BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

1971 John Kennedy comments, 'Looks like we've got our own spaceman,' when he cannot get to his locker through the crowd of reporters talking with southpaw Bill Lee about the Apollo 15 moon landing. The Red Sox utility infielder's nickname Spaceman sticks, a moniker his eccentric teammate never fully embraces, claiming Mother Earth has always been his priority.

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1973 Freshman Ranger right-hander Jim Bibby, a Vietnam veteran, becomes the 14th rookie to throw a no-hitter and the first hurler in franchise history to accomplish the feat. The 28-year-old right-hander, obtained in a June 6th trade with the Cardinals, strikes out 13 batters while holding the World Champions A's hitless in a 3-0 Texas victory at the Oakland Coliseum.

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1975 Jose Sosa becomes the first Astros player in the 14-year history of the franchise to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. The relief pitcher belts a three-run homer off Danny Frisella during an 8-4 victory over the Padres at San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium.

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1975 Pat Darcy goes the distance, beating San Francisco at Riverfront Stadium, 6-1. The contest is the first complete game thrown by a Reds pitcher in 45 consecutive starts by the Cincinnati staff, snapping their record streak without one.

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1980 During a workout at the Astrodome, Houston hurler J.R. Richard, who had complained about a dead feeling in his arm on several occasions, suffers a stroke attempting to throw for the first time since being hospitalized for tests. Emergency surgery removes a blood clot behind his right collarbone, but the Astros' fireballer will never pitch in the major leagues again.

1982 The first-place Braves remove Chief Noc-A-Homa's tipi from the unoccupied section of the bleachers so that the team can make more seats available during sellouts. After the team blows a 10.5 game lead, losing 19 out of its next 21 games, the fans will pressure the management to reinstate the mascot's home, a move that appears to end the skid for the eventual division champs.

1987 Although Bulova promised a watch to any player hitting the clock high above the Ebbets Field scoreboard, Bama Rowell of the Braves didn't receive the timepiece, whose 1946 blast inspired the glass-shattering homer by Roy Hobbs, Bernard Malamud's hero in The Natural. The company corrects the injustice more than 40 years later when the former outfielder receives his wristwatch on 'Bama Rowell' Day in Citronella (AL), the honoree's hometown.

BAMA & TED

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1988 John Franco establishes the major league record for the most saves in the month when he records the final two outs in Cincinnati's 2-0 victory over San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium. The Reds' reliever, who retires future Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar and Tony Gwynn to record his 13th save in June, betters the mark he had shared with Sparky Lyle, Bruce Sutter, and Bob Stanley.

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1990 In a stunning decision by George Steinbrenner, the Yankee owner agrees to go on the permanent ineligible list, amounting to a virtual lifetime ban from the team's day-to-day operation. 'The Boss,' reinstated in 1993, agrees to the dire consequences of the "agreement," not wanting to jeopardize his relationship with U.S. Olympic Committee if he were to be "suspended" from the game. As word begins to circulate at Yankee Stadium about the permanent removal of George Steinbrenner as the owner of the team, many of the 24,037 fans in attendance start chanting, "No More George! No More George!" After a long day of turmoil, the 'Boss' learns of the fans' glee, much to his chagrin, when he watches the 11 p.m. local television news.


1996 The Giants trade starting pitcher Mark Leiter to the Expos in exchange for Kirk Rueter. 'Woody' will compile a 105-70 record during his ten-year tenure with San Francisco, while Al's right-handed brother will post a 4-2 mark during his one season playing north of the border.

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1999 Paul Byrd of the Phillies plunks Braves catcher Eddie Perez on the back, precipitating a bench-clearing brawl between the two unfriendly ball clubs. With the battle raging on, the angry batter overhears the two instigators praying together when the pitcher's prayer for forgiveness.

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2001 The Twins get Mets starter Rick Reed for outfielder and leadoff batter Matt Lawton. The 36-year-old right-hander, an All-Star this season, had compiled an 8-6 record with a 3.86 ERA with New York before the deal.

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2003 Battling a 5-for-36 slump, Jose Valentin hits three home runs in a 15-4 victory over the Royals. The White Sox shortstop becomes the first switch-hitter in baseball history to have three-homer games in both the American and National Leagues, having accomplished the feat with the Brewers in 1998.

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2003 The Cubs obtain center fielder Doug Glanville from the Rangers in exchange for cash and outfielder/first baseman prospect Jason Fransz, who will not appear in a major league game. The Chicago flychaser will play in only 28 games, hitting just .235 for his new ball club.

2004 In a blockbuster trade, the Marlins deal Brad Penny, Hee Seop Choi, and southpaw prospect Bill Murphy to the Dodgers for backstop Paul Lo Duca, relief pitcher Guillermo Mota, and much-traveled outfielder Juan Encarnacion.

2006 The Yankees trade four minor leaguers (shortstop C.J. Henry, southpaw Matt Smith, catcher Jesus Sanchez, and right-hander Carlos Monasterios) to the Phillies for outfielder Bobby Abreu and right-hander Cory Lidle. New York assumes the responsibility of Abreu's contract, which includes the remaining portion of the $13.5 million for this season, $15.5 million for next year, and a $16 million option for 2008 with a $2 million buyout.

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2006 Eighteen individuals, the largest number ever selected, are inducted into the Hall of Fame. The group consists of 17 persons who had participated in the pre-Negro Leagues or Negro Leagues, including Effa Manley, the first woman to enter the Hall, and Bruce Sutter, the fourth reliever enshrined in Cooperstown.

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2007 The Hall of Fame induction of Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn takes in front of a record crowd of an estimated 75,000 fans and an unprecedented number of 53 Hall of Famers. Joining the ballplayers on the dais are longtime radio voice of the Royals Denny Matthews, the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award given to outstanding broadcasters, and Post-Dispatch beat writer Rick Hummel, the J.G. Taylor Spink Award honoree for his exceptional coverage of the Cardinals.

Hummel
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2008 The Yankees, in need of a catcher due to Jorge Posada's season-ending surgery, obtain 13-time Gold Glove winner Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers in exchange for reliever Kyle Farnsworth. The 36-year-old All-Star backstop waives his no-trade clause to go to New York, which completes the deal a day before the trading deadline.

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2008 The Royals, with a 4-3 victory at McAfee Coliseum, sweep the A's in Oakland for the first time in two decades. The last time Kansas City broke out the broom in O-town was in June of 1988.

2008 In a slugfest at Progressive Field, the Tigers defeat the Indians in 13 innings, 14-12. Cleveland catcher Kelly Shoppach's two home runs and three doubles, giving five extra-base hits in one game, ties a major league record.

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2010 The Rockies establish a major league mark by banging out 11 consecutive hits, four singles, four doubles, two homers, and a triple, in the team's 17-2 clobbering of the Cubs at Coors Field. Colorado sends 18 batters to the plate in their twelve-run eighth inning, collecting 13 hits to set a franchise record in a single frame.

 

2011 The Orioles trade Derrek Lee to the Pirates in exchange for minor-leaguer Aaron Baker, who will report to Class A Frederick. The Bucs hope their new good-fielding first baseman can provide some pop to the lineup as the team tries to stay in contention in the competitive NL Central Division race.

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2011 The Indians announced the team has completed the trade with the Rockies for Ubaldo Jimenez. The deal sends highly-touted minor league pitchers Alex White and Drew Pomeranz, right-handed prospect Joe Gardner, and utility player Matt McBride to Colorado for the Dominican ace that the Tribe hopes will anchor their rotation down the stretch.

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2011 The Indians trade veteran infielder Orlando Cabrera (.244, 4, 38) to the Giants for minor league prospect Thomas Neal. In 60 games with Triple-A Fresno, the Tribe's newest outfielder hit .295, along with two homers, and drove in 25 runs.

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2013 In a three-team, seven-player deal, the Red Sox obtain Jake Peavy from the White Sox, with third baseman Jose Iglesias sent to the Tigers as part of the transaction that includes Avisail Garcia, the player the Red Sox acquired from Detroit, going to Chicago. Boston's new right-hander gives the eventual World Champs another proven starting pitcher in their rotation, helping to fill the void created by the injury suffered by Clay Buchholz.

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2014 Felix Hernandez becomes the first pitcher in major league history to make 14 consecutive starts of at least seven innings while allowing two runs or less. The Mariners right-hander, known as 'King Felix,' breaks the record previously held by Tom Seaver, who established the mark in 1971 while pitching for the Mets.

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2016 In front of 2,000 fans at Fayetteville's JP Riddle Stadium, the Coastal Plain League's SwampDogs became the first team to play nine starters at nine different positions when the team rotates the players during the nine-inning game. The exhibition game against the Carolina-Virginia Collegiate League's Kernersville Bulldogs ends in a 5-5 ten-inning deadlock when both sides run out of players.

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2016 At Progressive Field, the Indians induct Jim Thome, Albert Belle, 1920 World Series contributor Charlie Jamieson, and baseball’s first African-American manager, Frank Robinson, into the team’s Hall of Fame. Over 13 seasons with Cleveland, Thome established a franchise record, hitting 337 home runs and provided much of the offense, along with Belle, during the Tribe’s success in the mid 1990s

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2016 "With all due respect to Tom Hanks, there is crying in baseball." - MIKE PIAZZA, responding to his emotional state about being inducted into the Hall of Fame and having his number retired by the Mets. Mike Piazza, considered by many the greatest-hitting catcher in baseball history, has his number retired by the Mets, a team he played with for eight seasons, batting .296 and slugging 220 home runs. The 2016 Hall of Fame inductee is the second person, along with right-hander Tom Seaver (41), honored for what he accomplished as a player for the team, joining managers Gil Hodges (14) and Casey Stengel (37) and baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson's (42).

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2016 The Indians induct Jim Thome, Albert Belle, Frank Robinson, and Charlie Jamieson into the team's Hall of Fame, bringing the number of honorees enshrined to 44. Thome, the team's all-time home run leader; Belle, the first 50-50 major leaguer; Robinson, the first black manager in baseball history; and Jamieson, a .303 hitter during his 18 years with the Tribe, are feted during a ceremony at Progressive Field.

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2017 Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre collects his 3000th hit when he doubles in the fourth inning in the Rangers' 10-6 loss to the Orioles at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The twenty-year veteran, who has also spent time with the Dodgers, Mariners, and the Red Sox, is the first-ever Dominican-born player to reach the coveted milestone.

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2017 Ryan Zimmerman becomes Washington D.C.'s all-time home run leader with his 238th career round-tripper, surpassing former Senator outfielder and first baseman Frank Howard. The Nationals' first baseman's third-inning 341-foot dinger, a three-run shot, ties the score in the team's eventual 10-6 loss to the visiting Rockies in the first game of a twin bill.

2020 Indian right-hander Shane Bieber matches a major league mark for strikeouts through two starts in a season, equaling Dodger Karl Spooner's record, who fanned 27 batters in consecutive games at the beginning of his rookie season in 1954. The 25-year-old Cleveland hurler, who whiffed 14 batters on Opening Day, punches out another 13 batters en route to throwing eight shutout innings in the team's 2-0 victory over the Twins at Target Field.

2021 The Western-Division leading Giants acquire Kris Bryant from the Cubs for minor league prospects, outfielder Alexander Canario and right-hander Caleb Kilian. The 29-year-old All-Star third baseman, the 2016 NL MVP who helped Chicago capture their first World Series title in 108 years, becomes emotional in the visitors' dugout in Washington upon learning of the deal.

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CASEY

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7/31
BIRTHDAYS
1886 Larry Doyle second baseman (NL MVP 1912, NL batting champion 1915; NY Giants), born in Caseyville, Illinois (d. 1974)


1914 Elmer Riddle pitcher (NL wins leader 1943; Cincinnati Reds), born in Columbus, Georgia (d. 1984)


1916 Billy Hitchcock infielder, manager, official (Detroit Tigers; president Double-A Southern League 1971–80), born in Inverness, Alabama (d. 2006)

(1922-2007) Hank Bauer infielder, manager (8-time World Series champion; NY Yankees, Baltimore Orioles), born in East St. Louis, Illinois


1939 Vic Davalillo outfielder (MLB All Star 1965; Gold Glove 1964), born in Cabimas, Venezuela


1947 John Vukovich infielder, manager (Philadelphia Phillies), born in Sacramento, California (d. 2007)


1957 Leon Durham 1st baseman, outfielder (Chicago Cubs; MLB All Star 1982-83, born in Cincinnati, Ohio

1959 Mike Bielecki pitcher (Atlanta Braves), born in Baltimore, Maryland

1975 Mike Lincoln relief pitcher, 1999-2010 (Pittsburgh Pirates, and 3 other teams), born in Carmichael, California

1975 Randy Flores pitcher (World Series 2006, St. Louis Cardinals), executive (American director scouting SL Cardinals) and broadcaster (Pac-12 Network), born in Bellflower, California

1979 J. J. Furmaniak
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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1897 John Grimes, who appeared in only three games during his one-year career with the St. Louis Brown Stockings, establishes a major league mark by hitting six batters in a nine-inning game. The post-1900 record is four hit batsmen, a dubious feat shared by many pitchers.

1908 After successfully swiping second at the Polo Grounds, Fred Tenney decides to return to first base on the next pitch because Dummy Taylor had remained at third during their attempted double steal. This time, hoping to coax a throw from the catcher to give the runner on third another opportunity to score, he steals second base for the second time in the inning, but his teammate still stays put in the Giants' 9-2 victory over the Cardinals.

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1912 Ty Cobb goes 1-for-4 in Detroit's 4-1 victory over Washington at Navin Field. The Tiger outfielder's single is his 68th hit in 137 at-bats (.535) during July, the most ever collected in a single month by a major leaguer.

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1930 Thanks to Lou Gehrig's offensive output, the Yankees edge the Red Sox, 14-13. The 'Iron Horse' collects eight RBIs with a grand slam and two doubles in the Fenway Park contest.

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1932 In front of a major league record crowd of 80,184, the Indians play their first game at Lakefront Stadium, losing to Philadelphia and Lefty Grove, 1-0. Except for the 1933 season, the Tribe, who prefers League Park, will not play a full schedule at their new colossal horseshoe home until 1947, when the ballpark is known as Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

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1935 Avid Reds' fan Kitty Burke, annoyed at Ducky Medwick's retort to her heckling by telling her she couldn't get a hit if she were swinging at an elephant, grabs Babe Herman's bat as he comes to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning, comes on to the field demanding a turn at-bat. After some consternation, Cardinal pitcher Paul Dean complies by tossing the ball underhanded to the popular local nightclub blues singer, who grounds out to the pitcher, much to the delight of the cheering crowd.

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