John Miller homers and becomes the only player in history to have hit a home run in his first and last plate appearance in the major leagues

John Miller homers and becomes the only player in history to have hit a home run in his first and last plate appearance in the major leagues

In his last major league at-bat, John Miller homers, making the Dodger the only player in history to have hit a home run in his first and last plate appearance in the major leagues. In 1966, as a Yankee, he went deep in the first of only 61 big league career at-bats in which he would collect only 10 hits, including the two memorable round-trippers to start and end his 32-game career.

In an 8-3 win over the Yankees at Fenway Park, Red Sox first baseman Carl Yastrzemski hits his 200th career home. Yaz, who will hit 452 homers during his 23-year tenure in the major leagues, blasts a third-inning pitch off starter Mel Stottlemyre to reach the milestone, and then adds #201 in the eighth off Lindy McDaniel.

In an 8-3 win over the Yankees at Fenway Park, Red Sox first baseman Carl Yastrzemski hits his 200th career home. Yaz, who will hit 452 homers during his 23-year tenure in the major leagues, blasts a third-inning pitch off starter Mel Stottlemyre to reach the milestone, and then adds #201 in the eighth off Lindy McDaniel.

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1969 – Third base coach Salty Parker sends Norm Miller home from third when he sees a white object fly away from Atlanta catcher Bob Didier after a pitch. The object turns out not to be the ball, but a finger cast the catcher was wearing on his glove hand. Miller is easily tagged out. The 5-3 loss creates an unhappy 23rd birthday for sore-armed Larry Dierker who broke in with the Colt .45s on his brithday five years earlier. 

1969 – Third base coach Salty Parker sends Norm Miller home from third when he sees a white object fly away from Atlanta catcher Bob Didier after a pitch. The object turns out not to be the ball, but a finger cast the catcher was wearing on his glove hand. Miller is easily tagged out. The 5-3 loss creates an unhappy 23rd birthday for sore-armed Larry Dierker who broke in with the Colt .45s on his brithday five years earlier. 

Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants hits his 600th career home run
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Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants hits his 600th career home run

  On September 22, 1969, Willie Mays, joining Yankee legend Babe Ruth, becomes the second major leaguer to hit 600 career home runs. The historic two-run homer is delivered as a pinch hitter, for George Foster, in the top of the seventh inning off Padres hurler Mike Corkins and proves to be the difference in…

In a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the tenth inning at Candlestick Park, LA’s Pete Mikkelsen quickly retires the first two Giants batters, but then is ordered to intentionally walk Willie McCovey, who is 4-for-4 in the game. The Dodger reliever proceeds to issue free passes to the next two hitters unintentionally, loading the bases, and then loses the game when shortstop Maury Wills boots pinch-hitter Jim Davenport’s ground ball.

In a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the tenth inning at Candlestick Park, LA’s Pete Mikkelsen quickly retires the first two Giants batters, but then is ordered to intentionally walk Willie McCovey, who is 4-for-4 in the game. The Dodger reliever proceeds to issue free passes to the next two hitters unintentionally, loading the bases, and then loses the game when shortstop Maury Wills boots pinch-hitter Jim Davenport’s ground ball.

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1969 – Keith Lampard, a native of England, gets his first and last major league homer. It’s a two-run pinch-hit shot in the bottom of the ninth off Wayne Granger to shock the Reds, 3-2. So excited, the Brit almost runs past Jim Wynn on his way around the bases. Wynn had walked for the fourth time of the night. Houston sets an N.L. record for strikeouts with 1,125. Ironically, it’s a knuckleball from Jim Bouton that sets the mark on a squad full of flamethrowers. 

1969 – Keith Lampard, a native of England, gets his first and last major league homer. It’s a two-run pinch-hit shot in the bottom of the ninth off Wayne Granger to shock the Reds, 3-2. So excited, the Brit almost runs past Jim Wynn on his way around the bases. Wynn had walked for the fourth time of the night. Houston sets an N.L. record for strikeouts with 1,125. Ironically, it’s a knuckleball from Jim Bouton that sets the mark on a squad full of flamethrowers.