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This Day in Baseball History
October 21st

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24 Fact(s) Found
1957 With major league baseball coming to the Bay Area, the Giants buy the single-A minor league team in Arizona to move the San Francisco Seals to the nearby desert. The transplanted team name their new farm club, the Phoenix Giants.
1973 In Game Seven, the hometown A's capture their second consecutive World Championship, defeating the Mets, 5-2, when Darold Knowles, coming out of the bullpen with two outs and two on in the ninth, gets Wayne Garrett to pop out. The 31-year-old southpaw reliever, who hurls 6.1 Fall Classic innings without giving up an earned run en route to recording two saves, is the first pitcher to appear in all seven games of a World Series.
1975

"Isn’t this great? Isn’t this great? This is the best game I’ve ever played in. Isn’t this great? People will remember this game forever. Isn’t this great?" - PETE ROSE, sharing his enthusiasm with teammates, opponents, and umpires.

In the bottom of the 12th inning of Game Six at Fenway Park, Red Sox's backstop Carlton Fisk hits one of the most dramatic home runs in major league history, forcing a seventh game with the Reds. In 2002, this event, seen by 75.9 million viewers, will be chosen as one of baseball's most memorable moments.

1976 At Yankee Stadium, the Reds beat New York, 7-2, to complete the World Series sweep over the Bronx Bombers for their second consecutive World Championship. Johnny Bench's two-run and three-run home runs power the Big Red Machine to their fourth Fall Classic title in franchise history.
1980 In front of 65,838 fans at Veterans Stadium, the Phillies win their first World Series ever in the 98-year history of the franchise by defeating the Royals, 4-1, in Game 6. Winning pitcher Steve Carlton limits Kansas City to four hits in seven innings, and Tug McGraw hurls the last two frames to pick up the save.
1981 The Yankees trade their 1977 first-round (15th overall) pick Willie McGee to the Cardinals for southpaw Bob Sykes, who will never again appear in a major league game. New York's former 22-year-old farmhand will go on to have a stellar career with the Redbirds, winning the NL MVP (1985), capturing two batting crowns (1985, 1990), and earning three Gold Gloves (1983, 1985, 1986).
1982 An estimated 150,000 people line Wisconsin Avenue on a chilly day in Milwaukee to cheer for their Brewers, who suffered a crushing defeat in Game 7 of the World Series last night. Following the parade, the fans show their support at County Stadium by chanting "M-V-P! M-V-P!" when shortstop Robin Yount appears in the left-field corner on his motorcycle, which he rides around the warning track, acknowledging the admiration.
1986 After losing the first two World Series games at home, the Mets beat the Red Sox at Fenway Park, 7-1. Lenny Dykstra's first-inning home run off Oil Can Boyd marks the third time in history the Mets' leadoff hitter has homered in the initial inning of Game 3 of the Fall Classic. Tommie Agee (1969) and Wayne Garrett (1973) also accomplished the feat in the first frame of Fall Classic's third game.

1993 In Game 5, Curt Schilling becomes the first Phillies' hurler to pitch a World Series shutout, blanking the Blue Jays at Veterans Stadium on five hits, 2-0. The game is the franchise's 20th Fall Classic contest, having played for the world championship in 1915, 1950, 1980, and 1983.
1996 After being awarded one of the two expansion franchises for Triple-A by the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, Durham (NC) officially becomes the home of the Devil Rays' top farm club in 1998. Tampa Bay and Capitol Broadcasting Co., Inc. own the new North Carolina franchise, but the team will continue to be called the Bulls.
1998 In the bottom of the ninth inning at Qualcomm Stadium, Ruben Rivera, in his only major league appearance against cousin Mariano, legs out an infield single. The future Hall of Fame closer gets the next batter to ground into a double play, quickly erasing the hit before retiring Mark Sweeney for the final out of the contest, saving Game 4 to complete the Yankees' World Series sweep of the Padres.
1998 After spending 135 days in first place and winning their division and league titles, the Yankees, with a 3-0 victory at Qualcomm Stadium, sweep the Padres to capture their 24th World Series championship. The Bronx Bombers' 125 wins, combining regular season (114) and playoffs (11) victories, are the most by a championship team, surpassing the 116 established by the Mets in 1986.
2000 In the longest World Series game ever played, the Yankees take Game 1 of the Subway Series, thanks to Jose Vizcaino's 12th inning two-out single, defeating the Mets, 4-3, in four hours and fifty-one minutes. The victory surpasses the streak established by the Murderers' Row clubs, as the present Bronx Bombers win their 13th consecutive World Series game.
2002 Florida team president David Samson, to get fans "falling back in love with the Marlins," announces plans that include free hot dogs and a cozier atmosphere at Pro Player Stadium. The average crowd of 10,038 per home game, more than a third less than the previous season, was next-to-last in the major leagues in attendance this year.
2004 At Busch Stadium, the Cardinals advance to the World Series for the first time in 17 years. The Redbirds capture the National League pennant, beating Roger Clemens and the Astros in Game 7 of an exciting NLCS, 5-2.
2005 On the eve of the World Series beginning in Chicago, Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) sponsor a resolution in the U.S. Senate calling for 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson to be "appropriately honored for his outstanding baseball accomplishments." The former White Sox outfielder, considered one of the greatest players in the game's history, was banned from baseball for life by commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis for his role in the 1919 'Black Sox' Fall Classic fix.

Text of S. RES. 289

2006 In the first matchup of rookies to start Game 1 of the World Series, Anthony Reyes bests Justin Verlander as the visiting Cardinals beat the Tigers at Comerica Park, 7-2. The 25-year-old right-hander allows two runs and four hits, striking out five Redbirds in eight innings.
2006 After being the site of Super Bowl XL at Ford Field in February, Detroit becomes just the second city to host both a Super Bowl and a World Series in the same calendar year. San Diego was the site of the NFL Championship game and Fall Classic in 1998.
2009 In Game 5 of the NLCS, the Phillies defeat the Dodgers, capturing their second straight pennant. With their 10-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia becomes the first National League team to repeat the feat since the Braves won consecutive flags in 1995-96.
2009 Chase Utley ties a postseason record by reaching base in 25 consecutive contests after receiving a first-inning walk by L.A.'s starter Vicente Padilla in Game 5 of the NLCS. The slugging second baseman, who has reached base in every postseason game he has participated in except for his first in 2007, equals Boog Powell's mark established from 1966-1971 playing for the Orioles.
2010 Pleased to stay in Detroit, Brandon Inge signs an $11.5 million, two-year deal to remain with the Tigers. The 33-year-old infielder, prone to striking out, is better known for his defensive prowess at third base than for his hitting.
2014 During Game 1 of the World Series, Laurence Leavy, known as the Marlin Man, is approached by a Royals representative, who informs him that the Kansas City owner is upset with his bright orange Miami jersey diverting attention from the home team on national television. After being offered various inducements, including autographed memorabilia and an opportunity to sit in the luxury boxes at Kauffman Stadium, the workers' comp attorney refuses to remove his colorful garb, choosing to remain in his $8,000 seat behind home plate.
2015 In a series they never trailed, the Mets sweep the Cubs, 8-3, in Game 4 of the NLCS, capturing their fifth National League crown in franchise history. Daniel Murphy homered for a record sixth consecutive postseason game in the Wrigley Field contest, going deep off Fernando Rodney in the 8th inning, surpassing the mark set by Carlos Beltran with the Astros in 2004.
2018 David Bell, agreeing to a three-year deal with the last-place Reds, replaces Jim Riggleman to become the franchise's 63rd skipper. The 46-year-old former infielder and his dad, Buddy, join Bob and Joel Skinner, George and Dick Sisler, and Bob and Aaron Boone as the fourth father-son managerial duo in major league history.

24 Fact(s) Found