⚾ On This Day in MLB History ⚾

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May 17. Not much baseball news.

1912 - Historic Fenway Park in Boston is officially dedicated, one month after hosting its first game, as the Red Sox host the Chicago White Sox. Playing in front of an overflow crowd, the Red Sox lose the game, 5 - 2.
1925 - At League Park, Tris Speaker of the Cleveland Indians collects his 3,000th hit off Tom Zachary of the Washington Senators. Zachary leads Washington to a 2 - 1 victory. George Uhle is the loser.
1945 - For the fourth time in four days, every American League game is postponed because of rain.
1961 - Roger Maris hits his first home run of the season at Yankee Stadium (and fourth overall) on his way to a major league season-record 61.
1963 - Don Nottebart of the Houston Colt .45s pitches the first no-hitter in franchise history, leading Houston past the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, 4 - 1.
1973 - California Angels center fielder Bobby Valentine tries to scale a wall to prevent a Dick Green home run during a 5 - 4 loss to the Oakland Athletics. Valentine catches his spikes in the wall and fractures his leg. The injury will ruin his career.

TexasAg1969

Tonight watching the Astros going into the top of the 2nd down 1-0 to Boston, they end up setting an all-time Astros record and tied a major league record of 5 HRs in one inning for a 9-1 lead. Two innings later now leading 9-3 Tucker hits his second HR of the game, a grand slam to take a 13-3 lead.

mjp28

May 18.

1929 - Babe Ruth hits an Ed Morris pitch over the right field bleachers, for one of the longest home runs ever at Fenway Park.
1931 - Babe Herman of the Brooklyn Robins hits for the cycle for the first of three times in his career, which will become a major league record. Brooklyn beats the Cincinnati Reds, 14 - 4.
1933 - The first All-Star Game is announced for July 6th at Comiskey Park. It will be played as part of the Chicago World's Fair celebration and is sponsored by the Chicago Tribune. Fans will pick the players.
1937 - Brooks Robinson is born in Little Rock, Arkansas. The perennial Gold Glove third baseman will make his debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 1955. In 1964, Robinson will win the American League MVP Award. Six years later, his defensive brilliance will lead the Orioles to a World Series victory.
1955 - At Fenway Park, the ★ Cleveland Indians score 11 runs in the 5th inning to beat the Boston Red Sox, 19 - 0, and give Herb Score an easy win over Willard Nixon. The big blow in the inning is a grand slam by Vic Wertz. It is the worst shutout pasting ever by Boston and the most runs ever in a shutout for the Indians.
1956 - Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees hits home runs from both sides of the plate for the third time in his career, setting a major league record. Mantle includes a perfect 4-for-4 day, helping New York to an 8 - 7 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
1946 - Reggie Jackson is born in Abington, Pennsylvania. Jackson will make his debut in 1967 with the Kansas City Athletics. He will finish his career with 563 home runs and earn election to the Hall of Fame.
1957 - Dick Williams of the Baltimore Orioles hits a 9th-inning, game-tying solo home run off Paul LaPalme of the Chicago White Sox seconds before 10:20 p.m., the curfew set so Chicago can catch a train out of Baltimore. If Williams had done anything else, the White Sox would have won. The game is later replayed from the beginning and Baltimore wins.
1958 - ★ Cleveland Indians outfielder Carroll Hardy pinch-hits for Roger Maris and responds with his first major league home run, a three-run shot off Billy Pierce, to give Cleveland a 7 - 4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. With the Boston Red Sox, Hardy will pinch-hit for Ted Williams on September 20, 1960, and will also pinch-hit for rookie Carl Yastrzemski on May 31, 1961, making him the only player to go in for both future Hall of Famers.

2011: - Five different games end in shutouts today. The most remarkable performance is a three-hitter thrown by Jake Peavy of the White Sox, making only his second appearance since undergoing shoulder surgery 10 months earlier. He wins 1 - 0 over ★ Cleveland, with Justin Masterson being saddled with the loss in spite a solid performance of his own.

mjp28

May 20. Kind of a slow day.

1919 - Babe Ruth wins a game pitching and batting as he hits his first career grand slam in the Boston Red Sox's 6 - 4 victory over the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park.
1921 - Hal Newhouser is born in Detroit, Michigan. In 1939, Newhouser will make his major league debut for his hometown team, the Detroit Tigers. A left-handed pitcher, he will win 207 games over a 17-year career and will gain Hall of Fame honors in 1992.
1925 - The ★ Cleveland Indians score six runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to beat the New York Yankees, 10 - 9. Tris Speaker scores the winning run from first base on a single.
1978 - Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a 535-foot home run off Montreal Expos pitcher Wayne Twitchell to highlight a 6 - 0 victory at Stade Olympique. It is the longest home run in the ballpark's history and is also Stargell's 407th career home run, tying him with Duke Snider on the career all-time list.
1985 - A game between the ★ Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers scheduled for Municipal Stadium is postponed due to rain, representing the first rainout of the season. The cancellation marks the latest point that the first rainout of a season has taken place. A record 458 games have been played prior to the initial rainout.
2006 - A uniform worn by Joe DiMaggio in his final World Series is sold for $195,500 during the second day of an auction of his memorabilia. The previous day, DiMaggio's 1947 American League MVP Award plaque was sold for $281,750, which included a 15 percent buyer's premium. It was his third MVP award, but it is the only plaque. The two-day auction features more than 1,000 items of DiMaggio memorabilia, also including a leather-bound album featuring autographs from DiMaggio's New York Yankees teammates and members of the Boston Red Sox, a typed note signed by Frank Sinatra, and a signed photo of DiMaggio's one-time wife, Marilyn Monroe. The auction is held by Hunt's Auctions Inc. in New York City. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.
2012:
With his bench depleted with two outs in the 13th inning, Padres manager Bud Black turns to P Clayton Richard to pinch-hit against the Angels' David Pauley. Breaking out of an 0-for-16 slump for the season, Richard singles, then scores from first base when LF Howie Kendrick bobbles Will Venable's hit to give San Diego a 3 - 2 win. Kendrick is also playing in an unfamiliar role, having been moved from his usual 2B after injuries to OFs Vernon Wells and Ryan Langerhans.

mjp28

May 21. Get a load of some of these events. It's worth the read !

1880 - In Albany's Riverside Park, Lip Pike hits a ball over the wall and into the river. RF Lon Knight begins to go after the ball in a boat but gives up. Few parks have ground rules about giving the batter an automatic home run on a hit over the fence.
1892:
- George "Hub" Collins, 28-year-old Brooklyn OF and leadoff batter, dies of typhoid fever after a brief illness. He had led the American Association in doubles in 1888 and the National League in runs in 1890.
- Behind Bill Hutchison, Chicago wins its 13th straight game, 1 - 0, over Pud Galvin and the Pirates. Galvin surrenders only two hits in the loss, none before the 8th inning. The streak will stop the following day.
1896:
- Cy Young gets ★ Cleveland's 8th consecutive win with a 4 - 1 decision over Boston. The streak has helped the Spiders to solidify their hold on first place.
- 1901 - Giants fractious owner Andrew Freedman accuses umpire Billy Nash of incompetence and bars him from the Polo Grounds. The Pirates' Chief Zimmer and the Giants' John Warner are forced to officiate. Christy Mathewson then wins his 7th straight, 2 - 1, but his scoreless streak stops at 39 innings when the Bucs score an unearned run in the 9th.
- 1902 - At Pittsburgh, the Giants top the leading Pirates, 5 - 2, with Christy Mathewson winning in relief. Matty takes over for Dummy Taylor in the 7th, allows a tying run to score, then scores the winning run himself in the 8th.
- 1906:
  - In Chicago, the Giants' Hooks Wiltse, with relief help from Christy Mathewson, stops the leading Cubs, 6 - 4. Mathewson allows one run in his four innings.
  - An 11-game win streak by Philadelphia is stopped by ★ Cleveland, 2 - 1, in 13 innings. The Athletics, Cleveland Naps, and New York Highlanders juggle the top spot in American League standings.
  - 1919 - The Giants deal Jim Thorpe to Braves for the waiver price of $1,500. The Olympic star will play only 60 games in Boston and will finish his six-year major league career with a lifetime .252 average
  - 1923 - Formal transfer of T.L. Huston's interest in the Yankees to Jake Ruppert is completed for $1.5 million. Ten days later, Ruppert buys two more sets of uniforms so his players can wear a clean outfit every day, an unprecedented move.
  - 1919 - The Giants deal Jim Thorpe to Braves for the waiver price of $1,500. The Olympic star will play only 60 games in Boston and will finish his six-year major league career with a lifetime .252 average
  - 1923 - Formal transfer of T.L. Huston's interest in the Yankees to Jake Ruppert is completed for $1.5 million. Ten days later, Ruppert buys two more sets of uniforms so his players can wear a clean outfit every day, an unprecedented move.
  - 1957:
  - Boston baseball writers reaffirm their decision to bar women from the press box and refuse to allow Doris O'Donnell, a ★ Cleveland feature writer traveling with the Indians, to sit in the Fenway Park press area.

A whole lot more of other stuff on this day but not much Cleveland Indians.

mjp28

May 23. A lot of ★ Cleveland today.

1882 - Cleveland wins dramatically in the bottom of the 10th with 2 outs‚ 4 - 3, as 3 Buffalo players collide chasing Mike Muldoon's single.
1884 - Larry Corcoran limits Cleveland to one single in a 5 - 0 shutout for Chicago. Jim McCormick takes the loss.
1901: - Nap Lajoie of the Philadelphia Athletics receives the ultimate sign of respect from an opposing team when he is intentionally walked with the bases loaded by the Chicago White Sox.
- The Cleveland Blues rally for nine runs with two outs in the 9th inning to post an amazing 14 - 13 victory over the Washington Senators. The Blues collect six singles, two doubles, a walk, and a hit batsman during the rally.
1902 - Cleveland financier Charles Somers‚ who is also the president of the Boston club‚ meets with Nap Lajoie in Philadelphia and guarantees him a 4-year contract at $7‚000 per year no matter what the legal outcome of his case. Lajoie has played one game‚ then sat in the stands. In 1903‚ Cleveland fans will vote to rename the club the Naps in honor of Lajoie.
1931 - Cleveland's Earl Averill cracks 3 doubles and a home run in a 10 - 5 win over Chicago. Averill is the second Indian this year to hit 4 extra-base hits in a game. Joe Vosmik‚ who did it earlier‚ has a pair of doubles today.
1935 - Cleveland has an internal problem between manager Walter Johnson and two veterans‚ 3B Willie Kamm and Glenn Myatt. Judge Landis refuses to intervene‚ and Kamm is eventually made a scout while Myatt is released. Johnson continues his shaky tenure‚ which will not last the season.
1948 - Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees hits three consecutive home runs a 6 - 5 victory over the Cleveland Indians Two of his homers come off Bob Feller.

1980: - Five hours after the midnight deadline, Major League players and owners avert a strike by announcing a new four-year basic agreement. The new deal raises the minimum salary from $21,000 to $30,000 and increases the clubs' contributions to the players' pension fund, but the major issue of free agent compensation remains unresolved.

1989: - The Cleveland Indians lose to the Detroit Tigers, 7 - 2, to drop their record to 21-22, but remain in first place in the AL East by percentage points. It marks the latest point in a season a sub-.500 team has been in first place.

2003 - The Phillies edge the Expos‚ 4 - 2‚ as Philadelphia's Jose Mesa becomes the 10th player in history to reach 100 saves with two different teams. He also reached the century mark with the Cleveland Indians

2016 - The family of late Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn files a wrongful death lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Gwynn died in 2014 at age 44 of salivary gland cancer caused by using smokeless tobacco for over three decades.

mjp28

May 24.

1901: - At the Polo Grounds‚ Christy Mathewson wins his 8th straight‚ beating Cincinnati's Bill Phillips‚ 1 - 0. Matty gives up just 3 hits.
- Reversing the previous day's 9th-inning rally‚ the Washington Nationals‚ down 5 - 0 at the end of 8 innings‚ score 5 runs to tie the Blues. When Cleveland fails to score in the 9th‚ the game ends at 5 - 5.
1902 - Cleveland third baseman Bill Bradley becomes the first player in the American League to hit a home run in each of four consecutive games, a record not matched until Babe Ruth does it on June 25, 1918.
1918 - Stan Coveleski of the Cleveland Indians pitches a ★ 19-inning, complete game to defeat the New York Yankees 3 - 2. Former P Joe Wood hits a home run in the 19th inning - his second of the game - to end the 3:45 marathon. For New York‚ Home Run Baker's 11 assists tie the American League record for a third baseman in an extra-inning game.
1930 - Babe Ruth hits home runs in both games of a doubleheader, giving him nine homers in one week. New York sweeps‚ 10 - 6 and 11 - 1. Newly-acquired Red Ruffing is the easy winner in the nitecap.
1940: - The Cleveland Indians beat the St. Louis Browns, 3 - 2, in the first night game played at Sportsman's Park before 24,827. Bob Feller beats Elden Auker and adds a home run as well.
1951: - Cleveland whips the Senators, 16 - 0‚ with Bob Feller pitching a two-hitter. Larry Doby has a homer and 4 RBIs to lead the Tribe.
1952: - Jimmy Piersall and New York's Billy Martin first exchange insults before a game in Boston‚ then exchange punches in the tunnel under the stands. It takes coaches Bill Dickey and Oscar Melillo‚ along with starter Ellis Kinder‚ to break up the fight. Piersall goes to the clubhouse to change his bloody shirt and gets into another brawl with teammate Mickey McDermott. He sits as Ellis Kinder stops the Yanks‚ 5 - 2.
1956 - Mickey Mantle goes 5 for 5 with an intentional walk in an 11 - 4 win against the Tigers. Mantle is hitting .421. He combines with Joe Collins for back-to-back homers‚ off Duke Maas.
1970 - Cleveland's Tony Horton hits 3 home runs versus New York‚ but the Yankees win anyway, 8 - 7, in 11 innings.
2010: - Omar Vizquel, who already owns the record for most games played at shortstop, reaches another mark, tying Luis Aparicio's total for second-most hits at the position, 2764. This year, Vizquel is wearing Aparicio's uniform number 11, even though it has been officially retired by the White Sox, in tribute to his idol and countryman. The Yankees' Derek Jeter is first in hits, having himself passed Aparicio earlier this year, and he is steadily adding to his total. The day is doubly sweet for the Sox as they defeat the Indians, 7 - 2, handing Justin Masterson his 11th straight loss dating back to last season.
2020 - Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Nationals decide to hold a virtual ceremony to unveil their 2019 World Series rings. The date is selected as it marked the start of the team's remarkable turnaround in 2019, as they were 19-31 that day, but began to reverse course with a 12-10 win over the Marlins. The ceremony was to be broadcast on social media and cable television, but is postponed at the last minute as players object, preferring that the ceremony be held when the team can be physically reunited.

mjp28

May 25. Kind of a slow day.

1922 - After being thrown out at second base trying to stretch a single, New York's Babe Ruth throws dirt in the face of umpire George Hildebrand and then goes after a fan. Ruth is ejected, and eventually fined $500 and suspended one game by American League president Ban Johnson.
1935 - Babe Ruth shows flashes of his past glory by hitting the final three home runs of his career in the Boston Braves' 11 - 7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In addition to a 5th-inning single, Ruth hits homers in the 1st inning against Red Lucas, 3rd inning against Guy Bush and 7th inning off Bush again. In addition, his final homer is the first in Forbes Field's history to clear its right field roof.
1951 - Willie Mays debuts for the New York Giants, striking out in the 1st inning against Bubba Church. Mays goes 0 for 5, but makes three good plays in the field.
1964 - Ground is broken for a new park for the St. Louis Cardinals. The stadium is expected to be ready in time for the 1966 season.
1984 - The Boston Red Sox trade Dennis Eckersley and Mike Brumley to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Bill Buckner.
1989 - The Montreal Expos, hoping to add the last piece to a playoff contender, trade Brian Holman, Gene Harris, and 6' 10" Randy Johnson to the Seattle Mariners for Mark Langston. Mike Campbell will go to Montreal in July to complete the trade.
2008 - In a doubleheader loss to the Marlins, Giants shortstop ★ Omar Vizquel ties (in the first game) and then breaks (in the second) the major league record for career games played at the position. By reaching 2,584 games played, Vizquel passes a fellow Venezuelan, Luís Aparicio.
2009 - ★ Jim Thome passes Mike Schmidt for 13th on the all-time home run list, as the White Sox thump the Angels, 17 - 3.

2021: - By working home plate in a game between the Cardinals and White Sox, ★ " Cowboy " Joe West sets a new career record with 5,376 games as an umpire, passing Bill Klem, whose last game was in 1941. He already held the record for m

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May 27. Slow day.

1896 - The ★ Cleveland Spiders takes advantage of 13 bases on balls and three wild pitches by a severely discontrolled Jouett Meekin, to beat the New York Giants, 11 - 5.
1909 - In an American League game featuring a major league record-setting 44 assists by both teams, the ★ Cleveland Naps defeat the St. Louis Browns, 5 - 2. The National League-high assist marks of April 23, 1903 and May 15, 1909 (both between the New York Giants and Cincinnati Reds) fall short of today's record. ★ Addie Joss for Cleveland and Barney Pelty for St. Louis are the pitchers as each team records 22 assists.
1968 - Major League Baseball expands outside the confines of the United States as the National League announces expansion for the first time in seven years, awarding franchises to Montreal as well as San Diego, to begin play next season.
2000: - The St. Louis Cardinals pay tribute to Dizzy Dean by dedicating a statue of the Hall of Fame pitcher by sculptor Harry Weber outside Busch Stadium. Dean joins Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, Enos Slaughter, Bob Gibson, and Lou Brock who have also been honored in such a manner.
2008 - The ★ Indians complete a triple steal during a 8 - 2 win over the ChiSox. It is the first in the majors in 21 years. With a 5 - 2 score in the 6th and the bases loaded, Ehren Wassermann tries to pick Jamey Carroll off first base. While Carroll is in a rundown, David Dellucci dashes for home and beats Paul Konerko's throw to Toby Hall. Grady Sizemore swipes third on the play while Carroll successfully makes it to second.

mjp28

May 28. Another slow day.

1927 - In his first starting assignment for the Yankees, Wilcy Moore loses a heartbreaker to the Senators, 3 - 2, in the nitecap of a doubleheader. Lou Gehrig is spiked at first base by Bucky Harris as Firpo Marberry scores the winning run. The Yankees win the opener, 8 - 2, as Babe Ruth hits his 12th home run of the year, a three-run shot. Tris Speaker plays most of Game One for the Senators despite fracturing his left thumb in batting practice.
1957 - With a unanimous vote, National League owners grant permission to both the Dodgers and Giants to relocate their clubs to the West Coast if they so desire.
1968 - American League owners agree to divide the circuit into two divisions and reduce its schedule to 156 games. The following divisional alignment is set for the 1969 season: Eastern Division: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, ★ Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Washington Senators. Western Division: California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Pilots.

1971 - Clete Boyer, involved in a dispute with Atlanta Braves general manager Paul Richards and manager Lum Harris over alleged silly rules and mismanagement, is released and retires. Boyer hit safely in the last nine games of his 16-season career, including five home runs and 14 runs batted in. A Gold Glove third baseman, Boyer was a .242 hitter with 162 home runs and 654 RBI in 1725 games for the Kansas City Athletics, New York Yankees, and Atlanta.

2000: - Homering in their 15th straight game, the Houston Astros set a team record in a 4 - 3 victory over the Braves, with Ken Caminiti and Lance Berkman helping Houston to establish the mark.
- 2000 - For the first time in franchise history, the Angels hit four home runs in one inning, with Darin Erstad, Mo Vaughn, Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson supplying the fireworks.

Births.

1887 - Jim Thorpe, outfielder (d. 1953)
1957 - Kirk Gibson, outfielder
1982 - Jhonny Peralta, infielder; All-Star

mjp28

May 29.

1882 - In yet another exciting game‚ Buffalo counters four Cleveland 9th-inning runs with two of their own to win, 9 - 8.
1892 - A benefit exhibition game for Hub Collins‚ who died of typhoid fever on May 21st‚ is played at Brooklyn's Eastern Park. The game between Collins' Brooklyn Grooms and the St. Louis Browns raises $2804.90 for Collins' widow.
1921 -
- The American League-leading ★ Indians complete a sweep of the four games with the Browns by winning‚ 11 - 9‚ behind George Uhle. Cleveland totals 15 hits in 8 innings against Urban Shocker. In all four wins the Tribe score in double figures. Jack Graney and Ken Williams each hit two homers‚ and Elmer Smith clubs one.
1922: ★ The United States Supreme Court finds that baseball is primarily a sport and not a business in its ruling on the Federal Baseball Club v. National League case. In using this argument, the court rules that baseball is not subject to antitrust laws nor to standard interstate commerce regulations.

1934: - The Yankees purchase — some would say rent — spitballer Burleigh Grimes from the Pittsburgh Pirates. After 10 appearances with the Yankees, the Yanks will release Grimes and the Pirates will reobtain him.

1951 - The ★ Indians sign high school star Billy Joe Davidson for a reported $150‚000‚ eclipsing the $100‚000 the Pirates paid to Paul Pettit in 1949. Several teams sought the services of the tall lefty‚ alleged to be the best Indians prospect since Bob Feller.Indians hurler Bob Lemon one-hits the Tigers, 2 - 1. The only Bengal hit is Vic Wertz's home run.

1951 - ★ Indians hurler Bob Lemon one-hits the Tigers, 2 - 1. The only Bengal hit is Vic Wertz's home run.

1955 - Larry Doby of the ★ Indians hits the first major league homer over the outer wall in Kansas City's Municipal Stadium‚ an estimated 500-foot clout in the 6th. The Indians win, 4 - 2, behind Herb Score‚ who is replaced in the 9th after singles by C Wilmer Shantz and PH Enos Slaughter. Wilmer's brother Bobby Shantz is the loser.
1981: - A's manager Billy Martin flies into a rage and heaves two handfuls of dirt on home plate umpire Terry Cooney's back after being ejected for arguing ball and strike calls. He will be suspended by American League president Lee MacPhail for 7 days.

mjp28

May 30. Slow day.

1935 - Babe Ruth makes his last major league appearance. He plays only the first inning of the opener of a doubleheader between the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies at the Baker Bowl. Phillies pitcher Jim Bivin retires Ruth on an infield grounder in the Babe's final major league at-bat.
1956 - Mickey Mantle hits a home run that comes within a foot-and-a-half of leaving Yankee Stadium. It hits the face of the upper deck in right field, 370 feet from home plate and 117 feet in the air. Mantle also becomes the first player in major league history to hit 20 home runs by the end of May as the Yankees beat the Washington Senators, 4 - 3.
1961 - Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Bill Skowron each hit two home runs to lead the New York Yankees to a 12 - 3 rout of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Yogi Berra also homers for New York. Ralph Terry is the winning pitcher, Gene Conley the loser.
1962 - Pedro Ramos of the ★ Cleveland Indians pitches a three-hitter and hits two home runs, including a grand slam, for a 7 - 0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader at Memorial Park. Cleveland will win the second game by the identical score.
1977 - Dennis Eckersley pitches a ★ no-hitter as the Cleveland Indians beat the California Angels, 1 - 0. Frank Tanana, with three shutouts in his last four games, is the loser.
2011: ź Bartolo Colon pitches his first shutout since 2006 in blanking the Athletics, 5 - 0. The ★ 38-year-old Yankees pitcher has made a remarkable comeback after being out of the majors all of last year.

mjp28

May 31. Another slow day in baseball.

1869 - The first rainout in professional baseball occurs as heavy rain postpones the Red Stockings game against the Antioch Nine.
1914 - Joe Benz of the Chicago White Sox pitches a no-hitter against the ★ Cleveland Naps for a 6 - 1 victory.
1925 - Ty Cobb's 275th triple makes him the first player ever with 1,000 extra-base hits. He will finish his career with 1,136 extra-base hits, the all-time record until Babe Ruth passes him on June 21, 1931.
1938 - Lou Gehrig plays in his 2,000th consecutive game and collects a RBI single, helping the Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox, 12 - 5.
1983 - American League President Lee MacPhail suspends Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for one week, citing "repeated problems" with the outspoken owner's public criticism of umpires. Steinbrenner, who was fined $50,000 by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn during spring training for berating some National League umpires, cannot attend games or be in his Yankee Stadium office during the suspension.
1999 - Umpire Frank Pulli uses a television replay to take away a home run from Cliff Floyd of the Florida Marlins in the fifth inning of a 5 - 2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Births.

1967 - Kenny Lofton, outfielder; All-Star

mjp28

June 1. A look ahead into June. 1943 the "eephus" pitch was born

1917 - Hank Gowdy of the Boston Braves became the first major leaguer to enlist in World War I. Gowdy will also serve in World War II.
1925 - Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees pinch-hits for Pee Wee Wanninger, beginning his streak of playing in 2,130 consecutive games. The next day, first baseman Wally Pipp shows up with the after-effects of a concussion, and Gehrig takes over.
1943 - Rip Sewell of the Pittsburgh Pirates patents his "eephus" or "blooper ball" pitch, which travels as high as 25 feet above the ground before dropping into the strike zone. Sewell will use the pitch on his way to a 20-win campaign.

1954 - Montreal Royals outfielder Roberto Clemente is discovered by Pirates scout Clyde Sukeforth. Clemente is the Brooklyn Dodgers' five-tool farmhand. Sukeforth is not primarily a scout but rather the Pirates' pitching coach on special assignment in Richmond to scout newly-demoted Dodger hurler Joe Black. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, the first thing Sukeforth sees is Clemente. From this moment forward, despite Dodger GM Buzzie Bavasi's desperate manoeuvering, his prize prospect is lost. As Sukeforth himself will later tell Les Biederman of The Sporting News: "I saw Clemente and forgot all about Black. I arrived at the Richmond ball park just in time to see the pre-game workout. I saw Clemente throwing from the outfield and I couldn't take my eyes off him. Later in the game he was used as a pinch-hitter and I liked his swing. I started asking questions and learned he was a bonus player and would be eligible for the draft. Since the Pirates had first choice, I knew this would be our man. In fact, I told manager Max Macon to take good care of 'our boy' and see that he didn't get hurt."
2001 - At Yankee Stadium, ★ Cleveland defeats New York, in just five and a half innings, when the game is called because of rain with Cleveland ahead, 7 - 2. In a rarity, Cleveland starter C.C. Sabathia earns a win despite pitching only four innings. Relief pitcher Ricardo Rincón gets the save for retiring the side in the fifth inning. The rules state that in a five-inning game, a starter need not go the full five innings to earn a victory. There have just been five other cases since 1978 to match Sabathia's feat.

2016: - ★ Indians OF Marlon Byrd is suspended for 162 games following the second positive test for PEDs of his career. At 39, it marks the end of the former All-Star's career.

2021: - The Olympic hopes end for three countries. Puerto Rico falls, 7 - 6, in 10 innings to Nicaragua in the Americas Olympic Qualifier, as Benjamín Alegría doubles twice, scores twice and drives in a run while Norman St. Clair and Berman Espinoza turn in six shutout innings of relief. Venezuela walks it off to eliminate Colombia as Diego Rincones breaks a 2 - 2 tie in the bottom of the 9th with a solo shot off Carlos Ocampo. Canada eliminates Cuba (missing the Olympics for its first time as a medal event), 6 - 5, as John Axford (now working as an announcer) saves it for Dustin Molleken to overcome three runs by Roel Santos. In the other game, ★ Team USA locks up a spot in the semifinals with an 8 - 6 win over the Dominican national team, Luke Williams hitting a big two-run triple. Nicaragua and the Dominicans will play tomorrow for the last semifinal spot to join the US, Canada and Venezuela.

mjp28

June 3. Oh those oldies and in 1888......

1888 - The poem Casey at the Bat is first printed in the San Francisco Examiner under the pen name "Phin". Its author will later be revealed to be Ernest Lawrence Thayer.
1902 - St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Mike O'Neill hits the first pinch grand slam ever in the majors, against the Boston Beaneaters. He also becomes the first pitcher in the National League to hit a grand slam in the 20th century.
1907 - Stoney McGlynn of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches both games in a doubleheade against the Cincinnati Reds, winning a 1 - 0 five-hitter in the opener. The Reds win the nitecap, 5 - 1.
1932 - Lou Gehrig hits four consecutive home runs and narrowly misses a fifth, and Tony Lazzeri hits for the cycle as the Yankees beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 20 - 13. The Yankees set a major league record for total bases with 50 and both teams set a still-standing record for extra bases with 41.

1957 - Forbes Field's vast centerfield expanse provides the setting for one of Willie Mays' greatest catches coming at the expense of his young friend, admirer, protégé and rival, Roberto Clemente. Clemente hits a ball that seems headed towards a light tower in left center. The New York Times's Roscoe McGowen recounts what happens next: "In the 1st inning, with two Pirates on base and one out, Roberto Clemente whacked a terrific drive toward the screen surrounding the light tower in left center field, more than 440 feet from home plate. Willie astonished the players, as well as the fans, by leaping high against the screen and making a glove-twisting catch. Most observers thought the ball had bounced off the screen." Clemente then almost compounds his misfortune the following inning: "Clemente got into the catching act in the Giants' 2nd inning. Going almost to the wall for Daryl Spencer's long drive, Roberto saw the ball bounce out of his glove as he was making one of his 'basket catches.' But he snared the ball before it could drop to the ground."

1995 - Pedro Martinez of the Montreal Expos pitches nine perfect innings against San Diego before giving up a leadoff double to Bip Roberts in the 10th inning of the Expos' 1 - 0 win. Martinez becomes the second pitcher in history, after Harvey Haddix, to have a perfect game broken up in extra innings.

2003: - Sammy Sosa is ejected in the 1st inning of Cubs' 3 - 2 victory over Tampa Bay after umpires find cork in his shattered bat.. I remembered that.

2016: - The Marlins get some unwanted publicity when they are the first to announce the death of boxing great Muhammad Ali on the Marlins Park scoreboard at the end of tonight's game against the Mets. Team President David Samson had heard the news from a person close to Ali, but had not realized the family had not made the news public when he calls on the scoreboard operators to pay tribute. Oooops.

And finally not one Cleveland Indians highlight today or as Harry Doyle would say.....not one goddam highlight, ahhh don't worry nobody's watching anyway. .

Births

1863 - Woody Wagenhorst, infielder (d. 1946)
1977 - Travis Hafner, designated hitter

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June 4. A lot of things going on today.

1952: - Billy Goodman of the Red Sox goes 5 for 5 in a 13 - 11 slugfest with Cleveland. The Indians' Larry Doby hits for the cycle.

1958: - After 32 scoreless innings, the Chicago White Sox score in the 3rd, and go on to win 7 - 4 over the first-place New York Yankees. Billy Pierce is the winner, despite giving up a moon shot to Mickey Mantle that lands in the left-center field bleachers. The drive is measured at 478 feet.

1960 - Detroit's Chico Fernandez strokes a 10th-inning triple against Cleveland‚ and then swipes home for the final run in a 7 - 4 win. Rocky Colavito breaks out of his slump with a solo homer in the 4th and a two-run shot in the 10th‚ off Dick Stigman.
1967 - Cleveland sends Gary Bell to Boston for OF Don Demeter and 1B Tony Horton. Bell‚ a 16-game winner last year‚ is 1-5 this season‚ but he'll win 12 games for Boston during their pennant drive.
★ 1974 - At Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the Cleveland Indians forfeit to the Texas Rangers after numerous fans run onto the field and engage each other and the players. One factor leading to the series of incidents is the evening's "10-cent beer night" promotion, which enabled fans to purchase an unrestricted number of concession beers in increments of six. ★
1992 - Carl Stotz‚ creator of Little League Baseball‚ dies at age 82 in Williamsport‚ Pennsylvania. ️
1997 - For the second straight night‚ Rafael Palmeiro knocks in the winning run to beat the stumbling New Yorkers‚ as the Orioles whip the Yankees‚ 9 - 7. The Yanks had tied the game at 7 apiece on Charlie Hayes' pinch grand slam. The O's Chris Hoiles has two RBIs and Cal Ripken‚ showing no effects from signing (a major-league record?) 2200 copies of his new book after last night's game‚ hits a homer. Ripken did not get through with the autographing until 3:01 a.m. The Orioles extend their winning streak to seven games and move 9 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Yankees in the AL East.
2014 - Baseball mourns the death of a true baseball lifer, Don Zimmer, who passes away at 83. A former infielder whose marriage was celebrated at home plate on a minor league diamond, Zimmer also coached and managed for many years. As a senior adviser to the Tampa Bay Rays, he was still listed as a member of the coaching staff and was never away from the game he loved.

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June 5.

1916 - In Cleveland, Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox shuts out the Indians, 5 - 0, on five hits, and has now thrown 24 straight scoreless innings. He is 2 for 3 at the plate.
1936 - Lou Gehrig plays in his 1,700th consecutive game, as the Yankees beat the Indians, 4 - 3.
1954 - Boston Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams catches pneumonia, sidelining him for three weeks.
1989 - The Toronto SkyDome opens, but the Blue Jays lose 5 - 3 to the Milwaukee Brewers. Baseball's newest and most modern stadium features a $100 million fully retractable roof, a hotel, the world's largest video display board, and a Hard Rock Cafe.
2001: - The Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 4 - 3, in 18 innings on Shea Hillenbrand's home run over the Green Monster. Tim Wakefield, with a scoreless inning, is the winner. Boston DH Manny Ramirez receives four intentional walks, tying the American League mark set by Roger Maris, on May 22, 1962. Maris did it in a 12-inning game. The major league record is five, set by Andre Dawson, in a 16-inning game, on May 22, 1990.
2021: - Team USA locks up a spot in the Tokyo Olympics, the 5th team to qualify, by winning the Americas Olympic Qualifier, sweeping all five games. In the decisive finale, they beat Venezuela, 4 - 2, David Robertson saving Edwin Jackson's win over Aníbal Sánchez. Todd Frazier is the star of the day, going 4-for-4 with a double, homer, steal, two runs and two RBI, while Eric Filia's two-run shot puts the US ahead for good. Venezuela still has a reasonable shot at Tokyo as they move to the Final Olympic Qualifier alongside Australia, the Netherlands and the Dominican Republic.

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June 7. Some "unusual " things on this day.

1894: - Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jack Taylor throws a two-hit shutout to defeat the ★ Cleveland Spiders, 6 - 0, and to push Pittsburgh ahead of Cleveland into third place.

1911: - After two years on the vaudeville circuit with his wife Mabel Hite, and occasional sojourns to jail for drunkenness and assault, Turkey Mike Donlin is reinstated by the National Commission as he rejoins the Giants. Donlin doesn't play today, but Pirates pitchers have the Giants hitting the ball on the ground all day. The Pirates have 55 total chances on a record 28 assists and 27 putouts, but seven errors help the Giants to a 9 - 4 win. Meanwhile, John McGraw's willingness to put up with Donlin ceases after 12 games, and the .333 lifetime hitter is traded to the last-place Boston Rustlers.

1933: - ★ Cleveland Indians general manager Billy Evans fires manager Roger Peckinpaugh and hires Walter Johnson to take over. Bibb Falk manages for one game until Johnson arrives.

1938 - At Fenway Park, umpire Bill McGowan, who had tossed Johnny Allen on Opening Day, orders the ★ Cleveland Indians pitcher to cut off part of a shirt sleeve which is dangling as he pitches, distracting the batter. Allen refuses and walks off the mound. He is fined $250 by Cleveland manager Oscar Vitt, who makes a pitching change to avoid a forfeit. Cleveland wins the game, 7 - 5, as team owner Alva Bradley hurries to the Boston Red Sox and buys the shirt for $250. The shirt is then displayed at Higbee's Department Store - owned by Bradley's brother, and later makes its way to the Hall of Fame museum in Cooperstown.
1982: - Steve Garvey plays in his 1,000th consecutive game. His streak is the fifth longest in major league history.

1986 - In the annual June draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates make Jeff King, the Sporting News College Player of the Year, their first choice. ★ Greg Swindell is the next pick, by the ★ Cleveland Indians. Neither will sign for six weeks but Swindell will be in the major leagues after just three starts in the minors. Then, the San Francisco Giants select Matt Williams with the third pick. After being skipped over because scouts are convinced the Heisman Trophy winner is headed to the NFL, Bo Jackson is taken in the fourth round by the Kansas City Royals.

1997: - On Dog Day (canine attendance 425) at Comiskey Park, it takes the Chicago White Sox 4 hours 19 minutes to finally edge the Baltimore Orioles, 1 - 0, in 11 innings on Harold Baines' one-out single off Randy Myers.

2002: - Cincinnati obtains 3B/OF Russell Branyan from ★ Cleveland in exchange for minor league 1B Ben Broussard.

2013 - ★ Indians closer Chris Perez and his wife Melanie are charged with possession after police discover marijuana in suspicious packages mailed to the couple's house. When asked by police, Perez leads them to his personal stash, stored in a couple of Mason jars in the house's basement. Perez is expected to be given a fine by judicial authorities and ordered to undergo a treatment program by Major League Baseball.

Births.

1933 - Herb Score, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2008) and great Cleveland Indians radio announcer.

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June 8. Slow day.

1909 - Clarence "Cack" Henley of the San Francisco Seals (Pacific Coast League) throws the longest complete game shutout in professional baseball history. Henley throws ★24 scoreless innings against the Oakland Oaks before finally winning, 1 - 0.
1920 - Edd Roush of the Cincinnati Reds falls asleep in center field during a long argument in the infield. Heinie Groh goes out to wake him, but the chief umpire ejects Roush for delaying the game.
1935 - Lou Gehrig collides with Carl Reynolds on a play at first base and leaves the game with arm and shoulder injuries. His consecutive games streak is preserved, in part, by a rainout of the next day's game and an open date.
1969 - The New York Yankees' uniform number 7 is retired on Mickey Mantle Day. A crowd of 60,096 comes to Yankee Stadium to honor Mantle and watches New York sweep the Chicago White Sox, 3 - 1 and 11 - 2.
2020 - MLB owners present their counter-proposal to get the season started. They propose playing 76 games, with a postseason involving 16 teams, drop the proposed sliding scale for reducing salaries - although they still seek further cuts -, and also propose dropping all forms of compensation for signing free agents. The ball is now back in the MLBPA's court.

Deaths.

1982 - Satchel Paige, pitcher; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1906)

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June 9.

1883 - Philadelphia's National League team receives permission to charge 25¢ for admission‚ instead of 50¢‚ to allow them to compete with their popular cross-town rivals‚ the American Association-leading Athletics. Philadelphia's attendance quadruples for the rest of the season.

1900 - A forerunner of today's players' union is organized in New York. Three delegates from each National League team launch the Players Protective Association and elect Chief Zimmer president. Former player Harry Taylor‚ of Buffalo‚ is the attorney. Their goal is to negotiate contracts and rules changes.

1909: - Benjamin Shibe, of Bala, Pennsylvania, obtains a patent for a cork-center baseball. Spalding will license the idea and manufacture a ball based on his design.

- 1913 - The Red Sox finally stop ★ Cleveland's Cy Falkenberg‚ who was 10-0 going into today's game. The Sox win‚ 4 - 1.
1914 - At the Baker Bowl, Honus Wagner joins Cap Anson as the only members of the 3000 hit club. It comes in Wagner's 2,332nd game. ★ Nap Lajoie will join the club in September. Later calculations will put the date of Wagner's historic hit on June 30th or July 4th, given discrepancies in 19th century record-keeping.
1927: - Walter Johnson (1-2) loses his second game in a row as the ★ Indians pound him, 7 - 1‚ knocking him out in 5 innings. Johnson allows 6 hits and strikes out 2.

1960 - George Strickland's 2-run homer in the 6th is the winning margin in ★ Cleveland's 3 - 2 win over the Red Sox. With the Orioles losing a pair to Detroit‚ Cleveland stretches its American League lead to 1 1/2 games. After the game‚ the Red Sox send outfielder Gene Stephens to the Orioles for OF Willie Tasby.

2010 - Justin Masterson pitches a two-hit shutout over his former team when the ★ Indians beat up on the Red Sox, 11 - 0. Most of the offensive damage takes place against two relievers recently called up from the minors, Boof Bonser and Joe Nelson. Travis Hafner belts a grand slam against Nelson in the 8th, when Cleveland scores 8 runs to put the game away.

2014 - Lonnie Chisenhall of the ★ Indians hits three homers, collects two other hits and drives in 9 runs in a 17 - 7 rout of the Rangers. He is only the fourth player to achieve this particular combination, and the first since Fred Lynn on June 18, 1975. His 9 RBIs tie a franchise record.