Classic Baseball Broadcasts

August 28, 1990, Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs becomes the first second baseman in history to notch consecutive 30-home run seasons. Sandberg hits his milestone 30th home run against the Houston Astros, helping the Cubs to a 5-2 win. Sandberg went onto hit 40 homeruns, he is 1 of 9 men to hit 40 homeruns in a season and the cubs ar the only team to have 40+ homerun hitters at shortstop and secondbase.

August 28, 1967, the Boston Red Sox sign free agent first baseman/outfielder Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, who had been fired by the Kansas City A’s for making critical remarks about owner Charlie Finley. Harrelson reportedly receives a $75,000 bonus and salary package for 1967 and 1968. Harrelson will homer in his first Boston at bat but will hit just .200 for the Red Sox in 1967, he did hit 3 homeruns and drive in 14 however. The next year, however, he will become an All-Star and lead the American League with 109 RBI. Harrelson has become a colorful out spoken announcer since his retirment for baseball.

1951 - The Braves sell pitcher Johnny Sain to the Yankees for $50,000 and a young pitcher named Lew Burdette. It is another late-season insurance measure for the New Yorkers. Burdette would later be the key pitcher when the Braves beat the Yankees in the 1957 World Series. He won games 2,5 and 7 including back to back shutouts in game 5 and 7. Sain did pitch for 3 championship teams for New York but only pitched 13.2 innings over those years and went 1-1 in the World Series. Burdette pitched more innings and won more games in 1957 series alone.

Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

The king of thives:

August 27, 1982, Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A’s breaks Lou Brock’s single-season stolen base record. Henderson steals his 119th base, surpassing Brock’s total of 118 thefts. Henderson stole the base in the 3rd inning off the battery of Doc Medith and Ted Simmions. Henderson, would steal three more bases in a 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, he will finish the season with 130 stolen bases.

Inside the Park Homerun madness . . .

On August 27, 1977, Toby Harrah and Bump Wills of the Texas Rangers hit back-to-back inside-the-park home runs against the New York Yankees. Harrah and Wills connect on consecutive pitches in the Rangers’ 8-2 win at Yankee Stadium. This is the only time in MLB history players have hit back to back inside the park homeruns.

Bobby Abreu of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a pair of solo homers‚ including a game-winning inside-the-park shot off San Francisco Giant reliever Aaron Fultz in the 10th inning to win 2-1. Abreu's homer‚ his 20th‚ is the 5th inside-the-park home run game-ender in Phillies history and the first since Bob Dernier did it in 1989‚ also against the Giants. He's the 29th major-leaguer since 1900 to end a game with an inside-the-park Home Run and the 38th extra-inning inside-the-park homerun (according to David Vincent). Ed Vosberg (1-0) picks up his 1st win since 1997.

Lets play Two!

The Yankees‚ playing their 6th successive doubleheader‚ increase their AL lead to 12 games. 40‚959 fans filled Yankee Stadium‚ Joe DiMaggio has 3 triples in the first game of a doubleheader with Cleveland‚ an 8-7 Yankee win. New York scores 4 in the 9th‚ the last 2 coming around on DiMaggio's 3rd successive triple‚ to win it. In the 2nd game‚ Yankee Monte Pearson tosses a no-hitter-the first at Yankee Stadium-winning his 10th straight game‚ 13-0. He faces just 27 batters‚ striking out 7.

Historical Recap performed by:

Robyn Newton from - Robyn Says

Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

August 26th

The Mariners fall to the Royals‚ 7-3‚ despite Ichiro Suzuki's 200th hit of the season. With the HR‚ Suzuki becomes the 1st player to reach 200 hits in each of his 1st 4 ML seasons. A trend that would continue through the 2010 season.

August 26, 1995, Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves ties a major league record by posting his 16th consecutive win on the road. Maddux earns a 7-2 win over his former team, the Chicago Cubs. Maddux will earn Cy Young Award honors after the season.

Them Bums! A trio a Brooklyn dodger feats on this day:

August 26, 1950, future Hall of Famer Roy Campanella of the Brooklyn Dodgers hits three consecutive home runs to spearhead his club to a 7-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The hard-hitting catcher connects each time against Reds starter Ken Raffensberger.

August 26, 1947, Dan Bankhead becomes the first black pitcher in major league history. The former Negro leagues star makes his first appearance with the Brooklyn Dodgers, who previously debuted Jackie Robinson on April 15. Bankhead becomes the first National League pitcher to homer in his first at-bat, but gives up eight runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings.

August 26, 1939, the first televised broadcast of a major league game takes place at Ebbets Field, where the Brooklyn Dodgers host the Cincinnati Reds in a twinbill. Legendary announcer Red Barber broadcasts the game over W2XBS. The Dodgers take the first game 6-2, Hugh Casey got the victory and Dolph Camilli drives in 3 and hits first homerun. The Reds take the second 5-2.

Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

• August 25, 1985, Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets becomes the youngest pitcher to win 20 games in a season. At 20 years, nine months, and nine days - one month younger than Bob Feller was when he won 20 games in 1939 - Gooden defeats the San Diego Padres, 9-3. Gooden will not follow Feller into the Hall of Fame but had 194 career wins and was part of two world champions, even though in 12 post season appereances he never won a game.

Holy Cow!

• August 25, 1956, the New York Yankees release longtime shortstop Phil Rizzuto, ending his playing career. The Yankees cut Rizzuto in order to make room for another Hall of Famer - outfielder Enos Slaughter. In 1957, the Yankees will add Rizzuto to their broadcasting crew. Four years earlier on this date Rizzuto was involved in controversional play, In a 1-0 win over the Yankees, Virgil Trucks of the Tigers pitches his second no-hitter of the season. The no-hitter is in doubt for three innings when a play made by shortstop Johnny Pesky in the third inning is under debate. Rizzuto's grounder is ruled an error, then a hit, before it is switched back to an error.

A pair of dazzling rookies:

• 1997 - Boston's Nomar Garciaparra singles twice to extend his hitting streak to 27 games, breaking the American League rookie record set by Guy Curtright of the Chicago White Sox in 1943. The Red Sox come back to beat the Mariners 9-8. Garciaparra's streak will extend to thirty games.
• 1986 - Oakland A's third baseman Mark McGwire hits his first major league home run, a 450-foot blast to center field off Walt Terrell, as Oakland beats Detroit 8-4 at Tiger Stadium.

Born on this day:

• Future Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers is born in Steubenville, Ohio. After a brilliant amateur career that includes American Legion “Player of the Year” honors, Fingers will make his major league debut with the Oakland A’s in 1968 and will become one of baseball's top relievers.

Historical Recap performed by:

Robyn Newton from - Robyn Says

This Day In Baseball is Sponsored by - www.vintagebaseballreflections.com - Join the membership today and listen to 50 years of baseball history told to you by the folks who were there! As a special offer, all our listeners can use the term - thisdayinbaseball at the membership check out.

Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

• August 24, 1989, Pete Rose signs an agreement that bans him from baseball permanently. Commissioner Bart Giamatti announces that the agreement does not contain either “an admission or a denial” that Rose bet on baseball games. The ruling will prevent Rose from seeking employment in the major leagues.
• August 24, 1971, Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs hits his 512th and final career home run. Banks’ homer helps the Cubs to a 5-4 victory.
• How many fans wish they had a owner like this? August 24, 1951, St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck pulls off another one of his famous stunts. Veeck allows over 1,000 fans to act as “managers” during a game at Sportsman’s Park. The fans use placards to vote on lineup and strategy decisions.
• August 24, 1969, the expansion Seattle Pilots trade knuckleballing pitcher Jim Bouton to the Houston Astros for pitchers Dooley Womack and Roric Harrison. Bouton will become a celebrity one year later when his book, "Ball Four", is published and becomes a best-seller.

Joe Glenn catches baseball's best hitters:

• Left fielder Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox pitches the last two innings in a 12-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Williams allows three hits and one run but strikes out Tiger slugger Rudy York. Joe Glenn, who caught Babe Ruth's last pitching appearance in 1933, is Williams'catcher.
• 1919 - Cleveland pitcher Ray Caldwell is flattened by a bolt of lightning in his debut with the team. He recovers to get the final out of the game, and defeats Philadelphia, 2-1.

Historical Recap performed by:

Robyn Newton from - Robyn Says

This Day In Baseball is Sponsored by - www.vintagebaseballreflections.com - Join the membership today and listen to 50 years of baseball history told to you by the folks who were there! As a special offer, all our listeners can use the term - thisdayinbaseball at the membership check out.

Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Grease Discovery:

• August 23, 1982, Gaylord Perry of the Seattle Mariners is caught putting a foreign substance on the ball. Long suspected of throwing a “spitball,” Perry is ejected from a game for the first and only time in his career.

Hall of Fame Debut:

• August 23, 1936, future Hall of Famer Bob Feller makes his first major league start and strikes out the first eight batters he faces. The Cleveland Indians’ rookie finishes the game with 15 strikeouts and a complete-game victory.

Historic Sale:

• August 23, 1980, Charlie Finley sells the Oakland A’s to the Levi Strauss company for nearly $13 million. During Finley’s reign in Oakland, the A’s won three consecutive World Championships. Finley also influenced the adoption of the designated hitter, World Series night games, and multi-colored uniforms.

3 7th Inning Stretches:

• 1989 - Rick Dempsey homers off Dennis Martinez in the top of the 22nd inning to break up a scoreless tie and give the Dodgers a 1 - 0 win over the Expos. The game features one thumbing - the umps toss the Expos mascot Youppi! in the 11th for annoying Tommy Lasorda - and he then returns in the 13th wearing pajamas. He carries a pillow and sleeps on the home dugout roof, where the umps have restricted him. In the 16th, Larry Walker apparently scores the game-winner, but the Dodgers appeal - with two umps in the tunnel - and get the play revesed. Eddie Murray in the 18th moves the second base ump and slams a drive that Walker traps off the padding in RF. Fans stand for three "seventh-inning stretches" during the major-league record (in time, and for a 1 - 0 game) 6 hours, 14 minute game. Other club records are set and several major league records are noted: most innings (22) without a walk by the Expos tops the Pirates (who used one pitcher) against the Giants, July 17, 1914.

Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Today we are covering August 19 – 25, we are going to be talking about – Jimmie Foxx pitching career, Gooden early excellence, Bill Veek grand stand moment, Yogi Berra and the harmonica, Juan Marichal and John Roseboro fight and the professional pinch hitter Matt Stairs.  

If you love the history of the game, and relate all your stories in life to baseball, and you tend to get goose bumps, grim and even water your eyes a bit when Ray Kinsela asks his Dad to play catch. You are truly at the right place.

This podcast is part of thisdayinbaseball.com, if you love baseball history, no matter who you search for you are going to find great nuggets of information.

TRIVIA:

What owner once bought a jackass as a team mascot and named it after himself? He also had a nickname :The Wizard of ODD.

On August 19, 1945 – In game two of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds, 37-year-old slugger Jimmie Foxx makes his first major league start, pitching the first seven innings for the Philadelphia Phillies at Shide Park. He leaves with a 4 – 1 lead, and Andy Karl saves Foxx’s only decision, a 6 – 2 final.  Here is his stat line his ERA in 10 appearances is 1.52, ERA+ was 243, batters only hit .171 with a .479 OPS and of the 76 batters that faced Foxx not one of them was able to get an extra base hit. The only black mark was 14 Base on Balls vs 10 K’s.

Foxx also known as “The Beast” had always wanted to pitch, he was a star hurler in High School. However it was the WAR and the end of his career that really gave him a chance. After the 1944 seasons he appeared in only 15 games, but the War gave him another chance as he signed with the Phillies for a final go round. The 3 Time MVP was not fairing any better so they last place Phillies gave him a shot on the mound, and Foxx the future Hall of Famer. Foxx made the most of it to finish his spectacular career.   

On August 20, 1964 — During a bus ride after a Chicago White Sox sweep the Yankee’s 4 straight, Mickey Mantle misinformed his teammate Phil Linz who had been playing Mary Had a Little Lamb on his harmonica that their manager Yogi Berra had asked for the harmonica to be played louder, when in fact he asked him to stop, a confrontation occurs on the back of the team bus between the skipper, and the utility player.

As told Mel Stottlemyre a rookie at the time - “Yogi told Phil he was going to shove the harmonica up his ass if he kept playing — plus a few other things. I don't know if it scared Phil but he tossed the harmonica toward Yogi, who slapped it out of the air and whacked it off Joe Pepitone's knee.

Linz apologized the next day and he was fined $200,

With a bus full of reports the event was well well-publicized Linz apologized the next day and he was fined $200. Some say that seeing that side of Berra fired up the third-place team, , to a successful pennant run, but may have reinforced the perception Berra had lost control of the team with so much dissension on the club, leading to his dismissal after Game 7 of the World Series.

Yogi had many Yogisms, here is one I will think about allot, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wind up somewhere else”

On August 21, 2010 — Matt Stairs sets the career record for pinch-hit home runs when he goes deep off Ernesto Frieri in the eighth inning of a 6-5 loss in Milwaukee. The two-run shot over the Miller Park right field fence, his twenty-first round-tripper coming off the bench, moves the premier pinch-hitter ahead of Cliff Johnson.

Matt stairs is 1 of only 5 Canadian born players to hit 200 homeruns, and he has the record for a position player playing for 12 different teams and 13 franchises. He played for the Expos and Nationals.

His pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of Game 4 in the 2008 National League Championship Series off the Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton was called "one of the most memorable home runs in Phillies history"

On April 12, 2009, Stairs' game-winning home run against the Colorado Rockies was the last home run called by legendary broadcaster Harry Kalas, who died unexpectedly less than 24 hours later.

Matt Stairs is a great what if – he didn’t get regular at bats until age 29, if he had been in the right situation at age 22-23 both  Bill James and Joe Posnanski feel he could have been Hall of Fame material.

On August 22, 1965, After Juan Marichal had knocked down Maury Wills and Ron Fairly in the top of the third, John Roseboro signaled for Sandy Koufax to retaliate in the bottom of the inning. It didn’t work. “Koufax was constitutionally incapable of throwing at anyone’s head,” Roseboro wrote in his 1978 autobiography, “so I decided to take matters into my own hands.” Roseboro was throwing the ball too close to his head while returning throws to Koufax.

Marichal complains to the umpire about the throws and then the two square off, that is when MArichal hits Roseboro over the head with a bat.

Marichal was suspended for eight games and fined $1,750. Roseboro filed a lawsuit, asking for $110,000 in damages, but settled for about $7,000. He reportedly needed 14 stitches to close the wound on his head. It truly was one of the ugliest events in baseball history.

For many the story ends there – In a SF Chronicle article Barbra Roseboro his widow said, In restaurants, over the phone with clients, at the hospital where he lay dying, John Roseboro couldn’t escape the questions. “People would come up to us at dinner and say, ‘Please tell us about the fight with Marichal,’” the catcher’s widow said recently from her office in Beverly Hills. “He would always accept his responsibility for that incident. He’d say: ‘I provoked it. I threw that ball too close to Juan’s ear.’”

It was however Roseboro who helped Marichal transition into Dodger blue in 1975, they made peace at an old timers game in the 1970’s and Roseboro wife’s PR firm helped Marichal cross the line to get into Cooperstown when they felt the legacy of the fight was hurting him after missing for a second time.

Roseboro’s widow speaks almost as fondly of Marichal. “After my husband passed away, Juan would call to check up on me and my daughter every six months or so,” she said.

It is a great story how two people with differences and an ugly incident can come together to make peace.

On August 23, 1982, Gaylord Perry of the Seattle Mariners is caught putting a foreign substance on the ball. Long suspected of throwing a “spitball,” Perry is ejected from a game for the first and only time in his career.

From Peter Gammons: Against the Red Sox. In the seventh inning, down 1-0 with the bases loaded and two out and facing Rick Miller, who was his nemesis, he threw a pitch that dropped measurably. Umpire Dave Phillips, one of the most respected umpires of the era, jumped out from behind home plate and ejected Gaylord. There was some argument from Perry and M’s manager Rene Lachemann, but it sure seemed obvious to all of us in the building that there was a very mysterious flight pattern to the pitch.

But the reason Perry was ejected was a warning he got in the top of the fourth inning.

And that was, well, divine intervention.

Red Sox outfielder Reid Nichols asked Phillips to check the ball. Phillips did, found some substance, and issued the warning. Nichols said, “in the bottom of the third inning I was standing at my position in left field and a voice came to me reminding of the scripture that ‘no weapon formed against thee shall prosper.’ So when I got up to the plate in the next inning, I asked the umpire to check the ball.”

On August 24, 1951 — In another of Bill Veeck’s legendary public relations stunts, “Fans Managers’ Night,” the Browns defeat the Athletics, 5 – 3. The Browns’ coaches hold up placards for 1115 fans, who vote “yes” or “no” on the options given them. Manager Zack Taylor sits in a box behind the dugout with two fans who monitor the voting. Adding to the festivities is Max Patkin, the clown prince of baseball, who coaches at first base for several innings. Sherm Lollar voted in to start behind the plate instead of Matt Batts, has three hits including a homer, and Hank Arft, also voted in, knocks home two. Gus Zernial’s 28th home run accounts for all the A’s runs. When the stunt was announced on August 15, A’s GM Art Ehlers bitterly denounced it as “farcical.”

So, just how did the managers do? In his autobiography, Veeck -- As in Wreck, the Browns owner wrote of the Grandstand Managers' performance, "Never has a game been called better." And, though Veeck was certainly prone to hyperbole, he had a point: The managers correctly decided to leave Garver in the game, and they even voted to play back for a double play with runners on first and third with one out in the first inning -- while Athletics second baseman Pete Suter obliged by grounding into a double play.

The Grandstand Managers only made one glaring mistake in the game. After tying the game with a single in the first inning, the group instructed Arft to steal second base with two outs. Unfortunately, the Athletics apparently saw the move coming, and Arft was thrown out easily to end the inning.

How many fans wish they had Veeck as the owner? In 2003 during the playoff game when the A’s were playing the Red Sox, I sat in front of a guy who yelled for Grady Little to put in Trot Nixon for 6 innings. When he finally did, Nixon hit a game winning 2 run homerun in the 11th.

My Dad used to say the sadest words ever spoken are oh what could have been stories -

On August 25, 1985 — At the age of 20 years, 9 months, 9 days, Dwight Gooden becomes the youngest 20-game winner ever when the Mets beat San Diego at Shea Stadium, 9-3. Doc is 27 days younger than former Indian hurler Bob Feller, who accomplished the feat with Cleveland in 1939.

He will win the NL Cy Young Award and the pitching Triple Crown, compiling a 24–4 record and a league-leading 1.53 ERA, 268 strikeouts, and 16 complete games in 1985. In 86 he will the Mets win the 1986 World Series.

Sadly, Gooden remained an effective pitcher in subsequent years, but he will only once have an era under 3, and never win more than 13 games in a season after age 26. His career was ultimately derailed by cocaine and alcohol addiction.

I hope you enjoyed the daily rewind and before we give you the trivia answer here is a word from our sponsor . . .

Trivia Answer – TRIVIA:

What owner once bought a jackass as a team mascot and named it after himself? He also had a nickname :The Wizard of ODD.

He also had a mechanical Rabbit to bring baseballs to umpires, and once tried to get Vida Blue to change his name to “True.”

Charlie O. Finley, his 3 time World Champion Oakland A’s team bonding was against Finley himself with his legendary tight fisted ways.

I hope you enjoyed the show, remember to check out the show notes. We link to the players mentioned, years, other articles.

You can find us on on Social media just look for This Day In Baseball. If you have time to give us a review or feed back that would be appreciated as well.

See you at the ball park!

Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Cooperstwon Match up:

On August 22, 1989, Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers becomes the first major league pitcher to reach the 5,000 strikeout mark. Ryan fans Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A’s On a 96 mph fastball in the fifth inning. The "Ryan Express" strikes out 13 and gives up only five hits, but loses the game 2-0.

On August 22, 1965, San Francisco Giants ace Juan Marichal hits Los Angeles Dodgers catcher John Roseboro over the head with a bat. Marichal became angered when he thought Roseboro was throwing the ball too close to his head while returning throws to Sandy Koufax. The National League will suspend Marichal for eight days.The Los Angeles backstop suffers cuts on the head during the 14-minute brawl.

August 22, 1961, Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hits his 50th home run of the season during a 4-3 loss to the expansion Los Angeles Angels. Maris becomes the first player to reach the 50-home run mark during the month of August. Maris will eventually break Babe Ruth’s record for most home runs in a single season.

2010

Lou Piniella retires after 23 seasons as a manager. In his last game at the helm, his Cubs lose, 16 - 5, at home to the Atlanta Braves. Piniella missed some time earlier this year to be with his ailing mother, and had announced that this season would be his last. Coach Mike Quade will take over as interim manager for the remainder of the season. Piniella retires with a lifetime record of 1835-1712.

August 22, 1959, future Hall of Famer Frank Robinson of the Cincinnati Reds hits three home runs in an 11-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Robinson’s trio of blasts come in consecutive at-bats. and 7 years later in 1966 - At a private party for the Robinson falls into a swimming pool and is saved from drowning by Andy Etchebarren, who dives in to rescue his teammate.

Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

This week we look at Curt Flood going to Washington. Bean Balls that changed lives - Ray Chapman and Tony C, Power steals by Vic Power, and lost icon as Mickey Mantle Passes away, One incredible streak by Jack Taylor. 

Listen to our new section on Fan Stories - today we thank Ray Wilson.

On Episode 3 – we are backstepping through August 12 – 18th.

On September 27, 1940, what Detroit Tiger bullpen catcher was knocked out cold when hit over the head with a case of tomatoes?

On August 12, 1970 — 1970 – Judge Irving Ben Cooper rules against Curt Flood in his antitrust suit. Cooper says “Decisions of the Supreme Court are not lightly overruled… We find no general or widespread disregard of the extremely important position the player occupies… Clearly, the preponderance of credible proof does not favor the elimination of the reserve clause.” However, the judge says changes in the reserve clause should be made through negotiation but denies Flood damages. Flood will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court but in vain.

Flood, of course, blazed the trail with his actions for Free Agency. I heard from some fans they are unhappy Flood changed baseball history with his movement, but I don’t see it that way. Free Agency caused players like Carlton Fisk to move on, which I covered in season 1, but it also brought Kirk Gibson to LA.   

One Amazing streak comes to an end.

On August 13, 1906 — At Washington Park in Brooklyn, John "Brakeman" Taylor is replaced by a reliever for the first time since June of 1901 when the Brooklyn Superbas knock him out of the game in the third inning. During the five-year span, the Orphans’ right-hander completed a remarkable 1,727 innings of work that included 187 consecutive complete games, as well as finishing up 15 games in relief, during this stretch of 202 appearances he was not relived once. In 10 years, he will fail to finish only eight of 286 starts.

The Orphans, who will become the Cub's however dismantled the Superbas, later to be named the Dodgers 11-3 and Orval Overall will pick up the W.  In a 15 game series vs the upstart Chicago White Sox, Rumors swirled about the series, with James A. Hart accusing Taylor of having “laid down” against the Sox in his last three starts. He was traded in the offseason on 1903 from the team and then reacquired during the 1906 season. Taylor retired after the 1907 season when the Cub’s would win their first of 2 straight World Series.

On August 14, 1958, Vic Power of the Cleveland Indians steals home twice in the same game. His second stolen base gives the Indians a 10-9 win in 10 innings. Not known for his base-stealing ability, Power will finish the season with only three stolen bases.

During his 12-year career Power will steal 45 total bases and get caught 35 times, he stole 9 twice and in 1959 he had a career-high 9 steaks and 13 caught stealing. Power mainly a starter, also appeared 4 times in his career as a pinch-runner, at age 36 and 38. He also once got out of a jam on the base paths by running directly towards the fielder running with the ball, while waving his arms in the air. He flustered him enough that he threw the ball to someone else instead of tagging Power.

Needless to say, despite his amazing feat, Ty Cobb was never concerned by Vic.

August 15, 1995 - At the request of the Mantle family, Bob Costas delivers the eulogy at Mickey's funeral. The popular broadcaster, known for his love of the game and his admiration of the Yankee superstar, describes the Hall of Famer as "a fragile hero to whom we had an emotional attachment so strong and lasting that it defied logic."

August 16/17 - On a dreary afternoon at the Polo Grounds in New York, popular Indians shortstop Ray Chapman suffers a fractured skull when he is hit in the head by a fastball thrown by Yankee right-handed submariner Carl Mays.

Ray Chapman led off the fifth inning and the first pitch from Mays struck him on the left side of his head. He crumpled to the ground. Umpire Tommy Connolly, who was working the plate, immediately turned to the stands. He requested the services of a physician. Two responded to Connolly’s plea. A silence came over the crowd as the doctors worked on Chapman. Eventually, he was able to get to his feet with the aid of two teammates and walked across the infield to the Cleveland clubhouse (which players accessed through the center field at the Polo Grounds). But Chapman lost consciousness, and two teammates had to carry him to the clubhouse. Chapman was taken to St. Lawrence Hospital, a half-mile from the ballpark.

Chapman will survive the surgery that night but The 29-year-old newlywed will die shortly before daybreak tomorrow, becoming be the first and only on-field player fatality in major league history.

Many players wanted to take action against Carl Mays, but none was ever taken.

“It is the most regrettable incident of my baseball career,” said Mays. “I would give anything if I could undo what has happened. Chapman was a game, splendid fellow.”

August  18, 1967, another tragedy occurs, Boston born and raised Tony Conigliaro playing for his hometown Red Sox is beaned by the Angels’ Jack Hamilton. Hit on the left cheekbone, just below the eye socket, Conigliaro the 22-year-old who is showing Cooperstown stature will miss the rest of this year and all of 1968.

The batting helmet he was wearing did not have the protective ear-flap that has since become standard. He was able to win the comeback player of the year award in 69, and hit a career-high 36 home runs in 1970, but had to retire after a short stint with the Angels in 1971 because of the damage to his vision.

From Bill Nowlin in his SABR bio I got this tidbit, Ted Williams warned Ed Penney, Tony’s partner in a music business “Tell Tony that he’s crowding the plate. Tell him to back off.” He said, “It’s getting too serious now with the Red Sox.” Penney remembered, “I told him I would. I’d see him the next night. When we were walking across the field to get the kids, and Ted was going up to the stands to make some kind of talk, he turned around and yelled over to me and said, ‘Don’t forget what I told you to tell Tony. Back off, because they’ll be throwing at him.’” 

Tony was in a slump at the time and told his brother Billy he couldn’t back off the plate or pitchers wouldn’t take him seriously. If anything, he was going to dig in a little closer.

We all would have been a little better off to see where his amazing career could of have gone.

Now for a special new segment – A fans story – by Raymond Wilson

On August 8, 1987 - Steve Carlton, now a Minnesota Twin won his only game as a MN Twin - it turned out to be the last win of his great career of 329 wins. Ray was there - a 9 to 2 win over the Oakland A's. He pitched into the 9th inning. In 1994 - Ray was there in Cooperstown when he Carlton was enshrined in the BB H of Fame. 

The day after, Steve signed autographs . . . I got in line - the very FIRST in line - (3 hour wait - so worth it! ). He autograph my baseball, which had a Minnesota logo on it. I told Steve about being at his 329th win - he said, you sure go all out and a long way :) . . . You see the baseball belonged to my son, Joey, who was given that ball by his grandpa at a concession stand the night of the game. Joey's favorite player was Kirby Puckett - once in the game, Joey stood and yelled, Come on Kirby - hit a homerun! The very first pitch, Kirby hit a HR. Sadly, Joey died in 1988 . . . (long illness) . . . So along with Steve's signature - a few years later, Kirby also autograph that baseball. I keep the ball in a plastic cube. . . My daughter's Susanna, - she named her first son, - gave him Joseph as his middle name. . . Years from now I will eventually pass that ball onto my daughter and then she later will pass it on to her son, - a momento . . . That game -- my visit to Cooperstown - hearing his speech . . . talking with him.... a treasured memory I will have forever! Thank you Ray for sharing your story.

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Thanks for joining me today on this day in baseballs daily rewind! I hope you enjoyed the show and here is the trivia answer

When the tiger's bullpen catcher was hit over the head, umpire George Pipgras thought he was dead. Alas he was not, he came too and the police caught the fellow he tossed the create at the Tiger catcher. The fellon was roughed up a bit, but it was the catcher who eventually would be acquitted on charges believe it or not. Who am I – Birdie Tibbets.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

• 2007, Rick Ankiel made a dramatic return to the St. Louis Cardinals. In his first big league game in three years, Ankiel - a former pitcher - batted second and played right field. After going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts, Ankiel hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to propel the Cardinals to a 5-0 victory over the Padres at Busch Stadium.
• 1918, Cincinnati Reds manager Christy Mathewson suspends first baseman Hal Chase for what he calls “indifferent play.” Mathewson believes that Chase is “throwing” games because of gambling connections. It's not the first nor last time that Chase is accused of shady play

Milestones:

• 1988, Rich “Goose” Gossage of the Chicago Cubs earns his 300th career save. The veteran right-hander pitches the final inning of the Cubs’ 6-4 win over the New York Mets, in what also happens to be the first completed night game at Wrigley Field. A crowd of 36,399 attends the evening affair.
• 1975, Davey Lopes of the Los Angeles Dodgers breaks the record for most consecutive stolen bases without being caught. Lopes steals his 32nd straight base, eclipsing the record held by Max Carey. Lopes will swipe six more bases, shattering the mark, before being caught stealing on August 24.
• 1947, Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians and Hank Thompson of the St. Louis Browns make history by becoming the first African-American players to oppose each other in major league history. Doby’s Indians earn a 5-2 win.
• 1906, Jack “Brakeman” Taylor of the Chicago Cubs sets a major league record by hurling his 187th consecutive complete game. Taylor, whose streak began in 1901, earns the victory in a 5-3 decision over Brooklyn. I wonder what his pitch counts were?

Cooperstown Calls:

• 1976, two right-handed aces are among those inducted into the Hall of Fame. Bob Lemon and Robin Roberts, each of whom starred in the 1950s, are two of the six inductees. Also inducted are Negro leagues star Oscar Charleston, 19th century slugger Roger Connor, umpire Cal Hubbard, and third baseman Fred Lindstrom.
• 1954, Bill Dickey, Rabbit Maranville, and Bill Terry are inducted into the Hall of Fame during ceremonies in Cooperstown.

Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts