BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

1944 Batting cleanup for the Dodgers, Dixie Walker completes a cycle when he hits a sixth-inning double off Rube Fischer in the team's 8-4 win over the Giants. The Brooklyn right fielder's four RBIs prove to be the difference in the Ebbets Field's contest.

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1952 In his major league debut, Washington's Miguel Fornieles tosses a one-hitter, beating the visiting A's at Griffith Stadium, 5-0. The Senators' 20-year-old rookie right-hander, traded to the White Sox in the offseason for Chuck Stobbs, finishes the season with a 2-2 record and posts an ERA of 1.37 in four games.

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1955 In the second inning of the Cubs' 12-2 rout of St. Louis at Wrigley Field, Ernie Banks sets the record for home runs hit by a shortstop when he hits a two-run, two-out shot off Redbird southpaw Paul LaPalme for his 40th round-tripper. 'Mr. Cub' will extend the mark to 44 homers this season and boosts the total to 48 in 1958.

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1957 At Wrigley Field, the Braves sweep the Cubs, 23-10 and 4-0. In the opener, Frank Torre crosses the plate in the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and ninth innings, tying a major league record by scoring six times in one game.

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1960 Ted Williams homers off Senator right-hander Don Lee at Fenway Park in the eighth inning of the Red Sox's 5-1 victory over Washington. As a rookie in 1939, the Boston outfielder also went deep off Lee's dad, Thornton.

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1962 Stan Musial, with a ninth-inning pinch-hit single in the Cardinals' 4-3 loss to New York at Busch Stadium, moves past Tris Speaker on the all-time hits list into second place with his 3,516th hit. 'Stan the Man', who will finish his career with 3630, will remain far behind Ty Cobb's total of 4191, eventually surpassed by Pete Rose (4256) and Hank Aaron (3771).

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1965 During a pregame ceremony at Shea Stadium, the Mets retire Casey Stengel's uniform number 37. The team's first manager, who decided to retire shortly after fracturing his hip at the end of July, compiled a 175-404 record with the expansion team, never finishing higher than in last place.

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1965 In anticipation of the team's move to Anaheim next year, owner Gene Autry announces the Los Angeles Angels will now be known as the California Angels effective today, becoming the second major league team named after an entire state. The first to change its moniker during the season, the franchise eventually uses a logo incorporating an image of the Golden State and the team's iconic halo.

1965 Cubs' first baseman Ernie Banks hits his 400th career home run, a three-run round-tripper off Cardinal hurler Curt Simmons in the third inning, helping Chicago defeat St. Louis at Wrigley Field, 5-3. Mr. Cub will finish his 19-year career with 512 home runs, including 277 home runs stroked as a shortstop, the record at the time of his retirement.

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1969 Willie Davis, with his sixth-inning double in the team's 5-4 loss to New York at Dodger Stadium, breaks a 53-year-old franchise record by hitting safely in thirty consecutive games. The LA outfielder surpasses the streak established by Zack Wheat in 1916 when the team played in Brooklyn.

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1971 Cesar Cedeno hits an inside-the-park grand slam when Dodger second baseman Jim Lefebvre and right fielder Bill Buckner collide, trying to make the fifth inning catch. The 200-foot dropped bloop contributes to the Astros' 9-3 victory over LA at the Astrodome.

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1972 Coming to bat in the top of the eighth inning trailing 8-0, the Mets score seven runs and add another four tallies in the ninth to stun the Astros, 11-8. The come-from-behind victory is the Amazins' biggest comeback in franchise history.

1972 With his 2,971st hit in a Pirates uniform, Roberto Clemente breaks Honus Wagner's record for the most hits in the franchise's history. The historic blow is a three-run homer off San Francisco hurler Sam McDowell in the bottom of the fourth inning in an eventual 6-3 victory for the Bucs at Three Rivers Stadium.

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1972 In his major league debut, Doug Rau throws a three-hitter, beating the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, 5-1. The 23-year-old Dodger southpaw, who will compile a respectable 81-60 record, helps his cause with a triple in his first big-league at-bat but never hits another three-bagger during a nine-year career.

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1972 In his first major league appearance, Dave Downs throws a complete-game shutout, blanking the Braves, 3-0, in the nightcap of a twin bill at Atlanta Stadium. The 20-year-old Phillies' right-hander will never win another major league game when he develops a sore arm caused by tendonitis.

1972 After retiring twenty-six consecutive batters, Cubs starter Milt Pappas walks pinch-hitter Larry Stahl on a 3-2 pitch, losing a bid for a perfect game. 'Gimpy' retires the next batter, Gary Jestadt, to preserve his 8-0 no-hitter against the Padres at Wrigley Field.

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1973 After three stormy seasons with the team, the Tigers fire Billy Martin on the last day of his three-day suspension for ordering pitchers to throw spitballs. Jim Campbell, the team's general manager, announces the dismissal was made "for the good of the organization," citing the recent incident being a contributing factor but not the sole reason for releasing his manager.

1975 Johnny LeMaster becomes the second player to hit an inside-the-park home run in his first major league at-bat, dashing around the bases on a fourth-inning pitch thrown by Don Sutton in the Giants' 7-3 win over LA at Candlestick Park. The San Francisco shortstop joins Luke Stuart, who accomplished the feat at the Polo Grounds while playing for the 1921 Browns.

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1985 In his first major league at-bat, A's pinch-hitter Jose Canseco strikes out in the ninth inning facing right-handed reliever Ken Dixon in the team's 12-4 loss to the Orioles at Memorial Stadium. During his 17 seasons in the major leagues, the 21-year-old slugger will strike out 1,942 times en route to hitting 462 home runs.

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1986 The Astros and Cubs use a major league record 53 players in the game. Billy Hatcher's home run off Greg Maddux in the top of the 18th inning is the difference in Houston's 8-7 victory at Wrigley Field.

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1987 Kevin Bass becomes the first National Leaguer to homer from both sides of the plate twice in one season when he goes deep twice in the Astros' 10-1 rout of the Cubs at the Astrodome. The Houston right fielder also accomplished the last month against San Francisco.

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1990 Dave Stieb pitches the major league record ninth no-hitter of the season, beating the Indians 3-0. Previously, the Blue Jay right-hander had lost three no-hit bids after getting the first two outs in the ninth inning.

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1993 In their 62nd home game, the Rockies draw a crowd of 47,699 to surpass the 1982 Dodgers, attracting 3,617,863 fans to Denver's Mile High Stadium to set a new National League single-season attendance record. The expansion club will also break the 1992 Blue Jays' major league mark of 4,028,318 before the end of the season.

1996 After his operation in May to remove an aneurysm in his pitching arm, David Cone makes a dramatic return to the mound when he hurls seven innings of no-hit ball. Mariano Rivera gives up the opponent's only hit, a one-out infield single in the ninth inning to Jose Herrera, in the Yankees' 5-0 victory over the A's at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

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1996 Mike Greenwell beats the Mariners single-handedly, driving in all nine runs in the Red Sox' 9-8 victory over Seattle. Having already collected a double, home run, and a grand slam, the Boston right fielder knocks in the decisive run with a 10th-inning single in the Kingdome contest.

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1998 At Pro Player Stadium, Cardinal first baseman Mark McGwire hits his 58th and 59th home runs, surpassing Jimmie Foxx's 58 for the A's in 1932, and Hank Greenberg, who also accomplished the feat six years later with the Tigers. The St. Louis slugger will finish the year with 70 homers, far surpassing the single-season mark of 61, established in 1961 by Yankee right fielder Roger Maris.

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1998 Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa hits his 56th homer of the season, tying the franchise record established in 1930 by Hack Wilson. The right fielder's solo round-tripper in the sixth inning of the Wrigley Field contest off Jason Bere contributes to Chicago's 4-2 victory over Cincinnati.

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1998 Nomar Garciaparra hits a ninth-inning grand slam, giving the Red Sox a 7-3 walk-off win over the Mariners at Fenway Park. The 25-year-old shortstop becomes one of only five players to hit 30 homers in each of his first two seasons, joining Rudy York (1937-38 Tigers), Ron Kittle (1983-84 White Sox), Jose Canseco (1986-87 A's), and Mark McGwire (1987-88 A's).

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1998 Cardinals starter Kent Mercker hits a grand slam en route to picking up the win in the Redbirds' 14-4 rout of the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium. The fourth-inning round-tripper off Jesus Sanchez will be the only career homer the St. Louis southpaw will hit in his 18-year tenure in the major leagues.

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1999 Cal Ripken, Jr. sets off a very enthusiastic ovation at Camden Yards when he becomes the 29th major leaguer to hit 400 career home runs. The Oriole third baseman connects for a three-run blast with two outs off right-hander Rolando Arrojo in the third inning of the Birds' 11-6 victory over Tampa Bay.

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2000 Elvis Pena becomes the first person named Elvis to appear in a major league game. The 23-year-old Dominican infielder, in his debut for the Rockies, strikes out swinging as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of Colorado's 8-3 loss to Milwaukee at Coors Field.

2001 Carl Everett, pinch-hitting, singles in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and strikes, spoiling Mike Mussina's bid for a perfect game against the Red Sox. The Yankee right-hander retires the next batter for his fourth career one-hitter, a 1-0 victory.

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2001 For the first time in major league history, four games end with only one run scoring in the contest. The Yankees, Padres, Astros, and Blue Jays beat their respective opponents, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Brewers, and Tigers, 1-0.

 

2002 In the top of the ninth inning, Diamondback first baseman Mark Grace hurls an inning of relief with the team trailing the Dodgers, 18-0. The All-Star infielder retires three of the four batters he faces in the Bank One Ballpark, yielding a two-out home run to David Ross.

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2003 To make the perception of a younger and hipper team, the Blue Jays unveiled their fourth logo in its 27-year history. The new look for the 2004 season adds black and silver trimming to a newly stylized bird while eliminating the red maple leaf backdrop and the word Blue.

2006 At Tropicana Field, the Devil Rays' second triple play in franchise history is the first-ever in which the ball never touches the bat. The 2-6-2 triple killing against the Mariners occurs when Raul Ibanez strikes out on a full count (1), with Adrian Beltre tagged out attempting to steal second (2) and shortstop Ben Zobrist returning the ball to catcher Dioner Navarro, nailing Jose Lopez trying to score from third (3).

2006 Joining Jeremy Hermida (Marlins, 2005) and Bill Duggleby (Phillies, 1898), Kevin Kouzmanoff becomes the third player in major league history to hit a grand slam in his first career at-bat. The Indians' 25-year-old DH, filling in for the injured Travis Hafner, who hit six bases-juiced homers this season, tying a major league record, is the first person to accomplish the feat on the first pitch he ever sees in the big leagues.

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2008 New York starter Jonathon Niese, born on the day the Mets won their last World Championship, makes his major league debut against the Brewers in Miller Park. On his second pitch of the game, the 21-year-old southpaw gives up a home run to Rickie Weeks, making him the first rookie in franchise history to yield a home run to the first batter he faces in his career.

2012 Nineteen-year and 95-day-old second baseman Jurickson Profar becomes the sixth Ranger to launch a major league career with a home run, going deep off Indians' starter Zach McAllister in the team's 8-3 victory at Progressive Field. The Texas second baseman becomes the third teenager to accomplish the feat, following Whitey Lockman (1945 Giants -18y/345d) and Ted Tappe (1950 Cardinals - 19y/224d).

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2017 In their return to Minute Maid Park, the Astros sweep a doubleheader from the Mets, 12-8 and 4-1, having played their last home series at the Rays' Tropicana Field. Extreme flooding in Houston caused by Hurricane Harvey necessitated a change of venue for the eventual World Champs.
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9/3 BIRTHDAYS
1917 Eddie Stanky 2nd baseman (MLB All Star 1947, 48, 50; Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Braves, NY Giants) and manager (St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1999)


1922 Morrie Martin pitcher, 1949-59 (Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Athletics, and 5 other teams), and double Purple Heart Army veteran, born in Dixon, Missouri (d. 2010)


1962 Dave Clark outfielder, 1986-98 (Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, and 5 other teams), manager (Houston Astros, 2009), and coach (Houston, Detroit Tigers), born in Tupelo, Mississippi


1967 Luis Gonzalez outfielder (MLB All Star 1999, 2001-03, 05; World Series 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks; Houston Astros), born in Tampa, Florida


1977 Nate Robertson, born in Wichita, Kansas


1980 Jennie Finch softball (Olympic Gold 2004, Silver 2008), born in La Mirada, California


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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1894 Connie Mack, taking over for the fired skipper Ned Hanlon, leads the Pirates to a 22-1 rout of his former team, the Washington Senators. The triumph will be the Tall Tactician's first of the major league record-setting 3,731 victories he will collect as a manager with Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia A's during his 53 years in the dugout.

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1906 The Philadelphia Giants, with Rube Foster on the mound, complete a five-game sweep of the Cuban X-Giants with a 3-2 victory, winning the first Freihofer Cup, named after league president William Freihofer. The Negro Championship game attracts 12,000 fans to Philly's Columbia Park, the largest crowd ever to watch a black baseball game.

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1917 Grover Cleveland Alexander goes the distance in both games of the Phillies' doubleheader sweep of Brooklyn at Ebbets Field. In his 18 innings of work, the Philadelphia right-hander limits the Dodgers to seven hits en route to posting 5-0 and 9-3 victories in the twin bill.

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1928 Ty Cobb collects the last hit of his career as a pinch-hitter, doubling off right-hander Bump Hadley in the A's 6-1 loss to the Senators at Griffith Stadium. The 41-year-old 'Georgia Peach' will end his playing days, establishing the major league record for hits with 4,191, which remains until Pete Rose surpasses it in 1985.

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1936 Luke Appling's 27-game hitting streak is snapped by Wes Ferrell when the Red Sox right-hander goes the distance, holding the White Sox shortstop hitless in four plate appearances, including two bases-on-balls, in Chicago's 3-2 victory at Fenway Park. The 29-year-old infielder establishes a franchise record for consecutive games with a hit and will lead the American League with a .388 batting average this season.

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1947 Tommy Henrich and Joe DiMaggio lead the way with four safeties each when the Yankees collect eighteen hits in their 11-2 rout of the Red Sox. Each of the Bronx Bombers' hits in the Fenway Park contest is a single.

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1947 At Shibe Park, A's right-hander Bill McCahan throws a no-hitter as a rookie, beating the Senators, 3-0. The WW II test pilot, the seventh freshman in baseball history to toss a hitless gem, will hurt his arm lifting barrels of oil in his offseason job, cutting short his promising baseball career due to the injury.

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1953 South Bend Blue Sox right-hander Jean Faut tosses a perfect game, beating the Kalamazoo Lassies, 4-0, to become the only professional pitcher in history to accomplish the feat twice. The AAGPBL Player of the Year, who also didn't allow a Rockford Peaches batter to reach base in a 1951 contest, will pitch only one more game before retiring at the end of the season.

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1956 In front of the largest regular-season crowd in County Stadium history, the league-leading Braves split a twin bill with the Reds, 5-3 and 5-7. Much to the delight of many of the 47,604 fans attending the Labor Day double-dip, the home team ends the day 3.5 games in front of Cincinnati and the Dodgers, but Milwaukee will finish the season in second place, winning only 11 of 23 of its remaining games.

1957 Braves left-hander Warren Spahn, with his 8-0 whitewashing of the Cubs at Wrigley Field sets a National League mark for shutouts thrown by a southpaw. The future Hall of Famer has now held his opponents scoreless 41 times, breaking the record previously shared by Eppa Rixey and Larry French.

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1961 Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris become the first teammates to each hit fifty home runs in the same season when 'the Mick' goes deep twice, including a round-tripper in the ninth to tie the score, in the Yankees' 8-5 walk-off victory over Detroit at the Bronx ballpark. Roger Maris, who also blasted a pair of homers against the Tigers yesterday, has hit 53 homers in his pursuit of Babe Ruth's single-season mark of 60.

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1962 The expansion Mets are blanked for the 30th time this year, bowing to the Bucs at Forbes Field, 2-0. The Amazins' tie the 1906 Senators for the second-most times a team has been held scoreless, but the 1908 Cardinals' mark of being whitewashed in 33 contests will remain the major league mark.

1963 Ron Santo ties the National League record by a third baseman for errors committed in an inning. The Cub infielder's three miscues in the second frame lead to a seven-run outburst and an eventual 16-3 victory for the Giants at Candlestick Park.

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1965 En route to becoming the franchise leader, Jim Hickman becomes the first Met to have a three-homer game, going deep off Cardinal southpaw Ray Sadecki in the second, fourth, and sixth innings in New York’s 6-3 victory at Busch Stadium. With his performance today, the 28-year-old Tennessean surpasses original Met Frank Thomas, who had 52 round-trippers in three seasons with the expansion team.

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1967 The Reds intentionally walk Willie McCovey during his first three plate appearances in the Crosley Field contest. Although Cincinnati's two-out strategy works every time, the Giants prevail when Ray Sadecki hurls a three-hit shutout en route to the team's 4-0 victory.

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1970 Cubs outfielder Billy Williams asks to be benched, thus ending his National League record for consecutive games at 1,117, a mark Steve Garvey will better in 1983 when he plays in 1,207 straight contests. During the streak, Chicago's future Hall of Famer becomes known as the 'Iron Man,' authoring a book with that title in 1970.

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1975 Future Hall of Famer Bob Gibson gives up a grand slam to Chicago's Pete LaCock, the son of Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall. The Cardinal right-hander faces one more batter to end the inning, retiring Don Kessinger on a groundout, and never returns to a big-league mound.

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1977 Sadaharu Oh hits his 756th career homer to surpass Hank Aaron as the all-time career home run leader in professional baseball. The Japanese superstar, a 1994 inductee into his country's Hall of Fame, will hit 868 homers during his 22 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants.

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1978 At Dodger Stadium, Lee Mazzilli becomes the first Mets player to hit a home run from both sides of the plate in a game. The center fielder's first and seventh inning blasts hit off southpaw Tommy John and right-hander Charlie Hough, pace the last-place club to an 8-5 victory.

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1981 The Red Sox and the Mariners play nineteen innings to a 7-7 tie. The game ends with the Mariners winning 8-7, thanks to a Joe Simpson RBI triple, in twenty innings when the suspended game is resumed the following day, making it the longest game played in Fenway Park history.

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1984 Rick Sutcliffe, in the Cubs' 5-4 victory over Philadelphia at Veterans Stadium, strikes out 15 batters, tying a franchise record shared by Dick Drott (1957) and Burt Hooton (1971). The trio's accomplishment will remain the standard for a nine-inning game until Kerry Wood fans 20 Astros in 1998.

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1985 Future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, with his 525th career round-tripper, becomes the first major leaguer to collect one hundred home runs for three different teams. The California outfielder, who hit 269 during his ten seasons with Oakland and 144 in five years with the Yankees, hits two homers to go over the century mark playing for the Angels in the team's 14-8 loss to Detroit.

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1986 After each team scores three times in the seventeenth inning to remain tied, the Astros finally edge the Cubs, 8-7, thanks to Billy Hatcher's home run in the top of the next frame. The Wrigley Field contest, suspended yesterday at the end of the 14th due to darkness, ended with the score knotted at 4-4.

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