Baseball History

[BigDDude]

1908 Due to a rule that will not be changed until 1920, Germany Schafer becomes the only player in major league history to steal the same base twice in one inning, and one of the only two players to ever steal first base from second. The Tiger second baseman, after successfully swiping second hoping the throw would allow the runner from third to score, goes back to first base by stealing it so he can try the play again which he does stealing same bag for the second time in the frame.

1974 After pitching eight no-hit innings against the Reds, Don Wilson is pulled from the game by Astros' manager Preston Gomez in favor of a pinch hitter. Mike Cosgrove gives up a hit to Tony Perez in the ninth and Houston loses, 2-1.

1978 In his first major league at-bat, Dorian Boyland strikes out sitting on the bench. The Pirate rookie is removed with a 1-2 count when the Mets make a pitching change and pinch hitter Rennie Stennett takes the third strike.

1993 Jim Abbott, born without a right hand, no-hits the Indians at Yankee Stadium, 4-0, becoming the first pinstripe pitcher in a decade to throw a no-no. In the ninth inning, leadoff hitter Kenny Lofton is loudly booed by the fans after he fouls off a bunt in an attempt to make the one-handed pitcher field a ball.

1999 The Reds set a National League record with nine homers with as they rout the Phillies, 22-3. Eddie Taubensee (2), Greg Vaughn, Jeffrey Hammonds, Aaron Boone, Dimitri Young, Pokey Reese, Brian Johnson and Mark Lewis all go yard for Cincinnati.

2002 In front of 55,528 fans at the Coliseum, the A's set an American League record by extending their winning streak to 20 consecutive games. After blowing an 11-run lead to the Royals, Scott Hatteberg hits a walk off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning giving Oakland the historic victory, 12-11. MONEYBALL!!!

 

[67RedSox]

Preston Gomez...son of a gun...didn't he do that in San Diego with Clay Kirby.

 

[Silas]

I'm hoping the "Mattingly Curse" is a myth or has run its course!!

 

[67RedSox]

It’s difficult to believe but the Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos played a twenty-two inning game on August 23, 1989 without a single base on balls setting the Major League record for longest game without a single walk by either team. There’s no way that could have happened if the 1993 version of the Philadelphia Phillies were involved. It was on this date in 1993 that John Kruk picked up his 100th base on balls for the season. He’s the 3rd Phillie to reach the mark this year after Daulton and Dykstra making them the 1st NL team ever to have such a trio.

It was on this date in 1971 that Astros pitcher J. R. Richard makes his ML debut‚ striking out 15 Giants in a 5-3 win. Not a bad start.

On this date in 1874 the first superstar in American League history, Napoleon Lajoie was born. His importance in the history of the grand old game should never be underrated even if his star shone brightest in the Dead Ball Era. He combined graceful, effortless fielding with powerful, fearsome hitting to become one of the greatest all-around players of the Deadball Era, and one of the best second basemen of all time. At 6'1" and 200 pounds, Lajoie possessed an unusually large physique for his time, yet when manning the keystone sack he was wonderfully quick on his feet, threw like chain lightning, and went over the ground like a deer. "Lajoie glides toward the ball," noted the New York Press, "and gathers it in nonchalantly, as if picking fruit...." During his 21-year career, Lajoie led the league in putouts five times, assists three times, double plays five times, and fielding percentage four times.
But he was even more memorable in the batter's box, where the right-hander captured four (some, including Lajoie himself, will argue five) batting titles, including a modern-era record .426 mark for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901, won the first Triple Crown in American League history, and finished with a lifetime .338 batting average. An expert bunter, he was capable of hitting the ball to all fields. If you remember a great hitter of the 1960’s and into the 1970’s who won three Batting Crowns himself, Tony Oliva, or Vladimir Guerrero of even more recent vintage, then you can get the flavour of Lajoie at the plate…completely undisciplined, regularly swinging at pitches down at his ankles or up at his eyebrows, and occasionally thwarting attempts to intentionally walk him by reaching out for those pitches, too.
During his career, Lajoie also had some famous run-ins with umpires. In 1904 he was suspended for throwing chewing tobacco into umpire Frank Dwyer's eye. After one ejection, Lajoie, who stubbornly refused to leave the bench, had to be escorted from the park by police. And in 1903, Nap became so infuriated by an umpire's decision to use a blackened ball that he picked up the sphere and threw it over the grandstand, resulting in a forfeit.
But Lajoie's most famous battle came off the field, when he jumped his contract with the Phillies to join the insurgent American League in 1901. Prior to the 1900 season, Lajoie had been assured by Philadelphia owner John Rogers that he and teammate Ed Delahanty would receive equal pay. After the season began, however, Lajoie discovered that his salary of $2,600 was actually $400 less than Delahanty's pay. As Lajoie later explained, "I saw the checks." Incensed, Lajoie exacted his revenge on Rogers in the off-season, when he jumped to Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics of the upstart American League. When he abandoned the National League in favor of the new organization, Lajoie almost single-handedly legitimatized the AL's claim to major league status.
Did Lajoie win 4 or 5 Batting Crowns. There was no definitive answer to that until 71 years after the season in question. In one of the most famous episodes of the Deadball Era, Lajoie and Ty Cobb entered the closing days of the 1910 season neck-and-neck for the American League batting crown, with the winner set to receive a brand new Chalmers automobile, one of the finest makes of the day in a time when automobiles were still rare commodities. On the season's final day, the Naps faced the St. Louis Browns in a doubleheader, with Lajoie trailing Cobb and needing a base hit in virtually every at-bat to secure the batting crown. The Browns manager, Jack O'Connor, no fan of the ill-tempered Georgia Peach, ordered rookie third baseman Red Corriden to play deep, well behind the bag throughout both games. Seizing the opportunity, Lajoie dropped seven straight bunts down the third base line for hits, though an eighth bunt was recorded as a sacrifice. His eighth and final hit was a triple belted over the center fielder's head. O'Connor was fired for his actions, and Lajoie received a congratulatory telegram from eight of Cobb's teammates, but one week later American League president Ban Johnson declared Cobb the batting title winner, by a margin of .000860. (Subsequent research would determine that Cobb had been erroneously credited with two extra hits, and when this clerical error was corrected, Cobb's average dropped to .383, giving Lajoie the higher batting average. Nonetheless, in 1981 Commissioner Bowie Kuhn rejected an appeal to declare Lajoie the true 1910 batting champion.)

For all its importance, fungo hitting remains an unappreciated phase of baseball. Like playing the oboe, fungo hitting is a difficult art, and not every coach masters it so good fungo hitters are worth their weight in gold. A fungo bat is a specially designed bat used by baseball and softball coaches for practice. The etymology of the word is uncertain, but the Oxford English Dictionary suggests it is derived from the Scots fung: to pitch, toss, or fling. A fungo is longer and lighter than a regulation bat, with a smaller diameter. The bat is designed to hit balls tossed up in the air by the batter, not pitched balls. Typical fungo bats are 35 to 37 inches long and weigh 17 to 22 ounces. Coaches hit many balls during fielding practice, and the weight and length allow the coach to hit balls repeatedly with high accuracy. The small diameter also allows coaches to easily hit pop-ups to catchers and infielders along with ground balls due to better control of the barrel of the bat. We can argue who the better HR hitter was Babe Ruth Hank Aaron or even Willie Mays or Ted Williams. We can argue if Koufax or Blyleven had the better curve or if Lou Brock was the best base thief of all time. Apparently, we can’t argue who the best fungo hitter was in the history of the game because the late Jimmy Reese seems to unanimously enjoy that honour. He’s the guy that coached for the Angels until his death at age 93 and is believed to be the oldest person ever to regularly wear a uniform in an official capacity in the history of organized professional baseball in North America. If Reese was the best at this craft then close behind is Lefty Leifield who was born on this date in 1883. "Lefty Leifield was one of those ain't-got-a-thing pitchers who never threw a ball where the batter wanted it," wrote The Sporting News. Leifield won 103 games during his six full seasons with Pittsburgh from 1906 to 1911, more than any other Pirate pitcher over that period, and his lifetime ERA of 2.47 over 12 seasons is among the best in the history of the game. Lacking an overpowering fastball, a sharp-breaking spitter, or a truly devastating curve, he relied instead on the element of surprise--throwing curves on two-and-nothing and three-and-two counts--and his ability to locate pitches with pinpoint accuracy. Lefty recalled one particular episode from late in his career: "I had Shano Collins three-and-nothing once and threw three straight strikes by him. Right after that, Buck Weaver, his teammate, told Shano, 'Why in the world were you waiting for a walk? This guy Leifield hasn't walked anyone since Garfield was shot.”
Following the end of his playing career, Leifield coached for the Browns, Tigers, and Red Sox, and managed in the minors for seven years, winning an American Association pennant with St. Paul in 1931. He was highly regarded as a fungo hitter and it’s surprising but former pitchers often times made the best fungo hitters.

 

[67RedSox]

We weren’t there to witness it but 70 years ago today, on this date in 1943, Carl Scheib ( still living ), makes his ML debut at the age of 16, the youngest to ever play in the American League. During his 11 ML seasons, he played all but two of his 267 games for the Philadelphia Athletics, a club that finished no higher than fourth place (1948 and 1952) during those years. Scheib, modest, down-to-earth, and friendly, lived a remarkable baseball dream. He literally came off the farm, received a chance to pitch for the Athletics, worked in mop-up situations in late 1943 and during the 1944 season, served in the Army during much of 1945 and 1946, returned to the club for spring training and the 1947 season, and developed into a very good pitcher by the end of 1948. He pitched well until 1953, when he injured his shoulder. After a short stint with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954, Carl pitched four years in the high minors before leaving the game for good. In addition to being a pretty good pitcher he was a decent hitter and was often called upon to pinch hit. Being alive 70 years after playing your first game in the Majors is a feat in longevity however there are 17 former MLB players still alive whose career began even earlier than Scheib’s. Bobby Doerr, 2B for the Red Sox from 1937-1951 played his first game on April 20, 1937 and ranks #1 on that list.

On this date in 1995 Cal Ripken, Jr. played in his 2,131st consecutive Major League game to surpass Lou Gehrig's 56-year record. Ripken received a 22-minute standing ovation and went 2-for-4, including a homer, in Baltimore's 4-2 win over California.

On this date in 1996 Eddie Murray hit his 500th home run, joining Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the only players with at least 3,000 hits and 500 homers. Murray homered off Felipe Lira in the seventh inning of the Baltimore Orioles' 5-4, 12-inning loss to Detroit.

On this date in 1976 catcher Steve Yeager , of the Dodgers, was injured when teammate Bill Russell's bat shattered and a large, jagged piece hit him in the neck while Yeager was in the on-deck circle, piercing his esophagus. He had nine pieces of wood taken out of his neck in 98 minutes of surgery. After the incident, Dodger trainer Bill Buhler invented and patented a throat protector that hangs from the catcher's mask. It was soon worn by most catchers around the Majors and other leagues.

On this date in 1971 the Boston Red Sox and NY Yankees play a doubleheader. The Red Sox use two completely different line-ups in each game but lose both. Sounds like something Jim Tracy would have done.

On this date in 1953 the feuding continues‚ as the Dodgers beat the Giants 6-3 but lose Carl Furillo‚ the NL's leading hitter at .344‚ for the rest of the regular season. Furillo is hit on the wrist by a Ruben Gomez pitch in the 2nd and‚ is restrained from charging the mound. He goes to first base and‚ with a 3-2 count on the next batter‚ Furillo races from 1B into the dugout to swing at Leo Durocher.‚ who ordered the beaning. In the melee‚ a Giants player steps on Furillo's left hand‚ breaking a finger. Furillo will not play again till the World Series‚ but his .344 will lead the NL in hitting. Roy Campanella homers in the 2nd inning and sets the ML mark for HRs by a catcher. His 38th tops the NL high of 37 hit by Cubs C Gabby Hartnett in 1930.

Emil “Dutch” Verban was a second baseman noted primarily for his fielding with four National League teams from 1944 through 1950. Verban did not reach the major leagues until the age of 28, when he joined the St. Louis Cardinals. He distinguished himself in the 1944 World Series against the St. Louis Browns, batting .412 (7-for-17) and driving in the deciding run in Game Six as the Cardinals won, 4 games to 2. Browns owner Don Barnes had earned the ire of Verban after refusing his request for a better seat for his pregnant wife. After the final game of the series, Verban was quoted as saying, "Now you can sit behind the post, meathead," in reference to Barnes. He made three consecutive appearances in the All-Star Game (1945–47). In 1947, he became the first Phillies second baseman to start an All-Star game. A good contact hitter, from 1947-48 he led the League in being the toughest to strike out…67.5 and 34.8 At-Bats per strikeout. In 1975, a group of Chicago Cubs fans based in Washington, D.C. formed the Emil Verban Society to honor him. Verban was picked as the epitome of a Cub player, competent but obscure and typifying the work ethics. Verban initially believed he was being ridiculed, but his ill feeling disappeared several years later when he was flown to Washington to meet President Ronald Reagan, also a society member, at the White House. Well something special happened to him on this date in 1948…he hit his first and only ML Homerun after after 2,423 At-Bats.

Todd Helton’s HR two nights ago against the Dodgers was the 366th of his career which puts hit 75th on the all-time Homer list.

Urban "Red" Faber, one of the last pitchers to legally throw a spitball, persevered through illness and injury, a World War and the Black Sox scandal to win a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame was born on this date in 1888. The right-hander played his entire 20-year major league career with the White Sox, one of the league's strongest teams before the scandal and a perennial also-ran afterward. Faber won 254 games -- a total that Ray Schalk, Faber's long-time battery mate and friend, contended might have reached 300 had the team not been decimated after its misdeeds came to light in 1920. Exactly 50 years after his rookie season, in 1964, Red Faber was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. His acceptance speech lasted 100 words:

"Mr. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. It's a great honor to me to be named to the Hall of Fame. It's very hard for me to even imagine that I would ever be elected to it. But now that I am, and about to join all those celebrities that I used to know and play against and with, why, I hardly know what to say. I know there are all baseball fans here. They must be or they wouldn't have come this far to see an event like this. And I'm happy to greet you all in our behalf. Thank you."

 

[67RedSox]

It was on this date in 1962 that Maury Wills stole his 82nd base to set the National league record with 82. Now, wait for the question…whose record did he break that was set over 50 years before? If you know please take one step forward. O.K., since no one took one step forward, I’ll tell you. It was Roger Bescher who set the record with 81 steals in 1911 playing for the Cincinnati Reds. He broke his own record of 70 set the previous season. He was so elusive on the basepaths that in the season he stole 81 bases he was only thrown out three times. His 81 steals is still the Post- 1900 record for the Reds (Eric Davis came close when he stole 80 in 1986). Bescher studied National League pitchers to help him get a good jump and always slid feet first, eluding the tag by employing a tremendous hook slide. Judging the height of the catcher's throw by the infielder's hands, Bescher would slide to the inside part of the bag if the throw was high and to the outside if it was low.
The only thing faster than Bescher was a speeding train…he met his death prematurely when, at the age of 42, the car he was driving was slammed broadside by a train.

Here’s something that only I might find interesting. Below are the managers who went to Home Plate with the line-ups for the first MLB game ever played in these NL West Ballparks:

Mile High Stadium – Don Baylor (Rockies) – Felipe Alou (Expos) April 9, 1993
Coors Field – Don Baylor (Rockies) – Dallas Green (Mets) April 26, 1995
San Diego Stadium (Jack Murphy) – Preston Gomez (Padres) – Harry Walker (Astros) April 8, 1969
Petco Park – Bruce Bochy (Padres) – Felipe Alou (Giants) April 8, 2004
LA Memorial Coliseum – Walter Alston (Dodgers) – Bill Rigney (Giants) April 18, 1958
Dodger Stadium – Walter Alston (Dodgers) – Fred Hutchinson (Reds) April 10, 1962
Seals Stadium – Bill Rigney (Giants) – Walter Alston (Dodgers) April 15, 1958
Candlestick Park – Bill Rigney (Giants) – Solly Hemus (Cardinals) April 12, 1960
Pacific Bell Park - Dusty Baker (Giants) – Davey Johnson (Dodgers) April 11, 2000
Bank One Ballpark – Buck Showalter (Diamondbacks) – Don Baylor (Rockies) March 31, 1998

Prior to this season hitting for “The Cycle” had been accomplished 239 times first by Heinie Groh in 1915 and last by Adrian Beltre in August, 2012. There have been six occasions when “The Cycle” included 2 Homeruns:

Joe DiMaggio (2) 1937, 1948 Carl Yastrzemski 1965
Gil Hodges 1949 George Brett 1979
Ralph Kiner 1950 Greg Colbrunn 2002

Only on one occasion has “The Cycle” included 2 Triples, that by Hoot Evers in 1950. That year Evers led the AL in triples with 11. Hoot Evers’ career is a tale of what might have been. He spent a half-century in baseball as a player, scout, and front-office executive, and worked almost until the day he died. When he was a major-league outfielder, his contemporaries saw him as a potential superstar. But he played the game hard and with reckless abandon for 12 years in the big leagues, and in the end that style took its toll on his body and shortened his playing career as his many injuries robbed him of his speed and power… the AL version of the NL’s Pistol Pete Reiser who roamed the Dodgers outfield the same time Evers was roaming the Tiger’s. There were no regrets on Evers’ part over his many injuries. He felt honoured to have played the game he loved for 12 years.

It was on this date in 1999 that Colorado Manager, Jim Leyland, confirms rumors that he will retire at the end of the season…and a collective sigh of relief was heard from the entire State of Colorado.

If you’re a batter it’s the day of all days. On this date in 1993 Cardinals OF Mark Whiten ties the ML record for RBIs in a game with 12 in St. Louis' 15-2 win over the Reds in the 2nd game of a doubleheader. Whiten hits a record-tying 4 HRs‚ including a first inning grand slam‚ in the contest. His only out is a pop out in the 4th. Zeile‚ who scores 3 in the opener‚ scores ahead of Mark 3 times‚ while Gerald Perry is on base for each of the homers. With 1 RBI in the opener‚ a 14-13 loss‚ he also ties Nate Colbert's mark of 13 RBIs in a doubleheader. Prior to today‚ Whiten had not homered in 4 weeks.

A sad day for baseball happened on this date in 1992 when Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent resigns three days after failing to receive a vote of confidence from the owners at a meeting in Rosemont‚ Illinois. He refused to be their “Yes Boy” so he said…See Ya. The leaders in the movement to oust Vincent were members of what The Sporting News later dubbed The Great Lakes Gang:

Bud Selig, President of the Milwaukee Brewers;
Jerry Reinsdorf, Chairman of the Chicago White Sox;
Stanton Cook, Head of the Tribune Co., which owned the Chicago Cubs;
Carl Pohlad, Owner of the Minnesota Twins;
Peter O'Malley, the longtime Majority Owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers

How bad were the 1954 Washington Senators? Well, despite enjoying some tremendous talent with the likes of Mickey Vernon and Pete Runnels who had or would win 4 batting Crowns between them, Harmon Killebrew and Roy Sievers who had or would win 7 HR Crowns between them, a parade of All-Stars in their time like Johnny Pesky, Eddie Yost, Jim Lemon and Jim Busby and a young pitcher in Camilo Pascual who would win 3 consecutive Strikeout Crowns they finished 45 games behind the Indians that year. That wasn’t as bad as the Philadelphia Athletics who finished 60 games out. Maybe that explains why on this date in 1954 the Senators host the Athletics and the game attendance was 460. Here’s a shot of it filled with about 29,000 fans…imagine 460 fans spaced out around the joint in what had to be one of the quirkiest parks when it comes to Outfield fences.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=grif...F30%2Ftake-me-out-to-the-ball-park%2F;600;395

It was on this date in 1941 that Early Wynn wins his first ML game. The HOF’er would pick up his 3ooth in 1963.

 

[Silas]

Great stuff, 67RS.

Where are all the Rockies' fans? I know the season is pretty much over for the Rockies, but As the resident Dodger fan, I miss the chat with all the great Rockies fans.

Any way........thanks for the great history exposes. Your pieces bring back a lot of memories and add to my somewhat limited knowledge of the game.

 

[67RedSox]

Yes, it appears all the Rockies posters have moved on. I know they truly miss the CBS Message Boards but perhaps in the off-season they'll venture back for the odd baseball fix.

Yesterday I mentioned 460 turning out in Washington to see the Senators play the Philadelphia Athletics in 1954. The Senators – Athletics were a combined 105 Games behind the League leading Indians which surely accounts for the sparse crowd. If I thought that was bad I just don’t know what to say about what happened on this date in 1916 when 23, yes that is twenty-three fans, turned out to watch the Athletics defeat the NY Yankees 8-2, in a game at Shibe Park. I know the Yankees were minus Babe Ruth in those days but really, just 23. Well, just as I showed a shot of Griffith Stadium yesterday I have to show a shot of Shibe Park ( we knew it as Connie Mack Stadium ) and ask you to try to imagine 23 fans spread when it would take 23,000 to fill it in 1916. At least those 23 got to see a first…Wally Schang a reserve Outfielder for the Athletics hits a HR from both sides of the plate which was the first time in MLB it happened and it wouldn’t be until 1940 that it would happen again in the AL.
On this date in 1955 the Brooklyn Dodgers on the way to their first and only World Championship season in Brooklyn defeat the Milwaukee Braves and win the NL Pennant which was the earliest any team ever won the Pennant.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=shib...resfan-s-mlb-10-show-ballparks-2.html;800;600

On this date in 1958, in a game against the Cincinnati Reds, Roberto Clemente grounds out to 3B in his first AB in the bottom of the 1st inning. For the rest of the game he’ll hit only triples, in the the 4th, 5th and 8th innings. Clemente knew something about hitting triples. Since the Dead Ball Era (Post 1920) he ranks 4th in all-time triples with 166 and follows Paul Waner-191, Stan Musial- 177 and Goose Goslin-177.

On this date in 1963 Braves pitcher Warren Spahn ties Christy Mathewson with his thirteenth 20-win season by notching a 3-2 victory in Philadelphia. At forty-two, Spahn becomes the oldest twenty-game winner.

The Colorado Rockies 1st Base coach, Rene Lachemann, played a minor role in a baseball first on this date in 1965. As a promotion to increase Kansas City's poor attendance, Bert Campaneris becomes the first major leaguer to play all nine positions in a single game. After being involved in a collision at home plate in the ninth inning, Campy is replaced by Lachemann as the team's catcher in the A's eventual 5-3, 13-inning victory over California.

This is for all current and former Cub fans. It was on this date in 1972 that Fergie Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3, for his 20th victory of the season. It was the sixth straight year that Jenkins won at least twenty games.

It was on this date in 1916 that Jim Bagby Jr. was born. yes the same date that Wally Schang was hitting HRs from both sides of the plate. Bagby was a second-generation major leaguer, his career neatly echoing that of his father, James “Sarge” Bagby, Sr. Both were right-handed pitchers; both at various times led the American League in innings pitched; and both spent the bulk of their careers with Cleveland. Both compiled some memorable seasons. Twice Jim’s pitching merited his selection to the All-Star game. When Jim Bagby, Jr. toed the rubber for the Red Sox in the 1946 World Series, the Bagbys became the first father and son to appear in a World Series. However, Jim’s greatest fame came in 1941 when he ended Joe DiMaggio’s consecutive game hitting streak at 56.

 

[4thefences]

The throat protector that is worn by some professionals attached to the catchers mask is mandatory in youth baseball. I was watching that game in which Yeager was injured and although the device was made after the incident occurred it would not have benefited him in the on deck circle as it would not have been worn as a batter. Just odd timing on it's invention.

 

[67RedSox]

First, it should be noted the greatest pitched ballgame in the history of MLB happened on this date in 1965 when Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched his fourth no-hitter, a perfect game, against the Chicago Cubs. Koufax fanned 14 in the 1-0 victory while Cubs pitcher Bob Hendley allowed only one hit - a double by Lou Johnson. The game, played in 103 minutes, set several records, among them the fewest hits for both teams (1) and fewest total baserunners (2); the next lowest total is four. Both pitchers had no-hitters intact until the seventh inning. The only run the Dodgers scored was unearned.
Five days after the perfect game, a Koufax-Hendley rematch took place at Wrigley Field. This time, Hendley defeated Koufax, 2-1 with a complete game four-hitter. Koufax allowed five hits in six innings, including a two-run homer to Billy Williams in the sixth.
To date, Koufax’s perfect game is the last no-hitter to be pitched against the Cubs. They have gone the longest of all MLB teams since a no-hitter was last pitched against them…that’s 7,644 games.

On this date in 1918 it’s the 4th Game of the World Series which is being played early because of WWI and Babe Ruth wins the Game as the Red Sox beat the Cubs 3-2. Not only do the Red Sox ride Ruth’s left arm to the win but also his bat in the form of a 2-run triple. Ruth had already pitched a Shutout in Game 1 of the Series beating the Cubs 1-0 in a game played at Comiskey Park, home of the Cubs cross-town rivals White Sox. The reason was the early version of Wrigley Field only had a capacity of 15,000. The average attendance for the 6 game Series was 21,414 with the Winning player’s share $1,104 and the Losing Player share was $671.
The Red Sox would win the Series in six games. The Red Sox scored only nine runs in the entire Series; the fewest runs by the winning team in World Series history. Along with the 1906 and 1907 World Series, the 1918 World Series is one of only three Fall Classics, and the last, where neither team hit a home run. That Game 1 of the Series in which Ruth tossed the 1-0 Shutout marked the first time "The Star Spangled Banner" was performed at a ML game. During the seventh inning stretch, the band began playing the song due to the fact the country was involved in World War I. The song would be named the national anthem of the United States in 1931, and during World War II its playing would become a regular pregame feature of baseball games and other sporting events.
The Cubs would not return to Fenway Park for nearly 94 years until a three-game interleague matchup beginning May 20, 2011.
As with the 1917 World Series, there were concerns about whether the 1918 World Series was being played honestly. But there was no solid evidence that the 1918 World Series itself was "fixed", and with the war dominating the news nothing came of the rumors. It would be another season before baseball's relationship with gambling would erupt in a major scandal.
Star pitcher "Ol' Pete" Alexander of the Cubs saw almost no action in the 1918 regular season due to military service and none in the Series. This left the Cubs pitching corps thin compared to the strong Red Sox staff, which included Babe Ruth and Carl Mays who each would win 2 games.
Since I mentioned Carl Mays I should expand on him and say Carl Mays is best remembered for throwing the pitch that led to the death of Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman in August of 1920. But he also had a career record of 207-126 and a 2.92 ERA over fifteen seasons, and remains one of the best pitchers not honored in the Hall of Fame. Throwing with a submarine motion so pronounced that he sometimes scraped his knuckles on the ground while delivering the ball, Mays looked “like a cross between an octopus and a bowler,” Baseball Magazine observed in 1918. “He shoots the ball in at the batter at such unexpected angles that his delivery is hard to find, generally, until along about 5 o’clock, when the hitters get accustomed to it—and when the game is about over.”
Perhaps the most disliked player of his era, Mays was once described by F.C. Lane as “a strange, cynical figure” who “aroused more ill will, more positive resentment than any other ballplayer on record.” A noted headhunter even before the Chapman beaning, Mays refused to apologize for how he pitched. “Any pitcher who permits a hitter to dig in on him is asking for trouble,” he once said. “I never deliberately tried to hit anyone in my life. I throw close just to keep the hitters loose up there.” One teammate said Mays had the disposition of a man with a permanent toothache. Throughout his professional career, Mays had trouble making friends—even on his own teams.

It was on this date in 1977 in the second game of a doubleheader in Boston, Tigers rookies Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell debut together. They will hold down the second base and shortstop jobs in Detroit for a record nineteen years.

On this date in 1992 Robin Yount became the 17th player to reach 3,000 hits in the Milwaukee Brewers' 5-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians. Yount singled to right-center off Cleveland's Jose Mesa in the seventh inning.

 

[67RedSox]

In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s Ed Bailey was one of the NL's best catchers. He was a five time All-Star, drove in as many as 8 runs in a single game and caught Juan Marichal’s No-Hitter in 1963 but I suspect his biggest ML thrill happened on this date in 1959 when he and brother, Jim, formed the battery for the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd game of a doubleheader against the Cubs. Jim is lifted in the 8th inning and charged with the 6-3 loss in his ML debut and only start in the Big Leagues but an experience never to forget.

George McQuillan was the Doc Gooden of the Deadball Era. In 1908 he enjoyed one of the best rookie seasons in history, going 23-17 for the mediocre Phillies with a sparkling 1.53 ERA in nearly 360 innings of work (in 1985 the young Gooden posted an identical ERA). An unusually fast worker even in an era of briskly paced games, McQuillan pitched with "supreme self-confidence" according to Baseball Magazine, becoming known as the brightest young pitcher in the game. Within three years, however, his career came crashing down in a sordid web of alcoholism, sexual escapades, and financial troubles. Since larry walker retired you don’t often see this happen anymore but on this date in 1913 McQuillan is thrown out at first base after lining a one-hopper to New York RF Red Murray.

Joey Votto was born on this date in 1983 when “Maniac” from the movie Flashdance was No.1 on the music charts and “Mr. Mom” was tops at the box office. Randy Johnson was born on this date in 1963 when “My Boyfriend’s Back” was No.1 on the music charts and one of my favourite books, later made into a movie, “The Great Escape” was tops at the box office.

Statistics can tell you a lot about a baseball player. In the case of Hall of Famer, High Pockets Kelly who was born on this date in 1895, they don’t say nearly enough. The first baseman for the New York Giants when they dominated the National League in the early 1920s, he was a clutch hitter par excellence and an astonishing defensive player. A quick-wristed slasher who could also crank out 400-foot homers, George made the winning play in back-to-back world championships and left a legacy as one of the most admired men in the game.
Having said that the selection of Kelly to the HOF by the Veterans Committee was controversial, as many felt Kelly was not worthy of enshrinement in the Hall. According to the BBWAA, the Veterans Committee was not selective enough in choosing members. In his years of voting eligibility Kelly never received more than 5 votes or even 2% of the vote from the BBWAA. Charges of cronyism were levied against the Veterans Committee. When Kelly was elected, the Veterans Committee included two of his former teammates, Bill Terry and Frankie Frisch, who also shepherded the selections of Giants teammates Jesse Haines in 1970, Dave Bancroft and Chick Hafey in 1971, Youngs in 1972 and Jim Bottomley in 1974. This led to the Veterans Committee having its powers reduced in subsequent years. Baseball historian Bill James, while ranking Kelly as the 65th greatest first baseman of all-time, also cites Kelly as "the worst player in the Hall of Fame".

Someone not in the Hall of Fame but a player some have argued should be there, Roger Maris, was born on this date in 1934. He did have outstanding back-to-back seasons in 1960 and 1961 in which he won the AL MVP Crown both seasons. In those two seasons he accumulated 230 Runs, 100 HRs and 253 RBIs. Between 1960-1968 he played in 7 different World Series. Hard to believe it’s been 45 years since he last played in the Majors and almost 30 years since he passed away.

 

[67RedSox]

This Post started as one about the Pacific Coast League and Lefty O’Doul because on this date in 1938 it was Lefty O'Doul Day at Seals Stadium in San Francisco and somehow it morphed into one about the journeyman pitcher George Brunet. But, sometimes that’s the beauty of Baseball… there are so many side paths to branch off onto you aren’t quite sure where you’re going to end up.
There are those who can speak far more intelligently than me on the Pacific Coast League. I have only the most rudimentary knowledge of the League. Our friend, Silas, who sometimes visits here has forgotten more about the PCL than I could ever hope to learn but I do know that the PCL was not just another of the dozens of Minor Leagues that have existed over the past century. In the first half of the 20th century, the Pacific Coast League developed into one of the premier regional baseball leagues. With no Major League baseball team existing west of St. Louis, the PCL was unrivaled as the vehicle for American West Coast baseball having teams with evocative names such as the Hollywood Stars, Los Angeles Angels, Mission Reds (representing San Francisco's Mission District), Oakland Oaks, Portland Beavers, Sacramento Solons, Salt Lake Bees, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Seals, Seattle Rainiers, Spokane Indians, Vernon Tigers (later the Tacoma Tigers), Vancouver Canadians, and the Hawaii Islanders. Although never recognized as a true Major League, the quality of play was considered very high. Drawing from a strong pool of talent in the area, the PCL produced a number of outstanding players, including future MLB stars Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Tony Lazzeri, Paul Waner, Earl Averill, Bobby Doerr, Joe Gordon, and Ernie Lombardi.
The mild climate of the West Coast, especially California, allowed the league to play longer seasons, sometimes starting in late February and ending as late as the beginning of December. This allowed players to hone their skills, earn an extra month or two of pay, and reduce the need to find off-season work. The longer playing season also allowed for additional games on the schedule, letting team owners generate more revenue.
Teams sometimes played over 200 games in a single season. The high-water mark was the 1905 season, in which the San Francisco Seals set the all-time PCL record by playing in 230 games. Even just prior to the 1958 reshuffling, the league was playing 170-180 games per season. One consequence of such lengthy seasons was that a number of the all-time minor league records for season statistical totals are held by players from the PCL.
In 1952, the PCL became the only minor league in history to be given the "Open" classification, a step above the Triple-A level. This limited the rights of Major League clubs to draft players from the PCL, and was seen as a step toward the circuit becoming a third Major League.
The shift to the Open classification came just as Minor League teams from coast to coast suffered a sharp drop in attendance, primarily due to the availability of major league games on television. The hammer blow to the PCL's major league dreams came in 1958, when the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles and the New York Giants moved to San Francisco. As a result, three of the PCL's flagship teams (the Los Angeles Angels, the Hollywood Stars and the San Francisco Seals) were immediately forced to relocate to smaller markets. Additionally, the PCL lost customers to the major league teams which now occupied the same territory. The league never recovered from these blows. The Pacific Coast League reverted to Triple-A classification in 1958.
When I think of the Pacific Coast League I immediately think of Lefty O’Doul and I immediately want to rant about him deserving to be in the Hall of Fame… which he is not. Few have eclipsed Lefty O'Doul as a baseball legend in San Francisco. He was known first as a pitcher and then as one of the game's best hitters. Later, he managed the local Seals club for 17 years. He was always readily identifiable for his attire and was nicknamed "The Man in the Green Suit" for his penchant of wearing such an outfit daily. Even today, his sports bar is a city landmark.
In the Majors O'Doul won two batting titles and nearly hit .400 in 1929. He finished with a .349 career batting average, fourth-best in history. After leaving the majors, he returned to the west coast and managed for more than 20 years, amassing more than 2,000 wins, a total surpassed by only eight men in minor league history. He was recognized as one of the game's great hitting instructors. Men would travel from far and wide to have the Seals' manager critique their skills.
O'Doul may have made his greatest contributions to baseball with his many trips to Japan. He trained countless Japanese in the skills of the game and fostered communication and interaction between those in the Japanese and American games both before and after the Second World War. He is also credited as one of the founders of Nippon Professional Baseball. For his efforts, O'Doul was the first American elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

The aforementioned George Brunet pitched a few seasons in the Pacific Coast League and despite spending 15 seasons in the Majors from 1956 to 1971 he spent more time than that in the Minors including Mexico. In fact, he holds the record for tossing the most strikeouts in the Minor Leagues and became a Hall of Fame pitcher in Mexico…after his Major League career ended.
Early in his career, Brunet earned a reputation as a "Dalton Boy," that is, a young ballplayer with a reputation for partying. As a result, Brunet pitched for nine different major league clubs during his career in America. He was nicknamed "Lefty" and "Red" during his Major League career and after the 1971 season, at the age of 36, the now heavy and well-traveled Brunet appeared to hit the end of the line. No Major League teams showed interest in his services. That didn’t matter to Brunet. He signed a minor league contract with the Padres, accepting a pleasant Minor League assignment to Hawaii. It was a reunion of sorts for Brunet, who had pitched for Hawaii in 1962. With his bulging beer belly, Brunet looked like a softball pitcher, giving him a distinctive look on the mound of the minor league Islanders. After a couple of years he was back stateside and 38. He wanted to keep pitching. A friend of his, former major league shortstop Chico Carrasquel, convinced him to give it a whirl in the Mexican League. At the time, the league served as a bastion for over-the-hill Major Leaguers who still felt they had something to offer. It was typical for aging players to spend a season or two in Mexico before calling it quits for good. Brunet did not look at the situation with such a perspective. Determined to keep pitching long-term, he became a standout starter in the Mexican League, pitching from 1973 to 1976. In 1977, he briefly became the Manager of Poza Rica before deciding that he needed a return to the mound. Later that summer, he hurled a no-hitter, doing so at the age of 42. As Brunet told The Sporting News, “I’m too young to be a manager. It’s never too late when you know how to pitch.”
As each Mexican League season came, Brunet kept appearing. He also pitched winter ball in Mexico each year, which put his innings total at roughly 400 per year. He kept pitching and kept setting records. He was known as "El Viejo" or "The Old Man" in Mexico as he pitched well into his 50’s. Brunet pitched until he was 54 years old, giving him a record 36 years of pitching in organized baseball.

 

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It was on this date in 1914 that Yankees shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh, twenty-three, replaces Frank Chance and becomes the all-time youngest Manager, at age 23. Roger Peckinpaugh was one of the finest defensive shortstops and on-field leaders of the Deadball Era. Like Honus Wagner, the 5'10", 165-lb. "Peck" was rangy and bowlegged, with a big barrel chest, broad shoulders, large hands, and the best throwing arm of his generation. From 1916 to 1924, Peckinpaugh led American League shortstops in assists and double plays five times each. As Shirley Povich later reflected, "the spectacle of Peckinpaugh, slinging himself after ground balls, throwing from out of position and nailing his man by half a step was an American League commonplace." The even-tempered Peckinpaugh was equally admired for his leadership, becoming the youngest manager in baseball history when he briefly took the reins of the New York Yankees in 1914. Described as the "calmest man in baseball," Peckinpaugh's steadying influence later helped the Washington Senators to their only world championship, and won him the 1925 Most Valuable Player Award, making him the first shortstop in baseball history to receive the honour.

It was on this date in 1930 that Brooklyn catcher Al Lopez drives one over the head of Cincinnati left fielder Bob Meusel, and the ball bounces into the bleachers at Ebbets Field. It will be the Major Leagues' last recorded bounce home run. The National League declares after the season that such a hit will henceforth be a double. The American League had made the change after the 1929 season.

On this date in 1962 Tom Cheney of the Washington Senators set a record by fanning twenty-one Baltimore Orioles in a 16-inning, 2-1 victory.

There is something about the date of September 12th for pinch-hit HR hitters. It was on this date in 1932 that Johnny Frederick hits his Major League record-setting sixth pinch-homer of the season giving the Dodgers a 4-3 victory over the Cubs and on this date in 2000, 68 years later that record is broken by another Dodger, Dave Hansen, breaks Johnny Frederick's 1932 major league record for pinch-hit home runs in a single season with his seventh pinch-hit round-tripper.

On this date in 1993 Paul Molitor's home run against California puts him over the 100-RBI mark for the first time in his career. At thirty-seven, Molitor is the oldest to reach this plateau for the first time.

Mickey Lolich, the star of the 1968 World Series he is the only left-hander with three complete World Series games in the same Series, was born on this date in 1940. His 376 innings pitched in 1971 is the second highest in the majors since 1917. Wilbur Wood holds the modern record with 376 2/3 just a year later, 1972. Only four have pitched 350 or more innings in a season since 1929: Wilbur Wood (1972 & 1973), Lolich (1971), Bob Feller (1946) and Tiger forerunner Dizzy Trout (1944). In the 1965-74 decade, he struck out more (2,245) than any other major league pitcher. Bob Gibson was second with 2,117 during the same period.

The AL’s Rookie of the Year in 1958, Albie Pearson was born on this date in 1934. He was a CF’er with some speed albeit he stood only 5’ 5” and weighed 140 pounds.

We’ve all seen odd batting stances but there may have been no one who had a stance as extreme as Stan Lopata who was born on this date in 1925. Lopata was a catcher who played 13 seasons in the Bigs and with the Phillies all through the 1950’s . He was a two-time All-Star who when younger didn’t hit the ball well. On a road trip in 1954 with the Philadelphia Phillies, Stan Lopata was having trouble making contact with the ball. He and his roommate on the Phillies, outfielder Johnny Wyrostek, had just finished eating breakfast. While Lopata paid the check, Wyrostek met Rogers Hornsby in the lobby of the hotel. Hornsby was by then out of baseball, having managed the Cincinnati Reds the year before. Wyrostek asked Hornsby about his buddy, Lopata said, “because I was having trouble getting my bat on the ball.” Johnny said, “What do you think about this kid?” Hornsby replied, “Well I’ve seen him on television and when he swings he misses the ball too often.” He told Wyrostek to tell Lopata, “you should get a piece of the ball every time you swing the bat – not necessarily a base hit but get a piece of it.” Wyrostek relayed the information to Lopata. Stan was smart enough to heed the advice of Hornsby. In order to see the ball better, he started to go into a crouch. He kept getting lower until it seemed he was almost sitting on top of the batter’s box. This crouch helped him pick up the ball better and cut down on his strikeouts. Stan, who wore eyeglasses (he was the first catcher in the National League to do so), also had trouble picking up the ball because of the glare from the lights of the Connie Mack Stadium scoreboard. So he started using tinted eyeglasses. Here’s a photo of his “crouch” at the plate.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=stan...a%2FAutographs%2FStanLopata.jpg.html;798;1023

 

[67RedSox]

Well, there’s a bit of stuff to talk about today…

The Jim Abbott of the 1880’s, Cleveland's pitcher Hugh Daily who had only one hand, no-hits Philadelphia, 1-0 on this date in 1883. The fireballing Irish right-hander lost his left hand as a result of a gun accident earlier in his life. The similarity to Abbott ends there.
He might be the MLB player whose place of birth, other than somewhere in Ireland is unknown and whose death has never been recorded. He is believed to have been born in 1847. The presumption is that he is deceased…his last known whereabouts were in Baltimore in 1922.
Daily was a rookie at the age of thirty-four, he beat the Chicago White Stockings ten consecutive times in the heart of their dynasty, struck out 483 batters in a single-season, and earned the reputation as one of the first power pitchers in the history of baseball. Hugh Ignatius "One-Arm" Daily did all that with the greatest handicap a baseball player could have: an uncontrollable temper. Daily's horrific, cuss-laden in-game outbursts towards the opposition, umpires, fans, and teammates reduced what should have been a superstar major league career to six short years of bitter memories, embarrassments, and burned bridges. No team ever re-signed him for a second season.

It was on this date in 1909 that Ty Cobb clinches the American League HR title with his ninth round-tripper. It is an inside-the-park drive against the Browns. In fact, all his nine home runs this season are inside the park, including two in one game on July 15. He is the only player, Post 1900, to lead in HRs without hitting one out of the Park.

It was on this date in 1932 the New York Yankees clinched the American League pennant as Joe McCarthy became the first Manager to win flags in both Leagues.

He started young. It was on this date in 1936 that 17 year old Bob Feller, the Indians' teenage pitching phenom, sets a new American League record by striking out 17 batters when he two-hits the A's at Shibe Park, 5-2. After the season, he will return to his Van Meter, Iowa home to graduate from high school.

I’ve mentioned over the past week low attendance at games in both Shibe Park in Philadelphia and Griffith Stadium in Washington. Today it’s Crosley Field’s turn. It was on this date in 1945 that only 281 patrons are in attendance to watch the hometown Reds beat New York, 3-2. The crowd will be the smallest gathering of fans during the 58-year history of the Cincinnati ballpark. Here’s a shot of Crosley Field…circa 1945 when capacity was 29,401:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=cros...%2Fcatchers%2Fmatch-team-old-park.htm;551;424

It was on this date in 1951 that the St. Louis Cardinals split a doubleheader. The oddity here is that they defeat the Giants in the afternoon and lose to the Braves in the nightcap.

On this date in 1964 St. Louis becomes the first National League club to score in each inning since the Giants did it on June 1, 1923. They coast 15-2 at Wrigley Field.

On this date in 1965 at the Astrodome facing Don Nottebart, Giant outfielder Willie Mays becomes the fifth player in ML history to hit 500 career home runs. The 'Say Hey Kid' will hit a league-leading and career high 52 HRs en route to his second MVP season and 6 years later... on this date in 1971 Frank Robinson of the Orioles joins the 500 HR club, as the 11th member, with a ninth-inning three-run homer off Fred Scherman of the Tigers.

It was on this date in 1993 the Astros' game against the Rockies in Colorado is postponed when the Denver area is hit by a late-summer storm which deposits more than 5 inches of snow. Just 24 hours before game time‚ it had been 92 degrees.

On this date in 1995… appearing in the same game for the 1,915th time, Tiger second baseman Lou Whitaker and shortstop Alan Trammell set an American League record for joint appearances. The Detroit middle infielders surpass the mark established in 1990 by Royals' teammates George Brett and Frank White.

On this date in 1996 by hitting his 30th home run Dante Bichette joins his teammate Ellis Burks as a member of the 30/30 club. The Rockies join the 1987 New York Mets as the only teams in history to have two 30-30 players (Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry) during the same season.

Eddie Rommel had two careers in baseball, and created some milestones in both of them was born on this date in 1897. As a right-handed pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics he was the first moundsman to make extensive use of the knuckleball. After retiring as a player and working briefly as a coach and minor-league manager, he became an umpire, one good enough to spend 22 seasons in the American League. In 1956 Rommel and Frank Umont became the first two 20th-century major-league umpires to wear eyeglasses, though Rommel did it only when he was umpiring on the bases during night games.

 

[67RedSox]

Denny McLain, the man who fell from grace won his 30th game of the season on this date in 1968. He arrived in the Majors at the age of 19, his 2-time Cy Young arm and career pretty much over by the age of 25 and out of baseball by the age of 29.

On this date in 1987 the Toronto Blue Jays did something no team did before or since…hit 10 HRs in a game.

If you’re a Baseball fan chances are pretty good you know the "Baseball's Sad Lexicon", also known as "Tinker to Evers to Chance" after its refrain, a 1910 baseball poem by Franklin Pierce Adams. The Chicago Cubs were the NL’s best team in the early 1900’s winning back-to-back-to-back Pennants in 1906-1907-1908 and WS Championships for the last 2 of those years. Joe Tinker was the HOF Shortstop and Johnny Evers the HOF 2B…what a keystone combination. Not once in all those years did they ever speak to each other. Why was that…because, it was on this date in 1905 that they engage in a fistfight on the field during an exhibition game in Washington, Indiana, because Evers took a taxi to the park, leaving his teammates in the hotel lobby. The pair did not speak to each other again for thirty-three years.

There have been more than 100 Major Leaguers hit a HR in their first ML At-Bat. On this date in 1951 Bob Nieman of the St. Louis Browns comes to the plate for the first time in the 2nd inning in a game against the Red Sox and hits one out. In the 3rd inning he comes to the plate again and hits another HR becoming the first player to hit HRs in his first two ML At-Bats. Keith McDonald, in 2000, is the only other player to do so.

It was on this date in 1994 that the balance of the MLB regular season and post season is cancelled.

On this date in 1948 Johnny Sain wins his 20th game of the year‚ beating the Cubs 10-3. It is the 3rd year in a row the Boston Braves ace has won 20 games. The Braves now lead the NL by 5 games. As noted by Dixie Tourangeau‚ the Boston Post runs a poem by sports editor Gerry Hern:

First we'll use Spahn‚ then we'll use Sain‚
Then an off day‚ followed by rain.
Back will come Spahn‚ followed by Sain.
And followed‚ we hope‚ by two days of rain.

The poem will shortened in the public memory to "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain."

Jerry Coleman was born on this date in 1924. During the 1960’s when I would listen to him do Yankee games on my transistor radio at night. He helped develop my interest in the grand old game. Here’s some of the guys accomplishments. He was a Lieutenant Colonel and a Marine aviator in both WWII and the Korean War…the only Major League Baseball player to have seen combat in two Wars. While a Marine Corps aviator he flew 120 combat missions, receiving numerous honors and medals including:-

- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Air Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
- World War Two Victory Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Korean Service Medal
- United Nations Service Medal
- Philippine Liberation Medal

Pretty good I’d say but he had a few accomplishments outside of the military as well and it’s these we would know about like being a member of the Hall of Fame (Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence) and playing in six World Series with the Yankees and winning four of those - 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1956. On September 15, 2012, the San Diego Padres unveiled a Jerry Coleman statue at Petco Park. Coleman's statue is only the second statue at Petco Park, the other being of Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=jerr...3D1%26per_page%3D12%26search%3Dsports;800;526

Another HOF’er was born on this date in 1869 . Nichols entered the Majors in 1890 with the Boston Beaneaters. Nichols recorded a 27–19 win-loss record, a 2.23 ERA and 222 strikeouts, beginning a string of ten consecutive seasons with 20 wins or more. Nichols also had a ML record seven 30-win seasons in this time (1891–1894, 1896–1898) with a career high of 35 in 1892. Nichols retired with 361 wins, a total exceeded at the time only by Cy Young, 208 losses, 1,868 strikeouts and a 2.95 ERA. He was a part of five National League pennant winners, all with the Boston Beaneaters (1891–93, 1897, 1898). His 361 victories ranks 7th all-time. He was the youngest pitcher to win 300 games, reaching that milestone at the age of 30. Nichols was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949.

 

[67RedSox]

Chances are it’s more likely you’ve heard of Butch Metzger than you have of Hooks Wiltse. Other than both having nicknames they do share a ML record together.
Metzger was a relief pitcher in the mid 1970’s whose career consisted of only two full seasons, one of those with the Padres in 1976 when the BBWAA couldn’t decide who the Rookie of the Year was so they selected two…Metzger, the reliever and Tom Zachary the starter for the Reds. A month into the following season the Padres shipped him off to the Cardinals and that was about it for him although he did pitch for the Mets the next season but was gone from the Majors by the time he was 26. He stayed in baseball as a scout with Texas…might still be doing that.
Wiltse, pitched a dozen seasons in the Majors, mostly for the New York Giants under manager John McGraw in the dead-ball era. He hurled a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 4, 1908, striking out six during ten innings of work. He went on to record a career-high 23 wins that year and notched 20 victories the next summer. He was known as "Hooks," not for his ability to curve a baseball, nor for his hooknose, but for his fielding prowess. One story credits Giants catcher Frank Bowerman with saying "that's hooking them" after watching Wiltse use his long right arm to snare shots hit back through the middle, while another says that it was a manager in Syracuse who said Wiltse had hooks for hands after watching him work out at first base. A lean six-footer with deep-set eyes and a wad of tobacco usually in his mouth (he reportedly cost himself a victory in a game against the Cincinnati Reds on June 19, 1905, when he swallowed a quid and suffered an upset stomach)
It was on this date in 1904 that as a rookie with the Giants Hooks Wiltse wins his 12th straight game, setting a Major League mark for consecutive games won at the start of a career. It will be tied by Butch Metzger in 1976.

It was on this date in 1938 that brothers, Lloyd Waner and Paul Waner, hit back-to-back homers for the Pittsburgh Pirates off Cliff Melton of the New York Giants. It proved to be Lloyd Waner’s last ML Home Run. This was the only time brothers hit successive home runs in a Major League game until earlier this year when the Upton boys did it for the Braves.

On this date in 1950 Johnny Mize hits 3 HRs in a game for the NY Yankees becoming only the second MLer to hit 3 HRs in one game in both the AL and the NL…babe Ruth being the other.
HOF’er Mize retired after the 1953 season with 359 HRs, then the 6th most in the Majors. In 1947, Johnny Mize did something unmatched in baseball history. He became the first and, so far, only player to hit 50 or more home runs in a season while striking out less than 50 times, one of the game’s extraordinary records. He was a hitter first and foremost. His bats wee his tools of the trafe and they were sacred to him. Mize had plenty of bats, and he knew how to use every one of them. This was his arsenal, his black bag, and throughout a 15-year Hall of Fame baseball career the Georgian used his tools with the precision of a surgeon and the stylistic beauty of an artist. And, trusting in his tools, he had unfailing confidence in his ability to hit any pitcher. In his days with the Giants carried two trunks of bats when they hit the road. “One trunk was for Johnny Mize,” said Buddy Blattner, Mize’s roommate on the Giants. “The other was for the rest of the team.”.

A game I would have loved to see took place on this date in 1963…all three Alou brothers - Felipe, Matty and Jesus - played in the outfield at the same time for the San Francisco Giants in a 13-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

September 15, 1963 San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

On this date in 1979 Bob Watson of the Red Sox became the first to hit for the cycle in both leagues as he led Boston to a 10-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He hit for the cycle with the Houston Astros against San Francisco on June 24, 1977.

On this date in 1996 thanks to Andres Galarraga's three-run homer the Rockies establish a big league record for runs scored at home. Colorado, which will amass 658 tallies at Coors Field, scores its 626th, 627th and 628th runs of the season when the 'Big Cat' goes deep to surpass the 1950 Red Sox who crossed the plate 625 times.

Snuffy Stirnweiss was the NY Yankees 2B through most of the 1940’s and won the AL Batting Crown in 1945. On this date in 1958 he is killed when the New Jersey commuter train in which he is a passenger plunges off the CRRNJ Newark Bay Bridge between Elizabethport and Bayonne.

Gaylord Perry last pitched in the Majors 30 years ago…1983. He was born on this date in 1938 making him a 75 today. Do you remember me mentioning Lloyd and Paul Waner hitting back-to-back HRs on this same date. They may have been celebrating the birth of a future HOFer… Perry… in doing so.

 

[67RedSox]

It was on this date in 1924 in Brooklyn that Cardinals third–year 1B, Jim Bottomley, came to bat six times and delivered six hits, including two home runs, a double, and three singles off the Robins’ pitchers. Bottomley drove in 12 runs that day, and set a ML record for most Runs Batted In (RBIs) in a single game that still stands (shared with the Cardinals' Mark Whiten in 1993). The previous record of 11 had stood since 1892 and, ironically, had belonged to Brooklyn’s manager, Wilbert Robinson who was watching from the opposite dugout. Uncle Robbie’s record stood for 32 years. Bottomley’s record stands to this day, and his performance was a milestone on his road to Cooperstown. Bottomley had an outstanding career. In addition to his career .310 batting average and his National League MVP award in 1928, he led the league twice in total bases, doubles, and RBIs, once each in hits, triples and home runs. He also drove in over 100 runs six times and all of that got him into Cooperstown…albeit 15 years after he died of a heart attack while Christmas shopping with his wife in 1959. I don’t know if there’s a message there or not.

Ralph Kiner and Willie Stargell are the only two players in the 126 year history of the Pittsburgh Pirates to ever hit as many as 40 HRs in a single season. A lot of that can be attributed to the fact that starting in 1909 the Pirates played in cavernous Forbes Field which was built to be spacious by Pirate owner, Barney Dreyfuss, who hated cheap home runs and vowed he'd have none in his park which led him to design a large playing field for Forbes Field. The original distances to the outfield fence in Left was 360’, in Center it was 462’ and the fence in Right was 376’ away from the poor batter. Forget 40 HRs in a season. It was not until this date in 1938 that the Pirates even had a batter hit as many as 20 HRs in a season when rookie Outfielder, Johnny Rizzo hit his 20th and finished the season batting .301 with 23 round-trippers and 111 RBIs.

It was on this date in 1948 that Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio hits his 300th HR and joins Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mel Ott, JimmieFoxx, Rogers Hornsby, Chuck Klein and Hank Greenberg as the eighth ML’er to reach the milestone.

There aren’t too many ML players can say their career was over by the time they were 16, in fact only one can and that’s, Alex George. On this date in 1955 in the eighth inning of the A's 13–7 victory over Chicago, George makes his ML debut for the Kansas City Athletics, pinch-hitting and playing Shortstop, at Municipal Stadium. He would play in 5 games over 9 days and collect 1 basehit before fading from the ML scene forever.

Tim Raines was born on this date in 1959…a player who should be in the Hall of Fame.

It was on this date in 1960 that Warren Spahn, 39, pitched a No-Hitter and set an all-time Braves record with fifteen strikeouts. Milwaukee beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0…and he wasn’t done. He still had 75 Wins and two 20 Win seasons left in that left arm before retiring after the 1965 season as…a SF Giant.

On this date in 1965 Dave Morehead tosses a No-Hitter for the Boston Red Sox. A modest 1,247 fans were at Fenway to witness the gem. While Red Sox fans remember Dave Morehead mostly for this he did play a role on the '67 dream team by contributing five wins in the August-September stretch drive. Although he had a career major league record of only 40-64 with a 4.15 ERA, he showed flashes of brilliance, particularly early in his career, but extended success was thwarted by arm trouble. I always considered him one lucky guy. He was born and raised in the nicest city on the West Coast, San Diego and got to play MLB in one of the nicest cities on the East Coast, Boston. Now, I know I’ve offended tons of people who live in cities other than those two but I can get away with it because there is likely no one from any of those West Coast/East Coast cities who is likely to read this Post. By the way…in my humble, opinion the nicest city in all of the U.S. is Portland, Maine. It’s a treasure and if you think there’s a spot where people might be friendlier than they are there please let me know so I can put it on a list of places to visit.

It was on this date in 1972, 41 years ago that Mike Schmidt cranks his 1st ML Homerun in a game against the Expos. He would only hit 547 more before he retired.

On this date in 1993 Dave Winfield becomes the 19th player to collect 3,000 basehits and on this date in 1996 Paul Molitor becomes the 21st and the first to it by hitting a triple.

 

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And, they’ve been chasing him ever since…it was on this date in 1931 that Earl Webb, of the Red Sox, sets the single season mark for doubles. That season he collected 67 and in his rather short ML career of 6+ seasons for 5 different teams. He would never hit more than 30 in any other season. In the past 75 years the player to come closest to Webb’s mark was Todd Helton in 2000.

It was on this date in 1941 that Stan Musial makes his ML debut in the second game of a doubleheader against the Boston Braves at Sportman’s Park in St. Louis. The 7,713 fans in attendance were treated to the first 2 of his 3,630 basehits and, of course, one of them was a double. It was a critical hit as it drove in 2 runs in the Cardinals 3-2 victory. If I’m going to mention one HOF’er then I better mention another three. Twelve years after Musial makes his ML debut Ernie Banks makes his, for the Cubs, on this date in 1953 and two years after Banks it’s Brooks Robinson’s turn on this date in 1955. Finally it was on this date in 1937 that HOF’er Orlando Cepeda was born.

50 years ago…on this date in 1963 Dodger ace Sandy Koufax tosses a four-hitter blanking St. Louis at Sportsman's Park, 4-0. The southpaw's scoreless effort establishes a National League record for shutouts thrown by lefties in a season with 11, five shy of Grover Cleveland Alexander's Major League mark set in 1916 with the Phillies.

How about back-to-back No-Hitters. It was on this date in 1968 at Candlestick Park, Giants' hurler Gaylord Perry (14-14) No-Hits the Cardinals and Bob Gibson, 1-0, with the only run of the game being tallied on Ron Hunt's first-inning home run. The next day the Redbirds will return the favor when Ray Washburn No-Hits San Francisco.

On this date in 1977 with a 3rd inning round-tripper off Jim Crawford at Tiger Stadium, Yankees DH Dave Kingman becomes the first player to homer for four different teams in one season (which I think is amazing). The much-traveled veteran will hit a total of 26 home runs for the year playing for the Mets (9), Padres (11), Angels (2), and the Bronx Bombers (4).

Talk about sensational rookies…it was on this date in 1981 Dodgers southpaw Fernando Valenzuela ties White Sox freshman Ewell Russell's 1913 rookie record when he hurls his eighth shutout of the season, blanking Atlanta on three hits. The 20-year old Mexican's 2-0 victory breaks the previous National League mark shared by Irving Young (Braves, 1905), Grover Cleveland Alexander (Phillies, 1911), and Jerry Koosman (Mets, 1968).

On this date in 1996 Dodger Hideo Nomo no-hits the Rockies, 9-0 at Coors Field.

Back to the Dead Ball Era to mention that Frank “Wildfire” Schulte was born on this date in 1882. He was an Outfielder with the Cubs for 12 years starting in 1904 just as the Cubs were going on their run as the best team in Baseball winning 4 NL Pennants in the 5 years 1906-1910. As a kid all he wanted to do was play baseball and his father knew it. Not yet 17 Schulte found himself facing a critical decision about his future in 1899. His father, a German immigrant, who had carved a niche for himself in the local contracting business, worried that his youngster had found a profession that was less than "honest". The elder Schulte coaxed, threatened, and finally made an offer to young Frank that few boys of his age or era could have passed up. The German gentleman, hoping that his boy could prove himself a productive citizen by keeping books for his contracting interests, offered Frank $1,000.00 to burn up his baseball suit. However, young Schulte staunchly clung to his chosen profession, one that would eventually reward him with princely sums that dwarfed Papa Schulte's offer. Prolific Chicago sportswriter Warrren Brown claimed that Frank's World Series shares alone totaled $6,160.28.
In 1910, Schulte led the NL with 10 home runs. In 1911, he led the NL in home runs (21), runs batted in (121), and slugging percentage (.534). He also became the first player in ML history to have more than 20 doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases in a season. The feat would not be accomplished again until Willie Mays did it in 1957. Schulte won the 1911 NL MVP (Chalmer's) Award.

 

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On this date in 1909 Ty Cobb wins the Triple Crown in the AL with a .377 batting average, 9 home runs and 107 RBI. He also leads the American League with 216 hits, 116 runs and 296 total bases.

They say good pitching beats good hitting. I have never believed that…I think it’s pretty even. It was on this date in 1954 that the Cleveland Indians win the AL Pennant on their way to a 111 Win season in the days when the season was only 154 games. They rode their pitching, both starters and relievers, all the way to the World Series. They actually had 5 starters that season and they averaged a record of 19-5, an ERA of 2.85, 223 Innings and 15 Complete Games. They knew what they were doing with the ball in their hand. Their opponents in the WS were the NY Giants…a team that hit for power but finished below the League Average as far as batting average was concerned. Despite the presence of Willie Mays in the Giant’s line-up the Indians were heavily favoured. In the World Series the Giants had no trouble against the rather impressive Indian pitching… sweeping them in 4 games.

It was on this date in 1963 that the Polo Grounds hosted its final MLB game. Over the course of its 52 year history the ballpark served as the home for the Giants (1911-1957), Yankees (1913-1922), and Mets (1962-63), first opened it doors on June 28, 1911. The final game, played in front of a paltry 1,752 patrons, saw Jim Hickman of the Mets hits the last home run in the 52-year history of the Coogan's Bluff ballpark as the Phillies beat the Mets 5-1.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=the+...w.dugout-memories.com%2Fgoffpolo.html;550;277

It was on this date in 1976 in his last Major League appearance as a player, Cleveland manager Frank Robinson pinch-hits in the eighth inning and singles against Rudy May of the Orioles.

It was on this date in 1984 that Tim Raines becomes the first player in ML history with 4 consecutive 70-stolen-base seasons by stealing 4 in Montreal's 7-4 win over St. Louis.

It was on this date in 1856 that a very significant player in the early days of the Grand Old Game, Dickey Pearce, plays his first game with the Brooklyn Atlantics. He plays in CF but will become famous as the premier shortstop of the 1860s and the inventor of both the bunt and the fair-foul hit. Pearce is given credit for pioneering the shortstop position. Pearce introduced his "tricky hit" to baseball, known today as the bunt. For much of his career, the rules permitted the ball to roll foul and still be a hit.
One could pull up Dickey Pearce’s statistics at the reference sites and be completely unimpressed. His numbers in the National Association and the National League are unremarkable. This is only part of the story; he was 35 years old when the National Association started and 40 when the National League began. Pearce’s reputation and contributions were made long before. He was one of the most famous and respected of all the early ballplayers. He and James Creighton were two of the game’s most recognizable stars. They were also among the first to be paid for their skills. Creighton’s fame blew bright but short because of his early death, but Pearce played until he was pushing 50 years old. Pearce’s contributions as a pioneer were numerous. As noted, he was one of the first professionals. Upon joining the Atlantics, Pearce, short and squat (5-feet-3½, 161 pounds), was assigned to the short field position, a roving spot much like the short fielder in present-day softball. At the time the three infielders hugged their bags. Pearce quickly decided he was more valuable moving into the infield to the open spot to the left of second base; hence, he redefined the infield, in the process creating the now-familiar shortstop position. Here's a shot of him and his teammates who were declared America's Champs back in the '70's...that is the 1870's:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=duck...p%2F5-iconoclasts-and-their-moment%2F;570;411


George Uhle was born on this date in 1898. He did win 200 Games as a pitcher twice leading the AL in Wins 1923 (26) and 1926 (27) but it’s his hitting as a pitcher that separates him from all others… his lifetime batting average of .288 is still a record for a pitcher (not playing at any other position).

On this date in 1963 Carl Yastrzemski was in the Red Sox line-up playing LF in a game against the Chicago White Sox. Fast forward 10 years and on this date in 1973 the Red Sox were playing the Yankees and Yaz was in the line-up playing 3B. Fast forward another 10 years and on this date in 1983 Yaz was still in the line-up for the Red Sox and playing 1B in a game against the Tigers.

 

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A couple of HOF’ers, Joe Morgan and Duke Snider, were born on this date. Morgan on this date in 1943, and Snider on this date in 1926. In the mid-1970’s Morgan was the best player in Baseball. I’ll repeat that because I’m sure there are some, perhaps many who will disagree…Joe Morgan was the best player in Baseball in the mid-1970’s. As for Snider if anyone can offer any reasonable explanation why it took him 11 votes to get into the HOF I would be interested to hear the reason. Of course, that’s a rhetorical question…no acceptable answer exists.

Like Morgan (4 World Series) and Snider (5 World Series) there was another pretty good ball player who was born on September 19th. Bullet Bob Turley was born on this date in 1930 and in a space of 6 seasons 1955-1960 he went to the World Series 5 times. Although he wasn't HOF calibre he was good enough to win the Cy Young Award in 1958 when there was only one Award given for both Leagues. After the 1954 season Casey Stengel the Manager of the New York Yankees, sought to acquire Turley. The Yankees needed younger starting pitchers, as their rotation was getting a little long in the tooth due to the ages of Allie Reynolds, Eddie Lopat, Johnny Sain, Tommy Byrne, and Jim Konstanty. In order to acquire the hitting the Orioles felt they needed to compete, they traded Turley to the New York Yankees. The Yankees received Turley, Billy Hunter, Don Larsen, and players to be named later, while the Orioles acquired Harry Byrd, Jim McDonald, Willy Miranda, Hal Smith, Gus Triandos, Gene Woodling, and players to be named later. To complete the trade, the Yankees sent Bill Miller, Kal Segrist, Don Leppert, and Ted Del Guercio to the Orioles, and the Orioles sent Mike Blyzka, Darrell Johnson, Jim Fridley, and Dick Kryhoski to the Yankees. Comprised of 17 players, this trade remains the biggest in MLB history.

Another empty ballpark story…this time it happened on this date in 1963 at Dodger Stadium of all places…although not a Dodger game but an Angels game. 476 lonely fans watch the Angels and Orioles game. The Angels win‚ 7-2 behind Bo Belinsky.

Do you know who the last active “Brooklyn” Dodger to play in the Majors was…it was Bob Aspromonte who retired after the 1971 season. You might better remember as a player with the Astros but on this date in 1956 he strikes out in his only appearance in a Brooklyn Dodger uniform but it allows him to be the last active Brooklyn Dodger.

If you think you’ve heard it all how about this play. On this date in 1945 the Red Sox host the Philadelphia Athletics in a doubleheader at Fenway. In the 1st game Tom McBride is playing CF for the Red Sox and in the 3rd inning his counter-part, the Athletics CF’er Sam Chapman, comes to the plate and hits a fly ball to centerfield. The only problem for McBride is a pigeon is flying in the sky and McBride mistakes the pigeon for the ball and chases the pigeon and overruns the ball by 30 feet…Chapman ends up on 2nd base.

Four times during the 1950’s Harvey Kuenn led the AL in basehits. He was a .300 lifetime hitter. He didn’t have a lot of power, never hitting more than 7 HRs in a single season but did hit a lot of Doubles. He was the sort of guy a pitcher didn’t want to see come to the plate if a basehit was needed…unless you were Sandy Koufax because Kuenn made the final out in two of Koufax’s No-Hitters. On May 11, 1963, Kuenn made the final out of Koufax's No-Hitter against the San Francisco Giants. Then on September 9, 1965, Kuenn struck out to end Koufax's Perfect Game against the Chicago Cubs.

Have you ever heard of a ML player refusing a basehit. I’m sure it doesn’t happen often but it happened at least once by “Big Poison” Paul Waner, he of the HOF and the 3,000 hit club. Waner knew a basehit when he saw one. In his career his official tally was 3,152 basehits. Waner believed that to be successful at the plate, the batter had to be as relaxed as possible. "Here's the way it works. When you can relax at the plate, you have a terrific advantage. Your stance is easy, your arm and shoulder muscles are loose and free, your eye is clear and you can time your swing." For Waner, being relaxed at the plate meant to have a shot or two of whiskey before each at-bat. "When I walked up there (to the batter's box) with a half-pint of whiskey fresh in my gut, that ball came in looking like a basketball," he would say. "But if I hadn't downed my half-pint of 100 proof, that ball came in like an aspirin tablet." Waner played most of his career with the Pirates in the 1920’s and 1930’s but as the 1940 season rolled along with a new Manager for the Pirates, Frankie Frisch, it became apparent Waner wasn’t in their long-term plans and they released him at the end of the season although he was close to the 3,000 hit mark. At that point there were only 6 players in the 3,000 Hit Club…Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Nap Lajoie, Honus Wagner, Cap Anson and Eddie Collins. He played most of the 1941 and 1942 seasons with the Boston Braves who were managed by Casey Stengel. On June 17, 1942, Waner had 2,999 career hits. Paul came to bat at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field and hit a grounder that resulted in a close play and could have been ruled a hit or an error. The game's official scorer ruled the play a hit and the crowd went crazy cheering for Waner's 3,000th hit. But no. Paul Waner refused to accept the hit and insisted the play be changed to an error. He explained that he wanted his 3,000th hit to be clean, not "tainted." And so his hit was taken away and the call was reversed. Two days later he got his clean and "official" 3,000th hit.

In a 14 year ML career Joe Sewell struck out only 114 times…and that includes 10 seasons with at least 600 plate appearances…the toughest ever to strike out. It was on this date in 1929 that he sets a ML record by playing in his 115th consecutive game without striking out. The Indian third baseman will be fanned only four times in 578-at-bats this season.