BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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On October 1 in Baseball History...

• • 1903 - The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Boston Red Sox, 7-3, in the first World Series game ever played. Jimmy Sebring hit the first home run. Deacon Phillippe was the winning pitcher and Cy Young the loser.
  • 1919 - Just before the start of the World Series, the highly favored White Sox become the betting underdogs in the best-of-nine contest. Eddie Cicotte, a 29-game winner, is driven from the hill in a five-run fourth. Cincinnati's Dutch Ruether pitches a six-hitter and has three RBI on two triples and a single for a 9-1 win.
  • 1932 - Babe Ruth, as legend has it, called his home run against Chicago's Charlie Root in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the World Series, won by the New York Yankees, 7-5, at Wrigley Field. Ruth and Lou Gehrig each hit two homers for the Yankees.
  • 1946 - For the first time in major league history, a playoff series to determine a league's championship was played between the St. Louis Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers. The Cardinals took the first game, 4-2, as Howie Pollet held the Dodgers to two hits, a homer and an RBI-single by Howie Schultz.
  • 1950 - The Philadelphia Phillies clinched the National League pennant on Dick Sisler's three-run homer against Don Newcombe in a 4-1 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers on the season's last day.
  • 1961 - Roger Maris hit his 61st home run against Tracy Stallard of the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The homer eclipsed Babe Ruth's 34-year-old single-season home run record. The Yankees won, 1-0.
  • 1970 - The final game at Philadelphia's Connie Mack Stadium is played as the Phillies beat the Expos 2-1. The fans respond by swarming onto and destroying the field.
  • 1978 - The Cleveland Indians beat New York, 9-2, on the last day of the season to force a one-game playoff between the Yankees and Boston. The Red Sox won their eighth straight, 5-0 over the Toronto Blue Jays.
  • 1988 - Tony Gwynn went 2-for-3 to raise his league-leading batting average to .313 but sustained a hand injury in a 6-3 victory over the Houston Astros. Gwynn, was the first National League batting champion to win the title with an average below .320. Larry Doyle's .320 average was the lowest.
  • 1989 - Minnesota's Kirby Puckett and San Diego's Tony Gwynn each win batting titles on the final day of the regular season. Puckett goes 2-for-5 to edge Carney Lansford .339 to .336 while Gwynn goes 3-for-4 to beat Will Clark .336 to .333.
  • 1995 - The Rockies are the first team to make the postseason before their seventh year in existence; they also become the National League's first wild card winner following a 10-9 win over the Giants. Colorado's .535 percentage (77-67 record) is the best ever for a third-year team.
  • 1997 - The Orioles continue their dominance over the most dominant lefthander in baseball. Baltimore bounces Randy Johnson and the Mariners in the first game of the American League Division Series. Johnson, who has a winning record against every other team in the American League, falls to 3-8 overall against the Orioles.

Baseball Birthdays on October 1...

• • 1868 - Motz, Frank
  • 1870 - Westervelt, Huyler
  • 1877 - Hackett, Jim
  • 1884 - Zmich, Ed
  • 1889 - Sterrett, Dutch
  • 1894 - Kolp, Ray
  • 1894 - Mails, Duster
  • 1895 - Johnson, Roy
  • 1895 - Hill, Carmen
  • 1901 - Reese, Jimmie
  • 1918 - Russell, Jim
  • 1919 - Mussill, Barney
  • 1925 - Boyd, Bob
  • 1928 - Naragon, Hal
  • 1931 - Kipp, Fred
  • 1934 - Hiller, Chuck
  • 1937 - Brice, Alan
  • 1945 - Carew, Rod
  • 1946 - Hermoso, Remy
  • 1946 - Warden, Jon
  • 1947 - Capra, Buzz
  • 1948 - Bonham, Bill
  • 1951 - Pape, Ken
  • 1952 - Myrick, Bob
  • 1953 - Falcone, Pete
  • 1955 - Reardon, Jeff
  • 1956 - Law, Vance
  • 1963 - McGwire, Mark
  • 1964 - Kelly, Roberto
  • 1967 - McElroy, Chuck
  • 1968 - Patterson, Jeff
  • 1973 - Thomson, John
  • 1975 - Knight, Brandon

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10/2
OTD
BIRTHDAYS
1913 Gene Benson, outfielder (Negro League All-Star 1940, 45-46), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1999)


1920 Spec Shea, pitcher (MLB All Star, World Series 1947; NY Yankees, Washington Sens), born in Naugatuck, Connecticut (d. 2002)


1932 Maury Wills, shortstop (7 x MLB All-Star; NL MVP 1962, World Series 1959, 63, 65; LA Dodgers), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2022)


1934 Earl Wilson, pitcher, 1959-70, (Boston Red Sox (no-hitter 1962), Detroit Tigers (AL wins co-leader, 1967), born in Ponchatoula, Louisiana (d. 2005)


1970 Eddie Guardado, pitcher (MLB All Star 2002-03; AL saves leader 2002; Minnesota Twins), born in Stockton, California

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1908 Future Hall of Fame right-hander Addie Joss hurls second-ever perfect game, beating Ed Walsh and the White Sox on an unearned run, 1-0. The 79-pitch performance kept the Naps' pennant hopes alive, but in four days, the Tigers will cop the American League flag, edging Cleveland by a half-game because the existing rules do not require a team re-play a rained-out game from earlier in the season.

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1920 The Indians clinch their first American League pennant when they rout the Tigers at Navin Field, 10-1. Jim Bagby, who will have a 1-1 record in the Fall Classic for the eventual World Champs, notches his 31st victory of the season.

1920 In the only tripleheader ever played in the 20th century, the Reds take the first two games, 13-4 and 7-3, with the Pirates avoiding the sweep, winning the shortened finale 6-0, called after six innings because of darkness. Peter Harrison is the home plate umpire for all three games.

1932 The Yankees win their twelfth consecutive World Series game and sweep the Fall Classic for the third time. The Bronx Bombers collect 19 hits, clubbing the Cubs at Wrigley Field, 13-6.

1936 In Game 2, the Yankees even the World Series at a game apiece by routing the Giants at the Polo Grounds, 18-4. The lopsided win is the largest margin of victory in the history of the Fall Classic.

1938 Tommy Thevenow, playing in his final game of a 12-year career, establishes the longest homerless streak in major league history. The 35-year-old Pirates infielder, who hit two round-trippers during his rookie season in 1924 with the Cardinals, makes another 3,605 plate appearances without homering again.

1938 During the 3-2 loss to New York in the season finale at the Polo Grounds, Bees (Braves) outfielder Vince DiMaggio strikes out four times, extending his major league record to a season total of 129. Last month, Dom and Joe's older brother had surpassed Gus Williams' major league mark of 120 whiffs established by the Browns' outfielder in 1914.

1938 At the Polo Grounds, Mel Ott singles home a run in the Giants' 3-2 victory over Boston in the season finale at the Polo Grounds. The 29-year-old Giants' right fielder, who will celebrate a birthday in the offseason, establishes the record for the most games played before a 30th birthday with 1,739, more than Robin Yount's 1,671 (Brewers, 1974-85) and Andruw Jones's 1,625 (Braves, 1996-2007)

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1938 Indians' fireballer Bob Feller fans eighteen Tigers, surpassing Dizzy Dean's 1933 mark to establish a modern major league record for strikeouts in a game. 'Rapid Robert,' who gives up seven hits and walks seven, loses the Cleveland Stadium contest, 4-1.

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1940 The Sullivans become the first father and son to have played in a World Series when Billy Jr. is the Tigers backstop in Game 1 of the Fall Classic at Crosley Field. The Detroit catcher's dad, Bill Sr., appeared in the postseason in 1906, playing the same position for the White Sox when he went 0-for-21 in the Hitless Wonders' six-game triumph over the Cubs.

1947 After scoring six runs in the bottom of the second inning in Game 3, the Dodgers hold on to beat the Yankees, 9-8, for their first victory in the Fall Classic. The Ebbets Field contest takes three hours and five minutes to complete, making it the longest game ever played in World Series history.

1947 In Game 3 of the Fall Classic, Yogi Berra hits the first pinch-hit home run in World Series history. In the seventh inning of a 9-8 loss to the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, the historic homer comes off Ralph Branca.

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1949 With a combination of infielders consisting mostly of shortstop Eddie Joost, second sacker Pete Suder, and first baseman Ferris Fain, the A's establish a major league record for turning 217 double plays. The trio was the subject of a poem written by Dick Armstrong, the Athletics' publicity director, titled "Joost to Suder to Fain," which remains popular in the franchise's folklore. Fain was a member of the 1949 Philadelphia Athletics team that set a major league team record by turning 217 double plays, a record which still stood as of 2016; Fain himself took part in 194 double plays as a first baseman.

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1952 Carl Erskine strikes out 14 Yankees in Game 3 to establish a new World Series mark. The Dodger hurler's performance bests the record of A's Howard Ehmke, who struck out 13 Cubs in Game 1 of the 1929 Fall Classic.

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1954 The Giants complete the World Series sweep of the Indians when Don Liddle beats Bob Lemon, 7-4. The Tribe, who had lost four consecutive games only once during the regular season, completed the campaign with a 111-43 record, establishing an American League mark for victories.

 

1960 On the final day of the season, Norman Cash singles as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning of the Tigers' 2-1 loss to Kansas City at Municipal Stadium. 'Stormin' Norman,' a big man not known for his speed, will finish the year without having hit into a double play during his 428 plate appearances for Detroit.

1961 Two days before starting the World Series between the Reds and Yankees, the expansion Mets introduced Casey Stengel as the franchise's first manager. The introduction takes place at the Savoy Hilton in the same room where the Bronx Bombers held a press conference at the end of last season to announce the 70-year-old Old Professor's 'mandatory retirement.' Stengel agrees to manage the Met'The Old Perfessor,' during his three-plus years in the Amazins' dugout, will compile a poor 175-404 (.302) record but will serve as the face of the new franchise, making the team lovable losers with a loyal fan base.

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1963 In the Fall Classic opener, Sandy Koufax fans his 15th batter of the game when he strikes out pinch-hitter Harry Bright for the final out of LA's 5-2 victory over the Yankees. The Dodger lefty, who struck out the first five Bronx Bombers he faced in the game, surpasses Brooklyn's Carl Erskine's 1953 World Series mark of 14, also accomplished against New York.

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1964 New York southpaw Al Jackson, who goes the distance, beats the Cardinals and Bob Gibson, 1-0, preventing St. Louis from pulling ahead in a four-team pennant race with two days remaining in the season. After the last-place Mets beat the Redbirds again tomorrow, the team loses the season finale with their opponents clinching the NL flag one game ahead of the Reds and Phillies and three in front of the Giants.

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1965 Los Angeles clinches the National League pennant on the next to last day of the season at Dodger Stadium when Sandy Koufax gets his 26th victory, defeating the Braves in the clincher, 3-1. The Dodgers, winning 14 of their last 15 games, finishes the campaign with a 97-65 record, two games ahead of the second-place Giants.

1965 In the nightcap of a twin bill on the next-to-last day of the season, Mets rookie Rob Gardner, making his fifth career start, and Phillies veteran Chris Short match zeros, both going 15 frames in a game that ends in a scoreless tie after 18 innings at Shea Stadium. The 20-year-old southpaw, who eventually develops arm problems, compiles a 4-10 record along with an ERA of 4.79 during his two years with New York and wins just 14 games with six major league teams over eight seasons.

1966 The Yankees end the season with a 2-0 victory over Chicago, but the team will still finish in last place, a half-game behind the Red Sox. The tenth-place Bronx Bombers, who compiled a 70-89 record, 26.5 games behind Baltimore, become the first club in franchise history to finish in the American League cellar since 1912.

1966 Cardinals rookie Jim Cosman, making his major league debut on the last day of the season, hurls a two-hit complete-game shutout, blanking Chicago at Busch Stadium, 2-0. The 23-year-old right-hander, who didn't know of his assignment until twenty minutes before game time, makes his only start of the season, having pitched only in relief in 54 minor league appearances before today's contest.

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1966 On the last day of the season, Sonny Jackson establishes a major league rookie record with his 49th steal of the season, a mark that will last until Gene Richard (Padres) and Omar Moreno (Pirates) both surpass the accomplishment in 1977. The Astros shortstop will finish second in the Rookie of the Year balloting behind Tommy Helms of Cincinnati.

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1968 "Someone should have warned us that he changed his clothes in a phone booth before he got to the park and took off the suit with the big S on it." - NORM CASH, Tiger first baseman commenting on Bob Gibson's commanding performance in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series. Bob Gibson establishes a new World Series record by striking out 17 batters as the Cardinals defeat the Tigers in Game 1 of the Fall Classic, 4-0. The Redbird right-hander surpasses Sandy Koufax's mark of 15, which the southpaw established on this date five years ago against New York.

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1969 In the final game of the regular season at Wrigley Field, a 5-3 victory over the Mets, the Chicago’s Bleacher Bums vent their frustration over the Cubs’ collapse, storming onto the roof of the team’s dugout chanting their cheers. After the last out, more fans join the mayhem, swarming onto the field, sliding into bases ahead of phantom tags while the organist plays Happy Days Are Here Again.

1969 The Pilots play their final game in Seattle, a 3-1 loss to the A's in front of a meager crowd of 5,473 patrons.. The American League's newest franchise attracted only 677,944 fans to Sick's Stadium in their only season, prompting the last-place club move to Milwaukee, the nation's 12th largest city, when Bud Selig purchases the bankrupt franchise, renaming the team the Brewers.

1969 In the eighth inning of the Reds' 8-3 win at Atlanta Stadium, Pete Rose clinches the National League batting title when he beats out a bunt to third base for a hit in his last at-bat of the season. The day starts with the Cincinnati right fielder tied with Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente, who goes 3-for-4 against Montreal but finishes .005 of a point behind (.3447 to .3452), the eventual all-time hits leader.

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1972 Bill Stoneman throws the second of his two no-hitters when he holds the Mets hitless in the Expos' 7-0 victory at Jarry Park. The Montreal All-Star right-hander, who also accomplished the feat in 1969 against the Phillies in Philadelphia in his fifth major league start, becomes the first major league pitcher to toss a no-hitter in Canada.

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1974 On the last day of the season, in front of a crowd of a few hundred fans, Billy Martin elects not to use a designated hitter, allowing starting pitcher Ferguson Jenkins to bat for himself. Although Fergie, en route to his 25th win of the season, gets a hit in the Texas 2-1 victory over the Twins at Metropolitan Stadium, the Rangers manager's refusal to use a DH prevents the employment of the position for the entire game, according to the rules.

1974 In his final at-bat for the Braves after spending 21 seasons with the team, Hank Aaron homers off right-hander Rawly Eastwick in Atlanta's 13-0 rout of Cincinnati. The Hammer's last National League plate appearance yields his 3600th career hit and the Brewer-bound outfielder's career 736th round-tripper.

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1976 In his final start of the season, rookie right-hander Mark Fidrych earns his 19th victory, beating Milwaukee at County Stadium, 5-1. The five-hit complete game takes only one hour and 46 minutes to play.

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1976 Four years before the stroke that ends his career, 26-year-old J.R. Richard becomes a twenty-game winner on the last day of the season when he tosses a complete game in the Astros' 10-1 victory over San Francisco. James Rodney also enjoys a big day at the plate, going 3-for-4, including a two-run home run.

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1977 When Dusty Baker hits his 30th homer of the season against the Astros' J.R. Richard, the Dodgers become the first team in major league history to have four players hit 30 or more home runs. He joins Steve Garvey (33), Reggie Smith (32), and Ron Cey (30) to complete the foursome.

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1978 In an American League East one-game playoff, Goose Gossage gets the save when Carl Yastrzemski pops out in foul territory for the final out in the Yankees' 5-4 comeback victory over the Red Sox. Light-hitting infielder Bucky Dent is the unlikely hero of the contest, hitting a three-run home run over the Fenway Park Green Monster off Mike Torrez.

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1981 New York's once-legendary center fielders, Giant Willie Mays, Dodger Duke Snider, and Yankee Mickey Mantle, are guests on the Warner Wolfe show. The appearance marks the first time all three Hall of Fame outfielders have been together on a television show.

1982 Red Sox starter Brian Denman goes the distance, defeating Dave Righetti at Yankee Stadium, 5-0. The 26-year-old rookie right-hander's six-hit shutout will be his ninth and last appearance in a major league uniform.

1982 At San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, recording artist Vicki Carr and 43,077 fans sing an enthusiastic rendition of Happy Birthday before the Padres game with Atlanta, celebrating Ray Kroc's 80th birthday. The San Diego Chicken and Ronald McDonald pop out of a giant cake, surprising the team owner.

1983 Red Sox left fielder Carl Yastrzemski plays in his 3,308th and final game. After Boston's 3-1 victory over Cleveland, 'Yaz' takes one more "final lap" around Fenway Park and will stay to sign autographs on Yawkey Way for over an hour.

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1985 Commissioner Peter Ueberroth makes it clear that Seattle is in self-imposed jeopardy of losing the Mariners, citing there is no requirement for the team to stay in their present location if they are not wanted for the long term. The Commissioner refers to the King County Council's attempt to modify an agreement based on attendance made with owner George Argyros concerning the team's ability to exercise an 'escape clause' after the 1987 season.

1985 Darrell Evans becomes the first player in history to hit 40 home runs in both leagues in a season. The Tigers' first baseman, who had hit 41 with the Braves in 1973, goes deep off Blue Jays' hurler Dave Stieb to reach 40 on the last day of the season.

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1985 The Galbreath family and Warner Communications sell the Pirates to the Pittsburgh Associates, a consortium of Pittsburgh officials and local businesses committed to keeping the team in the City of Bridges. At the time, New Orleans and Portland were making attractive offers to bring the franchise, which was doing poorly on and off the field, to their respective cities.

1985 Mets sophomore Dwight Gooden pitches a 5-2 complete-game victory over the Cardinals and will become the seventh pitcher in baseball history to finish the season leading both leagues in wins (24), ERA (1.53), and strikeouts (268). Doc joins Walter Johnson (Senators - 1913), Grover Cleveland Alexander (Phillies - 1915, 1917), Dazzy Vance (Dodgers - 1924), Lefty Grove (A's -1930, 1931), Hal Newhouser (Tigers - 1945), and Sandy Koufax (Dodgers - 1963, 1965, 1966) in winning the major league pitching triple crown, but he will not follow the six legends into the Hall of Fame.


1986 Yankee first baseman Don Mattingly establishes a new team record, collecting his 232nd hit of the season to break the 1927 mark set by Earl Combs. 'Donnie Baseball' will finish the season with a league-leading 238 hits.

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1986 Facing his last batter of the season, Dwight Gooden registers his 200th strikeout when Luis Rivera looks at a third strike for the final out in the eighth inning of the Mets' 8-2 victory over Montreal at Olympic Stadium. The Mets' phenom becomes the first pitcher in baseball history to reach the coveted plateau in each of his first three seasons.

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1988 During the season finale, Mets manager Davey Johnson receives an enthusiastic standing ovation from the Flushing Faithful when he comes to the mound to make a pitching change at Shea Stadium. With today’s 7-5 win over the Cardinals, his NL Eastern Division champs secure their 100th victory of the season.

 

1991 The Blue Jays, in front of 50,324 enthusiastic fans, clinch the American League East title with a 6-5 walk-off victory over California in the SkyDome's season finale. Toronto becomes the first sports franchise in history to draw four million fans in one season.

1995 In a one-game playoff for the American League West title, Mariners' southpaw Randy Johnson throws a three-hitter and beats the Angels, 9-1. The 'Big Unit' finishes the shortened season of 145 games with an 18-2 record to establish a new AL mark for a winning percentage of .900, surpassing the record set of .893 by Ron Guidry in 1978.

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1999 Rick Reed strikes out 12 batters without issuing a walk, hurling a complete-game three-hitter in the Mets' 7-0 victory over Pittsburgh at Shea Stadium. The win puts New York into a tie for the NL Wild Card with the Reds with one game left in the season.

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1999 Mariano Rivera, although he gives up two hits, pitches a scoreless ninth inning, earning his 45th save of the season when the Yankees beat Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field, 3-2. The New York closer records more saves (45) than hits allowed (43) during his sixty-six appearances on the mound this season.

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1999 Vladimir Guerrero, in Montreal's 13-3 rout of Philadelphia at Veterans Stadium, hits two home runs, and his brother Wilton hits one round-tripper, making it the second time in their careers the siblings have gone deep in the same game. The Expos teammates also accomplished the feat last season in Cincinnati.

 

2001 Slugging Sammy Sosa becomes the first player in baseball history to slug 60 home runs in three seasons. The Cubs' outfielder connects off Lance Davis in the first inning of the team's 5-4 loss to Cincinnati at Wrigley Field to reach the milestone.

2002 Former Diamondback Alex Cabrera slams his 55th home run to tie the Japanese single-season home run mark. The 31-year-old Seibu Lion joins Sadaharu Oh (1964) and Tuffy Rhodes (2001) in the record book.

2004 Much to the chagrin of manager Ron Gardenhire and his players, the Twins' game against Cleveland, tied at 5-5 after 11 innings, is halted because the ground crew needs time to prepare the field for a University of Minnesota football game. The suspended Metrodome contest resumes before tomorrow's scheduled game, with the home team scoring a run in the bottom of the 12th frame, giving the team a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Tribe.

2004 Steve Finley, for the second time in his career, hits a walk-off grand slam. The center fielder's ninth-inning bases-loaded home run in the 7-3 win over the Giants at Chavez Ravine clinches the NL West title for the Dodgers.


2004 Jeff Kent hits two round-trippers to become the all-time home run leader of second basemen. The Astros infielder records his 278th dinger and 302nd overall to break Ryne Sandberg's major league record established in 1997.

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2004 The Expos, an expansion team in 1969, win their last game representing the city of Montreal, beating the Mets at Shea Stadium, 6-3. The franchise, becoming the Washington Nationals next season, compiled a 2755-2943 (.484) record, appearing in one postseason during their 35-year tenure in the Canadian city.

2005 During the seventh inning of the season's final game, the Mets halt play for eight minutes as the Shea Stadium crowd pays tribute to Mike Piazza, their 37-year-old All-Star catcher, who will not return the team next season. The centerfield scoreboard features a video montage highlighting many of the backstop's magic moments in a New York uniform.

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2005 In the top of the sixth inning at Busch Stadium, Ozzie Smith emerges from the gate located in the right-field wall in an open convertible. After touring the warning track, the former Cardinal shortstop removes the digit "1", his old uniform number affixed to the outfield wall, revealing a "0" to indicate the number of regular-season games scheduled at Busch Stadium.

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2005 In a recorded message shown at the start of the last regular-season game at Busch Stadium, Joe Buck, unable to be in attendance due to calling an NFL game on national television, asks the crowd to honor his late father by singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" a cappella. A stirring rendition fills the ballpark when 50,000 voices join in unison to sing the national anthem, a fitting tribute to the late and beloved Cardinal broadcaster.

2005 Before taking the field, an emotional Jack McKeon tells his players that he is managing the team for the last time. After applause and hugs for their 73-year-old skipper, the Marlins respond by rallying to tie the score with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning and then defeat the NL East champion Braves in the next frame when Juan Pierre singles home to winning run in the Fish's 7-6 walk-off victory.

2005 The Brewers compile their first non-losing season since 1992 when the team finishes the season with an 81-81 record. Milwaukee had a chance to finish with a winning record but dropped their last two games to the Pirates at PNC Park.

2006 Major League Baseball announces a record number of fans who attended big-league games this year. The sale of tickets for the season is 76,043,902, shattering the overall record for the third consecutive year.

2008 In the Rays' first-ever playoff appearance, the ten-year-old franchise defeats the visiting White Sox at Tropicana Field, 6-4. Tampa Bay's rookie third baseman Evan Longoria joins Gary Gaetti (1987) to become the second player to homer in his first two postseason at-bats.

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2009 In the Rays' 13-4 rout of the visiting Yankees, B.J. Upton becomes the first player in the 12-year history of the franchise to hit for the cycle. The fleet center fielder's offensive output, which includes five hits and six RBIs, helps Tampa Bay to deny CC Sabathia of his 20th win this season, a feat not accomplished by a Bronx pitcher since Andy Pettitte posted a 21-8 record in 2003.

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2010 The Royals exercise next year's $6 million option on David DeJesus, who had season-ending surgery on his right thumb. The 30-year-old outfielder batted .318 in 91 games for Kansas City before running into the Yankee Stadium wall on a play in July that became an inside-the-park home run for Derek Jeter.

2010 The Red Sox honored infielder Mike Lowell during a 20-minute pregame ceremony at Fenway Park. The 2007 World Series MVP, a 13-year big league veteran, recently slowed down due to a hip ailment, announced last month that he would retire at the end of the season.

2010 With seventy former players and coaches sitting on the infield, clad in white Braves jerseys in attendance in front of a sellout crowd, Atlanta honors Bobby Cox with a pregame ceremony. The Braves' longtime manager, who will remain with the team as a consultant, is given a 2010 Lexus LS460 from the club and an 11-night cruise from his current players during the moving tribute at Turner Field.

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2012 "I will never be a Hall of Famer and will never lead the league in strikeouts,"- R.A. Dickey, the opening lines of his autobiography. In his last appearance of the season, Mets' 20-game winner R.A. Dickey whiffs eight Miami batters to end the campaign with 230 strikeouts, the most in the National League. The 37-year-old knuckleballer did not foresee the possibility of this occurrence when he wrote the opening lines of Wherever I Wind Up, his autobiography released in March, unaware that he would accomplish the feat in the near future.

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2012 For the first time in fifty years, teams with 100+ losses face one another when the 54-106 Astros beat the 60-100 Cubs at Wrigley Field, 3-0. During the final weekend of the 1962 season, the woeful 58-101 Chicago club played host to the expansion Mets, sporting a 39-118 record en route to setting the all-time modern-era record for futility.

2014 Tigers Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez go back-to-back off Orioles' right-hander Chris Tillman in the second inning of Game 1 of the ALDS, marking the second time in playoff history that players with the same surname have hit consecutive home runs. Frank and Brooks Robinson also accomplished the feat for Baltimore when they both went deep off Don Drysdale in Game 1 of the 1966 World Series.

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2015 White Sox starter Chris Sale whiffs James McCann on a called strike for his 270th strikeout of the season, breaking the franchise single-season mark established in 1908 by Ed Walsh. The Chicago right-hander finishes his seven innings of work in the team's 2-1 victory over Detroit at U.S. Cellular Field with seven strikeouts to extend the record to 274.

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2016 Unbeknownst at the time, Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton becomes the last player to be issued a four-pitch intentional walk when he gets a free pass in the top of the eighth inning off Nationals relief pitcher Reynaldo Lopez in Miami's 10-7 loss in Washington. To speed up the game, implementing the strategic base-on-balls will become automatic next season, making it unnecessary to throw four balls out of the strike zone to walk a batter.
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On October 2 in Baseball History...

• • 1908 - Addie Joss of the Cleveland Indians pitched a perfect game, defeating the Chicago White Sox 1-0.
  • 1916 - Grover Alexander pitched his sixteenth shutout of the season, allowing only three Boston Braves hits in a 2-0 triumph.
  • 1919 - In Game Two of the World Series, White Sox pitcher Lefty Williams falters in the third inning as the Reds take a 3-0 lead. Swede Risberg and Chick Gandil fail in the clutch in a 4-2 Cincinnati win. Chicago manager Kid Gleason tells owner Charlie Comiskey that he is suspicious of his players, but neither league president follows with action.
  • 1920 - The only tripleheader in this century was played, with the Cincinnati Reds defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first two games. The Pirates won the nightcap, which was called after six innings because of darkness.
  • 1921 - The Yankees close the season by beating the Red Sox, 7-6. Babe Ruth hits his fifty-ninth home run off Curt Fullerton.
  • 1932 - The Yankees sweep the Cubs in the World Series. Tony Lazzeri hits two homers and Earle Combs adds another in the 13-6 laugher.
  • 1936 - The Yankees even the World Series and set a Series record for runs as they demolish the Giants 18-4. Lefty Gomez coasts to a six-hit win, while every member of the Yankees lineup makes a hit and scores at least one run. Tony Lazzeri hits a grand slam, the first in World Series play since 1920.
  • 1938 - Bob Feller struck out eighteen Detroit Tigers, setting a single-game record that stood until Steve Carlton broke it in 1969.
  • 1947 - The Dodgers squeak out a 9-8 win over the Yankees, jumping on Bobo Newsom and Vic Raschi for six runs in the second inning. Yogi Berra becomes the first player to hit a pinch home run in World Series history, belting one off Brooklyn's Ralph Branca in the seventh inning.
  • 1949 - The Yankees and the Red Sox enter the last day of the season tied for first place and nearly 70,000 pack Yankee Stadium to see the finale. Vic Raschi nurses a 1-0 lead into the eighth against Ellis Kinder before the Yankees score four runs and go on to win the game and the pennant 5-3. Ted Williams also loses the batting title as George Kell goes two-for-three in Detroit (.3429 to .3427).
  • 1954 - The Giants sweep the American League team with the best record in history, scoring four runs in the fifth for a 7-4 win over Cleveland. The Indians had won 111 games, a record that stood until surpassed by the 1998 Yankees.
  • 1955 - Surprise Brooklyn starter rookie Roger Craig pitches six innings for the 5-3 win to even the World Series. Two home runs by Duke Snider and one by Sandy Amoros prove too much for the Yankees.
  • 1958 - The Braves erupt for seven runs in the first and go on to defeat the Yankees 13-5. Lew Burdette is shaky but beats New York for the fourth consecutive time in the World Series. He also chips in with a three-run home run.
  • 1962 - Just 25,321 fans are on hand at Dodger Stadium for the second game in the best-of-three playoff against the Giants. A ninth-inning sacrifice fly by Ron Fairly sends Maury Wills home with the deciding run in the Dodgers' 8-7 win.
  • 1963 - Sandy Koufax fans the first five batters he faces and becomes the first pitcher to fan fifteen in a World Series game. Johnny Roseboro's three-run home run is the difference as Los Angeles beats the Yankees 5-2 at New York.
  • 1965 - Sandy Koufax's 2-1 win against the Braves clinches the National League pennant for the Dodgers. With thirteen strikeouts, Koufax ups his modern major league season record to 382. (Nolan Ryan will do Koufax one K better in 1973.)
  • 1966 - Sandy Koufax clinches the third Los Angeles pennant in four years, working with just two days rest for a 6-3 win at Philadelphia. Koufax sets Los Angeles records with twenty-seven wins and a 1.73 ERA.
  • 1968 - Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals set a World Series record by striking out seventeen Detroit Tigers in Game 1.
  • 1969 - The Seattle Pilots play what will be their last game in Seattle in a 3-1 loss to Oakland. A crowd of 5,473 shows up.
  • 1972 - Bill Stoneman of Montreal pitches his second no-hitter, beating the Mets 7-0. The temperature at Jarry Park is 53 degrees as 7,184 watch the doubleheader split.
  • 1974 - During a 13-0 Braves win over Reds, Hank Aaron homers off Rawly Eastwick. It is Aaron's 733rd career clout and comes in his last National League at-bat.
  • 1977 - Dusty Baker homers in his final at-bat of the season during a 6-3 loss to the Astros. It is Baker's 30th home run of the year, enabling him to join teammates Steve Garvey (33), Reggie Smith (32) and Ron Cey (30) in making the Dodgers the first team ever to boast four 30-homer hitters in one season.
  • 1978 - In a one-game playoff for the American League East title, Bucky Dent hit a three-run homer off Mike Torrez, leading the New York Yankees to a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
  • 1984 - In the first LCS game played with replacement umpires, the Cubs clobber the Padres 13-0 in the opener of the National League series. Chicago hits five home runs at Wrigley Field, including one by winning pitcher Rick Sutcliffe.
  • 1985 - Tigers first baseman Darrell Evans hits his major league-leading 40th home run of the season and becomes the first player to have a 40-homer season in each loop. Evans hit 41 homers for the Braves in 1973.
  • 1986 - Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets became the first pitcher in baseball history to strike out two-hundred batters in each of his first three seasons, fanning seven en route to an 8-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • 1986 - Mike Scott strikes out eight Giants in a 2-1 Astros victory to run his season total to 306, becoming the third National League pitcher to fan 300 batters in one season. Scott loses his bid for a second consecutive no-hitter when Will Clark doubles in the seventh inning.
  • 1988 - Minnesota's season-ending 3-2 win over the Angels is watched by 35,952 fans, making the Twins the first American League club ever to break three million in season attendance.
  • 1991 - The Toronto Blue Jays clinched the American League East title and became the first team in sports history to draw four million fans in one season.
  • 1992 - Carlos Baerga becomes the first second baseman in American League history to hit .300 with 200 hits, 20 home runs and 100 RBI.
  • 1995 - The Seattle Mariners, behind Randy Johnson's three-hitter, beat California 9-1 in a one-game playoff for the American League West title.

Baseball Birthdays on October 2...

• • 1853 - Dorgan, Mike
  • 1854 - Dow, Clarence
  • 1855 - Allen, Jack
  • 1855 - Blakiston, Bob
  • 1869 - Stratton, Scott
  • 1873 - Krause, Charlie
  • 1877 - Diehl, Ernie
  • 1878 - McGinley, Jim
  • 1880 - Miller, Jim
  • 1882 - Barry, Ed
  • 1891 - Murphy, Eddie
  • 1896 - Womack, Sid
  • 1904 - Angley, Tom
  • 1908 - Lucas, Ray
  • 1919 - Buzas, Joe
  • 1920 - Shea, Spec
  • 1921 - Weigel, Ralph
  • 1922 - Gladd, Jim
  • 1924 - Serena, Bill
  • 1930 - Gabler, Gabe
  • 1932 - Wills, Maury
  • 1932 - Heise, Jim
  • 1934 - Wilson, Earl
  • 1938 - de la Hoz, Mike
  • 1939 - Doyle, Paul
  • 1943 - Dicken, Paul
  • 1946 - Robertson, Bob
  • 1949 - Pryor, Greg
  • 1951 - Coluccio, Bob
  • 1952 - Cornutt, Terry
  • 1953 - Kobel, Kevin
  • 1956 - Doyle, Jeff
  • 1957 - Robertson, Andre
  • 1959 - Beard, Dave
  • 1960 - Riles, Ernest
  • 1964 - Villanueva, Hector
  • 1964 - Byers, Randy
  • 1969 - Walbeck, Matt
  • 1969 - Newman, Alan
  • 1970 - Guardado, Eddie
  • 1972 - Carmona, Rafael
  • 1972 - Moore, Trey
  • 1973 - Schoeneweis, Scott
  • 1974 - Nickle, Doug
  • 1976 - Santos, Victor

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Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Around the Horn | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History.​

 

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10/3
OTD
BIRTHDAYS
1872 Fred Clarke Hall of Fame outfielder and manager (Louisville Colonels, Pittsburgh Pirates; World Series 1909), born in Winterset, Iowa (d. 1960)


1951 Dave Winfield Hall of Fame outfielder (12 x MLB All Star; 7 x Gold Glove; 6 x Silver Slugger; SD Padres; NY Yankees), born in St. Paul, Minnesota


1954 Dennis Eckersley Hall of Fame pitcher (AL Cy Young Award 1992; AL MVP 1992; Oakland A's), born in Oakland, California


1966 Darrin Fletcher catcher (MLB All Star 1994; Montreal Expos, Toronto Blue Jays) and broadcaster (Rogers Sportsnet), born in Elmhurst, Illinois


1971 Wil Cordero (MLB All Star, Silver Slugger Award 1994; Montréal Expos), born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1909 Tigers outfielder Ty Cobb becomes the first player in baseball history to win the Triple Crown, leading the Junior Circuit in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. The 'Georgia Peach' accomplishes the feat by batting .377, driving in 107 runs, and hitting nine homers, all of which are inside-the-park round-trippers for the American League champs. The Tigers end the season with 98 victories to extend their American League record for most wins in a season, after recently surpassing the mark of 95 established by the 1904 Red Sox. Detroit boasted a pair of 20-game-winners, George Mullin (29) and Ed Willett (22), with Sam Crawford (.314) and Ty Cobb (.377) providing the majority of the offense for the champions of the American League.

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1919 Cuban native Adolfo Luque becomes the first player from Latin America to appear in a World Series. In Game 3 of the Fall Classic, 'the Pride Of Havana' pitches a scoreless eighth inning for the Reds in a 3-0 loss to the White Sox at Comiskey Park.

1924 At Philadelphia's Baker Bowl, the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League beat the Eastern Colored League's Hilldale Giants (PA), 6-2, in the opening game of the first Colored World Series. The ten-game event, where KC will capture the crown, winning five games to 4 with one tie, features games played in Chicago, Kansas City, and Baltimore.

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1937 Johnny Allen's bid for a perfect season is spoiled when Hank Greenberg drives in the game's only run in the first inning, and Jake Wade throws a one-hitter against the Indians in the 1-0 loss to Detroit on the last day of the season at Navin Field. The 32-year-old right-hander from North Carolina will finish the season 15-1, with his .938 won-loss percentage the best in the major leagues. The 26-year-old Tiger first baseman finishes the season with 183 RBIs, just one shy of Lou Gehrig's 1931 American League record.

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1947 In Game 4 of the Fall Classic, Bill Bevens comes within one out from pitching the first no-hitter in World Series history. The Yankee hurler loses his claim to fame and the game when Cookie Lavagetto, pinch-hitting for Eddie Stanky, hits a two-out ninth-inning double giving the Dodgers a 3-2 improbable victory.

1948 After taking his position in center field in the bottom of the eighth inning at Fenway Park, Joe DiMaggio, is removed from the game by Yankee manager Bucky Harris. As the superstar of their hated rivals limps off the field, the enthusiastic Red Sox crowd of 35,000 gives Joltin' Joe a lengthy and loud standing ovation, a gesture he will later refer to as one of the greatest thrills of his career.

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1948 After going 0-for-4 on the last day of the campaign, Cardinal outfielder Stan Musial falls one home run shy of winning Triple Crown, with Johnny Mize and Ralph Kiner, of the Giants and Pirates, respectively, sharing the home run title with 40. The eventual MVP paced the National League with a .376 batting average and 132 RBIs for the second-place Redbirds, leading the Senior Circuit in 11 offensive categories.

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1951 In Game 3 of the National League playoff series at the Polo Grounds, Bobby Thomson's one-out three-run homer off Ralph Branca beats the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth, 5-4, and the Giants win the pennant, The round-tripper, better known as the 'shot heard around the world,' becomes one of the famous home runs in baseball history.

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