<< Yesterday

This Day in Baseball History
May 25th

Tomorrow>>
45 Fact(s) Found
1901 During a fluke snowstorm in Cleveland, Ted Lewis becomes the first Boston American hurler to throw a shutout when he blanks the Blues at League Park, 5-0. The 28-year-old right-hander from Wales will become the president of Massachusetts State College and the University of New Hampshire.
1903 The court arraigned the entire Schenectady Frog Alleys squad for playing baseball on a Sunday after the team hosted the Albany Senators yesterday in a New York State League contest played at Island Park. When the jury acquits Captain Ben Ellis, the plaintiff of a test case for the charges against the Class D team, county officials discharged the detained players for violating blue laws.
1906 The Americans halt a twenty-game losing streak, with 19 losses occurring at home, when Jesse Tannehill goes the distance, blanking Chicago at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, 3-0. Boston will finish last in the American League with a woeful 49-105 record.
1910 In the nightcap of a twin bill in Chicago, Jack Coombs' scoreless streak ends at 53 innings during a 5-2 loss in a game shortened by darkness. The A's right-hander will throw 13 shutouts in 38 games he starts and will finish the season with a 31-9 record and an ERA of 1.30.


Jack Coombs, A's right-hander (1914)
Library of Congress - George Grantham Bain Collection
1917 Trailing 5-0 at the start of the bottom of the ninth at League Park, the Indians come back to beat the Yankees, 6-5. After Tris Speaker steals home on an 0-2 count to tie the score, New York hurler Alan Russell throws the next pitch to the backstop, plating Bill Wambsganss with the winning run in Cleveland's incredible walk-off victory.
1919 Casey Stengel, traded by the Dodgers before the start of last season to the Pirates, calls time and steps out of the batter's box to give the razzing Ebbets Field fans the 'bird.' The 28-year-old Pittsburgh right fielder doffs his hat, allowing a sparrow to fly out, much to the amazement and amusement of the fans.

1919 Casey Stengel
Pirates Outfielder

1922 After being called out for trying to stretch a single into a double, Babe Ruth throws dirt into the umpire's eye, goes after a heckler in the stands, and finishes his tirade by standing on the dugout roof, calling the crowd "yellow" cowards. These actions will result in a one-game suspension and a $200 fine, costing the 'Bambino' his Yankee captaincy, which he has held for less than a week.
1923 Crossing the plate for the 1,741st time, Ty Cobb surpasses Honus Wagner's record for most runs scored in a career. The 'Georgia Peach' will tally a record 2,245 runs during his 24-year tenure in the major leagues, a mark Rickey Henderson will surpass in 2001.
1935 At Forbes Field, Boston Braves outfielder Babe Ruth hits three homers and a single in the team's 11-7 loss to the Pirates in Pittsburgh. The Sultan of Swat's seventh-inning solo shot off Gary Bush, a blast that clears the ballpark's roof, will be the Bambino's 714th and final home run.
1937 After Mickey Cochrane had homered off him in his previous at-bat, Yankee pitcher Bump Hadley fractures the skull of the Tiger catcher, who does not regain consciousness for nearly a week. Near-death at first, the 34-year-old Tiger catcher/manager will spend six weeks in the hospital, returning to the team only as its skipper when doctors order him not to play.

(Ed. Note: Due to the unfortunate beaning, Mickey Cochran becomes the first eventual Hall of Famer to homer in his last major league at-bat. In 1960, Ted Willams becomes the second when he goes deep at Fenway Park in his final game with the Red Sox. -LP)

1941 In a 10-3 victory over New York at Yankee Stadium, Red Sox left fielder Ted Williams goes 4-for-5 to raise his batting average to over .400 for the first time this season. The 'Splendid Splinter' will finish the campaign batting .406.
1945 Leon Culberson completes a rare unassisted double play in the Red Sox' 5-0 loss to the Browns at Fenway Park. After making a running catch of a short fly to center, the Boston outfielder races into the infield and steps on second base to double up Vern Stephens.
1951 At Shibe Park, the much-heralded Giant rookie Willie Mays makes his major league debut against the Phillies. The 20-year-old outfielder, who hit .477 in 35 games with the Minneapolis Millers before being called up, goes hitless in five trips to the plate but makes two outstanding defensive plays, contributing to New York's 8-5 victory.
1953 En route to a 10-3 Braves victory over Cincinnati at County Stadium, Max Surkont establishes a major league record by striking out eight consecutive batters, a feat not matched until future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver mows down ten straight San Diego hitters in 1970. After his streak reaches seven, the Milwaukee moundsman endures a thirty-five-minute rain delay before getting Andy Seminick, leading off in the fifth inning, to look at a third strike to set the mark.
1960 At Busch Stadium, George Crowe's two-out ninth-inning pinch-hit home run to deep right field gives the Cardinals a 5-3 walk-off victory over Milwaukee. The round-tripper is "Big George's" major league-leading 11th career homer coming off the bench, breaking the mark he shared with Smoky Burgess and Gus Zernial when the season began.
1968 Tigers right fielder Al Kaline suffers a broken arm when struck by a pitch thrown by Lew Krausse in the top of the sixth inning in the team's 2-1 victory over the A's at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer will miss 37 games for the eventual World Champions.
1979 The umpires stop the game when Pirates left fielder Bill Robinson loses Joel Youngblood's fly ball in the mist at Shea Stadium. Due to the fog, the 11-inning contest ends after a 73-minute delay in a 3-3 tie.
1981 At Fenway Park, Carl Yastrzemski becomes the fifth major leaguer to appear in his 3,000th game, scoring the winning run in the Red Sox's 8-7 win over the Indians. Yaz, who will end his career in 1983 with 3,308, joins Hall of Famers Ty Cobb (1928/3034), Stan Musial (1963/3026), Hank Aaron (1976/3298), and Willie Mays (1973/3005) in reaching the milestone. 
1982 Future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins reaches the 3,000 strikeout plateau when he whiffs Gary Templeton in the third frame of the Cubs' 2-1 loss to San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium. Next season, the 39-year-old Canadian-born right-hander will finish his 19-year major league career with 3,192 K's in 4,500.2 innings.

1983 In the third inning of an eventual 6-0 loss to the Braves at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Pirates' starter Jim Bibby (4) and reliever Jim Winn (3) combine to walk seven consecutive batters to tie a major league mark. In 1909, Senators' southpaw hurler Dolly Gray, who would win only 15 games of his 66 career decisions during his three big league seasons, established the dubious record in his rookie year.
1984 The Cubs trade 35-year-old Bill Buckner to the Red Sox for infielder Mike Brumley and right-hander Dennis Eckersley, who will compile a 27-26 record over three seasons as a starter for Chicago. Boston's new first baseman will enjoy five solid years with the club, although the Fenway Faithful best remembers him for his Game 6 error in the 1986 World Series.
1989 The Mariners trade their ace, Mark Langston, and minor leaguer Mike Campbell to the Expos for Brian Holman, Gene Harris, and 6' 10" southpaw Randy Johnson. The left-handed 'Big Unit' will become a mainstay in Seattle's rotation for a decade, compiling a 130-74 (.637) record, and next season will throw the first no-hitter in franchise history.
1998 Cardinals' first baseman Mark McGwire becomes the first player in major league history to hit 25 home runs before June 1 when he connects off John Thomson in the bottom of the first frame for the team's lone run in the team's 6-1 loss to the Rockies at Busch Stadium. Last season, Mariner outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. hit 24 homers before the year's sixth month.
1999 The Diamondbacks tie a 68-year-old major league record when their catcher, Damian Miller, starts three double plays. Arizona's 3-2 victory over San Diego at Bank One Ballpark also features two 100-mph pitches thrown by southpaw Randy Johnson.
2000 The Devil Rays release 35-year-old Dwight Gooden (2-3, 6.63) after acquiring the 1985 Cy Young Award winner from the Astros on April 13 for cash considerations, allowing the right-hander to pitch for his hometown team. Next month, Doc signs as a free agent with the Yankees, posting a 4-2 record for the Bronx Bombers in the final season of his 16-year tenure in the major leagues.
2001 At Fenway Park, Hideo Nomo strikes out 14 en route to a 4-0 one-hitter against Toronto. The 32-year-old Japanese right-hander faces one batter over the minimum of 27, yielding a leadoff double to Shannon Stewart in the fourth inning.
2001 Kerry Wood gives up only one hit, a seventh-inning leadoff single to Mark Loretta, in the Cubs' 1-0 victory over Milwaukee. The 24-year-old right-hander strikes out 14 batters in the Wrigley Field gem.
2002 With four homers on Thursday (5/23), one on Friday (5/24), and two more on Saturday (5/25), Shawn Green becomes the first major leaguer to hit seven round-trippers in three games. The Dodger outfielder's nine big flies in a week also break a National League record, established by Ralph Kiner with eight and tied by Ted Kluszewski and Nate Colbert.
2002 Getting his 3,509th K, Diamondback southpaw Randy Johnson passes Walter Johnson to become seventh on the all-time career strikeout list. After fanning Shawn Green in the first to catch the 'Big Train,' Dodger outfielder Brian Jordan swings and misses a 2-2 pitch in the second inning to become the Big Unit's historical victim.
2002 The YES cable network hires former major league pitcher David Cone as a part-time television analyst. The assignment also includes
  • serving as a studio analyst on selected pregame and postgame shows
  • covering five games for the Staten Island Yankees (Class A)
  • being a WCBS announcer for the June 14 Yankees-Mets game.
2003 Buddy Groom throws two-thirds of a scoreless eighth inning in the Orioles' 13-10 victory over Texas at The Ballpark in Arlington. The outing is the 38-year-old southpaw's 638th major league contest with zero plate appearances, surpassing Bob Stanley's mark for the most games pitched without coming to bat.
2005 In a game against the Orioles, the Mariners starting battery consists of a pair of veterans when southpaw Jamie Moyer and backstop Pat Borders appear in the same lineup. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the age of the players marks the first time in major league history that the starting pitcher and catcher for a team has consisted of two players 42 years or older.
2006 At Tokyo's Jingu Stadium, California-born Rick Guttormson becomes the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in interleague play in Japan. The former Padres minor league pitcher of the year holds the Golden Eagles hitless as the Yakult Swallows beat Rakuten, 6-0.
2006 After having a 6-0 lead over the Tigers in the first inning, the Royals drop a 13-8 decision when the bullpen gives up eight runs in the last two frames. The defeat is the 13th consecutive loss for Kansas City.
2007 Mark Reynolds, batting cleanup for the first time in his brief career, goes 5-for-5 in the Diamondbacks' 13-3 victory over the Astros. The Arizona Rookie third baseman falls a double shy of the cycle, hitting a home run in his last at-bat, barely clearing the right-field fence at Chase Field.
2008 Former major league pitcher Geremi Gonzalez, signed by the Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1991, is killed by lightning standing on a dock in western Venezuela. The 33-year-old right-hander, who compiled a 30-35 record, also hurled for the Devil Rays, Red Sox, Mets, and the Brewers before being released by Milwaukee in 2006.
2009 The Indians, trailing by ten runs in the fourth, rally to beat the Rays, 11-10. Victor Martinez's walk-off, two-out, two-run single off Jason Isringhausen in the bottom of the seven-run ninth inning puts the finishing touch on the incredible comeback at Progressive Field.

2011 Paul Splittorff, the winningest pitcher in Royals history, dies at 64 of complications from skin cancer. The likable left-hander became a popular broadcaster for the team, serving as an analyst for the FOX Sports affiliate in Kansas City.
2011 Jo-Jo Reyes makes his 28th straight start without recording a victory, tying the major league record shared by Cliff Curtis (1910-11, Braves, Cubs, Phillies) and Matt Keough (1978-79, A's). The Blue Jays southpaw, who leaves the game trailing 5-0 to the Yankees after just three innings of work, hasn't won a start since June 13, 2008.
2011 In the 12th inning of an eventual 7-6 loss to Florida, the Giants lose catcher Buster Posey for the season after a brutal collision at home plate with Scott Cousins, who scores the go-ahead run. An MRI will confirm last season's Rookie of the Year has a fractured left fibula and three torn ligaments in his left ankle and will need season-ending surgery to repair the damage.

2011 Yankee closer Mariano Rivera becomes the first pitcher to appear in 1,000 games for the same team. The 41-year-old Panamanian right-hander, who has compiled 572 saves and 75 wins during his 17 seasons with the Bronx Bombers, is closing in on the all-time saves record established by Trevor Hoffman with 601.

Share your thoughts on Twitter.
2013 Angel Pagan becomes the first Giant to hit a walk-off, inside-the-park home run since Bill Terry accomplished the feat at the Polo Grounds in 1931. The center fielder's tenth-inning, two-run round-tripper gives San Francisco a dramatic 6-5 victory over Colorado.

Share your thoughts on Facebook.
2015 Jeremy Guthrie becomes the second starter since 1914 to give up 11 earned runs without recording at least one out in the second inning when he gives up nine hits, including four homers, and issues four walks in the Royals’ 14-1 loss to New York at Yankee Stadium. In 2007, Astros right-hander Jason Jennings allowed 11 earned runs while lasting just two-thirds in a contest against the Padres at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
2017 Drew Pomeranz, whiffing 11 batters in six innings, and four Red Sox relievers tie a major league record, combining to strike out 20 batters in the team's 6-2 win over the Rangers at Fenway Park. After Nomar Mazara strikes out but reaches first base on the strike-three wild pitch, Boston's closer Craig Kimberly proceeds to mow down the next three hitters, two swinging and one looking, to record four strikeouts in the final frame to equal the mark.
2019 En route to their 19–4 blowout of the Blue Jays, the Padres hit a franchise-record seven home runs, breaking their previous mark of six established in 1998 against the Reds at Cinergy Field. The Rogers Centre contest, in which the Friars scored multiple runs in seven different innings, features Wil Myers (2), Hunter Renfroe (2), Ian Kindler, Eric Hosmer, and Austin Hedges also going deep, setting the new team standard.
45 Fact(s) Found