BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

1962 At Dodger Stadium, the Giants beat Los Angeles, 6-4, to take the rubber game of the best-of-three National League playoffs, clinching the National League pennant. LA shortstop Maury Wills sets a major league record for the most games played in a season, appearing in all of his team's 165 games.

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1965 Cardinal right-hander Bob Gibson goes the distance, beating Houston at the Astrodome, 5-2, to become a 20-game winner for the first time. The future Hall of Famer will win twenty games four more times in the next five seasons.

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1965 At Metropolitan Stadium, Angels' first baseman Vic Power (Pellot) ends his 12-year major league career going 1-for-5 with an RBI single in a 5-2 loss to the Twins. The .284 career hitter will have the distinction of being the last active player to have worn a Philadelphia A's uniform (1954).

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1965 On the last day of the season, Giants' outfielder Willie Mays hits his 52nd home run to break the franchise record he established in 1955. The 'Say Reds hurler Billy McCool gives up hey Kid's' league-leading home run when San Francisco defeats Cincinnati at Candlestick Park, 6-3.

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1966 Tigers GM James Campbell announces former Reds and Phillies skipper Mayo Smith will replace the late Chuck Dressen, the team's manager who died in August following a heart attack. Detroit coach Bob Swift fills the position on an interim basis, unable to complete the season after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

1968 In the third inning of Game 2 of his complete-game World Series victory over St. Louis, Tiger starting pitcher Mickey Lolich hits a solo homer off Nelson Briles. The Busch Stadium round-tripper will be the only home run the southpaw will hit during his 16-year big league career.

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1970 Baltimore's Mike Cuellar becomes the first pitcher to homer in a league championship game. The right-hander's fourth-inning grand slam proves to be the difference in the Orioles' 10-6 ALCS Game 1 victory over Minnesota.

1972 Surpassing Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente appears in his 2,433rd game for the most ever played in a Pirates uniform. Sadly, it will be the last regular-season game the Pittsburgh outfielder will play before dying in a plane crash during the off-season.

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1974 Future Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson becomes the first black skipper in major league history when he signs a $175,000 contract to manage and play for the Indians. During his 16 years at the helm for four franchises, the former superstar will compile a 1065-1176 (.475) record while piloting the Tribe, Giants, Orioles, and the Expos/Nationals.

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1976 After being at the Dodger's helm for 23 years, Walter Alston's managerial career ends when the team drops a 3-2 decision to the Padres, finishing the campaign ten games behind the Reds. During his tenure, beginning in Brooklyn in 1954, the skipper known as Smokey to his players compiles a 2040-1613 (.523) record en route to capturing seven pennants and four World Series titles.

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1976 On the last day of the season, Kansas City's George Brett and Hal McRae and Minnesota's Rod Carew are separated by .001 for the batting title. Brett, who goes 3-for-4, edges his Royals teammate (.333 vs. .332) for the American League crown with the deciding hit, a misplayed line drive inside-the-park home run, leading McRae to believe the lack of effort was intentional.

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1976 As the Brewers' designated hitter, Hank Aaron gets an infield single off Tiger hurler Dave Roberts in his last major league at-bat. Except for Minnie Minoso's appearance in three games with the White Sox as a 50-year-old in 1980, 'Hammerin' Hank' becomes the last major leaguer to have played in the Negro Leagues.

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1982 On the last day of the season, the Brewers celebrate their American League East title-clinching victory on the field at Memorial Stadium after beating the Orioles, 10-2, to edge Baltimore by one game in the final standings. The 51,642 hometown fans, although disappointed by the results, stay after the game and give retiring manager Earl Weaver a heartfelt, tremendous 45-minute series of ovations for his 15-year tenure as the Birds' skipper.

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1987 Benito Santiago's consecutive game hitting streak ends at 34 when the backstop is held hitless in three trips to the plate by Dodger hurler Orel Hershiser, who tosses a complete game in a 1-0 loss to the Padres. The stretch of straight games with a hit by the 23-year-old represents a new mark for rookies and catchers.

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1990 George Brett pinch hits a fifth-inning RBI sac fly and then singles in the seventh inning to end the season, winning the batting title with a .329 batting average. The Royals' superstar is the only player to win three batting crowns in three different decades (1976-.333; 1980-.390).

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1993 The Rockies become the fourth National League team and the only one this century not to shut out an opponent during the season. The other clubs to achieve this dubious distinction include the 1898 Brooklyn Bridegrooms, 1898 St. Louis Browns, 1898 Washington Senators, and the 1899 Cleveland Spiders.

1993 The Giants, despite winning 103 games, are eliminated from the Western Division race when the Dodgers derail their division dreams, 12-1. Catcher Mike Piazza, who will be named the league's Rookie of the Year, hits two home runs in the game.

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1993 Eighty-three-year-old Mel Harder throws the ceremonial 'last' pitch at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. As a member of the 1932 Indian squad, he also had thrown the first pitch as the team's starting pitcher in the ballpark's inaugural game, a 1-0 defeat to Lefty Grove and the A's.

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1995 The Yankees, 9-6 victors over the Mariners in the Bronx, and the Rockies, dropping a 5-4 decision to the Braves in Colorado, become the first clubs to participate in the postseason not having been a first-place team. The two wild-card clubs will not advance further in the playoffs, both losing their three-out-of-five divisional series.

1996 The Devil Rays and Tropicana Dole Beverages of North America, located near Bradenton, announce an agreement to rename the ThunderDome. The ballpark will become known as Tropicana Field with the city of St. Petersburg, receiving more than $13 million as part of the sweet deal.

1999 Cardinal first baseman Mark McGwire hits #65 and his final homer of the season, passing Ted Williams and Willie McCovey to move into the tenth spot on the all-time career home run list with 522 round-trippers.

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1999 In the final regular-season game played at the Astrodome, Mike Hampton (22-4) beats the Dodgers, 9-4. The victory clinches the division title as the Astros finish one game ahead of the Reds in the National League Central.

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2000 Against the Braves, Cardinal rookie starter Rick Ankiel sets a modern-day major league record by uncorking five wild pitches in the third inning of Game 1 of the NLDS. The left-hander joins Buffalo's Bert Cunningham, who accomplished the same feat in the first inning in an 1890 Players League contest.

2001 Orioles outfielders Tim Raines and Tim Raines Jr. become the second father-son combination to play for the same team on the major league level when Tim Sr. pinch-hits in a game in which Tim Jr. was playing center field. In 1990, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. played in the same contest for the Mariners.

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2001 Barry Bonds walks three times, breaking Babe Ruth's major league record established in 1923 of 170 walks. Astros' reliever Nelson Cruz gives up the historic base on balls in the sixth, and the Giants left fielder will finish the season with 177.

2004 On the last day of the season, Blue Jays television announcer John Cerutti is found dead in his SkyDome hotel room. The death of the 44-year-old Albany (NY) native, a former big-league pitcher, is due to natural causes, with foul play not being suspected.

2004 At the site of the franchise's first National League game in 1969, the Expos, scheduled to move to Washington, D.C. next season, play their last game in their 36-year history, losing to the Mets at Shea Stadium, 8-1. Their finale, which turns out to be the rubber match of the franchise series with New York, gives the Amazin's a 299-298 advantage in the 597 contests played since 1969.

2005 The ax begins to fall when two managers lose their jobs the day after the season ends. Skippers Jim Tracy (Dodgers/5 years/427-383) and Alan Trammell (Tigers/3 years/186-300) are the first to go.

2006 Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria hires his fourth manager since buying the team four years ago. Florida hires Braves' third-base coach Fred Gonzalez to replace first-year skipper Joe Girardi, who had a well-publicized feud with the owner during the season.

2007 After winning their tenth World Series championship last season, the Cardinals announce senior vice president and general manager Walt Jocketty (1,117-968, .536) will no longer have a role with the team. The former GM, who will be replaced on an interim basis by his assistant John Mozeliak, watched the Redbirds make seven postseason appearances, winning two National League pennants and the 2006 World Series during his 13-year tenure with the club.

2007 The construction for the $250 million renovations of Kauffman Stadium, which includes reducing seating, adding an outfield concourse, a team hall of fame and conference center, and a new HD scoreboard, begins with a ceremonial groundbreaking inside the ballpark. The improvements, scheduled to be completed by Opening Day in 2009, will keep the Royals in Kansas City until 2030, a 15-year extension of their current deal.

2008 Jerry Manuel, who replaced Willie Randolph in June, signs a two-year deal to manage the Mets. The likable 54-year-old skipper, who compiled a 55-38 record in his interim role, built a three-and-a-half game division lead over Philadelphia in September, but like his predecessor, could not stop the team from collapsing at the end of the season.

2009 Needing only a win or a Colorado loss for the past week, the Dodgers finally clinch the National League West title with a 5-0 victory over the wild-card Rockies. The title marks Joe Torre's 14th consecutive season in the postseason, having won thirteen previous divisional titles, ten with the Yankees, one with the Braves, and now his second with LA.

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2010 The Giants return to the playoffs for the first time in six years when they beat the Padres on the last day of the season. After losing the first two games of the weekend series to San Diego, San Francisco avoids ending the season tied with their West Division foe with a 3-0 victory at AT &T Park.

2010 Entering the final day of the season tied with the Yankees, the Rays win their second AL East crown when their rivals lose to Boston. Although the title is not in jeopardy, even with a loss because of their overall record against New York this season, Tampa Bay rallies for a 3-2 victory over Kansas City in 12 innings, taking the division by a game.

2010 With an 8-7 victory over the Phillies and a San Diego loss to San Francisco later in the day, the Braves reach the postseason for the first time since 2005. Atlanta had won 14 straight division titles under skipper Bobby Cox, who announced his retirement for the end of the season, but this is the first time that the team has won the National League Wild Card.

2010 Josh Hamilton finished the regular season with a .359 average, the best in franchise history, to become the third Ranger player to win an American League batting crown. The Texas outfielder joins Julio Franco, who hit .341 in 1991, and Michael Young, who led the Junior Circuit in 2005 with a batting average of .331.

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2010 According to Ken Macha, he will become the first managerial casualty in the offseason after hearing that the Brewers have decided not to pick up the option on his contract for 2011. The 60-year-old skipper, who reached the playoffs with the team two seasons ago as the NL Wild Card team, will be informed tomorrow by Doug Melvin, Milwaukee's general manager.

2010 The Pirates, with their 5-2 loss in Miami, finish the season with a 17-64 record on the road. The Bucs' dismal away-from-home performance equals the 1963 Mets' infamous mark for a 162-game season.

2012 Adam Dunn, having struck out 222 times, doesn't play in the team's finale to avoid the dubious distinction of breaking the major league mark for strikeouts in a season. The White Sox All-Star finishes with one less whiff than Mark Reynolds' record, established by the first baseman in 2009 when he played for the Diamondbacks.

2012 In the final game of the season with the AL West title on the line, Ranger's center fielder Josh Hamilton's fourth-inning error opens the floodgates that allow the A's to erase a five-run deficit when they score six times en route to their 12-5 victory at the Oakland Coliseum. The Texas loss puts the team into the new one-game AL Wild Card contest against Baltimore.

2012 The Astros, a National League expansion team established in 1962, play their final game in the Senior Circuit, 5-4 loss to Cubs, setting a franchise record for defeats in a season, finishing with 107, one more last year. Houston, who will play in the AL West next season, becomes the first team to drop 106 or more decisions in consecutive campaigns since the 1964-65 Mets.

2012 After getting off to a slow start in the regular-season finale against Philadelphia, Teddy Roosevelt finally beats George, Abe, and Tom to the finish line, winning the Presidents Race for the first time since the popular race debuted at RFK Stadium in 2006. The victory, the mascot's first in over 500 tries, is assured when a green furry creature, who bears a striking resemblance to a phony Phillie Phanatic, waylays the other three presidential contenders in right field.

2012 Miguel Cabrera clinches the AL Triple Crown, becoming the first player since 1967 when Carl Yastrzemski accomplished the feat with Boston. The Tigers' third baseman and eventual MVP led the circuit in average (.330), home runs (44), and RBIs (139), playing with the American League champs.

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2012 Fernando Rodney extends his franchise-record to 48 saves when he is brought in to face Jim Thome and gets the DH to hit a fly ball for the final out in the Rays' 4-1 victory over Baltimore at Tropicana Field. Allowing only five earned runs over 74.2 innings, the right-handed closer improves his single-season record for the lowest ERA (0.60) by a reliever in baseball history, bettering Dennis Eckersley's 0.61 mark established in 1990.

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2013 Alex Rodriguez announces he has filed a lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court, accusing Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig of pursuing "vigilante justice" as part of a "witch hunt" to "destroy" his reputation and career. On August 5, the MLB gave Yankees star a 211-game suspension for allegedly violating baseball's drug agreement.

2015 In the nightcap of a Citi Field twin bill, Max Scherzer throws his second no-hitter of the season when the Nationals beat the first-place Mets, 2-0. The 31-year-old right-hander becomes the fifth pitcher to hurl with two no-hitters in the same regular season, joining Nolan Ryan (1973 Angel), Virgil Trucks (1952 Tigers), Allie Reynolds (1951 Yankees), and Johnny Vander Meer (1938 Reds). Max Scherzer strikes out 17 batters in his gem, a major league record for a no-hitter.

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2018 The Orioles decide not to renew the contracts of executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter, who compiled a 669-684 record (.494) during his nearly nine-year tenure with the Birds that included three playoff appearances. The sixty-year-old Duquette, the Red Sox GM from 1994-2002, spent seven seasons in Baltimore's front office after a nine-year absence from Major League Baseball.

2020 The Padres win a playoff series for the first time in 22 years when Craig Stammen and eight relievers combine to throw a four-hitter to blank the Cardinals, 4-0, in the deciding Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series. San Diego's last postseason success occurred in 1998 when the team beat the Braves to clinch the NL flag before facing the Yankees in the Fall Classic.
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On October 3 in Baseball History...

• • 1897 - Cap Anson closed out a remarkable 27-year career that started in the National Association in 1871. He hit two home runs against St. Louis. At 46, he was the oldest player to homer in the majors.
  • 1904 - Christy Mathewson strikes out 16 Cards in a 3-1 Giants victory. Big Six's 16 strikeouts establishes a new record as he finishes the game in one hour and 15 minutes.
  • 1919 - Rookie lefty Dickie Kerr pitches a three-hitter as the White Sox win 3-0. Joe Jackson has two hits and Chick Gandil drives in two runs as the White Sox cut Cincinnati's World Series lead to 2-1. Cuban Dolf Luque becomes the first Latin American player to appear in a World Series game, pitching one inning of relief for the Reds.
  • 1920 - In a 16-7 win over the White Sox, Browns first baseman George Sisler gets his 257th hit of the season to set a major league record. He also hurls a scoreless ninth inning in relief for St. Louis.
  • 1926 - After the Yankees score twice in the second, Grover Alexander sets down the last 21 batters, striking out 10 in the second game of the World Series. Billy Southworth and shortstop Tommy Thevenow collect three hits each for a 6-2 St. Louis win.
  • 1934 - Dizzy Dean wins the opening game of the World Series 8-3. Detroit manager Mickey Cochrane holds back his ace, Schoolboy Rowe, and veteran Alvin Crowder is ineffective as Joe Medwick homers in a 4-for-4 day. The Tigers make five errors.
  • 1940 - Jimmy Ripple's two-run home run in the third inning of Game Two provides the winning margin as the Reds end the NL's 10-game Series losing streak with a 5-3 win over the Tigers.
  • 1945 - The Tigers and Cubs meet in the World Series for the fourth time. Hank Borowy pitches a six-hitter and Hal Newhouser is roughed up for eight runs in three innings as the Cubs win, 9-0.
  • 1946 - The St. Louis Cardinals won the National League pennant by beating the Brooklyn Dodgers 8-4 and sweeping the best-of-three playoff.
  • 1947 - Bill Bevens of the Yankees held the Dodgers hitless until two were out in the ninth, then pinch-hitter Cookie Lavagetto doubled in two runs for a 3-2 Brooklyn victory in the fourth game of the World Series.
  • 1951 - Bobby Thomson hit a three-run homer off Ralph Branca of the Brooklyn Dodgers with one out in the bottom of the ninth to give the New York Giants a dramatic 5-4 playoff victory and the National League pennant.
  • 1956 - Sal Maglie and the Dodgers defeat the Yankees 6-3 in the opening game of the World Series.
  • 1957 - In Game Three of the World Series, Lew Burdette wins the first of his three decisions against the Yankees. Burdette and the Braves beat Bobby Shantz 4-2.
  • 1962 - The San Francisco Giants rallied for four runs in the ninth inning to win the third game of the tie-breaking playoffs, 6-4, over the Los Angeles Dodgers and move on to the World Series.
  • 1968 - Detroit's Mickey Lolich evens the World Series in Game Two with a six-hitter and his first major-league home run to defeat St. Louis, 8-1.
  • 1971 - Bob Robertson's three home runs led the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 9-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants, tying the National League playoffs at 1-1.
  • 1972 - Roric Harrison homers as Baltimore beats Cleveland 4-3 in the second game of a doubleheader. With the DH rule on the horizon, it will be the last home run hit by an AL pitcher until interleague play 25 years later.
  • 1974 - Frank Robinson becomes the first black manager in the major leagues, as the Indians name him to replace Ken Aspromonte for the 1975 season.
  • 1976 - Hank Aaron singles in his last major-league at bat and drives in his 2,297th run as the sixth-place Brewers lose to the Tigers, 5-2.
  • 1981 - The Brewers and Expos clinch their first-ever postseason appearances. Milwaukee beats Detroit 2-1 to wrap up the second-half title in the AL East, while Montreal edges the Mets 5-4 to win the NL East's second playoff spot.
  • 1982 - Robin Yount smacks two home runs and a triple as Milwaukee whips Baltimore 10-2 to win the AL East championship. Don Sutton, 4-1 since being acquired by the Brewers in late August, is the winning pitcher. Milwaukee lost three in a row to Baltimore to make this last game of the season a do-or-die affair.
  • 1986 - Baltimore loses to Detroit 6-3, assuring the Orioles of their first last-place finish since moving from St. Louis in 1954.
  • 1987 - Benito Santiago's 34-game hitting streak, an all-time rookie record, ended as the San Diego Padres snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • 1990 - George Brett became the first player to win a batting title in three different decades. Brett went 1-for-1 in Kansas City's 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians to win the American League title with a .329 average. Brett also won AL batting titles in 1976 and 1980.
  • 1990 - Willie McGee became the first player to win a batting title in a league he didn't finish the season in. McGee, who had a .335 average when St. Louis traded him to Oakland on Aug. 28, won his second National League crown when Dave Magadan of the New York Mets failed to catch him on the season's final day.
  • 1993 - The Toronto Blue Jays became the first team in American League history to have teammates finish 1-2-3 in the batting race. John Olerud led the league with a .363 batting average. Paul Molitor finished at .332 and Roberto Alomar closed the year at .326.
  • 1993 - The Giants need to beat the Dodgers on the final day of the season to force a one-game playoff with the Braves for the NL West title, but the Dodgers have other plans. LA rips the Giants, 12-1. At 103-59, San Francisco becomes the first team since the 1954 Yankees to win that many games and not play in the postseason.
  • 1995 - Tony Pena homers to left field in the 13th inning to give the Indians a 5-4 win over the Red Sox in the first game of the Division Series. It is Cleveland's first postseason victory since 1948.
  • 1997 - The Braves and Marlins both sweep the Division Series. The Braves, behind a three-hitter by John Smoltz, complete the sweep of Houston with a 4-1 win. The Marlins ride a grand slam by Devon White to a 6-2 win and sweep of San Francisco.

Baseball Birthdays on October 3...

• • 1866 - Goodfellow, Mike
  • 1872 - Clarke, Fred
  • 1874 - Shaw, Al
  • 1877 - Byers, Bill
  • 1880 - Thielman, Henry
  • 1883 - Reardon, Phil
  • 1885 - McClure, Larry
  • 1887 - Marsans, Armando
  • 1890 - House, Fred
  • 1891 - Richardson, Jack
  • 1895 - Lewis, Bert
  • 1905 - Riddle, Johnny
  • 1905 - Dorman, Red
  • 1909 - Broaca, Johnny
  • 1910 - Bowman, Bob
  • 1913 - Dallessandro, Dom
  • 1914 - Wheaton, Woody
  • 1915 - Letchas, Charlie
  • 1917 - Kalin, Frank
  • 1919 - Wood, Joe
  • 1922 - Eisenhart, Jake
  • 1925 - Haughey, Chris
  • 1927 - Harrington, Bill
  • 1928 - Melton, Dave
  • 1931 - Skinner, Bob
  • 1932 - Clark, Phil
  • 1936 - Lamabe, Jack
  • 1947 - Scrivener, Chuck
  • 1949 - Breazeale, Jim
  • 1949 - Foucault, Steve
  • 1951 - Winfield, Dave
  • 1954 - Roberge, Bert
  • 1954 - Eckersley, Dennis
  • 1954 - Gates, Joe
  • 1956 - Kearney, Bob
  • 1958 - Sconiers, Daryl
  • 1962 - Surhoff, Rich
  • 1966 - Taylor, Scott
  • 1966 - Fletcher, Darrin
  • 1967 - Felix, Junior
  • 1968 - Byrd, Jim
  • 1970 - Bailey, Roger
  • 1970 - Martinez, Manny
  • 1971 - Cordero, Wil
  • 1971 - Hyers, Tim
  • 1972 - Martinez, Sandy
  • 1973 - Robinson, Kerry
  • 1974 - Ramirez, Alex
  • 1975 - Johnson, Mike
  • 1977 - Munson, Eric

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10/4
OTD
BIRTHDAYS
1910 Frankie Crosetti shortstop and 3rd base coach (record 17 World Series titles as player & coach; NY Yankees), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2002)


1918 Red Munger (MLB All Star 1944, 47, 49; St. Louis Cardinals), born in Houston, Texas (d. 1996)


1928 Rip Repulski outfielder (MLB All Star 1956; World Series 1959), born in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota (d. 1993)


1943 Jimy Williams infielder, coach and manager (Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros), born in Santa Maria, California


1944 Tony La Russa Hall of Fame manager (World Series 1989 Oakland A's, 2006, 11 St. Louis Cardinals; 4 × Manager of the Year; Chicago WS), born in Tampa, Florida


1949 John Wathan, catcher and manager (Kansas City Royals), born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa


1961 Mike Sharperson infielder (MLB All Star 1992; World Series 1988, 95), born in Orangeburg, South Carolina (d. 1996)


1964 Mark McLemore MLB baseball player, 1986-2004 (California Angels, Texas Rangers, and 5 other teams), and broadcaster (Texas Rangers), born in San Diego, California


1967 Roger Pavlik pitcher (MLB All Star 1996; Texas Rangers), born in Houston, Texas


1978 Kyle Lohse pitcher (14th pitcher to beat all 30 MLB teams; Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals), born in Chico, California


1982 Jered Weaver pitcher (MLB All Star 2010-12; LA Angels), born in Northridge, California


1983 Kurt Suzuki catcher (MLB All Star 2014; Washington Nationals), born in Wailuku, Hawaii

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1906 The Cubs post their 116th victory when they beat Pittsburgh at Exposition Park, 4-0. Chicago, who sets a major league mark for wins, completes the season with an astounding .763 winning percentage.

1916 Reds right-hander Christy Mathewson faces Mordecai Brown of the Cubs in the career finale for each pitcher, marking the first time two future Hall of Famers have made their final appearance in the same game. Both Cooperstown-bound hurlers go the distance in Cincinnati's 10-8 victory at Chicago's Weeghman Park.

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1924 A smiling Calvin Coolidge, becoming the first U.S. President to attend a World Series opener, shakes hands with Bucky Harris and hands him a baseball that the Washington skipper places in Senator's starter Walter Johnson's glove. In the Griffith Stadium contest, the Giants edge the hometown team in 12 innings, 4-3. In the grandstand, manager Stanley Harris presents President Coolidge with the baseball used to open the World Series.

1925 For the first time in the 50-year history of the franchise, the Cubs end the season in last place. The team, managed by Bill Killefer (33-42), Rabbit Maranville (23-30), and George Gibson (12-14), compiles a 68-86 record and finishes 27.5 games behind the first-place Pirates.

1925 Player managers Ty Cobb and George Sisler face one another as mound opponents, marking the first time both sides use a position player to pitch in relief in the same game, an oddity not occurring again until 2012. In the season finale, the Georgia Peach throws a perfect final frame for the Tigers' 11-7 victory over the Browns in the Sportsman's Park contest, with 'Gorgeous George' facing only seven batters in his two scoreless innings.

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1932 After his skipper compiles a 350-264 (.570) record in four seasons at the helm, Senators owner Clark Griffith, hinting that he may name himself as the club's next skipper, announces Walter Johnson will not be returning to manage the team next season. Joe Cronin, who will lead the club to an American League pennant next year, replaces the Washington legend.

1948 Joe DiMaggio becomes the first major leaguer to appear on a Time Magazine cover for a second time, featured in an article titled The Big Guy, which details the center fielder's injury woes during the final week of the American League pennant race. The Yankee Clipper first appeared on the popular news magazine cover on July 13th, 1936, during his rookie season.

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1948 In a one-game playoff, the Indians, behind the five-hitter tossed by 28-year-old rookie southpaw Gene Bearden, beat the Red Sox for the AL flag, 8-3. The complete-game victory marks the young knuckleballer's 20th victory of the season.

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1950 In the World Series opener at Shibe Park, the Yankees beat the Phillies and Jim Konstanty, 1-0, thanks to Jerry Coleman's fourth-inning sac fly, plating Hank Bauer, who had doubled to open the frame. The Bronx Bombers' victory over the Whiz Kids marks the last time the Fall Classic begins without a person of color on either team's roster.

1951 During Game 1, Giants outfielder Monte Irvin becomes the first player to steal home in a World Series contest since 1928. Twenty-three years ago, Bob Meusel of the Yankees swiped the dish in a 7-3 victory over the Cardinals during the sixth inning of Game 3.

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1951 In Game 1 of the World Series, the first all-black outfield in major league history makes its appearance when Monte Irvin, Willie Mays, and Hank Thompson take the field for the Giants at Yankee Stadium. In a curious move, Leo Durocher replaces the previously injured right fielder Don Mueller with Hank Thompson, a third baseman by trade, using veteran outfielder Bobby Thomson at the hot corner.

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1953 In the third inning of an eventual 11-7 victory in Game 5, Mickey Mantle blasts a Russ Meyer pitch into the upper deck of Ebbets Field, a rare occurrence for a left-handed batter, becoming the fourth player in World Series history to hit a grand slam. The Yankees slugger joins teammate Gil McDougald (1951), Elmer Smith (1920), and Tony Lazzeri (1936) in accomplishing the feat.

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1955 After more than half a century of futility, the Dodgers finally win a World Championship, thanks to Johnny Podres' 2-0 shutout of the Yankees in the Bronx. The turning point of the historic contest proves to be an outstanding catch by defensive replacement Sandy Amoros in the sixth inning that robs Yogi Berra of an extra-base hit with two on, resulting in a rally-robbing double play.

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1958 With his 3-for-4 performance in Game 3, Hank Bauer establishes a major league record by collecting at least one hit in 17 consecutive World Series games. The Yankee outfielder set the mark playing in three straight Fall Classics from 1956 to 1958.

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1959 Fred Haney, wanting to spend more time with his family, resigns as the Braves' manager. During his three-and-a-half-year tenure in the Milwaukee dugout, the 64-year-old embattled skipper compiled a 341-231 (.596) record, resulting in two second-place finishes, two pennants, and a World Championship.

 

1962 When Willie Mays scores on a surprise bunt by Jose Pagan in Game 1, Whitey Ford sees his World Series consecutive scoreless inning streak end at 33.2 innings. However, Clete Boyer's seventh-inning home run helps Ford win a record 10th and his final Fall Classic victory as the Yankees defeat the Giants, 6-2.

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1964 Thirty minutes after their 9-2 loss to Chicago on the last day of the season, the Giants fire manager Alvin Dark, rumored to be on the chopping block at the start of the season, and then name Herman Franks, a coach on the team, to be his successor. The controversial skipper complains about the number of black and Hispanic players on his team in aNewsday article printed in August, telling Stan Issacs, "they are just not able to perform up to the white player when it comes to mental alertness."'

1969 The Orioles defeat Minnesota in Game 2 of the ALCS, 1-0, with the lone run coming from a Mark Belanger single, two groundouts, and a bunt single by Paul Blair in the bottom of the 11th inning at Memorial Stadium. Dave McNally goes the distance in the longest complete-game shutout in postseason history.

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1969 The Mets beat the Braves, 9-5, in the first-ever National League Championship Series playoff game. The eventual World Champions will sweep Atlanta in the best-of-five-game series before confronting the Orioles in the Fall Classic.

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1972 At Montreal's Parc Jarry, the Mets end the 1972 campaign beating the Expos, 3-1. Although New York finishes ten games over .500, they will become the first club in baseball history to finish a season without any player collecting 100 hits.

 

1980 The 17-1 thrashing of the Twins becomes a very historic day for Willie Wilson. The Royals outfielder becomes the first big-league player credited with 700 at-bats in one season, sets the American League record for singles in a season with 184, and joins Garry Templeton, becoming the second switch-hitter in history to collect 100 hits from each side of the plate.

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1981 The Reds blank the Braves, 3-0, finishing with the best record in the National League strike-shortened season (66-42) but will not participate in the postseason because the Dodgers and Astros posted better records for the first half (pre-strike) and the second half (post-strike). The plan, instituted midseason by Giants executive Al Rosen to salvage the season, eliminates the Western Division team from the first-ever NLDS.

1986 Thanks to Darryl Boston's misadventures in the Metrodome's center field, Greg Gagne hits two inside-the-park home runs in the Twins' 7-3 victory over White Sox. The light-hitting Twins shortstop becomes the 18th modern major leaguer to accomplish this rare feat.

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1986 The Yankees sweep a doubleheader from the Red Sox at Fenway Park, 5-3 and 3-1. New York closer Dave Righetti saves both ends of the twin bill, finishing the season with 46 saves, breaking the major league record shared by Dan Quisenberry and Bruce Sutter.

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1987 Toronto drops a 1-0 decision to the Tigers to finish the campaign with seven consecutive losses, including three straight in the season-ending series at Tiger Stadium. The Blue Jay's defeat, which allows Detroit to clinch the American League East title, completes one of the greatest collapses in baseball history.

1987 On the last day of the season at Arlington Stadium, Charlie Hough and the Rangers lose to the Mariners, 7-4. The Texas knuckleballer is the last pitcher to start 40 games in a season.

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1992 The Dodgers lose to the Astros, 3-0, ending the season with a 63-99 record, 35 games behind the division-leading Braves. Tom Lasorda's club is the first in franchise history to finish in last place since 1905 when the team was called the Superbas and played in Brooklyn's Washington Park.

1992 Rangers slugger Juan Gonzalez, at the age of 22 years, 11 months, and 19 days old, becomes the youngest home run champion in baseball history. 'Juan Gone,' who went deep 43 times during the season, is 46 days younger than Joe DiMaggio, who won the crown playing with the Yankees in 1937.

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1995 At Jacobs Field, the Red Sox drop their twelfth consecutive postseason decision, losing 4-0 to the Indians in Game 2 of the ALCS. The dubious streak, which started with the 1986 Bill Buckner game and will be extended to 13 when Cleveland sweeps the series, surpasses the Phillies' dozen straight defeats that began with the 1915 World Series and ended in Game 1 of the 1977 NLCS.

1996 After three consecutive second-place finishes, the Astros fire manager Terry Collins, whose first-place team collapsed down the stretch. The 47-year-old skipper leaves the position with the best winningest percentage in franchise history, compiling a 224-197 (.532) record during his three-year tenure with Houston.

1999 On the last day of the season, Rey Ordonez extends the major league record to 100 errorless games at shortstop, handling 411 chances flawlessly during this span for the Mets. The New York infielder will add another game to the streak on Opening Day next season before committing an error the next day at the Tokyo Dome.

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1999 In a one-game playoff for the NL wild card, the Mets beat the Reds at Cinergy Field, 5-0. New York southpaw Al Leiter goes the distance, limiting Cincinnati to only two hits.

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