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Happy birthday to Jose Cardenal*, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 2001 – On the last day of the season, Rickey Henderson of the San Diego Padres bloops a double down the right field line off Colorado Rockies pitcher John Thomson to become the 25th major leaguer to collect 3,000 career hits. Tony Gwynn, who is playing in his last major league game and is also a member of the 3,000 hit club, meets Henderson at home plate in front of a sell-out
crowd at QualComm Park, and 2015 – The Cubs defeat the Pirates, 4-0, in the Wild Card Game thanks to a four-hit shutout by Jake Arrieta and homers by Kyle Schwarber and Dexter Fowler off Gerrit Cole. The Bucs are out of the postseason after a 98-win season. and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
- 1904 – Jack Chesbro gets his 41st victory of the season as the New York Highlanders defeat the Boston Americans, 3 – 2. The 41 wins are a modern major league record.
- 1925 – Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators opens the World Series in Pittsburgh. A fifth-inning home run by Pie Traynor is the only damaging blow as Johnson strikes out 10 batters for a 4-1 Washington victory.
- 1928 – In the World Series, Lou Gehrig hits two home runs to lead the New York Yankees to a 7-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, giving them a 3-0 lead.
- 1950 – At Yankee Stadium, rookie pitcher Whitey Ford, with ninth-inning help from Allie Reynolds, beats Bob Miller and the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-2, as the Yankees complete the World Series sweep of the Phillies’ “Whiz Kids.” Jerry Coleman wins the Babe Ruth Award as the Series MVP. The sweep of the Phillies gives the Yankees their 13th World Championship.
- 1952 – In Game 7 of the World Series, second baseman Billy Martin makes a dramatic running catch on a high infield pop with the bases loaded as the New York Yankees win their fourth consecutive World Championship by downing the Brooklyn Dodgers, 4-2.
- 1961 – At Crosley Field, the New York Yankees’ Roger Maris wins Game 3 of the World Series with a ninth-inning home run off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bob Purkey. The Yankees win, 3-2.
- 1968 – In Game 5 of the World Series at Tiger Stadium, Detroit Tigers pitcher Mickey Lolich leads, 5-3, over the St. Louis Cardinals, when Lou Brock tries to score standing up on Julian Javier‘s single and is gunned down by Willie Horton‘s throw. Al Kaline‘s bases-loaded single drives in the deciding runs.
- 1978 – In Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers win the pennant as Bill Russell‘s 10th-inning single scores Ron Cey. Dusty Baker collects four hits as Los Angeles beats the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3.
- 1995 – Edgar Martinez of the Seattle Mariners hits a tie-breaking grand slam in the eighth inning and drives in seven runs – the most ever in a postseason game to date – leading the Mariners past the New York Yankees, 11-8, and sending the ALDS to a decisive Game 5.
- 2009 – In the first ALDS, New York beats Minnesota, 7-2, in the first postseason game to be played in New Yankee Stadium. Just like old times, Derek Jeter has a key hit, a game-tying home run off Brian Duensing in the 2nd inning. The Yankees and CC Sabathia roll from that point on, with Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui, who blasts a two-run homer, collecting the key hits in the fifth inning.
- 2011 – The Cardinals cause a huge upset by shutting out the Phillies, 1-0, in Game 5 of the NLDS. Chris Carpenter is the hero, tossing a three-hit complete game on the road and besting Phillies ace Roy Halladay. The Cards score the game’s only run in the 1st inning when Rafael Furcal leads off the game with a triple and Skip Schumaker follows with a double.
- 2012 – Russell Martin‘s homer off closer Jim Johnson sparks a five-run ninth inning as the Yankees take the first game of the ALDS, 7-2, in Baltimore. CC Sabathia pitches 8.2 innings for the win.
Today in Cubs history:
- 1933 – Flags are at half staff for Game 5 to honor William L. Veeck, Chicago Cubs president, who died suddenly. On the field, the World Series comes to a close when Mel Ott hits a home run in the 10th inning for a 4 – 3 New York Giants victory over the Washington Senators.
- 1935 – Goose Goslin of the Detroit Tigers drives in Mickey Cochrane to win the World Series. With two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, Goslin’s hit gives the Tigers a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs.
- 1945 – Hank Greenberg hits three doubles to lead the Detroit Tigers to an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs, giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead in the World Series.
- 1984 – The San Diego Padres win the National League pennant with a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the final game of the NLCS. The Padres win three straight after dropping the first two at Wrigley Field.
- 2017 – In Game 2 of the NLDS, Chicago has a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth, thanks to a solo homer by Willson Contreras and a two-run shot by Anthony Rizzo, both off Gio Gonzalez, but Washington explodes for five runs against Carl Edwards and Mike Montgomery to take a 6-3 win and even the series at one apiece.
Cubs Birthdays: Kohl Stewart, Adrian Sampson, José Cardenal*, Morrie Steevens, Sammy Drake, Grady Hatton, Red Adams, Frank Baumholtz, Fred Fussell, Ernie Ovitz, Frank Donnelly. Also notable: Chuck Klein HOF.
Today in history:
- 1492 – Christopher Columbus misses Florida when he changes course.
- 1916 – Georgia Tech, coached by John Heisman, defeats Cumberland 222-0, achieving the most lopsided score in the history of US college football.
- 1960 – JFK and Richard Nixon‘s second presidential debate.
- 1973 – Scotsman Jackie Stewart wins his third Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship despite withdrawing from the season-ending US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen; wins the title by 16 points from Emerson Fittipaldi.
- 1984 – Walter Payton passes Jim Brown as the NFL’s career rushing leader.
- 2008 – Music, podcast, and video streaming service Spotify is launched by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon.
- 2018 – Jodie Whittaker debuts in her first full episode as the 13th and first female Doctor Who on BBC television.
*pictured.
