This Day In Baseball - The Daily Rewind

October 5, 2007 The Cleveland Indians can thank a bug infestation at Jacobs Field for helping them defeat the New York Yankees, 2 - 1 in 11 innings, and take a 2-0 lead in the ALDS. The bugs are at their worst in the eighth inning, when a flustered Joba Chamberlain gives up the tying run on a wild pitch. The bugs descended upon Jacobs Field in the eighth inning of Game Two like a Biblical plague come to destroy the New York postseason. Indian Pitcher Fausto Carmona pitched through the swarm unaffected  for the win.October 5, 1921 - New York is host to the first one-city World Series since 1906 and the Polo Grounds is the site for all nine games. Carl Mays of the Yankees needs 86 pitches to set the Giants down on five hits, four of them by Frankie Frisch, as Babe Ruth drives in the first run of the Series in the opening inning of the 3 - 0 Yankees win.October 5, 1929 - New York Giants Mel Ott and Chuck Klein of the Philadelphia Phillies go into a head-to-head doubleheader tied at 42 home runs apiece. In t

October 4, 1955 - The Brooklyn Dodgers win the World Series with MVP Johnny Podres beating the New York Yankees, 2 - 0 in Game Seven. This would be the fifth time the two teams met in the series over a nine year period and the first World Series televised in color. In 1957, the Dodgers would relocate to Los Angeles making this the Brooklyn team’s only World Series victory.October 4, 1922 - For the first time, the entire World Series will be broadcast over the radio. Writer Grantland Rice does the announcing of the New York Giants-New York Yankees Series for station WJZ in Newark, NJ, whose signal is relayed to WGY in Schenectady, NY.October 4, 1961 - Whitey Ford tosses his third straight World Series shutout. Home runs by Elston Howard and Bill Skowron, give the Yankees a 2 - 0 win in Game One of the 1961 World Series against Cincinnati at Yankee Stadium.October 4, 1967 - At Fenway Park, St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lou Brock collects four hits, two stolen bases, and two runs as St. Louis defeats the “Imp

October 3, 1951 - Bobby Thomson hits a three-run home run off Ralph Branca of the Brooklyn Dodgers with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the New York Giants a dramatic 5 -- 4 playoff victory and the National League pennant. Seeing the ball disappear over the fence, Thomson hopped crazily around the bases, then disappeared into the mob of teammates who had gathered at home plate. The stunned Dodger players trudged off the field - all except Jackie Robinson. No doubt knowing of "Merkle's Boner" 43 years earlier, he watched to be sure Thomson touched every base before he, too, headed for the clubhouse. The blast would become known in baseball lore as the Shot Heard 'Round the World.October 3, 1976 - Hank Aaron singles in his last major-league at bat and drives in his 2,297th run as the sixth-place Brewers lose to the Tigers 5 - 2.October 3, 1999 - On the final day of the season, Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals hits his 65th home run, moving past Ted Williams and Willie McCovey into 10th

October 2, 1978 - Bucky “Bleeping” Dent's unlikely home run helps the New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox in a dramatic one-game playoff at Fenway Park. Trailing by two runs in the seventh inning, Dent smacks a three-run shot against pitcher Mike Torrez into the screen above the Green Monster. The Yankees hold on for a 5 - 4 victory en route to face the Royals in the ALCS and the Dodgers in the World Series. Dent would go on to hit .417 with 7 RBI in a six-game Yankee triumph over LA. October 2, 1963 - Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers sets a World Series record by striking out 15 batters in Game One against the New York Yankees, beating the record set by Carl Erskine 10 years ago on this day. The Dodgers win the game, 5 - 2, behind Koufax' six-hit pitching performance.October 2, 1968 - In one of the most memorable World Series performances ever, Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals strikes out 17 Detroit Tigers. Gibson sets the World Series record for most strikeouts in a single game, set on th

October 1, 1967 – The brilliant and brief Major League managerial career of Roberto Clemente began and ended on this day. Filling in for interim manager Danny Murtaugh, Clemente puts up stratospheric – if statistically insignificant – numbers as Pittsburgh's player-manager. The Pittsburgh Press reports: "Baseball’s only undefeated ‘manager’, Roberto Clemente, climaxed his greatest season ever by smashing his 23rd homer, a triple and driving in three runs while managing the Bucs before 28,244 fans on PrizeDay."October 1, 1932 - Babe Ruth, as legend has it, calls his home run against Chicago Cubs pitcher Charlie Root in the fifth inning of Game Three of the World Series, won by the New York Yankees 7-5 at Wrigley Field. Root contended to his dying day that this was not the case; he claimed Ruth held up his bat to indicate he had one strike left.October 1, 1961 - Roger Maris hits his 61st home run of the season against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium eclipsing Babe Ruth's 34-year-old single season home run

September 30, 1972 Roberto Clemente doubles off the Mets' Jon Matlack to become the eleventh major leaguer to collect 3000 hits. On hand for the event was Clemente's hero, Willie Mays, now a New York Met, who called Clemente "The Greatest". Sealing the mutual admiration Clemente was quoted saying ""Willie Mays is the greatest player I've ever seen. I never saw Joe DiMaggio play, but if Joe DiMaggio was better than Willie Mays, he belongs in heaven." Sadly, the Pirate right fielder's 3000th hit would be his last, as he would die on New Year's Eve in a plane crash while attempting to bring relief aid to earthquake-stricken Managua, Nicaragua.September 30, 1945 Hank Greenberg hits a pennant-winning grand slam on the final day of the season. The Tiger left fielder's ninth-inning 4 run bomb beats the Browns 6 - 3 clinching the American League flag for Detroit over the second-place Senators.September 30, 1962 Willie Mays' 47th home run, an 8th-inning blast off Dick Farrell, leads the Giants to a critical 2 - 1 win

September 29, 1954 - Willie Mays makes his famous running catch off the bat of Vic Wertz in game one of the World Series. In the eighth inning with a 2-2 tie and men on 1st and 2nd, Wertz slammed a 420 foot shot to the cavernous center field of the Polo Grounds. Mays was playing shallow, since Giants pitcher Don Liddle was a groundball pitcher, and had to turn his back to the infield sprinting for the outfield wall. Mays made an over the shoulder catch and a quick turn firing the ball to the infield holding Larry Doby at 3rd base and preserving the tie. As much as has been made of the catch, Mays himself did not consider it the best defensive play he ever made.September 29, 1974 - Lou Brock steals his 118th and last base on the final day of the season setting the record for steals in a single season. Ricky Henderson would break that record in 1982 with 130 thefts.September 29, 1978 - Jim Rice doubles and singles against the Toronto Blue Jays in Fenway Park. Rice is the first American Leaguer to amass 400 tota

September 28, 1920 - A grand jury indicts eight members of the Chicago White Sox on charges of fixing the1919 World Series in the "Black Sox Scandal." It is the black eye on the sport that would lead to the banning of eight players. Eddie Cicotte and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson both confessed to accepting money from gamblers. Cicotte's second pitch of Game 1 of the 1919 World Series hit the Reds leadoff batter, which was the pre-arranged signal to the gamblers that the players had accepted the fix. Jackson and Cicotte would both recant their confessions after key evidence went missing from the Cook County courthouse. Years later, the missing confessions would reappear in the possession of Comiskey's lawyer.September 28, 1941 - Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox goes 6 for 8 in a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics to finish the season with a .406 batting average. No player has batted .400 since.September 28, 1974 - Nolan Ryan pitches his third of seven career no-hitters, striking out 15 batters and b

September 26, 1961 In New York's 159th game, Roger Maris rips a Jack Fisher fastball into the RF seats at Yankee Stadium for his 60th home run. New York beats Baltimore 3 - 2. There are fewer than 8,000 fans on hand to view this historic event. The legitimacy of the record would be a hot topic of debate since the American League had been expanded from 8 to10 teams and the number of games played was increased by 8.September 26, 1998 Mark McGwire sends two balls the distance, collecting homers number 67 and 68 of the season. McGwire now stands alone as the single season home run king.. 48,212 fans would be on hand at Busch Stadium to witness McGwire's assault on history and the Cards lose 7 - 6 to Montreal.September 26, 1971 Willie Mays hits his 646th and last home run as a member of the San Francisco Giants. It comes in the Giants' 12-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium. September 26, 1955 - The Red Sox beat the Yankees 8-1 as Ted Williams goes 1-for-20. Williams finishes the season batti

September 25, 1954 -- A crowd of 14,175 faithful Fenway fans pay tribute to retiring Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams who is playing his last game at home. The Splendid Splinter's retirement will only last until May when his divorce is finalized with his contract being excluded from the settlement. His true retirement from playing would come in 1960, which inspired an article by John Updike titled "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu". Updike accurately described the fans relationship with Williams when he said "The affair between Boston and Ted Williams has been no mere summer romance; it has been a marriage composed of spats, mutual disappointments, and toward the end, a mellowing hoard of shared memories." It was here that Updike referred to Fenway Park as "a lyric little bandbox of a ballpark".September 25, 1965 -- At age 34, Willie Mays becomes the oldest player to slug 50 home runs in a season. The Giants center fielder was also the youngest to accomplish the feat hitting 51 homers in 1955.September 25, 1968 - In Mi

September 24, 1998 Red Sox reliever Tom Gordon records his 42nd consecutive save establishing a major league record. Boston clinches the AL wild card spot behind a pair of homers and four runs scored by Nomar Garciaparra. Author Stephen King would later write a novel titled The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, referring to his outstanding 1998 season with Boston and solidifying Gordon’s place as a New England folk hero.September 24, 1931 Lefty Grove wins his 31st, beating the Red Sox 9 - 4, his 11th straight win over the Red Sox stretching back to May 26, 1930. Since July 25, 1930, Grove's record is 46 - 4, the best 50 decision streak in the century.September 24, 1940 - George Caster of the Philadelphia Athletics allows six home runs in one game against the Boston Red Sox. One of these bombs came courtesy of Jimmie Foxx and it would be the 500th of his career.September 24, 1979 Pete Rose singles in the Phillies' 7 - 2 loss to the Cardinals giving him 200 hits in a season for the 10th time. He breaks the major leagu

September 23, 1908 Giants Pitcher Christy Mathewson and Cubs P Three Finger Brown battlein one of the most controversial game ever played. The score is 1-1 with two outs in the last of the 9th, when Fred Merkle's failure to touch second after an apparent game - winning hit by Al Bridwell costs the Giants a 2 - 1 win. The ump calls Merkle out and rules the game a tie.The base running gaffe, referred to as “Merkle's Boner”'is often blamed for the Giants loosing the pennant.September 23, 1905 Eighteen year old Detroit rookie Ty Cobb, hits his first home run, an inside - the park blow, off Cy Falkenberg, in an 8 - 5 loss at Washington.September 23, 1965 - A 20-game winner in 1964, Larry Jackson loses his 20th game of 1965,as the Phillies sweep a twin bill from the Cubs. Jackson is the first pitcher since Murry Dickson of the 1951-1952 Pirates to follow a 20 - win season with 20 losses.September 23, 1983 Steve Carlton becomes the 16th pitcher in major league history to win 300 games and the Phillies inch closer to

September 22, 1968 - Cesar Tovar plays one inning at each position for the Minnesota Twins, becoming only the second major leaguer in history to do it; Bert Campaneris of the Oakland Athletics was the first. He started the game on the mound, ironically facing Campaneris as the leadoff hitter. Scott Sheldon and Shane Halter later became the only other two men to accomplish this feat.September22, 1911 - Cy Young, at age 44, beats the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1 - 0, for his 511th and final major league victory.September22, 1993:Pitcher Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers faces just three Seattle batters before hurting his right elbow. Ryan finishes his career with 324 wins, 5,714 strikeouts and seven no hitters.September22, 1969 - Willie Mays hits the 600th home run of his career. The historic homer off Mike Corkins of the Padres proves to be the game-winner in a 4 - 2 Giants victory at San Diego Stadium.September22, 1990 - Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs steals his 300th base in an 11 - 5 loss to the New York Mets, Joi

September 21, 1958 At Fenway Park, the Red Sox complete a three-game sweep of the Senators, all by 2 - 0 shutouts.. Today's win, however, is marred when Ted Williams, after striking out looking with two aboard to end the third inning, flings his bat aside in a fit of anger. Unfortunately,the intended flip along the ground sails into the stands and striking, of all people, Boston GM Joe Cronin's 69-year-old housekeeper, Gladys Heffernan, in the head. "I didn't mean to throw the bat that way," explains the distraught Williams. "I started to flip it along the ground but the sticky stuff on my hands stuck to it and it left my hands on the fly instead. I was sick." Thankfully Heffernan was not badly hurt.September 21, 2001 A crowd of 41,235 at Shea Stadium witness the return of baseball to New York City for the first time since the terrorist attacks of September 11. Uplifting ceremonies before and during the game, which include singers Diana Ross, Marc Anthony and Liza Minnelli as well as bagpipers, pay tribute to

September 20, 1919 - On Babe Ruth day at Fenway Park, the Bambino ties Ned Williamson's major league mark of 27 home runs in a season with a game-winner off Lefty Williams of the Chicago White Sox. Ruth also scores the winning run in both ends of the doubleheader. Ironically, it will be the last game he plays for the Boston Red Sox in Fenway as the sale of the century would have the Bambino in pinstripes for the remainder of his career. On the same date eight years later, Ruth would again raise the single season home run mark by hitting his 60th bomb of the season off Senators pitcher Tom Zachary.September 20, 1955 - New York Giants slugger Willie Mays hits two home runs against thePittsburgh Pirates, giving him 50 for the year and making him the seventh player in major league history to accomplish this.September 20, 1958 - Recently-acquired Orioles knuckleballer, Hoyt Wilhelm pitches a 1-0no-hitter against the New York Yankees at Memorial Stadium. The Bronx Bombers would not go hitless in a game again in the

September 19, 1968 – Detroit Tigers Pitcher Denny McLain's 31st win is overshadowed by Mickey Mantle's 535th homer which was good enough for 3rd on the all time list. McLain called Catcher Jim Price to the mound to have him inform Mantle he’d be seeing nothing but fastballs and Mantle delivered. Mantle tipped his cap to Denny as he rounded third base. Joe Pepitone, the next batter, signaled where he would like the ball, and McLain dusted him. The Tigers won the game, 6 - 2, the 12th straight complete game for the Tigers staff.September 19, 1970 Boston's Billy Conigliaro connects for a 4th inning home run off the Senators Jim Hannan, and in the 7th frame, brother Tony Conigliaro wallops a solo shot. The brothers also homered in the same game on July 4. Billy will end the year with 18 home runs, while Tony will connect for 36.September 19, 1973 The Brave’s' Davey Johnson hits his 43rd homer, 42nd as a second baseman tying Rogers Hornsby's record for the most home runs for a second baseman.September 19, 1983 Phi

September 18, 1975 - The New York Mets defeat the Chicago Cubs, 7 - 5 at Shea Stadium. Rusty Staub becomes the first Mets' player to reach 100 RBIs in a season with a 2-run homer in the fifth. Dave Kingman sets a team record with his 35th home run of the season to win it in the ninth inning. Kingman would also hit his 35th homer of the year on this date in 1976 when he was named to the National League All Star Team for the first time.September 18, 1962 At LA, the Aaron brothers lead the Braves to a 10 - 5 pounding of the Dodgers, and cutting the Dodger lead over the idle Giants to 3 1/2 games. Hank Aaron hits his 40th homer and Tommie Aaron accounts for three RBIs with three hits.September 18, 1986 - For the second time in his career, Reggie Jackson belts three homersin a game, scoring four times with seven RBIs against Kansas City. At the age of 40 years four months, Reggie joins Stan Musial and Babe Ruth as the only player over 40 to accomplish the feat.September 18, 1996 Roger Clemens fans 20 Detroit Tiger

September 17, 1968 Detroit clinches the American League pennant with a 2 - 1 win over the Yankees. Detroit is ahead 1 - 0 when Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey phones Tiger general manager Jim Campbell with the news that the Sox have beaten the Orioles, clinching the pennant for the Tigers. Campbell keeps the score off the radio and the scoreboard, fearing the news will send fans rampaging onto the field.Don Wert singles home the winner in the 9th and the fans tear down the left field screen as Campbell suspected.September 17, 1912 - Casey Stengel of the Dodgers makes an impressive major league debut against the Pirates. The likable Brooklyn outfielder from Kansas City collects four hits, drives in two runs and swipes a pair of stolen bases in the 7 - 3 win.September 17, 1979 - The Royals' George Brett collects his 20th triple of the season in a 16 - 4 romp over the Angels. Brett becomes the 6th player ever and the first since Willie Mays in 1927, to collect 20 doubles, 20 triples and 20 home runs in the same season.

September 16, 1968: One day after seeing their team mathematically eliminated, Candlestick Park's patrons show up in 'record' numbers, the smallest crowd to see a Giants game in San Francisco. The 2,361 fans witnessed the rare sight of Willie Mays being restrained from charging into the stands to confront two hecklers. 'Nice catch, Willie,' they jeered from the front row after Mays made a spectacular catch in the fourth.'For a $100,000 bum you're finally earning your money'." As Mays approached the dugout, he went after the two men but was intercepted by Bobby Bonds and manager Herman Franks. The two hecklers were ejected from the park.September 16, 1960: At the age of thirty-nine, Warren Spahn pitches a no-hitter beating the Phillies, 4 - 0. The crafty lefty sets an all-time Braves record with 15 strikeouts.September 16, 1993 - At the age of 41, the Twins' Dave Winfield becomes the 19th major leaguer to collect 3000 hits as he singles to left off A's ace Dennis Eckersley in a 5 - 1 home victory over Oakland.

September 15, 1990: Despite solo homers in the 5th by brothers Billy Ripken and Cal Ripken, both off David Wells, the Orioles lose 4 - 3 to Toronto. The brothers would homer together once more in 1996, again in the same inning. The Ripken Brothers joint stint in Baltimore, while managed by their father Cal Sr. from 1987 to 1988, marked the first time a father has managed two of his sons on the same team in the bigs.September 15, 2003: With his 2,063rd career base on balls, Barry Bonds passes Babe Ruth on the all-time walks list. The Giant left fielder now only trails Rickey Henderson, who has 2,190 free passes.September 15, 1960 - Giants superstar Willie Mays ties a major league mark by hitting three triples in an 8-6 victory over the Phillies.September 15, 2003 Rafael Palmeiro joins Jimmie Foxx as the only players to hit 35 homers and drive in 100 runs in nine consecutive seasons. The Hall of Fame member Foxx accomplished the feat playing for the A's and Red Sox from 1932 to 1940.September 15, 1961: The Yank