This Day in Baseball History
1979 - Lou Brock gets hit number 3,000
In 1964, the Chicago Cubs saw fit to deal Lou Brock to the St. Louis Cardinals in a six-player trade. To that point, the 24-year-old outfielder had hit .257/.306/.383, and the Cubs seemed to have given up on him as a star player.
Fast forward 15 years, and Brock was facing the Cubs in his final MLB season, at age 40. Brock fired a Dennis Lamp offering back up the middle and off of the pitcher for his 3,000th career hit.
Brock would wrap his career with 3,023 hits, six All-Star appearances, two World Series rings, a .293/.343/.410 line and a place in the Hall of Fame.
1995 - Mickey Mantle passes away
On this day in 1995, Mickey Mantle passed away at age 63 in Dallas after a battle with liver cancer.
The New York Yankees legend, Hall of Famer, seven-time World Series champion, three-time MVP and 20-time All-Star is considered to this day to be among the top-10 players to ever play the game. With 536 home runs, 1,509 RBI, 2,415 hits and a .298/.421/.557 career line, there's little arguing the fact.
1948 - 9 runs, 0 outs, 1 bunt
On this day in 1948, the Philadelphia Phillies jumped all over the New York Giants, scoring nine runs before the Giants even managed to record an out to start the game. Philadelphia would go on to win 12-7 after its 14-batter first.
Have a look at the first-inning log:
- Richie Ashburn singles
- Granny Hamner triples, Ashburn scores
- Johnny Blatnik singles, Hammer scores
- Dick Sisler singles
- Bert Haas singles
- Alex Konikowski replaces Ray Poat on the mound
- Eddie Miller doubles, three score
- Del Ennis singles
- Andy Seminick walks
- Andy Hansen replaces Konikowski on the mound
- Curt Simmons singles, two score, a third scores on an error
- Ashburn doubles, Simmons scores
- Hamner sacrifice bunts (why?)
- Blastnik flies out
- Sisler singles, Ashburn scores
- Haas flies out
Those poor, poor pitchers. But seriously, why are you bunting after 10 consecutive men reach base?
Birthdays
1935 - Mudcat Grant
1964 - Jay Buhner
1984 - Boone Logan
1987 - J.J. Hoover
1988 - Brandon Workman
1992 - Taijuan Walker