Baseball History
This Day in Baseball History
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On August 1st, 1994, Baltimore’s Cal Ripken, Jr. became only the second major leaguer to play 2,000 straight games as the Orioles beat Minnesota, 1-0. There are a handful of historic baseball games that I have had the privilege of attending in person. The Twins-Orioles game on August 1st, 1994, is one of those games. My brother… Read more
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On July 30th, 1906, a New York State Supreme Court judge ruled that, despite “voluntary contributions” instead of paid admissions, Brooklyn was conducting a business enterprise and thus violating the law prohibiting Sunday baseball in New York. Sunday baseball in Brooklyn would not be legal until 1919. Sunday Blue Laws have always been a strange concept to me. I say that… Read more
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On July 29th, 1915, 41-year-old Honus Wagner became the oldest player in the history of the modern era to hit a grand slam. Honus Wagner is probably most famous now for the being the player featured on the world’s most expensive baseball card, his 1909 T-206 card. In a 2022 auction someone paid $7.25 million… Read more
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On July 27th, 1927, New York Giants 18-year-old rookie Mel Ott hit his first Major League home run at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. It was an inside-the-park round-tripper. It is the only inside-the-park homer of his 511 career home runs. I have been thinking lately about how I would rank the following baseball plays… Read more
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On July 25, 1998, Jesse Orosco pitched in his 1,000th career game in relief for the Baltimore Orioles. The visiting Seattle Mariners won the game 4-2. Orozco pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout. Jesse Orosco pitched in an astounding 1252 Major League games in four different decades. No one else has pitched in so many… Read more
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On July 24th, 1983, in the memorable Pine Tar Game at Yankee Stadium, George Brett hits an apparent 2-run home run off Rich Gossage to give the Royals a 5-4 lead with two outs in the ninth inning. But Yankees manager Billy Martin points out that the pine tar on Brett’s bat handle exceeds the seventeen inches allowed in the rules. As a… Read more
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On July 22nd, 1960, the Red Sox playing at home in Fenway defeated visiting Cleveland, 6 – 4. Vic Wertz hit a three-run homer and had four RBIs. Ted Williams also homered and, in the 7th inning, stole second base. Williams set a major-league record as the first and only player to steal bases in four consecutive decades (1930s, 1940s… Read more
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On July 21st, 1970, San Diego’s Clay Kirby held the New York Mets hitless for eight innings but was lifted for a pinch hitter by manager Preston Gomez. With the Padres trailing 1-0 with two out in the eighth, Gomez elected to go for the win instead of letting Kirby finish the game. The Padres lost the no-hitter… Read more
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On July 20th, 1925, Brooklyn’s Dazzy Vance struck out 17 Cubs’ batters. The Dodgers beat Chicago 4-3 in 10 innings. What has happened to all the great baseball nicknames players used to have? Names like Dizzy, Dazzy, or Babe? My childhood team, the Oakland A’s, had an owner who loved nicknames, thought it was good for business… Read more
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Anyone who knows me knows that I always wear hats. While some people are obsessed with shoes or concert t-shirts, for me it has always been hats. Especially baseball caps. I am always on the look out for a new hat. My newest hat, purchased for my upcoming trip at the beginning of next month… Read more
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