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Happy birthday to Billy Petrick and his eight-game career, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1987, Andre Dawson collects five hits and hits for the cycle to lead the Chicago Cubs to an 8 – 4 victory over the San Francisco Giants, and other stories as well.
- 1902 – Baltimore Orioles infielder John McGraw is hit by pitches five times, but home plate umpire Jack Sheridan refuses to allow him to take first base because he considers he made no effort to get out of the way. In the 9th inning, McGraw is hit for the last time and sits down in the batter’s box in protest. American League president Ban Johnson will suspend McGraw for five games.
- 1913 – Wearing the uniforms of the Chicago White Sox, the Cincinnati Reds lose to the Chicago Cubs, 7-2, at West Side Grounds. Cincinnati forgot to pack uniforms and has to don those of their opponents’ crosstown rivals.
- 1918 – Cleveland Indians centerfielder Tris Speaker executes the fourth unassisted double play of his career in Cleveland’s 8-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
- 1922 – The New York Giants hit four inside-the-park home runs at Braves Field. George Kelly hits a pair and Ross Youngs and Dave Bancroft both hit one apiece as the Giants defeat the Boston Braves, 12-3.
- 1959 – Roberto Clemente fuels a 3-2 come-from-behind win by Pittsburgh over the Giants with a triple over the head of Willie Mays in the seventh inning at Forbes Field.
- 1981 – Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies becomes the sixth major league pitcher – and first left-hander – to strike out 3,000 batters in the Phillies’ 6-2 victory over the visiting Montreal Expos. Carlton strikes out three in the 1st inning as Tim Wallach is his 3,000th victim.
- 2005 – In the first matchup between 300-game winners in almost 18 years, Greg Maddux outduels Roger Clemens in the Chicago Cubs’ 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The last such showdown occurred in 1987 when Don Sutton of the California Angels defeated Steve Carlton of the Minnesota Twins. Maddux earns his first win of season and 306th of his career, allowing two runs on seven hits over six innings.
- 2009 – Yovani Gallardo does it all by himself in Milwaukee’s 1-0 win over Pittsburgh. He shuts out the Pirates on two hits, strikes out 11, and hits a solo home run in the seventh for the game’s lone run. He is 26th pitcher in major league history to win a 1-0 shutout while contributing a solo homer for the offense, and the third to do so while striking out ten or more batters, following Red Ruffing and Early Wynn.
Cubs Birthdays: Zach McKinstry, Scott Kingery, Steven Brault, Billy Petrick*, Freddy Rodríguez, Frank Hankinson. Also notable: Luis Aparicio HOF.
Today in history
- 1429 – Joan of Arc arrives at the siege of Orleans.
- 1715 – English Astronomer John Flamsteed observes Uranus for 6th time
- 1769 – Scottish engineer James Watt‘s patent for a steam engine with a separate condenser enrolled
- 1852 – First edition of Peter Roget‘s Thesaurus is published in Britain and has never been out of print since
- 1857 US Army, Pacific Div HQ permanently forms at Presidio (San Francisco)
- 1872 – Jesse James‘ gang robs a bank of $1,500 in Columbia, Kentucky, killing bank employee Robert A.C. Martin during the crime
- 1953 – First experimental 3D-TV broadcast shows an episode of Space Patrol on Los Angeles ABC
- 1961 – ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” debuts
- 1967 – Aretha Franklin releases her single “Respect” (written by Otis Redding), Billboard Song of the Year
- 1992 – Jury acquits Los Angeles Police Department officers on charges of excessive force in the beating of Rodney King; the decision sparks massive riots in the city
- 1995 – Longest sausage ever, at 28.77 miles, made in Kitchener, Ontario
- 2018 – Sweden’s official Twitter account confirms Swedish meatballs actually originated in Turkey
*pictured.
