BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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Today In 1936: Lou Gehrig swaps caps with the Japanese Navy before a ballgame at Yankee Stadium! Five years later we'd be at war and Lou Gehrig would be gone
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In the annual East-West Game in Chicago #OTD in 1934, Jud Wilson singled home Cool Papa Bell with the only run in the East's 1-0 victory. Slim Jones, Harry Kincannon and Satchel Paige combined for the shutout for the East.

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Sol White, a pioneer in Black baseball as a player, manager and executive, died #OTD in 1955. Later a sportswriter, he wrote "History of Colored Base Ball," the first thorough account of Black baseball. He was elected to the #HallofFame in 2006
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August 28 BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS
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1936 Don Denkinger umpire (World Series: 1974, 80, 85, 91; MLB All-Star Game 1971, 76, 87; "The Call")


1943 Lou Piniella outfielder (1969 AL rookie of the year) and manager (NY Yankees, Seattle Mariners)


1950 Ron Guidry pitcher (4 x MLB All Star; Cy Young 1978; World Series 1977, 78; NY Yankees)


1971 Shane Andrews infielder (Montreal Expos),


1972 Jay Witasick Yankees


1980 T.J. Beam pitcher, Red Sox, Yankees, Braves, Pirates


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This Day in Baseball History
August 28th
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1884 New York Gotham pitcher Mickey Welch strikes out the first nine Cleveland Blues hitters to come to the plate, establishing a major league record. The mark will last until 1970 when Mets' right-hander Tom Seaver strikes out the last ten San Diego batters he faces in a Shea Stadium contest.


1921 John Michaelson becomes the first person born in Finland to play in a major league game. The 27-year-old White Sox right-hander from Taivalkoski, who will also pitch his last game in just two days, posts an ERA of 10.12, appearing in only two games for Chicago.

1926 Using the same lineup in both games, the Indians sweep a twin bill from Boston at Fenway Park, 6-1 and 5-1. The Tribe's right-hander Emil' Dutch' Levsen, who will become the last major league pitcher to win two complete-game victories in one day, accomplishes the feat when he throws consecutive four-hitters without striking out a batter in either game. Levsen pitched the first game, After the game, second baseman George Burns said to Levsen, “pitch the second game, Emil, and I’ll buy you the best hat in town.” Levsen, either in dire need of a new hat or unable to resist a challenge, asked Speaker if he could start the night cap in place of Uhle, who had already thrown over 200 innings that season and could have used some pre-playoffs rest. Realizing this, Speaker acquiesced. Levsen again twirled a complete game, allowing one run on four hits. completely stifling the Red Sox bats, holding them to one run on four hits over nine innings.
However, his victory came at a steep cost, as he was hit hard the remainder of the season. In his final six starts, he gave up 25 percent of his season’s total earned runs; his ERA ballooned from 2.96 after the doubleheader to 3.41 by season’s end. The following spring, Levsen’s arm almost gave out entirely, and he struggled to a 6.37 ERA before being relegated to relief, throwing just 80 innings over 25 games that season



1932 Anticipating an eclipse, the Red Sox play a game against the Indians several days earlier than scheduled, beating the Tribe in 11 innings, 4-3. Three days later, during the solar event, Fenway Park goes dark for twenty minutes.

 

1945 A moment in American history occurs in Brooklyn when Branch Rickey meets with Jackie Robinson to share his plans to integrate the major leagues. During the three-hour meeting, the Dodgers' president will shout racial epithets to 'test' the 26-year-old ballplayer's mettle to withstand the abuse that will come with being the first player to cross the color line this century.

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1949 Jeff Heath becomes the first major leaguer to hit a ninth-inning game-tying pinch-hit home run, followed by an extra-inning walk-off round-tripper, giving Boston a 6-5 victory over the Reds in the tenth. The outfielder came off the bench and blasted reliever Ewell Blackwell's first pitch to knot the score at 5-5 before taking the Whip deep again in the next frame, ending the Braves Field contest.​

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1951 The Giants' 16-game winning streak ends when Howie Pollet six-hits the team in the Pirates' 2-0 victory at the Polo Grounds. The consecutive victories enable Leo Durocher and his club to narrow the Dodgers' lead from 13.5 to six.

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1962 Al Jackson limits the opposing batters to three hits, going the distance in the Mets’ 2-0 victory over the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium. The 26-year-old left-hander’s effort marks the fourth time he has blanked the opponents, accounting for all of the expansion team’s shutouts the entire season.

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1967 Chico Ruiz, in the ninth inning of a Reds' 3-2 loss to Philadelphia at Crosley Field, becomes the only major leaguer ever to pinch-hit for Johnny Bench. The 28-year-old Cuban infielder, with a runner on second, flies out to left field, standing in for the future Hall of Famer, who goes 0-for-3 in his first big-league game.

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1967 Giants hurler Gaylord Perry begins the longest consecutive inning scoreless streak in franchise history when he shuts out the Dodgers at Candlestick Park, 7-0. The right-hander will not give up another run for 40 innings, a feat the son of a tenant farmer from North Carolina will repeat three seasons later.

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1970 Tony Horton unexpectedly takes himself out of the lineup during the fifth inning of a doubleheader's second game against California. The game will be his last in the major leagues, as a deep slump and the constant harassment from the Cleveland fans take a personal toll on the promising 25-year-old first baseman.

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1971 In his first at-bat in the Little League World Series finale, Lloyd McClendon blasts a three-run homer, prompting the Chinese Taipei manager to order his pitchers to intentionally walk the 12-year-old for the rest of the game. The Gary, Indiana Little Leaguer, the future manager of the Pirates and Mariners, hit five home runs in five at-bats, all on the first pitch, and is walked in his other five plate appearances in the three games he plays in the tournament.

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1971 The Cubs pay tribute to a longtime fan favorite with 'Ron Santo Day' at Wrigley Field. With 34,988 to honor the veteran third baseman, he goes 1-for-3 and scores a run, but it isn't enough when Atlanta spoils the special day, beating Ferguson Jenkins and the hometown team, 4-3.

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1971 Rick Wise hits two home runs, including a grand slam, en route to a complete-game victory in the Phillies' 7-3 defeat of the Giants. Five weeks earlier, the 25-year-old right-hander hit two round-trippers while throwing a no-hitter against the Reds.

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1977 Steve Garvey collects five extra-base hits in one game when he bashes three doubles and two homers, including a grand slam, in the Dodgers' 11-0 rout over St. Louis at Chavez Ravine. The LA first baseman becomes just the fourth major leaguer to accomplish the feat, joining Lou Boudreau (1946 Indians - HR, four 2B), Joe Adcock (1954 Braves - four HR, 2B), and Willie Stargell (1970 Pirates - two HR, three 2B).

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1990 Ellis Burks becomes only the second Red Sox player to hit two home runs in the same inning when he goes deep twice in Boston's eight-run fourth frame during the team's 12-4 rout of the Tribe at Cleveland Stadium. In 1928, second baseman Bill Regan became the first BoSox player to accomplish the feat when he homered twice, including an inside-the-park round-tripper in the top of the fourth inning against Chicago at Comiskey Park.


1990 Ryne Sandberg becomes the first second baseman to hit 30 home runs in consecutive seasons when he homers to deep left field off Bill Gullickson leading off the fourth inning in the Cubs' 5-2 victory over Houston at the Astrodome. 'Ryno' will finish the season with 40 round-trippers, the most in the National League.

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1992 In a 22-2 rout, the Blue Jays pitching staff yields 31 hits, of which 22 are singles, to help the Brewers set an American League record. The 'Brew Crew' scores in every inning except the fifth inning in the SkyDome contest.

1996 The Indians finish the season 12-0 against Detroit when they beat the hometown team at Tiger Stadium, 9-3. En route to a division title in the AL Central, Cleveland becomes only the seventh team since 1900 to sweep a season series from an opponent.

1997 After a catcher's interference call extends the sixth inning, Javy Lopez hits Darryl Kile's next pitch for a three-run home run that proves to be the difference in the Braves' 4-2 victory over the Astros at Turner Field. The frame appeared to be over when Ryan Klesco grounded out to short, going to first base when his bat hit Tony Eusebio's glove.

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2000 The players' association, pleased with the November 1996 deal, exercises its option to extend the collective bargaining agreement, ensuring labor peace through October 31, 2001. The owners have expressed concerns about the expected move, believing the present CBA has widened the talent gap between the high and low-revenue markets due to escalating salaries.

2001 Alex Rodriguez becomes the ninth player and the second shortstop in major league history to hit 40 home runs in four consecutive seasons. The first shortstop to reach the plateau was Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, who accomplished the feat from 1957-60 for the Cubs.


2003 Eric Gagne earns his 44th straight save when he retires the side in order in the Dodgers' 6-3 victory over the Astros at Minute Maid Park. En route to expanding the mark to 55, the 27-year-old Los Angeles reliever's effort establishes a new major league record, surpassing Tom Gordon, who had saved 43 in a row to begin a season with the Red Sox in 1998.

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2003 Jose Reyes becomes the youngest player in major league history to hit a home run from each side of the plate. The 20-year-old shortstop accounts for all the Mets runs, hitting a solo shot from the right side off southpaw Mike Hampton and then, batting as a left-handed hitter in the ninth, a two-run dinger off right-hander Trey Hodges in the team's 3-1 victory over Atlanta at Turner Field.

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2005 Down three runs in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Hawaii ties Curacao, 6-6, sending the Little League championship game into extra innings for the first time since 1971. The Ewa Beach bunch beats the Caribbean champs, 7-6, when Michael Memea hits a walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh inning.

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2007 Atop his right-field foul pole perch at Yankee Stadium, a not-so-shy squirrel watches the Bronx Bombers beat the Red Sox, 5-3. The bushy-tailed good luck charm has become a fan favorite, receiving standing ovations and cheers as he is shown on the scoreboard video screen scampering up and down on the pole.

2007 “The judgment that high school baseball players’ safety is more important than higher batting averages and more offense is a classic legislative judgment that the City Council could constitutionally make,” - JUDGE G.KOELTL, striking down arguments from opponents that the City Council acted outside its authority in seeking to protect health and safety of its constituents. In a thirty-nine-page decision, US District Judge John G. Koeltl upholds a New York City law passed by the City Council in April over the veto of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, banning metal bats in high school baseball games. A coalition of bat manufacturers, the USA Baseball organization, various coaches, and some ballplayers' parents begin legal action opposing the decision.

2008 The Cubs game against the Phillies at Wrigley Field becomes the first contest played using video replay available to umpires to review calls regarding fair or foul home runs, balls in or out of the ballpark, and fan interference determinations. Not employed in any of the three ballparks going online today, all major league clubs will use the new technology starting tomorrow.

2008 In the 11-2 victory over the Dodgers, Cristian Guzman becomes the second player in Nationals history to hit for the cycle, joining Brad Wilkerson, who accomplished the feat in 2005, the team's first year in Washington, D.C. The 30-year-old shortstop completes his cycle with an eighth-inning triple.

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2008 The Red Sox's last regular-season game at Yankee Stadium is a fitting finale for the two rivals at the 85-year-old historic ballpark. Trailing 2-0, the Bronx Bombers rally late in the game, thanks to Jason Giambi's seventh-inning pinch-hit two-run homer and his walk-off single in the ninth, to beat Boston, 3-2, avoiding a sweep and keeping their wild-card hopes alive.

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2009 In the sixth inning, John Hester, appearing as a pinch-hitter, homers in his first major league at-bat in Arizona's 14-7 victory over Houston. The 25-year-old catcher, who will hit six round-trippers in 93 games, becomes the 101st player to accomplish the feat and the second Diamondback player this season, joining Gerardo Parra, who also went deep in his first big league plate appearance in May.

 

2012 Starlin Castro agrees to a seven-year contract extension with the Cubs, including a club option for an eighth season in 2020. The 22-year-old shortstop, already a two-time All-Star, became the youngest player in National League history to lead the circuit in hits when he collected 207 last season.

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2014 Working as a starter and reliever, Giants right-hander Yusmeiro Petit sets a major league record by retiring his 46th consecutive batter when he fans Charlie Culberson in the third inning of the team's 4-1 victory over Colorado at AT&T Park. The San Francisco hurler, best known for losing his bid for a perfect game with two outs and two strikes last September, breaks the 2009 mark established by Mark Buehrle, who made 45 batters in a row make an out while pitching for the White Sox.

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2015 After seven unproductive seasons, the Mariners, suffering through the second-longest postseason drought in baseball, fire general manager Jack Zduriencik. The former much-touted Milwaukee scouting director, named by Baseball America in 2007 as the first non-GM to receive its Major League Executive of the Year Award, was given a contract extension a year ago when Seattle would finish the season with 87 victories.

2015 "Vin will be back for one more year (at least). God bless us, everyone" - JIMMY KIMMEL's cue card message to the crowd. Team executive Magic Johnson, appearing on the Dodger Stadium video board, introduces Jimmy Kimmel to report "big, breaking news." The ABC late-night television host, who waves to the fans without saying a word, displays a succession of cue cards, informing the Chavez Ravine crowd the 87-year-old Vin Scully will return to broadcast Dodgers games in 2016, his 67th season.

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2016 The Endwell Little League wins the League World Series when Ryan Harlost tosses a five-hitter in the team's 2-1 victory over South Korea. The boys from the Binghamton suburb become the first U.S.squad to win LLWS since Huntington Beach (CA) copped the crown in 2011 and the first from New York to win the title since 1964.

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2020 On the same day MLB celebrated Jackie Robinson Day,Chadwick Boseman, the actor who portrayed the Brooklyn Dodgers star in the 2013 movie 42, dies of colon cancer. The 43-year-old actor, best known for the title role in Marvel's blockbuster Black Panther, played music legend James Brown and future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshal on the big screen.

2021 With the 6-3 Cardinals win over the Pirates at PNC Park, skipper Tony La Russa, with his 2,195th career triumph, moves past Sparky Anderson for third place for most victories by a big-league manager. Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) are first and second on the all-time managerial list for the number of major league wins.

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2022 A news release from Heritage Auctions reports a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for $12,600,000, making the collectible the most valuable piece of sports memorabilia in the world. The winning bid for the Yankees superstar Topps item nearly doubles the previous record paid for a baseball card when a rare Honus Wagner fetched $7.25 million earlier this month.

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