<< Yesterday

This Day in Baseball History
September 2nd

Tomorrow>>
47 Fact(s) Found
1880 At Strawberry Hill, located on the shores of Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts, the first baseball game played at night takes place under artificial light with teams made up of employees from the retail competitors of Jordan Marsh and R.H. White. The contest, illuminated by lights placed on three wooden towers erected five hundred feet apart by the Northern Electric Light Company, supplying the brightness of 90,000 candles, ends in a poorly played 16-16 tie when the players need to catch the last ferry back to Boston.

1920 Warren G. Harding, who will serve as the next president of the United States, throws three pitches for the Kerrigan Tailors, a semi-pro team, in an exhibition game against the Cubs. The contest, in which the Giants, Reds, and Indians declined to participate, was arranged in the presidential candidate's hometown to make him more appealing to the voters.
1929 In the first game of a holiday doubleheader, Senator shortstop Joe Cronin completes the third cycle in franchise history, collecting five hits in the team's 10-7 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. In 1940, the 33-year-old infielder will accomplish the feat for the Red Sox against the Tigers at Briggs Stadium.
1932 In his final major league appearance, 20-year-old Lew Krausse Sr. shuts out the Red Sox in the nightcap of a twin bill at Philadelphia's Shibe Park, 15-0. In 1961, Lew Krausse Jr., 18, blanks the Angels 4-0 in his major league debut, giving the father-son duo back-to-back shutouts twenty-nine years apart.
1937 The first two batters for the home team, Boze Berger and Mike Kreevich, both homer off Boston right-hander Johnny Marcum, giving the White Sox a quick 2-0 lead in the Comiskey Park contest. Chicago hits two additional round-trippers in the third inning, including Berger's second of the game and the other by Dixie Walker, accounting for all the runs in the team's eventual 4-0 victory over the Red Sox.
1939 After Babe Dahlgren strikes out during an intentional walk, and baserunners make outs trying to steal home on successive pitches by trotting to the plate, the fans throw garbage onto the field, protesting the Yankees making deliberate outs to take advantage of the 6:30 Sunday curfew. Umpire Cal Hubbard rules the Boston crowd's action makes it impossible to continue the Fenway Park contest and forfeits the game to New York, giving the Bronx Bombers a 9-0 'official' victory.
1944 Batting cleanup for the Dodgers, Dixie Walker, the eventual National League batting champ, completes a cycle when he hits a sixth-inning double off Rube Fischer in the team's 8-4 win over the Giants. The Brooklyn right fielder's four RBIs prove to be the difference in the Ebbets Field's contest.

Dixie Waler

1952 In his major league debut, Washington's Miguel Fornieles tosses a one-hitter, beating the visiting A's at Griffith Stadium, 5-0. The Senators' 20-year-old rookie right-hander, traded to the White Sox in the offseason for Chuck Stobbs, finishes the season with a 2-2 record and posts an ERA of 1.37 in four games.
1955 In the second inning of the Cubs' 12-2 rout of St. Louis at Wrigley Field, Ernie Banks sets the record for home runs hit by a shortstop when he hits a two-run, two-out shot off Redbird southpaw Paul LaPalme for his 40th round-tripper. 'Mr. Cub' will extend the mark to 44 homers this season and boosts the total to 48 in 1958.
1957 At Wrigley Field, the Braves sweep the Cubs, 23-10 and 4-0. In the opener, Frank Torre crosses the plate in the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and ninth innings, tying a major league record by scoring six times in one game.
1960 At Fenway Park, Ted Williams' eighth-inning home run spoils right-hander Don Lee's shutout in the Red Sox's 5-1 loss to the Senators. As a 21-year-old rookie in 1939, the Boston outfielder also went deep off Lee's dad, Thornton, who was on the mound for the White Sox.
1962 Stan Musial, with a ninth-inning pinch-hit single in the Cardinals' 4-3 loss to New York at Busch Stadium, moves past Tris Speaker on the all-time hits list into second place with his 3,516th hit. 'Stan the Man,' who will finish his career with 3630, will remain far behind Ty Cobb's total of 4191, eventually surpassed by Pete Rose (4256) and Hank Aaron (3771).
1963 In the nightcap of a twin bill, the Mets drop a 1-0 decision to the Reds at the Polo Grounds. Pete Rose's leadoff home run off Jay Hook, who goes the distance, accounts for the game's lone run, just enough for Jim Maloney to notch his 20th victory.
1965

During a pregame ceremony at Shea Stadium, the Mets retire Casey Stengel's uniform number 37. The team's first manager, who decided to resign shortly after fracturing his hip at the end of July, compiled a 175-404 record with the expansion team, never finishing higher than in last place.

1965 In anticipation of the team's move to Anaheim next year, owner Gene Autry announces the Los Angeles Angels will now be known as the California Angels effective today, becoming the second major league team named after an entire state. The first to change its moniker during the season, the franchise eventually uses a logo incorporating an image of the Golden State and the team's iconic halo.

1965 Cubs' first baseman Ernie Banks hits his 400th career home run, a three-run round-tripper off Cardinal hurler Curt Simmons in the third inning, helping Chicago defeat St. Louis at Wrigley Field, 5-3. Mr. Cub will finish his 19-year career with 512 home runs, including 277 home runs stroked as a shortstop, the record at the time of his retirement.
1969 Willie Davis, with his sixth-inning double in the team's 5-4 loss to New York at Dodger Stadium, breaks a 53-year-old franchise record by hitting safely in thirty consecutive games. The LA outfielder surpasses the streak established by Zack Wheat in 1916 when the team played in Brooklyn.
1971 Cesar Cedeno hits an inside-the-park grand slam when Dodger second baseman Jim Lefebvre and right fielder Bill Buckner collide, trying to make the fifth-inning catch. The 200-foot dropped bloop contributes to the Astros' 9-3 victory over LA at the Astrodome.
1972 Trailing 8-0 in the top of the eighth inning, the Mets score seven runs and add another four tallies in the ninth to stun the Astros, 11-8. The come-from-behind victory is the Amazins' biggest comeback in franchise history.
1972 With his 2,971st hit in a Pirates uniform, Roberto Clemente breaks Honus Wagner's record for the most hits in the franchise's history. The historic blow is a three-run homer off San Francisco hurler Sam McDowell in the bottom of the fourth inning in an eventual 6-3 victory for the Bucs at Three Rivers Stadium.
1972 In his major league debut, Doug Rau throws a three-hitter, beating the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, 5-1. The 23-year-old Dodger southpaw, who will compile a respectable 81-60 record, helps his cause with a triple in his first big-league at-bat but never hits another three-bagger during a nine-year career.
1972 In his first major league appearance, Dave Downs throws a complete-game shutout, blanking the Braves, 3-0, in the nightcap of a twin bill at Atlanta Stadium. The 20-year-old Phillies' right-hander will never win another major league game when he develops a sore arm caused by tendonitis.
1972 After retiring twenty-six consecutive batters, Cubs starter Milt Pappas walks pinch-hitter Larry Stahl on a 3-2 pitch, losing a bid for a perfect game. 'Gimpy' retires the next batter, Gary Jestadt, to preserve his 8-0 no-hitter against the Padres at Wrigley Field.

1973 After three stormy seasons with the team, the Tigers fire Billy Martin on the last day of his three-day suspension for ordering pitchers to throw spitballs. Jim Campbell, the team's general manager, announces the dismissal was made "for the good of the organization," citing the recent incident as a contributing factor but not the sole reason for releasing his manager.
1975 Johnny LeMaster becomes the second player to hit an inside-the-park home run in his first major league at-bat, dashing around the bases on a fourth-inning pitch thrown by Don Sutton in the Giants' 7-3 win over LA at Candlestick Park. The San Francisco shortstop joins Luke Stuart, who accomplished the feat at the Polo Grounds while playing for the 1921 Browns.
1985 The Cardinals have agreed to a one-year contract with Yadier Molina, who surpasses Bob Gibson's 17 seasons with the club and second only to Stan Musial's 22 years of playing for the Redbirds. The 38-year-old nine-time All-Star backstop, since his debut in 2004, has played every game of his career with St. Louis, making the total of 2,025 contests the most of any catcher for just one team.
1986 The Astros and Cubs use a major league record 53 players in the game. Billy Hatcher's home run off Greg Maddux in the top of the 18th inning is the difference in Houston's 8-7 victory at Wrigley Field.
1987 Kevin Bass becomes the first National Leaguer to homer from both sides of the plate twice in one season when he goes deep twice in the Astros' 10-1 rout of the Cubs at the Astrodome. The Houston right fielder also accomplished the last month against San Francisco.
1990 Dave Stieb pitches the major league record ninth no-hitter of the season, beating the Indians 3-0. Previously, the Blue Jay right-hander had lost three no-hit bids after getting the first two outs in the ninth inning.

1993 In their 62nd home game, the Rockies draw a crowd of 47,699 to surpass the 1982 Dodgers, attracting 3,617,863 fans to Denver's Mile High Stadium to set a new National League single-season attendance record. The expansion club will also break the 1992 Blue Jays' major league mark of 4,028,318 before the end of the season.
1996 After his operation in May to remove an aneurysm in his pitching arm, David Cone dramatically returns to the mound when he hurls seven innings of no-hit ball. Mariano Rivera gives up the opponent's only hit, a one-out infield single in the ninth inning to Jose Herrera, in the Yankees' 5-0 victory over the A's at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
1996 Mike Greenwell beats the Mariners single-handedly, driving in all nine runs in the Red Sox' 9-8 victory over Seattle. Having already collected a double, home run, and a grand slam, the Boston right fielder knocks in the decisive run with a 10th-inning single in the Kingdome contest.
1998 At Pro Player Stadium, Cardinal first baseman Mark McGwire hits his 58th and 59th home runs, surpassing Jimmie Foxx's 58 for the A's in 1932, and Hank Greenberg, who also accomplished the feat six years later with the Tigers. The St. Louis slugger will finish the year with 70 homers, far surpassing the single-season mark of 61, established in 1961 by Yankee right fielder Roger Maris.
1998 Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa hits his 56th homer of the season, tying the franchise record established in 1930 by Hack Wilson. The right fielder's solo round-tripper in the sixth inning of the Wrigley Field contest off Jason Bere contributes to Chicago's 4-2 victory over Cincinnati.
1998 Nomar Garciaparra hits a ninth-inning grand slam, giving the Red Sox a 7-3 walk-off win over the Mariners at Fenway Park. The 25-year-old shortstop becomes one of only five players to hit 30 homers in each of his first two seasons, joining Rudy York (1937-38 Tigers), Ron Kittle (1983-84 White Sox), Jose Canseco (1986-87 A's), and Mark McGwire (1987-88 A's).
1998 Cardinals starter Kent Mercker hits a grand slam en route to picking up the win in the Redbirds' 14-4 rout of the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium. The fourth-inning round-tripper off Jesus Sanchez will be the only career homer the St. Louis southpaw will hit in his 18-year tenure in the major leagues.
1999 Cal Ripken, Jr. sets off a very enthusiastic ovation at Camden Yards when he becomes the 29th major leaguer to hit 400 career home runs. The Oriole third baseman connects for a three-run blast with two outs off right-hander Rolando Arrojo in the third inning of the Birds' 11-6 victory over Tampa Bay.
2000 Elvis Pena becomes the first person named Elvis to appear in a major league game. The 23-year-old Dominican infielder, in his debut for the Rockies, strikes out swinging as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of Colorado's 8-3 loss to Milwaukee at Coors Field.
2001 Carl Everett, pinch-hitting, singles in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and strikes, spoiling Mike Mussina's bid for a perfect game against the Red Sox. The Yankee right-hander retires the next batter for the fourth one-hit 1-0 victory in his career. 

2001 For the first time in major league history, four games end with only one run crossing the plate. The Yankees, Padres, Astros, and Blue Jays beat their opponents, respectively, the Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Brewers, and Tigers, 1-0.
2002 In the top of the ninth inning, Diamondback first baseman Mark Grace hurls an inning of relief with the team trailing the Dodgers, 18-0. The All-Star infielder retires three of the four batters he faces in the Bank One Ballpark, yielding a two-out home run to David Ross.
2003 To make the perception of a younger and hipper team, the Blue Jays unveiled their fourth logo in its 27-year history. The new look for the 2004 season adds black and silver trimming to a newly stylized bird while eliminating the red maple leaf backdrop and the word Blue.

2006 At Tropicana Field, the Devil Rays' second triple play in franchise history is the first time the ball never touches the bat. The 2-6-2 triple killing against the Mariners occurs when Raul Ibanez strikes out on a full count (1), with Adrian Beltre tagged out attempting to steal second (2) and shortstop Ben Zobrist returning the ball to catcher Dioner Navarro, nailing Jose Lopez trying to score from third (3).

2006 Joining Jeremy Hermida (Marlins, 2005) and Bill Duggleby (Phillies, 1898), Kevin Kouzmanoff becomes the third player in major league history to hit a grand slam in his first career at-bat. The Indians' 25-year-old DH, filling in for the injured Travis Hafner, who hit six bases-juiced homers this season, tying a major league record, is the first person to accomplish the feat on the first pitch he ever sees in the big leagues.

2008 New York starter Jonathon Niese, born on the day the Mets won their last World Championship, makes his major league debut against the Brewers in Miller Park. On his second pitch of the game, the 21-year-old southpaw gives up a home run to Rickie Weeks, making him the first rookie in franchise history to yield a home run to the first batter he faces in his career.
2012 Nineteen-year and 95-day-old second baseman Jurickson Profar becomes the sixth Ranger to launch a major league career with a home run, going deep off Indians' starter Zach McAllister in the team's 8-3 victory at Progressive Field. The Texas second baseman becomes the third teenager to accomplish the feat, following Whitey Lockman (1945 Giants -18y/345d) and Ted Tappe (1950 Cardinals - 19y/224d).

2017 Returning to Minute Maid Park, the Astros sweep a doubleheader from the Mets, 12-8 and 4-1, after playing their last home series at the Rays' Tropicana Field. Extreme flooding in Houston caused by Hurricane Harvey necessitated a change of venue for the eventual World Champs.
47 Fact(s) Found