BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1888 The first publication of Ernest L. Thayer's poem Casey at the Bat appears in the San Francisco Examiner. The work is originally published under the pen name 'Phin' because the poet feels embarrassed by what he considers to be bad verse and decides to keep his identity a secret until others come forward to claim the work to be their own.
1902 Cardinal right-hander Mike O'Neill hits the first pinch-hit grand slam in major league history. The hurler's ninth-inning blast off Beaneater Togie Pittinger proves the difference in the Redbirds' 11-9 victory over Boston at South End Grounds.

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1914 The court of appeals awards $3,500 to Charles A. Edling, a lawyer hit in the nose with a foul ball that broke through a wire netting while attending a Kansas City Blues game at Association Park in 1911. The legal ruling states had the American Association team "kept their eye on the ball with the accuracy that they contend Edling should have exhibited, and they would have attained a higher place in the pennant race."
1918 Dutch Leonard, facing only 28 batters, tosses his second career no-hitter when he holds the Tigers hitless in the Red Sox' 5-0 victory at Navin Field. The 26-year-old southpaw, known as 'Hub,' had also pitched a no-no against the Browns two seasons ago at Fenway Park.

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1921 Crip Polli strikes out 28 batters in a ten-inning contest against Cushing Academy at Mountaineer Recreation Field in Montpelier, Vermont. The Goddard Seminary student's performance, highlighted in Ripley's Believe It or Not, is no fluke as the high schooler will fan 105 batters in a five-game span.

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1932 In Philadelphia, Lou Gehrig becomes the first player in the twentieth century to blast four home runs in one game, and barely misses hitting a fifth. The Yankees hammer out a major league record with 50 total bases in a 20-13 slugfest with Philadelphia.

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1932 Citing poor health, the Giants announce the resignation of long-time skipper John McGraw. During his thirty-two-year tenure in the New York dugout, the fiery manager posted a 2583-1790 (.591) record en route to winning three World Series and nine National League pennants, including a record four consecutive flags.

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1932 Tony Lazzeri blasts a grand slam to complete his natural cycle, with his four hits accomplished in sequential order: single, double, triple, home run. Yankee teammate Lou Gehrig's four home runs in the same game and the announcement of long-time Giants manager John McGraw's retirement on the same day overshadows the second baseman's rare and fantastic feat.

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1933 The Yankees survive the visiting A's 11-run outburst in the second inning, beating Philadelphia 17-11. The Bronx Bombers also enjoy a big inning, putting up a 10-spot in the fifth frame.
1939 Joe Sprinz, known as Mule to his teammates, fractures his upper jaw in twelve places and has five teeth knocked out when he attempts to catch a ball dropped 800 feet from a Goodyear blimp. The San Francisco Seals catcher, who will spend two months in the hospital, participated in Baseball Day at the Golden Gate Exposition on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay when the ball smashed into his face through his upraised glove.

 

1951 With two outs in the second inning of an eventual 1-0 loss to the Giants, Cardinals' southpaw Max Lanier walks Monte Irvin, gives up a double down the right-field line to Willie Mays, and intentionally walks Hank Thompson to load the bases. The St. Louis lefty will get out of the early jam by striking out opposing pitcher Dave Koslo, but the frame will mark the first time in major league history that a trio of black players occupies three bases simultaneously.

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1952 The Red Sox trade Johnny Pesky, Walt Dropo, Fred Hatfield, Don Lenhardt, and Bill Wight to the Tigers for Hoot Evers, George Kell, Johnny Lipon, and Dizzy Trout. Pesky will return to Boston to serve as a coach, manager, announcer, and assistant general manager and will have his uniform number 6 retired by the organization in 2008.
1958 In the largest turnout for a non-presidential election (62.3%), Los Angeles voters approve "Proposition B," supporting the previously agreed-upon contract between the Dodgers and the city. The referendum result, which removes a significant hurdle for Walter O'Malley to build a modern stadium in the Chavez Ravine area, is passed with the final margin of victory of 25,785 votes.

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1967 Harmon Killebrew launches the longest home run ever hit in Metropolitan Stadium, a 503-foot shot that travels deep in the second deck of the left-center field bleachers. The stadium chair the ball hit by the Twins' outfielder is mounted high on a wall overlooking the flume ride at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America, the former site of the Met, in the precise spot the ball landed in the upper deck in deep left-center field.

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1969 Over eight innings, Tom Seaver strikes out 14 Dodgers en route to the Mets' 5-2 win at Shea Stadium. The victory, fueled by Ed Kranepool's two home runs, improves the second-place team's record to 24-23, the latest they have been above .500 in franchise history.

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1977 Dennis Eckersley's no-hit string of 22.1 innings ends when Ruppert Jones homers with two outs in the sixth frame, accounting for the Mariners only run in a 7-1 loss to the Indians 7-1 at the Kingdome. The 22-year-old right-hander's hitless streak falls three innings short of the major league mark established in 1904 by Cy Young while playing for Boston Americans. (Ed. Note: Although many sources list Young's total at 23, discrepancies reveal the still-standing record is 25.1 consecutive hitless innings; 3 innings on April 25, 7 on April 30, 9 on May 5, and 6.1 on May 11. -LP)

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1977 Leading by two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Orioles escape a no-out, bases-loaded jam when John Wathan hits into a run-scoring triple play to end the game, giving the team a 7-6 victory over Kansas City at Royals Stadium. The Kansas City pinch-hitter's sac fly to right field (1) is deep enough to score Al Cowens from third base, but Freddie Patek, the runner on first, is caught in a run-down on the throw (2), and Dave Nelson, stranded off third base, is tagged out (3) by Mark Belanger, completing the 9-6-4-6 triple killing.
1978 Davey Johnson's ninth-inning bases-loaded home run off Terry Forster gives the Phillies a 5-1 walk-off victory over Los Angeles at Veterans Stadium. The 35 year-old second baseman is the first major leaguer to pinch-hit two grand slams in one season.

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1978 The Braves and the Cubs tie a major league record, using 14 hurlers in a single game. Each team uses seven pitchers when Chicago beats Atlanta at Wrigley Field, 8-6.

 

1980 The Expos' first-round selection in the amateur draft is the University of Arizona standout Terry Francona, signed by the team's general manager John McHale for $100,000. In 1958, McHale, then the G.M. of the Tigers, had refused to give a $1000 raise to their top pick's dad, Tito, who had asked for a salary increase to help support a new addition to his family, a son named Terry.
1980 The Mets select 18-year-old Darryl Strawberry as the team's number one pick in the June draft. During his stormy eight-year tenure with the team, the 6' 6" outfielder will establish franchise records with 252 homers and 733 RBIs.
1981 Returning as a free agent after a two-year absence from the game, Royals catcher Jerry Grote hits his first home run since 1976. The former Astro and Mets backstop's grand slam helps Kansas City overcome the Mariners, 12-9.
1987 Three players hit grand slams in the Cubs' 22-7 rout of the Astros at Wrigley Field. Chicago's Keith Moreland and Brian Dayett go deep with the bases loaded, and Billy Hatcher adds one for Houston.
1989 In a 22-inning game played at the Astrodome, Houston beats the Dodgers, 5-4, when Rafael Ramirez's run-scoring single plates Bill Doran, ending the contest at 2:50 a.m., seven hours and 14-minutes after it started. The longest game in National League history features L.A. center fielder John Shelby going 0-for-10 and southpaw Fernando Valenzuela finishing the game at first base.
1989 Nolan Ryan pitches his 11th career one-hitter, beating the Mariners, 6-1. The Alvin, Texas native breaks Bob Feller's record of 15 low-hit games, having now thrown a combination of 16 no-hit and one-hit games.

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1990 Dave Liddell, playing in his only major league game, appears as a pinch-hitter in the top of the eighth inning, singling in his lone plate appearance. The Mets' 23-year-old catcher will stay in the contest, catching the remainder of the team's 6-3 loss at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium.
1993 Although Alex Rodriguez called and asked the team not to choose him, the Mariners still select the standout scholastic shortstop with the first pick in the amateur draft. The Westminster Christian High School (FL) senior, who hit .417 with 17 homers and 90 stolen bases, told club officials that Seattle was too far away and wanted to play in the National League.
1995 In a scoreless tie, Expo hurler Pedro Martinez hurls nine perfect innings against the Padres. After Montreal goes ahead in the top of the tenth inning, the 23-year-old Dominican right-hander gives up a leadoff double to Bip Roberts in the bottom of the frame but gets the 1-0 victory when Mel Rojas secures the final three outs for a save.

1996 At the Huggins-Stengel complex in St. Petersburg, the expansion Devil Rays begin their first mini-camp in franchise history. Twenty-four free agents, signed before the June draft, work out in front of the recently assembled Tampa Bay coaching staff and Tom Foley, the team's field coordinator.
1998 Orlando Hernandez gets the victory in his major league debut when the Yankees defeat the Devil Rays in New York, 7-1. 'El Duque,' who escaped from Cuba by boat six months ago, allows a run on five hits in seven innings.

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2001 Manny Ramirez's fourth-inning solo blast into the fifth deck off Blue Jay right-hander Chris Carpenter is the longest home run ever hit in the history of the SkyDome. The Red Sox DH's 491-foot moon shot eclipses A's first baseman Mark McGwire's 1996 mark by three feet

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2002 The 20-33 Blue Jays dismiss Buck Martinez, making him the fifth major league manager fired since the season started. Third-base coach Carlos Tosca, who will pilot the team to a 58-51 (.532) record during the remainder of the season, replaces the former catcher and broadcaster.
2003 In one of the minor league's strangest giveaways, the first 500 fans attending Ted Williams Night at the Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings game receive popsicles. Many are critical of the event, believing the promotion mocks the recently cryogenically frozen Red Sox Hall of Fame outfielder.

 

2003 Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter is named the 11th captain in club history. The 28-year-old joins Hal Chase (1912), Roger Peckinpaugh (1914-21), Babe Ruth (for six days in 1922), Everett Scott (1922), Lou Gehrig (1935-41), Thurman Munson (1976-79), Graig Nettles (1982-84), co-captains Willie Randolph and Ron Guidry (1986-89), and Don Mattingly (1991-95).

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2003 Slugger Sammy Sosa is ejected from the game during the first inning after his bat shatters, exposing a cork center. The Cub outfielder will be suspended by major league baseball for eight games (reduced by one game after an appeal) for his offense.

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2004 After calling 4,306 consecutive regular-season games and another 41 during the postseason, Tom Cheek's streak ends. The modest broadcaster, who misses his first game due to his dad's death, had done play-by-play of every Blue Jays game since the team's inception on a snowy day in 1977.
2004 Julio Franco becomes the oldest player in baseball history to hit a grand slam. The 45-year-old Dominican first baseman's first-inning bases-loaded home run off Josh Hancock proves to be the difference when the Braves beat the Phillies at Turner Field, 8-4.
2008 In a Grand Prairie AirHogs promotion, Elaine Fulps wins a certificate for a casket and a funeral at the Chapel of Roses Funeral Home, as well as a cemetery plot and a headstone. The American Association minor league team's $10,000 giveaway will not expire until the 60 year-old winner from Arlington (TX) resident does, according to Ron Alexander, the sales manager at Oak Grove Memorial Gardens.
2009 At Safeco Field, Mariner outfielder Ichiro Suzuki singles off Baltimore's Brad Bergesen in the third inning of the team's walk-off 3-2 victory over the Orioles, establishing a franchise record by hitting safely in his 27th consecutive game. The streak, which he is batting .402 (47 for 117), marks the seventh time the 35 year-old All-Star has compiled a hitting streak of at least 20 games, including the previous team mark of 25, set two seasons ago.

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2010 A day after Jim Joyce called Jason Donald safe, who appeared out, ruining Armando Galarraga's perfect game, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm issues a proclamation stating the Tigers right-hander indeed pitched a perfecto against the Indians, dismissing the blown call. Also, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow reports she is lobbying baseball commissioner Bud Selig to declare Galarraga's performance a perfect game, and U.S. Representative John D. Dingell says he is planning to introduce a resolution in Congress asking for the call's reversal.

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2010 The day after he loses a perfect game on a blown call, Armando Galarraga presents the lineup card at home plate to Jim Joyce, the ump who made the infamous call. In a display of outstanding sportsmanship, applauded nationwide, the two shake hands, and when the pitcher walks away, the apologetic arbitrator pats the Venezuelan right-hander on the shoulder.

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2012 In a pregame ceremony at Citi Field, John Franco becomes the 26th member of the Mets Hall of Fame. The former southpaw reliever, who also played for Cincinnati and Houston, leads all lefties in all-time saves with 424, including 276 for the Mets, a franchise record.

2017 Albert Pujols becomes the ninth major leaguer to hit 600 home runs and the only player to reach the milestone with a grand slam. The 37 year-old Los Angeles DH, the fourth youngest to accomplished the feat behind only Babe Ruth, Alex Rodrigues, and Henry Aaron, goes deep in the fourth inning off Ervin Santana in the team's 7-4 victory over the Twins at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
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On June 3 in Baseball History...

• • 1925 - White Sox manager Eddie Collins makes hit number 3,000 against Detroit.
  • 1930 - Grover Alexander is released by the Phillies after posting an 0-3 record. He ends his career thinking he has the N.L. record for most wins at 373, one more than Christy Mathewson. In 1946, a win disallowed in 1902 is restored to Mathewson's record, to leave the two great pitchers at a tie.
  • 1932 - Lou Gehrig hits four consecutive home runs and narrowly misses a fifth in a Yankees-Athletics slugfest won by New York 20-13. Tony Lazzeri hits for the cycle, and the teams set a still-standing record for extra bases on long hits in a single game (41).
  • 1937 - Negro Leagues star Josh Gibson is credited with a drive that hits just two feet below the rim of Yankee Stadium, about 580 feet from home plate. It is estimated that the ball would have traveled nearly 700 feet if unimpeded.
  • 1953 - Congress cites the research of New York City librarian Robert Henderson in proving that Alexander Cartwright founded baseball and not Abner Doubleday. His 1947 book Bat, Ball and Bishop documents Cartwright's contributions to the origins of the game of baseball.
  • 1955 - Stan Musial hits the 300th home run of his career, a fifth-inning, three-run shot against Brooklyn's Johnny Podres. The Cards use an N.L.-record eight pitchers but still lose 12-5.
  • 1958 - The Dodger referendum passes in Los Angeles by a slim margin of 24,293 votes. The proposition allows the city to sell 300 acres of Chavez Ravine to the Dodgers for their stadium. The N.L. president had stated that the Dodgers should vacate Los Angeles if the bill failed.
  • 1971 - Cubs southpaw Ken Holtzman tosses the second no-hitter of his career, victimizing the Reds 1-0. Holtzman scores the only run, in the third inning.
  • 1980 - The New York Mets select 18-year-old Darryl Strawberry from Los Angeles's Crenshaw High School with the first pick in the annual June free-agent draft. The Blue Jays then pick shortstop Garry Harris.
  • 1985 - The Brewers select University of North Carolina catcher B.J. Surhoff with the first pick in what will prove to be an extremely fruitful free-agent draft. Surhoff was the catcher for the U.S. Olympic Team in 1984, and fellow Olympians Will Clark (Mississippi State), Bobby Witt (University of Oklahoma), and Barry Larkin (University of Michigan) are drafted second, third, and fourth by the Giants, Rangers, and Reds, respectively.
  • 1989 - Nolan Ryan pitches his second one-hitter this season and 11th overall, allowing only a first-inning single to Harold Reynolds in a 6-1 win over Seattle. Ryan also strikes out 11 to tie Don Sutton's major league record of 21 seasons with at least 100 strikeouts.
  • 1991 - The Yankees make high-school pitcher Brien Taylor the number one pick of the amateur draft. The Braves take Arizona State outfielder Mike Kelly with the second pick.
  • 1995 - Expos pitcher Pedro Martinez is perfect for nine innings in San Diego, but loses his no-hitter when Bip Roberts doubles to lead off the tenth inning. Montreal eventually comes away with a 1-0 win.
  • 1997 - Albert Belle returns to Cleveland for the first time since signing a $55-million, five-year contract with the rival White Sox. Belle has three hits, including a three-run home run, and when the fans pelt him with debris he waves his glove and asks for more. After the last out of Chicago's 9-5 win, Belle gives a final obscene gesture to the Jacobs Field crowd before running off the field.

Baseball Birthdays on June 3...

• • 1863 - Wagenhorst, Woody
  • 1867 - Widner, Wild Bill
  • 1875 - Dobbs, John
  • 1881 - Hanford, Charlie
  • 1888 - Baker, Jesse
  • 1890 - Taff, John
  • 1890 - Wilson, Tom
  • 1892 - Lohr, Howard
  • 1895 - Bassler, Johnny
  • 1899 - Pickering, Urbane
  • 1900 - Baldwin, Harry
  • 1903 - Geygan, Chappie
  • 1913 - Sheehan, Jim
  • 1916 - Wilson, Max
  • 1924 - Armstrong, George
  • 1928 - Young, Dick
  • 1934 - Gentile, Jim
  • 1942 - Josephson, Duane
  • 1943 - Keller, Ron
  • 1953 - Glynn, Ed
  • 1955 - Gaudet, Jim
  • 1956 - Valdez, Julio
  • 1960 - Lyons, Steve
  • 1960 - Lyons, Barry
  • 1961 - Tolentino, Jose
  • 1964 - Liriano, Nelson
  • 1970 - Everett, Carl
  • 1971 - Ledesma, Aaron
  • 1971 - Molina, Izzy
  • 1972 - Rekar, Bryan
  • 1973 - Machado, Robert
  • 1975 - Molina, Jose

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6/4
OTD
BIRTHDAYS
1932 John McNamara manager (American League Manager of the Year 1986; Boston Red Sox), born in Sacramento, California (d. 2020)

1938 Art Mahaffey pitcher (MLB All-Star (1961, 1961, 1962; Philadelphia Phillies), born in Cincinnati, Ohio

1956 Terry Kennedy baseball player, born in Euclid, Ohio

1957 Tony Peña baseball player (Cleveland Indians, Pirates), born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic

1964 Steve Searcy baseball player (Detroit Tigers), born in Knoxville, Tennessee
1965 Beau Allred baseball player (Cleveland Indians), born in Mesa, Arizona
1965 Kurt Stillwell, infielder (Texas Rangers), born in Glendale, California
1967 Rick Wilkins baseball catcher (Houston Astros), born in Jacksonville, Florida

1967 Scott Servais, catcher (Chicago Cubs), born in La Crosse, Wisconsin
1969 Robert Perez outfielder (Toronto Blue Jays) Bolivar Venezuela,
1974 Darin Erstad, outfielder (California Angels)

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1890 Submariner Tim Keefe of the New York Giants franchise of the Players League defeats the Boston Reds, 9-4, to record his 300th victory. 'Sir Timothy', who won 19 straight decisions in 1888, will finish his 14-year career with 342 victories.

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1911 In a 26-3 win over the Braves at the Palace of the Fans in Cincinnati, thirteen Reds players cross home plate. It is the highest number of different players from one team to score in a single game in major league history.
1937 Gus Suhr establishes a new National League record when he plays in his 822nd consecutive game. The Pirates first baseman's streak will end the following day when he attends his mother's funeral in San Francisco.

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1940 The Braves sign South Park High School (Buffalo, NY) standout Warren Spahn, who will make his major league debut in 1942 when he appears in two games as a 20-year-old for Boston before serving three years in the Army during World War II. The Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient will return to the National League in 1946 to win the first game of his career at the age of 25 en route to becoming the winningest southpaw in the history of the game with 363 victories.

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1940 The Cardinals play their first night game at home, losing to Brooklyn, 10-1, despite Joe Medwick's 5-for-5 performance that included three doubles. The honor of hosting the first evening tilt in St. Louis, that took place on May 24, was given to the Browns, after the two teams finally agreed to split the $150,000 cost of installing lights at Sportsman's Park, the ballpark they share.
1940 Pittsburgh routs the Boston Bees, 14-2, in the first night game played in the Steel City. Joe Bowman, the Pirates' starter, tosses a five-hitter, with rookies Bob Elliott and Maurice Van Robays providing the offense with timely extra-base hits.

 

1951 Pirates outfielder Gus Bell hits for the cycle in Philadelphia as the Bucs beat the Phillies, 12-4. In 2004, his grandson David, whose dad Buddy also played in the major leagues, also collects a single, double, triple, and home run in a game, marking the first time a grandfather-grandson combination has accomplished the feat.\

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1953 As part of a ten-player swap, the Pirates trade Ralph Kiner, along with Joe Garagiola, George Metkovich and Howie Pollet to the Cubs for Bob Addis, Toby Atwell, George Freese, Gene Hermanski, Bob Schultz, Preston Ward and $150,000. The perennial All-Star outfielder will be replaced by freshman Frank Thomas, who will hit 30 home runs and collect 102 RBIs to establish new rookie records for the franchise.

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1957 At a seventy-five minute meeting at City Hall with Walter O'Malley and Horace Stoneham, presidents of the Dodgers and Giants, respectively, tell Mayor Robert Wagner neither club committed to move out of New York - and none to stay in the Big Apple. After the National League's permission for the teams explore the possibility of moving their franchises to the West Coast, His Honor assures them that the city will be of assistance in replacing the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field, the aging ballparks the clubs call home.
1964 At Connie Mack Stadium, Sandy Koufax throws his third no-hitter in three years, blanking the Phillies 3-0. The Dodgers' southpaw, who will add a perfect game to his resume next season, joins Larry Corcoran, Cy Young, and Bob Feller as the only other major leaguers to pitch three career hitless games.

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1967 At Busch Stadium, Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood's errorless streak of 227 games and 568 chances ends when he drops Rich Nye's fifth-inning fly ball. The muff leads to an unearned run, but St. Louis still beats Chicago, 4-3.

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1968 At the Ambassador Hotel, Robert Kennedy tells his followers in the ballroom giving his victory speech in the California primary before being fatally shot, "I like to express my high regard to Don Drysdale, who pitched his sixth straight shutout tonight. And I hope we can have as good fortune in our campaign." At nearby Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers right-hander had blanked the Bucs, 6-0, extending his scoreless streak to 54 innings.
1968 Don Drysdale, pitching his sixth consecutive shutout, defeats the Pirates, 5-0. The Dodger right-hander will extend his major league record scoreless streak to 58.2 innings before yielding a run in his next start.

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1972 The Dodgers retire Roy Campanella's uniform number 39. Campy, who won the MVP three times catching for Brooklyn in the fifties, joins Jackie Robinson (42) and Sandy Koufax (32) to be honored in this manner.

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1974 On Ten-Cent Beer Night, home plate ump Nestor Chylak stops play with the score tied at five in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Rangers the forfeited victory over the Indians at Cleveland Stadium. The promotion, which sells estimated 60,000 cups of brew to a crowd 25,134 fans, becomes unmangable when drunken Cleveland fans attacked Texas outfielder Jeff Burroughs and the umpires.
1976 Mets right fielder Dave Kingman, in the team's 11-0 victory at Dodger Stadium, hits three home runs. Sky King's two-run dinger and two three-run round-trippers drive in eight runs, a new club record.

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1980 Mets right-hander Pat Zachry (7) and Neil Allen (3) combine to throw a three-hitter against the Cardinals at Shea Stadium. Unfortunately for the Mets, the third Redbird hit is a home run by Ken Reitz leading off the tenth inning of team’s eventual 1-0 loss to St. Louis.
1980 At Shea Stadium, Jim Kaat, recently traded from the Yankees, goes the distance when the Cardinal left-hander blanks the Mets in 10 innings, 1-0. The 41-year-old hurler, who didn't start a game last season, gets the victory thanks to third baseman Ken Reitz's extra inning solo home run.

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1986 In a 12-3 rout of the Braves, Pirates rookie outfielder Barry Bonds hits his first major league home run, off Craig McMurtry. Bobby's son will become the all-time career home run leader, hitting 762 during his 22-year career playing for Pittsburgh and the San Francisco Giants.

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1989 After trailing 10-0 after six innings, the Blue Jays rally to beat the Red Sox, 13-11. The Junior Felix's two-run home run in the top of the 12th inning is the decisive blow in Fenway Park contest.
1990 En route to a 6-0 complete-game victory, 22-year-old Dodger right-hander Ramon Martinez limits Atlanta to three hits. Pedro's older brother, who will finish the season with a 20-6 record, strikes out 18 batters during the contest.

 

1996 Jacksonville Suns' (Tigers - AA) reliever Pamela Davis throws one scoreless inning of relief to earn the win in a minor league exhibition game against the Australian Olympic team, becoming the first woman to pitch for a major league farm club.

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1996 Paul Wilder is selected as the Devil Rays' first-ever draft pick when the team participates in the June free agent amateur draft. The 18-year-old outfielder-first baseman, who tops the huge list of 97 players chosen by Tampa Bay, will spend four years in the minor leagues without ever appearing in a major league game.
1998 The Dodgers trade the 1995 National League Rookie of the Year Hideo Nomo (2-7 with a 5.05 ERA) and reliever Brad Clontz to the Mets for pitchers Dave Mlicki and Greg McMichael.
1998 The Indians become the first publicly traded major league team when the team raises $60 million by selling all four-million shares of common stock at the purchase price of $15. Although the shares sold to the public each carry a single vote, Mr. Jacobs will still control the club, owning most of the of the 2.3 million Class B shares that carry 10,000 votes each.
2000 Esteban Yan becomes the 14th player in baseball history to hit the first pitch thrown to him in a professional game for home run. In addition to his historic homer, the Devil Rays hurler picks up the victory in the interleague contest against the Mets.
2001 After falling behind in the count, 3-0, Little League pitcher Robert Knight strikes out the final batter to complete a perfect game in which all 18 batters striking out. The 5-foot-3 twelve year-old also had three hits as the Tigers beat the Giants, 7-0.

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2001 In front of the team store at Miller Park, the Brewers unveil a bronze sculpture of Robin Yount, the two-time American League Most Valuable Player who played his entire 20-year career with the team. The work created by sculptor Brian Maughan depicts an older player in mid-swing, but is the called "The Kid," a nickname given to the future Hall of Famer as an 18-year-old in his rookie season in 1974.

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2003 Although his bat may have contained cork in yesterday's game, all five of Sammy Sosa's historic bats housed at the Hall of Fame and the 76 confiscated from his locker by major league baseball revealed no signs of tampering. The use X-rays and CT scans clear the Cubs slugger's remaining lumber.

 

2003 At Puerto Rico's Hiram Bithorn Stadium, Jeff DaVanon of the Angels joins Lee May (1969, Reds), Frank Thomas (1962, Mets), and Gus Zernial (1951, A's) as the fourth player to have three consecutive multi-homer games. At the same time, the Anaheim outfielder also becomes the third player to do it from both sides of the plate in two back-to-back contests, matching Ken Caminiti (1995, Padres) and Eddie Murray (1987, Orioles).

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2006 After going 1-for-11 in his first four games, Lastings Milledge collects three hits, including his first big league dinger. The two-run home run off Giants All-Star closer Armando Benitez, which ties the game in the tenth, sparks controversy when the Mets rookie, on his way to his position in right field in the 11th inning, high fives some of the Shea Stadium fans in the front row, much to the displeasure to many players in both dugouts.
2009 In the opener of a twin bill, Randy Johnson gives a solid six-inning performance in the Giants' 5-1 victory over the Nationals to earn his 300th victory. The 'Big Unit' becomes the 24th pitcher to accomplish the feat, and first to reach the milestone on his first attempt since Tom Seaver beat the Yankees in 1985.

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2010 The Brevard County Manatees announce they will stop taking 'BP', to protest of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the company with the same initials. The Florida State League team, a farm club of the Brewers, plans to refer to batting practice as hitting rehearsal, to become better known as 'HR'.
2010 After coming home from a 0-6 road trip, Orioles manager Dave Trembley is fired by the club that has the worst record in the major leagues. Third base coach Juan Samuel is appointed the interim skipper of the 15-39 last-place Birds.
2012 With the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft, the Astros take Carlos Correa, making him the first player from Puerto Rico to be selected number one overall. Before the selection of the 17-year-old shortstop from Velázquez, former major league catcher Ramon Castro had previously been the highest-drafted player out of the Commonwealth when he was chosen No. 17 overall by Houston in 1994.
2013 After tying the game in the tenth inning with a home run off Steve Cishek, John Mayberry Jr. hits his first career bases-full round-tripper with two outs at the bottom of the 11th, giving the Phillies a 7-3 walk-off victory over Miami at Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia outfielder, who entered the contest in the seventh frame as a pinch-hitter, ties a major league record shared by five other players for the most round-trippers hit in extra innings in one game.

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2018 Aaron Judge becomes the first major leaguer with eight strikeouts in a doubleheader when he earns a platinum sombrero in the Yankees’ 4-2 nightcap loss to the Tigers. In the opener at Comerica Park, the Bronx right fielder whiffed in his first three at-bats, facing Detroit starter Mike Fiers.
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On June 4 in Baseball History...

• • 1943 - Mort Cooper of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches back-to-back one-hitters, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers on May 31 and the Philadelphia Phillies on June 4. Hits by Billy Herman on May 31 and by Jimmy Wasdell of the Phils deprive him of no-hitters.
  • 1953 - Pittsburgh trades outfielder Ralph Kiner, catcher Joe Garagiola, pitcher Howie Pollet, and outfielder Catfish Metkovich to the Cubs for catcher Toby Atwell, pitcher Bob Schultz, first baseman Preston Ward, third baseman George Freese, outfielder Bob Addis, outfielder Gene Hermanski, and $150,000.
  • 1964 - Sandy Koufax becomes the fourth pitcher to hurl three no-hitters by blanking the N.L.-leading Phillies 3-0 at Connie Mack Stadium. Koufax strikes out 12 and walks one.
  • 1967 - Curt Flood's record string of 568 straight chances without an error ends when he drops a fly ball during a 4-3 win over the Cubs at St. Louis. The Cardinals center fielder had played an N.L.-record 227 straight games without an error beginning Sept. 3, 1965.
  • 1970 - In the June draft, the Padres select high school catcher Mike Ivie as the number one pick. Choosing next, the Indians take Stanford pitcher Steve Dunning. The Pirates wait till the 15th round to take Dave Parker.
  • 1972 - A major-league record eight shutouts are pitched in the day's 16 games � five in the A.L., three in the N.L..
  • 1974 - On Ten-Cent Beer Night at Cleveland, unruly fans stumble onto the field and cause the Indians to forfeit the game to the Rangers with the score tied 5-5 in the ninth inning.
  • 1975 - Danny Goodwin, picked first in the June 1971 free-agent draft, is picked first again, this time by the Angels. The next four picks fail to make the major leagues. Montreal picks future hall of famer Andre Dawson during the tenth round.
  • 1988 - Rickey Henderson steals two bases in New York's 7-6, 14-inning loss to the Orioles, giving him a club-record 249 steals.
  • 1989 - Toronto beats Boston 13-11 in 12 innings after trailing 10-0 after six innings. It is the biggest lead the Red Sox have ever blown and is also their 12th consecutive loss to the Blue Jays at Fenway.
  • 1990 - Ramon Martinez, 22, strikes out 18 Braves in a 2-0 Dodgers win. He ties Sandy Koufax's club record and is one short of the N.L. mark. Martinez whiffed none in the ninth inning.
  • 1992 - San Jose voters tell the Giants they don't want them by rejecting a plan to build a new stadium in their town. Then the Astros add insult to injury by swatting the ball every which way in a 12-6 drubbing at Candlestick Park in front of just 8,850.

Baseball Birthdays on June 4...

• • 1849 - Parks, Bill
  • 1852 - Murnane, Tim
  • 1867 - Townsend, George
  • 1870 - Lipp, Tom
  • 1877 - Crisham, Pat
  • 1882 - Burg, Joe
  • 1885 - Vaughn, Bobby
  • 1886 - Weaver, Orlie
  • 1889 - Magee, Lee
  • 1892 - Kelly, Herb
  • 1892 - Twombly, George
  • 1892 - Maloy, Paul
  • 1896 - Connolly, Joe
  • 1900 - Watkins, George
  • 1906 - Marshall, Doc
  • 1907 - Washington, George
  • 1908 - Klinger, Bob
  • 1908 - Jorgens, Orville
  • 1913 - Holden, Joe
  • 1913 - Murray, Amby
  • 1915 - Holland, Bill
  • 1922 - Coleman, Ray
  • 1922 - Grimsley, Ross
  • 1925 - Aylward, Dick
  • 1928 - Hunter, Billy
  • 1933 - Earley, Arnold
  • 1938 - Mahaffey, Art
  • 1939 - Linz, Phil
  • 1947 - Griffin, Doug
  • 1953 - Demery, Larry
  • 1956 - Kennedy, Terry
  • 1957 - Pena, Tony
  • 1958 - Jones, Ricky
  • 1964 - Searcy, Steve
  • 1965 - Allred, Beau
  • 1965 - Stillwell, Kurt
  • 1967 - Servais, Scott
  • 1967 - Wilkins, Rick
  • 1969 - Perez, Robert
  • 1973 - Lundquist, David
  • 1974 - Coquillette, Trace
  • 1974 - Erstad, Darin
  • 1976 - Romero, J.C.

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