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This Day in Baseball History
June 24th

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41 Fact(s) Found
1868 The Forest Citys, an amateur team organized by the Forest City Baseball Club in 1865, endure a devastating defeat when the Philadelphia A's pummel them, 85-11. A professional Forest City team will take the field next season, losing Cleveland's first pro baseball game when they drop a 25-6 decision to the Cincinnati Red Stockings at Case Commons.
1911 Red Sox owner John I. Taylor announces he plans to lay out his new ballpark on slightly more than eight acres of land in the Fenway section of Boston. James McLaughlin, serving as chief architect, and the Cleveland-based Osborn Engineering Company, a well-respected firm involved in designing Yankee Stadium, Forbes Field, and Tiger Stadium, will be responsible for the civil engineering services for the $650,000 project, scheduled to begin in September.
1936 Joe DiMaggio becomes the first Yankee and fifth player in major league history to hit two home runs in one inning. The 21-year-old rookie outfielder's homers come in the fifth frame in an 18-11 rout of the White Sox at Comiskey Park.
1946 Traveling at dusk in light rain en route to Bremerton, eight Spokane Indians players, and skipper Mel Cole die when their team bus veers off a Cascade Mountain pass road to avoid an oncoming car approximately sixty miles east of Seattle. Jack Lohrke, a future infielder with the Giants and Phillies, will become known as 'Lucky,' having left the bus at its last stop to report to San Diego 15 minutes before the accident at Snoqualmie Pass on Washington's Highway 10.
1947 At Forbes Field, Jackie Robinson steals home in the Dodgers' 4-2 victory over the Pirates. It is the Brooklyn infielder's first thievery of the dish, something the rookie will accomplish 19 times during his ten-year career.
1948 Salisbury Cardinals manager Gene Corbett, previously tossed from the game, instructs batboy Paul Murrell to tell the umpire to "get in the game and keep your eyes open." After relaying the message, the arbitrators also ejected the 13-year-old from the Class D Eastern Shore League contest.
1950 Giants' catcher Wes Westrum hits three homers and a triple, scoring five times and driving in four runs. The 27-year-old cleanup hitter's fifteen total bases help New York defeat Cincinnati at the Polo Grounds, 12-2.
1950 Willie Mays makes his professional baseball debut, playing centerfield for Trenton, the Giants' farm team in the Class B Inter-State League. The 19-year-old outfielder from Alabama goes hitless in the game against Hagerstown in Maryland but will hit .353 in 81 games before being promoted to the Minneapolis Millers, the Triple-A affiliate of the parent club.
1955 Senator third baseman Harmon Killebrew hits his first major league home run in Washington's 18-7 loss to the Tigers. The 18-year-old rookie, who becomes known as 'Killer,' will finish his 22-year Hall of Fame career with 573 homers.
1955 After signing a $14,000 deal in December, Brooklyn's Lafayette High School graduate Sandy Koufax makes his major league debut, allowing one hit, issuing a walk, and striking out two batters over two scoreless innings in relief in the Dodgers' 8-2 loss to the Braves at County Stadium. The team added the 19-year-old southpaw to the active roster to replace future Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, who was optioned to Triple-A Montreal and will return to the major leagues briefly next season with the Kansas City A's.
1960 Stan Musial returns to the Cardinals' lineup after being benched by skipper Solly Hemus, who tried to implement a youth movement at the start of the season. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer responds with a single in the team's 4-3 loss to Philadelphia.
1962 The longest game ever played in Yankee history ends thanks to a home run hit by Jack Reed in the 22nd inning. The Mississippi native's lone big league career homer helps the Bronx Bombers beat Detroit in Tiger Stadium, 9-7.

1968 After striking with the bases loaded in the first inning, Jim Northrup becomes the sixth big leaguer to hit two grand slams in the same game. The 'Slammer's' power surge in the fifth and sixth frames enable the Tigers to rout the Indians at Cleveland Stadium, 14-3.
1969 Phillies skipper Bob Skinner suspends Dick Allen indefinitely after the slugger fails to appear for a twilight doubleheader at Shea Stadium against New York. Philadelphia reinstates the 27-year-old first baseman, who got stuck in traffic after watching a horse race in New Jersey on July 20.
1970 In the last game played at Crosley Field, Lee May and Johnny Bench hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth to give the Reds a 5-4 win. After the game, home plate is presented to Mayor Eugene Ruehlman and then flown by helicopter to the Reds' new home, Riverfront Stadium.

1970 After fouling off a "Folly Floater" Steve Hamilton threw in the ninth inning of the eventual 7-2 Cleveland victory at Yankee Stadium, Tony Horton asks the New York hurler to throw him the pitch again. The Indians' first baseman crawls back to the dugout when backstop Thurman Munson catches his second foul ball.

1977 Bob Watson becomes the first player to complete a cycle in both leagues when he hits an eighth-inning RBI single, leading Houston to a 6-5 victory over the Giants at the Astrodome. The 31-year-old first baseman also collected a single, double, triple, and a home run while wearing a Red Sox uniform in 1979.

(Ed. Note: John Olerud (Mets, 1997, and Mariners, 2001) and Michael Cuddyer (Twins, 2009, and the Rockies, 2014) also completed cycles in both leagues. - LP)

1977 After White Sox outfielder Ralph Garr hits what appears to be a three-run homer in the third inning at Metropolitan Stadium, the umpire calls him out when he passes teammate Jim Essian, who waited at first base to make sure the ball cleared the fence. The arbitrators award the 'Road Runner' a two-run single, but the mistake proves costly when Chicago loses the game in Minnesota, 7-6.
1979 In a 5-1 defeat to Texas, future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson makes his major league debut with the A's. The 20-year-old outfielder singles, doubles, and swipes the first of his 1,406 stolen bases, establishing a major league record.
1983 Don Sutton becomes the eighth hurler to strike out 3000 batters when he fans Alan Bannister to end the eighth inning in the Brewers' 6-2 victory over the Indians. The 38-year-old right-hander, who will end his 23-year career with 3574 K's, whiffs eight en route to throwing a complete-game three-hit gem at Milwaukee's County Stadium.
1988 In one of the longest games ever played, it takes 27 innings for the Bluefield Orioles to beat the hometown Burlington Indians, 3-2. The Appalachian League contest, which ended at 3:27 in the morning, lasted eight hours and 15 minutes.
1992 Much to the protest of the Yankees brass, Fay Vincent permanently suspends pitcher Steve Howe for repeated drug offenses after the authorities arrest the left-handed reliever for buying a gram of cocaine. However, an arbitrator will overturn the lifetime ban in November, allowing the former Rookie of the Year to enjoy one of his best seasons in 1994 when he saves 15 games with a 1.80 ERA for the Bronx Bombers.
1993 The Padres trade Gary Sheffield and Rich Rodriguez to the Marlins for Andres Berumen, Jose Martinez, and a little-known rookie reliever named Trevor Hoffman. The 25-year-old rookie right-hander will save 552 games during his fifteen-and-a-half years with the franchise.
1997 Randy Johnson (11-2) breaks Ron Guidry's 1978 American League record for strikeouts in a game by a left-hander. The Mariners southpaw whiffs 19 A's, 13 swinging and eight looking, losing the Kingdome contest, 4-1, while giving up 11 hits, including Mark McGwire and George Williams solo home runs.
2003 Brad Wilkerson becomes the fifth Expo to hit for the cycle, collecting a bunt single in the second, a double in the fifth, a triple in the sixth, and a homer in the seventh to complete the feat naturally (1B, 2B, 3B, HR in that order). The left fielder's 4-for-4 performance, which drives in four runs, enables Montreal to beat the Pirates at Olympic Stadium, 6-4.

2003 After a 6-for-6 performance in an extra-inning loss against the Phillies at Veterans Stadium three days ago, Nomar Garciaparra goes 5-for-5 in the Red Sox' 10-1 rout of the Tigers at Fenway Park. The eleven hits are all singles, driving in only one run.
2004 In a slugfest at the Skydome, Julio Lugo goes 5-for-5 to set a club record for hits in a game. Unfortunately, the Toronto shortstop's effort isn't enough to stop the Devil Rays when they pound out 24 hits en route to a 19-13 rout of the Blue Jays.
2005 After Bernie Williams drops the ball in center field, the Mets become the first National League team to hit three sacrifice flies in one inning, starting with Ramon Castro's sac fly tying the game at 1-1 with David Wright advancing to third. Next, the Yankees' center fielder drops Jose Reyes' fly ball, allowing Wright to score; Mike Cameron skies to right, plating Doug Mientkiewicz, who had advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw.
2008 A bench-clearing brawl, resulting in the ejections of 15 players, with some allowed back so the teams could complete the contest, starts when the Peoria Chiefs' right-hander Julio Castillo fires a ball toward the Dayton Dragons dugout at Fifth Third Field. The 20-year-old Dominican starter will be arrested on a felony assault charge because his errant throw ricochets into the crowd, hitting a male fan.

2008 During an eventual 11-0 interleague loss to the Mariners at Shea Stadium, Brian Runge enrages Jerry Manuel when the ump appears to show up Carlos Beltran after calling a strike on the center fielder. The commissioner's office suspends the home plate umpire for a game for bumping the Mets manager during the ensuing argument, with the New York skipper and outfielder thrown out of the game and fined for arguing balls and strikes.
2011 In their 5-1 interleague loss to the Rays at Minute Maid Park, the Astros become the first to use three pitchers with the same last name in a single game. Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez is followed to the mound by Fernando Rodriguez in the seventh and eighth, with Aneury Rodriguez tossing a scoreless ninth frame.
2011 In New York's 4-2 loss to Colorado, A.J. Burnett becomes the first Yankee hurler to strike out four hitters in one inning. The right-hander starts the sixth frame by whiffing Rockies batters Chris Iannetta and Carlos Gonzalez, and when Chris Nelson reaches first base after swinging at a wild pitch for a third strike, he faces Todd Helton and strikes him out swinging to end the inning.
2011 Michael Kacer, a 29-year-old veteran who lost his arm during a rocket attack in Afghanistan, grabs Curtis Granderson's foul ball at Yankee Stadium. The event attracts national attention when the video of the catch becomes viral on the web, with ESPN including the snag in its top plays segment on SportsCenter.

2011 John McLaren is named the Nationals' interim manager, replacing Jim Riggleman, who surprised the team by quitting yesterday. Washington GM Mike Rizzo indicates the appointment is just for a few games and will name Davey Johnson as the long-term replacement in the next few days.
2011 For the second time in two years, a club plays as the road team in its home ballpark when MLB shifts the Marlins' three-game series with the Mariners to Safeco Field due to preparations at Sun Life Stadium for a U2 concert scheduled for Miami. Last season, MLB moved the Blue Jays' Rogers Centre home series against the Phillies due to security concerns raised by protests directed at the G20 Summit near the Toronto stadium.
2013 At Tropicana Field, the Rays halt the Blue Jays' 11-game winning streak, 4-3, thanks to back-to-back-to-back home runs in the second inning by James Loney, Wil Myers, and Sam Fuld. The trio of round-trippers marks the second time in franchise history that the team has hit three consecutive home runs; Evan Longoria, Willy Aybar, and Dioner Navarro accomplished the feat in 2008 in Anaheim.
2014 Devin Mesoraco homers in his fifth straight game, tying a Reds' record previously accomplished by Ted Kluszewski (1954), George Crowe (1957), Johnny Bench (1972), Ken Griffey Jr. (2003), and Adam Dunn (2008). The Cincinnati catcher's clout comes in the ninth inning of the team's 7-3 loss to Chicago at Wrigley Field.
2016 The Lexington Legends, a Class A affiliate of the Royals, give away a Glenn Hubbard bobblehead depicting him with a snake draped around his neck. The former Braves infielder's 1984 Fleer baseball card, showing him holding a real, eight-foot boa constrictor, inspired the minor league team's promotion.

2018 The A's connect for a home run in their 25th consecutive road game, breaking the previous mark set by the 1996 Orioles when the team connects. The record-breaking round-tripper comes in the top of the fifth inning when Mark Canha takes Carlos Rondon deep in the top of the fifth inning of Oakland's eventual 10-3 loss to the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
2018 The Dodgers tie a National League record, last accomplished by the 2006 Braves, when the team socks seven solo shots, dealing the Mets a crushing 8-7 loss at Citi Field. Former New York infielder Justin Turner delivers the decisive dinger in the top of the twelfth inning to complete the series sweep and extend the team's consecutive win streak over the Amazins to twelve straight victories.
2021 At Dodger Stadium, Cubs starter Zach Davies tosses six spotless innings, with Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, and Craig Kimbrel each adding a hitless frame for the 17th and the first combined no-hitter in franchise history. Chicago's 4-0 victory marks the seventh major league no-no this season, equaling the record established in 1990, 1991, 2012, and 2015.
41 Fact(s) Found