BASEBALL
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On September 3rd, 1917, Grover Cleveland Alexander goes the distance in both games of the Phillies’ doubleheader sweep of Brooklyn at Ebbets Field. In his 18 innings of work, the Philadelphia right-hander limits the Dodgers to seven hits en route to posting 5-0 and 9-3 victories in the twin bill. You read that correctly. Pitchers Read more
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On August 31st, 1990, Dennis Eckersley saved his 40th game of the season in Oakland’s 4 – 2 win over the Texas Rangers. He joined Dan Quisenberry and Jeff Reardon as the only pitchers to save 40 games twice. On Opening Day this year, I was as at the Oakland Coliseum to see the Oakland Athletics lose to the Cleveland Guardians. I entered the Read more
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On August 30th, 1974, Keith Hernandez made his major league debut, going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and an RBI for the Cardinals. The Cardinals however fell to the San Francisco Giants 8-2, as starter Sonny Sievert gave up 6 earned runs over the first two innings. Only 3,111 fans showed up at Candlestick Read more
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On August 29th, 1977, at Fenway Park, Jim Rice clubbed three homers – in the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th innings – but Boston lost to the Oakland A’s anyway, 8 – 7. Rice added a single in the 4th. He became the first Red Sox player to hit three in the same game since Norm Zauchin on May 27, 1955. Jim Rice played from 1974-1989. Read more
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On August 28th, 1990, Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs becomes the first second baseman in history to notch consecutive 30-home run seasons. I had a chance in 2006 to spend a little time talking to Ryne Sandberg. He joined Paul Molitor, Harmon Killebrew, and a bunch of retired Twins at the opening night of Read more
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On August 27th, 1990, 42-year old Texas Ranger knuckleballer Charlie Hough allowed 10 walks in five innings before being lifted in the 6th. California scored just three runs off of Hough. But they scored four off of the two Texas relievers to win the game, 7 – 3. For many baseball fans like me, the knuckleball is the Read more
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On August 25th, 1985, At the age of 20 years, 9 months, 9 days, Dwight Gooden became the youngest 20-game winner ever when the Mets beat San Diego at Shea Stadium, 9-3. Doc was 27 days younger than Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, who had accomplished the feat with Cleveland in 1939. Gooden would Read more
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On August 24th, 1910, from atop the 555 foot Washington Monument, White Sox pitcher Ed Walsh threw 23 balls before C Billy Sullivan snared one. Sullivan then caught two more, It duplicated Gabby Street’s catch of August 21, 1908. The estimated speed of the ball was 161 feet per second. The White Sox catcher, after Read more
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On August 21st, 1881, The Eclipse club refused to play against the Chicago Whites in Louisville because of a black player named Fleet Walker on the Chicago team. Walker would go on to play for the Toledo Blue Stockings in the American Association in 1884 and is generally regarded as the first black player in major league baseball. I sometimes suspect that the angry MAGA Read more
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On August 20th, 1986, Dave Winfield hit his 300th homer in a losing cause as the Yanks fell to Seattle, 5 – 2. It is difficult to imagine that there is any other small city in America that has turned out as many great baseball players as St. Paul, Minnesota. There are four St. Paul, Minnesota, natives in the Read more
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