Today In Baseball History: August

[CrimsonCowboy]

August 1st:

1923: Harry Frazee, the Broadway producer who sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees as Red Sox owner, sells the team to J.A. Robert Quinn.

1924: In a 4-0 win over the Cubs, Dazzy Vance of the Brooklyn Robins sets a M.L. record with seven straight strikeouts.

1933: Carl Hubbell's then N.L. record streak of 45.1 straight scoreless innings streak ends.

1941: In a 9-0 win over the Browns, the Yankees Lefty Gomez issues 11 walks, the most in a shutout.

1945: In a 9-2 win over the Braves, the Giants Mel Ott hits his 500th career home run.

1957: In a 12-3 win over the Cubs, the Dodgers Gil Hodges hits the last of his N.L. record 13 career grand slams (since broken).

1962: The Red Sox Bill Monbouquette pitches a no-hitter in a 1-0 win over the White Sox.

1972: The Padres Nate Colbert joins Stan Musial as the only players to hit five home runs in a doubleheader. He sets N.L. doubleheader records with 13 RBI's and 22 total bases. Colbert was in the stands at St. Louis' Sportsman's Park when Musial had his five homers in a doubleheader in 1954.

1975: Billy Martin is named to replace Bill Virdon as Yankees manager. It would be the first of five times Martin would be Yankees manager.

1977: In a 9-2 win over the Expos, the Giants Willie McCovey hits his N.L. record 18th grand slam.

1978: Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak comes to an end against the Braves. A strikeout against Gene Garber put it to an end.

1982: Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson are among those inducted into the Hall of Fame.

1986: In a 10-1 win over the A's, the Twins becomes the tenth pitcher in M.L. history to record 3,000 strikeouts while Kirby Puckett hits for the cycle. On that day, the Twins franchise celebrated their 25th anniversary.

1994: In a 1-0 win over the Twins at the Metrodome, the Orioles Cal Ripken, Jr. becomes the second player in M.L. history to play in 2,000 straight games.

2005: After telling Congress at a hearing earlier in the year that he had never taken steroids, Rafael Palmerio is suspended for violating MLB's drug policy.

[CrimsonCowboy]

August 2nd:

1907: Walter Johnson makes his M.L. debut in a 3-2 Senators loss to the Tigers. Ty Cobb would get the first hit off Johnson.

1921: The eight players involved in the "Black Sox" scandal are acquitted by a jury. Despite that, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis says the evidence shows the eight accused players of the White Sox threw the 1919 World Series and is banned from baseball for life.

1932: The Cubs fire manager Rogers Hornsby, replacing him with Charlie Grimm.

1970: With a 10-8 win, the Orioles beat the Royals for the 23rd straight time, setting a M.L. record for consecutive wins over one team.

1979: Yankees catcher Thurmon Munson is killed in a plane crash at the age of 32. The plane he was piloting clipped a tree and crashed about 1,000 feet short of the runway at Canton-Akron Regional Airport.

1981: Bob Gibson, Johnny Mize, Rube Foster, and Ernie Harwell are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

2002: Reds GM Jim Bowden is fined by Commissioner Bud Selig for comments comparing a possible baseball strike to the September 11th attacks.

2007: After the White Sox scored eight runs in the top of the second, the Yankees answer with eight of their own in the bottom of the half. It marked just the second time in M.L. history that eight or more runs are scored by both teams in one inning. The White Sox would win 13-9.

2010: The Nationals Ivan Rodriguez becomes the fifth player to hit 300 home runs as a catcher.

2011: In a rain shortened 6-0 win over the White Sox, the Yankees Mark Teixeira homers from both sides of the plate for the 12th time, setting a M.L. record.

2013: Two days after he turned 21 years old, the Marlins Jose Fernandez sets a franchise rookie record with 14 strikeouts in a 10-0 win over the Indians.

[CrimsonCowboy]

August 3rd:

1948: In his first M.L. start, Satchel Paige goes seven innings and leads the Indians to a 5-3 win over the Senators.

1957: Pirates manager Bobby Bragan hears on the radio that he had been fired and replaced by third base coach Danny Murtaugh. General Manager Joe L. Brown had leaked out the news.

1961: The Pirates record the largest shutout in a night game in N.L. history, defeating the Cardinals 19-0.

1967: Due to reports of rowdy behavior on a team flight, A's owner Charlie Finley fires manager Alvin Dark and releases outfielder Ken Harrelson.

1979: Over 51,000 mourners attend a memorial service at Yankee Stadium for Thurman Munson, who was killed in a plane crash the prior day.

1987: Twins pitcher Joe Niekro is ejected by home plate umpire Tim Tschida after he was found to have an emery board in his possession. Niekro will be suspended ten days by the A.L. for defacing the ball.

1989: In the first inning of an 18-1 win over the Astros, the Reds set a M.L. record with 16 hits. They scored 14 runs in the inning.

1998: Marlins pitcher C.J. Nitkowski becomes the third pitcher since 1900 to hit three straight batters.

2002: In a 12-4 win over the Indians, the Mariners Edgar Martinez hits three sacrifice flies, tying the M.L. record.

2004: The Cardinals Albert Pujols becomes the first player in M.L. history to hit 30 home runs in each of his first four M.L. seasons.

[CrimsonCowboy]

August 4th:

1908: The St. Louis Cardinals and the Brooklyn Superbas (later known as the Dodgers) play the entire game with one baseball.

1910: The A's Jack Coombs and the White Sox Ed Walsh both pitch the entire way in a game that finishes in 16 innings with a scoreless tie. The game was called at 7:00 due to darkness.

1935: Walter Johnson resigns as Indians manager and is replaced by Steve O'Neill.

1941: The Dodgers Mickey Owens becomes the first catcher in M.L. history to catch three pop foul-outs in one inning.

1948: Ernie Harwell broadcasts his first M.L. game, calling the Dodgers 5-4 win at Ebbets Field over the Cubs. He was filling in for Red Barber, who was recovering from a bleeding ulcer.

1963: In a 2-1 defeat to the Braves, the Mets Roger Craig loses his 18th straight game, tying the N.L. record. It was his 20th loss of the season.

1971: Pitching for the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs of the Texas League, Tommy Walker pitches 15 no-hit innings in a 1-0 win over the Albuquerque Dukes. He faced 47 batters, two over the minimum.

1982: After getting the game-winning RBI in a 7-4 Mets win over the Cubs, Joel Youngblood finds out he was traded to the Expos during the game. He would fly to Philadelphia to join the Expos in their game against the Phillies. He would single, making him the first player in M.L. history to have hits for two different teams in two different games on the same day. He would collect the hits against future Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins and Steve Carlton.

1983: At Toronto's Exhibition Stadium, the Yankees Dave Winfield kills a seagull with a warm-up throw before the bottom of the fifth. After the 3-1 win over the Blue Jays, Ontario police arrest Winfield and charge him with animal cruelty.

1985: The White Sox Tom Seaver records his 300th win in a 4-1 victory over the Yankees.

1985: The Angels Rod Carew becomes the 16th player in M.L. history to record 3,000 hits.

1987: The Angels Don Sutton defeats the Twins and Steve Carlton 12-3 in the fourth matchup of 300 game winners. Sutton (317) and Carlton (328) combined for 645 wins, the most for any two pitchers to start a M.L. game ever.

1990: The Braves trade Dale Murphy to the Phillies for Jeff Parrett, Jim Vatcher, and Victor Rosario.

1993: After being hit by a pitch from Nolan Ryan, the White Sox Robin Ventura charges the mound after him. Ryan would put Ventura in a head-lock and punch him six times.

1994: Pitching for the Mariners against the Angels, Goose Gossage makes his 1,000th M.L. appearance.

1996: Orioles managers Earl Weaver and Ned Hanlon join Jim Bunning and Bill Foster as new Hall of Fame inductees.

2005: The Orioles fire manager Lee Mazzilli and replace him with Sam Perlozzo.

[CrimsonCowboy]

August 5th:

1921: The Pirates 8-5 win over the Phillies is broadcasted over KDKA Radio, the first M.L. game to be done so. Harold Arlin provided the play-by-play.

1937: An Appalachian League game between the Newport Canners and the Johnson City Soldiers is ended in the sixth inning because the teams ran out of baseballs. Angry fans started destroying sets of bleachers after the game was called.

1940: In a game shortened by rain after six innings, the Browns John Whitehead pitches a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over the Tigers.

1953: The Browns Don Larsen extends his streak of at bats with a hit to seven, marking a record for pitchers.

1960: The Tigers and Indians become the first teams to switch managers. Jimmy Dykes becomes the manager for the Indians while Joe Gordon goes to the Tigers.

1969: In an 11-3 win over the Dodgers, the Pirates Willie Stargell becomes the first player to hit a home run completely out of Dodger Stadium.

1973: The Braves Phil Niekro pitches a no-hitter in a 9-0 win over the Padres.

1975: The Cubs Bill Bonham sets a M.L. record by allowing hits to the first seven batters he faces against the Phillies. Bonham would be replaced after that by Ken Crosby, who promptly gives up a hit to Johnny Oates.

1979: Willie Mays, Warren Giles, and Hack Wilson are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

1983: Yankees manager Billy Martin is suspended two games for calling umpire Dale Ford a "stone liar" during the game on July 31st against the White Sox. It's the second time this season Martin was disciplined for his constant abuse of umpires.

1984: In a 4-3 win over the Orioles, the Blue Jays Cliff Johnson hits is 19th career pinch-home run, setting a M.L. record.

1986: In the third inning of an 11-6 loss to the Reds, the Giants Steve Carlton fans Eric Davis, recording his 4,000th strikeout.

1993: In an 11-10, 12 inning win over the Giants, the Padres Tony Gwynn has a six-hit game for the fourth time this season, tying the record held by Ty Cobb and Stan Musial.

1999: The Cardinals Mark McGwire hits his 500th career home run.
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2001: Kirby Puckett, Dave Winfield, Bill Mazeroski, and Negro League pitcher Hilton Smith are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

2001: After trailing the Mariners 14-2 after six innings, the Indians would tie the game, then win it 15-14 win the 11th inning on a Jolbert Cabrera single to score Kenny Lofton.

2005: The Cardinals Albert Pujols becomes the first player in M.L. history to hit 30 home runs in his first five seasons.

2006: The Padres Trevor Hoffman becomes the first pitcher in M.L. history to record 11 seasons of 30 saves.

2007: In an 8-3 victory over the Cubs, the Mets Tom Glavine records his 300th win.

2010: The bankrupt Texas Rangers are sold in an auction for $385 million to a group led by team president and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who out-bid a group led by Mark Cuban.

2013: Major League Baseball announces the names of 13 players who were suspended for their involvement of performance-enhancing drugs supplied by the Biogenesis clinic. While most of the players got 50 games, the Yankees Alex Rodriguez was handed a 211 game suspension, which he later appealed.

[CrimsonCowboy]

April 6th:

1890: Pitching for the Cleveland Spiders, Cy Young makes his M.L. debut. He gets the first of his 511 career wins in an 8-1 victory over the Chicago Colts.

1906: In a 4-0 loss to the Indians, the Boston Americans sets an A.L. record by being shutout for the fourth straight game.

1937: In a 12-6 loss to the Cubs, the Braves become the first team in N.L. history to lead off a game with back to back home runs.

1941: In the third inning of an 11-2 win over the Indians, the Tigers Al Benton becomes the first player in M.L. to have two sacrifice bunts in one inning.

1952: At age 46 (though debated by some), the Browns Satchel Paige becomes the oldest pitcher in M.L. history to hurl a complete game shutout, leading St. Louis to a 1-0, 12th inning win over the Tigers.

1967: In a 4-0 win over the White Sox, the Orioles Brooks Robinson hits into his M.L. record fourth triple play.

1969: Twins manager Billy Martin punches Dave Boswell, sending him to the hospital. Boswell was in a fight with his Twins teammate Bob Allison.

1972: In a 4-3, ten inning over the Reds, Hank Aaron hits his 660th and 661st home runs. That breaks Babe Ruth's record for homers with one team.

1973: Roberto Clemente becomes the first Latin-born player inducted into the Hall of Fame.

1981: After the seven week strike, the players approve a split-season format. The Yankees, A's, Phillies, and Dodgers are declared first half champions and qualify for the postseason.

1983: Making his Royals debut, Eric Rasmussen pitches a 4-0 shutout in his first A.L. game. In his first N.L. game back in 1975, he pitched a shutout against the Padres as a member of the Cardinals. He became the first pitcher in M.L. history to pitch a shutout in his pitching debut for both leagues.

1985: The Players Association goes on strike for the second time during a season. The strike would last two days.

1988: In a 7-4 win over the Phillies, the Cubs Goose Gossage joins Rollie Fingers as the only pitchers to record 300 saves.

1993: The Padres Tony Gwynn records his 2,000th career hit.

2002: In an 11-10 win over the Cubs, the Giants Robb Nen becomes the 16th pitcher to record 300 saves.

2010: The Atlanta Braves retire Tom Glavine's #47.