This Day in Baseball History

1997 - Lasorda, Niekro highlight Hall of Fame class

Los Angeles Dodgers great Tommy Lasorda and 300-win knuckleballer Phil Niekro are among four inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

The late Nellie Fox, a 12-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winning second baseman, is posthumously elected to the Hall by the Veterans Committee. 

Rounding out the new members is Willie Wells, a former Negro leagues star and two-time MVP winner in the Cuban Winter League. Wells, credited with managing several future stars in the majors, is also honored posthumously.

Lasorda is best known for his 21-year run as Dodgers manager, leading his team to eight division titles, four National League championships and two World Series victories. He also managed the gold-medal winning U.S. baseball team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Niekro, considered one of the best knuckeballers of all-time, secured over four-fifths of the ballot in his fifth year to gain entrance into the Hall. The five-time All-Star pitched 24 seasons in the bigs, amassing 318 wins and a 3.35 career ERA. He threw a no-hitter against San Diego on Aug. 5, 1973.

1948 - Negro leagues star Satchel Paige makes first MLB start

Negro leagues star pitcher Satchel Paige makes his first career start in the majors at age 41, tossing seven innings of three-run ball with six strikeouts to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 5-3 win over the Washington Senators.

Paige would play just five MLB seasons, finishing his career with a 28-31 record, 3.29 ERA and two All-Star appearances. 

He famously returned to baseball at 58 years old in 1965 to start a game for the Kansas City Athletics. The right-hander threw three scoreless innings of one-hit ball in the outing.

Paige was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Negro League Committee in 1971 after an 18-year career that saw him record 89 complete games in 176 starts.

Birthdays

1968 - Rod Beck