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Joe Niekro becomes the first 21-game winner in club history with a 3-2 triumph over the Dodgers. An eighth-inning sacrifice fly by Danny Heep plates the game-winner. The Astros finish with a best-to-date 89 wins but fall 1-1/2 games short of Cincinnati for the N.L. West title. 

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1979 – Joe Niekro becomes the first 21-game winner in club history with a 3-2 triumph over the Dodgers. An eighth-inning sacrifice fly by Danny Heep plates the game-winner. The Astros finish with a best-to-date 89 wins but fall 1-1/2 games short of Cincinnati for the N.L. West title. 

With his 5th-inning, solo HR, Willie Stargell passes Honus Wagner as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ all-time RBI leader, bringing his career total thus far to 1,476. His milestone shot makes it 3 – 0, Bucs, and they will hang on to beat Chicago, 5 – 3, clinching the National League Eastern Division title in the process. Exactly seven years after his late friend and mentor Roberto Clemente would enter the 3,000-hit club on his final regular season at-bat, Stargell, one of his era’s premier run-producers, culminates his 1979 MVP season by gaining this gratifying and much-deserved distinction. In a sense, the season itself could be seen as a culmination of his entire career, both by virtue of winning at least part of the NL MVP award he should have won in 1971 (the current edition being awarded jointly to Stargell and Keith Hernandez of the Cards) and by getting a retroactive mulligan on his 1971 World Series no-show and making the most of it, following in Clemente’s footsteps by winning a World Series MVP on his second try. In addition, Stargell will be named NLCS MVP, the only player ever to receive all three awards in the same season.

ByThis Day in Baseball

With his 5th-inning, solo HR, Willie Stargell passes Honus Wagner as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ all-time RBI leader, bringing his career total thus far to 1,476. His milestone shot makes it 3 – 0, Bucs, and they will hang on to beat Chicago, 5 – 3, clinching the National League Eastern Division title in the process. Exactly seven years after his late friend and mentor Roberto Clemente would enter the 3,000-hit club on his final regular season at-bat, Stargell, one of his era’s premier run-producers, culminates his 1979 MVP season by gaining this gratifying and much-deserved distinction. In a sense, the season itself could be seen as a culmination of his entire career, both by virtue of winning at least part of the NL MVP award he should have won in 1971 (the current edition being awarded jointly to Stargell and Keith Hernandez of the Cards) and by getting a retroactive mulligan on his 1971 World Series no-show and making the most of it, following in Clemente’s footsteps by winning a World Series MVP on his second try. In addition, Stargell will be named NLCS MVP, the only player ever to receive all three awards in the same season.

Two ML managers bite the dust. The Padres fire Roger Craig and the Blue Jays do the same to Roy Hartsfield. San Diego will hire broadcaster Jerry Coleman the next day, while Toronto will hire scout Bobby Mattick on October 18.

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Two ML managers bite the dust. The Padres fire Roger Craig and the Blue Jays do the same to Roy Hartsfield. San Diego will hire broadcaster Jerry Coleman the next day, while Toronto will hire scout Bobby Mattick on October 18.

Minnesota’s Jerry Koosman defeats Milwaukee 5 – 0 on the final day of the season for his 20th win of the year. It is the only time the Brewers are shut out the entire year, as they fail to tie a record set by the Yankees in 1932. The Brew Crew scored in 213 straight games.

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Minnesota’s Jerry Koosman defeats Milwaukee 5 – 0 on the final day of the season for his 20th win of the year. It is the only time the Brewers are shut out the entire year, as they fail to tie a record set by the Yankees in 1932. The Brew Crew scored in 213 straight games.

In his last big league game, Ed Kranepool pinch hits in the top of the seventh inning and doubles off Bob Forsch when the Mets beat the Cardinals in the season finale at Busch Stadium, 4-2. The James Monroe High School graduate, who made his debut with the team in 1962 at the age of 17, had been the last original Met left in the majors.

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In his last big league game, Ed Kranepool pinch hits in the top of the seventh inning and doubles off Bob Forsch when the Mets beat the Cardinals in the season finale at Busch Stadium, 4-2. The James Monroe High School graduate, who made his debut with the team in 1962 at the age of 17, had been the last original Met left in the majors.

Manny Mota sets a major league record with his 145th career pinch hit, a single to right field, in LA’s 6-2 victory over Chicago at Dodger Stadium. The Dominican Republic native surpasses the all-time record set by Smoky Burgess, who collected his last hit as a pinch-hitter in 1967.

Manny Mota sets a major league record with his 145th career pinch hit, a single to right field, in LA’s 6-2 victory over Chicago at Dodger Stadium. The Dominican Republic native surpasses the all-time record set by Smoky Burgess, who collected his last hit as a pinch-hitter in 1967.

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Manny Mota sets a major league record with his 146th career pinch hit, a single to right field, in LA’s 6-2 victory over Chicago at Dodger Stadium. The Dominican Republic native surpasses the all-time record set by Smoky Burgess, who collected his last hit as a pinch-hitter in 1967.

In a twin bill at Busch Stadium, Cardinal infielder Garry Templeton collects three hits against the Mets to become the first player to get 100 hits from each side of the plate. The St. Louis shortstop bats just right-handed during the last nine games to establish the unprecedented switch-hitting mark.

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In a twin bill at Busch Stadium, Cardinal infielder Garry Templeton collects three hits against the Mets to become the first player to get 100 hits from each side of the plate. The St. Louis shortstop bats just right-handed during the last nine games to establish the unprecedented switch-hitting mark.

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9/27/1979: Padre Dave Winfield homered off Mike LaCoss in Cincinnati. The hit occurred in the first inning with two on and one out and was lost to rain.

ByThis Day in Baseball

9/27/1979: Padre Dave Winfield homered off Mike LaCoss in Cincinnati. The hit occurred in the first inning with two on and one out and was lost to rain.

Frank White becomes the fourth player in the team’s 11-year history to hit for the cycle when he triples in the ninth inning of the Royals’ 4-0 victory over California at Anaheim Stadium. The Kansas City second baseman joins Freddie Patek (1971), John Mayberry (1977), and George Brett (1979), who also have completed the rare feat playing for the franchise.

ByThis Day in Baseball

Frank White becomes the fourth player in the team’s 11-year history to hit for the cycle when he triples in the ninth inning of the Royals’ 4-0 victory over California at Anaheim Stadium. The Kansas City second baseman joins Freddie Patek (1971), John Mayberry (1977), and George Brett (1979), who also have completed the rare feat playing for the franchise.