BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

1987 Using their number one pick overall in the draft, the Seattle Mariners select Ken Griffey, Jr. The signing of 'Junior,' the son of major leaguer Ken Griffey, will play a significant role in Seattle's success in the mid-1990s.

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1989 The Orioles, known as the Browns when the club played in St. Louis, become the fifth franchise in baseball history to record their 3,000th victory. The other clubs which have reached the milestone include the Cubs, Giants, Pirates, and Yankees.

1990 Randy Johnson, blanking the Tigers, 2-0, becomes the first Mariner in franchise history to pitch a no-hitter. The southpaw strikes out eight while walking six in the first hitless game thrown in the 14-year existence of the Kingdome.

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1994 Tom and Ben Grieve, both outfielders, become the first father-son combination to be chosen in the first round of the amateur draft when the A's select Ben as the team's first-round pick (2nd overall). Tom, presently the general manager of the Rangers, was chosen sixth overall by the Senators in 1966.

1995 After five no-decisions, Hideo Nomo picks up his first major league victory, giving up one run on two hits in 8+ innings when the Dodgers beat the Mets at Chavez Ravine, 2-1. Los Angeles signed the 26-year-old former Japanese All-Star to a minor league contract that included a signing bonus of over $2 million in the off-season.

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1995 The Expos pick Serra High School (San Mateo, CA) stand out Tom Brady in the 18th round, the 507th player selected in baseball's amateur draft. The tall, athletic 17-year-old catcher with a powerful left-handed swing and a rocket arm elects to play football at the University of Michigan before making his eight record-setting Super Bowl appearances as the quarterback for the NFL Patriots.

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1995 Todd Helton, who will spend his 17-year career with the Rockies, is selected in the first round, eighth overall, by Colorado in the amateur draft. The University of Tennessee’s first baseman was the Vols' backup quarterback, playing behind Peyton Manning

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1996 In St. Louis, Darryl Kile ties a major league record by hitting four batters. The Astros right-hander becomes the first National League player to do it since Moe Drabowsky accomplished the feat on the same date while toiling for the Cubs in 1957.

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1999 In the first-year player's draft, the Devil Rays select Raleigh (NC) prep star Josh Hamilton as the team's top pick. Tampa Bay's selection marks the first time since 1993 when Alex Rodriguez was chosen by the Mariners, that a high school player becomes the first overall pick.

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2000 Cubs reliever Rick Aguilera pitches a perfect ninth inning for his 300th save to nail down Chicago's 2-0 win over the Tigers. The game marks Detroit's first visit to Wrigley Field for the first time since winning Game 7 of the 1945 World Series.

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2000 Fred McGriff becomes the thirty-first player to hit 400 career homers. The Devil Rays' first baseman's milestone round-tripper comes off Glendon Rusch, a two-run drive in a 5-3 loss to the Mets at Shea Stadium.

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2000 The Expos will wear Maurice Richard's uniform number (9) on their right sleeves this season to pay tribute to the late Montreal Canadiens star, who played 18 years in the National Hockey League. The uniform patch marks the first time a major league team has chosen to honor a hero from a different sport.

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2005 In celebration of Rotary International's Centennial Year, The Player, a 13-foot tall bronze sculpture donated by the Denver Rotarians, is dedicated in front of Coors Field on the corner of 20th and Blake. A 24-inch version of the work of art, created by internationally prominent sculptor George Lundeen, is given annually to the recipient of the Branch Rickey Award, an honor given to a major leaguer in recognition of exceptional community service.

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2008 Chase Utley goes yard for the fifth straight game with his major-league-leading 21st homer in a 5-4 victory over the Reds at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies' second baseman, who also homered in five consecutive games earlier in the season, ties his club record, which he shares with Bobby Abreu, Dick Allen, and Mike Schmidt.

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2009 With a first-inning leadoff infield hit off David Hernandez in the Mariners' 8-2 victory over the Orioles at Safeco Field, Ichiro Suzuki sets a new team record by hitting safely in his 26th consecutive game. The 35-year-old outfielder extends the mark to 27 tomorrow, surpassing the franchise mark he established in 2007.

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2010 "I feel that without enough occasional starts to be sharper coming off the bench, my continued presence as a player would be an unfair distraction to my teammates, and their success as a team is what the ultimate goal should be." - Ken Griffey, Jr., on his retirement. After 22 seasons of compiling can't miss Hall of Fame statistics, Mariner outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. unexpectedly issues a statement through the team announcing that he has decided to retire. Drafted #1 by the Mariners on this date in 1987, the now 40-year-old 'Kid" leaves the game fifth on the all-time career home run list with 630 round-trippers.

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2010 Jim Joyce emphatically calls Jason Donald safe at first base after Tigers starter Armando Galarraga has retired 26 consecutive Cleveland batters, although the baserunner is clearly out. After seeing the replay, the first-base arbitrator tearfully admits his error, apologizing to the 28-year-old Venezuelan for his blown call that robbed the right-hander of pitching a perfect game.

2013 At PNC Park, Garrett Jones became only the second player and the first Pirate to hit a ball into Davy Jones' Locker on the fly when his two-run eighth-inning round-tripper ties the score in the Bucs' eventual 5-4 win over Cincinnati. In 2002, Houston's Daryle Ward launched a shot that also splashed into the waters of the Allegheny River.

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2016 Trailing by ten runs after five frames, the Mariners stage the biggest comeback in franchise history when the team beats the Padres 16-13. Seattle tallies five times in the sixth, scoring nine more times in the seventh inning to take the lead for good in the Petco Park contest.

2021 On the date that marked the beginning of his streak in 1925 and his death of ALS 16 years later in 1941, MLB celebrates the inaugural Lou Gehrig Day, continuing a tradition that began a few seasons ago with the reading of his "I am the luckiest person on Earth" speech. In addition to raising money to find a cure for the dreaded disease, every team will display "4-ALS" logos highlighting the Hall of Famer's jersey number with players, managers, and coaches wearing a special commemorative patch on their uniforms.

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BIRTHDAYS
1934 Jim Gentile, Orioles,Dodgers "Diamond Jim", born in San Francisco, California


1939 Steve Dalkowski baseball player and inspiration for Bull Durham film, born in New Britain, Connecticut (d. 2020)


1942 Duane Josephson catcher, 1965-72 (Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox), born in New Hampton, Iowa (d. 1997)

1960 Barry Lyons player, born in Biloxi, Mississippi

1960 Steve Lyons player and sports commentator, born in Tacoma, Washington

1964 Nelson Liriano infielder (Pittsburgh Pirates), born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

1970 Carl Everett (Chicago White Sox), born in Tampa, Florida


1971 Aaron Ledesma infielder, 1995-2000 (Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and 3 other teams), born in Union City, California


1971 Carl Everett outfielder (NY Mets), born in Tampa, Florida

1975 José Molina catcher (World Series 2002 LA Angels, 2009 New York Yankees; World Baseball Classic silver 2013), born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico


1977 Travis Hafner first baseman (tied MLB record 6 grand slams 2006), born in Jamestown, North Dakota


1991 Yordano Ventura, Dominican MLB pitcher (Kansas City Royals), born in Samaná, Dominican Republic (d. 2017)

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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1888 The first publication of Ernest L. Thayer's poem Casey at the Bat appears in the San Francisco Examiner. The work is originally published under the pen name 'Phin' because the poet feels embarrassed by what he considers bad verse and decides to keep his identity a secret until others come forward to claim the work to be their own.

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1902 Cardinal right-hander Mike O'Neill hits the first pinch-hit grand slam in major league history. The hurler's ninth-inning blast off Beaneater Togie Pittinger proves the difference in the Redbirds' 11-9 victory over Boston at South End Grounds.

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1914 The court of appeals awards $3,500 to Charles A. Edling, a lawyer hit in the nose with a foul ball that broke through a wire netting while attending a Kansas City Blues game at Association Park in 1911. The legal ruling states had the American Association team "kept their eye on the ball with the accuracy that they contend Edling should have exhibited, and they would have attained a higher place in the pennant race."

1918 Dutch Leonard, facing only 28 batters, tosses his second career no-hitter when he holds the Tigers hitless in the Red Sox' 5-0 victory at Navin Field. The 26-year-old southpaw, known as 'Hub,' had also pitched a no-no against the Browns two seasons ago at Fenway Park.

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1921 Crip Polli strikes out 28 batters in a ten-inning contest against Cushing Academy at Mountaineer Recreation Field in Montpelier, Vermont. The Goddard Seminary student's performance, highlighted in Ripley's Believe It or Not, is no fluke as the high schooler will fan 105 batters in a five-game span.

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1932 In Philadelphia, Lou Gehrig becomes the first player in the twentieth century to blast four home runs in one game and barely missed hitting a fifth. The Yankees hammer out a major league record with 50 total bases in a 20-13 slugfest with Philadelphia.

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1932 Citing poor health, the Giants announce the resignation of long-time skipper John McGraw. During his thirty-two-year tenure in the New York dugout, the fiery manager posted a 2583-1790 (.591) record en route to winning three World Series and nine National League pennants, including a record four consecutive flags.

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1932 Tony Lazzeri blasts a grand slam to complete his natural cycle, with his four hits accomplished in sequential order: single, double, triple, home run. Yankee teammate Lou Gehrig's four home runs in the same game and the announcement of long-time Giants manager John McGraw's retirement on the same day overshadows the second baseman's rare and fantastic feat.

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1933 The Yankees survive the visiting A's 11-run outburst in the second inning, beating Philadelphia 17-11. The Bronx Bombers also enjoy a big inning, putting up a 10-spot in the fifth frame.

1939 Joe Sprinz, known as Mule to his teammates, fractures his upper jaw in twelve places and has five teeth knocked out when he attempts to catch a ball dropped 800 feet from a Goodyear blimp. The San Francisco Seals catcher, who will spend two months in the hospital, participated in Baseball Day at the Golden Gate Exposition on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay when the ball smashed into his face through his upraised glove.

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1951 With two outs in the second inning of an eventual 1-0 loss to the Giants, Cardinals' southpaw Max Lanier walks Monte Irvin, gives up a double down the right-field line to Willie Mays, and intentionally walks Hank Thompson to load the bases. Although the St. Louis lefty gets out of the jam by striking out opposing pitcher Dave Koslo, the frame marks the first time in major league history that a trio of black players occupies three bases simultaneously.

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1952 The Red Sox trade Johnny Pesky, Walt Dropo, Fred Hatfield, Don Lenhardt, and Bill Wight to the Tigers for Hoot Evers, George Kell, Johnny Lipon, and Dizzy Trout. Pesky will return to Boston to serve as a coach, manager, announcer, and assistant general manager and will have his uniform number 6 retired by the organization in 2008.

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1958 In the largest turnout for a non-presidential election (62.3%), Los Angeles voters approve "Proposition B," supporting the previously agreed-upon contract between the Dodgers and the city. The referendum result, which removes a significant hurdle for Walter O'Malley to build a modern stadium in the Chavez Ravine area, is passed with the final margin of victory of 25,785 votes.

1967 Harmon Killebrew launches the longest home run ever hit in Metropolitan Stadium, a 503-foot shot that travels deep in the second deck of the left-center field bleachers. The stadium chair the ball hit by the Twins' outfielder is mounted high on a wall overlooking the flume ride at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America, the former site of the Met, in the precise spot the ball landed in the upper deck in deep left-center field.

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1969 Over eight innings, Tom Seaver strikes out 14 Dodgers en route to the Mets' 5-2 win at Shea Stadium. The victory, fueled by Ed Kranepool's two home runs, improves the second-place team's record to 24-23, the latest they have been above .500 in franchise history.

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1977 Dennis Eckersley's no-hit string of 22.1 innings ends when Ruppert Jones homers with two outs in the sixth frame, accounting for the Mariners' only run in a 7-1 loss to the Indians 7-1 at the Kingdome. The 22-year-old right-hander's hitless streak falls three innings short of the major league mark established in 1904 by Cy Young while playing for Boston Americans.

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1977 Leading by two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Orioles escape a no-out, bases-loaded jam when John Wathan hits into a run-scoring triple play to end the game, giving the team a 7-6 victory over Kansas City at Royals Stadium. The Kansas City pinch-hitter's sac fly to right field (1) is deep enough to score Al Cowens from third base, but Freddie Patek, the runner on first, is caught in a run-down on the throw (2), and Dave Nelson, stranded off third base, is tagged out (3) by Mark Belanger, completing the 9-6-4-6 triple killing.

1978 Davey Johnson's ninth-inning bases-loaded home run off Terry Forster gives the Phillies a 5-1 walk-off victory over Los Angeles at Veterans Stadium. The 35-year-old second baseman is the first major leaguer to pinch-hit two grand slams in one season.

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1978 The Braves and the Cubs tie a major league record, using 14 hurlers in a single game. Each team uses seven pitchers when Chicago beats Atlanta at Wrigley Field, 8-6.

 

1980 The Expos' first-round selection in the amateur draft is the University of Arizona standout Terry Francona, signed by the team's general manager John McHale for $100,000. In 1958, McHale, then the G.M. of the Tigers, had refused to give a $1000 raise to their top pick's dad, Tito, who had asked for a salary increase to help support a new addition to his family, a son named Terry.

1980 The Mets select 18-year-old Darryl Strawberry as the team's number one pick in the June draft. During his stormy eight-year tenure with the team, the 6' 6" outfielder will establish franchise records with 252 homers and 733 RBIs.

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1981 Returning as a free agent after a two-year absence from the game, Royals catcher Jerry Grote hits his first home run since 1976. The former Astro and Mets backstop's grand slam helps Kansas City overcome the Mariners, 12-9.

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1987 Three players hit grand slams in the Cubs' 22-7 rout of the Astros at Wrigley Field. Chicago's Keith Moreland and Brian Dayett go deep with the bases loaded, and Billy Hatcher adds one for Houston.

1989 In a 22-inning game played at the Astrodome, Houston beats the Dodgers, 5-4, when Rafael Ramirez's run-scoring single plates Bill Doran, ending the contest at 2:50 a.m., seven hours and 14-minutes after it started. The longest game in National League history features L.A. center fielder John Shelby going 0-for-10 and southpaw Fernando Valenzuela finishing the game at first base.

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1989 Nolan Ryan pitches his 11th career one-hitter, beating the Mariners, 6-1. The Alvin, Texas native breaks Bob Feller's record of 15 low-hit games, having now thrown a combination of 16 no-hit and one-hit games.

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1990 Dave Liddell, playing in his only major league game, appears as a pinch-hitter in the top of the eighth inning, singling in his lone plate appearance. The Mets' 23-year-old catcher will stay in the contest, catching the remainder of the team's 6-3 loss at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium.

1993 Although Alex Rodriguez called and asked the team not to choose him, the Mariners still select the standout scholastic shortstop with the first pick in the amateur draft. The Westminster Christian High School (FL) senior, who hit .417 with 17 homers and 90 stolen bases, told club officials that Seattle was too far away and wanted to play in the National League.

1995 In a scoreless tie, Expo hurler Pedro Martinez hurls nine perfect innings against the Padres. After Montreal goes ahead in the top of the tenth inning, the 23-year-old Dominican right-hander gives up a leadoff double to Bip Roberts in the bottom of the frame but gets the 1-0 victory when Mel Rojas secures the final three outs for a save.

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1996 At the Huggins-Stengel complex in St. Petersburg, the expansion Devil Rays begin their first mini-camp in franchise history. Twenty-four free agents, signed before the June draft, work out in front of the recently assembled Tampa Bay coaching staff and Tom Foley, the team's field coordinator.

1998 Orlando Hernandez gets the victory in his major league debut when the Yankees defeat the Devil Rays in New York, 7-1. 'El Duque,' who escaped from Cuba by boat six months ago, allows a run on five hits in seven innings.

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2001 Manny Ramirez's fourth-inning solo blast into the fifth deck off Blue Jay right-hander Chris Carpenter is the longest home run ever hit in the history of the SkyDome. The Red Sox DH's 491-foot moon shot eclipses A's first baseman Mark McGwire's 1996 mark by three feet

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2002 The 20-33 Blue Jays dismiss Buck Martinez, making him the fifth major league manager fired since the season started. Third-base coach Carlos Tosca, who will pilot the team to a 58-51 (.532) record during the remainder of the season, replaces the former catcher and broadcaster.

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2003 In one of the minor league's strangest giveaways, the first 500 fans attending Ted Williams Night at the Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings game receive popsicles. Many are critical of the event, believing the promotion mocks the recently cryogenically frozen Red Sox Hall of Fame outfielder.

2003 Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter is named the 11th captain in club history. The 28-year-old joins Hal Chase (1912), Roger Peckinpaugh (1914-21), Babe Ruth (for six days in 1922), Everett Scott (1922), Lou Gehrig (1935-41), Thurman Munson (1976-79), Graig Nettles (1982-84), co-captains Willie Randolph and Ron Guidry (1986-89), and Don Mattingly (1991-95).

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2003 Slugger Sammy Sosa is ejected from the game during the first inning after his bat shatters, exposing a cork center. Major League Baseball suspends the Cub outfielder for eight games (reduced by one game after an appeal) for his offense.

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2004 After calling 4,306 consecutive regular-season games and another 41 during the postseason, Tom Cheek's streak ends. The modest broadcaster, who misses his first game due to his dad's death, had done play-by-play of every Blue Jays game since the team's inception on a snowy day in 1977.

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2004 Julio Franco becomes the oldest player in baseball history to hit a grand slam. The 45-year-old Dominican first baseman's first-inning bases-loaded home run off Josh Hancock proves to be the difference when the Braves beat the Phillies at Turner Field, 8-4.

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2008 In a Grand Prairie AirHogs promotion, Elaine Fulps wins a certificate for a casket and a funeral at the Chapel of Roses Funeral Home, as well as a cemetery plot and a headstone. The American Association minor league team's $10,000 giveaway will not expire until the 60-year-old winner from Arlington (TX) resident does, according to Ron Alexander, the sales manager at Oak Grove Memorial Gardens.

2009 At Safeco Field, Mariner outfielder Ichiro Suzuki singles off Baltimore's Brad Bergesen in the third inning of the team's walk-off 3-2 victory over the Orioles, establishing a franchise record by hitting safely in his 27th consecutive game. The streak, in which he is batting .402 (47 for 117), marks the seventh time the 35-year-old All-Star has compiled a hitting streak of at least 20 games, including the previous team mark of 25, set two seasons ago.

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2010 A day after Jim Joyce called Jason Donald safe, who appeared out, ruining Armando Galarraga's perfect game, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm issues a proclamation stating the Tigers right-hander indeed pitched a perfecto against the Indians, dismissing the blown call. Also, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow reports she is lobbying baseball commissioner Bud Selig to declare Galarraga's performance a perfect game, and U.S. Representative John D. Dingell says he is planning to introduce a resolution in Congress asking for the call's reversal. The day after he loses a perfect game on a blown call, Armando Galarraga presents the lineup card at home plate to Jim Joyce, the ump who made the infamous call. In a display of outstanding sportsmanship, applauded nationwide, the two shake hands, and when the pitcher walks away, the apologetic arbitrator pats the Venezuelan right-hander on the shoulder.

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2012 In a pregame ceremony at Citi Field, John Franco becomes the 26th member of the Mets Hall of Fame. The former southpaw reliever, who also played for Cincinnati and Houston, leads all lefties in all-time saves with 424, including 276 for the Mets, a franchise record.

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2017 Albert Pujols becomes the ninth major leaguer to hit 600 home runs and the only player to reach the milestone with a grand slam. The 37 year-old Los Angeles DH, the fourth youngest to accomplish the feat behind only Babe Ruth, Alex Rodrigues, and Henry Aaron, goes deep in the fourth inning off Ervin Santana in the team's 7-4 victory over the Twins at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

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