In Play Magazine
1894 At Brooklyn's Eastern Park, Lave Cross hits for the cycle as Philadelphia pounds the Grooms (Dodgers) 22-5. The third baseman becomes the first Phillies player to accomplish the feat.
1901 In front of 14,000 fans at the Chicago Cricket Club, the first American League game is played with the White Sox and Roy Patterson defeating Cleveland Blues, 8-2 in a contest which lasted ninety minutes. The opponent's name, which will be eventually changed to the Indians, reflects the very bright color of visitors' uniforms.
1902 Professional baseball gets its start in Durham, North Carolina as the Tobacconists (renamed the Bulls 11 years later) played an exhibition game against Trinity College (now Duke University). The Bulls, except for 1971-80, when minor league baseball didn't exist in the city, will continue to play in Durham until the present day.
1917 At Fenway Park, slim southpaw George Mogridge no-hits the Red Sox, 2-1. The southpaw's performance is the first no-no in franchise history.
1923 President Warren G. Harding witnesses the first shutout ever thrown at Yankee Stadium as Babe Ruth homers in a 4-0 victory over the Senators.
1945 The owners elect U.S Senator Happy Chandler unanimously to replace Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Baseball’s second commissioner will remain in the Senate during the first six months of his tenure in office.
1947 Giants' first baseman Johnny Mize homers three times against Johnny Sain and the Braves becoming the first major leaguer to hit three home runs in one game five different times.
1948 In a 7-4 Cleveland victory, Indian second baseman Larry Doby ties a major league record by striking out five times in one game.
1954 Giants right-hander Marv Grissom blanks the Phillies at the Polo Grounds‚ 1-0. Whitey Lockman's 300-foot home run off Robin Roberts accounts for the only score of the game.
1956 At Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Frank Umont becomes the first umpire wear glasses during a regular season game. Although he is heckled by some A's fans as the home team loses to the Tigers, 7-4, the former NFL tackle (N.Y. Giants) has no problem being the second base arbitrator.
1957 Three Cubs pitchers walk nine players in the fifth inning of a 9-5 loss to the Reds at Crosley Field. Moe Drabowsky starts the frame with four walks, Jackie Collum adds three free passes, and Jim Brosnan issues two base on balls to set a new National League record.
1957 The Cubs walk nine Reds in the bottom of the fifth inning to establish a National League record. Don Hoak (2), Roy McMillan (2), Joe Nuxhall, Jerry Lynch, Bob Thurman, Wally Post all receive free passes when Cincinnati beats Chicago at Crosley Field, 9-5.
1958 At the Los Angeles Coliseum, Gene Fodge picks up his only major league win as the Cubs beat the Dodgers, 15-2. Outfielder Lee Walls carries the day with three homers and eight RBIs.
1962 Dodger Sandy Koufax ties a major league mark striking out 18 batters in a nine inning game as the Dodgers rout the Cubs, 10-2 at Wrigley Field. Indians right-hander Bob Feller established the record whiffing 18 Tigers in 1938.
1962 Mets manager Casey Stengel is fined $500 dollars by Commissioner Ford Frick for appearing in a beer ad.
1982 Jesse Barfield becomes the first Blue Jay in franchise history to pinch-hit a grand slam when he goes deep off Tom Burgmeier. The right-fielder's bases-loaded heroics isn't enough to stave of an eventual 8-7 Toronto loss to Boston at Exhibition Stadium.
1987 At Cleveland Stadium, Rickey Henderson becomes the first player in baseball history to hit a home run off two different 300-game winners in the same game. The left fielder’s solo homer in the 8th inning off Phil Niekro and his two-run blast in the ninth off Steve Carlton helps the Yankees edge the Indians, 6-5.
1989 Joining Reggie Jackson and the Reggie bar, Ken Griffey Jr. becomes the second player in history to have a candy bar named after him when he signs a contract with Pacific Trading Cards Company. Unfortunately, the Mariners' center fielder can't enjoy the popular confectionary, more than one million will be sold, because the 19-year old rookie is allergic to chocolate.
1994 Julio Franco and Robin Ventura homer backto-back in both the second and eighth innings. The sluggers' offensive output isn't enough when Detroit beats the White Sox at Comiskey Park, 7-6.
1996 Scoring the most runs by an opponent against the Detroit in 84 years , the Twins set a team record for crossing the plate trouncing the Tigers, 24-11. Greg Myers and Paul Molitor lead the attack with each driving in five runs.
1998 Dodger backstop Mike Piazza ties a major league record hitting his third grand slam of the month. The blast highlights a nine-run second inning which leads Los Angeles to 12-4 victory over the visiting Cubs.
1998 Hitting a solo homer off Giant's Orel Hershiser at 3Com Park, Geoff Jenkins becomes the first Brewer player ever to homer in his first major league game. The rookie joins Chuck Tanner, who accomplished the feat in 1955 as a member of the Braves, as the only players in Milwaukee baseball history to homer in their first game.
2003 Chase Utley gets his first major league hit blasting a third inning grand slam off Rockies starter Dennis Cook. The rookie second baseman’s big fly to right field contributes to the Phillies 9-1 victory at Veterans Stadium.
2008 The David Ortiz jersey, which was secretly buried in cement at the new Yankee Stadium in an attempt to curse the team, is acquired in a Jimmy Fund charity auction for $175,100. The winning bidder from the 282 who vied for the tattered Red Sox jersey, is Kevin Meehan, the owner of Imperialcars.com, located in Mendon, Mass.
