1883 The Quakers, later known as the Phillies, win their first game in franchise history when they rout the Cubs, called White Stockings at the time, at Chicago's Lake Front Park. Philadelphia had lost its first eight games before today's 12-0 victory and will finish the season in last place in the eight-team National League with a dismal 17-81 (.173) record. 1904 The Senators establish a major league record by starting the season 0-13 when the team drops a 6-3 decision to New York at Hilltop Park. Washington will be 11 games out of first place before the club wins its first contest this year. 1913 Walter Johnson's streak of 55.2 scoreless innings ends when he gives up a run in the bottom of the fourth in the Senators' 10-5 victory against the Browns at Sportsman's Park. The right-hander's record will last until 1968, when Don Drysdale surpasses the mark, tossing 58.2 blank frames for the Dodgers. 1914 Jim Scott pitches nine innings of no-hit ball against the Senators but loses when he gives up two hits in the 10th inning. Howie Shanks' bad-hop triple off the White Sox right-hander scores Chick Gandil, who singled leading off the final frame, giving Washington the walk-off 1-0 victory at Griffith Stadium. 1918 With the anticipation of decreasing crime rates in the city, Washington (DC) officials lift the prohibition on playing baseball on Sunday in the nation's capital. In five days, 17,000 enthusiastic fans, the largest crowd in Griffith Stadium's history, will be treated to a dramatic 1-0 extra-inning victory against Cleveland in the first contest played on a Sunday in the District. 1920 The Giants inform the Yankees, tenants since 1913, that they are not renewing the Bronx team's lease to play at the Polo Grounds at the end of the season. There is speculation that the National League team, deciding later to continue sharing their home until the completion of the American League club's new stadium in 1923, may have been reacting to the team's recent acquisition of Babe Ruth. 1920 Beating the Tigers in relief at Griffith Stadium, 9-8, Senator right-hander Walter Johnson registers his 300th victory. Although the 'Big Train' hurled for mostly losing teams during his 21-year career, he compiled 417 victories, including winning 20 games or more for ten consecutive seasons (1910-1919). 1927 At the top of the seventh in the Phillies' game against St. Louis, a section of the right-field stands of the Baker Bowl collapses, causing hundreds of fans to fall on the patrons below. Although there are many injuries, the only fatality is a victim of the stampede. 1939 During the Indians' 9-4 victory over Chicago at Comiskey Park, a woman sitting in the stands near the visitors' dugout becomes injured when Marv Owen's foul ball strikes her just above the right eye. The Indians' starting pitcher, her 20-year-old son Bob, threw the pitch that resulted in Mrs. Feller needing seven stitches on Mother's Day. 1950 Johnny Hopp helps the Pirates crush the Cubs, 16-9, when he goes 6-for-6, including a pair of homers, in the nightcap of a doubleheader sweep at Wrigley Field. The 33-year-old All-Star first baseman is called 'Hippity' by his teammates. 1956 The Orioles, taking a gamble, purchase sore-armed Billy Loes from the Dodgers for a reported $25,000. The 26-year-old right-hander will be selected for the American League All-Star team next season and will post a 21-30 (.412) record during his four years with Baltimore. 1957-59 Baltimore Orioles Photocards 1965 Carl Yastrzemski drives in five runs, hitting for the cycle with an additional home run. However, Yaz's homers in the first and second frames, a double in the sixth, an eighth-inning single, and a triple in the tenth weren't enough when the seventh-place Red Sox lost to the Tigers at Fenway Park, 12-8. 1967 Keeping a promise to his wife, Merlyn, Mickey Mantle hit his 500th career home run on Mother's Day, a shot into the lower deck in the right-field corner at Yankee Stadium. The 'Commerce Comet,' now the sixth big leaguer to reach the milestone, hits the historic homer off Stu Miller, helping New York defeat the Orioles, 6-5. 1972 After twenty-one seasons with the Giants, 41-year-old Willie Mays, playing first base and batting leadoff, dramatically returns to New York in his debut with the Mets. In the fifth inning, the Say Hey Kid hits a home run off Don Carrithers, his 647th career round-tripper, breaking a 4-4 deadlock and helping to defeat his former team, 5-4, at Shea Stadium. 1976 "I guess it was good for baseball. Everybody got a beer." - MIKE SCHMIDT, Phillies third baseman, reflecting on his role in the Astros' promotion. In a twist of an unusual promotion, visiting player Mike Schmidt makes many of the Houston fans attending the game very happy by whiffing on an even-numbered minute in the top of the fifth inning of the 5-1 Phillies' victory. The promise of free beer, usually given to patrons at the Astrodome when an Astro player hits a home run when the 'light is on,' was extended to include the Philadelphia third baseman striking out. 1977 Jim Colborn becomes the first Kansas City hurler to throw the first no-hitter at Royals Stadium and second overall in that park, following California's fireballer Nolan Ryan, who recorded the first hitless game in the ballpark during its inaugural season in 1973. The 31-year-old right-hander faces only 28 batters, issuing one free pass in the 6-0 victory. 1977 In an 18-2 rout of the Indians, White Sox's first baseman Jim Spencer collects a two-run single, a two-run homer, and his first major-league grand slam, driving in eight runs before being lifted in the fifth inning of the Comiskey Park contest. The 29-year-old infielder's eight RBIs tie a franchise single-game record established by Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1920. 1978 In a contest best remembered for Tommy Lasorda's postgame rant, Dave Kingman hits three home runs, accounting for eight RBIs against the Dodgers in the Cubs' 10-7 victory at Chavez Ravine. The third-year manager takes exception to radio reporter Paul Olden asking his opinion about the Chicago slugger's performance, responding with an obscenity-laced tirade that has become legendary. 1981 With a 3-2 win over Montreal in front of the largest Dodger Stadium crowd in seven years, rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela improves his record to 8-0. The 20-year-old southpaw, who has started the season with five shutouts and a minuscule ERA of 0.50, gets the victory when right fielder Pedro Guerrero hits a leadoff game-ending home run off Steve Ratzer in the bottom of the ninth inning at Chavez Ravine. 1986 Angels’ DH/outfielder Reggie Jackson homers off Red Sox hurler Roger Clemens to surpass Mickey Mantle on the all-time home run list with 537. The future Hall of Famer will retire next season, finishing his 21-year career sixth on the all-time list with 563 round-trippers. 1988 Jose Oquendo becomes the first non-pitcher to get a major league decision, losing to the Braves in nineteen innings, 7-5. After pitching three scoreless innings in an extra-inning marathon against Atlanta, the Cardinals' utility man gives up a two-run double to Ken Griffey in the nineteenth to suffer the loss at Busch Stadium. 1989 In his first at-bat as a Cub, Lloyd McClendon hits a three-run homer in a 4-0 victory over Atlanta at Wrigley Field. The 30-year-old utility player, obtained in an off-season trade from Cincinnati for Rolando Roomes, plays a vital role for the division champs, hitting .286 and 12 home runs in 259 at-bats. 1993 Jay Gainer becomes the fifth National Leaguer and 12th major leaguer to hit a home run on the first major league pitch he saw. The 26-year-old Rockies' first baseman accomplishes the feat in the second inning off Tim Pugh in the team's 13-5 loss to the Reds at Riverfront Stadium. 1994 The Royals retire jersey #5 in tribute to George Brett, a .305 lifetime hitter who played his entire 21-year career with the franchise. The 13-time All-Star third baseman won the MVP award in 1980, batting .390 for the American League champs, and led the team to its first world championship in 1985. 1996 Dwight Gooden becomes the eighth Yankee to hurl a no-hitter when he throws 135 pitches, beating the Mariners at the ballpark in the Bronx, 2-0. The 31-year-old right-handed 'Doc,' nearly released last month after starting the season poorly, hadn't won a game in almost two years. 2000 Although Sammy Sosa gets five hits, Henry Rodriguez drives in seven runs, and Eric Young steals five bases, the Cubs still lose to the Expos, 16-15. Young's accomplishment on the bases is the most by a Cubs player since 1881, when George Gore stole seven bases. 2002 At Latino-American Stadium, 77-year-old Jimmy Carter throws the ceremonial first pitch of the Cuban League All-Star game. One-time big-league pitching prospect Fidel Castro, the dictator of the island nation, coaches the former U.S. President before the toss. 2003 Kendall and Jake Burnham become the first husband-and-wife team to appear in a professional baseball game when the newlyweds play for the San Angelo Colts of the independent Central League. With her husband Jake starting at third base, the former fastpitch softball star, with two out in the bottom of the ninth, strikes out looking at three pitches in the team's 8-1 loss to Amarillo. 2004 Chone Figgins, going 5-for-6, collects a triple, a grand slam, and six RBIs in the Angels' 10-9 victory over Baltimore at Camden Yards. The Anaheim third baseman/outfielder, who drives in the game's winning run in the 10th inning with a single, joins Buck Rogers as one of the two players in franchise history to hit their first career round-tripper with the bases loaded. 2005 In upstate New York, 11-year-old Katie Brownell, the only girl enrolled in the local Oakfield-Alabama Little League, throws a perfect game in front of an astonished crowd of about 100 parents and friends. The shy sixth-grader strikes out every batter she faces, allowing only three foul balls in the six-inning contest at Oakfield Town Park. (Ed. Note: At a Cooperstown (NY) ceremony in her honor, Katie Brownell donated her jersey from the game to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. - LP) 2006 At Cooperstown on Mother's Day, with over fifty female baseball dignitaries in attendance, including Ila Borders and Julie Croteau, the Hall of Fame unveils a bronze statue paying tribute to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League legacy. The AAGPBL operated from 1943 to 1954 and inspired the 1992 movie, A League of Their Own. 2006 On Mother's Day, with his mom in the stands, Bill Hall hits a walk-off home run to beat the Mets at Miller Park, 6-5. The Milwaukee center fielder, joining many other major league players, uses a pink bat in MLB's effort to raise public awareness of breast cancer. 2007 Warner Brothers releases American Pastime, a fictional movie detailing the importance of baseball to the Japanese Americans placed in internment camps in the western States during the early 1940s. The setting of the dramatic major motion picture is the Topaz War Relocation Center, a Utah encampment that housed thousands during the Second World War. 2008 After making an outstanding catch of Kevin Millar's line drive near the Camden Yards warning track, Boston's left fielder Manny Ramirez high-fives a fan before throwing the ball back to the infield to complete a 7-4-3 double play. Red Sox fan Randy Dunning, attending the Orioles game with his mom and dad before leaving for Officer Candidate School at Fort Meade, becomes the glad-hand recipient of 'Manny being Manny.' 2008 Trailing 6-0 to the Reds at Great American Ball Park, the Marlins score six times in the top of the ninth to tie the game. Florida, however, loses the game in the tenth as Paul Janish, in his second major league at-bat in his first major league game, gets his first big league hit, a game-winning RBI single. 2009 The Mets collect a franchise-record seven stolen bases in their 7-4 victory over the Giants at AT&T Park. Ironically, the team sets the club mark without the help of a sidelined Jose Reyes, New York's all-time career leader in thefts. 2010 Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones each collect five hits, including both hitting a home run, in the Pirates' 10-6 victory over Chicago. The last time two Bucs enjoyed a five-hit game on the same day was against Atlanta in 1970, when Willie Stargell and Bob Robertson accomplished the feat. 2011 For the first time since 1914, the Dodgers lose after allowing just one hit, dropping a 1-0 decision to the visiting Diamondbacks. Chad Billingsley, the hard-luck loser, gives up a leadoff double in the second to Stephen Drew, who scores the game's only run when shortstop Jamey Carroll fails to cover the bag in an attempted pick-off play. 2011 Jorge Posada, claiming a stiff back and then the need for time to clear his head, asks not to play after learning he's batting ninth in manager Joe Girardi's lineup. The DH's decision to sit out the game causes controversy when Yankee GM Brian Cashman refutes his player's injury to the media during the nationally televised game against Boston. 2012 At the age of 19 years and 211 days, Nationals' rookie Bryce Harper becomes the youngest player in franchise history to hit a home run, breaking the mark established by 20 years and 173 days old named Gary Carter as an Expo before the team left Montreal to play in Washington. Harmon Killebrew remains the youngest to homer for a Washington team, accomplishing the feat with the Senators in 1955 at 19 years old and 88 days. 2016 At Fenway Park, David Ortiz's two-out ninth-inning triple ties the game at five, and his double in the 11th gives the Red Sox a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Astros. Big Papi's extra-inning two-bagger makes him the third major leaguer to hit 500 home runs and 600 doubles, a feat only accomplished by Henry Aaron and Barry Bonds. 2020 Art Howe, best known as the skipper of Billy Beane's 'Moneyball' A's, confirms he has been dealing with COVID-19 since first feeling symptoms at the beginning of the month, according to an interview given to KPRC-TV2. The former major league manager and infielder, who found out he was positive for the coronavirus two days after being tested, was transported to a Houston hospital by ambulance after trying to recover at home, where he remains in intensive care.
MAY 16 BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS ************************************** 1920 Dave Philley switch-hitting outfielder, 1941, 1946-62 (Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies (MLB record 9 straight pinch hits), and 8 other teams), 1928-1989 Billy Martin 2nd baseman (MLB All Star 1956; World Series 1951, 52, 53, 56; NY Yankees) and manager (World Series 1977 NY Yankees) 1949 Rick Reuschel, pitcher 1953 Rick Rhoden pitcher (MLB All-Star 1976, 86; Silver Slugger Award 1984–86; LA Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, NY Yankees) 1955 Jack Morris starting pitcher (1977-1994), mainly for the Detroit Tigers (1977-90). He won 4 World Series rings - one with the Tigers (1984) and 3 more with other clubs - Minnesota Twins (1991, in which he was MVP) and the Toronto Blue Jays (1992, 1993). Morris is a 5-time MLB All-Star 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1991; MLB wins leader in 1981, 1992; AL strikeout leader in 1983 and he also pitched a no-hitter in 1984. 1959 Bob Patterson pitcher, 1985-98 (Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and 3 other teams) **************************************
Today in Baseball History May 16th 1883 The Quakers, later known as the Phillies, win their first game in franchise history when they rout the Cubs, called White Stockings at the time, at Chicago's Lake Front Park. Philadelphia had lost its first eight games before today's 12-0 victory and will finish the season in last place in the eight-team National League with a dismal 17-81 (.173) record. 1904 The Senators establish a major league record by starting the season 0-13 when the team drops a 6-3 decision to New York at Hilltop Park. Washington will be 11 games out of first place before the club wins its first contest this year. 1913 Walter Johnson's streak of 55.2 scoreless innings ends when he gives up a run in the bottom of the fourth in the Senators' 10-5 victory against the Browns at Sportsman's Park. The right-hander's record will last until 1968, when Don Drysdale surpasses the mark, tossing 58.2 blank frames for the Dodgers. 1914 Jim Scott pitches nine innings of no-hit ball against the Senators but loses when he gives up two hits in the 10th inning. Howie Shanks' bad-hop triple off the White Sox right-hander scores Chick Gandil, who singled leading off the final frame, giving Washington the walk-off 1-0 victory at Griffith Stadium. 1918 With the anticipation of decreasing crime rates in the city, Washington (DC) officials lift the prohibition on playing baseball on Sunday in the nation's capital. In five days, 17,000 enthusiastic fans, the largest crowd in Griffith Stadium's history, will be treated to a dramatic 1-0 extra-inning victory against Cleveland in the first contest played on a Sunday in the District. 1920 The Giants inform the Yankees, tenants since 1913, that they are not renewing the Bronx team's lease to play at the Polo Grounds at the end of the season. There is speculation that the National League team, deciding later to continue sharing their home until the completion of the American League club's new stadium in 1923, may have been reacting to the team's recent acquisition of Babe Ruth. 1920 Beating the Tigers in relief at Griffith Stadium, 9-8, Senator right-hander Walter Johnson registers his 300th victory. Although the 'Big Train' hurled for mostly losing teams during his 21-year career, he compiled 417 victories, including winning 20 games or more for ten consecutive seasons (1910-1919). 1927 At the top of the seventh in the Phillies' game against St. Louis, a section of the right-field stands of the Baker Bowl collapses, causing hundreds of fans to fall on the patrons below. Although there are many injuries, the only fatality is a victim of the stampede. 1939 During the Indians' 9-4 victory over Chicago at Comiskey Park, a woman sitting in the stands near the visitors' dugout becomes injured when Marv Owen's foul ball strikes her just above the right eye. The Indians' starting pitcher, her 20-year-old son Bob, threw the pitch that resulted in Mrs. Feller needing seven stitches on Mother's Day. 1950 Johnny Hopp helps the Pirates crush the Cubs, 16-9, when he goes 6-for-6, including a pair of homers, in the nightcap of a doubleheader sweep at Wrigley Field. The 33-year-old All-Star first baseman is called 'Hippity' by his teammates. 1956 The Orioles, taking a gamble, purchase sore-armed Billy Loes from the Dodgers for a reported $25,000. The 26-year-old right-hander will be selected for the American League All-Star team next season and will post a 21-30 (.412) record during his four years with Baltimore. 1957-59 Baltimore Orioles Photocards 1965 Carl Yastrzemski drives in five runs, hitting for the cycle with an additional home run. However, Yaz's homers in the first and second frames, a double in the sixth, an eighth-inning single, and a triple in the tenth weren't enough when the seventh-place Red Sox lost to the Tigers at Fenway Park, 12-8. 1967 Keeping a promise to his wife, Merlyn, Mickey Mantle hit his 500th career home run on Mother's Day, a shot into the lower deck in the right-field corner at Yankee Stadium. The 'Commerce Comet,' now the sixth big leaguer to reach the milestone, hits the historic homer off Stu Miller, helping New York defeat the Orioles, 6-5. 1972 After twenty-one seasons with the Giants, 41-year-old Willie Mays, playing first base and batting leadoff, dramatically returns to New York in his debut with the Mets. In the fifth inning, the Say Hey Kid hits a home run off Don Carrithers, his 647th career round-tripper, breaking a 4-4 deadlock and helping to defeat his former team, 5-4, at Shea Stadium. 1976 "I guess it was good for baseball. Everybody got a beer." - MIKE SCHMIDT, Phillies third baseman, reflecting on his role in the Astros' promotion. In a twist of an unusual promotion, visiting player Mike Schmidt makes many of the Houston fans attending the game very happy by whiffing on an even-numbered minute in the top of the fifth inning of the 5-1 Phillies' victory. The promise of free beer, usually given to patrons at the Astrodome when an Astro player hits a home run when the 'light is on,' was extended to include the Philadelphia third baseman striking out. 1977 Jim Colborn becomes the first Kansas City hurler to throw the first no-hitter at Royals Stadium and second overall in that park, following California's fireballer Nolan Ryan, who recorded the first hitless game in the ballpark during its inaugural season in 1973. The 31-year-old right-hander faces only 28 batters, issuing one free pass in the 6-0 victory. 1977 In an 18-2 rout of the Indians, White Sox's first baseman Jim Spencer collects a two-run single, a two-run homer, and his first major-league grand slam, driving in eight runs before being lifted in the fifth inning of the Comiskey Park contest. The 29-year-old infielder's eight RBIs tie a franchise single-game record established by Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1920. 1978 In a contest best remembered for Tommy Lasorda's postgame rant, Dave Kingman hits three home runs, accounting for eight RBIs against the Dodgers in the Cubs' 10-7 victory at Chavez Ravine. The third-year manager takes exception to radio reporter Paul Olden asking his opinion about the Chicago slugger's performance, responding with an obscenity-laced tirade that has become legendary. 1981 With a 3-2 win over Montreal in front of the largest Dodger Stadium crowd in seven years, rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela improves his record to 8-0. The 20-year-old southpaw, who has started the season with five shutouts and a minuscule ERA of 0.50, gets the victory when right fielder Pedro Guerrero hits a leadoff game-ending home run off Steve Ratzer in the bottom of the ninth inning at Chavez Ravine. 1986 Angels’ DH/outfielder Reggie Jackson homers off Red Sox hurler Roger Clemens to surpass Mickey Mantle on the all-time home run list with 537. The future Hall of Famer will retire next season, finishing his 21-year career sixth on the all-time list with 563 round-trippers. 1988 Jose Oquendo becomes the first non-pitcher to get a major league decision, losing to the Braves in nineteen innings, 7-5. After pitching three scoreless innings in an extra-inning marathon against Atlanta, the Cardinals' utility man gives up a two-run double to Ken Griffey in the nineteenth to suffer the loss at Busch Stadium. 1989 In his first at-bat as a Cub, Lloyd McClendon hits a three-run homer in a 4-0 victory over Atlanta at Wrigley Field. The 30-year-old utility player, obtained in an off-season trade from Cincinnati for Rolando Roomes, plays a vital role for the division champs, hitting .286 and 12 home runs in 259 at-bats. 1993 Jay Gainer becomes the fifth National Leaguer and 12th major leaguer to hit a home run on the first major league pitch he saw. The 26-year-old Rockies' first baseman accomplishes the feat in the second inning off Tim Pugh in the team's 13-5 loss to the Reds at Riverfront Stadium. 1994 The Royals retire jersey #5 in tribute to George Brett, a .305 lifetime hitter who played his entire 21-year career with the franchise. The 13-time All-Star third baseman won the MVP award in 1980, batting .390 for the American League champs, and led the team to its first world championship in 1985.1996 Dwight Gooden becomes the eighth Yankee to hurl a no-hitter when he throws 135 pitches, beating the Mariners at the ballpark in the Bronx, 2-0. The 31-year-old right-handed 'Doc,' nearly released last month after starting the season poorly, hadn't won a game in almost two years. 2000 Although Sammy Sosa gets five hits, Henry Rodriguez drives in seven runs, and Eric Young steals five bases, the Cubs still lose to the Expos, 16-15. Young's accomplishment on the bases is the most by a Cubs player since 1881, when George Gore stole seven bases. 2002 At Latino-American Stadium, 77-year-old Jimmy Carter throws the ceremonial first pitch of the Cuban League All-Star game. One-time big-league pitching prospect Fidel Castro, the dictator of the island nation, coaches the former U.S. President before the toss. 2003 Kendall and Jake Burnham become the first husband-and-wife team to appear in a professional baseball game when the newlyweds play for the San Angelo Colts of the independent Central League. With her husband Jake starting at third base, the former fastpitch softball star, with two out in the bottom of the ninth, strikes out looking at three pitches in the team's 8-1 loss to Amarillo. 2004 Chone Figgins, going 5-for-6, collects a triple, a grand slam, and six RBIs in the Angels' 10-9 victory over Baltimore at Camden Yards. The Anaheim third baseman/outfielder, who drives in the game's winning run in the 10th inning with a single, joins Buck Rogers as one of the two players in franchise history to hit their first career round-tripper with the bases loaded. 2005 In upstate New York, 11-year-old Katie Brownell, the only girl enrolled in the local Oakfield-Alabama Little League, throws a perfect game in front of an astonished crowd of about 100 parents and friends. The shy sixth-grader strikes out every batter she faces, allowing only three foul balls in the six-inning contest at Oakfield Town Park. (Ed. Note: At a Cooperstown (NY) ceremony in her honor, Katie Brownell donated her jersey from the game to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. - LP) 2006 At Cooperstown on Mother's Day, with over fifty female baseball dignitaries in attendance, including Ila Borders and Julie Croteau, the Hall of Fame unveils a bronze statue paying tribute to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League legacy. The AAGPBL operated from 1943 to 1954 and inspired the 1992 movie, A League of Their Own. 2006 On Mother's Day, with his mom in the stands, Bill Hall hits a walk-off home run to beat the Mets at Miller Park, 6-5. The Milwaukee center fielder, joining many other major league players, uses a pink bat in MLB's effort to raise public awareness of breast cancer. 2007 Warner Brothers releases American Pastime, a fictional movie detailing the importance of baseball to the Japanese Americans placed in internment camps in the western States during the early 1940s. The setting of the dramatic major motion picture is the Topaz War Relocation Center, a Utah encampment that housed thousands during the Second World War. 2008 After making an outstanding catch of Kevin Millar's line drive near the Camden Yards warning track, Boston's left fielder Manny Ramirez high-fives a fan before throwing the ball back to the infield to complete a 7-4-3 double play. Red Sox fan Randy Dunning, attending the Orioles game with his mom and dad before leaving for Officer Candidate School at Fort Meade, becomes the glad-hand recipient of 'Manny being Manny.' 2008 Trailing 6-0 to the Reds at Great American Ball Park, the Marlins score six times in the top of the ninth to tie the game. Florida, however, loses the game in the tenth as Paul Janish, in his second major league at-bat in his first major league game, gets his first big league hit, a game-winning RBI single. 2009 The Mets collect a franchise-record seven stolen bases in their 7-4 victory over the Giants at AT&T Park. Ironically, the team sets the club mark without the help of a sidelined Jose Reyes, New York's all-time career leader in thefts. 2010 Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones each collect five hits, including both hitting a home run, in the Pirates' 10-6 victory over Chicago. The last time two Bucs enjoyed a five-hit game on the same day was against Atlanta in 1970, when Willie Stargell and Bob Robertson accomplished the feat. 2011 For the first time since 1914, the Dodgers lose after allowing just one hit, dropping a 1-0 decision to the visiting Diamondbacks. Chad Billingsley, the hard-luck loser, gives up a leadoff double in the second to Stephen Drew, who scores the game's only run when shortstop Jamey Carroll fails to cover the bag in an attempted pick-off play. 2011 Jorge Posada, claiming a stiff back and then the need for time to clear his head, asks not to play after learning he's batting ninth in manager Joe Girardi's lineup. The DH's decision to sit out the game causes controversy when Yankee GM Brian Cashman refutes his player's injury to the media during the nationally televised game against Boston. 2012 At the age of 19 years and 211 days, Nationals' rookie Bryce Harper becomes the youngest player in franchise history to hit a home run, breaking the mark established by 20 years and 173 days old named Gary Carter as an Expo before the team left Montreal to play in Washington. Harmon Killebrew remains the youngest to homer for a Washington team, accomplishing the feat with the Senators in 1955 at 19 years old and 88 days. 2016 At Fenway Park, David Ortiz's two-out ninth-inning triple ties the game at five, and his double in the 11th gives the Red Sox a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Astros. Big Papi's extra-inning two-bagger makes him the third major leaguer to hit 500 home runs and 600 doubles, a feat only accomplished by Henry Aaron and Barry Bonds. 2020 Art Howe, best known as the skipper of Billy Beane's 'Moneyball' A's, confirms he has been dealing with COVID-19 since first feeling symptoms at the beginning of the month, according to an interview given to KPRC-TV2. The former major league manager and infielder, who found out he was positive for the coronavirus two days after being tested, was transported to a Houston hospital by ambulance after trying to recover at home, where he remains in intensive care. ************************************************************
MAY 19 BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS ************************************** 1929 Vince Nemoli, pitcher (3 x MLB All-Star; World Series 1964 St. Louis Cardinals; Philadelphia Phillies) 1954 Rick Cerone, catcher (Yankees/Red Sox/Mets/Expos) 1955 ,Ed Whitson pitcher (NY Yankees, San Diego Padres) ******************
Today in All Teams HistoryMay 19th 1915 Pirates player-manager Fred Clarke files a patent for flip-down sunglasses designed for outfielders. In addition to the sunglasses, which he believes are "good for motorists, too," the future Hall of Famer also creates and will be issued patents for a sliding pad and a mechanical method of positioning the tarpaulin. 1918 The Senators play the District's first Sunday game, beating Cleveland in a dramatic, 1-0 twelve-inning contest in front of the largest crowd in the history of American League Park. The 17,000 spectators packed into the Washington D.C. ballpark include several U.S. Senators, a Supreme Court Justice, and 2,000 soldiers invited by the team. 1929 At Yankee Stadium in a section known as Ruthville, two fans die, a 17-year-old college sophomore and a sixty-year-old truck driver, and another seventy-five fans reported hurt when an unusually violent storm causes the crowd to stampede trying to seek cover. The incident in the right-field bleachers occurs when the sudden cloudburst makes it obvious the contest will end with New York ahead of the Red Sox, 3-0, at the end of four and a half innings, making it an official game. 1933 For the first time in major league history, brothers on opposite teams homer in the same game. Red Sox catcher Rick Ferrell takes his brother Wes deep, but the Indians' righty returns the favor as he homers in the third on a pitch called by his sibling. 1954 Bob Carpenter apologizes to second baseman Granny Hamner for having him followed by a detective. Although his team is one game behind first place, the Phillies' owner suspected his players were not ready to play mentally or physically.
1956 Dale Long's eighth-inning Forbes Field's two-run round-tripper against Chicago is the first in a string of eight consecutive games in which the Pirates' first baseman will homer. Don Mattingly (Yankees, 1987) and Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners, 1993) will match the Adam, MA native's major league mark. 1962 Cardinal Stan Musial singles for his 3,431st career hit, establishing a National League record. 'Stan the Man' delivers the historic hit as a pinch-hitter, something he will accomplish coming off the bench 14 times in 19 at-bats (.735) this season. 1968 At Tiger Stadium, Earl Wilson stops Senator Frank Howard's home run streak. The 'Capital Punisher' established the major league mark by hitting ten home runs in the previous six games. 1972 In an exchange of outfielders, Cincinnati trades Bernie Carbo, their number-one pick in the 1965 draft, to the Cardinals for first baseman/right fielder Joe Hague. Unknown at the time, the move reportedly resulted from an ugly incident when the spring training hold-out became physical with Reds' GM Bob Howsam during a contentious negotiation session. 1976 The day after Carl Yastrzemski passes Boston legend Ted Williams for the most games played in a Red Sox uniform, he enjoys a memorable day at the plate, going 4-for-4, including three home runs and four RBIs. Yaz's offensive output contributes to the team's 9-2 victory over the Tigers in the Motor City. 1979 After a bitter strike, the major league umpires return to work when the MLUA and MLB agree on a contract allowing umps to have in-season vacations, the institution of a 401(k) plan, increases in salaries, pensions, and per diems, and a return to merit-based assignments for post-season games. During the six-week work stoppage, amateur arbiters replaced the men in blue. 1981 After giving up a single to leadoff hitter Terry Harper, Pirates' hurler Jim Bibby retires the next 27 Braves en route to a 5-0 one-hitter. The right-hander threw a no-hitter as a rookie with the Rangers. 1984 Joining the club in St. Louis, Reds' rookie Eric Davis makes his major league debut, grounding out to short as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning of the Reds' 9-1 loss to the Cardinals. When Cincinnati forgets to pack an extra road uniform, the 22-year-old rookie wears a numberless jersey. 1993 The 13-35 Mets replace skipper Jeff Torborg with former Yankees and Phillies manager Dallas Green. The 1990 American League Manager of the Year with the White Sox posted an 85-115 record (.425) during his brief stint with New York.
1994 The first 'Jay Buhner Buzz Cut Night,' which will become a popular recurring promotion, is held at the Kingdome. Mariners fans, willing to have their heads shaved to emulate the team's right fielder, who plays an active role by encouraging fans to participate and giving a few haircuts himself, receive free admission to seats in right field to cheer on 'Bone.' 1998 Mark McGwire hits three homers in a game for the second time this season and the fourth time in his career. 'Big Mac' becomes the 12th player to have two three-homer games in a season when he smacks three two-run round-trippers against the Phillies. 1998 After giving up an eighth-inning three-run homer to Bernie Williams, Armando Benitez nails Tino Martinez between the shoulder blades, igniting a bench-clearing brawl. Graeme Lloyd races in from the Yankee bullpen to punch the O's closer, and Alan Mills bloodies Darryl Strawberry's face after the New York outfielder ends up in the Baltimore dugout also trying to get a shot at Benitez. 2000 In the park's final year, Jason Kendall became the first Pirate to hit for the cycle in Three Rivers Stadium. The Pittsburgh backstop has a two-run homer in the first inning, a single in the second, a double in the third, and a two-run triple in the eighth to join Giant Jeff Kent (1999) as the only other player to accomplish the feat in the stadium's 31-year history. 2001 Reversing their original decision, the Elias Sports Bureau, major league baseball's official statistician, will now list Randy Johnson's 20 strikeouts as tying a record. Although the game went extra innings, the Big Unit's nine-inning performance now ranks with Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood's 20K outings in the record book. 2002 The Astros retire the #49 jersey to honor Larry Dierker, who debuted as a 17-year-old before posting a 137-1117 record during his 13 seasons on the mound with the team. The Astros' first 20-game winner (1969) also served as a broadcaster for 27 years before being hired to manage the team in 1997, leading the team to four division titles in five years. 2002 Cubs' first baseman Fred McGriff's two-run homer at Miller Park ties Ellis Burks' record of homering in 40 different major league parks. The Crime Dog's eighth-inning blast knots the score 3-3 in an eventual 4-3, 11-inning victory over the Brewers, snapping Chicago's nine-game losing streak. 2004 Brad Thompson breaks a 97-year-old minor league record set in 1907 by Irvin Wilhelm, hurling 57 consecutive scoreless innings. The 22-year-old Cardinals farmhand, playing in the Southern League for the Tennessee Smokies, falls just two innings short of Orel Hershiser's professional mark of 59 established in 1988. 2004 Yankee spokesman Jason Zillo announces that Cracker Jack, baseball's most famous snack for over 100 years, will not be sold at Yankee Stadium but replaced by a product known as Crunch 'n Munch. According to team officials, the short-lived change, due to the fans' adverse reaction, is being made because Crunch 'n Munch tastes better but may have happened due to Frito-Lay's decision to package the game's well-known treat in only bags and not boxes. 2004 Julio Franco, breaking a record he set two weeks ago, becomes the oldest player to hit a pinch-hit home run. The Braves first baseman is 45 years, 269 days old when he accomplishes the feat. 2008 Jon Lester, diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma two seasons ago, no-hits the Royals, 7-0, becoming only the third lefty in franchise history to throw a no-no at Fenway Park. The 24-year-old's batterymate, Jason Varitek, also makes the record books as the first backstop to catch four no-hitters in the majors. 2009 Dontrelle Willis wins his first game in nearly 20 months, limiting the opposition to one hit in 6+ innings in the Tigers' 4-0 victory over Texas. The former 2003 National League Rookie of the Year, who signed a three-year deal worth $29 million with Detroit last season, was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder during spring training. 2010 After being benched for criticizing Fredi Gonzalez, who pulled him from the previous game for loafing, Hanley Ramirez, at the prompting of Hall of Famers Andre Dawson and Tony Perez, apologizes to his manager and his teammates before today's contest in St. Louis. Amidst being booed by the Busch Stadium fans, the visiting All-Star shortstop and reigning National League batting champ collects three hits and drives in a run in the Marlins' 5-1 victory over the Cardinals. 2010 Mets center fielder Angel Pagan initiates the tenth triple play in franchise history when he snags Nationals' Cristian Guzman's sinking liner with first and second base occupied. Backstop Henry Blanco fields the outfielder's overthrown ball over the infield, throwing it to shortstop Jose Reyes, doubling up the runner at second, with the infielder relaying the ball to Ike Davis to triple up the runner at first, completing the first major league 9-2-6-3 triple killing. 2011 In the Rockies' 7-1 victory over Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park, 40-year-old Jason Giambi becomes the second-oldest player to hit three homers in a game. In 1962, Stan Musial became the oldest major leaguer to accomplish the feat when he hit a trio of round-trippers at the age of 41, facing the Mets in the Polo Grounds. 2013 After pinch-runner Cliff Lee becomes a pickoff victim at first base in the bottom of the ninth inning, Phillies catcher Erik Kratz, who did not start the contest, ties the game with a solo home run to left field off Cincinnati flame thrower Aroldis Chapman. The next batter, Freddie Galvis, blasts a home run to complete the improbable Citizens Bank Park comeback, giving Philadelphia a dramatic 3-2 walk-off victory. 2016 At U.S. Cellular Field, Chris Sale, with a four-hit complete-game 2-1 victory over the Astros, improves his record to 9-0 to become the first White Sox pitcher in nearly a century to win his first nine starts of the season. Ed Cicotte also accomplished the feat during the infamous 1919 Black Sox season. 2018 The Rays employ an opener for the first time, using veteran closer Sergio Romo to throw one inning against the Angels to start the game in Anaheim. This season, the strategy will account for a combined 93 innings, resulting in a 3.97 ERA, slightly better than the league average ERA of 4.15. (Ed. Note - Sergio Romo makes the debut of the innovative concept memorable when he faces three batters, striking out the side in his brief appearance on the mound. - LP)
Today In 1953: The Mick, The Old Perfessor, The Duke & The Scooter! The Duke of Windsor poses with Mickey Mantle, Casey Stengel & Phil Rizzuto before a New York #Yankees game at Yankee Stadium!
MAY 20 BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS ************************************** 1921 Hal Newhouser, HOF pitcher (7 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1945; AL MVP 1944, 45; Triple Crown 1945; Detroit Tigers) 1931 Ken Boyer Bobby Murcer outfielder (5-time MLB All Star) 1963 David Wells, pitcher (perfect game 1998; World Series 1992, 98; MLB All Star 1995, 98, 2000 1970 Missy Cress, female catcher (Colo Silver Bullets), 1976 Ramón Hernández, 1980 Austin Kearns,1964 Jeff Schwarz **************************************
Today in Baseball HistoryMay 20th 1878 In a 3-1 National League loss to the White Stockings at Chicago's Lake Front Park, right-hander Jim McCormick of the Indianapolis Blues becomes the first player born in Scotland to appear in a major league game. Next season, as a 23-year-old, the Glasgow native will manage the team, which will move to Cleveland, making him the youngest skipper in the game's history. 1918 In what will become a precursor of a tragic event, Indian outfielder Tris Speaker is struck on the head by a pitch thrown by Red Sox hurler Carl Mays. The submarine pitcher, who will fatally bean Ray Chapman with a ball in 1920 as a member of the Yankees, denies Speaker's allegation that the pitch was intentional. 1919 Red Sox southpaw Babe Ruth hits the first of his 16 career grand slams. The bases-loaded home run proves to be the difference when Boston and the 'Bambino' beat the Browns at Sportsman's Park, 6-4. 1920 The Chicago police, dressed as soldiers and farmers, raid the Wrigley Field bleachers, arresting two dozen Cub fans for gambling. All bets are off when Grover Cleveland Alexander blanks Philadelphia, 6-0. 1925 Tris Speaker, scoring from first base on a single, plates the winning run in the Indians' 10-9 walk-off win over the Yankees. The Tribe scores six times in the bottom of the ninth to accomplish the incredible comeback. 1932 Paul Waner, known as Big Poison to his teammates, strokes four doubles in one game, tying a major league record shared with 11 other players. The 29-year-old future Hall of Fame outfielder's quartet of two-baggers enables the Pirates to beat the Cardinals at Sportsman's Park, 5-0. 1940 Tiger slugger Pinky Higgins hits three consecutive home runs at Briggs Stadium, going deep in the fourth, fifth, and seventh innings. The 31-year-old third baseman's offensive output includes a three-run homer and a pair of two-run round-trippers, accounting for seven of the runs in Detroit's 10-7 victory over the Red Sox. 1945 Pete Gray leads the St. Louis Browns to a doubleheader sweep of the Yankees, scoring the winning run in the nightcap and collecting three hits in the opener. During the Sportsman's Park twin bill, the one-armed left fielder makes ten putouts in the outfield. 1947 In a game with no extra-base hits, the Pirates defeat the Braves at Forbes Field, 4-3. The teams compile 22 safties, all singles, with Pittsburgh collecting a dozen. 1947 A's catcher Buddy Rosar drops Walt Judnich's pop-up, ending his record-setting errorless game streak at 147 games. The All-Star backstop's perfect fielding included the span of the 117 games he played for Philadelphia last season, handling 605 chances without a miscue during the entire campaign. 1948 In front of only 5,001 fans in Chicago, Joe DiMaggio strokes four extra-base hits for the fourth time in his career when he hits for the cycle for the second time in a 13-2 rout of the White Sox. The Yankee Clipper paces the Bombers' 22-hit attack with two homers, a triple, a double, and a single and drives in six runs. 1951 Philadelphia center fielder Richie Ashburn, who will lead the NL in hits this season, goes 4-for-6 and 4-for-5 during the Phillies' sweep of a twin bill from Pittsburgh. The eight hits that Whitey collects during the Forbes Field's 17-0 and 12-4 victories are all singles. 1953 In their thirteenth home game of the season, the Milwaukee Braves' attendance surpasses the 281,278 fans who attended their 77 contests in Boston last year. The team will set a National League record for attendance when 1,826,397 patrons pass through the turnstiles this season, more than the combined total of the last three years in the Massachusetts capital. 1958 The Cardinals trade Alvin Dark to the Cubs for hurler Jim Brosnan. Both players will be productive on their new teams during the remainder of the season, with 'Blackie' hitting .297 in 114 games for Chicago, and the newest Redbird right-hander will compile an 8-4 record for St. Louis. 1959 The Yankees slip into last place when the team drops a 13-6 decision to Detroit in the Bronx. The Bronx Bombers' position in standings marks the first time in 19 years that the club has occupied the basement of the American League. 1962 Ken Hubbs collects eight singles in eight trips to the plate during the Cubs' doubleheader sweep of the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium. The BBWAA will select Chicago's second baseman as the National League's Rookie of the Year. 1968 For the second time in his career and the second time in franchise history, Jim Fregosi, with a single in the 11th inning, hits for the cycle in the Angels' 5-4 victory over Boston at Anaheim Stadium. The California shortstop became the first player to accomplish the feat for the club in 1964. 1969 At RFK Stadium, first-base umpire Cal Drummond ejects Pilots manager Joe Schultz for disputing Bernie Allen's fourth inning 'foul' two-run home run that ties the score at 4 in a game his team will eventually lose to Washington, 6-5. According to Jim Bouton in his book Ball Four, the Seattle skipper is tossed after offering his glasses to the plate umpire Ed Runge. 1970 With an eighth-inning run-scoring triple, Rod Carew completes the cycle, becoming the sixth player in franchise history and the first Minnesota Twin player to accomplish the feat. The 24-year-old All-Star second baseman's four hits contribute to the team's 10-5 victory over the Royals at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium. 1976 After a home-plate collision between Lou Piniella and Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, a shoving match escalates into an ugly bench-clearing brawl. Yankee third baseman Graig Nettles and Boston's Bill Lee fight so fiercely that the 'Spaceman' suffers a separation of his left shoulder, significantly affecting his pitching career. 1978 Willie Stargell hits the longest home run in Montreal's Olympic Stadium history, smashing a ball 535 feet into the 300 club deck level in the right field in the team's 6-0 victory over the Expos. The yellow upper deck seat, which replaced the original red one to commemorate the location of the Pirates' first baseman behemoth blast, is now on display at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. 1979 Don Sutton becomes the franchise’s winningest pitcher when he is credited with the victory, tossing eight innings in the Dodgers' 6-4 victory over the Reds at Riverfront Stadium. The 34-year-old right-hander’s 210th win surpasses the team mark established in 1969 by Don Drysdale. 1983 Phillies southpaw Steve Carlton becomes the second of three major league hurlers this season to surpass Walter Johnson's career strikeout total of 3,508 K's, a record that had survived for 56 years. In April, Nolan Ryan broke the Big Train's mark, and Gaylord Perry will reach the milestone later in the season. (Ed. Note - Some websites, including the Hall of Fame, ESPN, and Baseball-Reference, differ from the official MLB stats, crediting the Senator legend with 3,509 career strikeouts, with an extra punch out recorded in his rookie season accounting for the difference - LP). 1985 The record streak of 458 major league games played from the start of the season ends due to inclement weather. Rain postpones the scheduled contest between the Brewers and Indians at Cleveland Stadium. 1987 In a season of streaks, the second-place Brewers end a 12-game losing streak by beating the Chicago White Sox County Stadium, 5-1. The 21-15 Brew Crew had opened the season with 13 consecutive victories. 1991 Jeff Reardon becomes the fourth major leaguer to compile 300 career saves. The 35-year-old right-handed reliever, who finishes with 367 saves, reaches the milestone when he retires the side in order in the ninth inning of the Red Sox' 3-0 victory over Milwaukee at Fenway Park. 1999 In a twin bill sweep of Milwaukee, Mets' third baseman Robin Ventura becomes the first major league player to hit a grand slam in both ends of a doubleheader. The infielder also hit a pair of 'grand salamis' in a game against Texas while playing for the 1995 White Sox. 2000 After being released earlier in the month by the Mets for not hustling, Rickey Henderson, in his first at-bat for the Mariners, hits his record 76th career leadoff home run, a shot off Esteban Yan in the team's 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay at Safeco Field. With the round-tripper, the future Hall of Fame outfielder joins Ted Williams and Willie McCovey as the third major leaguer to have homered in four different decades. 2001 Barry Bonds becomes the thirteenth player in major league history to hit home runs in four consecutive at-bats. The Giants outfielder went yard in his final two at-bats yesterday and homers in his first two official turns at the plate today. 2004 Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny handles his 1,295th chance without an error to establish a major league record for backstops. Playing for the Marlins, Charles Johnson had set the previous mark in 1997. 2006 After barreling over fellow catcher Michael Barrett in a play he considered hard but clean, A.J. Pierzynski is surprised when the Cub backstop shows his displeasure by punching him in the face. The incident ignites a bench-clearing brawl between the Windy City rivals, leading to a 15-minute delay and four ejections during the White Sox' 7-0 victory at U.S. Cellular Field. 2006 After a 29 at-bats homerless drought, Barry Bonds finally catches Babe Ruth with his 714th home run. The historic homer, which ties the designated hitter for second place for career round-trippers, comes during the second inning of an interleague contest against the A's, with the pitch thrown by southpaw Brad Halsey landing in the first deck of the right-center stands of McAfee Coliseum. 2009 After setting a franchise record in the sixth inning with 11 putouts in the outfield, Jacoby Ellsbury ties the big league mark when he catches the final out of the game for #12. The Red Sox center fielder equals the 1929 performance of Braves' outfielder Earl Clark and Lyman Bostock, who also accomplished the feat in 1977 playing for the Twins. (Ed. Note: Opposing center fielder Vernon Wells of the Blue Jays does not record any putouts in the team's 8-3 loss to Boston at Fenway Park. -LP) 2010 Trailing the Reds 9-3 starting the bottom of the ninth, Brooks Conrad's pinch-hit grand slam gives the Braves an incredible 10-9 walk-off victory at Turner Field. The seven-run frame's big blow by the 30-year-old journeyman barely clears the fence, with the ball deflecting off Laynce Nix's glove when the left fielder reaches over the top of the wall at the 380-foot sign. 2012 Babe Ruth's circa 1920 jersey sells to an undisclosed buyer for $4,415,658, the most significant amount ever paid for a piece of sports memorabilia, according to auctionreport.com. The Babe probably wore the woolen uniform top during his first season with the Yankees after being traded by Red Sox's owner Harry Frazee. 2017 Terry Collins, a 67-year-old baseball lifer, passes Davey Johnson (1984-1990) to become the longest-tenured manager in Mets history, piloting the team for 1,013 games. The oldest skipper in the major leagues sees his charges hang on to a 7-5 victory when Addison Reed strikes out Angel pinch-hitter Danny Espinosa on a 3-2 count with the bases loaded after three runs have scored in the top of the ninth inning at Citi Field. 2018 Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks equals Aroldis Chapman's mark for the fastest pitch known in baseball history when he throws a pair of pitches clocked at 105 mph in the team's 5-1 victory over the Phillies at Busch Stadium. The 21-year-old Redbird rookie right-handed reliever had never appeared in a game above Class A before starting the season with St. Louis this year.
