BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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5/26
BIRTHDAYS
1931 Jim Frey manager (Kansas City Royals, American League C'ship 1980; Chicago Cubs), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2020)


1932 Joe Altobelli utility (Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins) and manager (SF Giants, World Series Baltimore Orioles 1983, Chicago Cubs), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2021)


1939 Brent Musburger sportscaster (CBS Sports, The NFL Today; ESPN, ABC; VSiN; radio play-by-play Las Vegas Raiders), born in Portland, Oregon


1947 Darrell Evans infielder (MLB All-Star 1973, 83; World Series 1984; AL HR leader 1985; Atlanta Braves, SF Giants, Detroit Tigers), born in Pasadena, California



1960 Rob Murphy player


1964 Kevin Kennedy manager (Texas Rangers)


1975 Travis Lee 1st baseman (Olympic bronze 1996), born in San Diego, California


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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1916 In Boston, Giants outfielder Benny Kauff is picked off first base three times by Lefty Tyler. The center fielder's miscues don't hurt the team when New York reels off its 14th consecutive road victory, beating the Braves, 12-1.

1925 In Chicago, Tiger outfielder Ty Cobb becomes the first player to collect 1,000 career extra-base hits when he doubles in Detroit's 8-1 win over the White Sox. The 'Georgia Peach,' who surpassed Honus Wagner's record of 993 earlier in the season, will finish his 24-year major league career with 1,139.

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1929 Coming off the bench, Giants' Pat Crawford and Les Bell of the Braves blast grand slams in consecutive innings, marking the first time two pinch-hit four-run homers occur in the same game. Crawford goes yard off Socks Seibold in the sixth inning, and Bell takes Carl Hubbell long in the seventh in New York's 15-8 victory over Boston in the Polo Grounds.

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1930 During the nightcap of a twin bill, Joe Sewell strikes out twice against White Sox southpaw Pat Caraway in Cleveland's 5-2 victory over Chicago. This season, the Indians' infielder will be fanned only three times in his 353 at-bats.

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1937 Cleveland's Billy Sullivan and Bruce Campbell both homer as pinch-hitters, marking the first time two batters on the same team hit round-trippers coming off the bench in an American League game. Their home run heroics prove to be the difference when the Indians beat the A's at Shibe Park, 8-6.

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1947 The largest crowd ever to attend a single game in baseball history occurs when 74,747 fans watch the Yankees beat Boston, 9-3, in a Monday evening tilt at the Bronx ballpark. The previous mark was set in 1932 at Cleveland's spacious Municipal Stadium with a Sunday afternoon game attracting 73,592 patrons to witness Philadelphia's 1-0 victory over the hometown Indians, a contest that takes only an hour and fifty minutes to complete.

1953 Six years after Jackie Robinson makes his major league debut, the Cardinals sign their first black player when Fresno State College slugger Len Tucker agrees to a $3,000 professional contract. The 23-year-old speedy outfielder plays exceptionally well in the minors for Peoria, Saskatoon, and Modesto but never gets called up to St. Louis.

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1956 Reds starter John Klippstein, Hershell Freeman, and Joe Black combine to hurl 9.2 innings of hitless ball in a losing effort to Milwaukee. Frank Torre's 11th inning walk-off single scoring Hank Aaron is the difference in the 2-1 defeat at County Stadium.

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1957 Cubs rookie Dick Drott establishes a franchise record when he strikes out 15 batters en route to a complete-game victory over Milwaukee at Wrigley Field. The 20-year-old right-hander's mark, accomplished in his seventh major league start, will be matched by Burt Hooton (1971) and Rick Sutcliffe (1984) and will remain the standard for a nine-inning game until Kerry Wood's 20-K performance in 1998.

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1959 At Comiskey Park, another of Bill Veeck's stunts features the return of 3-feet 7-inch Eddie Gaedel along with three other little people. Arriving by helicopter, the quartet, dressed as Martians, greets Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio near second base, giving the diminutive infielders toy ray guns, helping the keystone combo in their struggle with giant earthlings.

1959 Pirates' hurler Harvey Haddix pitches 12 perfect innings but loses 1-0 to the Braves in the 13th inning. The heart-breaking winning run scores on a Don Hoak error, a sacrifice, a walk, and a two-bagger by Joe Adcock.

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1959 The Yankees deal Jerry Lumpe, Tom Sturdivant, and right-hander Johnny Kucks to the A's in exchange for Hector Lopez and Ralph Terry. In three years, Terry will become the second Bronx Bomber hurler to pitch a shutout in the seventh game of a World Series, with the departed Kucks being the first in franchise history to blank opponents in Game 7 of the Fall Classic.

Kucks & Terry

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1964 In front of a meager crowd of 2,503 fans at Wrigley Field, the visiting Mets set a franchise record for runs scored when the team pummels the Cubs, 19-1. New York's 25-year-old first baseman Dick Smith, batting leadoff, becomes the first player in franchise history to get five hits in a game, nearly twenty percent of his season total of 21 when he collects a double, a triple, and three singles.

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1976 Ken Brett's no-hit bid ends with two outs in the ninth when White Sox third baseman Jorge Orta hopes Jerry Remy's slow roller will go foul. The ball stays fair, and the no-hitter is lost, but the southpaw, who tosses ten innings of two-hit ball, gets the victory when the Pale Hose beat California in the 11th, 1-0.

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1984 Pitching two-thirds of an inning of relief to finish the seventh inning, Paul Splittorff gets credit for the win when the Royals come back to beat the Red Sox at Fenway Park, 11-7. The decision marks the southpaw's 166th and last victory of his 15-year career, all with Kansas City, the most in franchise history.

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1990 Don Baylor, who will be the only Angel to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award [1979] until Mike Trout cops the honor in 2014, is inducted into the team's Hall of Fame. The seasoned veteran averaged 23 home runs and 87 RBI while batting .262 in six seasons for the California team.

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1990 The Phillies retire Mike Schmidt's uniform #20, honoring the third baseman who played his 18-year Hall of Fame career with Philadelphia. During his tenure with the team. At the time of his retirement in 1989, the 12-time All-Star was the Phillies' all-time leader in games played, at-bats, plate appearances, runs scored, home runs, RBI, walks, and total bases.

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1993 Carlos Martinez hits a fly ball to Jose Canseco that caroms off the Ranger outfielder's head over the fence for a home run. The fourth inning solo homer proves to be the difference when the Indians edge Texas at Cleveland Stadium, 7-6.

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1996 Bobby Chouinard becomes the first player from Manila to appear in a major league game. The A's hurler pitches five innings, giving up eight hits and five earned runs in a 6-1 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards.

1997 For the first time in twenty years, two inside-the-park homers are hit in the same inning when Sammy Sosa of the Cubs and the Pirates infielder Tony Womack both circle the bases for round-trippers five minutes apart in the sixth frame of the Cubs' 2-1 victory at Three Rivers Stadium. Ranger teammates Bump Wills and Toby Harrah hit back-to-back inside-the-park home runs on consecutive pitches at Yankee Stadium in 1977.

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2000 At Yankee Stadium, the game against Boston stops when a fan falls from the upper deck, remaining motionless for five minutes on the screen behind home plate. The 24-year-old man suddenly sits up, raises both arms high, and is promptly arrested on a disorderly conduct charge.


2002 Royals reliever Cory Bailey becomes the first pitcher in a dozen years to win both ends of a doubleheader when the team sweeps the Rangers at Kauffman Stadium, 7-5 and 9-8. In 1989, David Wells accomplished the feat for the Blue Jays in a twin bill against the Angels.

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2004 In the Pirates' 11-8 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium, Daryle Ward hits for the cycle, collecting a two-run double in the first, a run-scoring triple in the fourth, a three-run homer in the fifth, and a single in the ninth. The Pirates' first baseman and his dad Gary become the first father-son combination in major league history to hit for the cycle. The elder Ward accomplished the feat 24 years ago with Minnesota.

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2006 Brandon Webb becomes the first Diamondback to start the season 8-0. The 27-year-old right-hander, who signed a $19.5 million, four-year contract in the offseason, beats the Reds at Great American Ball Park, 3-0, for his second consecutive shutout.

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2006 Derek Jeter, with a dribbler up the third-base line for an infield single off KC's Scott Elarton, becomes the eighth player in Yankee history to collect 2,000 career hits. The 31-year-old shortstop joins Yogi Berra, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Don Mattingly, Babe Ruth, and Bernie Williams in reaching the milestone.

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2008 At Citizens Bank Park, Phillies' second baseman Chase Utley homers and drives in six runs in the 20-5 rout of the Rockies. Philadelphia bats around three times, including two six-run innings, during their 19-hit attack against Colorado.

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2011 Tossing a scoreless 19th inning in the Phillies' 5-4 win over Cincinnati at Citizens Bank Park, Wilson Valdez becomes the first position player to record a major league victory since Brent Mayne accomplished the feat in 2000 with Colorado. The 33-year-old second baseman also became the first person to start as a fielder and then be credited with the win as a pitcher since Babe Ruth took the mound on October 1, 1921, after starting the game in left field.

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2016 Hall of Famer Wade Boggs became the tenth Red Sox player to have his number retired. The third baseman's #26 joins 1 (Bobby Doerr), 4 (Joe Cronin), 6 (Johnny Pesky), 8 (Carl Yastrzemski), 9 (Ted Williams), 14 (Jim Rice), 27 (Carlton Fisk), 45 (Pedro Martinez), and 42 (Jackie Robinson) on Fenway's historic right-field facade.

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5/27
BIRTHDAYS
1912 Terry Moore outfielder (World Series 1942, 46; 4 x MLB All Star; St. Louis Cardinals) and manager (Philadelphia Phillies 1954), born in Vernon, Alabama (d. 1995)


1965 Jacob Brumfield outfielder (Toronto Blue Jays)


1966 John Jaha, infielder (Milwaukee Brewers), born in Portland, Oregon


1968 Frank Thomas HOF 1st baseman/DH (5 × MLB All-Star; AL MVP 1993, 94; AL batting champion 1997, Chicago White Sox), born in Columbus, Georgia


1968 Jeff Bagwell Hall of Fame infielder (MLB All-Star 1994, 96, 97, 99; NL MVP 1994; Gold Glove Award 1994; Houston Astros), born in Boston, Massachusetts


1969 Todd Hundley, Martinsville VA, catcher (NY Mets)


1985 Chien-Ming Chiang


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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1904 In the team's 3-1 victory over the Superbas at the Polo Grounds, Giants first baseman Dan McGann steals five bases to establish a major league record. The 32-year-old Kentucky native's mark will be surpassed in 1912 by A's second baseman Eddie Collins who will swipe six bags in a game twice during the season

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1923 In the seventh inning of the Phillies' 12-4 loss to the Giants at the Polo Grounds, Cy Williams smacks a two-run home run to become the first major leaguer to hit 15 round-trippers in a single month. This season, the 35-year-old center fielder will lead the National League with 41 long balls.

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1928 After he clears waivers in the American League, the Braves purchase 35-year-old first baseman George Sisler from the Senators for $7,500. The future Hall of Famer will finish his 15-year career in Boston, hitting .326 during the three seasons he spends with the team.

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1937 Carl Hubbell, working two innings in relief, wins his 24th consecutive game when the Giants beat Cincinnati, 3-2. Mel Ott's ninth-inning home run proves to be the difference in the Crosley Field contest.

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1941 Play stops in the seventh inning of the Braves-Giants game at the Polo Grounds, so the crowd of 17,009 and players can listen to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's radio address over the stadium's PA system. After FDR announces the Unlimited National Emergency Proclamation, the tied 1-1 contest resumes after a 45-minute delay.

 

1951 A large ad appears in the Minnesota Sunday Times asking the local fans for their continued support of the Millers despite promoting the team's phenom to the major leagues. Giants owner Horace Stoneham explains Willie Mays' performance, compiling a .477 batting average while hitting safely in 33 of 35 games, has warranted the young outfielder's move to the Polo Grounds in New York.

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1955 In the first five innings of a 16-0 Red Sox rout of the Senators, Norm Zauchin drives in ten runs. Boston's 26-year-old first baseman accomplishes the feat with home runs in the first, second, and fifth frames, along with a fourth-inning double.

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1959 National League president Warren Giles rules the final score of Haddix's 'perfect game' is 1-0. Hank Aaron (for leaving base path) and Joe Adcock (for passing Aaron) are declared out, with Adcock's round-tripper scored as a double instead of a home run.

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1960 Orioles catcher Clint Courtney becomes the first backstop to use the big knuckleball glove, an innovation of manager Paul Richards. The larger mitt, which has a 45-inch circumference, helps as knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm goes the distance in Baltimore's 3-2 victory at Yankee Stadium in a game that doesn't feature a wild pitch or a passed ball.

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1968 Major league baseball expands outside the confines of the United States when the National League announces Montreal's addition to the circuit. The Senior Circuit also awards San Diego an expansion team.

 

1974 In a game that takes only one hour and thirty-eight minutes to complete, Pirates starter Ken Brett blanks the Padres 6-0, allowing just two hits in the Three Rivers Stadium contest. In the second game of a twin bill, the Bucs' southpaw pinch-hits a seventh-inning two-run triple, which contributes to the Pirates' 8-7 victory over the Friars.

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1981 After Lenny Randle drops to his hands and knees, attempting to 'encourage' Amos Otis' slow roller to go foul, umpire Larry McCoy accuses the Mariner third baseman of blowing the ball foul. Randle's explanation that he was merely yelling at the ball not to stay fair is initially convincing until Royals' manager Jim Frey complains.

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1984 Mario Soto, Cincinnati's starting pitcher, is ejected from the game when he shoves Steve Rippley, the third base umpire who initially called Ron Cey's foul ball down the left-field line a home run. The Reds' right-hander also attack Cubs coach Don Zimmer, prompting NL president Chub Feeney to suspend the fiery fireballer for five games, the first of the two suspensions he receives this season.

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1984 "How do you fine a batboy?" - WILLIAM CUTLER, president of the Pacific League.
Portland Beavers batboy Sam Morris is thrown out of a game by umpire Pam Postema for refusing to retrieve a folding chair that his ejected manager Lee Elia had hurled into right field during an animated tirade. The 14-year-old junior high school student, who declined to follow the arbitrator's directive out of loyalty to his skipper, will not have to pay the $25 fine, which is usually automatic when tossed from a PCL game.

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1986 "What do you expect when they build a ballpark on the ocean?" - Oil Can Boyd, after a game at Cleveland Stadium, located on the shore of Lake Erie, is postponed due to fog.
The Red Sox are credited with a 2-0 victory when the delayed game cannot continue due to the dense fog that rolls into Cleveland Stadium. The contest, which ends with the Tribe having baserunners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, prompts Boston's right-hander Oil Can Boyd to infamously blame the lack of visibility due to the ballpark's proximity to the ocean, not nearby Lake Erie.