BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

1950 Johnny Hopp helps the Pirates crush the Cubs, 16-9, when he goes 6-for-6, including a pair of homers, in the nightcap of a doubleheader sweep at Wrigley Field. The 33-year-old All-Star first baseman is called 'Hippity' by his teammates.
1956 The Orioles, taking a gamble, purchase sore-armed Billy Loes from the Dodgers for a reported $25,000. The 26-year-old right-hander will be selected for American League All-Star team next season and posts a 21-30 (.412) record during his four years with Baltimore.
1965 At Fenway Park, Carl Yastrzemski drives in five runs, hitting for the cycle with an additional home run. However, Yaz's effort still falls short when the seventh-place Red Sox lose to Detroit, 12-8.

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1967 Keeping a promise to his wife Merlyn, Mickey Mantle hit his 500th career home run on Mother's Day, a shot into the lower deck into the right-field corner of the lower deck at Yankee Stadium. The 'Commerce Comet', now the sixth big leaguer to reach the milestone, hits the historic homer off Stu Miller, helping New York defeat the Orioles, 6-5.

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1972 After twenty-one seasons with the Giants, 41-year-old Willie Mays, playing first base and batting leadoff, makes a dramatic return to New York in his debut with the Mets. In the fifth inning, the Say Hey Kid hits a home run off Don Carrithers, his 647th career round-tripper, breaking a 4-4 deadlock helping to defeat his former team, 5-4, at Shea Stadium.

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1976 In an unusual promotion, visiting player Mike Schmidt makes many of the fans attending the game in Houston very happy. The promise of free beer for the Astrodome crowd if the Phillies' third baseman strikes out happens when the slugger whiffs in the top of the fifth inning of the 5-1 team's victory.
1977 Jim Colborn becomes the first Kansas City hurler to throw a no-hitter at Royals Stadium and second overall in that park, following California's fireballer Nolan Ryan recorded the first hitless game in the ballpark during its inaugural season in 1973. The 31-year-old right-hander faces only 28 batters, issuing one free pass in the 6-0 victory.

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1977 In an 18-2 rout of the Indians, White Sox first baseman Jim Spencer collects a two-run single, a two-run homer, and his first major-league grand slam, driving in eight runs before being lifted in the fifth inning of the Comiskey Park contest. The 29-year-old infielder's eight RBIs ties a franchise single-game record established by Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1920.

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1978 In a contest best remembered for Tommy Lasorda's postgame rant, Dave Kingman hits three home runs, accounting for eight RBIs against the Dodgers in the Cubs' 10-7 victory at Chavez Ravine. The third-year manager takes exception to radio reporter Paul Olden asking his opinion about the Chicago slugger's performance, responding with an obscenity-laced tirade that has become legendary.

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1981 With a 3-2 win over Montreal in front of the largest Dodger Stadium crowd in seven years, rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela improves his record to 8-0. The 20-year-old southpaw, who has started the season with five shutouts and a minuscule ERA of 0.50, gets the victory when right fielder Pedro Guerrero hits a leadoff game-ending home run off Steve Ratzer in the bottom of the ninth inning at Chavez Ravine.

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1986 Angels’' DH/outfielder Reggie Jackson homers off Red Sox hurler Roger Clemens to surpass Mickey Mantle on the all-time home run list with 537. The future Hall of Famer will retire next season, finishing his 21-year career sixth on the all-time list with 563 round-trippers.

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1988 Jose Oquendo becomes the first non-pitcher to get a major league decision, losing to the Braves in nineteen innings, 7-5. After pitching three scoreless innings in an extra-inning marathon against Atlanta, the Cardinals' utility man gives up a two-run double to Ken Griffey in the nineteenth to suffer the loss at Busch Stadium.
1989 In his first at-bat as a Cub, Lloyd McClendon hits a three-run homer in a 4-0 victory over Atlanta at Wrigley Field. The 30-year-old utility player, obtained in an off-season trade from Cincinnati for Rolando Roomes, plays a vital role for the division champs, hitting .286 and 12 home runs in 259 at-bats.
1994
The Royals retire jersey #5 in tribute to George Brett, a .305 lifetime hitter who played his entire 21-year career with the franchise. The 13-time All-Star third baseman won the MVP award in 1980, batting .390 for the American League champs, and led the team to its first world championship in 1985.

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1996 Dwight Gooden becomes the eighth Yankee to hurl a no-hitter when he throws 135 pitches, beating the Mariners at the ballpark in the Bronx, 2-0. The 31-year-old right-handed 'Doc,' who hadn't won a game in nearly two years, was almost released last month after starting the season poorly.

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2000 Although Sammy Sosa gets five hits, Henry Rodriguez drives in seven runs, and Eric Young steals five bases, the Cubs still manage to lose to the Expos, 16-15. Young's accomplishment on the bases is the most by a Cubs player since 1881 when George Gore stole seven bases.
2002 At Latino-American Stadium, 77-year-old Jimmy Carter throws the ceremonial first pitch of the Cuban League All-Star game. One-time big-league pitching prospect Fidel Castro, the dictator of the island nation, coaches the former U.S. President before the toss.
2003 Kendall and Jake Burnham become the first husband-and-wife team to appear in a professional baseball game when the newly-weds play for the San Angelo Colts of the independent Central League. With her husband Jake starting at third base, the former fastpitch softball star, with two out in the bottom of the ninth, strikes out looking at three pitches in the 8-1 loss to Amarillo.
2004 Chone Figgins, going 5-for-6, collects a triple, a grand slam, and six RBIs in the Angels' 10-9 victory over Baltimore at Camden Yards. The Anaheim third baseman/outfielder, who drives in the game's winning run in the 10th inning with a single, joins Buck Rogers as one of the two players in franchise history to hit their first career round-tripper with the bases loaded.

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2005 In upstate New York, 11-year-old Katie Brownell, the only girl enrolled in the local Little League, throws a perfect game in front of an astonished crowd of about 100 parents and friends. The shy sixth-grader strikes out every batter she faces, allowing only three foul balls in the six-inning contest at Oakfield Town Park.

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2006 On Mother's Day, with his mom in the stands, Bill Hall hits a walk-off home run to beat the Mets at Miller Park, 6-5. The Milwaukee center fielder, joining many other major league players, uses a pink bat in MLB's effort to raise public awareness of breast cancer.
2008 After making an outstanding catch of Kevin Millar's line drive near the Camden Yards warning track, Boston's left fielder Manny Ramirez high-fives a fan before throwing the ball back to the infield to complete a 7-4-3 double play. Red Sox fan Randy Dunning, attending the Orioles game with his mom and dad before leaving for Officer Candidate School at Fort Meade, becomes the glad-hand recipient of 'Manny being Manny.'

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2008 Trailing 6-0 to the Reds at Great American Ball Park, the Marlins score six times in the top of the ninth to tie the game. Florida, however, loses the game in the tenth as Paul Janish, in his second major league at-bat in his first major league game, gets his first big league hit, a game-winning RBI single.

 

2009 The Mets collect a franchise-record seven stolen bases in their 7-4 victory over the Giants at AT&T Park. Ironically, the team sets the club mark without the help of a sidelined Jose Reyes, New York's all-time career leader in thefts.
2010 Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones both collect five hits, including a home run for each, in the Pirates' 10-6 victory over Chicago. The last time two Bucs enjoyed a five-hit game on the same day happened when Willie Stargell and Bob Robertson accomplished the feat against Atlanta in 1970.

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2011 For the first time since 1914, the Dodgers are defeated after allowing just one hit, losing to the visiting Diamondbacks,1-0. Chad Billingsley, the hard-luck loser, gives up a leadoff double in the second to Stephen Drew, who scores the game's only run when shortstop Jamey Carroll fails to cover the bag in an attempted pick-off play.
2011 Jorge Posada, claiming a stiff back and then the need for time to clear his head, asks not to play after learning he's batting ninth in manager Joe Girardi's lineup. The DH's decision to sit out the game causes controversy when Yankee GM Brian Cashman refutes his player's injury to the media during the nationally televised game against Boston
2012 At the age of 19 years and 211 days, Nationals' rookie Bryce Harper becomes the youngest player in franchise history to hit a home run, breaking the mark established by 20 years and 173 days old named Gary Carter as an Expo before the team left Montreal to play in Washington. Harmon Killebrew remains the youngest to homer for a Washington team, accomplishing the feat with the Senators in 1955 at 19 years and 88 days old.

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2020 Art Howe, best known as the skipper of Billy Beane's 'Moneyball' A's, confirms he has been dealing with the COVID-19 since first feeling symptoms at the beginning of the month, according to an interview given to KPRC-TV2. The former major league manager and infielder, who found out he was positive for the coronavirus two days after being tested, was transported to a Houston hospital by ambulance after trying to recover at home, where he remains in an intensive care unit.
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Today in Baseball History
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On May 14 in Baseball History...

• • 1886 - Charles Comiskey, player-manager of the Browns, prevents a double play by running full tilt into Reds second baseman Bid McPhee, enabling the Browns to win 2-1. The Cincinnati fans are irate, but the American Association umpire allows the play.
  • 1913 - Washington's Walter Johnson gave up a run in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Browns to end his streak of 56 scoreless innings. The Senators won 10-5.
  • 1920 - Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators recorded his 300th victory with a 9-8 win over the Detroit Tigers.
  • 1950 - Pittsburgh first baseman Johnny Hopp hit two home runs and four singles in six at-bats, leading the Pirates to a 16-9 victory over the Cubs in the second game of a doubleheader at Chicago.
  • 1972 - In his first game with the New York Mets, Willie Mays hit a fifth inning home run off Don Carrithers for the difference in a 5-4 triumph over the San Francisco Giants.
  • 1988 - Jose Oquendo became the first non-pitcher in 20 seasons to get a decision, taking the loss in the 19th inning when Ken Griffey's two-out, two-run double led the Atlanta Braves over the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5.
  • 1989 - Benny Distefano became the first left-handed catcher in a major league game in nine years when he caught the ninth inning of the Pittsburgh Pirates' 5-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Mike Squires caught two games with the Chicago White Sox in 1980 and Dale Long caught two games for the Chicago Cubs in 1958.

Baseball Birthdays on May 14...

• • 1858 - Tierney, Bill
  • 1881 - Walsh, Ed
  • 1884 - Smith, Tony
  • 1892 - Hartford, Bruce
  • 1899 - Combs, Earle
  • 1901 - Rader, Drew
  • 1903 - Land, Doc
  • 1913 - Babich, Johnny
  • 1913 - Gorman, Howie
  • 1914 - Shilling, Jim
  • 1915 - Hayworth, Red
  • 1917 - Thurman, Bob
  • 1925 - Moss, Les
  • 1936 - Howser, Dick
  • 1942 - Perez, Tony
  • 1944 - Driscoll, Jim
  • 1947 - Tidrow, Dick
  • 1948 - LaRoche, Dave
  • 1955 - Martinez, Dennis
  • 1955 - Powell, Hosken
  • 1957 - Mullins, Fran
  • 1959 - Greer, Brian
  • 1963 - Borders, Pat
  • 1963 - Barton, Shawn
  • 1965 - Cora, Joey
  • 1968 - Dalesandro, Mark
  • 1970 - Sutton, Larry
  • 1971 - Kashiwada, Takashi
  • 1973 - Rigby, Brad
  • 1973 - Shumaker, Anthony
  • 1974 - Crowell, Jim
  • 1976 - Lawrence, Brian
  • 1977 - Halladay, Roy

Copyright � 2001-2007. All Rights Reserved.
Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Around the Horn | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History.​

 

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5/15
OTD
BIRTHDAYS
1936 Robert Smith, American baseball administrator (President International Baseball Federation 1981-93; IOC Olympic Order), born in Greenville, Illinois (d. 2021)
1952 Rick Waits, baseball pitcher (Rangers, Indians, Twins)

1953 George Brett, American Baseball Hall of Fame 3rd baseman (13 x MLB All Star; World Series 1985; AL MVP 1980; KC Royals), born in Glen Dale, West Virginia

1967 John Smoltz, American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (8 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1995; NL Cy Young Award 1996; Atlanta Braves), born in Warren, Michigan

1974 A J Hinch, Wavely IA, baseball catcher (Olympic bronze 1996)

1980 Josh Beckett, American baseball player

1981 Justin Morneau, Canadian baseball player

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1862 The Union Grounds, the new home of the Eckfords, opens in Brooklyn. The Williamsburg ballpark is the first baseball facility enclosed entirely by a fence, allowing paying customers only to view the games.

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1901 Watty Lee throws the first shutout in American League history when the visiting Washington Senators blank the Americans at Boston's Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds, 4-0. The 21-year-old southpaw, who will finish the season with a 16-16 record, will be the author of two of the eight shutouts thrown in the Junior Circuit's inaugural season.

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1912 After days of taking verbal abuse from Highlander fans at Hilltop Park, Ty Cobb jumps into the stands near the Tigers dugout and pummels Claude Lueker, who has no fingers on one hand and only two fingers on the other, due to an industrial accident. The 'Georgia Peach' lands at least a dozen punches to the head of the heckler, knocking his victim down before kicking the hapless fan in the lower body with his spikes.
1918 In a game that takes only 2 hours and 47 minutes to play, Senators' legend Walter Johnson goes the distance in an 18-inning contest, defeating Larry Williams, who also tosses a complete game, and the White Sox at Comiskey Park, 1-0. Eddie Ainsworth, who advances to third base on the Big Train's single, scores the winning run on a wild pitch.

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1919 After both teams play a dozen scoreless innings at Ebbets Field, the Reds break out in the top 13th inning, scoring ten runs off Robins starter Al Mamaux, charged with only one earned run in his complete-game 10-0 loss in the Brooklyn ballpark. Cincinnati's right-hander Hod Eller, who tossed a no-hitter in his previous start, is the beneficiary of the blowout, also goes the distance to improve his record to 4-0.

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1941 Joe DiMaggio begins his 56-game hitting streak with a hit against White Sox pitcher Edgar Smith. The Yankee outfielder will collect at least one hit in every game until July 17, when his unrivaled accomplishment, which captures the attention of a nation, is stopped in Cleveland with the help of outstanding defensive plays by third baseman Ken Keltner.

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1944 In front of a paltry crowd of 1,014 fans at Crosley Field, Reds' 32-year-old southpaw Clyde Shoun, in his first start of the season, no-hits the Braves, 1-0. Chuck Aleno's fifth-inning round-tripper off Jim Tobin, the third baseman's only homer of the season, accounts for the lone run in the 79-minute contest.

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1952 Virgil Trucks throws the first of his two no-hitters this season, blanking the Senators, 1-0, thanks to a two-out, two-strike ninth-inning home run by Vic Wertz. Due to a parade honoring war hero General Douglas MacArthur in downtown Detroit, a sparse crowd of only 2,215 fans is in attendance at Briggs Stadium to witness the second no-no in franchise history, the first since George Mullin accomplished the feat in 1912.

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1956 Sal Maglie, obtained on waivers by Cleveland last season from the Giants, is shipped to the Dodgers for a hundred dollars after impressing Brooklyn in an exhibition game. The 'Barber' will post a 13-5 record along with a 2.89 ERA for the eventual NL Champs, finishing second to teammate Don Newcombe in the balloting for both the Cy Young and MVP awards.

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1960 After being traded from the Phillies, Don Cardwell no-hits the Cardinals in his Cub debut. Thanks to three outstanding defensive catches, including Walt Moryn's game-ending grab, the Winston-Salem, NC native becomes the first pitcher to keep the opponents hitless in a first start after being traded.

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1961 Teammates Felipe and Matty Alou both homer in the Giants' 14-1 victory over Chicago at Candlestick Park. In the first inning, Felipe's grand slam scores the first four runs of the game, and his younger brother puts on the finishing touch of the rout with an eighth-inning round-tripper.

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1961 The American Basketball League's Cleveland Pipers, owned by George Steinbrenner, hire John McLendon, Jr. as the franchise's head coach, making him the first African American to be named to a top leadership position in any major professional sport. The well-respected college coach, leaving the post midway through the 1961-62 ABL season, will become the first of many of the future Yankee owner's employees to resign over the years due to interference from the front office.
1968 Hoping to fill the void created when the Braves moved to Atlanta, the White Sox play the first of nine games in Milwaukee. A crowd of 23,403 fans watches the Pale Hose lose to the Angels, 4-2, in Milwaukee's first American League contest since 1901.
1968 “If they think we’re stupid for playing this game, how stupid are they for coming out to watch us." - DENNY McLAIN, commenting about the small crowds at Tiger Stadium at the start of the season.
At Tiger Stadium, the biggest crowd since Opening Day greets Denny McLain with a chorus of boos, showing their displeasure about comments he made on a local radio station where he called the fans "the biggest front-runners in the world." The right-hander, who will label the same fans the best in the world when they howl their approval after his 30th victory, was critical of their support at the start of the season because of Detroit's low attendance

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1970 After going 0-4 on Opening Day, Rico Carty proceeds to get a hit in 31 straight games. This season's batting champ's sixth-inning RBI single at Crosley Field sets the record for the longest hitting streak for the Braves since the franchise relocated to Atlanta.

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1973 Nolan Ryan, who lasted just one-third of an inning in his previous start, throws the first of his seven career no-hitters, including another one in two months. The 'Ryan Express's 3-0 gem is the first no-hit game played in Kansas City's Royals Stadium.

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1976 In his first major league start, rookie right-hander Mark Fidrych throws a complete-game two-hitter in the Tigers' 2-1 victory over Cleveland. 'The Bird', who holds the Tribe hitless for the first six innings, amuses his teammates and delights the Detroit fans with his unorthodox antics, which includes talking to the ball.

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1978 The Twins, after the team’s owner overcomes his misgiving about Mike Marshall’s demeanor, sign the All-Star retired right-handed reliever, who will lead the league in saves next season with 32. Minnesota wins seven of its next eight games, with their new closer picking up four saves and win during the span.

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1981 At Cleveland's Municipal Stadium, the Indians' Len Barker pitches the 11th perfect game in major league history, defeating the Blue Jays, 3-0. Catfish Hunter was the last pitcher to accomplish the feat, hurling a perfecto for the A's in 1968.

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1989 The 12-24 Blue Jays fire manager Jimy Williams, replacing him with hitting coach Cito Gaston, after several well-publicized run-ins with the team's star. George Bell had made it widely known he did not want to be Toronto's designated hitter, despite his skipper's insistence he fill that role for the club.
1991 Joining Mike Hegan (1976), Charlie Moore (1980), and Robin Yount (1988), Paul Molitor becomes the fourth Brewer ever to hit for the cycle when he homers in the seventh inning of the team's 4-2 victory. The future Hall of Famer also tripled in the first, singled in the third, and doubled in the fifth frame in the Metrodome contest, getting all four hits off Minnesota starter Kevin Tapani.

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1991 England's Queen Elizabeth is President George Bush's guest at the Oriole game at Memorial Stadium. The O's, who play in a city named after a British Lord, drop a 6-3 decision to Oakland.
1991 The Red Sox and White Sox play a contest that lasts four hours and 11 minutes, setting a new record for the slowest game ever played in nine innings. Boston's 9-6 victory at Fenway Park features ten pitchers who throw a total of 352 pitches.
1997 In an 8-2 win over San Diego, the Cubs score half their runs when Brian McRae, Doug Glanville, and Sammy Sosa all triple in the bottom of the seventh inning off Friar right-hander Tim Scott. Chicago third baseman Jose Hernandez also chips in with a run-producing three-bagger during the fourth inning of the Wrigley Field contest.

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1998 On the day the Marlins trade Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, Jim Eisenreich, and Manuel Barrios to the Dodgers for Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile, the team hangs on to beat the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, 8-7. In the first inning, the Fish connect for nine consecutive hits, a franchise record, and score seven runs, all without the help of their recently departed teammates.
2002 Astros' bench coach Tony Pena is named manager of the Royals, replacing interim skipper John Mizerock, who had taken over the reins when the team released Tony Muser on April 29. Houston also considered Buck Showalter and Bucky Dent for the position.

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2005 The White Sox drop a 6-2 decision to the Orioles, marking the first time this season the team never had a lead in a game. The streak of being ahead in 37 straight games establishes a major league record from the beginning of a season and ties the 1934 Yankees and the 1942 Cardinals for the third-longest span in major league history.
2006 For the first time in baseball history, teams meet in a day-night, home and away interstate doubleheader. The Sioux Fall Canaries (SD) and Sioux City Explorers (IA) of the American Association (Independent) split the twin bill, with the I-29 rivals each losing its home game.
2008 Ryan Braun, National League's Rookie of the Year last season, and the Brewers come to terms on a $45 million, eight-year deal, the richest and longest in franchise history. The generous contract for a "zero-plus" player (less than one year major league service) replaces the $455,000, one-year renewal the team gave him during spring training.

 

2010 Owasso High School junior Dylan Bundy, needing his team to win both ends of a doubleheader to stave off his team's elimination from the state tournament, throws the final five innings of the opener and the first five innings of the nightcap. The future first-round pick (4th) of the Orioles, who will throw 181 pitches over the two games en route to striking out 20 batters in 10 innings, helps the Rams beat Jenks, 10-7 and 5-4, advancing his teammates to the Oklahoma state championship game.

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2013 Royals TV honors longtime broadcaster Fred White, who died today due to complications from melanoma, with a half-inning of silence to start the game. The Homer (IL) native, an employee with the organization for the past 40 years, was the team's play-by-play announcer for 24 years, from 1974 to 1998.

2014 En route to becoming the first Mets rookie to get a hit in his first three games, Jacob deGrom singles in the third inning, ending the team's pitchers' 0-for-64 record-setting streak to start the season. The 25-year-old right-hander, who will collect hits in his next two starts, goes seven innings, taking the 1-0 loss to the Yankees at Citi Field.

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2015 At Target Field, Jose Bautista hits home runs in the third, fourth, and sixth innings, contributing to the Blue Jays' 11-3 victory against Minnesota. The Toronto right-fielder, last season's homer leader, has clouted four round-trippers in a span of five at-bats, including his last plate appearance in yesterday's game.

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2015 Mariner right-hander Felix Hernandez becomes the fourth-youngest hurler to record his 2,000th career strikeout when he whiffs Sam Fuld in the fifth inning of the team's 4-3 victory against Oakland at Safeco Field. Bert Blyleven, Walter Johnson, and Sam McDowell are the only three pitchers to reach the milestone faster than King Felix.

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2016 Danny Valencia's third home run of the game, a ninth-inning two-run shot off Steve Geltz, gives the A's an eventual 7-6 victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field. The 31-year-old third baseman's round-tripper is his fifth this season, all coming in the three-game weekend series in Tampa Bay.

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2016 Reacting to a late slide by Jose Bautista at second base, Ranger infielder Rougned Odor delivers a devastating punch to the base runner, igniting an eighth-inning brawl in the team's 7-6 victory over the Blue Jays at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The injured outfielder has recent history with Toronto due to his infamous bat flip in last year's ALDS when he hit a dramatic, three-run homer and stayed at home plate, staring down the pitcher.
2018 MLB suspends Mariner infielder Robinson Cano for 80 games for violating baseball's joint drug agreement. The All-Star second baseman tested positive for Furosemide, a diuretic used for treating pulmonary edema, high blood pressure, kidney problems, and heart failure.
2019 Edwin Jackson becomes the first major leaguer to toil for 14 teams when he starts for the Blue Jays against the Giants. In his no-decision outing, the 35-year-old right-hander throws 77 pitches in five innings, allowing three runs and six hits in the team's eventual 4-3 at San Francisco's Oracle Park.
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