BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

1951 The Indians deal Minnie Minoso to the White Sox as part of a three-team trade involving the A's. Dave Philley, Gus Zernial, Paul Lehner, Lou Brissie, Ray Murray, and Sam Zoldak will change uniforms in the seven-player deal.

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1952 In his final at-bat before leaving to fight in the Korean War, Ted Williams hits a game-winning, two-run home run to beat Dizzy Trout and the Tigers, 5-3. Fittingly, the Fenway faithful was there to celebrate Ted Williams Day.

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1958 Ted Williams collects his 1,000th extra-base hit when he homers off Ned Garver in the ninth inning in Boston's 11-4 loss to Kansas City at Fenway Park. The 'Splendid Splinter' is the tenth major leaguer to accomplish the feat.

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1961 At Milwaukee's County Stadium, Willie Mays slams four homers in one game, with each round-tripper traveling over 400 feet. The San Francisco slugger is on deck when the third out ends the Giants' ninth inning in their eventual 14-4 win over the Braves.

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1966 Rick Reichardt hits two eighth-inning home runs in the Angels' 16-9 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The California rookie will be sidelined later in the season with a kidney ailment, with the 23-year-old outfielder needing to remove the organ.

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1967 The Tigers are no-hit by Oriole pitchers Steve Barber and Stu Miller but still manage to win the game, 2-1. An error by Baltimore's shortstop Mark Belanger allows the eventual winning run to score in the top of the ninth inning.
Barber Miller

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1969 Jim Maloney strikes out 13 batters en route to no-hitting the Astros at Crosley Field. The 10-0 victory is the Reds hurler's third career no-hitter.

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1970 Billy Williams becomes the first National Leaguer to play in 1000 consecutive games. The Cubs' outfielder streak, which started in 1962, will end in two seasons after the future Hall of Famer plays in 1,117 straight contests, setting a National League record.

 

1974 After trying to lay down a bunt, Red Sox second baseman Doug Griffin is knocked unconscious by a Nolan Ryan fastball, resulting in him missing two months of the season with a concussion and suffering temporary hearing loss. The beaning, which most likely led to the premature end of the Boston infielder's career, makes the Angel right-hander rethink his role as an intimidator on the mound.

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1983 The Diablos beat the Beaumont Golden Gators, 35-21, accounting for the most runs scored ever in a single game in Texas League history. El Paso outfielder Mike Felder, collecting only two hits, contributes to the victory when he drives in nine runs with a grand slam, a three-run home run, a sacrifice fly, and a sacrifice bunt.

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1988 Dave Winfield ties the major league RBI record for April, established by Dodger infielder Ron Cey in 1977 and matched by Dale Murphy of the Braves in 1985. The right fielder, who reached base at least once in every game, drives in his 28th and 29th runs of the month when the Yankees' 15-3 rout Texas in New York.

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1988 Pete Rose, furious over Dave Pallone's delayed call yesterday allowing the eventual winning run, becomes the first manager suspended for an on-field incident when National League president Bart Giamatti issues a 30-day suspension for his shoving of the first base ump. The ugly argument resulted in the fans throwing trash onto the field, temporarily delaying the game and making it necessary for the arbitrator to be removed from the game to calm tempers.

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1989 The Blue Jays trade Jesse Barfield to the Yankees for southpaw Al Leiter. The slugging right fielder, who led the league with 40 homers in 1986, will bat only .231 with 62 dingers in his four years with New York, and Toronto's new left-hander will compile a 26-24 record during his seven years north of the border.

 

1990 Mark Lemke hits a grounder to second baseman Gregg Jefferies, who lobs the ball to David Cone, the pitcher covering first base. The Mets right-hander completely meltdowns and begins vehemently arguing the call, oblivious of the two Braves' runners crossing the plate to score, after the umpire, Charlie Williams, gives the safe sign.

1993 With a 7-6 victory in Los Angeles, the Phillies complete their best April in franchise history, finishing the month with a 17-5 record. Philadelphia, which won eight of its first nine decisions, will collect 97 wins en route to their first National League East title since 1982.

1996 In the Pirates' 10-7 victory over Cincinnati at Riverfront Stadium, Jeff King hit two homers in one inning for the second time in his career. The Pittsburgh first baseman joins Andre Dawson and Willie McCovey as the only major leaguers to have accomplished the rare feat twice.

1997 Mark McGwire's third-inning two-run blast dents the Jacobs Field scoreboard in the team's 11-9 victory over the Indians. A scientist determines the ball hit by the A's slugger would have traveled a distance of 533 feet if unimpeded by the Budweiser sign in left field.​

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1997 The Braves win their 19th game of the month with a 12-3 rout of the Reds at Cinergy Field. Atlanta's victory establishes a new major league mark for the most wins in April.

1999 During a game against the Yankees, a group of Kansas City Royals fans, frustrated with the economic disparity in baseball, throw fake dollar bills onto the field and turn their backs each time the opponents take their at-bats. The Kauffman Stadium faithful, carrying signs that specifically blame the Bronx Bombers' problem, walk out en masse after the fifth inning.

 

2000 Diamondback southpaw Randy Johnson beats the Cubs, 6-0, becoming only the third pitcher in baseball history to win six games in April. The "Big Unit' joins A's hurlers Vida Blue (1971) and Dave Stewart (1988) as the only other pitchers to accomplish the feat.

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2000 Cardinals Mark McGwire and Jim Edmonds go deep, helping St. Louis finish the month of April with 55 home runs, tying the National League mark for homers hit by a team in a month. The Redbirds share the record with the 1947 New York Giants, whose sluggers included Johnny Mize, Willard Marshall, and Walker Cooper.

2002 Al Leiter becomes the first pitcher in baseball history to record wins over all thirty big-league franchises. The Mets southpaw earns the distinction when New York routs the Diamondbacks at Bank One Ballpark, 10-1.

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2003 With a 6-1 decision over the Reds, Roger Clemens becomes the first Astros pitcher to win five games in April. The Rocket will be named National League pitcher of the month and will win his seventh Cy Young Award this season.

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2005 Bud Selig asks the players to agree to a 50-game suspension for the first offense, a 100-game suspension for the second offense, and a lifelong ban after the third offense for using steroids. In addition to the harsher three-strike rule, the commissioner also is seeking a ban on amphetamines.

2005 With an enthusiastic RFK crowd chanting, "Let's go, ground crew," the inexperienced group shows incredible ineptitude when they struggle to put the tarp on a very soggy field during the second rain delay of the shortened 5-3 victory over the Mets. New York files a protest after the game is called off at the bottom of the eighth, claiming the field became unplayable due to Washington's inability to cover the ground during the 37-minute stoppage.

 

2008 The Phillies shatter their team home run mark for April when Chase Utley hits the team's 39th dinger of the month in the team's 4-2 loss to San Diego at Citizens Bank Park. The eventual World Champions had established the previous record of 29 set in 2006.

2008 The Cardinals and Cubs set a franchise record for the most victories in April. The Redbirds beat the Reds, 5-2, for their 18th win of the month, and Chicago takes their 17th game, routing the Brewers, 19-5, at Wrigley Field.

2008 On the first pitch he sees from Astros reliever Dave Borkowski, Micah Owings pinch hits a two-out, two-run home run in the sixth inning, tying the game at 7. The Arizona hurler, who is 4-0 with a 3.68 ERA, becomes the first pitcher to hit a homer as a pinch-hitter since 2004 when Brooks Kieschnick of the Brewers went deep off Diamondback right-hander Matt Mantei.

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2008 Julio Franco, the oldest player to homer in the major leagues, announces his retirement from professional baseball, leaving the Quintana Roo Tigres of the Mexican League. The 49-year-old Dominican compiled a .298 average, collected 2,586 hits, and hit 173 homers during his 23-year tenure with eight big-league teams, including the Phillies, Indians, Rangers, White Sox, Brewers, Rays, Braves, and Mets.

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2009 In their 8-6 victory over the Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals turn six double plays to tie a 1972 team record. Last week in Cleveland against the Indians, the team batted into six twin killings.

 

2010 With more than twenty-five percent of its membership born outside of the United States, the MLB players' union condemns Arizona's new law that requires proof of identity for any state or local official to inspect who is suspicious of a person's immigration status. Michael Weiner, the head of the MLBPA, said the organization would consider "additional steps" if the mandate remains as stated without modifications.

2010 Mariano Rivera ties Eric Gagne's major league mark when he gets his 51st consecutive save at home, working a perfect ninth inning in the Yankees' 6-4 victory over Chicago. The Panamanian closer also fans two batters to move ahead of Roger Clemens for 10th on the team's all-time strikeout list with 1,015.


2011 The Indians pay tribute to John Adams, renowned for revving the Cleveland crowd by banging his bass drum in centerfield. To celebrate his 3000th game in attendance, which occurred a few days ago, their long-time fan swings at the ceremonial first pitch with his drum, dribbling a foul ball down the first baseline, much to the large crowd's delight.

2012 When Brett Myers faces his first batter in the ninth inning, the Houston closer becomes the seventh different pitcher to face seven consecutive Mets, a major league first. After taking out Bud Norris, the team's starting pitcher, Astro manager Brad Mills summons Wilton Lopez, Wesley Wright, Brandon Lyon, Fernando Abad, and Fernando Rodriguez to face one batter each in the team's 4-3 victory at Citi Field.

2012 After drilling three home runs, Ryan Braun strokes a triple in his final at-bat in the Brewers' 8-3 victory over San Diego at Petco Park. The Milwaukee left fielder, whose 15 total bases drive in six runs, is the first player to homer three times and hit a three-bagger in the same game since Fred Lynn accomplished the feat in 1975 with the Red Sox.

2019 Thirty-eight-year-old Yankee southpaw CC Sabathia becomes the 17th major league hurler to record his 3,000th strikeout when he whiffs John Ryan Murphy swinging on an 84-mph changeup to end the second inning of the team's 3-1 loss to the Diamondbacks. The Chase Field crowd gives the 19-year veteran a standing ovation for reaching the milestone as his teammates come out of the dugout to congratulate him.

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193,858

 

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Today In 1946: Future President John F. Kennedy Visits Fenway Park! (L-R) Boston #RedSox star Ted Williams, Eddie Pellagrini, JFK & Detroit #Tigers star Hank Greenberg
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Today In 1946: Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller hurls his 2nd career no-hitter! "Rapid Robert" strikes out eleven New York Yankees en route to a 1-0 victory at Yankee Stadium - a game that he considered the biggest thrill of his career!

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MAY 1 BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS
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1917 Giovanni "John" Beradino MLB infielder (St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians)


1919 Al Zarilla outfielder (MLB All Star 1948; St. Louis Browns, RedSox)


1961 Charlie O'Brien, catcher (pioneered hockey style catcher's mask; World Series 1995 Atlanta Braves


1966 Armando Reynoso Hall of Fame pitcher (Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks


1972 Bobby Chouinard pitcher


1991 Marcus Stroman pitcher (All-Star, 2019; Gold Glove, 2017 Cubs, toronto Blue Jays, NY Mets

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This Day in Baseball History
May 1st​

1879 At Cleveland's Kennard Street Park, the newly transplanted Blues, who played in Indianapolis last season, drop their season opener to the Providence Grays, 15-4. The game marks the managerial debut of 23-year-old right-hander Jim McCormick, the youngest skipper in major league history.

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1883 National League baseball returns to the City of Brotherly Love when Philadelphia hosts its first Senior Circuit game since 1876. The Quakers drop a 4-3 decision to the Providence Grays at Recreation Park, the same ballpark which hosted the team's spring training.

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1883 The Gothams play their first game in franchise history, defeating Boston, 7 to 5, at the Southeast Diamond at the Polo Grounds in a contest featuring four future Hall of Famers; catcher Buck Ewing, first baseman Roger Connor, center fielder John Montgomery Ward, and pitcher Mickey Welch. The newcomers, known later as the Giants, will finish the season in sixth place in the eight-team National League with a 46-50 record, sixteen games behind today's opponent, the league-leading Beaneaters.
The game is played in front of the largest crowd to watch a baseball game in New York, including former President Ulysses Grant among the 15,000 spectators

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1884 Moses Fleetwood Walker becomes the first black to play in the major leagues when the Blue Stockings drop a 5-1 decision to Louisville at Eclipse Park. The 27-year-old Toledo catcher, who will hit above the league average, batting .263 in the 42 games he plays with the American Association team, goes 0-for-3 and commits four errors in his much-anticipated debut.

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1891 In front of 10,000 fans, Spider right-hander Cy Young beats the visiting Reds, 12-3, in the first game ever played in Cleveland's League Park. The National League club will call the Hough neighborhood ballpark home until 1899, when the club goes out of business, losing its best players due to the actions of their unscrupulous owner, which results in a disastrous 20-134 season.

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1901 Herm McFarland hits the first grand slam in American League history, contributing to the White Sox' 19-9 rout of the Tigers. Detroit commits an AL-record 12 errors, ten in the infield, in the South Side Park contest.

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1906 At Brooklyn's Washington Park, Philadelphia southpaw John Lush strikes out 11 batters en route to throwing a 6-0 no-hitter against the Superbas, a team known as the Dodgers beginning in 1911. There will not be another no-hitter by a Phillies pitcher until Jim Bunning's perfect game against the Mets in 1964.

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1920 Babe Ruth hits his 50th career home run, the first of the 659 round-trippers he will collect with the Yankees. The New York right fielder also contributes a double in the team's 6-0 victory over the Red Sox at the Polo Grounds, the ballpark they share with the National League's Giants.

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1920 The longest game ever played ends after 26 innings in a 1-1 tie, with Brooklyn Robin right-hander Leon Cadore and the Braves hurler Joe Oeschger, also right-handed, both going the stretch for their respective clubs. Boston third baseman Charlie Pick establishes the major league record for hitless at-bats in one game, going 0-for-11 in the marathon.
Brooklyn Robin Leon Cadore and Braves Joe Oeschger

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BTW My Grandfather was there for every inning

 

1925 Seventeen-year-old Jimmie Foxx pinch-hits a single in his first major league at-bat in the A's 9-4 loss to Washington at Griffith Stadium. The future Hall of Famer will finish his 20-year career with a .325 lifetime batting average.

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1926 Chattanooga right-hander Satchel Paige makes his professional pitching debut, blanking the New Orleans Algiers, 1-0. The Black Lookouts rookie gives up only two hits in the Negro Southern League contest.

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1939 At Comiskey Park, the White Sox defeat the Cubs and Dizzy Dean, 4-1, in an exhibition game to benefit Monty Stratton. The former pitcher, who lost his leg in an off-season hunting accident, tries to pitch in the game and receives a new car and nearly $30,000 from the contest receipts.

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1949 The second major league player born in Czechoslovakia, Philadelphia outfielder Elmer Valo, becomes the first American Leaguer to hit a pair of bases-loaded triples in the same game. In the A's 15-9 victory over the Senators at Shibe Park, the 28-year-old hustling line-drive hitter will deliver a third bases-loaded triple later in the season, equalling the AL mark Shano Collins established in 1918.

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1951 In an 8-3 loss to the Yankees at Comiskey Park, White Sox hurler Randy Gumpert gives up the first of Mickey Mantle's 536 major league home runs. The ball blasted on Mother's Day, which will be worth $165,000 at Sotheby's auction in 2004, is inscribed by the future Hall of Fame slugger, including the following detail on the ball, "My first H.R. in the Majors, May 1st, 1951, 4:50 p.m. Chicago," as well as "6th inning off Randy Gumpert."

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1951 At Comiskey Park, Minnie Minoso, becoming the first black to play for the White Sox, makes his debut, hitting a 415-foot home run off the Yankees' Vic Raschi on the first pitch in his first plate appearance with the team. The speedy outfielder, who previously played with the Cleveland Indians, bats .326 and leads the league in stolen bases and triples but loses out to Yankee infielder Gil McDougald for Rookie of the Year honors.

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1955 At Cleveland Stadium, the Indian starters put on a 'pitching clinic' during a doubleheader sweep of the Red Sox. Veteran Bob Feller holds Boston hitless for 6+ innings and hurls his major league record 12th one-hitter in a 2-0 victory, and in the nightcap, rookie left-hander Herb Score strikes out the first nine batters (he will whiff a total of 16) en route to a 2-1 four-hitter win.
Feller Score

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1957 The Cubs trade Gene Baker and Dee Fondy to the Pirates for Dale Long and Lee Walls, who will combine to hit 45 home runs for their new team. Fondy will hit .313 for the Bucs, but in December, Pittsburgh trades the first baseman to the Reds for Ted Kluszewski.

1959 White Sox hurler Early Wynn one-hits the Red Sox while striking out 14 Boston batters. The 39-year-old pitcher's leadoff home run off Tom Brewer in the eighth inning proves to be the difference in the Comiskey Park contest when Chicago beats the Red Sox, 1-0.

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1965 Yogi Berra, appearing in his first game since 1963, grounds out to first base unassisted when he pinch-hits in the eighth inning of the Mets' 9-2 loss to the Reds at Crosley Field. The former Yankees icon, who became a player-coach for the crosstown rivals after being fired as the Bronx Bombers' manager last fall, will play in four National League contests, collecting two hits in nine at-bats before retiring as a player.

1965 Tommy Davis, trying to break up a double play, dislocates and breaks his ankle when he slides into second base in the fourth inning of the team's 4-2 victory over the Giants at Dodger Stadium. The two-time National League batting champ will not play again this year until he appears as a pinch-hitter in the season finale.

1965 After a 6-4 victory in the first game of the Astrodome twin bill, Dave Giusti and the Astros beat the Cubs again in the nightcap of a day-night doubleheader, 6-1, to extend the first-place team's winning streak to double digits. The ten consecutive victories will remain a club record until 1999.

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1966 Indian right-hander Sam McDowell, yielding only a third-inning double to Don Buford, hurls his second consecutive one-hitter when he blanks Chicago, 1-0, at Cleveland Stadium. In his previous start, 'Sudden Sam' also limited his opponents to one hit, a sixth-inning single by Kansas City outfielder Jose Tartabull.

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1969 After being crushed for six runs in Cincinnati's 14-0 rout of the Astros a week ago, Don Wilson no-hits the Reds at Crosley Field, 4-0. The performance by the 24-year-old right-hander, who also authored a hitless game as a rookie, comes on the heels of Jim Maloney's no-no against Houston yesterday.

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