BASEBALL
-
On August 18th, 1902, The first unassisted triple play ever in a professional game was executed by first baseman Hal O’Hagan, of the Rochester Bronchos (Eastern League) against Jersey City. There have been only 15 Unassisted Triple plays in the history of Major League Baseball: The most famous of these rare events, of course, is the one Wabbsganss pulled of during Read more
-
On August 17th, 1973, 42-year old New York Mets outfielder Willie Mays hit the 660th and final home run of his career off Cincinnati Reds lefty Don Gullett at Shea Stadium. Mays was third on the all-time home run career list at that time behind Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (703). Mays would retire after Read more
-
On August 16th, 2015, Madison Bumgarner did it all as he threw a three-hit shutout to defeat the Nationals, 5 – 0 (to improve his record to 14-6). The Giants ace had 14 strikeouts, matching a career best. But he also hit a double and a homer, his fourth long ball of the season, to help his own cause. For the Nats, Read more
-
On August 15th, 1991, New York Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly was benched and fined $250 for refusing to cut his shoulder-length hair, but the Yankees still beat Kansas City, 5 – 1. He would get a haircut two days later, and the hair will eventually be auctioned off for $3,000 to benefit a children’s charity. Mattingly is not Read more
-
Dave Kingman’s home run, a monstrous blast estimated to have travelled 515 feet, was, and will now always remain, the longest round-tripper ever hit at old Shea Stadium. “Kong’s” tape-measure home run, a solo shot over the left-center wall, came in the fourth inning off Larry Christenson in the Mets’ 8-4 loss to Philadelphia. For Read more
-
On August 13th, 1965, at the Astrodome, then Houston Astro Rusty Staub singled home the game-winner in the ninth to slip past the New York Mets, 3-2. The Mets blew their 2-0 lead when they let Joe Morgan get the winning run on base when two Mets collided under an easy pop fly. Rusty Staub, Read more
-
On August 10th, 1971, at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota, Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew became the 10th member of the 500-home run club. “Killer” hit his 500th and 501st home runs in a 5-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Killebrew hit his historic homer in the first inning off Mike Cuellar. I never saw Harmon Read more
-
On August 9th, 1975, at Shea Stadium during a 2-0 win vs the New York Mets, Davey Lopes of the Los Angeles Dodgers breaks the record for most consecutive stolen bases without being caught. Lopes steals his 32nd straight base, eclipsing the record held by Max Carey. The Dodger second baseman’s mark will be broken Read more
-
On July 8th, 1982, just five days after hitting three home runs in a 5 – 4 loss to the Twins, California’s Doug DeCinces hit three more home runs in a 9 – 5 win at Seattle, joining Ted Williams as the only American League players ever to hit three home runs in a game twice in the same season. As I do these Read more
ClimbingSky 