BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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6/20
OTD
BIRTHDAYS
1908 Billy Werber, (Cincinnati Reds), born in Berwyn Heights, Maryland (d. 2009)

1943 Andy Etchebarren catcher (Baltimore Orioles), born in Whittier, California

1944 Dave Nelson

1958 Dickie Thon

1961 Gary Varsho

1964 Carlos Lee

1972 Paul Bako

1976 Rob Mackowiak
1978 Bobby Seay

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1901 John W. Taylor goes the distance but takes the loss when the Beaneaters defeat the Orphans at Boston's South End Grounds. The right-hander's start begins a remarkable streak of 187 consecutive complete games that end in August of 1906, when he is relieved by another pitcher, after amassing an incredible 1,727 innings of work that includes finishing up 15 games in relief.

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1912 In a slugfest, the Giants and Braves score a total of 17 runs in the ninth inning. New York scores seven runs in the top of the frame, but the Braves scored ten runs in the bottom of the ninth to narrow the margin, 21-12.
1921 At Fenway Park, Babe Ruth hits his 127th home run, helping the Yankees defeat the Red Sox in 10 innings, 7-6. The homer moves the 'Sultan of Swat' past Sam Thompson into second place on the career list for homers and 11 dingers behind all-time leader Roger Connor.
1925 At Forbes Field, Max Carey becomes the first switch-hitter to hit for the cycle, helping the Bucs bash Brooklyn, 21-5. In addition to his four hits in six trips to the plate, the Pirate outfielder scores two runs and drives in four runs.

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1950 After stroking an RBI single in the third inning, Joe DiMaggio strikes again in the seventh with another run-scoring safety to collect his 2,000th career hit. The Yankee Clipper reaches the milestone in an 8-2 victory in Cleveland, the 1,537th contest he has played in the major leagues.

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1951 Bobby Avila goes 5-for-6 at the plate, collecting 15 total bases and scoring four runs in the Indians' 14-6 victory over Boston. The Tribe's second baseman's offensive output at Fenway Park includes three home runs and a double.

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1961 The voting ends in a 'worldwide election' to settle the question of who is better, New York's Mickey Mantle or San Francisco's Willie Mays. Inspired by Bill Hoebler, a young baseball fan from Pittsburgh, the Sport magazine's poll puts the Yankee center fielder ahead of the Giants' Say Hey Kid by more than 500 votes, after tallying the seventeen pounds of postcards from all 50 states and several countries.

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1961 On the day he is released, Pittsburgh names Gene Baker as the player-manager of their Class D Batavia Pirates of New York-Penn League, making him the first black manager of a minor league team with a major league affiliation. The 36-year-old former infielder pilots the floundering 18-24 club to a third-place finish, losing the league finals to the Olean Red Sox.

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1963 In the Bronx, the Yankees and Mets participate in their first Mayor's Trophy Game, with former Bronx Bomber skipper Casey Stengel employing his best pitchers, Jay Hook (5) and Carl Willey (4), to defeat the reigning World Champions in the exhibition contest, 6-2. An enthusiastic crowd of 50,742, mostly National League fans, sees many of their banners supporting the expansion club confiscated upon entering The House That Ruth Built.
1967 Allowing only a second-inning double to Tommy Davis, Larry Jackson tosses a one-hitter, blanking the Mets at Connie Mack Stadium, 4-0. The win marks the right-hander's eighteenth consecutive victory over New York, starting with the first game the 1962 expansion team ever played, a streak that will end on August 14 with an 8-3 loss.

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1968 In a pitching duel between future Hall of Famers, Bob Gibson beats Ferguson Jenkins and the Cubs, 1-0, thanks to Curt Flood's third-inning single plating Lou Brock, who tripled to right field with two outs. The two-hour and five-minute Busch Stadium contest results in the fourth straight loss for Chicago without scoring a run, including three by 1-0 scores.

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1973 Giants right fielder Bobby Bonds hits his 22nd career leadoff home run in the team's 7-5 loss to Cincinnati at Candlestick Park. The Californian's first-inning shot off Reds' southpaw Don Gullett breaks Lou Brock's 1979 mark for homers leading off a game
1977 The Red Sox set a major league record when the team hits their twenty-second home run in the past six games. Butch Hobson's eighth-inning solo shot off Rudy May in the team's 4-0 victory over the Orioles at Memorial Stadium establishes the new mark.
1980 Al Cowens, exacting revenge for being hit last season with a pitch thrown by Ed Farmer that fractured his jaw, takes a detour to the mound after hitting an infield grounder and tackles the White Sox reliever, landing several punches before the two are separated. Forced to skip the remainder of the series at Comiskey Park because of an arrest warrant, the Tiger right fielder will receive a seven-day suspension for his action.
1980 Five-foot-five Freddie Patek hits three home runs to help the Angels beat the Red Sox, 20-2. During his 14-year career in the big leagues with the Royals, Pirates, and Angels, the diminutive shortstop will hit 41 round-trippers, an average of four each season

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1982 At Three Rivers Stadium, in a 3-1 loss to the Pirates, Pete Rose becomes the fifth major leaguer to appear in 3000 games. The Phillies' first baseman, playing in his 523rd consecutive contest, joins Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Hank Aaron, and Carl Yastrzemski as one of only five players to reach the milestone

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1983 Yankee outfielder Bobby Murcer retires as an active player, ending his 17-year major league career with a .277 lifetime batting average and 252 home runs. The popular outfielder, who also played for the Giants and Cubs, will become a mainstay in the broadcast booth until he succumbs to a brain tumor in 2008.

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1986 Bo Jackson, the collegiate football standout who will eventually spend four seasons with the Oakland Raiders, signs with the Kansas City Royals, the defending World Champions, to play baseball. The Auburn running back had been selected first overall in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Heisman trophy winner turns down the Buccaneers' more lucrative offer when the team refuses his choice to play two sports.
1987 After giving up home runs to Dale Murphy and Ken Griffey, Reds starter Bill Gullickson plunks Andres Thomas in the back with a pitch in the Reds' 8-6 loss at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The Braves' shortstop takes exception and charges the mound, precipitating a bench-clearing brawl that will result in both of the initial combatants getting tossed from the game.

 

1991 Ivan Rodriguez becomes the youngest person to catch a major league game when he bats ninth in the Rangers' 7-3 victory over White Sox. The 19-year-old backstop, called Pudge by his teammates, nails two would-be base stealers and goes 1-for-4 with a two-run single in the ninth inning of the Comiskey Park contest

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1992 Kelly Saunders fills in for Baltimore's Rex Barney, becoming the second woman to be a public address announcer at a major league game. In 1966, Joy Hawkins McCabe, the Senators' public-relations director's daughter, became the first female PA announcer, doing one contest for Washington at DC Stadium against the White Sox.
1994 Detroit's string of 25 consecutive games with a home run ends when they drop a 7-1 decision to the Indians at Tiger Stadium. The span tied the major league record set by the 1941 New York Yankee squad, powered by Bronx Bombers Charlie Keller, Tommy Henrich, and Joe DiMaggio.
1995 At Jacobs Field, the Indians reach the million mark in attendance on the earliest date in franchise history when 40,516 fans watch their pennant-bound team rout the Red Sox, 9-2, behind the solid performance of starter Chad Ogea. The 100-44 club will finish second in attendance in the American League, trailing only the Orioles, who draw over three million patrons at Camden Yards in the strike-shortened season.
1996 The Devil Rays get their first win in the organization's history when the club's Gulf Coast League affiliate beats the GCL Astros. Jose Rodriguez, an 18-year-old right-hander from Cotui in the Dominican Republic, gets the victory.
1997 Aaron Boone, respectively the son and grandson of former major leaguers Bob and Ray, is called up from the Reds' minor leagues. To make room on the roster, Cincinnati demotes his brother, Bret.
1998 At Wrigley Field, Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa hits two home runs for the second straight day, setting a major league mark with 16 round-trippers in June. The 29-year-old Chicago slugger will extend the record when he goes deep for his 20th on the last day of the month.

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1999 A rusty Troy Percival, who hasn't pitched in a week, establishes a franchise record with his 127th save for the Angels when he finishes the team's 4-2 victory in New York. The right-handed closer's less-than-stellar outing, allowing four batters to reach base and giving up a run, surpasses the team mark established by Bryan Harvey in 1992.

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2001 Hitting his 38th homer of the season, Barry Bonds breaks the major league mark established by Reggie Jackson (1969) and Mark McGwire (1998) for home runs hit before the All-Star Game. However, the Giants' left fielder still has 17 games to add to the record.
2002 Luis Castillo extends his hitting streak to 34 games, breaking the 1922 record established by Rogers Hornsby for the longest hitting streak by a second baseman. The Dominican infielder's accomplishment, the 14th longest in major league history, also ties Benito Santiago's record set in 1987 for the longest established by a Latin player.

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2002 A four-and-a-half-hour closed-casket public viewing takes place at Busch Stadium for Jack Buck, the 77-year-old Hall of Fame broadcaster who died from complications following lung surgery. In memory of the KMOX legend, fans leave cards, stuffed animals, photographs, and other memorabilia outside the stadium at the foot of the bronze statue depicting him at the microphone.
2003 Miguel Cabrera's first major league hit is a two-run walk-off homer in the eleventh inning of a 3-1 Marlin victory over the Devil Rays at Dolphin Stadium. The Marlins had signed the skinny 20-year-old outfielder from Maracay, Venezuela as an amateur free agent in 1999.

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2004 On Father's Day with his dad in attendance, 34 year-old Ken Griffey, Jr. blasts a sixth-inning Matt Morris fastball over the right-field wall at Busch Stadium for his 500th career home run. The Reds' center fielder becomes the twentieth major leaguer and the sixth youngest to reach the milestone.

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2006 The Rockies' starter Jason Jennings and relievers Tom Martin and Brian Fuentes combine to produce the first one-hitter in franchise history. The 6-0 victory against Oakland marks the third time a Coors Field contest yields one hit or less.
2007 Connecting on a fifth-inning hanging breaking ball thrown by Cubs' hurler Jason Marquis, Sammy Sosa becomes the fifth major league player to hit 600 career home runs. The Rangers' designated hitter, who missed the entire season last year, joins Hank Aaron (755), Barry Bonds (748), Babe Ruth (714), and Willie Mays (660) in reaching the milestone.
2008 John Gibbons becomes the third manager fired in the past four days as the last-place Blue Jays fire their skipper. Cito Gaston, who piloted Toronto to a pair of world championships in 1992 and 1993, has been brought back to lead the team.
2008 In recognition of their significant contributions to the community, the Dodgers become the first sports franchise to be honored by the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The team's Award of Excellence star takes its place on the Walk of Fame, which includes a constellation of celebrities, real and fictional, who have had a significant impact on the entertainment industry.

 

2009 Two major league games end on walk-off wild pitches in extra innings on the same day. Jason Jennings' errant throw allows Nate Schierholtz to score the winning run for the Giants with two outs in the 11th inning to beat Texas, 2-1, and Andres Blanco comes home on Kerry Wood's miscue, giving the Cubs a 6-5 victory over the Indians in 13 innings.
2009 With their parents in attendance wearing opposing jerseys, Jeff Weaver beats his kid brother Jered when the visiting Dodgers best the Halos, 6-5, at Angel Stadium. The Northridge, California natives become the eighth set of siblings in major league history to start against one another.
2009 A.J. Burnett strikes out the side on nine pitches in the third inning in the Yankees' 2-1 loss to Florida. Josh Johnson, Chris Coghlan, and Emilio Bonifacio all strike out swinging in the Land Shark Stadium contest.

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2011 The Marlins announce Jack McKeon will be the team's interim manager, replacing Edwin Rodriguez, who resigned yesterday. The 80-year-old skipper, the second-oldest in major league history, is taking over the floundering Fish club that has lost ten consecutive games and 18 of its last 19, after starting the season by winning 30 of its first 50 contests.
2013 Reds' third baseman Todd Frazier, a New Jersey native, has 'Woke Up This Morning,' the "Sopranos" theme song, played when he steps up to the plate against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. With the selection of the iconic tune from the HBO series, the Cincinnati infielder pays tribute to James Gandolfini, the actor best known for his role as Garden State mob boss Tony Soprano, who passed away yesterday at the age of 51.
2015 One strike away from a perfect game, Max Scherzer's bid for immortality is spoiled when he hits Jose Tabata with a pitch, a slider off the elbow that many believed the Pittsburgh outfielder purposely leaned into to get on base. The 30-year-old right-hander records the final out on the next batter to complete his first-ever no-hitter, allowing just one hit in two consecutive starts after tossing a 16-strikeout, one-hit complete game against Milwaukee in his last outing.

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Today in Baseball History
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On June 20 in Baseball History...

• • 1932 - Roger Cramer of the A's has six hits in consecutive times at bat in a nine-inning game. Cramer will do this again in 1935, the only A.L. player to repeat the feat.
  • 1948 - Cleveland draws 82,781 for a doubleheader, a major league record for a regular season game that will be broken by the same club in 1954. The Indians will attract 2.6 million for the season.
  • 1956 - At Detroit's Briggs Stadium, Mickey Mantle poles two Billy Hoeft pitches into the right center field bleachers, something no other player had done since the bleachers were built in the late 1930s. New York wins 7-4.
  • 1973 - Bobby Bonds leads off with a home run, but the Giants lose 7-5 to the Reds. It is Bonds's 22nd leadoff home run, breaking Lou Brock's N.L. record.
  • 1973 - Chicago's Cy Acosta becomes the first A.L. pitcher to bat since the DH rule went into effect. Acosta strikes out in the eighth inning, but is credited with an 8-3 victory over California.
  • 1982 - Pete Rose plays in his 3,000th major league game (a 3-1 loss to the Pirates), joining Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Hank Aaron, and Carl Yastrzemski as the only players to reach that plateau.
  • 1986 - After leading the club to a 26-38 record, Tony LaRussa is fired as manager of the White Sox and replaced by Jim Fregosi. LaRussa will be hired to manage the A's early next month.
  • 1991 - The Reds lose the MVP of the 1990 World Series when Jose Rijo breaks his ankle in a steal attempt. Cincinnati also loses the game to Montreal 1-0.

Baseball Birthdays on June 20...

• • 1845 - Cuthbert, Ned
  • 1857 - Esterbrook, Dude
  • 1874 - Mercer, Win
  • 1876 - Hinton, John
  • 1879 - Delahanty, Jim
  • 1885 - Hendricks, Ed
  • 1888 - Hagerman, Rip
  • 1889 - Warner, Ed
  • 1890 - Wilkinson, Ed
  • 1890 - Grover, Charlie
  • 1898 - Shirey, Duke
  • 1901 - McBee, Pryor
  • 1902 - Dean, Wayland
  • 1908 - Werber, Billy
  • 1919 - Clemensen, Bill
  • 1920 - Barbary, Red
  • 1925 - Koshorek, Clem
  • 1928 - Mahoney, Bob
  • 1928 - Schult, Art
  • 1929 - Burnette, Wally
  • 1930 - Graber, Rod
  • 1932 - Barragan, Cuno
  • 1941 - Alcaraz, Luis
  • 1943 - Etchebarren, Andy
  • 1944 - Nelson, Dave
  • 1945 - Newman, Ray
  • 1954 - Chevez, Tony
  • 1956 - Monroe, Larry
  • 1958 - Thon, Dickie
  • 1958 - Huffman, Phil
  • 1960 - Gwosdz, Doug
  • 1960 - See, Larry
  • 1961 - Varsho, Gary
  • 1970 - Grace, Mike
  • 1972 - Bako, Paul
  • 1972 - Castro, Juan
  • 1973 - Cradle, Rickey
  • 1976 - Mackowiak, Rob
  • 1976 - Lee, Carlos
  • 1978 - Seay, Bobby

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6/21
OTD
BIRTHDAYS
1866 Matt Kilroy pitcher (MLB single-season record 513 strikeouts 1886; MLB no-hitter 1886; Baltimore Orioles), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1940)

1907 William Shea lawyer (instrumental in NY Mets establishment; Shea Stadium), born in NYC, New York (d. 1991)
1918 Eddie Lopat (NY Yankees), born in NYC, New York (d. 1992)
Ed with Vic Raschi and Allie Reynolds

1953 Charlie Moore Jr born in Birmingham, Alabama

1956 Rick Sutcliffe pitcher (LA Dodgers, Chicago Cubs), born in Independence, Missouri

1963 Jeff Musselman born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania

1967 Michele Smith, Califon NJ, softball pitcher (Olympic gold 1996)

1969 Donovan Osborne pitcher (St Louis Cardinals,Braves), born in Roseville, California

1980 Sendy Rleal player

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1900 Citing the Superbas' poor attendance at Brooklyn's Washington Park, National League president Ned Young discusses the possibility of transferring the franchise to the District of Columbia. En route to their second consecutive title, the reigning NL champions are averaging only a thousand fans on non-holiday dates.
1916 Red Sox right-hander Rube Foster, throwing a perfect game until issuing a walk in the seventh inning, tosses a 2-0 no-hitter against the Highlanders. The no-no is the first one ever thrown in Fenway Park, the team's home since 1912.

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1921 At the Polo Grounds, Dave Bancroft hits for the cycle when he singles in the first, triples in the third, homers in the fifth, and doubles in the sixth in the Giants’ 8-3 victory over the Phillies. According to a news report of the contest, the 30-year old New York shortstop faints returning to the bench after running around the bases for his inside-the-park home run but returned to the field to complete the rare event in the next frame.

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1941 In New York's 7-2 loss to the Tigers at Yankee Stadium, Phil Rizzuto's seventh-inning round-tripper extends the team's consecutive-game home run streak to 17. The historic homer, which ties the major league record established by Detroit, is only the light-hitting shortstop's second career home run.

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1941 Lefty Grove's Fenway consecutive win streak, which started on May 3, 1938, ends at 20 games with a 13-9 loss to the St. Louis Browns. The future Hall of Fame southpaw, facing just 13 batters, allows six runs, yielding five hits and walking 3 in 1.2 innings of work.

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1947 Jack Chesbro's induction into the Hall of Fame makes him the only player enshrined in Cooperstown who played professional baseball for a team located in the upstate New York village on the shores of Otsego Lake. The right-hander, who established the modern-era record (pre-1901) for most victories in a season with 41 while pitching for the 1904 Highlanders, played for the Cooperstown Athletics after the Roanoke Magicians of the Virginia State League disbanded during the 1896 season. Before Jack Chesbro's achievement, more than 20 major league pitchers won 41 games or more in a season, including Hoss Radbourn, who won 60 (59?) games in 1884 and 48 in 1883.

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