August 13

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Stats of players who were born this day
Stats of players who died on this day
Standings on this day
Permanent link to Today's Entry
Sources
Baseball Library Chronology
Today in Baseball History

Events, births and deaths that occurred on August 13.

Events

• 1900 - A mechanical pitching machine is used in a game between the Memphis Chicks and the Nashvilles. The invention of Princeton professor Charles Hinton, the early pitching gun strikes out two and allows three hits in two innings.
• 1901 - Kid Nichols and Christy Mathewson face each other again and both throw shutout ball for nine innings. Boston finally scores three in the 10th to win, 3 - 0. Nichols and Mathewson will go at each other tomorrow, in the second game of two, with the match ending in an 11-inning, 5 - 5 tie.
• 1902:
  • In the second game of a doubleheader in Boston, Pirate Honus Wagner steals second base, third base and home in the 7th inning. Wagner also did it in 1899.
  • In the 6th inning of a game with the Tigers, Harry Davis of the A's attempts a double steal with Dave Fultz, who is on third base. But Davis does not draw a throw as he goes into second, and Fultz cannot score. So, on the next pitch, he "steals" first base. The next time he steals second, he does draw a throw and Fultz scores from third. This double steal maneuver will be attempted in later years by Fred Tenney (July 31, 1908), and Germany Schaefer (September 4, 1908), before being made illegal.
• 1903 - New York wins its third doubleheader in a week, clipping St. Louis, 6 - 2 and 9 - 7. Christy Mathewson strikes out ten in the opener as he outpitches Three-Finger Brown.
• 1906 - The Cubs' Jack "Brakeman" Taylor is knocked out by Brooklyn in the 3rd inning, breaking a string of 187 complete games and 15 relief appearances in which he finished each game. The record run began June 20, 1901. In ten years, he will fail to finish only eight of 286 starts. With relief help from Orval Overall, Chicago wins, 11 - 3.
• 1908 - Cy Young Day is celebrated by 20,000 in Boston. He pitches briefly against an All-Star team that includes Jack Chesbro, Hal Chase, Willie Keeler, Harry Davis and George Mullin. The game is interrupted several times for presentations to the great hurler, including a great loving cup from the American League for all his accomplishments.
• 1910 - In the most evenly matched game ever, the Pirates and Superbas each have eight runs, 13 hits, 38 at bats, five strikeouts, three walks, one hit batter, one passed ball, 13 assists, 27 putouts, two errors, and use two pitchers. Darkness ends the game before the symmetry does.
• 1911:
  • Ty Cobb, apparently believing the Tigers can no longer win the pennant race, begins a vacation.
  • The Pirates' Elmer Steele throws just 72 pitches in subduing the Dodgers, 9 - 0. Steele gives up no walks and has no strikeouts, and allows just one hit - a one-out 9th-inning single to light-hitting Tex Erwin. Brooklyn so admires the feat they obtain him on September 16th, but he never wins another game in the majors.
• 1913:
  • Doc Crandall is rescued from the basement: John McGraw buys him back from the Cards 12 days after trading him. According to historian Merritt Clifton, Doc has a sore arm and is sent back as damaged goods. He will pitch for Brattleboro to get his arm in shape before rejoining the Giants for the stretch drive.
  • In a great pickup, the Cubs send P Lew Richie to the Kansas City Blues for Hippo Vaughn. Vaughn, who had pitched five years with little success in the American League with New York and Washington, will be a workhorse for Chicago. Tomorrow the Cubs will ship 33-year-old Ed Reulbach (1-3) to Brooklyn for P Eddie Stack and cash.
  • Petersburg P Harry Hedgpeth (Virginia League) blanks Richmond twice, by scores of 1 - 0 and 10 - 0, both in nine innings. He gives up only one hit in the opener, while hurling a no-hitter in the second game.
• 1914 - In the start of a crucial series in New York, the Braves pound Rube Marquard for 11 hits to win, 5 - 3. Rabbit Maranville contributes a triple and Les Mann adds a homer and two-run single. Lefty Tyler notches another victory.
• 1916 - On a muddy Robison Field in St. Louis, the Cards drill 23 hits in the opener to defeat the Pirates in 11 innings, 9 - 8. The hit total is a major league high for the season. The second game begins at six p.m. and when the Bucs score eight runs in the first two innings, Pittsburgh hurries to get the game in, while on the other side of the field, the Cards begin to dally. The Cards' Dots Miller singles and then steals second and third base on one pitch as pitcher Al Mamaux and C Bill Fischer ignore him. The Cards "steal" 11 bases, while the Bucs add three in just five innings before the umps and darkness mercifully end it. Pittsburgh wins, 9 - 5. The steal rule will eventually be amended to not credit a runner when the defense ignores him.
• 1921:
  • In Philadelphia, 33,000 fans - the largest crowd to watch a game in Philadelphia since 1914 - sees Carl Mays win his 15th straight over the Mackmen as the Yankees prevail, 7 - 2, in the first game of a doubleheader. Bob Shawkey coasts home to a 13 - 7 win in the nitecap. Bob Meusel homers in each game.
  • George Sisler continues his hot hitting, collecting two doubles and hitting for the cycle in a 10-inning, 7 - 5 win at Detroit. Sisler is 5 for 5.
  • Boston Braves P John "Mule" Watson hurls two complete-game victories over the Phillies, winning by scores of 4 - 3 and 8 - 0. It is the third doubleheader he has pitched, the first two being with the A's in 1918.
• 1922:
  • Led by SS Charlie Hollocher's three triples, the Cubs cook the Cardinals, 16 - 5. Hollocher is in the middle of his best season, and will hit .340 while leading the loop in fielding for the second straight year.
  • The New York Yankees' Everett Scott nears 1,000 consecutive games played, but it takes an extra effort to keep the streak alive. He spends $40 to hire a car to get to Chicago in time for the game after a train he is on is wrecked.
• 1923 - Pirates OF Max Carey steals second base, third base and home versus Brooklyn. He will again lead the National League with 51 stolen bases. Equally fleet in the field, he will garner 450 putouts and 28 assists. He is the first OF to top 400 putouts six times. Richie Ashburn will later do it nine times.
• 1924:
  • Red Sox righthander Howard Ehmke has the White Sox popping up all day in his 6 - 0 win. Only one assist is made by Boston.
  • The Yankees regain the American League lead with 1 - 0 and 2 - 1 wins over the Browns.
• 1926 - Pittsburgh players ask that Fred Clarke, assistant to owner Barney Dreyfuss, not be permitted to sit on the bench. Dreyfuss squelches the revolt by releasing Carson Bigbee and Babe Adams, and suspending Max Carey, who has slumped to .222. Carey is waived to the Robins. The Adams-Bigbee-Carey punishment becomes known as the A-B-C Affair.
• 1931 - Tony Cuccinello wakes up the last-place Reds by going 6 for 6, with three singles, two doubles and a triple, as Cincy wins the first game of a doubleheader against Boston, 17 - 3. Cuccinello doesn't stop there, belting a three-run homer in the 8th inning of the nitecap to give the Reds a 4 - 2 win. "Cooch" has eight RBIs for the day.
• 1932:
  • Commissioner Kenesaw Landis clears Rogers Hornsby of charges of fraudulently "borrowing" money from Cubs players. The Chicago papers said Hornsby had obtained money from players, either loaned to him to bet on horse races, or to share in joint ventures. When Hornsby is fined, the players want refunds. Hornsby wants a lump payoff by the Cubs, who refuse. Landis holds several hearings, and as he doesn't punish anyone, it is taken as exoneration.
  • Bill Terry, Mel Ott and Fred Lindstrom hit homers on consecutive pitches in the 4th inning, but the Giants lose, 18 - 9, to Brooklyn. In the second game, the Dodgers' Joe Stripp, Lefty O'Doul and Tony Cuccinello hit 1st-inning home runs off Waite Hoyt. Brooklyn wins, 5 - 4.
  • It looks like the Yankees' consecutive game scoring streak might be broken, but P Red Ruffing hits a home run in the 10th to beat Al Thomas of the Senators, 1 - 0. Tom Hughes, in 1906, was the last major-league pitcher to hit an extra-inning, game-winning home run.
• 1934 - In a preview of the World Series, the Cardinals play the Tigers in an exhibition game in Detroit. The Deans refuse to make the trip, having both pitched the day before. Dizzy is fined $100 and Paul $50.
• 1937 - The Hellenic Societies of Chicago hold a day for Alex Kampouris of the visiting Reds. He gets a car, and the Cubs get a 22 - 6 win, as Kampouris makes three errors and fans twice.
• 1939:
  • The Yankees beat the A's, 21 - 0, to equal the major-league record for lopsided shutouts. Joe DiMaggio and Babe Dahlgren each hit two home runs, one each inside-the-park. Red Ruffing collects four hits along with the victory.
  • The Giants hit three successive homers in the 4th inning, with Joe Moore, Alex Kampouris and P Bill Lohrman connecting. The Giants add four more home runs in the game to beat the Phils, 11 - 2.
• 1940 - The Indians move two games in front by besting the Tigers again, 6 - 5. Cleveland will win their next two games to go up by three.
• 1944 - The West takes the 1944 East-West Game, 7 - 4, behind the Radcliffe brothers. Ted Radcliffe socks a two-run homer while Alec Radcliffe drives in two as well and flashes a good glove; the brothers combine for five hits.
• 1945 - Branch Rickey becomes the principal stockholder of the Dodgers. He and associates Walter O'Malley and John Smith acquire the 50 percent interest of the Ebbets estate for a reported price of $750,000.
• 1947 - At Sportsman's Park, pinch-hitter Willard Brown of the Browns becomes the first black player to hit a home run in the American League. The historic homer, a pinch-hit inside-the-parker off future Hall of Fame hurler Hal Newhouser, helps the Browns beat the Tigers, 6 - 5.
• 1948:
  • The Phils score ten runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, including a major league record nine runs before the first out is recorded, then hold on to beat the Giants, 10 - 7. Rookie Curt Simmons lasts six innings for the win.
  • The promise of Satchel Paige on the mound brings 51,013 to Comiskey Park to see "Ole Satch" pitch his first big league shutout as Cleveland wins, 5 - 0. He gives up five hits to run his record to 5-1. In his 12 appearances, Paige has attracted 201,829 fans.
• 1950:
  • The Giants earn a split with the Phils as Jim Hearn shuts out the Whiz Kids, 2 - 0. But the Phils will take 11 of their next 14 games to hold a seven-game edge over second-place Brooklyn.
  • At Rochester (International League), the Red Wings edge Jersey City, 3 - 2, in 22 innings. Pitchers Tom Poholsky of Rochester and Andy Tomasic of Jersey City go all the way.
• 1951:
  • Every one who shows up with a musical instrument is admitted free to Ebbets Field. 2,426 fans take advantage of the offer, including one with a piano. The Dodgers have a motive in countering the local musicians' union which wants to silence the non-union Sym-Phoney. The Dodgers outplay the Braves, 7 - 6, as Gil Hodges belts a three-run homer in the 8th, following an intentional walk to Roy Campanella, who had homered earlier.
  • The Giants keep pace with a 5 - 2 win over the Phils. Larry Jansen, pitching for the first time in eight days, wins his 15th. Whitey Lockman hits a three-run homer.
• 1955 - Larry Doby makes his first error in the outfield in 167 games, a new American League record.
• 1957:
  • Mickey Mantle goes 3 for 3 and drives in three runs as the Yankees edge the Red Sox, 3 - 2. Mantle improves his average to .384 while Ted Williams, with 1 for 2, is at .388. A week later, Mantle will injure himself when he angrily swings a golf club at a branch and gouges his shinbone. This will effectively take him out of the running for a second straight Triple Crown.
  • P Lew Burdette of the Braves hits his first two home runs and beats the Redlegs, 12 - 4. Clemente's 1st and 2nd-inning HRs,
• 1958 - At Shibe Park, the first multi-HR game of Roberto Clemente's career helps the surprising Pirates outlast Philadelphia, 10 - 9. His 1st and 2nd-inning two-run blasts touch down in "the lower deck in left-center" and the "upper deck," respectively, and together with Bill Mazeroski's 1st-inning, two-run rooftop shot, provide a seemingly secure 6 - 0 lead. However, Pittsburgh's four subsequent 'add-on' runs will prove essential — and Mazeroski's seemingly superfluous 6th-inning RBI single, decisive — when Philly's third three-run rally of the day brings the potential winning run to the plate, and a faltering ElRoy Face out of the game, before order is restored, and the final out recorded, by Pirate starter Vernon Law.
• 1959 - The Giants and Cubs set a record for the longest nine-inning game in history, playing 3 hours and 50 minutes. Chicago wins the marathon at Wrigley Field by a score of 20 - 9, pounding out 19 hits and five home runs. Eddie Fisher takes the loss while Ed Donnelly is the winner.
• 1961 - In the first of two with the Senators, Roger Maris belts his 44th homer to tie Mickey Mantle. An inning later, Mantle hits a Bennie Daniels offering for his 45th, but that's all Daniels allows, winning, 12 - 2. Maris adds his 45th homer in the 1st inning in the second game as the Yanks win, 9 - 4.
• 1962 - Bert Campaneris of Daytona Beach (Florida State League) pitches ambidextrously in a relief appearance. Facing Ft. Lauderdale, Campy throws lefty to lefthanders, and switches when righthanders come up.
• 1963 - At Crosley Field, the Reds and Giants deal aces as Jim Maloney outpitches Juan Marichal to win, 4 - 0. Maloney allows just two hits.
• 1964:
  • A day after the team and fans celebrate his birthday, ailing Fred Hutchinson again takes a leave of absence as manager of Reds. Dick Sisler again takes charge. Hutch will enter a hospital for further treatments.
  • In a battle of teenagers, 19-year-old Met first baseman Ed Kranepool homers twice off 18-year-old Phillie hurler Rick Wise.
  • CBS buys 80 percent of the New York Yankees, effective November 2nd.
• 1965 - Roberto Clemente clubs one to the deepest part of the park and it's pulled down by Willie. So what else is new? No, no, not that Willie; this is that other Willie, Dodger center fielder Willie Davis. Claude Osteen is working on a one-hitter until two are out in the 7th. The second out is Davis' big contribution, a 400-foot drive off the bat of Roberto Clemente which sends Davis back to the wall. Davis then robs Clemente again in the 9th with a sparkling catch, this time off his shoetops.
• 1966:
  • Dave Giusti one-hits the Giants for a 1 - 0 Houston win. Cap Peterson's 2nd-inning single is the only hit.
  • Restaurateur Vernon Stouffer buys a controlling interest in the Cleveland Indians.
• 1967 - Completing a three-game sweep of the White Sox, Jim Merritt pitches the Twins into first place with a 3 - 2 win.
• 1968 - Pitching 7 2/3 innings, Tom Hall gains his first major league win as the Twins beat the Senators, 8 - 4. Washington's Jim Hannan (7-3) takes the loss and doesn't help himself at bat, striking out for the 13th straight time since July 24th.
• 1969:
  • With a unanimous vote, the major league owners elect Commissioner Bowie Kuhn to a seven-year term.
  • Roberto Clemente's second career three-home run game leads to a 10 - 5 Pirates win over San Francisco.
  • Bill Hands pitches a complete game, 4 - 2, win over San Diego. Chicago now has a seemingly comfortable 8 1/2 game lead; they'll manage to blow it as the Miracle Mets will overtake them.
  • Baltimore's Jim Palmer leaves no doubt about his comeback with a 8 - 0 no-hitter against Oakland. Reggie Jackson, leading the American League with 42 home runs, walks three times, as the A's drop two games behind the Twins in the West. Palmer, now 11-2, pushes the O's lead to a comfortable 14 1/2 games.
  • One day after going AWOL, Joe Pepitone returns to the Yankees but does not play in their 5 - 2 loss to the Twins. Rich Reese is 4 for 4 with two homers and two singles to drive in four runs for the Twins as Jim Kaat is the winner over Mel Stottlemyre (16-9). Reese will have hits his first three at bats tomorrow before flying out.
  • Montreal reliever Elroy Face gives up the last of his record 21 extra-inning gopher balls, an 11th-inning grand slam to the Reds' Johnny Bench. Cincinnati wins, 8 - 3, in Montreal.
• 1970 - The Reds' Jim Merritt strikes out 13 Mets en route to a 5 - 1 win in Cincinnati.
• 1971 - Reds pitchers Don Gullett and Wayne Granger combine on a one-hitter, beating the visiting Cubs, 8 - 2. The lone Cub safety is a two-out double by Cleo James in the 8th inning. Granger pitches a hitless 9th.
• 1972 - Bengals manager Billy Martin literally picks his starting lineup out of a hat in an attempt to halt the Tigers' four-game losing streak. The ploy works as Detroit defeats Cleveland, 3 - 2. Using a regular lineup in the nightcap, the Tigers lose, 9 - 2.
• 1973 - Roy White homers from both sides of the plate as the Yankees top the Angels, 6 - 0.
• 1975 - The A's release P Jim Perry and purchase OF Tommy Harper from the Angels.
• 1977 - Against visiting Seattle, the Red Sox have two outs in the 6th inning, and then unload back-to-back-to-back homers by George Scott, Butch Hobson and Dwight Evans. The Red Sox win, 13 - 6.
• 1978 - The Yankees erupt for five runs in the 7th inning to take a 5 - 3 lead over the Orioles before heavy rains force a delay of the game. Thanks to the stalling tactics of Earl Weaver and some slow-moving Baltimore groundskeepers, the game is called, and the score reverts to the last complete inning. This rule will be changed in 1980, and the game today would have been suspended. The Orioles win, 3 - 0, with Scott McGregor the winner.
• 1979 - St. Louis outfielder Lou Brock, 40, reaches the 3,000 hit milestone as his line drive caroms off Dennis Lamp's pitching hand in the 3 - 2 Cardinal victory over the Cubs.
• 1980 - The Yankees trade righty Ken Clay and a player to be named later to the Rangers for 41-year-old pitcher Gaylord Perry.
• 1982 - Dodger second baseman Steve Sax steals his 41st base to set a team record for rookies.
• 1983 - Cincinnati native Jeff Russell makes his major league debut for the Reds and pitches a three-hitter, beating the Padres, 3 - 1. He helps with an RBI double.
• 1984 - At Cooperstown, the Tigers beat the Atlanta Braves, 7 - 5, in the annual Hall of Fame Game.
• 1985 - In the Mariners' 11 - 4 win, Seattle's infield again ties the major-league record for assists with 21 against California. Mark Langston goes all the way for the win.
• 1987:
  • The Cardinals' outfield sets a major-league record by failing to record a single putout in a 4 - 2, 13-inning loss to the Phillies. The previous mark was held by the 1905 St. Louis Browns, who played an 11-inning game with no outfield putouts.
  • Paul Molitor keeps his hitting streak alive at 28 games when he homers with two out in the 9th inning against the O's. Baltimore still wins, 5 - 4.
  • The Cubs retire Hall of Famer Billy Williams' uniform number (26).
• 1988 - Behind Dwight Evans' seven RBIs, the Red Sox defeat the Tigers, 16 - 4. The Sox collect 19 hits in winning their 24th straight at home, an American League record.
• 1993 - Rickey Henderson, recently traded to Toronto by Oakland, gives teammate Turner Ward $25,000 for uniform number 24. Henderson had complained that he was having trouble hitting with No. 14 on his back.
• 1995:
  • Flags fly at half-mast at Yankee Stadium as Yankee legend Mickey Mantle dies of liver cancer at the age of 63 in Dallas, Texas.
  • The Dodgers take sole possession of first place in the National League West with a 4 - 1 win over the Pirates. Eric Karros hits a two-run homer and Todd Worrell ices the win by striking out the side on nine pitches in the 9th.
• 1996:
  • Robin Ventura belts his team-record ninth grand slam to pace the White Sox to an 8 - 4 win over the Yankees. David Weathers serves up the gopher ball.
  • The Braves obtain 3B Terry Pendleton from the Marlins in exchange for minor league OF Roosevelt Brown.
  • After failing to score in the first three innings, the Giants proceed to plate runs in each of their next six at bats, going on to defeat the Pirates, 12 - 10. Rick Wilkins' pinch-hit grand slam in the 8th leads the Jints on to victory.
  • Oklahoma City's Rick Helling pitches a perfect game, winning, 4 - 0, over Nashville.
• 1997:
  • The Red Sox trade C Mike Stanley and IF Randy Brown to the Yankees in exchange for P Tony Armas and a player to be named.
  • The Angels trade pitchers Ryan Hancock and Steven Agosto and a player to be named to the Padres for OF Rickey Henderson. To make room for the future Hall of Famer, the Angels release another future HOFer, Eddie Murray. Murray will sign with the Dodgers.
  • The Reds defeat the Padres, 2 - 0, on a combined one-hitter by Mike Morgan (7 innings), Stan Belinda (1 inning) and Jeff Shaw (1 inning). OF Mark Sweeney's single is San Diego's only hit.
• 1998:
  • Orlando Hernandez sets a Yankee rookie record by striking out 13 in beating Texas, 2 - 0.
  • Tom Glavine (16-4) shuts out the Padres, 5 - 0, on two hits and beats Mark Langston. Langston strikes out eight batters to push his career Ks to 2,419, and move into 24th place on the career strikeout list.
  • Baltimore's Harold Baines becomes the all-time leader in RBIs by a designated hitter when he drives in his 824th run in a 7 - 4 win over the Indians. Hal McRae was the previous record holder.
• 1999 - In the first game of a doubleheader, the Expos defeat the Rockies, 14 - 13, after the score is tied at one apiece after four innings. Each team scores five runs in the 5th, then Montreal scores six and Colorado five in the 6th. The Expos finally win the game by scoring a run in the 10th inning. Montreal also takes the second game, by an 8 - 6 count.
• 2000:
  • The Astros defeat the Phillies, 14 - 7, hitting six home runs to tie a club mark in the process. 1B Jeff Bagwell ties another club record by driving home seven runs.
  • Mike Sweeney becomes the fastest Royal player ever to reach 100 RBIs when he goes deep helping Kansas City defeat the Orioles, 10 - 5.
• 2001 - Craig Biggio hits his 26th leadoff home run on the first pitch from Jason Bere and the Astros never look back, beating the Cubs, 9 - 5. Shane Reynolds is the winner, now 7-0 against Chicago. The Cubs fall out of first place as the Astros take over.
• 2002:
  • In Minnesota, the Twins' Rick Reed needs little help in shutting out the Baltimore Orioles, 6 - 0. Doug Mientkiewicz hits two homers and David Ortiz adds a home run and two-run double. In the pre-game ceremonies celebrating Native American Heritage Day, golfer Notah Begay, a Navajo, chips the opening pitch. The losing pitcher is Scott Erickson, who had beaten his former team nine straight times over six seasons.
  • Warring Mets co-owners Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday finally complete their deal to transfer full ownership of the team to Wilpon within the next 30 days. But Doubleday will question the valuation of the team by the independent arbitrator, and the transaction will not be resolved until the fall.
• 2003 - After missing nearly three months with a groin injury, Mike Piazza makes a dramatic return to the New York lineup as he homers and drives in five runs on Italian Night at Shea Stadium. The backstop's 3-for-5 performance, including a home run in the 3rd inning, RBI single in the 4th and a two-run single in the 7th, contributes to the Mets' 9 - 2 victory over the Giants.
• 2004 - At Seattle's Boeing Field, Edgar Martinez is on hand to greet George W. Bush. The President, who had requested to meet the retiring designated hitter, exchanges autographed baseballs with the man who routinely helped the Mariners beat his Rangers when the chief executive was the managing partner of Texas.
• 2007 - Placido Polanco plays his 144th consecutive game at second base without an error. This breaks Luis Castillo's record, set earlier this season. The two streaks overlapped for many months. The Tigers still lose, 7 - 2, dropping them to eight wins in their past 25 games and a tie for first place with the Indians.
• 2008:
  • Team Canada beats the host Chinese national team in day one of baseball at the 2008 Olympics, 10 - 0. Chris Begg, T.J. Burton and Rhéal Cormier combine on an eight-inning shutout while Scott Thorman thumps a three-run homer in the mercy rule win. Tao Bu takes the loss while Lei Li goes 2 for 3 to lead China's offense.
  • Wei-Yin Chen and Kai-Wen Cheng also team up on an Olympic shutout, this one a 5 - 0 Taiwan win over the Dutch national team, which is held to four hits. Dutch starter David Bergman is ineffective and an error by former big leaguer Eugene Kingsale doesn't help. Taiwan does suffer a blow when 3B Tai-Shan Chang is barred from competition after testing positive for a banned substance (contained in a cold medication he was taking, he claims).
  • In a game with five lead changes, South Korea tops Team USA, 8 - 7. Ki-joo Han and Suk-min Yoon blow a 6 - 4 lead in the top of the 9th to fall behind, 7 - 6. Jeff Stevens fails to protect the lead, though, and a sacrifice fly by Jong-wook Lee wins it for the Koreans.
  • In a game foreseen as a potential Gold Medal Game preview, Cuba beats Japan, 4 - 2. Reigning Cuban Serie Nacional MVP Alexei Bell doubles, triples and scores two in his national team debut, roughing up Japanese ace Yu Darvish. Pedro Luis Lazo, in his fourth Olympics, throws three scoreless innings for the save. He and Rob Cordemans (of the Netherlands) both make their fourth Olympics, the only players to do so.
• 2009:
  • The International Olympic Committee announces that Rugby Sevens and Golf will be recommended for inclusion in the program of the 2016 Olympics, but that baseball and softball, whose last presence at the games was in 2008, have failed in their bid for reinstatement.
  • Jonny Gomes has the second three-homer game of his career as the Reds shut out the Nationals, 7 - 0. He hits two-run shots in the 2nd and 4th and a solo blast in the 6th in support of Bronson Arroyo's two-hitter.
  • Cliff Lee wins his third straight start since joining the Phillies, allowing one run in eight innings in a 6 - 1 win over the Cubs.
  • The Sinon Bulls beat the Uni-President Lions, 12 - 2. Yi-Chuan Lin sets new CPBL rookie records for hits and RBI, reaching 119 and 77 respectively.
• 2010:
  • R.A. Dickey baffles the Phillies with his knuckleball, throwing a complete game one-hitter, for the Mets' second shutout in two nights, and their fourth consecutive shutout of the Phillies at Citi Field, dating back to a three-game sweep in May. The only hit is by opposing pitcher Cole Hamels. The Mets' run scores with two outs in the 6th, on consecutive doubles by David Wright and Carlos Beltran.
  • The first-place Rangers beat the Red Sox, 10 - 9, on an 11th-inning walk-off homer by Nelson Cruz off Tim Wakefield. Boston takes an early 8 - 2 lead with a seven-run 4th inning and hits five solo homers in the game - two by J.D. Drew - but Texas chips away methodically at the lead and ties the game at 9-all in the 8th when Josh Hamilton, on second base after his fourth hit of the night, scores on Vladimir Guerrero's infield single.
  • The Royals trade OF Jose Guillen to San Francisco for future considerations after designating him for assignment on August 5th, in spite of his leading the team with 16 homers and 62 RBI. Guillen had clashed repeatedly with team management, which decided to cut links with its highest-paid player.
  • The 2010 Women's Baseball World Cup is suspended briefly when Hong Kong third baseman Woon-Yee Cheuk is hit by a stray bullet during a game against the Netherlands in Caracas.
• 2011:
  • In his return to the mound after serving a six-game suspension, Jered Weaver is roughed up by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays score eight runs in 4 2/3 innings to raise Weaver's ERA from 1.78 to 2.13. Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Teahen and Adam Lind, who hits a grand slam, all homer off the Angels ace as the Jays roll to an easy 11 - 2 win.
  • Back in the line-up after being benched for a week, Yankees DH Jorge Posada drives in six runs, including four on a 5th-inning grand slam, and the Yankees win, 9 - 2, over the Rays. Phil Hughes is the winner over Jeremy Hellickson while Curtis Granderson hits his 33rd homer, catching Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays atop the major league leader board.
  • The Reds pound the Padres, 13 - 1, thanks to seven home runs, five of them off starter Tim Stauffer. Miguel Cairo and Ryan Hanigan both hit two homers, and Jay Bruce, Joey Votto and Todd Frazier also go deep. For Cairo, it is a first multi-homer game in a 16-year career. The seven homers tie a Reds franchise record.
• 2012:
  • The Yankees use a couple of scrubs to defeat Texas, 8 - 2. Reliever David Phelps starts in place of the injured CC Sabathia and pitches five innings for the win, while Derek Lowe, making his first appearance for the Bronx Bombers after being released by the Indians last week, adds four scoreless innings to pick up his first save since 2001. Nick Swisher hits a grand slam to propel the Yankees' offense while Ryan Dempster gives up eight runs for the second time since being acquired by the Rangers at the trading deadline.
  • Many pitchers have struck out four batters in an inning, but Toronto's Steve Delabar is the first to do so in extra innings, in the top of the 10th inning, fanning four members of the White Sox (Tyler Flowers reaches on a dropped third strike to make the feat possible). Delabar picks up the win as well when David Cooper drives in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th to give the Blue Jays a 3 - 2 victory at home.
  • The Nationals easily win a battle of division leaders, crushing San Francisco, 14 - 2, while banging out 21 hits. National League ERA leader Ryan Vogelsong gets pounded for eight runs in less than three innings, while Gio Gonzalez wins his 15th of the season, tying the club record since the team's move to Washington, DC. Kurt Suzuki drives in four runs, while Danny Espinosa and Roger Bernadina have three RBI each.
• 2013 - In Seattle's 5 - 4 win over the Rays, the lead-off hitters for both teams flex their muscles. Brad Miller and Ben Zobrist both homer in their first at-bat, and again in the 5th inning. This has only happened once before in major league history, when Tony Phillips and Chuck Knoblauch, for the Tigers and Twins, both led off the game with a homer and added one later on in the game on June 5, 1994. Zobrist's first long ball is the 100th of his career, while for Miller, it's his first game in his home state of Florida.
• 2014 - Major League owners hold their mid-season meeting in Baltimore, MD. On their agenda is the election of a successor to Commissioner Bud Selig, who is stepping down at the end of the year. While the press has speculated that owners are divided among the three proposed candidates ahead of the vote scheduled for tomorrow, they express confidence that they will come to an agreement and avoid an impasse.
• 2015:
  • For the second time this season, the Blue Jays have matched their all-time longest winning streak by getting their 11th straight victory, 4 - 2 over Oakland. They had a similar streak in June and are the first team since the 1954 Cleveland Indians to have two winning streaks of at least 11 games in the same season. Mark Buehrle improves to 13-5 and Ryan Goins hits a three-run homer off Jesse Chavez.
  • The Cubs also have a nice winning streak, as they notch their seventh straight, 9 - 2 over the Brewers. Kyle Schwarber, Dexter Fowler and Anthony Rizzo all homer in the 5th inning. Schwarber adds another long ball and Chris Denorfia also goes deep as Chicago wins its 13th in its last 14 games. Jon Lester is the beneficiary of the hitting spree.
• 2016 - Rookies Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge hit back-to-back homers in their respective first major league at-bats in the 2nd inning to lead the Yankees to an 8 - 4 win over the Rays. No teammates had ever homered in their first at-bat in the same game, let alone back-to-back. The Yankees hit three more homers later in the day, by Starlin Castro, Aaron Hicks and Didi Gregorius, to put the game away; in a sign that the team's youth movement is going well, not one of these players is over 25.
• 2017 - The Marlins defeat the Rockies, 5 - 3, as Giancarlo Stanton hits his 250th career home run. It is also his 42nd of the season, tying the Marlins franchise record set by Gary Sheffield in 1996. Stanton has hit 21 homers in his last 33 games to surge to the major league lead.
• 2018 - Rookie Ronald Acuna of the Braves achieves a very rare feat as he homers to lead off both games of a doubleheader against the Marlins. In the opener, he starts the game with a home run off Pablo Lopez as the Braves cruise to a 9 - 1 win, then in the nitecap, he victimizes Merandy Gonzalez, making his first big league start, as Atlanta completes a sweep with a 6 - 1 win. Only three other players had done this before him: Hall of Famers Harry Hooper (in 1913) and Rickey Henderson (in 1993), and most recently Brady Anderson on August 21, 1999.
• 2019 - Kyle Seager has the first three-homer game of his career in an 11 - 6 win by the Mariners over the Tigers. The third homer is a bit of a gift, as in the 9th inning CF Niko Goodrum and LF Brandon Dixon collide in chasing what appears to be a routine fly ball at the warning track and unwittingly knock the ball over the fence.
• 2020 - Mookie Betts leads the Dodgers to an 11 - 2 win over the Padres with a three-homer game, the sixth of his career. That ties him for most all time with Johnny Mize and Sammy Sosa, although Betts has reached the total in just 813 games, whereas Mize needed 1,884 and Sosa 2,364.
• 2023 - The Rays place All-Star SS Wander Franco on the restricted list. Although they only mention at the time that this has to do with posts on social media, word will quickly get out that he is under investigation by authorities in the Dominican Republic for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a minor.
• 2024 - Juan Soto has the first three-homer game of his career and drives in all four of his team's runs as he leads the Yankees to a 4 - 1 win over the White Sox.

Births

• 1858 - Fatty Briody, catcher (d. 1903)
• 1865 - Hercules Burnett, outfielder (d. 1936)
• 1868 - Harry Ely, pitcher (d. 1925)
• 1869 - Jack Sharrott, pitcher (d. 1927)
• 1871 - Fielder Jones, outfielder, manager (d. 1934)
• 1874 - Howard Price, minor league outfielder and manager (d. ????)
• 1876 - Arthur Belden, minor league pitcher-outfielder
• 1884 - George Perring, infielder (d. 1960)
• 1884 - Hack Schumann, pitcher (d. 1946)
• 1886 - Wingo Anderson, pitcher (d. 1950)
• 1886 - Lefty George, pitcher (d. 1955)
• 1888 - Limb McKenry, pitcher (d. 1956)
• 1889 - Cotton Knaupp, infielder (d. 1967)
• 1893 - Jim Shaw, pitcher (d. 1962)
• 1897 - Dink Mothell, infielder, manager (d. 1980)
• 1900 - Charles DeWitt, owner (d. 1967)
• 1903 - Steve Swetonic, pitcher (d. 1974)
• 1906 - Cliff Garrison, pitcher (d. 1994)
• 1906 - Carlos Moore, pitcher (d. 1958)
• 1906 - Art Shires, infielder (d. 1967)
• 1906 - Kemp Wicker, pitcher (d. 1973)
• 1907 - Hipolito Arenas, outfielder/infielder (d. 1995)
• 1907 - George Susce, catcher (d. 1986)
• 1910 - Lou Finney, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1966)
• 1911 - Anuar Canavati, minor league executive; Salon de la Fama (d. 1965)
• 1911 - Clemon Rooney, pitcher (d. 1980)
• 1912 - Tadashi Goto, NPB infielder (d. WWII)
• 1913 - Wes Flowers, pitcher (d. 1988)
• 1917 - Sid Gordon, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1975)
• 1918 - Elmer Weingartner, infielder (d. 2009)
• 1924 - Daniel McCarthy, owner
• 1928 - Curtis Hardaway, minor league infielder (d. 2000)
• 1929 - Ben Downs, minor league outfielder (d. 2001)
• 1930 - Vinegar Bend Mizell, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1999)
• 1930 - Jerry Neudecker, umpire (d. 1997)
• 1930 - Bob Wiesler, pitcher (d. 2014)
• 1931 - Marcos Cobos, minor league catcher and manager (d. 2015)
• 1931 - Steve Molinari, minor league outfielder (d. 2012)
• 1933 - Bob Giggie, pitcher (d. 2018)
• 1935 - Mudcat Grant, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2021)
• 1938 - Bill Stafford, pitcher (d. 2001)
• 1940 - Tony Cloninger, pitcher (d. 2018)
• 1941 - Jim French, catcher
• 1941 - Pompeyo Llamas, Colombian national team outfielder (d. 2020)
• 1945 - Akiyo Kinjoh, NPB outfielder
• 1947 - Jerry Crawford, umpire
• 1947 - Fred Stanley, infielder
• 1948 - Erskine Thomason, pitcher
• 1949 - Andre Thornton, designated hitter; All-Star
• 1950 - Rusty Gerhardt, pitcher
• 1951 - David Hrdlicka, scout (d. 2009)
• 1952 - Larry Randall, umpire
• 1955 - Odie Davis, infielder
• 1955 - Hidetoshi Hakamada, NPB catcher
• 1959 - Tony Lonero, Italian Baseball League catcher
• 1959 - Tom Niedenfuer, pitcher
• 1961 - Jim Reboulet, minor league infielder
• 1962 - Turner Gill, minor league infielder
• 1962 - Garry Harris, minor league infielder (d. 2022)
• 1962 - Benjamín Heredia, Dominican national team infielder
• 1963 - Jeff Ballard, pitcher
• 1963 - Dennis Powell, pitcher
• 1964 - Jay Buhner, outfielder; All-Star
• 1964 - Gary Cooper, infielder
• 1964 - Dave Masters, minor league pitcher
• 1964 - Tom Prince, catcher; manager
• 1964 - Dody Rather, minor league pitcher
• 1965 - Mark Lemke, infielder
• 1969 - Alex Fernandez, pitcher
• 1970 - Eddie Gaillard, pitcher
• 1970 - Clarence "Dickie" Brown, minor league pitcher
• 1970 - Dan Collier, minor league outfielder
• 1970 - Cesar Perez, minor league pitcher
• 1971 - Masahiro Nojima, Japanese national team infielder
• 1972 - Yusaku Iriki, NPB pitcher
• 1973 - Rob Zachmann, minor league catcher
• 1974 - Scott MacRae, pitcher
• 1974 - Jarrod Washburn, pitcher
• 1975 - Fernando Badrina, Philippines national team pitcher
• 1975 - Pete Zamora, minor league pitcher and manager
• 1976 - Kazuyuki Matsushita, Japanese national team outfielder
• 1977 - Sergio Arauz, Panamanian national team catcher
• 1977 - Will Ohman, pitcher
• 1978 - Kevin Causey, umpire
• 1978 - Jimy González, minor league infielder
• 1978 - Matt White, minor league pitcher
• 1979 - Roman Colon, pitcher
• 1979 - Richard Montiel, Division Honor infielder
• 1979 - Corey Patterson, outfielder
• 1979 - Jon Switzer, pitcher
• 1980 - Jonah Bayliss, pitcher
• 1980 - Sandy Nin, minor league player
• 1980 - Alex Requena, minor league outfielder
• 1981 - Cory Doyne, pitcher
• 1981 - Peter Kritikos, Greek national team outfielder
• 1981 - Sang-woo Lee, KBO pitcher
• 1981 - Randy Messenger, pitcher
• 1983 - Dallas Braden, pitcher
• 1983 - Dario Colović, Croatian national team outfielder
• 1983 - Panya Prayonghom, Thai national team outfielder
• 1984 - Keith Hernandez, minor league catcher
• 1984 - Boone Logan, pitcher
• 1984 - John Pangelinan, Guam national team pitcher
• 1984 - Joseph Pangelinan, Guam national team player
• 1985 - Scott Elbert, pitcher
• 1985 - Diomedes Garcia, minor league pitcher
• 1985 - Seth Garrison, minor league pitcher
• 1986 - Boris Bokaj, Italian Baseball League pitcher
• 1987 - Josmar Carreño, minor league pitcher
• 1987 - J.J. Hoover, pitcher
• 1987 - Domingo Morillo, minor league utility man
• 1987 - David Walters, minor league pitcher
• 1988 - Alex Rivers, minor league pitcher
• 1988 - Brandon Workman, pitcher
• 1989 - Dustin Garneau, catcher
• 1989 - Chun-Yeung Wu, Hong Kong national team player
• 1990 - Joe Ortiz, pitcher
• 1990 - Hansel Robles, pitcher
• 1990 - Angel Villalona, minor league infielder
• 1991 - Randal Grichuk, outfielder
• 1991 - Edvardas Matusevičius, Bundesliga pitcher
• 1991 - Jong-hoon Park, KBO pitcher
• 1992 - Kevin Dirksen, Hoofdklasse outfielder
• 1992 - Carlos Navas, minor league pitcher
• 1992 - Michal Sobotka, Extraliga pitcher
• 1992 - Taijuan Walker, pitcher; All-Star
• 1993 - Sailiilemalo Laolagi, American Samoa national team infielder
• 1993 - Shane Watson, minor league pitcher
• 1994 - Ulfrido García, minor league pitcher (d. 2022)
• 1994 - Troy Montgomery, minor league outfielder
• 1994 - Federico Schultze, Argentinian national team pitcher
• 1996 - Alexis Wilson, minor league catcher
• 1997 - Kolby Allard, pitcher
• 1997 - Rosa Del Castillo, Mexican women's national team pitcher
• 2000 - Jordan Díaz, infielder
• 2000 - Po-Chieh Fan, CPBL pitcher

Deaths

• 1936 - Irv Hach, infielder (b. 1873)
• 1940 - Buck Stanley, pitcher (b. 1889)
• 1948 - John Perrine, infielder (b. 1885)
• 1952 - Hal Haid, pitcher (b. 1897)
• 1967 - Mike Hechinger, catcher (b. 1890)
• 1968 - Lefty Guise, pitcher (b. 1908)
• 1970 - Duke Cleveland, outfielder; All-Star (b. 1916)
• 1972 - Herman Besse, pitcher (b. 1911)
• 1972 - George Weiss, Hall of Famer (b. 1894)
• 1973 - Ernie Smith (smither02), outfielder (b. 1900)
• 1974 - Alto Lane, pitcher (b. 1908)
• 1980 - Tom Miller, pinch hitter (b. 1897)
• 1983 - Charlie Gilbert, outfielder (b. 1919)
• 1988 - Mel Almada, outfielder (b. 1913)
• 1988 - Edward Bennett Williams, owner (b. 1920)
• 1995 - Mickey Mantle, outfielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1931)
• 1996 - Ray Shore, pitcher (b. 1921)
• 1998 - Rafael Robles, infielder (b. 1947)
• 1999 - Bill Lohrman, pitcher (b. 1913)
• 2000 - Lefty Turner, infielder (b. 1912)
• 2001 - Doug Cossey, umpire (b. 1929)
• 2002 - Jack Creel, pitcher (b. 1916)
• 2003 - Charlie Devens, pitcher (b. 1910)
• 2007 - Ox Miller, pitcher (b. 1915)
• 2007 - Phil Rizzuto, infielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1917)
• 2009 - Fred Brocklander, umpire (b. 1940)
• 2009 - Mickey Weintraub, minor league player and manager (b. 1917)
• 2011 - Jack Concannon, minor league infielder (b. 1929)
• 2012 - Dan Daniels, announcer (b. 1922)
• 2012 - Ray Malgradi, minor league pitcher and manager (b. 1922)
• 2012 - Johnny Pesky, infielder, manager (b. 1919)
• 2014 - Phil Shartzer, minor league infielder (b. 1935)
• 2014 - Ed Walsh, minor league infielder (b. 1966)
• 2023 - Bill Schlesinger, pinch hitter (b. 1941)