On this day in 1974 – Atlanta Braves slugger Hank Aaron blasts a historic three-run home run against Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jack Billingham on Opening Day. The home run is the 714th of Aaron’s career, tying him with the great Babe Ruth for the most in major league history.
27 Years ago… even as a video game… this is painful to watch. For the record: Bill Buckner is a good man. He was a great baseball player. We played together on the ’71 Dodgers. He had the type of career most players only dream about. Sadly, the vast majority of the people in the world…
On this day, 41 years ago Jackie Robinson died. Here is his obituary written by Dave Anderson and published by the New York Times on October 25, 1972 Jackie Robinson, First Black in Major Leagues, Dies Jackie Robinson, who made history in 1947 by becoming the first black baseball player in the major leagues, suffered…
25 years ago today, the LA Dodgers hosted the powerful Oakland A’s in the first game of the 1988 World Series. Oakland was heavily favored to crush the shorthanded Dodgers, who playing without their leader, 1988 NL MVP Kirk Gibson. When the game started, Gibson was nowhere in sight, he was in too much pain…
On this day in 1980… Mike Schmidt smacked a two-run home run off Montreal’s Stan Bahnsen in the top of the 11th inning gives Philadelphia a 6 – 4 win and the NL East title. The home run is Schmidt’s 48th of the season, breaking Eddie Mathews’ single-season record for third basemen set in 1953….
35 years ago today Lyman Bostock was shot sitting in a car at the intersection of Fifth and Jackson in Gary, Indiana. If you don’t know his story, check out this great article on ESPN written by Jeff Pearlman. The son of Annie, and Lyman Sr., Lyman Wesley Bostock was born on November 22nd 1950…
On this day in 1963… 21 year old Richard Anthony Allen made his major league debut for the Philadelphia Phillies. Following Little Rock’s (AAA) International League season in which he led the team in hitting (.290), led the league in home runs (33), runs batted in (97), triples (12) AND broke the color barrier as…
On this day in 1966… Phillies Hall of Famer Jim Bunning continued his dominance over the New York Mets by shutting them out at Shea Stadium, 6 – 0. The Phillies offense was paced by third baseman Dick Allen, who slugged 2 home runs. The victory marked Bunning’s 9th win over the Metropolitans since throwing…
On this day in 1981, Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt became the fourth (and most recent) in franchise history to homer in an All Star Game. With his team down 4-3 in the top of eighth inning, Schmidt pounded a Rollie Fingers pitch over Dave Winfield and the Municipal Stadium center field wall, driving in Pittsburgh’s Mike Easler…