BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

2000 Shawn Estes pitches a seven-hitter and becomes the first Giants pitcher in 51 years (Monty Kennedy-1949) to hit a grand slam en route to handing the Expos their worst defeat in franchise history, 18-0. The San Bernardino native misses joining Tony Cloninger as the only major league pitcher to hit two slams in a game when he hits a long foul ball before singling with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.

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2000 Mark McGwire becomes the fastest player to hit 20 home runs in one season, reaching the mark in 35 games. 'Big Mac' accomplishes the feat in six fewer contests than Mickey Mantle (1956) and his own record (1998).

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2000 The commissioner's office suspends sixteen Dodger players and three coaches for going into the stands during the Wrigley Field scuffle with fans on May 16th. The suspensions totaling 60 games for players and 24 games for coaches is the harshest penalty ever handed down by major league baseball.

2000 Ahead by seven runs after five innings of play at Enron Field, the hometown Astros find a way to lose to the Phillies, 9-7. In Milwaukee, two days earlier, with a 9-2 advantage in the bottom of the ninth inning, Houston blew another seven-run lead in the eventual ten-inning, 10-9 loss to the Brewers at County Stadium.

2001 Tossing a 79-pitch one-hitter, Cubs' starter Jon Lieber shuts out the Reds, 3-0. Cincinnati shows a new National League record going 208 games without being blanked, with the 1931-33 Yankees (308) and the 1978-79 Milwaukee Brewers (212) being the only teams with longer streaks.

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2001 Lana Blefary, the wife of former Oriole outfielder Curt Blefary, scatters the ashes of her husband's remains at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. Although little of the demolished stadium remains, she can still fulfill her husband's last wishes.

2002 When a container drops from a low-flying plane, hitting and bouncing off the stadium roof onto the street, Seattle hazardous materials crews close off the roads around Safeco Field for about an hour. The object turns out to be the remains of an unidentified man's cremated ashes.

2003 Broadcasters Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall become the first non-players featured on a Reds-produced bobblehead. The popular promotion also marks the team's first dual bobblehead.

2006 Carl Crawford, leading the Devil Rays to a 10-8 victory over the Blue Jays, goes 5-for-5 to tie the franchise record for hits in a game. The Tampa Bay left fielder collects five hits, including a home run, scores five runs, and steals four bases in his career night at the Rogers Centre.

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2006 Swinging on the first pitch in his first major league at-bat, Adam Wainwright homers in the fifth inning of the Cardinals' 10-4 win over San Francisco at AT&T Park. The 24-year-old right-hander also tosses three innings in relief to record his second career victory.

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2007 In his 1,000th major league game, Ichiro Suzuki goes 3-for-6, giving the Mariner outfielder a career total of 1,414 hits. Only Hall of Famer Al Simmons compiled more in the same span of games, collecting 1,443 from 1924-1931 for the Philadelphia A's.

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2019 Major League teams combine to hit the second-most home runs in a single day in baseball history, going yard 59 times in 14 games, second only to the 62 round-trippers blasted on July 2, 2002, in sixteen contests. With the 'Twins' three homers against the White Sox at Target Field as part of today's barrage, Minnesota joins the 1999 Seattle Mariners as the only two teams with 100 home runs in their first 50 games of the season.
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5/25
BIRTHDAYS
1845 Lip Pike born in NYC, New York (d. 1893)


1905 Martín Dihigo HOF two-way player (2 × Negro League All-Star New York Cubans; 4 × Cuban League MVP), born in Matanzas, Cuba (d. 1971)


1918 Johnny Beazley pitcher (1941-42 & 1946-49 (St. Louis Cardinals - winner of two 1942 World Series games; Boston Braves), and WWII veteran, born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 1990)


1919 Lindsey Nelson sportscaster (NY Mets), born in Pulaski, Tennessee (d. 1995)


1925 Don Liddle born in Mount Carmel, Illinois (d. 2000)


1939 Gene A. Budig executive (last American League [AL] president 1994-99), born in McCook, Nebraska (d. 2020)

1966 Bill Haselman catcher (Boston Red Sox), born in Long Branch, New Jersey


1966 Dave Hollins infielder (Phillies,Minnesota Twins), born in Buffalo, New York
1970 Joey Eischen pitcher (LA Dodgers), born in West Covina, California
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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1901 During a fluke snowstorm in Cleveland, Ted Lewis becomes the first Boston American (Red Sox) hurler to throw a shutout when he blanks the Blues at League Park, 5-0. The 28-year-old right-hander from Wales will become the president of Massachusetts State College and the University of New Hampshire.

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1903 The court arraigned the entire Schenectady Frog Alleys squad for playing baseball on a Sunday after the team hosted the Albany Senators yesterday in a New York State League contest played at Island Park. When the jury acquits Captain Ben Ellis, the plaintiff of a test case for the charges against the Class D team, county officials discharged the detained players for violating blue laws.

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1906 The Americans (Red Sox) halt a twenty-game losing streak, with 19 of the losses occurring at home, when Jesse Tannehill goes the distance, blanking Chicago at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, 3-0. Boston will finish last in the American League with a woeful 49-105 record.

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1910 In the nightcap of a twin bill in Chicago, Jack Coombs' scoreless streak ends at 53 innings during a 5-2 loss in a game shortened by darkness. The A's right-hander will throw 13 shutouts in 38 games he starts and will finish the season with a 31-9 record and an ERA of 1.30.

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1917 Trailing 5-0 at the start of the bottom of the ninth at League Park, the Indians come back to beat the Yankees, 6-5. After Tris Speaker steals home on an 0-2 count to tie the score, New York hurler Alan Russell throws the next pitch to the backstop, plating Bill Wambsganss with the winning run in Cleveland's incredible walk-off victory.

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1919 Casey Stengel, traded by the Dodgers in the off-season to the Pirates, calls time and steps out of the batter's box to give the razzing Ebbets Field fans the 'bird.' The Pittsburgh right fielder doffs his hat, allowing a sparrow to fly out, much to the amazement and amusement of the fans.

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1922 After being called out for trying to stretch a single into a double, Babe Ruth throws dirt into the umpire's eye, goes after a heckler in the stands, and finishes his tirade by standing on the dugout roof, calling the crowd "yellow" cowards. These actions will result in a one-game suspension and a $200 fine and cost the 'Bambino' his Yankee captaincy, which he has held for less than a week.

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1923 Crossing the plate for the 1,741st time, Ty Cobb surpasses Honus Wagner's record for most runs scored in a career. The 'Georgia Peach' will tally 2,245 runs during his 24-year tenure in the major leagues, which stands until 2001, when Rickey Henderson breaks the record.

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1935 At Forbes Field, Boston Braves outfielder Babe Ruth hits three homers and a single in the team's 11-7 loss to the Pirates in Pittsburgh. The Sultan of Swat's seventh-inning solo shot off Gary Bush, a blast that clears the ballpark's roof, will be the Bambino's 714th and final home run.

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1937 Future Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane's career ends after Yankee hurler Bump Hadley beans him with a 3-1 inside fastball. Near-death at first, the Tiger catcher/manager will spend six weeks in the hospital and returns to the team only as its skipper.

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1941 In a 10-3 victory over New York at Yankee Stadium, Red Sox left fielder Ted Williams goes 4-for-5 to raise his batting average to over .400 for the first time this season. The 'Splendid Splinter' will finish the campaign batting .406.

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1945 Leon Culberson completes a rare unassisted double play in the Red Sox' 5-0 loss to the Browns at Fenway Park. After making a running catch of a short fly to center, the Boston outfielder races into the infield and steps on second base to double up Vern Stephens.

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1951 At Shibe Park, the much-heralded Giant rookie Willie Mays makes his major league debut against the Phillies. The 20-year-old outfielder, who hit .477 in 35 games with the Minneapolis Millers before being called up, goes hitless in five trips to the plate but makes two outstanding defensive plays to contribute to New York's 8-5 victory.

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1953 En route to a 10-3 Braves victory over Cincinnati at County Stadium, Max Surkont establishes a major league record by striking out eight consecutive batters, a feat not matched until future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver mows down ten straight San Diego hitters in 1970. After his streak reaches seven, the Milwaukee moundsman endures a thirty-five-minute rain delay before getting Andy Seminick, leading off in the fifth inning, to look at a third strike to set the mark.

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1960 At Busch Stadium, George Crowe's two-out ninth-inning pinch-hit home run to deep right field gives the Cardinals a 5-3 walk-off victory over Milwaukee. The round-tripper is "Big George's" major league-leading 11th career homer coming off the bench, breaking the mark he shared with Smoky Burgess and Gus Zernial when the season began.

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1968 Tigers right fielder Al Kaline suffers a broken arm when struck by a pitch thrown by Lew Krausse in the top of the sixth inning in the team's 2-1 victory over the A's at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer will miss 37 games for the eventual World Champions.

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1979 The umpires stop the game when Pirates left fielder Bill Robinson loses Joel Youngblood's fly ball in the mist at Shea Stadium. Due to the fog, the 11-inning contest ends after a 73-minute delay in a 3-3 tie.

 

1981 Joining Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, and Hank Aaron, Carl Yastrzemski becomes the fourth major leaguer to appear in 3,000 games. Yaz makes it memorable by scoring the winning run in the Red Sox' 8-7 victory over Cleveland at Fenway Park.

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1982 Future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins reaches the 3,000 strikeout plateau when he whiffs Gary Templeton in the third frame of the Cubs' 2-1 loss to San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium. Next season, the 39-year-old Canadian-born right-hander will finish his 19-year major league career with 3,192 K's in 4,500.2 innings.

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1983 In the third inning of an eventual 6-0 loss to the Braves at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Pirates' starter Jim Bibby (4) and reliever Jim Winn (3) combine to walk seven consecutive batters to tie a major league mark. In 1909, Senators' southpaw hurler Dolly Gray, who would win only 15 games of his 66 career decisions during his three big league seasons, established the dubious record in his rookie year.

1984 The Cubs trade 35-year-old Bill Buckner to the Red Sox for infielder Mike Brumley and right-hander Dennis Eckersley, who will compile a 27-26 record over three seasons as a starter for Chicago. Boston's new first baseman will enjoy five solid years with the club, although the Fenway Faithful best remembers him for his Game 6 error in the 1986 World Series.

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1989 The Mariners trade their ace, Mark Langston, along with minor leaguer Mike Campbell to the Expos for Brian Holman, Gene Harris, and 6' 10" southpaw Randy Johnson. The left-handed 'Big Unit' will become a mainstay in Seattle's rotation for a decade, compiling a 130-74 (.637) record, and next season will throw the first no-hitter in franchise history.

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1998 Cardinals' first baseman Mark McGwire becomes the first player in major league history to hit 25 home runs before June 1 when he connects off John Thomson in the bottom of the first frame for the team's lone run in the team's 6 1 loss to the Rockies at Busch Stadium. Last season, Mariner outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. hit 24 home runs before the year's sixth month.

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1999 The Diamondbacks tie a 68-year-old major league record when their catcher, Damian Miller, starts three double plays. Arizona's 3-2 victory over San Diego at Bank One Ballpark also features two 100-mph pitches thrown by southpaw Randy Johnson.

2000 The Devil Rays release 35-year-old Dwight Gooden (2-3, 6.63) after acquiring the 1985 Cy Young Award winner from the Astros on April 13 for cash considerations, allowing the right-hander to pitch for his hometown team. Next month, Doc signs as a free agent with the Yankees, posting a 4-2 record for the Bronx Bombers in the final season of his 16-year tenure in the major leagues.

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2001 At Fenway Park, Hideo Nomo strikes out 14 en route to a 4-0 one-hitter against Toronto. The 32-year-old Japanese right-hander faces one batter over the minimum of 27, yielding a leadoff double to Shannon Stewart in the fourth inning.

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2001 Kerry Wood gives up only one hit, a seventh-inning leadoff single to Mark Loretta, in the Cubs' 1-0 victory over Milwaukee. The 24-year-old right-hander strikes out 14 batters in the Wrigley Field gem.

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2002 With four homers on Thursday (5/23), one on Friday (5/24), and two more on Saturday (5/25), Shawn Green becomes the first major leaguer to hit seven round-trippers in three games. The Dodger outfielder's nine big flies in a week also break a National League record, established by Ralph Kiner with eight and tied by Ted Kluszewski and Nate Colbert.

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2002 Getting his 3,509th K, Diamondback southpaw Randy Johnson passes Walter Johnson to become seventh on the all-time career strikeout list. After fanning Shawn Green in the first to catch the 'Big Train,' Dodger outfielder Brian Jordan swings and misses a 2-2 pitch in the second inning to become the Big Unit's historical victim.

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2002 The YES cable network hires former major league pitcher David Cone as a part-time television analyst. The assignment also includes serving as a studio analyst on selected pregame and postgame shows covering five games for the Staten Island Yankees (Class A)

2003 Buddy Groom throws two-thirds of a scoreless eighth inning in the Orioles' 13-10 victory over Texas at The Ballpark in Arlington. The outing is the 38-year-old southpaw's 638th major league contest with zero plate appearances, surpassing Bob Stanley's mark for the most games pitched without coming to bat.

2005 In a game against the Orioles, the Mariners starting battery consists of a pair of veterans when southpaw Jamie Moyer and backstop Pat Borders appear in the same lineup. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the age of the players marks the first time in major league history that the starting pitcher and catcher for a team has consisted of two players 42 years or older.

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2006 At Tokyo's Jingu Stadium, California-born Rick Guttormson becomes the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in interleague play in Japan. The former Padres minor league pitcher of the year holds the Golden Eagles hitless as the Yakult Swallows beat Rakuten, 6-0.

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2006 After having a 6-0 lead over the Tigers in the first inning, the Royals lose, 13-8, when the bullpen gives up eight runs in the last two innings. The defeat is the 13th consecutive loss for Kansas City.

2007 Mark Reynolds, batting cleanup for the first time in his brief career, goes 5-for-5 in the Diamondbacks' 13-3 victory over the Astros. The Arizona Rookie third baseman falls a double shy of the cycle, hitting a home run in his last at-bat, which barely clears the right-field fence at Chase Field.

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2008 Former major league pitcher Geremi Gonzalez, signed by the Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1991, is killed by lightning standing on a dock in western Venezuela. The 33-year-old right-hander, who compiled a 30-35 record, also hurled for the Devil Rays, Red Sox, Mets, and the Brewers before being released by Milwaukee in 2006.

 

2009 The Indians, trailing by ten runs in the fourth, rally to beat the Rays, 11-10. Victor Martinez's walk-off, two-out, two-run single off Jason Isringhausen in the bottom of the seven-run ninth inning puts the finishing touch on the incredible comeback at Progressive Field.

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2011 Paul Splittorff, the winningest pitcher in Royals history, dies at 64 of complications from skin cancer. The likable left-hander became a popular broadcaster for the team, serving as an analyst for the FOX Sports affiliate in Kansas City.

2011 Jo-Jo Reyes makes his 28th straight start without recording a victory, tying the major league record shared by Cliff Curtis (1910-11, Braves, Cubs, Phillies) and Matt Keough (1978-79, A's). The Blue Jays southpaw, who leaves the game trailing 5-0 to the Yankees after just three innings of work, hasn't won a start since June 13, 2008.

2011 In the 12th inning of an eventual 7-6 loss to Florida, the Giants lose catcher Buster Posey for the season after a brutal collision at home plate with Scott Cousins, who scores the go-ahead run. An MRI will confirm last season's Rookie of the Year has a fractured left fibula and three torn ligaments in his left ankle and will need season-ending surgery to repair the damage.

2011 Yankee closer Mariano Rivera becomes the first pitcher to appear in 1,000 games for the same team. The 41-year-old Panamanian right-hander, who has compiled 572 saves and 75 wins during his 17 seasons with the Bronx Bombers, is closing in on the all-time saves record established by Trevor Hoffman with 601.

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2013 Angel Pagan becomes the first Giant to hit a walk-off, inside-the-park home run since Bill Terry accomplished the feat at the Polo Grounds in 1931. The center fielder's tenth-inning, two-run round-tripper gives San Francisco a dramatic 6-5 victory over Colorado.

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2015 Jeremy Guthrie becomes the second starter since 1914 to give up 11 earned runs without recording at least one out in the second inning when he gives up nine hits, including four homers, and issues four walks in the Royals’ 14-1 loss to New York at Yankee Stadium. In 2007, Astros right-hander Jason Jennings allowed 11 earned runs while lasting just two-thirds in a contest against the Padres at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.

2017 Drew Pomeranz, who whiffs 11 batters in six innings, and four Red Sox relievers tie a major league record, combining to strike out 20 batters in the team's 6-2 win over the Rangers at Fenway Park. After Nomar Mazara strikes out but reaches first base on the strike-three wild pitch, Boston's closer Craig Kimberly proceeds to mow down the next three hitters, two swinging and one looking, to record four strikeouts in the final frame to equal the mark.

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2019 En route to their 19–4 blowout of the Blue Jays, the Padres hit a franchise-record seven home runs, breaking their previous mark of six established in 1998 against the Reds at Cinergy Field. The Rogers Centre contest, in which the Friars scored multiple runs in seven different innings, features Wil Myers (2), Hunter Renfroe (2), Ian Kindler, Eric Hosmer, and Austin Hedges also going deep, setting the new team standard.

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