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Happy birthday to Frank Demaree, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1972 – Hank Aaron
‘s grand slam helps the Atlanta Braves to a 15-3 rout of the Phillies. It is Aaron’s 649th home run, moving him ahead of Willie Mays into second place on the career list. It is also his 14th grand slam, tying Gil Hodges‘ National League record, and other stories as well.Today in baseball history:
- 1892 – Though Baltimore fails to score after the 6th inning‚ the Orioles explode for 25 hits and swamp St. Louis, 25-4. Wilbert Robinson‚ Orioles catcher‚ goes 7 for 7‚ bats in 11 runs‚ then a major league record.
- 1935 – Paul Waner‚ Arky Vaughan‚ and Pep Young hit successive homers in the eighth inning off Benny Frey in the Pirates’ 14-1 win against the Reds.
- 1998 – Yankee OF Tim Raines steals the 800th base of his career in New York’s 6-2 win over the Expos. He is the fifth player in history to reach that milestone.
- 2006 – The Devil Rays beat the Royals, 9-5. Kansas City OF Reggie Sanders hits his 300th career home run to become the fifth player in major league history with 300 homers and 300 stolen bases. The others are Barry and Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays, and Andre Dawson.
- 2023 – In only his fourth start since coming back from a serious shoulder injury that cost him the second half of last season, Kyle Hendricks takes a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Mitch Haniger hits a two-out double. Hendricks then retires the next batter and Julian Merryweather pitches the 9th inning to complete the Cubs’ 4-0 shutout win over the Giants, the first victory of the season for Hendricks.
Cubs Birthdays: Frank Demaree, Mike Kreevich. Also notable:
Fred Hofmann HOF.
Today in history:
- 1692 – First victim of the Salem witch trials, Bridget Bishop, is hanged after being found guilty of witchcraft in the Colony of Massachusetts.
- 1752 – Benjamin Franklin tests the lightning conductor with his kite-flying experiment.
- 1845 – Andrew Jackson‘s African Grey parrot “Poll” is removed from his funeral for swearing at The Hermitage, Tennessee. Funeral attendee William Menefee Norment records: “Before the sermon and while the crowd was gathering, a wicked parrot that was a household pet got excited and commenced swearing so loud and long as to disturb the people and had to be carried from the house”.
- 1898 – US Marines land in Cuba during the Spanish–American War.
- 1933 – Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker flip their car into a ravine. Parker suffers serious third degree burns from the accident which would affect her for the rest of her life.
- 1933 – John Dillinger robs his first bank, taking $10,600 from the National Bank in New Carlisle, Ohio.
- 1991 – Final episode of David Lynch‘s “Twin Peaks” television series airs on ABC-TV.
- 2003 – The Spirit Rover is launched, beginning NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover mission.
- 2007 – “The Sopranos” series finale on HBO (infamous “cut to black” ending).
Today in music history:
- 1964 – Rolling Stones record their “12×5” album at Chess Studios in Chicago, Illinois.
- 1966 – Janis Joplin plays her 1st live gig with Big Brother & The Holding Company, at Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, California.
- 1966 – The Beatles release single “Paperback Writer” / “Rain” in UK; “Rain” featured experimental studio tricks of slowed down bass and drums tracks, and backwards vocals in the fade out.
- 1966 – The Mamas & the Papas are awarded a gold record for “Monday, Monday”.
- 1972 – Elvis Presley records a live album at NYC’s Madison Square Garden.
- 1972 – Sammy Davis Jr.‘s cover of “The Candy Man” by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse (from the film “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”) goes to #1 on the charts – his biggest single.
- 1976 – 67,000 fans attends Paul McCartney & Wings concert at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington
*pictured.
