. . THIS DATE IN BASEBALL HISTORY
. .
2002
2001
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1992
1990
1988
1987
1981
1979
1977
1976
1975
1972
1971
1970
1969
1968
1967
1966
1964
1963
1961
1960
1959
1956
1951
1949
1946
1944
1942
1940
1936
1931
1930
1929
1922
1921
1918
1916
1915
1913
1911
1910
1906
1905
1901
. August 9th

2002
» Barry Bonds hits the 600th home run of his career, but the Giants still fall to the Pirates by a score of 4–3. Bonds joins Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Willie Mays (his godfather) in the exclusive club.

The Reds defeat the Padres, 12–10, as Cincinnati 3B Aaron Boone hits three home runs. Two of the blasts come in Cincinnati's 9–run 1st inning.

The Expos trounce the Brewers, 11–4, as OF Vladimir Guerrero ties Ken Griffey Jr. as the 2nd–youngest player ever to reach 200 home runs.

2001
» The Rockies defeated the Cubs, 14–5, despite three successive home runs by Sammy Sosa. Winning pitcher Mike Hampton ties the NL record for home runs in a season by a pitcher by hitting his 7th. The major-league record is 9.

The Giants score a 6–4 victory over the Reds in a game marked by two milestone home runs. Ken Griffey Jr. hits the 450th of his career, becoming the youngest player (by 15 days, over Jimmie Foxx) in history to reach that mark. He was also the youngest to hit 350 and 400. Barry Bonds hits his 49th of the season, becoming the fastest to ever reach that number.

Yankees P Ted Lilly is suspended for six games for hitting Anaheim's Scott Spiezio in the head with a pitch in a game last Sunday. NY manager Joe Torre rips into baseball's dean of discipline Frank Robinson for the decision. Lilly was not thrown out of the game by the umpires when the incident occurred.

1999
» The Blue Jays defeat the Rangers, 19-4, setting a team record by recording 25 hits. OF Jacob Brumfield and 2B Homer Bush get four hits apiece for Toronto while four other players record three safeties each. P Doug Davis enters the game in the 6th inning for Texas, making his major league debut. In two 1/3 innings of work, he allows 11 hits, including three home runs, while surrendering 10 earned runs. He'll return to the minors tomorrow.

A total of five grand slams are hit on the day, marking the first time it has happened in 129 years of major league baseball. The bases loaded pokes are hit by Fernando Tatis of St. Louis (against the Phillies), Jose Vidro of Montreal (against the Padres), Mike Lowell of Florida (against the Giants), Bernie Williams of the Yankees (against the Athletics), and Jay Buhner of Seattle (against the White Sox).

Umpires union chief Richie Powers announces that he is considering seeking an injunction from the National Labor Relations Board to stop Major League Baseball from firing 22 umpires on September 2.

The Blue Jays obtain OF Brian McRae from the Rockies for a player to be named.

1998
» Atlanta's Dennis Martinez defeats the Giants, 7–5, for his 244th career victory to set the record for most wins by a Latin American pitcher. Juan Marichal held the old mark. 3B Chipper Jones backs Martinez pitching with four hits and four ribbies.

1997
» The Yankees beat the Twins Brad Radke, ending his win streak at 12 games.

Toledo (American Association) tops visiting Richmond, 11–10, 13 innings. Mudhen LF Bubba Trammell is four for seven with four home runs and five RBIs. Trammell homers in the 9th inning to tie the game and again in the 13th inning to win it.

1996
» The Tigers defeat the Yankees, 5–3, as DH Ruben Sierra, traded nine days ago from the Yankees, drives home all five Detroit runs with a double and 3-run homer.

Fernando Valenzuela limits Pittsburgh to three hits in seven 2/3 innings and Greg Vaughn hits the 100-RBI mark with a solo homer to lead the Padres to a 4–1 win. Vaughn, who had 95 RBIs with Milwaukee before being traded, is the first player to hit 100 ribbies in a season while playing in both leagues.

1995
» The Giants defeat the Pirates, 4-3. The winning pitcher is William Van Landingham and the loser, Jason Christiansen. The 25 letters in the surnames of the two pitchers of record is the most ever in a major league game.

George Nicolau, baseball's impartial arbitrator since 1986, is fired by major league owners.

1992
» Yankees rookie P Sam Militello allows just one hit in seven innings as he defeats the Red Sox, 6-0, in his major league debut.

1990
» San Diego SS Garry Templeton collects his 2,000 ML hit, exactly 14 years after getting his first. The Padres beat the Braves 7–0, with Bruce Hurst winning over Charlie Leibrandt.

The Yankees beat Brad Radke and the Twins, 4–1, stopping Radke's 12-game winning streak. Luis Sojo snaps a 1–1 tie in the 8th with a 2–run home run. Since 1950, only three pitchers have won 12 straight games.

1988
» The Cubs and Mets play the first official night game at Wrigley Field, a 6–4 Chicago victory. New York's Lenny Dykstra hits the first night home run, supplanting Phil Bradley, whose leadoff home run last night was washed out. Reliever Frank DiPino is the winner over Mets' starter Sid Fernandez.

1987
» With help from Lee Smith, Scott Sanderson beats the Mets, 6–3, at Shea Stadium. The loser is Doc Gooden, who snaps his 10-game winning streak against the Cubs. He'll start another streak of 12 wins.

In a 15–4 Tiger mauling of the Yankees, New York catcher Rick Cerone takes the mound. Again, he walks one batter and allows no runs, the second time in three weeks he's caught and pitched in the same game.

1981
» Expos C Gary Carter hits a pair of solo home runs and Phillies 3B Mike Schmidt adds a 2-run shot in the 8th off Rollie Fingers to give the National League a 5–4 win in the All-Star Game. It is the NL's 10th win in a row and 17th in the last 18 games.

1979
» Longtime Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley dies at age 75.

1977
» The White Sox hit six home runs against the Mariners to tie the club mark at Comiskey Park. Eric Soderholm has 2, with Chet Lemon, Oscar Gamble, Jim Essian, and Royle Stillman contributing.

Reds pitchers Doug Capilla and Pedro Borbon combine on a one-hitter, stopping the Dodgers, 4–0. The only LA hit is Ron Cey's infield single to SS with two out in the 7th. Cey is called safe on a close and disputed play at 1B. Capilla is lifted with two on in the 8th.

1976
» Twenty-two-year-old John Candelaria survives a bases-loaded situation in the 3rd inning to hurl a no-hit game to beat the Dodgers 2–0. Candelaria improves his record to 11-4 for the 2nd-place Pirates.

In Houston's 13–4 win over the Cardinals, Cesar Cedeno hits for the cycle.

In the Hall of Fame game following the inductions of Roberts, Lemon and others, the Brewers beat the Mets, 9–3.

1975
» Davey Lopes steals his 32nd consecutive base for the Dodgers without being caught in a 2–0 win over the Mets. This breaks the major-league record set by Max Carey in 1922.

1972
» The Cardinals Ted Simmons finally signs his 1972 contract, although he had been playing all season. He is believed to be the first ML player to play without a contract.

1971
» The Indians score eight runs in the 5th inning to beat the Cubs 13–5 in the annual Hall of Fame game. Earlier, the Hall had inducted Satchel Paige and the seven others selected in January.

Despite belting six home runs -- 3 by Bill Freehan, two by Willie Horton, one by Aurelio Rodriguez -- at Fenway Park, the Tigers lose to the Red Sox, 12–11. The Sox have only one homer, a grand slam by Bob Montgomery. Rico Petrocelli's pinch single with two outs in the 9th drives home the winner.

1970
» At Three Rivers Stadium, Willie Stargell hits an 8th inning homer into the 70-foot high right field upper deck, the first player to hit one up there. The pitch is served up by Mets reliever Ron Taylor. The next two hit up there will be by Stargell, who will hit four of the first 7; Bob Robertson, Phillie Greg Luzinski, and Bobby Bonilla, in 1987, will also reach the seats. The Pirates win, 8–3. Nolan Ryan is the loser, allowing four runs in six innings, allowing three hits, walking seven and striking out 10.

1969
» The Giants purchase relief P Don McMahon from the Tigers. Tomorrow, he'll give up four runs in the 9th as the Giants lose, 7–4, to the Cards.

1968
» California pitchers plunk Baltimore batters three times in the 7th inning at Memorial Stadium, tying the American League record for hit batsmen in one inning. Baltimore wins 3–0.

1967
» Minnesota's 20-inning 9–7 loss to the Senators is the longest game in Twins history. Ken McMullen's 20th-inning home run wins it for Washington.

In a definition of manager's hell, the Carolina League (Class A) Burlington team plays a 7-inning game against Raleigh, and Burlington batters hit into a double play in each inning.

1966
» The Braves fire Bobby Bragan (52-59) and install coach Billy Hitchcock as their new manager.

In Atlanta, 52,270 watch as Felipe Alou hits a leadoff home run off Sandy Koufax. The Dodgers tie it, but Eddie Mathews adds a 9th inning solo home run to beat the Dodgers' ace 2–1.

1964
» Phillies P Jim Bunning, who pitched a no-hitter in his last start against the Mets, throws another five innings of hitless ball against New York before Joe Christopher beats out a 2-out bunt. Bunning wins the game 6–0.

1963
» Roger Craig's National League record-tying 18-game losing streak (broken by teammate Craig Anderson) ends thanks to Jim Hickman's 9th-inning grand slam off Lindy McDaniel. New York beats the Cubs 7–3. Craig will be on the wrong end of a shutout nine times this year: only Bugs Raymond (11 in 1908) and Walter Johnson (10 in 1909) have had more shutouts thrown at them in a year.

The longest game in 12 years, again at Forbes Field, takes place between the Colt 45's and the Pirates. Rain delays the start of the two games by an hour, then Houston outlasts the Bucs, 7–6, in 15 innings. The 2nd game is another struggle, this time the Pirates winning, 7–6, in 11 innings, on a bases loaded single by Clemente. Only 300 fans are on hand when the curtain comes down at 2:30 a.m.

1961
» Cincinnati wins its 16th straight game against Philadelphia as Joey Jay blanks the Phils 5–0. It is the 13th loss in a row for the Quakers, their longest string of defeats since 1936: they've won just one in 19 games. Elio Chacon hits his first ML homer, off Don Ferrarese.

The Cards beat the Pirates, 4–0, with all the Birds scoring coming on a grand slam by Julian Javier.

The Dodgers win their 17th out of 20 to stay a game ahead of the Reds, beating the Braves 8–3, Don Drysdale hits a grand slam, off Don Nottebart in the 2nd, and allows just four hits while striking out 11. Two of the four hits are homers by Joe Adcock.

1960
» With fine relief pitching of Lindy McDaniel in the opener and a 5-hitter by Curt Simmons in the nitecap, the Cards sweep the Phils, 5–4 and 6–0. Phillie Tony Taylor ties a major-league record for 2B by going the entire doubleheader (18 innings) without a putout, the first to achieve the feat since Connie Ryan of the Phillies, June 14, 1953.

Ted Williams blasts his 19th home run and 511th of his career, off Perry, but the Red Sox lose to the Indians, 6–3. Ted's 5th inning home run ties him with Mel Ott for 3rd on the all-time list. Francona and Power homer for the Tribe to back Perry (14-5). Power's hit ricochets off the top of the RF fence in Cleveland toward Lu Clinton. The ball hits Clinton's foot and is "kicked" over the fence. Umpire Hal Smith rules the hit a home run, since the ball never touched the ground.

1959
» The Pirates, down 3–1 to the Cubs in the 9th, tie the game, then win 5–3 in the 10th. Elroy Face wins in relief to go 15–0. The win is the 11th extra inning victory in a row for the Pirates; the only loss in their last 16 extra inning games was Haddix's 12-inning perfect game against the Braves in May.

1956
» Longtime Dodger announcer Connie Desmond resigns from the broadcast booth.

The Senators get a license to sell beer at Griffith Stadium.

1951
» With possible baseball commissioner Douglas MacArthur looking on, the Dodgers top the Giants again, 6–5, for their 12th win in 15 games between the two rivals. The two teams combine for a National League record 24 walks. Campanella hits two homers, but sustains an injury the 9th inning when Whitey Lockman crashes into him: "The hardest I've ever been hit in a ball game." Campy will miss four days but the bone chips will hamper him the rest of the season. Clyde King wins his 2nd win in two days and shortstops Pee Wee Reese (19) and Alvin Dark (17) keep their hitting streaks alive. The Dodgers lead by 12 1/2 games.

In the Braves 5–4 win over the Phillies, catcher Ebba St. Claire participates in three double plays to tie the ML record. The record will be topped in the American League, but not till 1999 will another NL backstop be in three DPs in a game.

1949
» Dom DiMaggio's 34-game hitting streak is on the line against Vic Raschi and the Yankees. Hitless in his first four at bats, Dom hits a sinking line drive in the eighth that his brother Joe catches at his shoetops. The Red Sox win 6-3 to move 5 1/2 games behind the Yankees. Dom had started his streak after going hitless against Raschi.

1946
» All games are played at night for the first time in major-league history, four in the AL and four in the NL.

1944
» The Browns win their ninth straight game for the second time this season in a 3-2 win over the Yankees in New York. They lead by 6 1/2 games. St Louis's other team, the Cardinals, after winning 26 in July, now leads the NL by 16 1/2 games.

1942
» The Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 10–8 in 18 innings at Cincinnati. The Reds tie the score in the 9th, 10th, and 12th innings before the Cubs hang on. Stan Hack collects five hits and three runs for Chicago. Both teams combine to notch 25 base on balls for the match, and the Cubs strand 23 runners, while the Reds leave 21, a major-league record until 1974. Each team uses six pitchers, a ML record. The Reds take game two by a 2–1 score.

As a warm-up to the upcoming series at St. Louis with Brooklyn, the Cardinals win their 7th straight, a 7–2 win over Pittsburgh behind rookie Johnny Beazley.

1940
» Steve Sundra posts his first win of the year for the Yankees. The Yankees, at 51-51, seem certain to be out of the running for their 5th straight championship. However, they will go 37–15 the rest of the way and actually make the top for a few hours on September 11th. The Yanks will ultimately finish 3rd, losing three straight to the Browns September 15-16.

1936
» The Cubs move back into first place by taking two from Pittsburgh while the Cards lose a pair to Cincinnati.

1931
» After the White Sox take the opener, 4–2, over the Browns, Dick Coffman pitches the Browns to a 1–0 win, allowing on a 5th inning single by Johnny Kerr. Bob Wetland takes the loss.

1930
» John Stone, Detroit OF, doubles in two runs in the 6th inning against Boston as the Tigers win 3–0. Stone has now hit in 23 straight games, but will go hitless in tomorrow's Sunday game at Fenway. Vic Sorrell tosses today's shutout.

The A's increase their American League lead with a second straight doubleheader sweep of the White Sox, winning 9–2 and 3–0. Jimmie Foxx's 32nd homer, off Caraway with two on in the 8th, gives Ed Rommel the win the curtain call. The second place Senators drop a pair to the Indians.

1929
» In Philadelphia, the Cubs roll over the Phils, 12–6, to give pitcher Guy Bush his 11th straight win.

1922
» With the score even at six apiece, the Browns score two in the seventh off reliever Walter Johnson to beat the Senators, 8–6. The Browns finish an 11–5 home stand.

1921
» The Browns go 19 innings with the Senators before topping Washington 8–6. Browns' star George Sisler is 6-for-9 in the game, while Brownie Dixie Davis pitches the distance allowing 13 hits. Nats star Joe Judge bangs an American League record-tying three triples in the game.

1918
» Reds manager Christy Mathewson suspects Hal Chase of taking bribes to fix games, and suspends him "for indifferent play." Chase will be reinstated and play for the Giants in 1919.

1916
» The A's end a 20-game losing streak, beating Detroit 7–1 behind Joe Bush.

Philadelphia's Grover Alexander allows three hits in edging the Reds, 1–0.

1915
» George Cutshaw goes 6–for–6 to lead Brooklyn to a 13–0 pasting of the Cubs. He's the first player in 14 years to collect six hits in a game.

1913
» In Cincinnati, the Giants coast to a 11–2 win over the Reds. Christy Mathewson leaves with a victory after seven innings.

1911
» In Chicago, the Giants paste the Cubs, 16–5, and the Pirates now lead in the NL race for the first time. But it doesn't last, as the Cubs replace them tomorrow with a 7–5 win over the visiting Cardinals. The lead changes 26 times, as the top four bounce in and out until the Giants emerge on August 24th and build a seven 1/2 game lead over the Cubs.

1910
» Pittsburgh's Babe Adams scatters 11 hits in shutting out Boston, 10–0.

1906
» The Cubs' Jack Taylor beats Brooklyn 5-3 and posts his 187th consecutive straight complete game, a major league record. The streak will end in four days when he again pitches against Brooklyn.

The Giants stop the Pirates, 6-0, with Christy Mathewson and George Ferguson combining for the shutout. Lefty Leifield takes the loss.

In a New England League game, Lynn (MA) outfielder Tom Burke has his skull fractured when he is hit by a pitch thrown by Fall River's Joseph Yeager. In two days, Burke dies from the beaning.

1905
» In Pittsburgh, Bill Klem narrowly escapes a beating at the hands of gamblers. The heavily favored Pirates are down 5–2 in the 9th inning against Boston when a number of Pirates start mocking Klem's flamboyant calls. The rookie umpire chases them down and fines each $10, thereby incurring the wrath of the gamblers, who go looking for Klem. He wisely hides in the ladies' room.

Mistaking her husband for a burglar, Ty Cobb's mother shoots and kills him, and incident that will be cited as the reason for Cobb's intense desire to succeed. The Georgia Peach will make his ML debut with the Tigers later this month.

1901
» In a split at Boston, Baltimore 3B Jack Dunn is knocked out in game one by a foul ball off his own bat. He will be out of action for a week.