BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

2000 On a night when every player in the Astros' starting lineup gets a hit, reserve catcher Tony Eusebio's hitting streak ends at 24 games, a franchise record. The backup backstop's accomplishment is the fifth-longest by a big-league catcher since 1900.

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2000 Darin Erstad, going 3-for-5, gets his 200th hit in the Angels' 9-4 comeback victory over the Blue Jays at Edison Field. The Anaheim DH reaches the 200-hit plateau quicker than any other player since Cardinal outfielder Ducky Medwick accomplished the feat in 131 games in 1935.

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2000 When the Braves come to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning trailing the Reds, 4-2, a power spike causes most of the lights to go out at Turner Field, causing a 12-minute delay. The Atlanta crowd hears a rendition of the song, "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia," waiting for the game to resume.

2001 The Cardinals score two runs on a strikeout when runners, breaking from first and second, score after pinch-hitter Bobby Bonilla throws his bat down the third-base line after striking out, causing the Padres' third baseman Phil Nevin to duck. At the same time, catcher Ben Davis's throw to an unmanned third base goes into left field, allowing Edgar Renteria to score from second, followed by Eli Marrero tallying from first as left fielder Rickey Henderson misplays the errant throw.

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2002 To show their displeasure about tomorrow's impending strike, fans at the Devil Ray-Angel game throw trash and foul balls back onto the field. Adding new words to the traditional seventh-inning rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," many fans at Edison Field begin chanting, "Don't strike! Don't strike! Don't strike!".

 

2004 At Toronto's SkyDome, Blue Jays broadcaster Tom Cheek joins George Bell, Joe Carter, Tony Fernandez, Dave Stieb, Cito Gaston, and Pat Gillick as the seventh member of the club's Level of Excellence. The team's highest award for individual achievement comes as an emotional surprise for the play-by-play announcer, who called 4,306 consecutive regular-season games and another 41 postseason contests during the first 28 seasons of the franchise's existence.

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2004 In the eighth inning of the Cardinals' 4-0 victory over the Bucs, Albert Pujols drives in a run with a solo shot at PNC Park, his 40th home run this season, to become only the fourth player to start a major league career with four consecutive seasons with at least 100 RBIs. The 24-year-old St. Louis first baseman joins Hall of Famers Al Simmons, Joe DiMaggio, and Ted Williams in accomplishing the feat.

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2006 In a pregame ceremony at Coors Field, the Rockies unveil a five-sided commemorative plaque planned to mark the exact spot of Mile High Stadium's home plate, now in the parking lot. Although the team played just two seasons at the old ballpark, the structure, built in 1948, served as the home for the popular minor league Denver Bears, the precursor of a major league team arriving in 1993.

2006 Roy Oswalt and the Astros agree on a $73 million contract extension, keeping the two-time 20-game winner in Houston for five years. The right-hander signs the largest multi-season deal in franchise history on his 29th birthday.

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2006 With his two homers (726, 727) in a 13-8 losing effort to the Braves at Miller Park, Giants slugger Barry Bonds passes Sammy Sosa into second place with 69 career multi-homer games. Babe Ruth hit two or more homers on 72 occasions during his 22-year career in the majors.

2006 The Astros center fielder Willy Taveras' consecutive game hitting streak is stopped at 30, establishing a new franchise record. The 24-year-old Houston leadoff hitter plunked twice by Brewer starter Tomo Ohka goes 0-for-3 in the team's 10-3 victory at Minute Maid Park.

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2007 With Bobby Abreu's at-bat and Derek Jeter on second base in the second inning at Yankee Stadium, visiting Red Sox manager Terry Francona is told to go to the dugout tunnel to show compliance with baseball's dress code. The Boston skipper, known not to wear his uniform jersey underneath his pullover, is upset with the timing of 'Shirtgate' because the inspection takes place during the game.

2008 The Rays record their first winning season in the 11-year-old history of the franchise by beating the Orioles, 14-3. Tampa Bay, presently in first place with an 82-51 record, had never won more than 70 games in a season.

2010 After initially ruling Brian McCann's drive a double, the umpires take only 86 seconds to overturn the call, making it the first time in baseball history a game ends with a walk-off home run thanks to a video review of a play. The backstop's ninth-inning round-tripper, which bounced off the top of the outfield wall and struck a second barrier, gave the Braves a 7-6 comeback victory over Florida.

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2010 Nationals manager Jim Riggleman benches Nyjer Morgan for the outfielder's 'unprofessional' play during yesterday's 14-5 victory over St. Louis. After bowling over and severely injuring Bryan Anderson in the bottom of the eighth inning, even though the Cardinal catcher didn't have the ball, the ump called the center fielder out on the play when he neglected to touch home plate.

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2010 In a pregame ceremony before their game against the Yankees, the White Sox retire Frank Thomas' jersey number 35. The 'Big Hurt,' a two-time American League MVP who played 16 of his 19 years in the big leagues in Chicago, retired in the offseason with a .301 lifetime batting average, along with 521 homers and 1,704 RBIs

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2012 Darwin Barney sets a National League single-season record when he plays in his 114th straight errorless game at second base, established in 2010 by Padres' infielder David Eckstein, when official scorer Bob Rosenberg changes his scoring of the mishandled throw. The 26-year-old Gold Glover originally received an error in the Cubs' 3-1 loss to the Brewers at Wrigley Field for his toss to Luis Valbuena, but the retired sportswriter changed his mind, giving the third baseman an error for muffing the catch.

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2014 Minnesota, dating back to its origins in the nation's capital, becomes the 16th franchise in baseball history to reach the 10,000 home run plateau. The historic homer, struck by the Twin third baseman Trevor Plouffe, receives little fanfare, being the only tally the team scores in a 9-1 loss in Baltimore.

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2017 Whit Merrifield's third-inning two-out home run off Rays right-hander Alex Cobb ends the Royals' franchise-record scoreless streak at 45 frames, three shy of the major league mark established by the 1968 Cubs and the 1906 A's. With their 6-2 victory at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City snaps a five-game losing skid, staying in contention for the second American League Wild Card spot.

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8/30/23
BIRTHDAYS
1898 Kiki Cuyler HOF right fielder (World Series 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates; 4 × NL stolen base leader; MLB All Star 1934 Chicago Cubs), born in Harrisville, Michigan (d. 1950)


1918 Billy Johnson born in Montclair, New Jersey (d. 2006)

(1918-2002) Ted Williams HOF outfielder (last player to bat over .400 in single season; 19 x MLB All Star; AL MVP 1946, 49; Triple Crown 1942, 47 Boston Red Sox), born in San Diego, California


1944 Tug McGraw player and father of Tim McGraw, born in Martinez, California (d. 2004)


1972 Jose Herrera, outfielder (Oakland A's), born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic


1976 Mike Koplove D Backs (Team USA 2008), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


1977 Marlon Byrd born in Boynton Beach, Florida


1978 Cliff Lee born in Benton, Arkansas


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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1865 The National Base Ball Club of Washington and the Brooklyn Atlantics meet with President Andrew Johnson at the White House, marking the first official meeting between a president and an entire organized baseball team. The 17th commander-in-chief apologized for missing their game due to "urgent business," promising to attend a contest soon, which he did on Opening Day, 1867.

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1905 In his first major league at-bat, 18 -year-old center fielder Ty Cobb doubles off Jack Chesbro in the first inning of the Tigers' 5-3 victory over the Highlanders at Detroit's Bennett Park. The two-bagger is the first of the 4,189 hits the 'Georgia Peach' will collect during his 24-year Hall of Fame career.

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1910 In the nightcap of a doubleheader at Hilltop Park, Highlander hurler Tom Hughes tosses 9.1 innings of no-hit ball before giving up a single to Naps' left fielder Harry Niles. The New York right-hander, eventually giving up seven hits, goes the distance, losing the 11-inning contest, 5-0.

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1912 At Navin Field, Browns' hurler Earl Hamilton no-hits the Tigers, 5-1, becoming the first hurler to accomplish the feat without recording a strikeout. Detroit gets on the scoreboard in the fourth inning thanks to a Ty Cobb walk, a two-base error, and a fielder's choice, ruining the southpaw's bid for a shutout.

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1913 With the Phillies ahead 8-6, umpire William Brennan forfeits the game to the Giants in the top of the ninth inning when the Baker Bowl fans sitting in the bleachers continue to distract New York batters by waving their handkerchiefs and straw hats. After National League president Thomas Lynch reverses the decision, giving Philadelphia the victory, the circuit's board of directors orders the game, which will end with the same score, to be completed in NY on October 2nd before the start of a scheduled doubleheader between the two clubs at the Polo Grounds.

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1916 In the fastest professional baseball nine-inning game ever played, the visiting Winston-Salem Twins beat the Tourists, 2-1, in an astounding thirty-one minutes. The 200 fans at Oates Park, unaware of the agreement to speed up the NC State League contest because both teams had trains to catch, are so upset with the brief game that Asheville owner L.L. Jenkins assures the angry patrons he will refund their price of admission.

1916 At Fenway Park, Boston's Dutch Leonard no-hits the Browns, 4-0. The 24-year-old Red Sox southpaw, who will finish the season 18-12 for the eventual World Champs, will hurl another no-hitter in 1918 against Detroit's Tigers.

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1918 At Fenway Park, Carl Mays, en route to a 21-13 record this season, tosses two nine-inning complete game victories on the same day. The Red Sox right-hander beats the last-place A's 12–0 and 4–1, giving up 13 hits and striking out five batters in the twin bill.

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1918 At the Polo Grounds, the Giants beat the Robins, 1-0, on an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth in a contest that takes fifty-six minutes to complete. Pete Compton's base hit off Jack Combs plates Larry Doyle, who had singled to lead off the frame and moved to third on Ollie O'Mara's errant throw on a sacrifice bunt.

1928 Tris Speaker, in his final major league at-bat, is struck out by Red Sox hurler Red Ruffing. The 40-year-old A's outfielder known as the 'Grey Eagle' ends his 22-year Hall of Fame career with a .345 batting average, sixth-best in major league history.

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1939 Yankee freshman Atley Donald, who will win 12 straight games to set an AL record for the most consecutive victories thrown by a rookie, throws a recorded pitch at 139 feet per second (94.7 mph) to establish a new record for a fastball. A speed meter owned by the Indians and the Cleveland Plain Dealer measured the velocity of 'Swampy's' throw.

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1949 More than 12,000 fans attend a special night for former Chicago second baseman Jackie Hayes, whose career ended in 1940 due to the sudden loss of sight in his right eye due to glaucoma that would lead to total blindness a few years later. The White Sox, showing their appreciation of his nine-year tenure with the club, honor the 43-year-old Birmingham (AL) native, showering him with gifts and cash. Tony Piet paid Jackie Hayes fare to Chicago, so his former teammate could attend the Comiskey Park ceremonies.

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1950 When Eddie Stanky gets his fourth base-on-balls off Pirates' southpaw Lefty Chambers in a 4-0 victory at Forbes Field, the Giants' leadoff hitter ties a major league record by drawing a walk in seven consecutive plate appearances. The second baseman, called the 'Brat' by his teammates, will be the league leader in walks (144) and OBP (.460) this season.

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1952 Nine-time All-Star infielder Arky Vaughn drowns with a friend when their boat capsizes while fishing in a volcanic lake near Eagleville (CA). The former shortstop and third baseman, who compiled a .318 batting average and a .406 on-base percentage playing with the Pirates and Dodgers, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.

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1953 During the 19-4 win over the Pirates in the opening game of a twin bill, the Braves stroke a big-league record eight home runs, including three from rookie outfielder Jim Pendleton. Boston will add four more homers in the 11-5 nightcap victory to establish the mark for most round-trippers in a doubleheader.

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1960 Pete Runnels, with two doubles and a single in the 3-2 nightcap victory, collects ten hits in the Red Sox doubleheader sweep of the Tigers at Fenway Park. The 32-year-old infielder, who will win the American League batting crown with a .320 average, goes 6-for-7 in the opener, which Boston wins in 15 innings, 5-4.

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1961 A computer named Casey predicts Roger Maris' chances of passing Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in 154 games. The IBM 1481 believes the Yankee slugger has a 55 percent chance of hitting 61 round-trippers to establish a new single-season mark for homers.

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1965 Casey Stengel, recovering from a fractured hip, announces his retirement as the Mets skipper, ending a 56-year career in baseball as a player, coach, and manager. At an hour-long press conference held at the Essex House, Casey's New York residence, the "Old Perfessor' shares his disappointment in the team's performance during their first four and a half seasons in the National League and praises his interim replacement, Wes Westrum, the club's former pitching coach.

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1966 In his final decision facing the Mets, Sandy Koufax lasts only two innings, losing to Bob Friend at Shea Stadium, 10-4. The Dodgers Hall of Fame southpaw has compiled a 17-2 record against the lowly expansion team since its inception in 1962.

1972 With the game scoreless in the fifth inning at the Astrodome, Terry Harmon hits his first major league home run in the Phillies' 5-3 loss to Houston. The Philadelphia infielder, who will hit just four round-trippers in his 10-year career, quickly circles the bases for an inside-the-park round-tripper when right fielder Jimmy Wynn fails to make a shoestring catch, and the ball rolls along the artificial turf before bouncing off the fence.

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1972 In different games, Pete Rose of the Reds and Pittsburgh's Roberto Clemente tie their club records for hits on the same night. With his two hits at Three Rivers Stadium, the Pirates outfielder equals Honus Wagner's club mark of 2,970 career hits, and Cincinnati's 'Charlie Hustle' matches Vida Pinson's total when he singles at Riverfront Stadium to collect his 1,881st hit.

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1973 Billy Martin orders his pitchers to throw spitballs to show the umpiring crew that they don't consistently enforce the rules when Indians right-hander Gaylord Perry is on the mound. The Tiger manager, suspended for three days by American League president Joe Cronin, doesn't understand being punished for telling the truth about asking his pitchers to throw illegal pitches.

1973 The Mets lose to the Cardinals, 1-0, thanks to a Jose Cruz tenth-inning walk-off single off Tom Seaver at Busch Stadium. The defeat drops the eventual National League champs into last place, 6.5 games behind the first-place Redbirds.

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1974 Dave Nelson, leading off in the bottom of the first inning, walks and steals second and third base before completing the stolen base cycle by swiping home. The Ranger second baseman's thievery doesn't arrest (pun intended) the team's eventual 7-3 loss to the Indians at Arlington Stadium.

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1975 The Braves replace manager Clyde King with scout Connie Ryan, disappointing some of the fan base who had hoped Billy Martin, recently released by the Rangers, would get the nod before being hired by the Yankees. The 55-year-old former Atlanta skipper stays with the club as a special assistant to executive vice president Eddie Robinson.

 

1984 Jim Rice grounds into his 33rd double play of the season, establishing a new major league mark. The Red Sox outfielder breaks the 1954 record set by another Boston flycatcher, Jackie Jensen.

1984 When Montreal brings back Jim Fanning to be the skipper of the Expos, the hiring marks the second time Bill Virdon will be fired during the season to be replaced by the manager he succeeded. In 1973, Danny Murtaugh returned to the dugout to replace the bespectacled skipper, who took his place two years earlier.

1986 Yankee hurlers Tommy John (43) and Joe Niekro (41) become the first 40+ pitchers to start both ends of a doubleheader since 1933 when White Sox hurlers Sad Sam Jones (41) and Red Faber (44) started against the A's in a twin bill at Shibe Park. John loses 1-0 in the opener, and Niekro pitches five innings of the nightcap for a 3-0 victory over the Mariners.

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1987 Texas catcher Geno Petralli is charged with six passed balls in one game, tying an 85-year-old major league record established by Harry Vickers in 1902 while playing for the Reds. Knuckleballer Charlie Hough, who started the Rangers' eventual 7-0 loss to Detroit at Tiger Stadium, adds to the 27-year-old backstop's tough day behind the plate.

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1987 Twins outfielder Kirby Puckett, in a 10-6 victory over the Brewers, collects six hits and drives in four runs. The future Hall of Famer's 6-for-6 day at Milwaukee's County Stadium includes two homers and two doubles.

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1990 At the Metrodome, slow-footed Ron Karkovice hits an inside-the-park grand slam off David West that is the difference in the White Sox's 4-3 victory over the Twins. The catcher's fourth-inning line drive, just barely out of reach of the shortstop, rolled to the fence, where a slipping Dan Gladden tossed the ball towards fellow outfielder John Moses to start a relay, but the ball went unattended in center field, allowing four runs to score.

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1998 Defeating the Marlins 7-5, the Reds hand Florida its 89th loss, the most ever for a reigning World Series champ. The Reds lost 88 games in 1991 after its Fall Classic sweep of the A's.

1998 Toms River becomes the first American team since 1993 to win the Little League World Series. Chris Cardone hits home runs in consecutive at-bats, including a game-deciding two-run shot, beating Kashima, Japan,12-9.

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1998 The Cardinals honor Jack Buck, who broadcasted more than 6,500 games for the team, with a bronze statue created by renowned sculptor Harry Weber, a St. Louis native. The sportscaster's likeness at Busch Stadium features the 'Voice of the Cardinals' sitting in front of a microphone with a montage of photos chronicling his 46 years in the Redbirds broadcasting booth.

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1999 At the Astrodome, Edgardo Alfonzo becomes the first player in the Mets' 38-year history to go 6-for-6 en route to scoring six times and driving in five runs. The second baseman hits three homers, two singles, and a double for a team-record 16 total bases in New York's 17-1 rout of Houston.

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2000 Except for hitting his first batter and giving up an opposite-field leadoff single in the ninth, Pedro Martinez is nearly perfect in Boston's win over the Devil Rays, 8-0. The brawl-filled contest features five fights with eight Devil Rays (five players, the manager, and two coaches) getting ejected and Carl Everett needing a single to hit for the cycle but homers for the second time.

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2000 Earning his 1,600th victory, Braves' manager Bobby Cox passes former Dodger skipper Tommy Lasorda for managerial career victories. Atlanta's 5-2 win over the Reds puts the skipper 14th on the all-time list.

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2002 After marathon negotiation sessions to avoid a players' strike just hours away, Bud Selig announces the players union and owners have reached an agreement on a new four-year CBA without a work stoppage. The settlement, called 'historic' by the commissioner, gives the owners the economic restraints they wanted, with the players assured of no contraction of teams until the 2007 season and the gradual implementation of a revenue-sharing plan during the contract.

2004 Chipper and Sharon Jones welcome their second child into the world, a seven-pound, 14 ounces son. As a tribute to the New York ballpark, the couple names the boy Shea where the Braves' third baseman has enjoyed tremendous success against the Mets.

2005 In the long tradition of Bronx Bombers, Alex Rodriguez becomes only the second right-handed batter in Yankees history to hit 40 homers in a season. The New York third baseman joins Joe DiMaggio, who hit 46 homers in 1937, the only time 'Joltin' Joe' reached the mark.

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2006 The Padres, bolstering their wild card chances, obtain southpaw David Wells from the Red Sox for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The 43-year-old 'Boomer,' who had played for San Diego in 2004, posted a 2-3 record with a 4.98 ERA during an injury-plagued (knee) campaign in Boston.

2006 In the first inning of a 7-2 defeat to the A's, Red Sox starter Curt Schilling whiffs Nick Swisher swinging to record his 3000th career strikeout. The Alaskan-born right-hander becomes the 14th pitcher in major league history to reach the milestone.

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006 Adam LaRoche's nine total bases and three RBIs help the Braves beat the Giants at Turner Field, 5-3. The 26-year-old first baseman's offensive output includes three doubles and a triple.

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2010 Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano becomes the first major league hurler to homer in eight consecutive seasons since 1970 when he hits a two-run homer off Brian Burres in the fifth inning of the team's 14-2 rout of the Pirates at Wrigley Field. Southpaw Gary Peters accomplished the feat for nine straight years, launching at least one round-tripper every season beginning 1963 while playing for the White Sox.

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2011 With a 9-4 victory over Colorado at Chase Field, the Diamondbacks extend their home winning streak to a franchise record-tying 11 games. The consecutive string of victories in the desert equals the mark set by the 2000 and 2003 teams.

2014 After spending parts of 16 seasons of his 18 years in the majors with San Diego and retiring as the all-time saves leader with 601, Trevor Hoffman becomes the ninth person inducted into the Padres' Hall of Fame. The closer, known for his devastating changeup, joins Buzzie Bavasi, Nate Colbert, Jerry Coleman, Tony Gwynn, Randy Jones, Ray Kroc, Dick Williams, and Dave Winfield enshrined by the team.

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2015 The NL's eventual 2015 Cy Young Award recipient Jake Arrieta, needing just 116 pitches, beats Los Angeles, 2-0, tossing the 12th no-hitter thrown at the Chavez Ravine ballpark and the 14th no-no in Cubs history. The contest marks the second time in ten games the Dodgers have been unable to get a hit after being held hitless by Astros right-hander Mike Fiers on August 21st.

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2020 Red Sox's first baseman Bobby Dalbec homers in his first major league at-bat, becoming the ninth player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. In September, the 25-year-old Boston rookie slugger will go yard in five straight games to equal a club record shared by Jimmie Foxx (1940), Ted Williams (1957), Dick Stuart (1963), George Scott (1977), and José Canseco (1995).

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2020 Giants reliever Tony Watson records his only victory of the season but doesn't get credit for facing a batter. After throwing only four pitches, the southpaw picks Jake Lamb off first base (scored as a caught stealing, 1-3-4), ending the seventh inning in the team's 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

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