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This Day in Baseball History
September 22nd

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61 Fact(s) Found
1911 Cy Young wins his 511th and final career game when he blanks the Pirates at Forbes Field, 1-0. The 35-101 Rustlers have won only three contests in 22 attempts against Pittsburgh this season, with two of the victories coming on shutouts thrown by the 44-year-old veteran right-hander, who Boston obtained on waivers from Cleveland in late July.
1912 At Sportsman's Park against the Browns, Eddie Collins becomes the first player to steal six bases in one game for the second time, having accomplished the feat 11 days ago against the Browns. The Philadelphia A's second baseman's feat of thievery remains the record for another 79 years until Braves outfielder Otis Nixon swipes six bags in 1991.
1925 Robins starter Burleigh Grimes accounts for seven outs in just three plate appearances in the team's 3-2 loss to Chicago, a 12-inning game played at Cubs Park. The Brooklyn right-hander follows grounding into two double plays by hitting into a 6-4-3-2 triple play.
1926 At Ebbets Field, the aging 18-year veteran outfielder Zack Wheat hits his last homer as a Dodger but severely pulls a muscle nearing second. The future Hall of Famer rests nearly five minutes before reaching home plate, making his trip around the bases the most extended home run trot in major league history.
1936 The Tigers record the most one-sided pair of shutouts in a doubleheader, sweeping St. Louis at Navin Field, 12-0 and 14-0. Both Detroit starters go the distance, with Elden Auker throwing a five-hitter in the opener and Tommy Bridges limiting the Browns to three hits in the nightcap.
1946 Slightly more than two years after being injured on D-Day while serving in the U.S. Navy as a gunner's mate, 21-year-old Yogi Berra makes his major league debut, going 2-for-4, including a home run, in the Yankees' 4-3 victory over the A's in the Bronx. The future Hall of Famer catcher, a 15-time All-Star and three-time American League MVP, will pass away at 90 on this date in 2015.
1947 On an off day, the Dodgers clinch the National League pennant when the Cubs beat the Cardinals in the nightcap of a twin bill. Although it is past midnight when the good news about their beloved team reaches the borough, Brooklynites begin to gather on Flatbush for an impromptu celebration.
1948 Stan Musial, for the fourth time this season, has five hits in five at-bats to set a National League record and ties the major league mark established by Ty Cobb. Stan the Man's hits, including a double and home run, come off five different pitchers on five consecutive pitches in the Cardinals' 8-2 victory at Braves Field in Boston.
1954 Karl Spooner, in his major league debut, blanks the Giants at Ebbets Field, 3-0. The 23-year-old Dodger southpaw fans 15 batters, including six straight, recording the most strikeouts in a rookie's first appearance.
1957 Over four games, Ted Williams hits a home run in his fourth consecutive at-bat. In his other plate appearances during those contests, the opposing pitchers issue six bases on balls to the Splendid Splinter until he follows today's fourth-inning round-tripper with a single in the sixth.
1957 With his second round-tripper in the Dodgers' 7-3 victory over Philadelphia, Duke Snider hits his 40th home run, tying Ralph Kiner's National League record of five consecutive seasons with forty or more homers. The Duke of Flatbush's seventh-inning homer off future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts will be the last hit at Ebbets Field.
1959 After the White Sox clinch the pennant by beating the second-place Indians at Cleveland Stadium, 4-2, Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley orders the city air raid sirens to blast. The flag marks the South-siders' first American League championship since the notorious Black Sox's title 40 years ago.


1959 White Sox Yearbook

1961 In the Orioles' 8-5 victory over the White Sox at Comiskey Park, Jim Gentile hits his fifth grand slam of the year to tie the major league record established in 1955 by Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks. Each of the first baseman's four-run homers has come with Chuck Estrada pitching for Baltimore.
1962 Al Jackson suffers his 20th loss when Chicago beats the Mets at the Polo Grounds, 8-2. The New York southpaw joins Roger Craig in reaching the dubious number of defeats, making the pair the first teammates since Bucky Walters and Joe Bowman of the 1936 Phillies to become 20-game losers on the same National League team.
1964 Larry Dierker, who will have a long relationship with the franchise, including stints as a broadcaster and manager, becomes the last rookie to make his major league debut as a Colt .45. On his 18th birthday, the right-hander starts, taking the loss when San Francisco defeats Houston, 7-3.
1966 With only 413 patrons attending New York's 4-1 loss to the White Sox, the team's head of media relations denies veteran broadcaster Red Barber's request for a camera to scan the empty stands. The Ol' Redhead reportedly loses his job when he tells his audience, "I don't know what the paid attendance is today, but whatever it is, it is the smallest crowd in the history of Yankee Stadium, and this crowd is the story, not the game."
1966 The Orioles clinch their first pennant representing Baltimore when Jim Palmer goes the distance, beating Lew Krausse and the A's at Municipal Stadium, 6-1. The franchise's last flag was raised in St. Louis in 1944 when the team was known as the Browns.
1968 Utility player Cesar Tovar becomes the second major leaguer to play one inning at each position when he plays right field in the ninth in the Twins' 3-2 victory over Oakland at Metropolitan Stadium. A's shortstop Bert Campaneris was the first to field all nine positions in a 1965 contest against California.
1969 Willie Mays, joining Yankee legend Babe Ruth, becomes the second major leaguer to hit 600 career home runs. The historic two-run homer is delivered as a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh inning off Padres hurler Mike Corkins and proves to be the difference in the Giants' 4-2 victory at San Diego Stadium.

1969 During the team's 4-2 victory over the Padres, Giant outfielder Bobby Bonds establishes a big-league record when he strikes out for the 176th time this season. The California native will finish the year with 187, extending the dubious mark next season with two additional strikeouts.
1971 The Pirates clinch their second consecutive National League Eastern Divisional flag when they defeat the second-place Cardinals at Busch Stadium, 5-1. Luke Walker and Dave Giusti combine to toss a six-hitter to beat the future Hall of Fame right-hander Bob Gibson, who no-hit the Bucs last month in his only other start against the team.
1976 Right-hander Don Sutton goes the distance to become a twenty-game winner for the first and only time when Los Angeles beat the Giants at Candlestick Park, 3-1. The future Hall of Famer will compile a 324-256 (.559) record during his 23-year big-league tenure, playing for the Dodgers, Astros, Brewers, Angels, and the A's.
1977 Bert Blyleven allows only two base runners, no-hitting the Angels, 6-0. A third-inning error, with the runner erased on a double play and a two-out ninth-inning walk, account for Anaheim's total offense.
1986 🇲🇽 Dodger hurler Fernando Valenzuela (20-10) two-hits Houston en route to a 9-2 victory at the Astrodome. The 25-year-old southpaw becomes the first Mexican to win 20 games in the major leagues.

1987 Future Hall of Famer Wade Boggs collects his 200th hit for the fifth straight season. The Red Sox third baseman will reach the 200-hit mark for the next two years before the streak ends in 1990.
1987 Chicago sends Dickie Noles to the Tigers for a player to be named later. Next month, the right-handed pitcher returns to the Cubs as that player to be named later.
1988 The Mets clinch their fourth NL East title when Ron Darling goes the distance, defeating Philadelphia at Shea Stadium, 3-1. The Amazins also copped the division flag in 1969, 1973, and 1986.

1990 Andre Dawson becomes the second player to hit 300 home runs, steal 300 bases, and collect 2,000 hits. The Cubs’ outfielder joins Willie Mays in accomplishing the feat when he swipes his 300th career bag in an 11-5 loss to the Mets at Wrigley Field.
1993 The long career of Ranger right-hander Nolan Ryan, who had announced his plans to retire at the end of the season, ends abruptly when the Texas starter leaves the game in the first inning after injuring his right elbow. The future Hall of Famer, who gives up five runs without retiring a batter, will throw just one more pitch after giving up a grand slam to Dann Howitt in the 7-4 loss to Seattle at the Kingdome.
1993 The Rockies establish the major league home attendance record with 4,483,350 patrons attending games at Denver's Mile High Stadium. The expansion team will average 55,350 fans per game during their inaugural season.
1996 Barry Larkin becomes the first shortstop to join the 30-30 club when he goes deep off Donovan Osborne in the fifth inning in the Reds' 6-3 victory over St. Louis. The future Hall of Fame infielder joins teammate Eric Davis as only the second Cincinnati player to accomplish the feat.
1997 Thanks to the Mets beating the Marlins, the Braves capture the National League East title before their 3-2 win over the Expos. The title is Atlanta's sixth straight division flag, breaking the major league record.
1998 In the Blue Jays' 7-3 victory over Baltimore at the SkyDome, Jose Canseco hits his 45th and 46th home runs, setting a new career-high. The Toronto DH will finish his 17-year major league career with 462 round-trippers, but his admitted use of steroids will taint his accomplishment.
1998 Mariner Ken Griffey Jr., with his American League-leading 54th and 55th home runs of the season, joins Babe Ruth (Yankees, 1930-32) and Lou Gehrig (Yankees, 1926-34) as the only players to drive in 140 or more runs in at least three consecutive seasons. During his 22-year tenure in the major leagues, Junior will average 111 runs batted in per season.
1998 Braves backup backstop Eddie Perez's solo home run in Atlanta's 4-1 win over Florida is the team's 208th round-tripper this season, breaking a 32-year-old franchise record. Atlanta will finish the season with 215 homers, with Andres Galarraga being the club leader with 44.
1998 John Olerud ties Barry Bonds' National League record of reaching base 15 consecutive times when he walks in the first inning. The Mets' first baseman will ground out in the third, falling one short of the 1957 major league mark set by Ted Williams.
1998 Tony Clark becomes the first Detroit player since Rudy York (1940-41) to collect 100 RBIs in his first two full seasons in the Motor City. The Tigers' first baseman finishes the season with 103 runs batted in after driving in 117 last season.
2000 The Astros, surpassing the 1997 Rockies, establish a new National League team single-season home run mark, hitting their 240th in a 12-5 loss to Cincinnati at Cinergy Field. The slugfest features nine home runs, with the home team hitting six and Houston going deep three times.
2000 At Cinergy Field, Astros' Jose Lima gives up his 47th home run of the season, passing the National League record established in 1956 by Robin Roberts. Bert Blyleven holds the distinction of serving up 50 gopher balls as a Twin in 1986 to set the major league mark.
2000 Mets' closer Armando Benitez blanks the Phillies in the ninth for his 39th save, breaking southpaw John Franco's club record. The left-handed bullpen veteran also appeared in the Mets' 9-6 win.
2002 Chicago first baseman Fred McGriff becomes the first player to hit 30 home runs in a season for five teams (Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays, and Cubs). The Crime Dog's first-inning PNC poke also sets a record for being the 42nd major league park in which he's gone yard, one more than Ellis Burks of the Indians.
2002 In the last game ever played at Cinergy Field, the Phillies complete a three-game sweep, defeating the Reds, 4-3, in front of many of the team's former superstars except for the banished Pete Rose. The popularity of the all-time hit leader becomes obvious when Tom Browning paints Rose's uniform number 14 on the mound after the game, along with the crowd chanting, "Pete, Pete," as home plate gets ready for delivery next door to Great American Ball Park.
2002 Greg Maddux pitches seven innings of four-hit ball as the Braves beat the Marlins, 4-1. 'Mad Dog' joins Cy Young as one of only two pitchers in baseball history to win at least 15 games in 15 consecutive seasons.
2003 The Tigers established a new mark for futility in the American League, recording their 118th defeat of the season. The 1916 A's (36-117) had held the record before Detroit's 12-6 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

(Ed. Note: The Tigers will win five of the season's last six games, avoiding the distinction of posting the worst record in baseball, a mark established by the expansion Mets with 120 losses in 1962. - LP)

2003 Alfonso Soriano hits his 13th leadoff home run of the season to establish a new major league mark. The Yankee second baseman shared the record with Brady Anderson, who led off with 12 round-trippers for the 1996 Orioles.
2003 For only the third time in major league history, a Korean pitcher and a Japanese pitcher oppose one another as Expos' hurler Tomo Ohka faces Jae Weong Seo as starters at Shea Stadium. Both Pacific Rim right-handers throw well, but neither gets the decision as Montreal beats the Mets on misplayed fly balls in the ninth, 4-2.
2004 En route to a complete-game three-hitter, Ben Sheets becomes the 14th pitcher in baseball history to strike out 18 batters in a nine-inning game when the Brewers beat the Braves at Miller Park, 4-1. The 25-year-old right-hander whiffs eight of the final 11 hitters he faces to break the team record of 14 established by Moose Haas in 1978.
2005 On the day he is scheduled to return to the team after rehabilitating his right knee and left ankle at home, the Orioles inform Rafael Palmeiro not to report to the team. The first baseman/DH, who tested positive for steroids earlier in the season, continues to stir up controversy as the 40-year-old veteran states the reason for failing the drug test is due to a vitamin B-12 shot given by his teammate, Miguel Tejada.
2005 An American Society of Microbiology's study of the number of people washing their hands after using a public restroom reports that 83 percent of patrons take advantage of the available soap and water. Of the 6,300 bathroom users monitored, the data reveals that Turner Field has the worst hygiene, showing that nearly a quarter of the patrons (37% male and 16% female) did not wash their hands after using the facilities during a Braves game.
2006 In the Nationals' 3-2 victory over the Mets, Alfonso Soriano hits his 40th double and steals his 41st base of the season. With 45 homers, the Washington outfielder becomes baseball's first 40/40/40 player with his offensive performance at Shea Stadium.
2009 Diamondback slugger Mark Reynolds establishes a new single-season strikeout mark for the second consecutive year when he misses a 1-2 breaking ball from Madison Bumgarner, his 205th K of the campaign. Before breaking his own dubious mark and extending it with another whiff in the sixth inning, the 26-year-old third baseman collected his 100th RBI of the season in Arizona's 10-8 Chase Field victory over San Francisco.
2010 Jose Lopez hits three home runs in the Mariners’ 6-3 victory over the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. The third baseman’s trio of round-trippers, collected off three different pitchers, accounts for nearly a third of his ten homers this season.
2010 The Diamondbacks hire Kevin Towers as the team's general manager, bypassing the interim GM Jerry Dipoto, a highly-regarded administrator within the organization and throughout baseball, for the job he did when replacing Josh Byrnes. During Towers' 14-year tenure in the same position with the Padres, San Diego won four division titles and played in the 1998 World Series against New York.
2011 Thanks to Shane Victorino's million-dollar pledge, the renovated 105-year-old Nicetown Boys & Girls Club celebrates its grand opening. The inner-city facility, now named after the Phillies' All-Star center fielder, is only the second club in the country to bear the name of a major leaguer, with the 'Flying Hawaiian' sharing the distinction with Willie Mays.
2011 According to the Associated Press, Leo Nunez, placed on the Marlins' restricted list without the club listing a reason, must return to the Dominican Republic to deal with legal issues concerning fake identification documents. The 29-year-old right-handed closer, whose real name is Juan Oviedo, used his childhood friend's ID to receive a more lucrative deal being 16 years of age instead of 17 when signing his first major league contract.
2012 Gio Gonzalez becomes the second pitcher in franchise history to win 20 games when Washington beats Milwaukee at Nationals Park, 10-4. The 27-year-old southpaw joins Ross Grimsley, who accomplished the feat in 1978 when the club played in Montreal as the Expos.
2013 Felix Hernandez, making his first appearance since suffering a strained oblique, sets a record for strikeouts in a start lasting four or fewer innings when he whiffs ten batters before the fifth frame in the Mariners' 3-2 victory at Angel Stadium. The fans aren't the only ones buzzing during King Felix's performance, as a swarm of bees in the outfield delays the contest for 23 minutes during the third inning.
2018 The Dodgers establish a franchise record for team home runs hit in one season for the second consecutive year when Yasmani Grandal goes deep in the bottom of the sixth inning in the team's 7-2 victory over the Padres. The catcher's round-tripper was the club's 222nd of the campaign, surpassing last year's total with seven games left on the schedule.
2019 En route to clinching a playoff spot, the Cardinals beat the Cubs 3-2, completing the team's first four-game sweep at Wrigley Field in 98 seasons. The series marks the first time in a century a home team drops four consecutive contests by a run against the same opponent, with Chicago losing five straight decisions by the slimmest margin for the first time since 1915.
2019 After dropping a 12-8 decision to the Twins, the Royals (100) join the Tigers (109), Marlins (101), and Orioles (105) in breaking the 2002 mark for the number of 100-loss teams playing in the major leagues in the same season. Conversely, the Dodgers (100), Yankees (102), and Astros (102) have won a hundred or more games, marking three straight years three teams have posted triple-digit victories.
2023 Ronald Acuña Jr., who started the game with 68 stolen bases, becomes the fifth player to join the 40-40 club when he homers off Patrick Corbin leading off in the Braves' 9-6 win at Nationals Park. In 2019, the then-21-year-old Atlanta outfielder nearly became a member of the elite group, finishing the season with 41 homers and 37 stolen bases.
61 Fact(s) Found