Tommy Holmes from the Chronology

Jul 25, 1978 - The Reds lose to the Mets 9-2‚ but Rose collects 3 hits to break Tommy Holmes' record. Holmes is in attendance at Shea and shakes Rose's hand after his 3rd inning single off Craig Swann.

Jul 24, 1978 - Pete Rose singles twice‚ the first time off Pat Zachry‚ during the Reds' 5-3 win over the Mets‚ extending his hitting streak to 37 games to tie the modern NL record held by Tommy Holmes. When lifted‚ Zachry kicks the dugout steps in anger‚ breaking his toe and ending his season.

Jun 29, 1952 - The Dodgers' Tommy Holmes‚ fired as Braves manager a month ago‚ hits a pinch single in the 7th against his old club‚ to help Brooklyn to a 6-5 win over the Braves. The Dodgers have now whipped the Braves 11 straight in 1952.

May 31, 1952 - Charlie Grimm succeeds Tommy Holmes as manager of the Boston Braves. Holmes will sign on with the Dodgers as a pinch hitter‚ but hit just .111.

Jun 30, 1951 - The Braves make it easy for new manager Tommy Holmes' first appearance in front of the home crowd. Boston tallies 8 runs in the 7th inning and 7 runs in the 8th inning‚ to squash to Giants 19-7. Backing Vern Bickford's pitching‚ Earl Torgeson racks up 7 RBIs in the 2 innings‚ including a grand slam off Sal Maglie‚ the first time the Barber's been clipped for a slam.

Jun 20, 1951 - Tommy Holmes's first win as Braves manager is a breeze as Warren Spahn shuts out the Cubs‚ 9-0‚ and is 3-for-4 at the plate‚ including a HR.

Jun 19, 1951 - Following the Cubs 3-0 shut out of the Braves by Bob Rush‚ Tommy Holmes replaces Billy Southworth as the Boston manager.

Sep 4, 1949 - At Philadelphia‚ the Phils battle back into 3rd place by taking two from the Braves‚ 9-8 and 8-7. The Braves take an 8-5 lead in the opener on Tommy Holmes 2-run homer in the 5th‚ and Ennis matches him to start the comeback. Between August 3 (2) and today‚ Holmes has hit 10 homers without striking out.

Oct 6, 1948 - In the WS opener in Boston‚ Phil Masi is called safe at 2B on a disputed call by umpire Bill Stewart on a pickoff attempt in the 8th. Masi then scores on a single by Tommy Holmes as Johnny Sain and the Boston Braves top the Cleveland Indians and Bob Feller 1-0.

Jun 7, 1948 - The Braves Jim Russell hits one HR batting lefty and another batting righty‚ the second National Leaguer to do so‚ in a 9-5 win over the Cubs. He also hits 2 doubles and drives in 5 runs. Playing for the Dodgers on July 26‚ 1951‚ he'll hit another pair from each side of the plate‚ the first player to do so twice. Reliever Red Barrett is the winner over McCall‚ the first of four Cubs pitchers. The Cubs do stop Tommy Holmes 17-game hit streak.

Nov 11, 1945 - The Cubs Phil Cavarretta (279 points) is named the NL MVP with Boston's Tommy Holmes finishing 2nd. The Cubs Andy Pafko finishes 4th.

Sep 30, 1945 - In the first of 2 at Boston‚ Don Fisher of the Giants shuts out the Braves‚ 1-0 in 13 innings‚ winning on Nap Reyes' home run. It is just the 6th time in ML history than a scoreless extra inning game has been won on a solo homer (his reward? One at bat in 1950) Fisher is just the 3rd pitcher this century to fire a shutout in his last appearance‚ and the 1st of 4 this century to throw a shutout in his only start. Luis Aloma‚ in 1951‚ is the next. The second game ends in a 7-inning 2-2 tie. Tommy Holmes is 4-for-6 in game one‚ and needing a 3-for-4 in game 2 to overtake Cavarretta for the batting crown‚ he comes up short‚ going hitless in 2 appearances. Cavarretta is 2-for-4 in the Cubs 5-3 win over the Pirates to finish at .355. Holmes hits .352.

Jul 12, 1945 - The Chicago Cubs stop Tommy Holmes' modern-day NL hitting streak at 37 games‚ beating the Boston Braves 6-1 behind Hank Wyse for their 11th victory in a row. The Braves take game two 3-1‚ as Claude Passeau loses his first after 9 straight wins. Holmes hits .433 during the streak and will finish at .352‚ 2nd in the NL. His 9 strikeouts coupled with 28 HRs and 47 doubles is unparalleled for making contact and hitting for average and power.

Jul 9, 1945 - At Fenway Park‚ the Red Sox topped the Braves‚ 8-1‚ in the only day-game of the series. Boo Ferriss‚ discards plans to pitch both right- and left-handed in the game‚ stays with his right in subduing the Braves. The Sox' Jack Tobin singles off his brother‚ Jim‚ while Tommy Holmes has a hit for the Braves. Holmes reaches the All-Star break with a .401 average and a N.L.-record 37-game hitting streak‚ but the skein was snapped the day the regular schedule resumes.

Jul 6, 1945 - Despite homers by Pete Coscarart and Jim Russell to lead off the game against Don Hendrickson‚ the Braves sweep the Pirates 13-5 and 14-8. For the winners‚ Butch Nieman connects for a pinch grand slam in the opener. In the 2nd game‚ Tommy Holmes hits in his 34th consecutive game to pass Rogers Hornsby's NL record of 33 in 1922.

Jul 3, 1945 - At Braves Field‚ the Cubs tie a ML record when Phil Cavarretta‚ Don Johnson‚ and Stan Hack each score 5 times as Chicago pummels the Braves 24-2. For Chicago‚ it is the most runs scored this century. Johnson has 5 hits‚ as does Cavarretta‚ who adds 5 ribbies. Starter Claude Passeau is the beneficiary of all the infield (16 runs scored) support. Tommy Holmes‚ hitting in his 30th straight game‚ is 3-for-4 to raise his average to .402. The Cubs will sweep the next three games from Boston‚ and Holmes will go 5-for-14.

Jul 1, 1945 - Led by Tommy Holmes‚ the Braves win twice to sweep the three-game set with the 2nd place Cards‚ 6-3 and 8-7. Holmes is 7 for 10 in the series‚ including 4 homers and a triple‚ and stretches his hit streak to 28 games.

Jun 29, 1945 - Bucky Walters and the Reds stop the Braves‚ 4-1. Boston's only score is Chuck Workman's 10th homer. Tommy Holmes has two hits to stretch his hit streak to 25 games and is the first player to reach 100 hits.

Jun 22, 1944 - In the doubleheader opener in Philadelphia‚ Ron Northey homers in the bottom of the 15th off starter Al Javery for a 1-0 Phillies win over the Braves. It is a first for the Phils to end a game like that. The Braves answer quickly in the 2nd game as Tommy Holmes leads off with a HR and‚ a batter later‚ Butch Nieman bangs a 2-run homer. That's all the support Jim Tobin needs‚ as he throws his 2nd no-hitter‚ albeit shortened‚ winning 7-0. The game is called in the 5th inning because of darkness.

Feb 5, 1942 - In one of their best trades ever‚ the Braves get minor-leaguer Tommy Holmes from the Yankees for Buddy Hassett and Gene Moore. Hassett will hit .284‚ then join the Navy and will not make it back to the ML. The much-traveled Moore will be traded by the Yanks in less than 3 weeks. Holmes‚ with three .300+ seasons in the IL‚ could not break into New York's all star outfield. In 10 seasons with the Braves he will hit over .300 and win the MVP in 1948.