BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

The Dodgers announce that Shohei Ohtani will start Game 4 of the World Series

​

 

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
There have been 24 grand slams in #Worlderies history, but Addison Barger was the first player ever to knock one as a pinch hitter. He's donating his spikes from the
@BlueJays
Game 1 win to the Hall of Fame.

​

 

The Cubs parted ways with their ace #OTD in 1973 when they sent Fergie Jenkins to Texas. He was dominant as ever in his first season with the @Rangers
, leading the league with 25 wins and 29 complete games in 1974 Doug McWilliams)

The Professor was truly in a class of his own. On this date in 1994, Greg Maddux became the first pitcher to win three straight Cy Young Awards after going 16-6 with a career-low 1.56 ERA. ( Doug McWilliams)

 

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Ralph Kiner, born #OTD in 1922, is the only Hall of Famer born in New Mexico? The
@Pirates
star was the first National League player to hit 50 home runs in two different seasons and still holds the franchise record with 54 in 1949.

 

Nobody was taking the ball from Jack Morris #OTD in 1991. Game 7 would prove to be one of the greatest pitcher’s duels in World Series history, with the @Twins workhorse besting John Smoltz’s Braves in a 10-inning, 126-pitch shutout.






Game 7 would prove to be one of the greatest pitcher’s duels in World Series history, with the
@Twins
workhorse besting John Smoltz’s Braves in a 10-inning, 126-pitch shutout.

 

By RONALD BLUM

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers outlasted the Toronto Blue Jays with a 6-5, 18-inning win in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night, producing a lengthy list of records topped by Shohei Ohtani as they took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven matchup.

Ohtani was the Dodgers’ designated hitter a day before he is to pitch in Game 4 and had one of the most memorable games at the plate in World Series history.

Here are numbers to know from a Fall Classic showdown to remember:

2: Freddie Freeman’s career total for walk-off World Series homers
Freeman, who hit the game-ending Grand Slam in last year’s Series opener against the New York Yankees’ Nestor Cortes, became the only player with two World Series walk-off home runs. Three other players have hit two in postseason play: Carlos Correa, David Ortiz and Bernie Williams.

3: Multihomer games by Ohtani this postseason
Ohtani has a record number of multihomer games this postseason. He had a two-homer performance in the Wild Card Series opener against Cincinnati, then hit three homers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series versus Milwaukee, when he also pitched six-plus scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts. Ohtani has eight homers this postseason, two shy of Randy Arozarena’s record for a single postseason set in 2020.

4: Ohtani’s number of extra-base hits and intentional walks
Ohtani’s two home runs and two doubles matched a record for extra-base hits in a World Series contest set in Game 5 in 1906 by Frank Isbell, who had four doubles for the Chicago White Sox in an 8-6 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Ohtani was intentionally walked four times, including three times with no runners on base. There had been only one previous World Series intentional walk with nobody on, to the St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols in Game 5 in 2011. Ohtani’s four overall intentional walks were one shy of the record in any game since it became an official statistic in 1955. The Cubs’ Andre Dawson was intentionally walked five times by Cincinnati on May 22, 1990, during Chicago’s 2-1, 16-inning win.

9: Times Ohtani reached base
Ohtani doubled in the first inning, homered in the third, hit an RBI double in the fifth and a tying solo homer in the seventh. He was intentionally walked in the ninth, 11th, 13th and 15th innings, then walked unintentionally on four pitches in the 17th. He tied the record shared by three people who reached that many times in regular-season games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau: Max Carey on July 7, 1922, Johnny Burnett on July 10, 1932, and Stan Hack on Aug. 9, 1942.

10: Pitchers used by Los Angeles
The Dodgers set a Series record by using 10 pitchers, breaking a mark shared by the 2005 Chicago White Sox in Game 3, the Dodgers in Game 2 in 2017 and the Dodgers and Red Sox in Game 3 in 2018. The postseason record of 11 was set by San Diego in Game 3 of the 2020 NLDS. The 44 overall players who appeared were two shy of the Series mark set by the Dodgers and Red Sox in Game 3 in 2018.

18: Innings played, tying a World Series record
This game matched the longest in World Series history by innings, set at Dodger Stadium seven years and one day earlier, when Max Muncy homered against Nathan Eovaldi to give Los Angeles a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. There also have been three 18-inning games in earlier rounds: Houston’s 7-6 win over Atlanta in Game 4 of a 2005 NL Division Series, San Francisco’s 2-1 victory over Washington in Game 2 of a 2014 NLDS and Houston’s 1-0 win over Seattle that completed a three-game sweep in a 2022 ALDS.

72: Pitches thrown by Dodgers reliever Will Klein
Klein got the win with four scoreless innings. His 72 pitches doubled his previous big league career high, as did his four innings.

609: Total number of pitches
Dodgers pitchers threw 312 pitches and the Blue Jays accounted for 297.

6 hours, 39 minutes: Time of game
MLB’s relatively new pitch clock helped keep this marathon moving. When the Dodgers and Red Sox played 18 innings in 2018, the game lasted 7:20 and ended at 12:30 a.m.

___

 

October 27, 1991 - Jack Morris pitches a ten inning complete game with 126 total pitches thrown in leading the Minnesota #Twins to a 1-0 Game 7 #WorldSeries clinching victory over the Atlanta #Braves at the Metrodome.

 

This Day in All Teams History​

October 29th​

1889 The National League's Giants defeat the Bridegrooms of the American Association, 3-2, to win the World's Championship Series, a precursor to the modern-day World Series. The nine-game postseason matchup is the first 'Subway Series,' even though that type of transportation will not be available until 1904, and Brooklyn will not become part of New York City until January 1, 1898.
1920 The Yankees, in a move less heralded than the acquisition of Babe Ruth earlier in the year, hire Red Sox skipper Ed Barrow to be the team's general manager. Under the future Hall of Famer's leadership over the next quarter-century, the Bronx Bombers will win 14 American League pennants and 10 World Series championships.
1931 A's southpaw Lefty Grove, capturing a 98% share of the vote, is named the American League's MVP, easily outpacing runner-ups Lou Gehrig and Al Simmons. The future Hall of Famer left-hander posted a 31-4 (.886) record while compiling a league-leading 2.08 ERA for first-place Philadelphia.
1942 Branch Rickey, the innovator of the farm systems that helped build a strong Redbird franchise, resigns as the Cardinals' vice president. Three days later, the Dodgers name the Mahatma the Brooklyn club president, helping fill the void left by the departure of Brooklyn's general manager, Larry MacPhail, who enlisted in the army to serve in World War II.
1959 White Sox right-hander Early Wynn, who posted the most victories in either league, wins the Cy Young Award as the top pitcher in the majors. The 39-year-old veteran, who led Chicago to an AL pennant with a 22-10 record, is named on 13 of the 16 votes cast by the BBWAA writers, with the Giants' Sam Jones and teammate Bob Shaw also receiving consideration.
1969 Tom Seaver garners 23 of 24 possible first-place votes cast by the BBWAA to capture the National League Cy Young Award. The 24-year-old right-hander from Fresno (CA) led the major leagues in victories with 25 while striking out 200+ batters for the second straight season and compiling a 2.21 ERA, the second lowest in the MLB, for the World Champion Mets.
(Ed. Note: Tom Terrific misses being the writers' unanimous choice when one scribe casts a ballot for Braves right-hander Phil Niekro, who posted a 23-13 record for the NL West Division champs. - LP)

1975 As their overwhelming choice, the Baseball Writers' Association of America selects Fred Lynn (.331, 21, 105) as the American League Rookie of the Year. The 22-year-old Red Sox All-Star outfielder receives 23½ out of 24 first-place votes, with teammate Jim Rice getting the other half.
1979 Willie Mays, one of the game's most popular players, severed all ties with Major League Baseball after accepting a public relations job with an Atlantic City casino. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn issued an ultimatum to the Hall of Fame outfielder to disassociate himself from the national pastime due to the gambling aspect of the position
1985 Commissioner Peter Ueberroth suspends Cardinal pitcher Joaquin Andujar for the first ten games next season due to bumping Don Denkinger twice during his World Series Game 7 dispute with the home plate umpire over balls and strikes calls. The Redbird right-hander's frustration is a carryover from the umpire's game-costing blown call at first base in yesterday's ballgame.




1991 Buck Showalter replaces Stump Merrill as the Yankee manager. During his four-year reign as the Bronx Bomber skipper, the 36-year-old will compile a 313-268 (.539) record, capturing the American League Manager of the Year award and AL East title in 1994 and the league's first wild card the following year.
1991 Braves skipper Bobby Cox becomes the first person selected as the Manager of the Year in both leagues when the BBWAA picks him as the National League's top field boss. The 50-year-old former third baseman, who won the AL honor with the Blue Jays in 1985, led Atlanta to its first pennant after the team finished with the worst record during the previous season.
2001
"As the (economic) problems have exacerbated, it has become clearer to me that everything should be on the table, including contraction." - COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG, commenting on the possible elimination of two major league teams as soon as next season.

Commissioner Bud Selig, before Game 2 of the World Series, says Major League Baseball is considering eliminating two teams by next season. The highly controversial contraction would include the Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, or Florida Marlins.

2002 Three more teams, bringing the total to seven this month, hire new managers, including Ned Yost (Brewers), Ken Macha (A's), and Eric Wedge (Indians). Being younger than two of his players (Ellis Burks and Omar Vizquel), the Tribe's skipper, at age 34, becomes the youngest manager in the major leagues.
2006 Silas Simmons, the oldest surviving former baseball player, passes away at St. Petersburg's Westminster Suncoast retirement community in Florida. The 111-year-old was a southpaw hurler in the Negro Leagues for 17 years and played for the Homestead Grays, New York Lincoln Giants, and Cuban All-Stars.
2008 The Phillies complete the first-ever suspended game in World Series history, playing three innings at Citizens Bank Park, beating the Rays, 4-3, in Game 5 to win the Fall Classic. The World Championship is only the team's second in franchise history and the first since 1980.




2009

​

Derek Jeter is the recipient of this year's Roberto Clemente Award, an honor given to a player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, and community involvement. The 35-year-old Yankee captain joins 13 Hall of Famers and former Bronx Bombers Ron Guidry and Don Baylor in winning the prestigious prize.
2010 The Mets officially introduced 62-year-old Harvard Law School graduate Sandy Alderson as the team's new general manager at a Citi Field news conference. The A's former GM (1983-1997) and the Padres' CEO from 2005 to 2009 is leaving his current administrative position with MLB to take on the challenging role of rebuilding the directionless organization, including hiring a new manager for the team.
2010 Joe Girardi finalizes a new three-year contract with the Yankees to remain the team's manager. During the season, rumors surfaced that the Illinois native and former Cub catcher might be interested in replacing the retiring Lou Piniella as the Chicago skipper, a position recently filled by interim Mike Quade.
2013 Cuban defector, Jose Abreu, finalizes a $68 million, six-year deal with the White Sox. The Pale Hose projects the 26-year-old slugger, who batted .360 (9-for-25) with three home runs and nine RBIs for his island nation during the World Baseball Classic, to play first base/DH, helping the team bolster a weak offense that scored the fewest runs in the American League this season.
2014 In Game 7 at Kauffman Stadium, the Giants clinch their third World Series in five years when the team defeats the Royals, 3-2. San Francisco's 25-year-old southpaw Madison Bumgarner, the MVP of the Fall Classic, hurls the five final scoreless innings to earn the save in addition to his victories in Games 1 and 5.




2015 On the day the Sporting News names him the Executive of the Year, Blue Jays' GM Alex Anthopoulos rejects a five-year contract extension after bringing the franchise to an AL East Championship the previous season and posting a 489–483 record during his six-year tenure with the team. The 38-year-old, who will become the Dodgers' vice president of baseball operations in January, is believed to have departed the organization after quarreling with Toronto's new president and CEO, Mark Shapiro, concerning his autonomy as the club's general manager.
2016 Replacing Dan Jennings, who became the team's interim manager after Mike Redmond's firing in May, the Marlins will name Don Mattingly as their new skipper. The recently departed Dodger skipper will spend seven seasons with Miami, compiling a 443-587 record (.430), and the team made the postseason as a Wild Card in the 2020 COVID-shortened season.
2020 Tony La Russa becomes the White Sox's new manager, replacing Rick Renteria, who the organization fired after leading the team to its first postseason appearance in 12 years. The incoming 76-year-old Hall of Fame skipper, dismissed after eight seasons with the club in 1986, compiled a 2,884-2,499 (.536) record during his 35 campaigns in the dugout en route to winning World Championships with the A's (1989) and Cardinals (2006, 2011).

 

Blake Treinen has faced 7 hitters in the World Series He's given up 5 hits

Shohei Ohtani’s last 13 plate appearances at Dodger Stadium​

 

Today in All Teams History​

October 29th​

1889 The National League's Giants defeat the Bridegrooms of the American Association, 3-2, to win the World's Championship Series, a precursor to the modern-day World Series. The nine-game postseason matchup is the first 'Subway Series,' even though that type of transportation will not be available until 1904, and Brooklyn will not become part of New York City until January 1, 1898.
1920 The Yankees, in a move less heralded than the acquisition of Babe Ruth earlier in the year, hire Red Sox skipper Ed Barrow to be the team's general manager. Under the future Hall of Famer's leadership over the next quarter-century, the Bronx Bombers will win 14 American League pennants and 10 World Series championships.
1931 A's southpaw Lefty Grove, capturing a 98% share of the vote, is named the American League's MVP, easily outpacing runner-ups Lou Gehrig and Al Simmons. The future Hall of Famer left-hander posted a 31-4 (.886) record while compiling a league-leading 2.08 ERA for first-place Philadelphia.
1942 Branch Rickey, the innovator of the farm systems that helped build a strong Redbird franchise, resigns as the Cardinals' vice president. Three days later, the Dodgers name the Mahatma the Brooklyn club president, helping fill the void left by the departure of Brooklyn's general manager, Larry MacPhail, who enlisted in the army to serve in World War II.
1959 White Sox right-hander Early Wynn, who posted the most victories in either league, wins the Cy Young Award as the top pitcher in the majors. The 39-year-old veteran, who led Chicago to an AL pennant with a 22-10 record, is named on 13 of the 16 votes cast by the BBWAA writers, with the Giants' Sam Jones and teammate Bob Shaw also receiving consideration.
1969 Tom Seaver garners 23 of 24 possible first-place votes cast by the BBWAA to capture the National League Cy Young Award. The 24-year-old right-hander from Fresno (CA) led the major leagues in victories with 25 while striking out 200+ batters for the second straight season and compiling a 2.21 ERA, the second lowest in the MLB, for the World Champion Mets.
(Ed. Note: Tom Terrific misses being the writers' unanimous choice when one scribe casts a ballot for Braves right-hander Phil Niekro, who posted a 23-13 record for the NL West Division champs. - LP)

1975 As their overwhelming choice, the Baseball Writers' Association of America selects Fred Lynn (.331, 21, 105) as the American League Rookie of the Year. The 22-year-old Red Sox All-Star outfielder receives 23½ out of 24 first-place votes, with teammate Jim Rice getting the other half.
1979 Willie Mays, one of the game's most popular players, severed all ties with Major League Baseball after accepting a public relations job with an Atlantic City casino. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn issued an ultimatum to the Hall of Fame outfielder to disassociate himself from the national pastime due to the gambling aspect of the position
1985 Commissioner Peter Ueberroth suspends Cardinal pitcher Joaquin Andujar for the first ten games next season due to bumping Don Denkinger twice during his World Series Game 7 dispute with the home plate umpire over balls and strikes calls. The Redbird right-hander's frustration is a carryover from the umpire's game-costing blown call at first base in yesterday's ballgame.




1991 Buck Showalter replaces Stump Merrill as the Yankee manager. During his four-year reign as the Bronx Bomber skipper, the 36-year-old will compile a 313-268 (.539) record, capturing the American League Manager of the Year award and AL East title in 1994 and the league's first wild card the following year.
1991 Braves skipper Bobby Cox becomes the first person selected as the Manager of the Year in both leagues when the BBWAA picks him as the National League's top field boss. The 50-year-old former third baseman, who won the AL honor with the Blue Jays in 1985, led Atlanta to its first pennant after the team finished with the worst record during the previous season.
2001
"As the (economic) problems have exacerbated, it has become clearer to me that everything should be on the table, including contraction." - COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG, commenting on the possible elimination of two major league teams as soon as next season.

Commissioner Bud Selig, before Game 2 of the World Series, says Major League Baseball is considering eliminating two teams by next season. The highly controversial contraction would include the Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, or Florida Marlins.

2002 Three more teams, bringing the total to seven this month, hire new managers, including Ned Yost (Brewers), Ken Macha (A's), and Eric Wedge (Indians). Being younger than two of his players (Ellis Burks and Omar Vizquel), the Tribe's skipper, at age 34, becomes the youngest manager in the major leagues.
2006 Silas Simmons, the oldest surviving former baseball player, passes away at St. Petersburg's Westminster Suncoast retirement community in Florida. The 111-year-old was a southpaw hurler in the Negro Leagues for 17 years and played for the Homestead Grays, New York Lincoln Giants, and Cuban All-Stars.
2008 The Phillies complete the first-ever suspended game in World Series history, playing three innings at Citizens Bank Park, beating the Rays, 4-3, in Game 5 to win the Fall Classic. The World Championship is only the team's second in franchise history and the first since 1980.




2009

​

Derek Jeter is the recipient of this year's Roberto Clemente Award, an honor given to a player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, and community involvement. The 35-year-old Yankee captain joins 13 Hall of Famers and former Bronx Bombers Ron Guidry and Don Baylor in winning the prestigious prize.
2010 The Mets officially introduced 62-year-old Harvard Law School graduate Sandy Alderson as the team's new general manager at a Citi Field news conference. The A's former GM (1983-1997) and the Padres' CEO from 2005 to 2009 is leaving his current administrative position with MLB to take on the challenging role of rebuilding the directionless organization, including hiring a new manager for the team.
2010 Joe Girardi finalizes a new three-year contract with the Yankees to remain the team's manager. During the season, rumors surfaced that the Illinois native and former Cub catcher might be interested in replacing the retiring Lou Piniella as the Chicago skipper, a position recently filled by interim Mike Quade.
2013 Cuban defector, Jose Abreu, finalizes a $68 million, six-year deal with the White Sox. The Pale Hose projects the 26-year-old slugger, who batted .360 (9-for-25) with three home runs and nine RBIs for his island nation during the World Baseball Classic, to play first base/DH, helping the team bolster a weak offense that scored the fewest runs in the American League this season.
2014 In Game 7 at Kauffman Stadium, the Giants clinch their third World Series in five years when the team defeats the Royals, 3-2. San Francisco's 25-year-old southpaw Madison Bumgarner, the MVP of the Fall Classic, hurls the five final scoreless innings to earn the save in addition to his victories in Games 1 and 5.




2015 On the day the Sporting News names him the Executive of the Year, Blue Jays' GM Alex Anthopoulos rejects a five-year contract extension after bringing the franchise to an AL East Championship the previous season and posting a 489–483 record during his six-year tenure with the team. The 38-year-old, who will become the Dodgers' vice president of baseball operations in January, is believed to have departed the organization after quarreling with Toronto's new president and CEO, Mark Shapiro, concerning his autonomy as the club's general manager.
2016 Replacing Dan Jennings, who became the team's interim manager after Mike Redmond's firing in May, the Marlins will name Don Mattingly as their new skipper. The recently departed Dodger skipper will spend seven seasons with Miami, compiling a 443-587 record (.430), and the team made the postseason as a Wild Card in the 2020 COVID-shortened season.
2020 Tony La Russa becomes the White Sox's new manager, replacing Rick Renteria, who the organization fired after leading the team to its first postseason appearance in 12 years. The incoming 76-year-old Hall of Fame skipper, dismissed after eight seasons with the club in 1986, compiled a 2,884-2,499 (.536) record during his 35 campaigns in the dugout en route to winning World Championships with the A's (1989) and Cardinals (2006, 2011).

 

Willie Mays severed all ties to major league baseball after signing a contract with the Bally Corporation, which is involved with legalized gambling in Atlantic City, N.J, October 29, 1979. Mays accepted a contract to serve as a Goodwill Ambassador or "greeter" for the casino.

​

 

Tom Seaver, who won 25 games. is voted the National League Cy Young Award winner, October 29, 1969.


"As long as you live keep smiling because it brightens everybody's day." ~ The great Vin Scully!

​

 

Johnny Bench on Mission Impossible. The episode titled "The Catafalque," which aired on February 6, 1971. In this episode, Bench played the "Captain of the Guards," a role that included limited lines—he was seen among the honor guards watching over a casket and announced the guard change. His appearance was notable as a popular baseball star stepping into a bit acting role, coinciding with the period shortly after he was named National League MVP in 1970. Bench’s casting was likely both a promotional move for the show and a step into acting, preceding other TV roles he took in the 1970s.​

 

Today in All Teams History​

October 31st​

1931 The Cardinals release 41-year-old right-hander Burleigh Grimes, the game's last legal spitballer. Ol' Stubblebeard, one of 17 pitchers allowed to keep throwing the pitches banned in 1920 until their retirement, will finish his 19-year Hall of Fame career with a 270-212 record and an ERA of 3.53.

1953 After touring Japan with the Giants, Commissioner Ford Frick compares Japanese play to Class A of the American minors. The Americans will finish the 14-game schedule against various Japanese teams with a 12-1-1 record, including nine consecutive victories at the start of the series.

1957 Yogi Berra says the team returned the fines the players paid for involvement in the Copacabana fight. A group of Yankees, including Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Bill Skowron, had gathered at the New York popular nightspot to celebrate Billy Martin's 29th birthday in May when the infamous altercation occurred with a group of patrons, resulting in unwanted newspaper headlines for the storied franchise.

1960 The Giants trade infielder Andre Rodgers to Milwaukee for Alvin Dark. San Francisco's former team captain will not be a player but rather the club's new manager for the upcoming season.

1967 By an overwhelming margin, 23 of the 24 experts surveyed select Dick Williams as the United Press International's American League Manager of the Year. The 38-year-old skipper guided the underdog Red Sox to a pennant, emerging on top from a fierce four-team pennant race that went down to the last day of the season.

1972 In a seven-player trade, Don Money is dealt by the Phillies, along with Bill Champion and John Vukovich, to the Brewers in exchange for Ken Brett, Jim Lonborg, Ken Sanders, and Earl Stephenson. The 25-year-old versatile infielder will spend over a decade with Milwaukee, becoming a four-time All-Star.

1972 Indians' right-hander Gaylord Perry (24-16, 1.92) edges Wilbur Wood (24-17, 2.51) for the American League Cy Young Award, joining his brother Jim (1970) to become the first siblings to win the prestigious pitching prize. Although the future Hall of Fame hurler receives only 9 of the 24 first-place votes, the North Carolina native still outpoints the White Sox starter, 64-58.

1973 Tom Seaver wins the National League Cy Young Award, outdistancing closer Mike Marshall, who posted a league-leading 31 saves for the Expos. The selection of the Mets' right-hander, who finished the season 19-10 and led the circuit in ERA (2.08), strikeouts (251), and complete games (18), marks the first time the honor has gone to a hurler with fewer than 20 victories.

1979 Mike Flanagan (23-9, 3.08) wins the Cy Young Award, easily outdistancing New York's Tommy John (21-9, 2.97). The Orioles' southpaw receives 26 of the 27 first-place votes cast by the writers.

2001 The Yankees' 3-2 victory over the Diamondbacks marks the first time a team comes back to tie a Fall Classic game in the ninth and then goes on to win in extra innings for the first time since Philadelphia A's Mule Haas hit a game-tying two-run homer in Game 5 of the 1929 World Series. Tino Martinez sent the contest into overtime with a two-out homer off Diamondbacks' closer Byung-Hyun Kim, and Derek Jeter, dubbed Mr. November, won the game after the stroke of midnight with a full count two-out round-tripper, giving the Bronx Bombers the walkoff victory.

2005 On Halloween night, former Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein eludes the media on the night of his resignation, parked outside Fenway Park, disguised in a gorilla suit. The hairy costume will be auctioned at a future charity event, making $11,000 for the Jimmy Fund and Theo's Foundation, To Be Named Later.

2006 Joining Don Mattingly (Yankees, 1987), Cal Ripken Jr. (Orioles, 1991), Frank Thomas (White Sox, 1995), Jeff Bagwell (Astros, 1995), and Manny Ramirez (Red Sox, 2002), Cardinal first baseman Albert Pujols becomes the sixth player to get a perfect score (100) in the annual player rankings. The Elias Sports Bureau rating compares a player's plate appearances, batting average, on-base percentage, home runs, and RBIs to those of players at the same position over the past two seasons.

2006 The Astros announce the club has decided not to exercise its option on first baseman Jeff Bagwell for the 2007 season. 'BagPipes' is the all-time franchise leader in home runs, RBIs, and walks.

2008 The Mets exercise their $12 million option quickly on Carlos Delgado. After a well-publicized slow start, which strained the relationship with his then-manager Willie Randolph, the 36-year-old first baseman batted .313, blasted 24 homers, and drove in 70 runs during the last three months of the season playing for new skipper Jerry Manuel.

2009 In Game 3, Alex Rodriguez's fly ball in the right-field corner of Citizens Bank Park becomes the subject of the first instant replay call in World Series history. The umpires changed the Yankee third baseman's hit, initially ruled a double, to a home run after the replay clearly showed the ball going over the fence before striking a television camera and bouncing back to the field.

2010 For the first time in major league history, two former presidents attend the same World Series game when George H.W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush, are both at Rangers Ballpark for Game 4 of the Fall Classic. Before the contest against San Francisco, the elder Bush, a former first baseman at Yale, stands close by when his son, the former controlling owner of the Texas franchise, throws the ceremonial first pitch.

2010 In Game 4, left-hander Madison Bumgarner and backstop Buster Posey will become the first rookie battery to start a World Series game since Spec Shea and Yogi Berra appeared together in the first game of the 1947 series. The freshmen do not disappoint when the 21-year-old southpaw becomes the fourth-youngest to post a Fall Classic victory, limiting the Rangers to three hits over eight strong innings, with his batterymate contributing to the Giants' 4-0 win in Arlington with an eighth-inning home run.

2011 Although offered approximately $4.5 million for a three-year extension, four times more than his current salary, Theo Epstein leaves the Red Sox after becoming the youngest general manager to lead a team to a World Championship. His decision, caused by a rift with team president Larry Lucchino, who hired him as an 18-year-old Yale undergraduate as an Oriole intern, giving the 'Boy Wonder' a position with the Padres before bringing him to Boston, takes the Red Sox Nation by surprise.

2011 The World Champion Cardinals announce the resignation of Tony La Russa, their manager for the past 16 seasons. The 67-year-old skipper, who is only 35 games behind John McGraw on the all-time list for second place for games won, compiled a 2,728-2,365 (.536) managerial record during his 33 seasons with the White Sox, A's, and St. Louis.

2011 The Mets announce on their Twitter page that the team plans to move the left- and right-field fences
at Citi Field closer to home plate by as much as 12 feet and lower the home-run line to eight feet. The Amazins, who have hit the fewest home runs at home of any major league team since moving into their new ballpark in 2009, will see the number of round-trippers dramatically increase when the new dimensions result in 21 additional homers for the team and 24 more for opponents

2013 The Nationals announce the hiring of Diamondback coach Matt Williams as their sixth manager in team history, replacing Davey Johnson, who previously announced his retirement. The job will be the 47-year-old former All-Star third baseman's first major league managerial stint.

2014 "We saw it as a unique opportunity and faced a clear dilemma: be loyal to Rick or be loyal to the organization. In this business of trying to win a world championship for the first time in 107 years, the organization has priority over any one individual. We decided to pursue Joe." - THEO EPSTEIN, explaining manager Rick Renteria's dismissal.
Theo Epstein dismisses first-year Cubs manager Rick Renteria (73-89) with two years remaining on his contract. The GM believes his skipper "deserved to come back for another season," but replaces him with field boss Joe Maddon, a free agent available after leading the low-payroll Rays to the postseason four times in his nine-year tenure with Tampa Bay.

 

• Jimmy Graham and his athletic trainer do their best Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve impression​
• ​
• ​

Muhammad Ali and Joe DiMaggio
​

 

Randy Johnson with dead bird Ball

 

Lou Brock with his son, Lou Brock Jr. Lou Brock Jr. played football University of Southern California (USC), where he was a Second-team All-American in 1986. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round (53rd overall) of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks.

​