August 31

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Stats of players who were born this day
Stats of players who died on this day
Standings on this day
Permanent link to Today's Entry
Sources
Baseball Library Chronology
Today in Baseball History

Events, births and deaths that occurred on August 31.

Events

• 1900 - Brickyard Kennedy, en route to his fourth 20-win season for the Superbas, walks six Phillies in a row in the 2nd inning of a 9 - 4 loss.
• 1902 - In Fort Wayne, IN, a Sunday crowd of 3,500 watch a match-up of Cleveland's Addie Joss and Boston's Cy Young. Boston pushes over two runs in the 11th to win, 3 - 1.
• 1903 - Joe McGinnity wins his third doubleheader this month, stopping the Phils twice, 4 - 1 and 9 - 2 and handing losses to Chick Fraser and Bill Duggleby. Iron Joe strikes out nine batters in the opener to win. The two games total three hours and three minutes,
• 1904 - In a rowdy 3 - 2, 11-inning Giants win in Cincinnati, the high point comes in the 6th when New York catcher Frank Bowerman slugs a fan, a music teacher named Albert Hartzell, who has been heckling him. Police escort the catcher from the field. Bowerman will be released from custody tomorrow when the fan drops the charges. The Giants win the second game as well, 4 - 1, in seven innings, with the game shortened to allow the Giants to catch a train for New York. The Giants leave Cincinnati with a 15-game lead over Chicago in the National League.
• 1906:
  • In the great tradition of his late brother Ed, Frank Delahanty of New York hits two home runs, a triple, and single, and knocks in seven runs in a 20 - 5 rout of Washington.
  • Beset by injuries, the Tigers call 46-year-old Sam Thompson out of retirement; he drives in two runs in a 5 - 1 win over the Browns. Thompson, who last played in the majors in 1898, appears in eight games and bats .226.
• 1909 - The A.J. Reach Company is granted a patent for its cork-centered baseball, which will replace the hard rubber-cored one. This change will be particularly apparent in the National League in 1910 and 1911.
• 1912 - The Red Sox run their record to 87-37 with a 2 - 1 win over the A's. Following the game, Connie Mack says he never realized how strong the Sox were, and concedes the pennant to them. There are 30 games left for Boston.
• 1914 - Walter Johnson relieves in the 8th inning with his Senators holding a 3 - 2 lead over the White Sox. On the first pitch, Jack Fournier hits a home run to tie the game. Fournier's next at bat up comes in the 10th and he homers again to give the Sox a 4 - 3 win. This is the first time Johnson has been reached for two home runs in a game by the same batter (Lou Gehrig will match it August 13, 1926). Last night the Sox beat Johnson 2 - 1 and Fournier was 3-for-3 with two triples against the "Big Train."
• 1915:
  • At the Polo Grounds, Cubs hurler Jimmy Lavender no-hits the Giants, 2 - 0.
  • Art Nehf and Tom Hughes are both 2 - 0 winners as the Braves sweep two from the Reds.
• 1916 - The Browns beat the Red Sox and Babe Ruth, 2 - 1. Ruth makes two hits and scores the lone run but pops out to end the game.
• 1917 - At Fenway Park, Babe Ruth wins his 20th, beating the A's, 5 - 3. Ruth gives up six hits and walks 5.
• 1918 - The Red Sox clinch the pennant, winning the first of a twin bill from the A's 6 - 1, as Babe Ruth wins his ninth game in his last 11 starts.
• 1921 - In the Reds' 7 - 3 win over the Braves, the two infields accept 28 chances, tying the major league record.
• 1923 - Giants owner Charles Stoneham is indicted by a federal grand jury for perjury. He will also be indicted for mail fraud. He had denied any ownership in two bucket-shop operations that had been found guilty of stock frauds; creditors of the two firms claimed he retained financial interests in both. Other National League owners are rumored to be forming a pool to buy him out, but Stoneham stays out of jail and in the NL.
• 1926:
  • Bill Sherdel and Allen Sothoron pitch the Cards back into first place with 6 - 1 and 2 - 1 wins over the Pirates.
  • White Sox IF Ray Morehart gets nine hits in ten at bats in a doubleheader, a record that has been matched but never broken.
• 1927 - The Yankees open a home stand by beating the Red Sox, 10 - 3. Babe Ruth hits home run number 43 and leads Lou Gehrig by two. With an 89-37 record, the Bronx Bombers now lead the second-place A's by 17 games.
• 1930
  • At Ebbets Field, the Robins roll up a football-like score when they tally 23 hits, including round trippers by Babe Herman, Glenn Wright, and Rube Bressler, to stomp the Phils, 14 - 3.
  • With a chance to pick up a game and a half on the leading Cubs, the Giants edge the Braves, 4 - 3, in the opener a doubleheader before 40,000 fans at the Polo Grounds. In the second game, Mel Ott hits a double and three consecutive home runs to drive in six runs, but the Braves counter with a homer by George Sisler and two by slugging rookie Wally Berger among their 18 hits. Ott is the fourth major leaguer to hit three straight homers, joining Goose Goslin (August 19, 1930), Carl Reynolds (July 2, 1930), George Kelly (September 17, 1923), and Cap Anson (August 6, 1884). The final score is Boston 14, New York, 10.
  • Bill Hallahan, on the way to becoming the National League strikeout leader, fans 12 as the Cards beat the Cubs 8 - 3.
• 1931:
  • Wes Ferrell of Cleveland hits two home runs, as he beats the White Sox, 13 - 5, at Chicago. He will end his career with a record 37 home runs as a hurler, plus one as a pinch hitter.
  • Against the Senators' Lloyd Brown, Lou Gehrig belts his second grand slam homer in three days, but the Senators hang onto second place by beating the Yankees, 6 - 5.
• 1932 - Detroit P Chief Hogsett hits two homers, as the Tigers end Tony Freitas' winning streak at 10 with a 5 - 4 victory over the A's.
• 1933 - The Giants lose 3B Johnny Vergez for the season due to an appendectomy. Travis Jackson, who has been filling in at SS, shifts to 3B.
• 1935 - In the first no-hitter thrown in Comiskey Park history, Vern Kennedy holds the Indians hitless and triples home three runs in a 5 - 0 White Sox win.
• 1936 - Yankees manager Joe McCarthy consents to Dixie Walker as a temporary substitute while the White Sox patch up Mike Kreevich, who is spiked on a play. Walker runs for Kreevich but does not replace him in the outfield.
• 1937 - Detroit's rookie Rudy York sets a new record for home runs in a month, hitting his 17th and 18th to eclipse Babe Ruth's mark set in September 1927. He knocks in seven runs against Pete Appleton, as Detroit beats Washington, 12 - 3.
• 1942 - Larry MacPhail seeks insurance for the Dodger pennant run by buying Bobo Newsom from the Senators for $25,000. The purchase had been rumored for weeks. The veteran will respond by shutting out Cincinnati, 2 - 0 in three days.
• 1943 - Detroit's Rudy York hits two home runs to bring his August home run total to 17, one less than his 1937 record for home runs in a single month, which he also set in August.
• 1945 - The Senators again muff a chance to go into first place, dropping a pair to the Yankees, 3 - 2 and 3 - 1. In between games, Nats pitcher Bert Shepard receives the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in World War II. Shepard lost his leg in battle.
• 1946 - Luke Sewell quits as manager of the Browns; Zack Taylor will finish the season.
• 1947:
  • Despite a 10 - 4 loss to the first-place Dodgers, the Giants' Jack Lohrke homers to set a season record for home runs by a club. The Giants have now hit 183 home runs, topping the 182 hit by the 1936 Yankees. They will end the season with 221 round trippers.
  • The Cubs overcome Ralph Kiner's 39th homer of the season to defeat the Pirates, 6 - 3, in Chicago. Doyle Lade goes the distance. Kiner's homer, with one aboard, gives him 101 RBIs for the year.
• 1948:
  • The Red Sox keep their precarious hold on first place with an 8 - 4 win over the Tigers. Mel Parnell is the complete game winner. Ted Williams has two hits, scores two runs and steals a base.
  • At Yankee Stadium, the Yanks score four runs in the 8th but the Browns come back with five in the 9th off Joe Page to make it close. But New York prevails, 10 - 9. 1B Tommy Henrich has a home run and an unassisted double play to help Allie Reynolds to the win. The Yanks remain a game behind the Red Sox.
  • Before 45,531 at Wrigley Field, the last-place Cubs beat the first-place Dodgers, 3 - 0 and 7 - 2. Hank Borowy stops Brooklyn on one hit in the opener - a single by Gene Hermanski - and faces just 27 batters. He hurls 100 pitches, while Bob Scheffing drives in all three runs. Doyle Lade wins the nitecap. The loss slices Brooklyn's lead to two points over the Braves, 3 - 1 winners at Cincinnati, while the Cards and Pirates move just two games back.
• 1950 - Gil Hodges becomes the fourth major leaguer in the century to hit four home runs in one game as Brooklyn routs the Braves, 19 - 3. The Dodger first baseman also ties the major league record for total bases with 17.
• 1952 - The Montreal Royals clinch the International League pennant behind the stellar pitching of lefty Tommy Lasorda.
• 1954 - The Indians beat the Yanks, 6 - 1, to record their 26th win of the month, tying the 1931 Athletics.
• 1955 - Lefty Bill Wight of the Orioles gives up five runs in the 1st and then no-hits his former Indian teammates for eight innings. He loses, 5 - 1.
• 1956 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower is in attendance as Jim Lemon of the Senators slugs three consecutive home runs in a night game against the Yankees, but New York still wins, 6 - 4.
• 1957 - Steve Dalkowski, legendary minor league fastballer pitching for Kingsport (Appalachian League), strikes out 24, walks 18, hits four batters, and throws six wild pitches in a row. He loses, 9 - 8.
• 1959 - Sandy Koufax fans 18 Giants to set a National League mark in a 5 - 2 Dodger win. The game is witnessed by a crowd of 82,974 spectators (60,194 of whom have paid admission), the largest ever for a regular-season game.
• 1960 - The Pirates come from behind yet again, trumping the Giants, 7 - 4. Roberto Clemente hits a two-out, two-run homer and Roy Face closes the game. For the Giants, Willie Mays does his best with a single, double and near-homer his first time up, but falls victim to Face in his final at-bat, a 7th-inning strikeout, representing the tying run at the plate.
• 1963 - Trailing Houston, 5 - 1, entering the 9th, Chicago's Ellis Burton clouts a dramatic two-out grand slam off Hal Woodeshick to give the Cubs a 6 - 5 victory.
• 1964 - Ground is broken for Anaheim Stadium, future home of next year's California Angels.
• 1965 - Boston C Russ Nixon ties a major-league record with three run-scoring sacrifice flies in the second game at Washington. Boston wins, 8 - 5, after taking the opener, 4 - 0.
• 1966 - Yankees 2B Bobby Richardson, 31, announces his retirement, effective at the end of the season.
• 1968:
  • Steve Blass gets the first out against the Braves, and then moves to LF as Roy Face relieves. Face retires Felix Millan and ties Walter Johnson's major-league record of 802 pitching appearances with one club. Blass comes back to pitch and the Pirates go on to win, 8 - 0. Blass will not get credit for the shutout but will still lead the National League in shutouts with 7. Late in the game, the Pirates announce the sale of Face to the Detroit Tigers.
  • It is a tough month for Mets P Jim McAndrew, as he takes his National League-tying fifth shutout loss. Steve Carlton wins for the Cards, 2 - 0. McAndrew gave up just six runs in the four losses, losing 2 - 0 to Bob Gibson on July 21st, and to the Dodgers and Mike Kekich, 2 - 0, on August 4th. On August 10th and 17th, he narrowed the margin to 1 - 0 losses, to the Giants and Houston respectively. Those first four losses were McAndrew's first major league decisions.
  • Baltimore's Dave McNally wins his tenth straight, topping the first-place Tigers, 5 - 1. Paul Blair homers and triples in the win.
• 1969:
  • In their second trade with Seattle in a week, Houston acquires OF Tommy Davis for outfielders Sandy Valdespino and Danny Walton. The previous transaction had brought in P Jim Bouton.
  • Morganna, a well-endowed fan dressed in a mini dress, jumps onto the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium field and kisses the batter, Clete Boyer, on the cheek. The Braves' third baseman then promptly ends a 1-for-17 slump with a RBI single and goes on an 8-for-15 tear.
• 1971 - The A's trade Frank Fernandez, along with Adrian Garrett, to the Cubs for Bill McNulty. Fernandez will drive in four runs for the Cubs in September, all on solo homers.
• 1972 - Another insurance purchase for the Tigers: they buy slugging 1B/OF Frank Howard from Texas.
• 1974:
  • Portland Mavericks manager Frank Peters rotates his players so that each man plays one inning at each position. It works: Portland beats Tri-Cities (Northwest League), 8 - 7.
  • Johnny Bench drives in seven runs with a bases-loaded double and grand slam to lead the Reds to a 10 - 3 win over Montreal.
• 1977:
  • Yankee reliever Sparky Lyle records his third win in three games, all won on late-inning homers by New York. Graig Nettles' second homer of the game gives New York a 5 - 4 win over Seattle.
  • Hank Aaron's mark of 755 career home runs is tied by Sadaharu Oh of the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Pro Baseball.
• 1979:
  • The Angels regain first place in the AL West by beating the Indians, 9 - 8. California scores five runs in the 8th on three homers, then watches as Cleveland scores four to tie.
  • The Phillies fire Danny Ozark, senior manager (since 1973) in the National League. Farm director Dallas Green takes over as interim manager. The Phils will remove the "interim" on October 18th and Green will lead the team to its first World Championship in 1980.
• 1980 - In Cleveland, reliever Ed Farmer picks up two saves as the White Sox sweep a doubleheader from the Indians. Chicago rallies for eight runs in the last two innings of the opener to win, 10 - 8, then does it again in the nitecap as it scores four in the last two innings to win, 8 - 7.
• 1981 - Royals manager Jim Frey is fired and replaced by Dick Howser, whose Yankees lost to Frey's Royals in last season's American League Championship Series. Kansas City is 10-10 in the second half of the season, 30-40 overall.
• 1982:
  • In one of the more infamous scenes in Nippon Pro Baseball history, the Violent Tiger Incident takes place. Due to complaints over several umpiring calls, the last being a foul called on a ball hit by Taira Fujita, Hanshin Tigers coaches Ikuo Shimano and Takeshi Shibata attack umpires Wataru Washiya and Isao Okada. They will be suspended indefinitely, both to return the next season.
  • The Mets lose their 15th in a row, 4 - 0 on Nolan Ryan's two-hitter. The Mets will finally win the following day, beating the Astros 5 - 1.
• 1985:
  • The Pirates trade former batting champion Bill Madlock to the Dodgers for prospects R.J. Reynolds, Cecil Espy, and Sid Bream.
  • San Francisco's Jim Gott and Mark Davis combine to beat the Mets, 3 - 2, ending Dwight Gooden's personal 14-game winning streak.
• 1987:
  • Williamsport Bills (Eastern League) catcher Dave Bresnahan introduces a new wrinkle to baseball - the hidden potato. With a Reading runner‚ Rick Lundblade‚ on third base‚ Bresnahan returns from a time out with a shaved potato hidden in his mitt. On the next pitch he throws the potato wildly on a pickoff attempt. When the runner trots home‚ Bresnahan tags him out with the real ball. Umpire Scott Potter‚ unamused‚ rules the runner safe and gives the catcher an error‚ while Bills manager Orlando Gomez removes Bresnahan from the game and fines him $50. Bresnahan replies‚ "I thought it'd be a do-over."
• 1988:
  • Arbitrator George Nicolau rules against the Major League owners in the "Collusion II" case, agreeing with the players' contention that the owners conspired to fix the free agent market after the 1986 season. Twelve players will be granted no-risk free agency after the season, as well as monetary compensation.
  • The first-place Tigers try for pennant insurance: they acquire Ted Power from Kansas City and Fred Lynn from Baltimore for players to be named later.
• 1989:
  • Arbitrator Thomas Roberts orders the Major League owners to pay $10.5 million in damages as a result of their collusion against free agents after the 1985 season.
  • Minutes before the postseason rosters must be filed, the Cubs obtain 3B Luis Salazar and OF Marvell Wynne from San Diego in exchange for P Calvin Schiraldi, OF Darrin Jackson and 1B Phil Stephenson. Salazar will play a key role in the Cubs' title run, while of the three new Pad people, only Jackson will perform decently.
• 1990:
  • Refusing to part with Triple-A third baseman Scott Cooper to get Larry Andersen from the Astros for the stretch run, Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman trades the Eastern League's MVP, Jeff Bagwell, for the right-handed relief pitcher. The University of Hartford standout will go on to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1991 and will becomes the league's MVP the same year Andersen retires from the Phillies (1994), on his way to being inducted in the Hall of Fame.
  • Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey, Sr. become the first father and son to play in the same lineup for a team in Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners; Willie Wells and Willie Wells Jr. had previously done so in the Negro Leagues.
  • Dennis Eckersley saves his 40th game of the season in Oakland's 4 - 2 win over Texas to join Dan Quisenberry and Jeff Reardon as the only pitchers to save 40 games twice.
• 1991 - The Twins' Chuck Knoblauch hits his first major league homer, off the Orioles' Mike Mussina, and it puts the Twins ahead in the 6th. It is Knoblauch's only homer this year. The Twins win, 5 - 2, with the win going to Kevin Tapani.
• 1992:
  • The Padres trade P Craig Lefferts to the Orioles in exchange for minor league P Erik Schullstrom and a player to be named.
  • Minnesota sends pitcher Bill Krueger to Montreal for OF Darren Reed. It is the third season that Krueger has split between the two leagues: only Sal Maglie has done it more often.
  • In a blockbuster deal, the A's trade Jose Canseco to the Rangers for Ruben Sierra, Bobby Witt and Jeff Russell and an undisclosed amount of money.
• 1993:
  • 3B Gary Gaetti of the Royals hits the 239th home run of his career in Kansas City's 6 - 5 win over Milwaukee. By doing so, he becomes the all-time home run leader for players who homered in their first big league at bat, moving past Hall of Famer Earl Averill.
  • In a flurry of deadline trades, the Reds sent pitchers Johnny Ruffin and Jeff Pierce to the White Sox in exchange for P Tim Belcher, the Dodgers trade OF Eric Davis to the Tigers in exchange for P John DeSilva, and the Cardinals trade P Lee Smith to the Yankees in exchange for P Rich Batchelor.
  • The Minnesota Twins defeat the Indians in 22 innings by a score of 5 - 4.
• 1994:
  • Minnesota OF-DH Dave Winfield is sold to the Indians. Because of the strike, Winfield won't play for his new team until 1995.
  • Three-and-a-half hours of negotiations with federal mediators produces no progress in the strike, and no further talks are scheduled as the strike goes into its fourth week.
• 1995:
  • The Blue Jays trade OF Candy Maldonado to the Rangers in exchange for a player to be named.
  • Yankees OF Paul O'Neill homers in his first three at bats and drives home eight runs in leading the New Yorkers to an 11 - 6 win over California.
• 1996:
  • Florida scores five runs in the top of the 1st inning to jump out to a quick lead over Cincinnati, but the Reds bounce back with seven runs in the 2nd, and don't look back. They score four more in the 5th, two in the 6th, six in the 7th, and three in the 8th to defeat the Marlins, 22 - 8. Kevin Mitchell leads the way with six runs batted in for the Reds.
  • The Indians obtain IF Kevin Seitzer from the Brewers in exchange for OF Jeromy Burnitz.
• 1997:
  • Andruw Jones' grand slam is the Braves' tenth of the season, breaking the National League mark for bases-full home runs for a team in single season. Ironically the record is broken in an American League park as Atlanta defeats the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
  • The Brewers obtain P Pete Harnisch from the Mets in exchange for minor league OF Donnie Moore.
  • The Cubs trade vet SS Shawon Dunston to the Pirates in exchange for future considerations.
  • In front of a crowd of 55,707, Don Mattingly's uniform number 23 is added to the list of retired numbers on the wall at Yankee Stadium's Monument Park.
  • The Indians acquire IF-OF Bip Roberts from the Royals in exchange for P Roland de la Maza.
• 1998:
  • Texas defeats Detroit, 13 - 2, as OF Juan Gonzalez gets four long hits, including two doubles, a triple and a homer, and drives home seven runs. Gonzalez now has 143 ribbies on the year.
  • Oakland OF Rickey Henderson scores the 2,000th run of his career in the Athletics' 15 - 6 loss to Cleveland. He joins Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Pete Rose, and Willie Mays as the only players to reach the milestone.
  • Richie Sexson hits a two-run single in Cleveland's ten-run first inning, as the Tribe scalps Oakland, 15 - 6. Sexson hits his fourth homer in three days, and Manny Ramirez hits his 34th homer and knocks in five runs for starter Dave Burba. Joey Cora, acquired hours before the game from Seattle for David Bell, scores two runs and also drives in two.
  • Cubs OF Sammy Sosa ties Mark McGwire by hitting his 55th home run in Chicago's 5 - 4 win over Cincinnati. Sosa has hit 30 of his homers at Wrigley Field, three short of Hack Wilson's Cub record and tying him with Ernie Banks.
• 1999:
  • In three pennant insurance moves, the Astros obtain veteran OF Stan Javier from the Giants for P Joe Messman; the Diamondbacks get IF-OF Lenny Harris from the Rockies in exchange for IF Belvani Martinez; and the Indians pick up the once highly-touted Tyler Houston from the Cubs for P Richard Negrette. Houston will prove valuable at 3B.
  • Down 12 - 4, the Indians rally for ten runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to defeat the Angels, 14 - 12. 1B Richie Sexson gets four hits and drives home five runs for the Tribe. This is the third time this season that the Indians have rallied from an eight-run deficit to win, a major league record.
  • The Tigers break a 6 - 6 tie by scoring eight runs in the 7th inning to defeat the Rangers, 14 - 6.
  • The Red Sox obtain beefy closer Rod Beck from the Cubs for P Mark Guthrie and a player to be named.
• 2000:
  • The Rangers defeat the Indians, 14 - 7, as OF Rusty Greer gets five hits and drives home four runs. 2B Luis Alicea scores five runs for Texas.
  • The Red Sox obtain OF Dante Bichette from the Reds for pitchers Chris Reitsma and John Curtice.
• 2001:
  • The Braves acquire vet Julio Franco from the Mexico City Tigers. Franco, 40, who led the Mexican League with a .437 average, has been out of the majors since 1997. In a separate deal, the Braves pick up P Rudy Seanez from the Padres for a player to be named later.
  • Former minor league catcher Lawrence 'Crash' Davis dies after a year-long bout with cancer. The 82-year-old got a late-life shot of renewed celebrity because of the 1988 movie Bull Durham, in which the main character played by Kevin Costner bore his name.
  • The Reds rout the Pirates, 11 - 3, behind the slugging of rookie Robin Jennings. Jennings hits his first major league homer, a grand slam, in the seven-run 4th and adds a bases-loaded triple for seven RBIs.
• 2002:
  • The Astros acquire free agent-to-be Mark Loretta from the Brewers for cash and a player to be named. In two days, the player turns out to be Keith Ginter, hitting .264 at New Orleans.
  • The Mets are shut out by the Phillies, 1 - 0, to mark their 13th consecutive home defeat. In doing so, they become the first National League team to lose all their home games over the course of a month.
• 2005 - On the third pitch he sees in the bigs, Jeremy Hermida becomes only the second player to hit a grand slam in his first major league at-bat. The Marlin rookie pinch hitter joins Phillies hurler Bill Duggleby who accomplished the same feat in 1898.
• 2007:
  • The Monterrey Sultans top the Yucatan Lions in seven games in the Mexican League finals. Monterrey wins the finale, 2 - 1, behind the pitching of Walter Silva. Karim Garcia scores both of the Sultans' runs.
  • The Chicago Cubs reacquire former hurler Steve Trachsel for the stretch run. They send Scott Moore and Rocky Cherry to the Baltimore Orioles in return for the veteran.
• 2008:
  • CC Sabathia improves to 9-0 with a 1.43 ERA since joining the Brewers, with a one-hitter against the Pirates. The lone hit is a grounder back to the mound by Andy LaRoche which Sabathia bobbles. Brewer manager Ned Yost and LF Ryan Braun both say it was undoubtedly an error and that Sabathia had a no-hitter; an appeal is filed over the ruling, to no avail. Milwaukee wins, 7 - 0; it is Pittsburgh's tenth loss in a row.
  • Trying to hold on to their lead in the NL West, the Diamondbacks acquire 2006 World Series MVP David Eckstein from the Blue Jays for Chad Beck.
• 2009:
  • Andy Pettitte of the Yankees retires the first 20 Baltimore batters he faces before an error and a hit spoil his bid for immortality. New York wins easily, 5 - 1.
  • Toronto takes an 11 - 0 lead over Texas in the first five innings, then nearly blows it as the Rangers score ten unanswered runs. Another offensive barrage of seven runs in the 9th gives the Blue Jays an 18 - 10 victory. Adam Lind hits two homers, including a grand slam, and drives in a career-high eight runs.
  • Los Angeles makes a push for the World Series by acquiring two veterans just before the limit for them to be eligible for the postseason roster. The two are White Sox DH Jim Thome and Arizona SP Jon Garland. The Dodgers give up minor leaguer Justin Fuller for Thome, and a player to be named later for Garland.
• 2010:
  • Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman makes his major league debut. Pitching for the Reds, he hits 102 mph on the radar gun during an inning of relief work as Cincinnati defeats Milwaukee, 8 - 4. Joey Votto drives in three runs with a pair of doubles as Sam LeCure wins in relief of Aaron Harang.
  • For the first time this season, the Padres are struggling. They lose their sixth in a row, 7 - 4, to Arizona. The D-Backs chase starter Kevin Correia with five runs in the 5th inning.
  • The Texas Rangers acquire OF Jeff Francoeur from the Mets for IF Joaquin Arias. Hitting .236 with 11 homers and 53 RBI, Francoeur has been made redundant by the return to health of Carlos Beltran.
• 2011:
  • It's a day of milestones for the Braves. 39-year-old 3B Chipper Jones hits the 450th homer of his career, off Nationals starter John Lannan in the 2nd inning, then P Derek Lowe, only a year younger than Jones at 38, launches his first in the 3rd inning as Atlanta wins, 3 - 1. Craig Kimbrel picks up the save, his 41st of the season, for a new rookie record.
  • The biblical plague of midges is back in Cleveland. Four years after famously disrupting a postseason game in 2007, the pesky insects show up during today's 16-inning context between the Indians and Athletics, which the Tribe wins, 4 - 3, on Jack Hannahan's single. Oakland pitchers Rich Harden and Grant Balfour have an especially difficult time with the tiny winged pests who show up uninvited in the 7th inning.
  • The Cardinals hand the Brewers a rare defeat at Miller Park, 8 - 3, thanks to a grand slam by pitcher Jake Westbrook in the 4th. Brewers LF Ryan Braun has a couple of embarrassing moments, being caught stealing third base to end the 1st inning, then takes a spectacular tumble in the 3rd when trying to turn a triple into his first career inside-the-park home run, ending up caught in no man's land between third base and home for an easy out.
  • Clubs headed for the postseason tweak their rosters on the last day when they can add players and still have them be eligible for postseason play. The Giants, who are falling ever further behind the red-hot Diamondbacks, designate veterans Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada for assignment, eating about $15 million in salary in the process; they use the freed-up spots to activate OF Pat Burrell from the disabled list and call up IF Brett Pill from the minor leagues in a bid to wake up their slumbering offense. For their part the Rangers repatriate C Matt Treanor from Kansas City and bring in P Mike Gonzalez from Baltimore, and the Red Sox bring in OF/1B Conor Jackson from Oakland as they receive news that the injured J.D. Drew may be done for the season. The Braves also repatriate a former player in OF Matt Diaz, brought back from the Pirates.
• 2012:
  • A pair of National League pitchers pick up their 17th wins of the year with shutouts. The Nationals' Gio Gonzalez throws his first career whitewash in defeating the Cardinals, 10 - 0; Adam Wainwright is the loser after going 5-0 in his previous August starts. In Miami, it is R.A. Dickey of the Mets who wins his 17th with a 3 - 0 shutout. The two pitchers catch up with Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto for the major league lead in wins.
  • Rookie Miguel Gonzalez holds the Yankees to four hits over six innings as the Orioles win, 6 - 1, and move within two games of the AL East leaders. Mark Reynolds hits two homers for Baltimore.
• 2013:
  • The Pirates pull off a second big trade in a week, acquiring 1B Justin Morneau from Minnesota for OF Alex Presley. They then go out and defeat the Cardinals, 7 - 1, to retake the lead in the NL Central. A.J. Burnett is the winner, Russell Martin hits a three-run homer and Neil Walker has three hits; Morneau rushes over to join his new team from Texas, and arrives in mid-game, but is not required.
  • Ivan Nova throws a complete game three-hit shutout to defeat the Orioles, 2 - 0, and puts the Yankees past the Birds in the Wild Card race. Scott Feldman allows only a 1st-inning run in seven innings, but is the unlucky loser as Robinson Cano drives in both runs with a double and a solo homer.
  • An International League contest between the Toledo Mud Hens and Columbus Clippers ends on an unusual play. With Toledo leading, 4 - 1, Columbus has runners on first and third with nobody out in the 9th. Ryan Rohlinger hits a shallow fly ball to LF Gustavo Nunez; Jeremy Hermida decides to tag up and tries to score from third base, but even though Nunez's throw is wild, C Bryan Holaday makes a tremendous leaping tag for the second out. Holaday then sees that Chun-Hsiu Chen is heading towards second and fires the ball to 2B Danny Worth. Chen retreats to first, and even though Worth bobbles the throw, he manages to recover and throw to 1B Jordan Lennerton who tags Chen to complete a game-ending 7-2-4-3 triple play.
• 2014:
  • The Angels trounce the Athletics, 8 - 1, to complete a four-game sweep that increases Los Angeles's lead in the AL West to five games. Mike Trout hits a homer and drives in three runs and Chris Iannetta has a homer among his three hits to back up rookie Matt Shoemaker's 14th win of the year.
  • In trades today, the A's acquire slugger Adam Dunn from the White Sox, the Blue Jays add OF/1B John Mayberry while the Brewers obtain P Jonathan Broxton.
  • Stockholm BSK wins its fifth Swedish Elitserien title in seven years, topping the Leksand Lumberjacks, three games to two. In Game 5 today, Stockholm romps, 14 - 2, Peter Johannessen leads a balanced offense with two runs and three RBI. Arvid Carlstedt is the winning pitcher.
• 2015 - On the last day on which trades can be made and the players involved still be eligible for postseason play, a number of deals get done. The Cubs acquire CF Austin Jackson from Seattle for a player to be named later, the Dodgers receive OF Justin Ruggiano, also from Seattle for a player to be named, the Giants get OF Alejandro De Aza from the Red Sox for minor leaguer Luis Ysla and the Royals get Jonny Gomes from Atlanta for SS Luis Valenzuela.
• 2017:
  • In a flurry of deals to beat the September 1 deadline for postseason eligibility, the Tigers trade All-Star OF Justin Upton to the Angels in return for Grayson Long and a player to be named later, and then send ace P Justin Verlander to Houston for three prospects. Verlander's acquisition will be key for the Astros when they win the first World Series title in franchise history in October. Houston also claims OF Cameron Maybin off waivers from the Angels, while the Halos add 2B Brandon Phillips, acquired from Atlanta for Tony Sanchez. Finally, the Rangers get P Miguel Gonzalez from the White Sox.
  • The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks pull off a rare feat by turning two triple plays in a 3 - 2 win over the Lincoln Saltdogs. They are the first team to do this in the history of the American Association and both triple killings go from 3B Josh Mazzola to 2B Brandon Tierney to 1B Trever Adams, in the 1st and 5th innings.
• 2018:
  • A number of big names change teams on the final day to be eligible for the postseason. The Yankees acquire OF Andrew McCutchen from the Giants and SS Adeiny Hechavarria from Pittsburgh; the Dodgers acquire a couple of veterans with World Series experience in RP Ryan Madson and 3B/1B David Freese; the Indians bet that currently injured 3B Josh Donaldson will be healthy enough to contribute in the postseason by getting him from the Blue Jays; and the Brewers add three players in P Gio Gonzalez, OF Curtis Granderson and P Xavier Cedeno.
  • Japan wins its sixth straight Women's Baseball World Cup. In the finale of the 2018 Women's Baseball World Cup, Ayami Sato (MVP for the third straight time) and Akino Tanaka blank Taiwan on six hits in a 6 - 0 win. Ayaka Deguchi and Tomomi Nakada each score twice for Japan while Iori Miura and Yuki Kawabata each drive in a pair. In the Bronze Medal Game, Canada needs three extra innings to outlast the host USA, 8 - 5. Daphnée Gélinas hits a three-run homer and later singles in the go-ahead run in their winning rally. Allison Schroder picks up the win in relief of Amanda Asay. In a losing cause, Jade Gortarez scores twice.
  • The Indonesian national team gets its first Asian Games win ever. Starting 0-5 as hosts of the 2018 Asian Games, they pounce on Thailand for an 11 - 0 lead after three before hanging on for a 12 - 11 victory. Andika Arlistianto gets the win in relief of Hadi Nur Muhammad while Chindy Patria Yudharana gets the save. Andospa Aldo Saputra gets three hits and Adi Susanto has two runs and two RBI. For Thailand's comeback bid, Suratit Faengsup drives in four and Phoomwut Wutthikorn scores three.
• 2019:
  • With another month still to play, the Twins break the all-time record for most homers by a team in one season when Mitch Garver hits #268 in the 9th inning of a 10 - 7 loss to the Tigers, beating the mark set last year by the Yankees.
  • In Sweden, the Sölvesborg Firehawks win their second Elitserien title, sweeping the finals from the Rättvik Butchers in the best-of-three finals, with both games being played today. Eddie Aucoin fans ten in six shutout innings in a 11 - 3 win in the opener. In the second game, the Firehawks pound out a 15 - 0 win as Kieran Moore pitches a shutout over Peter Jansson. Heorhii Hvrytishvili has four hits and five RBI.
  • The L&D Amsterdam Pirates win their third straight game in the 2019 Holland Series to tie the Series at six, staving off elimination yet again. Jim Ploeger throws five innings of no-hit relief, Rashid Gerard goes deep at home for the first time in a career that began nine years prior and Amsterdam scores two in the bottom of the 9th off ace Neptunus closer Kevin Kelly for a 4 - 3 comeback win. Sharlon Schoop draws a bases-loaded walk to force in Delano Selassa with the winner.
• 2020:
  • The Padres, who were already the most active team on the transactions front coming into today's trade deadline, pull off the biggest blockbuster of the day as they acquire P Mike Clevinger from Cleveland in a nine-player trade. They also get OF Greg Allen and a player to be named later while giving up three current major leaguers in 1B/OF Josh Naylor, P Cal Quantrill and C Austin Hedges, and three of their top twelve prospects in SS Gabriel Arias, IF Owen Miller and P Joey Cantillo.
  • Among a flurry of other deadline deals, the Reds acquire P Archie Bradley from Arizona for OF/1B Josh VanMeter and OF Stuart Fairchild; the Athletics obtain P Mike Minor from Texas for two players to be named later; the Marlins obtain OF Starling Marte from Arizona for Ps Caleb Smith and Humberto Mejia and a PTBNL; the Blue Jays obtain P Robbie Ray, also from Arizona, in return for P Travis Bergen and IF Jonathan Villar from the Marlins for a PTBNL; the Phillies land P David Phelps from the Brewers for three PTBNLs; and the Rockies add OF Kevin Pillar from Boston for a PTBNL. There are so many players to be named because teams can only trade players in their 60-player pool at this time, and the names of any lower-level prospects can only be revealed after the season.
• 2022 - Shohei Ohtani adds another item to his ever-growing list of achievements when he homers off Gerrit Cole of the Yankees in the 6th inning of the Angels' 3 - 2 win. With that, he becomes the first player ever to hit 30 homers and record ten wins in the same season - a feat not even Babe Ruth managed to achieve.
• 2023:
  • The White Sox appoint former player Chris Getz as General Manager, replacing the recently fired Rick Hahn. Getz went into management after his retirement as a player and has been the team's Assistant GM since 2021.
  • After marrying his long-time fiancée in a private ceremony earlier in the day, Ronald Acuña Jr. becomes the first player to combine 30 homers and 60 stolen bases in one season. His 30th homer is a 2nd-inning grand slam as the Braves defeat the Dodgers, 8 - 7, in a clash of titans. Acuña also becomes a member of the 30-30 club for the second time, while Mookie Betts homers twice in a losing cause, including the 250th of his career.

Births

• 1848 - Val Robinson, outfielder (d. 1896)
• 1850 - Gene Kimball, infielder (d. 1882)
• 1859 - Charles Weden, umpire (d. 1937)
• 1866 - Dad Clarkson, pitcher (d. 1911)
• 1866 - Duke Farrell, catcher (d. 1925)
• 1868 - Red Ehret, pitcher (d. 1940)
• 1869 - Monte Cross, infielder (d. 1934)
• 1874 - Ed Bruyette, outfielder (d. 1940)
• 1875 - Rome Chambers, pitcher (d. 1902)
• 1875 - Eddie Plank, pitcher; Hall of Famer (d. 1926)
• 1880 - Matty Fitzgerald, catcher (d. 1949)
• 1881 - Buster Brown, pitcher (d. 1914)
• 1882 - Molly McMahon, minor league infielder (d. 1939)
• 1883 - Syd Smith, catcher (d. 1961)
• 1885 - Fred Gaiser, pitcher (d. 1918)
• 1888 - Wally Rehg, outfielder (d. 1946)
• 1889 - Leslie O'Connor, general manager (b. 1966)
• 1889 - Eugene Scott, catcher (d. 1947)
• 1893 - Murphy Currie, pitcher (d. 1939)
• 1894 - Norm Glaser, pitcher (d. 1979)
• 1897 - William Bell, pitcher, manager (d. 1969)
• 1898 - Sarge Connally, pitcher (d. 1978)
• 1900 - Ramón Bonilla, Nicaraguan national team coach (d. 1986)
• 1901 - Nobuaki Nidegawa, NPB umpire; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (d. 1989)
• 1905 - Frank Pearce, pitcher (d. 1950)
• 1905 - Jack White, infielder (d. 1971)
• 1907 - Ray Berres, catcher (d. 2007)
• 1907 - Jack Burns, infielder (d. 1975)
• 1908 - John Ducey, minor league umpire (d. 1983)
• 1908 - Fred Wilson, outfielder, manager; All-Star (d. 1948)
• 1910 - Ira Hutchinson, pitcher (d. 1973)
• 1911 - Steno Borghese, Italian baseball executive (d. 1978)
• 1912 - Tommy Sampson, infielder, manager; All-Star (d. 2002)
• 1913 - Mays Copeland, pitcher (d. 1982)
• 1913 - Ray Dandridge, infielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 1994)
• 1915 - Rose Gacioch, AAGPBL outfielder (d. 2004)
• 1915 - Yoshio Kikuya, NPB pitcher (d. 1990)
• 1916 - Tokuyuki Hidaka, NPB outfielder (d. ????)
• 1916 - Danny Litwhiler, outfielder; All-Star (d. 2011)
• 1916 - Ray Mack, infielder; All-Star (d. 1969)
• 1917 - Frank Dasso, pitcher (d. 2009)¸
• 1917 - George Digby, scout (d. 2014­­)
• 1918 - Kenny Washington, minor league outfielder (d. 1971)
• 1919 - Jack Wallaesa, infielder (d. 1986)
• 1922 - Hub Andrews, pitcher (d. 2012)
• 1924 - George Wilson, outfielder (d. 1974)
• 1925 - Paul Hinrichs, pitcher (d. 2023)
• 1925 - Pete Vonachen, minor league executive (d. 2013)
• 1927 - Jim Finks, minor league catcher; executive (d. 1995)
• 1928 - Buzz Dozier, pitcher (d. 2005)
• 1934 - Jake Sanders, Negro League outfielder (d. 2021)
• 1935 - Frank Robinson, outfielder, manager; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 2019)
• 1937 - Tracy Stallard, pitcher (d. 2017)
• 1938 - Alan Hall, minor league catcher
• 1939 - Ramón Arano, minor league pitcher and manager; Salon de la Fama (d. 2012)
• 1939 - Bill Lawrence, minor league pitcher (d. 2010)
• 1940 - Ted Hendry, umpire
• 1940 - Ramon Hernandez, pitcher (d. 2009)
• 1940 - Cleo James, outfielder
• 1941 - Bill DeWitt Jr., owner
• 1942 - Tom Dukes, pitcher
• 1942 - Ray Webster, infielder
• 1947 - Boots Day, outfielder
• 1951 - Yutaka Yanagida, NPB pitcher
• 1952 - Steve Cline, minor league pitcher
• 1953 - Juan Bernhardt, infielder
• 1953 - Bill Nahorodny, catcher
• 1954 - Mike Allen, minor league pitcher
• 1954 - Jack Perconte, infielder
• 1954 - Claudell Washington, outfielder; All-Star (d. 2020)
• 1954 - Jose Torres, minor league outfielder
• 1955 - Nate Quarles, minor league infielder (d. 2008)
• 1956 - Tom Candiotti, pitcher
• 1958 - Von Hayes, outfielder; All-Star
• 1958 - Mark Seeger, minor league outfielder
• 1960 - Morris Madden, pitcher
• 1961 - Mike Hartley, pitcher
• 1962 - Greg Tubbs, outfielder
• 1966 - Adrian Adkins, minor league catcher (d. 1990)
• 1966 - Joe Ferrone, scout
• 1966 - Jeff Frye, infielder
• 1967 - Stan Royer, infielder
• 1968 - Pat Howell, outfielder
• 1968 - Hideo Nomo, pitcher; All-Star
• 1969 - Nate Minchey, pitcher
• 1972 - Brandon Bridgers, minor league outfielder
• 1974 - Darin Blood, minor league pitcher
• 1976 - Jason Gilfillan, pitcher
• 1977 - Tommy John III, minor league pitcher
• 1977 - Casey Martinez, minor league catcher
• 1977 - Po-Chang Shen, CPBL pitcher
• 1978 - Tim Drew, pitcher
• 1978 - Enemencio Pacheco, minor league pitcher
• 1979 - Clay Hensley, pitcher
• 1979 - Shane Loux, pitcher
• 1979 - Tim Raines, outfielder
• 1979 - Dan Rich, minor league player
• 1979 - Ramon Santiago, infielder
• 1981 - Dennis Dove, pitcher
• 1981 - John Hudgins, minor league pitcher
• 1981 - Ramon Ramirez, pitcher
• 1981 - Jacobo Sequea, minor league pitcher
• 1982 - Josh Kroeger, outfielder
• 1982 - Daisuke Mori, Japanese national team pitcher
• 1983 - Ryan Crew, minor league infielder
• 1983 - Armando Gabino, pitcher
• 1984 - Ernesto Pólit, Ecuadorian national team pitcher
• 1984 - Travis Reagan, minor league player
• 1985 - Yong-kyu Choi, KBO infielder
• 1986 - Juan Nicasio, pitcher
• 1987 - Stephen Cardullo, outfielder
• 1987 - Kyle Ettisch, South African national team catcher
• 1987 - Steve Johnson, pitcher
• 1988 - Matt Adams, infielder
• 1988 - Caleb Gindl, outfielder
• 1988 - Carlos Gonzalez, minor league pitcher
• 1989 - Edwin Beard, minor league infielder
• 1989 - Trent Blank, coach
• 1989 - John Hicks, catcher
• 1990 - Jason Knapp, minor league pitcher
• 1991 - Erik Gonzalez, infielder
• 1992 - Dillon Peters, pitcher
• 1992 - Ricardo Rodriguez, pitcher
• 1993 - Ronel Blanco, pitcher
• 1996 - Chris Holba, minor league pitcher
• 1997 - Hiromi Itoh, NPB pitcher
• 1998 - Jin-su Kim, KBO pitcher

Deaths

• 1906 - Alex Voss, pitcher (b. 1858)
• 1907 - Fred Osborne, outfielder/pitcher (b. 1865)
• 1910 - Duke Esper, pitcher (b. 1867)
• 1911 - Will White, pitcher, manager (b. 1854)
• 1920 - John Ricks, infielder (b. 1866)
• 1926 - Jimmy Hart, infielder (b. 1875)
• 1937 - Gene Connell, catcher (b. 1906)
• 1944 - Jack Crangle, college coach (b. 1899)
• 1956 - Frank Watt, pitcher (b. 1902)
• 1958 - George Quellich, outfielder (b. 1906)
• 1962 - Mutt Wilson, pitcher (b. 1896)
• 1968 - Jay Kirke, infielder (b. 1888)
• 1970 - Heinie Odom, infielder (b. 1900)
• 1972 - Ivey Shiver, outfielder (b. 1906)
• 1973 - Giorgio Regazzi, writer (b. 1923)
• 1981 - Roy Parmelee, pitcher (b. 1907)
• 1981 - Runt Marr, minor league infielder and manager (b. 1891)
• 1983 - Frank Mills, catcher (b. 1895)
• 1985 - Lefty Smoll, pitcher (b. 1914)
• 1988 - John Daley, infielder (b. 1887)
• 1989 - Lou Louden, catcher; All-Star (b. 1919)
• 1989 - Skeeter Newsome, infielder (b. 1910)
• 1990 - Jack Marshall, infielder; All-Star (b. 1908)
• 1993 - Jesse Hill, outfielder (b. 1907)
• 1994 - Mike Garbark, catcher (b. 1910)
• 1994 - Charles Webb, minor league infielder (b. 1923)
• 1996 - Gil English, infielder (b. 1909)
• 1998 - Shozo Watanabe, NPB pitcher (b. 1933)
• 2000 - Dolores Moore, AAGPBL infielder (b. 1932)
• 2001 - Crash Davis, infielder (b. 1919)
• 2006 - Oscar Álvarez, Dominican national team outfielder (b. 1921)
• 2006 - Charlie Wagner, pitcher (b. 1912)
• 2013 - William Arrildt, minor league pitcher (b. 1925)
• 2014 - Al Curtis, minor league pitcher (b. 1930)
• 2019 - Hal Naragon, catcher (b. 1928)
• 2020 - Tom Seaver, pitcher; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1944)
• 2021 - Reinaldo Costa, Cuban league pitcher (b. 1959)
• 2022 - Lee Thomas, outfielder; All-Star (b. 1936)