BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

1996 Texas starter Ken Hill yields a one-out first-inning infield single to Bobby Higginson before retiring the next 26 batters in the team's 11-0 victory at Tiger Stadium. Tomorrow, the Ranger right-hander's effort will be matched by teammate Roger Pavlik's gem against Detroit, making it the first time in 79 years in the American League that a team has thrown consecutive one-hitters.

​

1998 Dan Wilson hits the first inside-the-park grand slam in the history of the Mariners. The backstop's first-inning bases-full round-tripper proves to be the difference in the M's 10-6 victory over Detroit at the Kingdome.

​

1999 In the second game of a home-and-home series, the Cuban national team, facing major league competition in the United States for the first time, defeats the struggling Orioles at Camden Yards, 12-6. In March, Baltimore prevailed at Havana's Estadio Latinoamericano, edging Cuba in 11 innings, 3-2, after being greeted by Fidel Castro.

1999 In a 12-11, 10-inning loss to the A's, Red Sox rookie Creighton Gubanich becomes only the fourth player to blast a grand slam for his first big-league hit. The reserve catcher, who will play only 15 more games in the major leagues, joins Bill Duggleby (1898 - Phillies), Bobby Bonds (1968 - Giants), and Orlando Mercado (1982 -Mariners) in accomplishing the feat.

​

 

2000 The Rockies set a franchise record, collecting 24 hits in a 16-7 rout of Montreal. Colorado's first baseman Todd Helton goes 5-for-5 in the Coors Field contest, with all nine starters getting at least one hit and driving in at least one run.

​

2001 Johnny Oates, finishing with an overall managerial record for the Rangers of 506-476 (.515) during his 6+ seasons at the helm, resigns 28 games into the new campaign, being replaced by the team's third-base coach Jerry Narron. A poor start of 11-17 due to a lack of pitching and owner Tom Hicks' high expectations after signing prized free agent Alex Rodriguez led to the speculation of the imminent firing of the Texas skipper.

2001 Michael Orschlin, the third fan to jump onto the field at Kauffman Stadium this season, is taken away on a stretcher as a result of a broken ankle suffered from his 12-foot leap over the guard rail onto the ballpark's hard rubber warning track during the ninth inning of a Royals' 9-4 loss to the Indians. Trying to win a $400 wager from a friend, the 22-year-old, whose injury delays the game for 15 minutes, faces a $1,000 fine for trespassing.
(Ed. note - The trio of the leapers have all jumped in the ninth inning of the home team's loss. - LP)

2004 Similar to last season, the aging outfielder Rickey Henderson re-signs with the Atlantic League's Bears, hoping for a shot of returning to the big leagues. The 45-year-old future Hall of Famer batted .339, hit eight home runs, drove in 33 runs, scored 52 runs, and stole nine bases for the Newark team last season before joining the Dodgers in July.

​

2005 A state legislative committee votes 9-0 to approve a bill that will require the Los Angeles Angels, formerly known as the Anaheim Angels, to disclose on all promotional material, including tickets, ads, and publications that the team plays in Anaheim. Using the example of an orange juice company selling OJ that contains no oranges, California Assemblyman Tom Umberg, the bill's sponsor, says he is trying to promote truth in sports advertising.

2005 With the best record in the majors, the White Sox establish a big-league mark, having led in all 28 games this season. The eventual World Champs will post a 99-63 record this season.

2006 Major League Baseball will sell the Nationals to a group led by Theodore Lerner, a Maryland-based real estate developer, for $450 million. In 2002, the 29 other big-league owners collectively bought the Montreal Expos franchise for $120 million and then moved the failing franchise to Washington, D.C. last season.

2008 With his three-run blast at Chase Field off Diamondbacks' ace Brandon Webb, Carlos Delgado moves ahead of Juan Gonzalez as the home run leader for players born in Puerto Rico. The Mets' first baseman's 435th career home run places the Aguadilla native 36th on the all-time major league list.

​

2009 Defeating San Diego 2-1 in 10 innings, the Dodgers tie a franchise record, winning their ninth consecutive decision at home from the start of the season. The 1946 club also reeled off nine straight victories at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field at the beginning of the post-war campaign.

​

2009 In the eighth inning of the Rays' 5-3 victory over Boston Tropicana Field, Carl Crawford, who enjoys a 4-for-4 night at the plate, steals his sixth base, tying a modern major league record shared by three players. The 27-year-old perennial American League stolen base champ joins Eddie Collins (A's - twice 1912), Otis Nixon (Braves - 1991), and Eric Young (Rockies - 1996) as the only players to swipe a half dozen bags in a contest since 1900

​

 

2011 Francisco Liriano's first complete game in his six-year major league career is a no-hitter, a 1-0 gem thrown against the White Sox at a chilly U.S. Cellular Field. The Twins' 27-year-old southpaw entered the game with a 2-4 record and a 9.13 ERA, fueling speculation that he was in danger of losing his spot in the Minnesota rotation.

​

2014 The Mets set the record for the longest hitless streak by a major league pitching staff to start a season when Jenrry Mejia grounds out to second, making the New York hurlers, collectively, 0-for-46 since Opening Day. The dubious mark, previously established by the 1914 St. Louis Browns, will be extended to 64 at-bats before Jacob deGrom singles off Yankee right-hander Chase Whitley in his first major league plate appearance.

​

2015 The Nationals blank the Mets at Citi Field, 1-0, on consecutive days, marking the first time in 19 years that a road opponent has recorded 1-0 victories against the same team on back-to-back days. The Cardinals last accomplished the feat in 1996 when they held the Phillies scoreless, scoring lone runs in the April 19 and 20th contests at Veterans Stadium.

********
74,465

 

​

 

Today in Baseball History
Home | Contact | Baseball Almanac | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Advertise | Support
​

Search archives: Historical Events Baseball Birthdays Baseball Deaths
On May 3 in Baseball History...

• • 1938 - Lefty Grove defeats the Tigers 4-3 in 10 innings for the first of a record 20 consecutive victories at his home field, Fenway Park in Boston. He will not lose there until May 12, 1941.
    
  • 1961 - Another brilliant Warren Spahn performance is spoiled when left fielder Mel Roach's misplay costs the Milwaukee ace a second no-hitter in a row. Spahn settles for a two-hitter in topping the Dodgers 4-1.
    
  • 1975 - The Reds switch Pete Rose from left field to third base, opening a lineup spot for utility outfielder George Foster. Over the next four seasons, Foster will average 36 home runs, 117 RBI, and a .302 batting average to help the Reds to two world championships.
    
  • 1979 - Bobby Bonds hits his 300th home run against Moose Haas in a 6-1 loss to Milwaukee. He has 413 stolen bases at the time and becomes the second player, after Willie Mays, to have 300 stolen bases and 300 home runs.
    
  • 1980 - Giants first baseman Willie McCovey hits his 521st and final career home run. His shot against Montreal's Scott Sanderson ties him with Ted Williams on the all-time list. He will retire on June 6.
    
  • 1980 - Rangers pitcher Fergie Jenkins defeats the Orioles 3-2 to become only the fourth pitcher to win 100 games in each league. He won 149 games for the Phillies and Cubs before moving to the A.L. in 1974.
    
  • 1986 - Cubs third baseman Ron Cey hits his 300th and 301st home runs and Chicago scores four times in the top of the ninth to beat San Francisco 6-5.
    
  • 1992 - Baltimore's Gregg Olson, just 25, becomes the youngest pitcher in history to record 100 saves.
    
  • 1995 - David Bell makes his major league debut at third base for the Indians in a 14-7 victory over the Tigers. His appearance makes the Bells, with his father Buddy and his grandfather Gus, the second three-generation family in major league history (the Boones were the first). Gus Bell dies four days later.

Baseball Birthdays on May 3...

• • 1857 - Gore, George
  • 1870 - Hollison, John
  • 1891 - Rixey, Eppa
  • 1892 - Baker, Del
  • 1894 - Markle, Cliff
  • 1895 - Pepper, Bob
  • 1896 - Hasty, Bob
  • 1897 - Shepardson, Ray
  • 1902 - Michaels, Ralph
  • 1904 - Ruffing, Red
  • 1912 - Gehrman, Paul
  • 1916 - Silvestri, Ken
  • 1920 - Bankhead, Dan
  • 1922 - Groth, Ernest
  • 1926 - Jok, Stan
  • 1934 - Hinton, Chuck
  • 1938 - Cannizzaro, Chris
  • 1943 - Dilauro, Jack
  • 1945 - Lopes, Davey
  • 1953 - Smith, Keith
  • 1959 - Arnold, Tony
  • 1961 - Buchanan, Bob
  • 1963 - Kmak, Joe
  • 1968 - Cruz, Ivan
  • 1972 - Dreifort, Darren
  • 1975 - Molina, Gabe
  • 1977 - Dempster, Ryan

Copyright � 2001-2007. All Rights Reserved.
Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Around the Horn | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History.​

 

​

 

​

 

​

 

​

 

5/4 BIRTHDAYS
1956 Ken Oberkfell, born in Highland, Illinois


1968 Eddie Pérez catcher (Atlanta Braves), born in Ciudad Ojeda, Venezuela


1971 Joe Borowski, born in Bayonne, New Jersey


1974 Miguel Cairo born in Anaco, Anzoátegui, Venezuela


1976 Ben Grieve born in Arlington, Texas


1976 Jason Michaels born in Tampa, Florida


1984 Kevin Slowey born in Conroe, Texas

*********

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1871 Bill Lennon becomes the first catcher to throw a runner out trying to steal second. The National Association's Fort Wayne (IN) Kekiongas backstop accomplishes the feat in the seventh inning of the first major league game ever played.

​

1901 Fred Brown makes his major league debut, the first appearance of a brief nine-game career, all for the Boston Beaneaters over two seasons. The 22-year-old outfielder, who goes 4-for-20 at the plate without making an error in the field, will enjoy a far more extensive career as a politician, winning a Senate seat as a Democrat in then-conservative New Hampshire in 1932 after serving as the state's governor.

1910 President William Taft leaves Robison Park, where the Cardinals are routing the Reds, to catch a great pitching duel between the Naps' Cy Young and the Browns' Joe Lake at Sportsman's Park. The chief executive will stay to the last out of the American League contest, which ends in a three-to-three tie after 14 innings of play.

​

1919 An SRO crowd attends the first-ever major league game on a Sunday in Brooklyn. The Ebbets Field contest, in which the Dodgers beat the Braves, 6-2, was made possible when the New York Legislature passed the Sunday Baseball Bill.

 

1931 To put less strain on Babe Ruth's leg, the Yankees have him play first base, moving Lou Gehrig to right field. The 'Iron Horse' commits an error in the outfield, helping the Senators beat the Yankees, 7-3.

\​

1939 In his first-ever at-bat in Detroit, Boston rookie Ted Williams becomes the first player to hit a homer that clears the right-field seats at Briggs Stadium. The 20-year-old's prodigious poke proves to be the difference when the Red Sox edge the Tigers, 7-6.

​

1944 For the first time in the city's history, blacks are allowed to buy grandstand seats in St. Louis. The Browns and Cardinals are the last major league teams to integrate seating for fans, restricting the minority to the bleachers in previous years.

 

1954 The Phillies and Cardinals set a major league record by using 42 players in one game, including future Hall of Famers Richie Ashburn (1995), Robin Roberts(1976), Red Schoendienst (1989), and StanMusial (1969). Philadelphia wins the eleventh-inning contest at Busch Stadium, 14-10, collecting three singles, a double, and two bases-on-balls in the final frame.

​

1954 In a contest delayed 12 minutes by snow, the Braves move out of last place thanks to Warren Spahn's six-hitter when the team beats the Pirates and former teammate Max Surkont, 6-1. The reported temperature in Milwaukee dropped to 37 degrees during the game.

​

1956 Boston manager Pinky Higgins accepts a Red Sox schedule printed in braille from Francis B. Ierardi, the founder and manager of the National Braille Press. The slate of games, which will appear in the May 7th publication of the Weekly News, marks the first time a baseball schedule has been available for the blind

 

1963 In a 7-5 loss to Chicago at County Stadium, Bob Shaw commits five balks to establish a new major league mark. The Braves' right-hander balks three times after walking Billy Williams in the third inning, allowing a run to score.

1963 The first reported use of the familiar refrain "Let's Go Mets" is heard at the Polo Grounds in the bottom of the ninth inning during a rout by San Francisco. Trailing by 13 runs and down to their last out with bases empty, the rallying cry begins to be chanted by some of the 'New Breed,' an affectionate name given to the fans of the National League expansion team.

1966 In a 6-1 victory over L.A. at Candlestick Park, Willie Mays becomes the all-time National League home run leader when he strokes his 512th career round-tripper off Dodger starter Claude Osteen. The San Francisco center fielder passes another Giant, breaking the mark established by Mel Ott in 1946.

​

1968 The Simon and Garfunkel tune "Mrs. Robinson" debuts on the Billboard's Top 40 survey. The song's lyrics include the memorable question for the Yankees' former center fielder, "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you."

1969 At Anaheim Stadium, Royals' center fielder Bob Oliver collects six hits, including a double and home run, in the expansion team's 15-1 rout of the Angels. The 26-year-old rookie accomplishes the rare event in the franchise's 24th game in history.

​

1969 At the Astrodome, Houston sets a National League record, turning seven double plays against the Giants, with first baseman Curt Blefary taking part in all of them. The abundance of twin killings helps the Astros win the game, 3-1.

​

 

1970 With his third-inning RBI single in the Braves' 5-3 victory over Pittsburgh, Rico Carty establishes an Atlanta team record by getting a hit in his 23rd consecutive game. The 30-year-old left fielder, who hasn't had a hitless game since Opening Day, will win the National League batting title with a .366 average.

1975 In the team's 8-6 loss to the Giants at Candlestick Park, the Astros' Bob Watson scores the major league's one-millionth run, winning $10,000 and one million Tootsie Rolls provided by the event's sponsor. The Houston first baseman crosses the plate on Milt May's homer just seconds ahead of the Reds' Dave Concepcion to earn the distinction, thanks to a teammate's awareness of the situation from a clubhouse TV, alerting the trotting baserunner to run home at full speed.

1976 Illinois Eugene F. Schlickman, a co-author of the House of Representative Resolution 747 declaring today as Rick Monday Day, will be in attendance when Los Angeles' GM Al Campanis presents Rick Monday with the flag about to be burned in the outfield at Dodger Stadium. Last month, the former Marine reservist ran in from his position, swiping the 'Stars and Stripes' away from a father and a son who intended to set the Stars and Stripes on fire.

 

1981 In the first inning, Jose Cruz's three-run home run proves to be the difference in the Astros' 5-4 win over the Chicago. The Houston left fielder's brother, Hector, homers for the Cubs in the sixth frame of the Wrigley Field contest, making the natives of Arroyo (PR) the tenth different pair of siblings to go deep in the same game.

1981 Ron Davis establishes a major league mark for consecutive strikeouts by a reliever when he fans eight straight Angel batters in the Yankees' 4-2 victory over California. The right-handed reliever, entering the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, gets Don Baylor to pop up, and then he proceeds to strike out all of the other hitters he faces en route to his second save of the season.

1984 Dave Kingman's 180-foot pop-up enters a drainage valve located in the Metrodome roof, and much to the surprise of the Twins infielders waiting to make the catch, the ball doesn't drop back into play. The A's slugger goes to second base with a ground-rule double, with the will ball staying put in the lining of the dome until tomorrow.

1985 Baltimore's Cal Ripken, en route to baseball's all-time mark for consecutive games, breaks Brooks Robinson's club record when he plays in his 464th straight contest. The Orioles shortstop marks the occasion by hitting a double and a home run in the Birds' 8-6 loss to the Twins at the Metrodome.

1989 Junior Felix becomes the 53rd player in major league history to hit a home run in his first at-bat. The Blue Jay rookie's initial blast comes off California's Kirk McCaskill in a 10-inning loss to the Angels, 3-2.

1989 At Arlington Stadium, before the Rangers' 11-7 loss to the Yankees, Barbara Bush, wife of the 41st president of the United States, becomes the first First Lady to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a regular-season major league game. George's spouse and the mother of George W., the managing general partner of the team, does the honors after promoting her literacy program.