Masanori Murakami may only have two lines in his yearly stages, and just 54 Major League games to his credit, but as the first Japanese player in the MLB his place in the history of our Great Game is assured. Coming to the US as an exchange student, when his Japanese team forgot to call him back, he stayed in the San Francisco Giants system.

His MLB debut as a reliever took place on September 1, 1964, and he had a total of 9 games for the Giants. The off-season saw protracted contract negotiations, resolved with Murakami playing one more year for the Giants before returning to the Nankai Hawks in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league… and as part of that process, MLB and NPB agreed to honour each other’s reserve clauses.

He never returned to play professionally in the US, but his career record of 5-1, 9 saves, and a 3.43 ERA will always have his momentous first alongside it.

For today’s game, we move to August 29 in Murakami’s only full season. The Giants are on the road and visiting the Mets at Shea Stadium, the same stadium where he made his debut nearly 12 months previously. Bobby Bolin will start on the mound for the Giants, but Murakami is waiting in the bullpen.

It’s the deciding game of a three-game series, and the Mets radio team of Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy, and Ralph Kiner will take you through the ballgame.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196508290.shtml

This game was played on August 29, 1965.

Some weeks, we pick out a game that is a pivotal moment in a team's history. Other weeks, we have a classic matchup. Maybe it's a game of a storied player early in their career?

Not today. Today, it's just a game of baseball. Admittedly, it's one from nearly ninety years ago, but our game is still our game. Sit back as the Senators (31-45) take on the White Sox (50-33).

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA193707210.shtml

This game was played on July 21, 1937.

The 1969 season is underway, and the Minnesota Twins' Rod Carew is already raking up the hits. After seven games, he's posting .388. That form will continue through the rest of the year, his eventual .322 winning him the AL Batting Trophy for the first of seven times—enough for the title to carry his name from 2016. If you want another 1969 stat, Carew steals home seven times (just one short of Ty Cobb's record of eight).

Carew's career record notably contains 15 consecutive seasons batting over .300, starting in 1969; seven 5-hit games; and an overall .328, and elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991. As for legendary status, how about becoming only the 16th player in baseball history to reach 3000 hits?

For today's game, we're early in the season, though, and the 6-6 California Angels are visiting the 7-4 Twins at Metropolitan Stadium.

Monte Moore & Al Helfer take you through the game.

You can find the boxscore here:https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN196904210.shtml.

This game was played on April 21, 1969.

The New York Mets put up a strike-less game in the 2024 National League Championship game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It's a rare feat, but even rare are both sides forgetting to get any strikes.

That was the case in the pivotal Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. Naturally, everything is on the line. We know that starting pitchers Bob Turley and Vern Law will impress, but the journey makes it wonderful. So here's the journey, with Bob Prince and Mel Allen taking you through to the fairytale finish.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT196010130.shtml

This game was played on October 13, 1960.

MLB’s first three years of post-season action saw the Baltimore Orioles appear each year. In 1971, the Oakland Athletic appeared for the first time and would have their own consecutive run of five years, reaching the fall knockout.

The Orioles had come out on top in 1969 and 1970, winning the league pennant and making it to the World Series both years. Standing in front of them are the Athletes, looking to reach the World Series for the first time since the Philadelphia Athletics in 1931.

Your national broadcast callers are Bill O'Donnell and Chuck Thompson.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL197110040.shtml

This game was played on October 4, 1971

As the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves meet for Game 161 and Game 162 to decide who goes into the 2024 Postseason, it's a chance to look back at some of the tiebreakers in the regular season, and specifically the last significant tiebreaker before the postseason expanded from just the World Series into the knockout format we recognise today.

It's back to 1962 and as the season ends, the Giants and the Dodgers are tied at the top of the National League on 101 wins. With just a single spot in the World Series, the teams faced each other over a three-game series. They split the first two games, leading to a win-or-go-home Game 165 and the record for the longest season in Major League history.

This is Game 165.

George Kell and Al Helfer take you through a remarkable quirk of a game.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196210030.shtml

This game was played on October 3, 1962.

He started in the major with the Pirates, and 21 years later, he retired from the majors, having never left Pittsburgh. But Willie Stargell was more than a one-club baseball player; he was the club. That's why the Pirates called him Pops.

They could also have called him Power. Stargell was one of the big hitters of the sixties and seventies, with a career .282 from 2,232 hits and 475 home runs. That career included two World Series rings and 7 All-Star appearances.

For today's game, we turn to a late-season match-up against the Phillies. The Pirates are at the top of the NL East, and the Phillies are 5.5 games back with 20 games left to play. This is a chance for the Phillies to draw themselves closer to the post-seasons and for the Pirates to cement their lead.

We join the Pirates broadcast with Bob Prince and Nelson King taking us through the game.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI197409110.shtml

This game was played on September 11, 1974.

In a decade packed with legends that echo through history, there will be players who rarely grab the historical spotlight. Brooks Robinson might not be the household name of the former, but he's very much a legend.

Starting his major league career in 1955, he played all of his 23 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. In that time, he made third base his own and is arguably one of the greatest third baseman the game has ever seen, with 18 call-ups to the All-Stars, 16 consecutive Gold Gloves, and 2 World Series rings.

To this day, he still holds the record for putouts (2,697), assists (6,205), total chances, and double plays at third base (618).

For today's game, we’re going to early in 1964. Robinson had an offensive slump in the back half of 1963 and has been working with the Orioles hitting coach to find his form again. Listen out for his at bats as the Orioles welcome the Yankees to Memorial Stadium.

It's the familiar team of Phil Rizzuto, Jerry Coleman, and Mel Allen… although 1964 is Allen's debut year, so enjoy his first steps into the radio world.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL196404180.shtml

This game was played on April 18, 1964.

Brought up into the majors by the Detroit Tigers in 152, Al Kaline spent 22 years playing for the Tigers before becoming the Tiger's color commentator until 2003, before heading into the front office until he died in 2020.

His playing record is impressive, passing the 3000-hit mark just before he retired in 1974. Today, nearly fifty years later, Kaline sits at number 32 in the all-time hits table, with 3007 hits to his name. That record includes eighteen all-star games, ten Gold Gloves, and one World Series ring from 1968.

For today's game, we're going back to the final series of the 1972 season. The Red Sox are in first place, just half a game ahead of the Tigers. With three games in the series, both teams need to take two wins to lift the pennant.

Detroit took the first game on October 2nd. One more victory and the season belongs to the Tigers. With four hits and two runs in the first game, Kaline wants to do the same and lift his team over the line.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET197210030.shtml

This game was played on October 3, 1972.

When you win eleven Gold Gloves in eleven years, you know you're one of the best. Keith Hernandez knew he was one of the best. A contact hitter with a career .296, he won two World Series rings, five All-Star appearances, and picked up the NL batting championship award in 1979.

Five years into his career, he cracked the .300 ceiling and never looked back. Yet for this week's game, we will go back to the very first month of his MLB career.

It's September 14th, and Hernandez has been in The Show for three weeks. He was brought up from the minors by the St Louis Cardinals for a challenging September as they unsuccessfully chased the Pittsburg Pirates for the NL East top spot.

Today, they're on the road to the Philadelphia Phillies, who have fallen out of the pennant race but still want a head-to-head victory over the Cardinals. Hernandez is fifth in the order and looking to make a difference…

Your KMOX Cardinals radio team of Jack Buck, Mike Shannon and Bob Starr take you through the game.

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI197409140.shtml

This game was played on September 14,1974.