This day in baseball: Reilly hits for the cycle
Posted: September 12, 2021 Filed under: 19th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: American Association, Bank Street Grounds, Baseball, Cincinnati Red Stockings, history, John Reilly, Major League Baseball, MLB, Philadelphia Athletics, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, sports 2 CommentsAt the Bank Street Grounds on September 12, 1883, John Reilly of the Red Stockings hit for the cycle, collecting three singles, a double, a triple, and a home run in Cincinnati’s 27-5 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Alleghenys. The following week, the 24 year-old first baseman accomplished the feat once again at the same ballpark when the Red Stockings defeated the first-place Philadelphia Athletics, 12-3.
John Reilly (Library of Congress)
This day in baseball: The Babe hits number 300
Posted: September 8, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Babe Ruth, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, sports 2 CommentsBabe Ruth hit the 300th home run of his career on September 8, 1925. The knock came in the seventh inning of the second game of a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees won that game 7-4 to complete a doubleheader sweep at Fenway Park.
Photo by MLB Photos via Getty Images
This day in baseball: Welch’s consecutive strikeouts record
Posted: August 28, 2021 Filed under: 19th Century, 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Cleveland Blues, history, Major League Baseball, Mickey Welch, MLB, New York Gothams, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Shea Stadium, sports, Tom Seaver Leave a commentOn August 28, 1884, New York Gothams pitcher Mickey Welch struck out the first nine Cleveland Blues hitters to come to the plate, establishing a major league record for consecutive strikeouts. Welch’s mark lasted until 1970, when New York Mets right-hander Tom Seaver would strike out the last ten San Diego batters he faced in a game at Shea Stadium.
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
This day in baseball: Vertical catch record
Posted: August 20, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Cleveland Indians, Gabby Street, Hank Helf, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports, Terminal Tower, Washington Monument 7 CommentsIn a publicity stunt arranged by the Come to Cleveland Committee on August 20, 1938, five members of the Indians (catchers Hank Helf, Frank Pytlak, and Rollie Hemsley and coaches Wally Schang and Johnny Bassler) attempted to set a record by catching a baseball dropped from the top of the 708-foot tall Terminal Tower. In front of a crowd of approximately 10,000 people, rookie reserve catcher Hank Helf managed to catch a ball dropped from the 52-story structure, which was estimated to be traveling at 138 mph. The catch broke Gabby Street’s 1908 mark for a vertical catch, established when Street snagged a ball dropped 555 feet from the top of the Washington Monument.
Cleveland State University Library
This day in baseball: First bases loaded intentional walk
Posted: August 2, 2021 Filed under: 19th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Abner Dalrymple, Baseball, Buffalo Bisons, Chicago White Stockings, history, Jack Lynch, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports Leave a commentOn August 2, 1881, Abner Dalrymple became the first known player to be intentionally walked with the bases loaded. The Chicago White Stockings were leading 5-0 in the eighth inning when Buffalo Bisons pitcher Jack Lynch gave up the free pass and the free run. Chicago went on to win the game, 11-2.
Library of Congress
This day in baseball: Sewell released by Cincinnati
Posted: July 28, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Bill Veeck, Cincinnati Reds, history, Luke Sewell, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, Rogers Hornsby, sports, St. Louis Browns Leave a commentOn July 28, 1952, the Cincinnati Reds fired manager Luke Sewell. Sewell was then replaced by the recently released skipper of the St. Louis Browns, Rogers Hornsby, who was fired due to a disagreement with Bill Veeck over an incident against the Yankees. The Reds went 27-23 for the rest of the season.
Wikipedia
This day in baseball: Simmons’s consecutive games record
Posted: July 20, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Al Simmons, Baseball, Hideki Matsui, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Athletics, sports Leave a commentOn July 20, 1926, outfielder Al Simmons of the A’s established an American League record by playing in 394 consecutive games to start his career. The record held until Hideki Matsui played in 518 straight games after signing as a Japanese free agent with the Yankees, surpassing Simmons’s mark in 2005.
Al Simmons, 1937 (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: Japanese beetle invasion
Posted: July 8, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Boston Red Sox, history, insects, Japanese beetles, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, sports, Yankee Stadium 4 CommentsOn July 8, 1939, prior to the first game of a doubleheader with the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, a horde of Japanese beetles formed a wall in front of the home dugout. Over 5,000 insects were captured in the process of fending off the insects, however, the problem would return later in that same month.
This day in baseball: Reynolds goes long times three
Posted: July 2, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Carl Reynolds, Chicago White Sox, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, sports Leave a commentOn July 2, 1930, Carl Reynolds became just the second player in major league history to homer in three consecutive innings. Reynolds went deep in the first three innings of a contest against the Yankees, leading the White Sox to a 15-4 victory. The Chicago outfielder’s performance included two inside-the-park homers, and he collected 8 RBIs in the game.
The box score for the game can be found here.
Wikipedia
This day in baseball: Diggins debuts as the youngest player in professional baseball
Posted: June 25, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Alumni Field, Baseball, Concord Marines, George Diggins, history, Minor League Baseball, New England League, Spalding Park, sports 1 CommentOn June 25, 1904, the Concord Marines of the Class B New England League brought their nine-year-old mascot into the game after the ejection of the team’s centerfielder and their second baseman becoming ill. Diggins thus became the youngest professional player in the history of the game. However, the youngster did not have an opportunity to field any balls playing right field, and he struck out in his only at-bat in the contest played at Alumni Field (also known as Spalding Park).
Diggins may not have had the opportunity to impress, but his appearance in the game did earn him a sparsely populated Baseball Reference page.
