the first player to hit two pinch-hit homers in the Fall Classic.

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