BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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4/16
OTD
BIRTHDAYS
1903 Paul Waner Hall of Fame right fielder (NL MVP 1927; NL batting champion 1927, 34, 36; MLB All-Star 1933–35, 37; Pittsburgh Pirates), born in Harrah, Oklahoma (d. 1965)

1938 Rich Rollins third baseman, born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania

1942 Jim Lonborg pitcher (AL Cy Young 1967), born in Santa Maria, California

1944 Bob Montgomery, last Major League Baseball player to bat without a helmet (1979), born in Nashville, Tennessee

1955 Bruce Bochy player and manager (San Francisco Giants), born in Landes de Boussac, Bussac-Forêt, France

1969 Fernando Viña infielder (Milwaukee Brewers), born in Sacramento, California

1983 Cat Osterman softball pitcher, born in Houston, Texas

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1895 The name Detroit Creams, inspired by owner George Vanderbeck who boasted the Western League team would be the "cream of the league," lasts only a season. The club becomes known as the Tigers after Detroit Cost-free Press editor Philip Reid headlines a story, Strouthers’ Tigers Showed Up Very Nicely.

1928 Braves' pitcher Charlie Robertson has his glove removed from the game by umpire Charley Moran after the Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers) complain the ball is acting strangely. The Boston hurler still manages to win, 3-2.
1929 In a 5-4 Opening Day victory over Detroit at League Park, Indians' rookie center fielder Earl Averill homers on a 0-2 pitch off Detroit's hurler Earl Whitehill, becoming the first American Leaguer to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. The 'Earl of Snohomish' will also be the first future Hall of Famer to accomplish the feat.

1929 On Opening Day, the Indians become the first team to wear numbers on the back of their jerseys permanently when they edge Detroit at League Park, 5-4. The Tribe beat the Yankees in becoming the first team to regularly don digits when rain postpones the earlier-scheduled Bronx Bombers' contest against Boston in New York.
1935 With the band playing Jingle Bells at Boston's Braves Field on a snowy day with near-freezing temperatures, Babe Ruth makes his National league debut, hitting a homer and a single off Giants' legend Carl Hubbell. The Braves beat New York, 4-2, but the team will win only 37 more games this season.

1938 The Cardinals deal a declining Dizzy Dean to Chicago for RHP Curt Davis, LHP Clyde Shoun, and outfielder Tuck Stainback along with $185,000. During his four years in the Windy City, the future Hall of Fame right-hander will compile a 16-8 record for the Cubs.
with Catcher Gabby Hartnett

 

1940 On a chilly day, the White Sox team batting average does not change when Indian fireballer Bob Feller hurls an Opening Day no-hitter, beating Chicago at Comiskey Park, 1-0. Each Pale Hose batter starts and ends the game with a .000 BA.

1940 On Opening Day at Griffith Stadium, Franklin D. Roosevelt's errant ceremonial first pitch smashes a Washington Post camera. Red Sox hurler Lefty Grove blanks the Senators, 1-0, after the Chief Executive tosses his wild throw.

1946 Before the Senators' 6-3 loss to the Red Sox at Griffith Stadium, Harry Truman becomes the first President to throw the ceremonial first pitch left-handed. On Opening Day in 1950, the southpaw Commander-in-Chief will make two tosses, one left-handed and one right-handed.

1946 On Opening Day, Mel Ott hits his 511th and final home run of his career in the Giants' 8-4 victory over Philadelphia at the Polo Grounds, a ballpark in which he has hit 63% of his round-trippers. The 37 year-old player-manager, who has two hundred more homers than any other National Leaguer, will retire third on the all-time list, trailing only Babe Ruth (714) and Jimmie Foxx (534).

1946 "An Apology to Braves Fans - The management will reimburse any of its patrons for any expense to which they might have been put for necessary cleansing of clothing as a result of paint damage." - LOCAL NEWSPAPER AD
As the result of the newly painted grandstand seats had not yet wholly dried, about 5,000 fans attending Boston's home opener against the Dodgers left Braves Field with green paint covering much of their clothing. The team takes out newspaper ads to apologize to the affected patrons, agreeing to reimburse any expense caused by the mishap, an offer costing the team $6,000 after it generates nearly 13,000 claims, including some from as far away as California and Nebraska.

1948 The future superstation WGN-TV televises a baseball game for the first time. With Jack Brickhouse doing the play-by-play, the White Sox beat the Cubs 4-1 in the first game of the Windy City Classic played at Wrigley Field.

 

1953 In a Forbes Field contest in which Pittsburgh will prevail, 14-12, the Phillies score nine times, and the Pirates tally six runs in the fifth inning, tying the National League record when 15 batters cross home plate during the frame. Philadelphia's second baseman Connie Ryan establishes a new team record with six hits, four singles, and two doubles in six at-bats.

1954 The Tigers refuse to play a game against Detroit scheduled for Good Friday, a somber Holy Day observed by many of their Christian fans. The contest will be made up on August 19, setting up a rare Thursday afternoon doubleheader, one of ten twin bills the Tribe will play at Cleveland Stadium this season.
1957 Andre Rodgers becomes the first Bahamian to play in the major leagues, grounding into a 6-4 force play in the top of the second inning of the Giants' 9-2 loss at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field. The 22-year-old shortstop's roommate and fellow Caribbean, Valmy Thomas, entering the game in the sixth to replace catcher Wes Westrum, also becomes the first native of the Virgin Islands to play in a big-league game.
1957 Before the Phillies' home opener, the team dedicates a statue of Connie Mack as part of the Opening Day ceremonies. The eight-foot statue of the 'Tall Tactician,' which depicts the A's long-time owner and manager with one foot in the dugout and one foot on the top step of it, waving his trademark scorecard to position his players, was created by well-known sculptor Harry Rosin.

1959 Dave Philley, who established a big-league mark by getting his eighth straight pinch-hit on the final day of the campaign last year, extends the remarkable streak when he doubles off Lew Burdette in his first pinch-hitting appearance this season. Although Rusty Staub of the Mets will tie his single-season mark in 1983, the Phillies' premier pinch-hitter will remain the leader for consecutive hits coming off the bench with nine, albeit over two years.

 

1962 Philadelphia's Cal McLish and Bob Gibson of the Cardinals both fail to finish an inning when each starter allows six runs to score in the first frame. Ernie Broglio gets the win, tossing 8.1 innings of shutout ball in the Redbirds' 12-6 victory over the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium.

1963 In the County Stadium home opener, Eddie Mathews hits his 400th career home run off Phillies' right-hander Jack Hamilton, propelling the Braves to their fifth consecutive win after starting the season with two losses. The Milwaukee third baseman's two-run shot puts him seventh on the all-time home run list, behind only Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Mel Ott, Lou Gehrig, and Stan Musial.

1964 Water from the Gowanus Canal, which flows near Dodgers' old home Ebbets Field, and water from the Harlem River, located near the Polo Grounds, once the Giants and the Mets home ballpark, is blessed and used to christened Shea Stadium. The ballpark's namesake, Bill Shea, credited with bringing the National League back to New York, pours the water from two bottles, blessing the Flushing Meadow structure on the eve of its debut.
1966 On the second day of the season, Jack Fischer gives up just five hits in his complete-game effort, beating Atlanta at Shea Stadium, 3-1. The win represents the Mets' earliest victory in franchise history.
1972 On the second day of the season, 22-year-old Burt Hooton, making his fourth career start, no-hits the Phillies at Wrigley Field, 4-0. The Cubs right-hander, who pitched 21.1 innings for the team last season, becomes the 12th rookie to throw a no-hitter.

1972 At the Astrodome on the second day of the season, Dave Kingman completes a cycle with a seventh-inning three-run homer in the Giants' 10–6 victory over Houston. The 23-year-old sophomore made his debut at third base yesterday, a position will play at times for San Francisco, but will be remembered mainly as an outfielder/first baseman during his 16-year career with seven teams.

1975 After making the second of two poor starts for the Dodgers, Juan Marichal, who signed with the team as a free agent, appears in his final major league game. The 37-year-old 'Dominican Dandy' finishes his 16-year Hall of Fame career with more complete games (244) than the total of his victories (243).

1978 Cardinal Bob Forsch no-hits the Philadelphia Phillies 5-0. Less than a year later, Bob's brother Ken of the Houston Astros will pitch a no-hitter against Atlanta, making the siblings the first brothers to throw no-hitters in the big leagues.

 

1983 Padres' first baseman Steve Garvey appears in his 1,118th straight game, breaking the National League record established by Hall of Fame outfielder Billy Williams playing for the Cubs in 1970. In his return to Dodger Stadium, the former LA infielder for 13 seasons sees his consecutive game streak end at 1,207, the third-longest span in major league history when he suffers a dislocated thumb as a result of a collision at home plate in July.

1984 In his first three at-bats, A's Dave Kingman hits three home runs, including a grand slam, driving in eight runs against the Mariners in a 9-6 victory. 'Sky King' will compile five three-round-tripper games during his 16-year career, second only to Johnny Mize, who accomplished the feat six times from 1938 to 1950 while with the Cardinals and Yankees.

1988 The Braves establish a National League record for losses at the start of a season by losing their tenth consecutive game. With a 7-4 defeat to the Dodgers, Atlanta surpasses the mark, previously owned by four teams, including the infamous 1919 Braves and the 1962 Mets.
1988 Although better known for his contributions as a Dodger, the Padres retire the uniform #6 worn by Steve Garvey, who signed a $6.6 million, five-year deal as a free agent in December 1982. The All-Star first baseman, the first to be so honored by the franchise, enjoyed five solid seasons, batting .275, and hit the most dramatic home run in Friar's history, an elimination-staving walk-off homer in Game 4 of the NLCS for the eventual National League champs.
1989 Blue Jay third baseman Kelly Gruber becomes the first player to hit for the cycle in franchise history when he singles in the eighth inning of the team's 15-8 win against Kansas City. The 27-year-old All-Star infielder's Toronto teammates buy him a tricycle to recognize the Exhibition Stadium accomplishment.

 

1994 A Colorado National Guard contingent escorts the 'dinosaur egg,' 'uncovered' during the excavation for Coors Field into Mile High Stadium, where it hatches to reveal a purple triceratops named Dinger, the Rockies' new mascot. The inspiration for using a three-horned dinosaur as the team's good luck charm results from the actual discovery of some dinosaur fossils throughout the new ballpark's construction site, including a 7-foot-long triceratops skull that weighed half a ton.
1997 The Cubs set the record for the worst start in National League history when they extend their losing streak to 12 games with a 4-0 loss to Colorado at Wrigley Field. Chicago surpasses the previous Senior Circuit mark of 0-11, established in 1884 by the Detroit Wolverines.
1999 Jim Leyland becomes the 45th manager to win 1,000 games when his Rockies beat San Diego, 6-4. The Colorado skipper won 851 games during his 11-year tenure with the Pirates, 146 victories, and a World Championship for the Marlins during his two seasons with Florida.

2000 Indian starter Chuck Finley, who was already the only pitcher to strike out four batters in one inning twice, does it for the third time. The southpaw whiffs Tom Evans, Royce Clayton, Chad Curtis (who takes first on a passed ball), and Rafael Palmeiro in the third inning, goes the distance in the complete-game victory when Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome hit back-to-back homers in the Tribe's 2-1 walk-off win over the Rangers.

2006 Thanks to the outstanding pitching of Brett Myers, and the Phillies bullpen, Philadelphia beats the Rockies, 1-0. The Colorado defeat marks the first time the team has lost a 1-0 decision during their decade of playing at Coors Field.

2008 Kyle Kendrick, who posted a 10-4 record and an ERA under 4.00 last season as a rookie, is stunned when he hears about his trade to Japan for Takeru Kobayashi, a champion hot dog eater. The bogus deal, an elaborate hoax that includes skipper Charlie Manuel, assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr., fellow hurler Brett Myers, and members of the media, totally fools the Phillies sophomore pitcher.
2009 Grady Sizemore's grand slam spoils the debut of the new Yankee Stadium, an eventual Cleveland 10-2 rout over the Bronx Bombers. The Indians outfielder's decisive blast off Damaso Marte is the keynote hit of the Tribe's nine-run seventh inning, a frame that started with the score tied at 1-1.

 

2011 Johnny Damon walk-off single accounts for winning run in the Rays' 4-3 victory over Minnesota at Tropicana Field. The 37 year-old designated hitter's accomplishment marks the first time in nine years a batter collects five consecutive game-winning RBIs.

2011 Owasso High School senior Dylan Bundy, who will finish the academic season with an 11-0 record, a 0.20 ERA, and 158 strikeouts/5 walks in 71 innings pitched, throws a fastball that clocked at 100 mph. The Orioles will select the 18-year-old Oklahoman as their first-round pick (4th overall) in the June MLB Amateur Draft.

2013 In tribute to the victims of yesterday's Boston Marathon bombings, the fans at Yankee Stadium sing Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline, the anthem of their American League East rivals. Before the contest against Arizona, the Bronx Bombers display their logo next to the Red Sox emblem with the words "United We Stand" on an outside video board.
2015 Giancarlo Stanton becomes the Marlins' all-time home run leader when he goes deep off Dillon Gee in the first inning of the team's 7-5 loss to New York at Citi Field. The 25-year-old right fielder's two-run blast, his 155th round-tripper for Miami, surpasses the franchise mark established in 2010 by Dan Uggla.
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5,601

 

Today in Baseball History
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On April 16 in Baseball History...

• • 1929 - Cleveland outfielder Earl Averill becomes the first A.L. player to hit a home run in his first major league time at bat when he blasts an 0-and-2 pitch off Detroit's Earl Whitehill in the Indians' 5-4, 11-inning victory.
  • 1935 - Babe Ruth's N.L. debut draws 25,000 to Braves Field. The Babe's two-hit debut includes a 430-foot home run off Carl Hubbell, as Boston beats New York 4-2. The Babe's contract includes a share in the team's profits.
  • 1940 - Working in 47-degree weather, Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians throws an Opening Day no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox, winning 1-0 at Comiskey Park. It's the first Opening Day no-hitter since Leon Red Ames pitched one for the Giants in 1909.
  • 1948 - A Major League baseball game was televised for the first time, by WGN-TV. It was an exhibition game at Wrigley Field with Jack Brickhouse doing the play-by-play. The White Sox defeated the Cubs, 4-1.
  • 1972 - In Chicago, 22-year-old rookie Burt Hooton of the Cubs no-hits the Phillies 4-0. It is Hooton's fourth major league game over two seasons. He has allowed just eight hits in 30 innings with his knuckle-curve.
  • 1977 - Regulations force Oakland pitcher Vida Blue to discard his old, discolored lucky cap because it is no longer identical in color, trim and style to those of his teammates.
  • 1978 - Bob Forsch of the St. Louis Cardinals no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-0. Less than a year later, Bob's brother, Ken, of the Houston Astros pitched a no-hitter against Atlanta. They are the only brothers to throw no-hitters.
  • 1983 - Padres first baseman Steve Garvey plays in his 1,118th consecutive game, breaking Billy Williams' N.L. record. Garvey goes 2-for-4 in an 8-5 Padres loss at Los Angeles.
  • 1984 - Dave Kingman of the Oakland A's hit three home runs, including a grand slam, in his first three at-bats. He drove in a total of eight runs in a 9-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
  • 1989 - Kelly Gruber becomes the first member of the Blue Jays to hit for the cycle as Toronto beats Kansas City 15-8.

Baseball Birthdays on April 16...

• • 1866 - Devlin, Jim
  • 1867 - Ward, Piggy
  • 1870 - Swett, Pop
  • 1874 - Belden, Ira
  • 1875 - Murphy, Frank
  • 1880 - Heismann, Crese
  • 1880 - Stremmel, Phil
  • 1881 - Ford, Gene
  • 1883 - Gagnier, Ed
  • 1891 - Torres, Ricardo
  • 1892 - Leonard, Dutch
  • 1900 - Schulz, Walt
  • 1903 - Waner, Paul
  • 1906 - Sewell, Tommy
  • 1916 - Suder, Pete
  • 1925 - Brown, Alton
  • 1929 - Winceniak, Ed
  • 1938 - Rollins, Rich
  • 1939 - Allen, Bernie
  • 1940 - Roggenburk, Garry
  • 1942 - Lonborg, Jim
  • 1943 - Fernandez, Frank
  • 1944 - Montgomery, Bob
  • 1946 - Robles, Sergio
  • 1953 - Taylor, Bruce
  • 1953 - Reynolds, Don
  • 1954 - Robinson, Bruce
  • 1955 - Jones, Rick
  • 1955 - Bochy, Bruce
  • 1958 - Grapenthin, Rick
  • 1960 - Young, Curt
  • 1969 - Vina, Fernando
  • 1971 - Sagmoen, Marc
  • 1972 - Alfonseca, Antonio
  • 1975 - Dransfeldt, Kelly

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