» June 4, 1970: In the June draft, the Padres select high school catcher Mike Ivie as the number-one pick and sign him in three days to a $100,000 contract. He'll play in the ML 11 years but catch only nine games in the bigs because of a phobia about throwing the ball back to the pitcher. Choosing next, the Indians take Stanford P Steve Dunning, who will debut in 10 days. Catchers Barry Foote (Expos) and Darrell Porter (Brewers) go next. The Pirates wait till the 14th round to take Dave Parker. Rich Gossage goes in the 9th round to the White Sox; Rick Reuschel to the Cubs (3); pitcher Dale Murphy to the Braves (18th). The Giants took Randy Moffitt and Chris Speier on the first round in January and repeat the good first round picks today with John D'Acquisto and Dave Kingman. The Reds take prep SS Gary Polczynski in the first round, but have better luck in the 8th (Will McEnaney), the 10th (Ray Knight) and the 19th (Pat Zachry). The Phillies, Royals, Dodgers, and Angels pick 5th, 8th, 9th and 10th on the first round and also come up with duds. Future seventeen-year major leaguer Frank White goes undrafted today. » July 19, 1979: Ray Knight drives in six runs to lead the Reds to a 16–4 clipping of the Cardinals in St. Louis.
» May 13, 1980: Ray Knight breaks out of an 0-for-15 slump by homering twice in the 5th inning of a 15–4 win over the Mets. He is the first Red ever to hit two home runs in one inning.
» May 15, 1980: In Cincinnati, Ray Knight has two homers, including a grand slam, as the Reds whip the Mets, 15–4.
» June 25, 1980:
Ray Knight collects five ribbies to pace the Reds to a 15-3 whipping of the Astros.
» September 17, 1980:
The Reds Mario Soto stops Houston, 7–0, beating Joe Niekro, who gives up a grand slam to Ray Knight. Houston and Los Angeles are tied for 1st (82-62) with 17 games left on the schedule.
» December 18, 1981: The Reds swap 3B Ray Knight to the Astros for OF Cesar Cedeno.
» September 7, 1984: Dwight Gooden pitches a one-hitter and strikes out 11 in a 10–0 rout of the Cubs. The only hit is Keith Moreland's slow roller in the 5th inning, which 3B Ray Knight fields but can't get out of his glove. Gooden's 11 strikeouts give him 236 for the season, breaking the National League rookie record set by Grover Alexander in 1911. For Gooden, he will win another nine straight over the Cubs, lose, then win 12 straight.
» July 27, 1985: For the second time in a week, the Mets win, 16–4, this time pounding the Astros in the opener of a twinbill sweep. They break a 4–4 tie in the 7th with a fielder's choice by Keith Hernandez, 2-run double by Gary Carter and a 3-run home run by Ray Knight. All 16 runs are unearned as relievers DiPino and Medden each give up 6, and starter Bob Knepper allows four runs. Jesse Orosco is the winner in Game One and earns a save for Bill Latham's first ML win in game 2, a 7–3 victory.
» July 22, 1986:
The Mets win a crazy five-hour marathon with the Reds in 14 innings, winning 6–3 (as recalled by Bill Deane). Setting the tone, Darryl Strawberry is ejected after arguing a called 3rd strike in the 5th. In the 9th, Howard Johnson inadvertently kicks the ball after Reds C Bo Diaz drops a third strike. Johnson runs out of the baseline and is hit in the back with the throw from pitcher Ron Robinson. Reds coach Billy DeMars is ejected for arguing the safe call. The Mets, down 3–1, with two out, tie the game when Dave Parker who drops a routine fly ball. In the 10th, Davey Johnson sends in pitcher Rick Aguilera to hit for pitcher Doug Sisk. Aguilera walks, but is stranded. In the Reds 10th, pinch-runner Eric Davis steals 2B and 3B, bumping into Ray Knight. Knight decks Davis and both benches empty. Knight, Davis, Kevin Mitchell and Mario Soto are ejected. Gary Carter moves to 3B, McDowell comes in to pitch, and Orosco moves from the mound to RF. With two out and a runner on 2B in the 11th, Orosco returns to pitch, McDowell moves to LF, and Mookie Wilson shifts to right. Rose protests when Orosco is permitted eight warm-up pitches. Orosco whiffs Max Venable to end the inning. In the 12th, The Mets are forced to lead off the inning with Orosco and McDowell, and go down in order. McDowell returns to pitch in the 13th and gets Tony Perez to fly to Orosco in right. Howard Johnson belts a three-run homer in the 14th and McDowell retires the side in order.
» October 25, 1986: Trailing 5–3 with two out and no one on base in the bottom of the 10th inning, New York rallies to win game six of the World Series 6–5 and force a deciding 7th game. After Gary Carter, Kevin Mitchell, and Ray Knight single, Bob Stanley uncorks a wild pitch that permits the tying run to score, and a hobbled Bill Buckner lets Mookie Wilson's slow bouncer skip through his legs, allowing Knight to score the winning run. Reliever Calvin Schiraldi absorbs the loss.
» October 27, 1986: The Mets win game seven of the World Series 8–5 at Shea Stadium. 3B Ray Knight, whose leadoff home run off Calvin Schiraldi in the 7th inning, triggers a 3-run rally, is named MVP. Schiraldi is pinned with his 2nd straight loss, the only pitcher ever to lose games six and 7.
» February 11, 1987: Free-agent 3B Ray Knight, who earlier had rejected an $800,000 one-year contract offer from the Mets, signs with the Orioles for $475,000 plus incentives and an option for a 2nd year.
» February 27, 1988: 3B Ray Knight is traded from Baltimore to Detroit for P Mark Thurmond.
» May 6, 1997: Following today's 3-2 win over the Dodgers, Reds' manager Ray Knight announces to the team that he's fining himself $250 for not knowing how many outs there were when he called for a bunt.
» July 25, 1997:
The Reds name Jack McKeon as their manager, replacing Ray Knight.
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