BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

1971 In a Texas League contest, Tommy Walker hurls a 15-inning no-hitter, beating the Albuquerque Dukes, 1-0. The Dallas-Fort Worth Spur right-hander faces only 47 batters during the minor league game, two over the minimum.

1973 At Cleveland Stadium, Brewer left fielder John Briggs enjoys a 6-for-6 day at the plate in the team’s 9-4 triumph over the Indians. The Milwaukee leadoff batter strokes two doubles and four singles, scoring two runs, but doesn’t record any RBIs.

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1974 In Chicago's 13–10 victory over the Rangers, Bill Melton breaks Minnie Minoso's franchise mark of 135 home runs when he hits a sixth-inning two-run round-tripper off Steve Foucault in the nightcap of a twin bill at White Sox Park. Beltin' Melton finishes his eight-year tenure on the Southside with 154 homers, establishing a team record that lasts until 1987 when Harold Baines overtakes the third baseman's total.

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1980 In the first managerial change in franchise history, Maury Wills replaces Darrell Johnson in the Mariners dugout. The M's will fare no better under their skipper (20-38, .345), finishing the season 44 games under .500.


1982 After driving in the winning run in the Mets' 7-4 victory over the Cubs, Joel Youngblood, traded to the Expos during the game, flies to Philadelphia and singles for Montreal to become the first player to have a hit for two different teams on the same day in different cities. The 30-year-old All-Star collects his two historic hits off two future Hall of Famers, a single off Ferguson Jenkins in Chicago and gets his other off Steve Carlton in the City of Brotherly Love.

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1983 Dave Winfield kills a seagull at Exhibition Stadium with a warmup throw before the home fifth inning. After the 3-1 victory over the Blue Jays, the Yankees outfielder is arrested by the Ontario police and charged with animal cruelty.

1984 Jeffrey Leonard collects five hits in the Astros' 9-2 Giants rout. The cleanup slugger gets all singles and, therefore, cannot demonstrate his one-flap-down home run trot in front of the Houston fans at the Astrodome.

 

1980 In the first managerial change in franchise history, Maury Wills replaces Darrell Johnson in the Mariners dugout. The M's will fare no better under their skipper (20-38, .345), finishing the season 44 games under .500.

1982 After driving in the winning run in the Mets' 7-4 victory over the Cubs, Joel Youngblood, traded to the Expos during the game, flies to Philadelphia and singles for Montreal to become the first player to have a hit for two different teams on the same day in different cities. The 30-year-old All-Star collects his two historic hits off two future Hall of Famers, a single off Ferguson Jenkins in Chicago and gets his other off Steve Carlton in the City of Brotherly Love.

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1983 Dave Winfield kills a seagull at Exhibition Stadium with a warmup throw before the home fifth inning. After the 3-1 victory over the Blue Jays, the Yankees outfielder is arrested by the Ontario police and charged with animal cruelty.


1984 Jeffrey Leonard collects five hits in the Astros' 9-2 Giants rout. The cleanup slugger gets all singles and, therefore, cannot demonstrate his one-flap-down home run trot in front of the Houston fans at the Astrodome.


1985 Before the loss that results in Tom Seaver winning his 300th game, the Yankees honor Phil Rizzuto by retiring their former player and current broadcaster's uniform #10. The 'Scooter,' known for the expression' Holy Cow,' is knocked over in a pregame ceremony by a fitting gift

 

1985 On the same day Tom Seaver wins his 300th game, Mets' phenom Doc Gooden records his 11th consecutive game, breaking Tom Terrific's franchise mark established in 1969. The 20-year-old right-hander, going the distance, beats the Cubs at Wrigley Field, 4-1, to improve his record to 17-3 this season.

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Owner George Steinbrenner becomes irate when the fans start chanting 'Let's Go Mets,' as an homage to the beloved right-hander, who spent 12 years with his team's crosstown rivals.

1985 In front of an enthusiastic crowd of 41,630 at Anaheim Stadium, Angels' first baseman Rod Carew singles off of Minnesota southpaw Frank Viola to become the 16th major leaguer to amass 3000 hits. After the historic hit, Halos' manager Gene Mauch brings the first-base sack into the dugout, replacing it with another new bag.

 

1987 In the fourth matchup of 300-game winners since 1900, Angels' hurler Don Sutton (317) allows four hits in six innings to beat Steve Carlton (328) and the Twins, 12-3. The 645 combined victories are the largest number of wins ever accumulated by pitchers starting the same major league game.

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1989 Dave Stieb retires the first 26 batters he faces before giving up two hits in a 2-1 win over the Yankees. Last September, the Blue Jays' hard-luck hurler lost back-to-back no-hit bids with two outs in the ninth inning.

1990 The Braves trade Dale Murphy to the Phillies for Jeff Parrett, Jim Vatcher, and Victor Rosario. The move enables the youngster David Justice to return to right field and win the Rookie-of-the-Year Award.

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1992 At an auction, actor Charlie Sheen pays $93,500 for the 'Mookie Wilson Ball' which went through Bill Buckner's legs, capping the miraculous Met comeback in the sixth game of the Fall Classic in 1986. Arthur Richman, the team's traveling secretary, given the ball that night by right field umpire Ed Montague, donates all the proceeds to charity.

1993 Tony Gwynn enjoys a career-high, six-hit game in the Padres' 11–10 win over the Giants in 12 innings at Jack Murphy Stadium. The outfielder's 6-for-7 performance, which includes two doubles, ties a major league record with four games of five or more hits in a single season shared by Stan Musial (Cardinals, 1948), Ty Cobb (Tigers, 1922), and Willie Keeler (NL Orioles, 1897).

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1993 After getting hit by a Ryan Express fastball, Robin Ventura charges the mound to get at the 46-year-old pitcher. Nolan Ryan responds by putting the White Sox third baseman in a headlock and punching him six times, much to the pleasure of the Rangers fans at Arlington Stadium.
(Ed Note: Nolan Ryan's third inning pitch marks the 158th and final batter he plunks, becoming his most memorable HBP of his 27-year career. - LP)

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1994 In Anaheim, Goose Gossage makes his 1000th major league appearance, retiring Tim Salmon on a pop-up in the seventh inning of an eventual 4-2 Angels loss to the Mariners. The future Hall of Fame reliever will end his 22-year career playing in 1002 games with seven teams.

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1994 Fan-favorite Kent Hrbek announces his retirement effective at the end of the season. The Twins' first baseman, who played his entire 14-year career in Minnesota, ranks near the top in most offensive categories for the team.

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1996 The Hall of Fame inducts Baltimore managers Earl Weaver and Ned Hanlon. Kentucky congressman Jim Bunning and Negro League star Bill Foster also enter the Cooperstown shrine.

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1998 Darryl Strawberry hits a game-tying pinch-hit grand slam, highlighting a nine-run ninth inning in the Yankees' 10-5 come-from-behind victory over Oakland. The 'Straw' is the first player in the American League to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in one season.

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1999 All nine Angel batters use Jim Edmonds' bat the first time through the order to break out of a team slump that has resulted in 15 losses in 19 decisions. The center fielder's lumber yields dramatic results when the Halos go 4-for-8 with one walk in the first inning, including Bengie Molina's first career hit, an RBI double, in LA's 4-3 win over Kansas City at Edison Field.

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2000 Joining Dave Kingman, Frank Huelsman, Willis Hudlin, Paul Lehner, Wes Covington, Ted Gray, and Mike Kilkenny, Dave Martinez ties a major league record as he appears for his fourth team in a season. In the past four months, the veteran outfielder/first baseman has played for the Devil Rays, Cubs, Rangers, and now the Blue Jays.

2000 With 32 home games remaining, the Astros, who moved from the pitcher-friendly Astrodome to homer-haven Enron Field this year, already set a franchise record by hitting 83 homers at home this season.

2003 Major League Baseball announces a five-year deal, generating more than $500 million in revenue for global licensing rights for apparel and headwear. The seven companies involved in the agreement include Majestic Athletic, New Era Cap, Twins Enterprises, Nike USA, Dynasty Apparel Industries, Drew Pearson International, and VF Imagewear.

2004 Mike Matheny's major league errorless streak behind the plate ends when his errant throw allows the runners to advance to second and third base on an infield single. The Cardinals' catcher hadn't committed an error since August 2, 2002, a span of 252 games.

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2004 Continuing a tradition over half a century old, the Cardinals announce their new ballpark, scheduled to open in 2006, will also be known as Busch Stadium. In 1953, a month after Anheuser-Busch purchased the Cardinals, the brewery bought Sportsman's Park, renaming it Busch Stadium, and then kept the name in its new downtown stadium, which opened in 1966, calling the facility Busch Memorial Stadium.

2005 After the team goes into a free fall from first place, the Orioles fire manager Lee Mazzilli (129-140), replacing him on an interim basis with bench coach Sam Perlozzo. Currently suffering an eight-game losing streak, the Birds have dropped 16 of their last 18 games.

2006 In the Phillies' 5-3 victory over the Mets, Chase Utley's hitting streak ends at 35 consecutive games. Philadelphia's second baseman, who goes 0-for-5, has the fourth-longest stretch in National League history.

 

2006 At age 95, Elden Auker, the last living pitcher to face Babe Ruth, dies of congestive heart failure. The author of Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms, which he wrote when he was ninety, started his major league career in 1931 by striking out Babe Ruth and getting Lou Gehrig to pop out.

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2007 Needing only 14 seasons to accomplish the feat, Alex Rodriguez becomes the 22nd and youngest player (32 years and eight days) to hit 500 career home runs. The historic three-run homer, off Royals' starter Kyle Davies, recently acquired from the Braves, is blasted into the left-field seats at Yankee Stadium, making A-Rod and Mickey Mantle the only two players to reach the milestone in the Bronx.


2007 In the second inning at Petco Park, in front of a sellout crowd of 42,497 fans, Barry Bonds drives a Clay Hensley fastball over the left-field wall for his 755th home run, tying Hank Aaron's 33-year-old career home run record. The opposite-field drive, ironically off a pitcher who failed a steroid test as a minor leaguer in 2005, is met with mixed reactions as a few patrons hold up asterisk signs, and the crowd responds to the feat with a mixture of cheers and jeers.


2008 At the start of the rain delay during the Astros and Cubs game at Wrigley Field, fans take cover in the concourse due to a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service for downtown Chicago. The game resumes in 2 hours, 45 minutes, but an hour later, more thunder and lightning and another 39-minute stoppage postpone the contest in the bottom of the eighth, with Houston credited with a 2-0 rain-shortened victory.

2008 During a Brewers' 6-3 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park, first baseman Prince Fielder confronts starting pitcher Manny Parra in the dugout, shoving the hurler twice after an angry exchange of words. The Milwaukee hurler had taken a no-hitter into the fifth but gave up six runs on four hits and four walks before leaving the game for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning.


2008 The Mariners stun the Twins with a 10-run seventh inning, coming back from a 6-0 deficit in an eventual 11-6 victory at Safeco Field. With six runs driven in, Raul Ibanez, who hits a grand slam and a two-run single in the frame, establishes a club record for RBIs in one inning, one more than Ken Griffey Jr.'s mark set in 1999.


2010 Three years to the day he hit his 500th round-tripper, Alex Rodriguez eclipses Babe Ruth in becoming the youngest player to hit 600 career home runs when he blasts a two-run first-inning shot into Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. The 35-year-old Bronx Bomber third baseman is the seventh player in baseball history to reach the milestone.

2010 The Phillies obtain Mike Sweeney from the Mariners for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Philadelphia placed their All-Star first baseman Ryan Howard on the disabled list with a severely sprained ankle, which necessitated the deal.

2012 Mike Baxter sets a team record and ties a National League mark when he walks five times in a nine-inning game in the Mets' 6-4 victory over San Diego at Petco Park. Only five of the 25 pitches thrown to the New York right fielder were strikes, with thirteen of the final 14 out of the strike zone.

2016 Bartolo Colon becomes the first pitcher in the history of the Subway Series to record a victory as a member of both New York clubs when the visiting Mets beat the Bronx Bombers, 4-1. In 2011, Big Bart pitched six strong innings of shutout ball in his only season with the Yankees to earn a 5-2 victory over the Big Apple rivals at Citi Field.

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2016 The Angels play their fourth and final extra-inning contest this season, setting the mark for the fewest in a 162-game campaign. The Halos' ten-inning 4-3 loss to the visiting A's keeps the team winless in overtime this year.

2017 Jaime Garcia becomes the first pitcher to make three straight appearances as a starter for three different teams since 1895 when Gus Weyhing started consecutive games for the Phillies, Pirates, and Louisville Colonels. The 31-year-old southpaw, traded twice since July 24th, has taken the mound for the Braves, Twins, and Yankees over a 15-day span.
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Today In 1993: 46-year-old Texas #Rangers pitcher Nolan Ryan takes care of business after Robin Ventura makes a bad decision to charge the mound after getting drilled by a fastball!
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Getting a start in case the storm hits here in Irvine

 

AUGUST 5 BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS
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1867 Jacob Ruppert Jr. HOF executive (owner New York Yankees 1915-39; signed Babe Ruth; built Yankee Stadium) In 1929, Ruppert added numbers to the Yankees’ uniforms, which became a feature of every team. He said, “Many fans do not attend games on a regular basis and cannot easily pick out the players they have come to see.”

Lou Gehrig, Ruppert and Joe McCarthy in 1935.

1947 Bernie Carbo Red Sox, Cardinals


1968 John Olerud MLB infielder (Toronto Blue Jays


1972 John Wasdin pitcher, 1997-2009 (Oakland A's, Boston Red Sox, 5 other MLB and 2 Japanese teams


1977 Eric Hinske utility and coach (AL Rookie of the Year 2002; 3-time WS champion


1981 Carl Crawford

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This Day in Baseball History
August 5th​

1901 In the second inning of the nightcap against the Americans in Baltimore, Jimmy Hart punches umpire John Haskell in the face. The Orioles' rookie first baseman, who hits .311 playing in only 58 games in his major league career, serves a ten-day suspension but quits after going 4-for-4 upon his return because the team refused to pay his $25 fine.


1921 Pittsburgh's radio station KDKA provides listeners with the first-ever broadcast of a major league game. Staff announcer Harold Arlin, detailing the action of the Pirates' 8-5 victory over the Phillies from a seat on the ground level at Forbes Field, becomes baseball's first play-by-play announcer.

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1932 Tommy Bridges loses his bid for a perfect game when Senator pinch-hitter Dave Harris, the 27th batter he faces, bloops a single in the Tigers' 13-0 rout over Washington. The 24-year-old right-handed Tennessean from Gordonsville will toss two more one-hitters for Detroit next season.

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1935 On a stormy Monday afternoon at Fenway Park, the Yankees and Red Sox engage in stalling and hurry-up tactics, trying to take advantage of the inclement weather. American League president John Heydler will fine both managers, Joe Cronin (Boston) and Joe McCarthy (New York), $100 for their antics during the Bronx Bombers' eventual 10-2 victory.

1937 The Newport Canners vs. Johnson City Soldiers' Appalachian League contest in Tennessee ends in the sixth inning when the teams run out of baseballs. Some angry fans show their displeasure by destroying the set of bleachers that had been their seats before the game's abrupt ending.

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1940 In a rain-shortened 4-0 victory over the Tigers, Silent John Whitehead of the St. Louis Browns pitches a six-inning no-hitter. The victory will be the quiet Texan's only victory this season.

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1942 In front of fewer than three thousand patrons at Chicago's Comiskey Park, the White Sox beat the Tigers, 1-0. The game's only run scores when Don Kolloway steals home with two outs in the fifth inning.

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1953 Don Larsen, in his 5-0 complete-game loss to Boston at Fenway Park, goes 3-for-3 to establish the mark for consecutive hits by a pitcher with seven. The Browns' rookie right-hander will hit .284 in 81 at-bats this season.

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1954 Stan Musial, in a 13-4 rout of the Dodgers in Brooklyn, paces the Cardinals attack, hitting two homers and driving in seven runs. The defeat is Preacher Roe's first loss to St. Louis at Ebbets Field in four years.

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1955 White Sox second baseman Nellie Fox's consecutive game streak ends at 274. The future Hall of Fame infielder will play in 798 straight contests starting tomorrow.

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1960 In a deal engineered by Tigers president Bill Devitt and Indians GM Frank Lane, their struggling teams become the first to swap skippers. The Tribe's new manager, Jimmy Dykes, will compile a 103-115 record for Cleveland, while Joe Gordon posts a 26-31 mark in his two-month stay in Detroit.

 

1969 With a titanic blast that clears the right-field pavilion, Willie Stargell becomes the first player to hit a home run completely out of Dodger Stadium. The 506-foot round-tripper helps the Pirates defeat LA, 11-3.

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1972 Ed Brinkman commits an error, ending his major league record of 72 games and 331 total chances at shortstop without making a misplay. The 30-year-old Tiger infielder wins his only Gold Glove this season.


1973 Phil Niekro goes the distance, holding the Padres hitless in a 9-0 rout at home. The knuckleballer's no-hitter is the first thrown by a Braves hurler since the team shifted to Atlanta in 1966.


1975 In the Phillies' 13-5 victory, Cubs starter Bill Bonham gives up a major league record of seven hits to the first seven batters he faces in the Veterans Stadium contest. The former UCLA hurler, who doesn't record an out, is replaced by Ken Crosby, who promptly gives up a single to Johnny Oates.

 

1979 Don Sutton passes Don Drysdale on the Dodgers' all-time strikeout list, recording his 2487th when he fans Greg Johnston swinging in the team's 8-5 win against the Giants. The right-hander's total of 2,696 in Dodger Blue will remain the franchise strikeout record over 42 years, easily surpassing Dazzy Vance's tenure on top, which lasted a little more than 37 years until Sandy Koufax moved ahead of him in 1965.
After establishing the mark and receiving a two-minute standing ovation that he acknowledges by tipping his cap, the umpire charges the right-hander with an automatic ball due to running his fingers across his lips while thanking the crowd.

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1979 The Hall of Fame enshrines outfielders Willie Mays (Giants, Mets) and Hack Wilson (Giants, Cubs, Dodgers, and Phillies). Baseball administrator Warren Giles, who served as the president of the National League from 1951 to 1969, is also inducted during the Cooperstown ceremony.

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1983 The American League bans New York skipper Billy Martin for two games for calling umpire Dale Ford "a stone liar" after the Yankees' July 31st extra-inning 12-6 victory against the White Sox in Chicago. The suspension marks the second time this season the Junior Circuit has disciplined the Bronx Bomber manager for his continued abuse of umpires.

1984 Cliff Johnson hits his 19th career pinch-hit home run, breaking a major league record shared with Jerry Lynch, who established the mark in 1966 while playing with the Pirates. The eight-inning round-tripper off Tippy Martinez proves to be the difference in Toronto's 4-3 victory over the Orioles at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.

1985 Baseball names Keith Hernandez the player of the month, making him the first Met honored since Dave Kingman received the nod ten years ago. The New York first baseman, obtained in a trade with the Cardinals two seasons ago, collected 40 hits in his 102 at-bats last month, compiling a .392 batting average while driving in 29 runs for the team that has won 21 of 28 of its previous decisions.

1985 In the Mets' 7-2 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Darryl Strawberry belts three home runs, propelling the team into first place with a half-game lead over the Cardinals in the National League East. Eleven years and one day later, the 'Straw' will enjoy his second three-homer game, going deep for the Yankees three times against the White Sox in a 9-2 win in the Bronx.


1986 At Candlestick Park, Giants' southpaw Steve Carlton gets his 4000th strikeout, fanning Reds' center fielder Eric Davis. The historic whiff occurs in the third inning with two runners on base and no outs in the eventual Reds' 11-6 victory.