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1968 – First baseman Rusty Staub visits Larry Dierker at the mound during a 6-0 loss in Los Angeles. Absent-mindedly, he spits on the ball while standing on the hill. Zoilo Versalles has a three-ball count and Staub’s miscue becomes an automatic ball four. Versalles eventually scores. 

ByTom

1968 – First baseman Rusty Staub visits Larry Dierker at the mound during a 6-0 loss in Los Angeles. Absent-mindedly, he spits on the ball while standing on the hill. Zoilo Versalles has a three-ball count and Staub’s miscue becomes an automatic ball four. Versalles eventually scores. 

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1968 – Judge Roy Hofheinz gives San Francisco’s Willie Mays a 569-lb. cake for his 37th birthday. Rusty Staub serves the dessert with six RBIs in a 10-2 Houston win.

ByTom

1968 – Judge Roy Hofheinz gives San Francisco’s Willie Mays a 569-lb. cake for his 37th birthday. Rusty Staub serves the dessert with six RBIs in a 10-2 Houston win.

The longest shutout in major league history is played at the Astrodome
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The longest shutout in major league history is played at the Astrodome

ByTom

1968  The longest shutout in major league history is played at the Astrodome before a crowd that sits through over six hours of baseball before a run scores. Houston outlasts the Mets, 1-0, as Al Weis lets Bob Aspromonte’s roller through his legs in the 24th inning allowing Norm Miller to cross home plate . Catchers Hal King and Jerry Grote play the entire contest.

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1968 – Jeff Kent is born in Bellflower, CA. The former National League MVP bats .292 and averages 24 homers and 100 RBIs during his two seasons in Houston (2003,2004). He also provides one of the most memorable homers in Astros playoff history to win Game 5 of the 2004 N.L.C.S. 

ByTom

1968 – Jeff Kent is born in Bellflower, CA. The former National League MVP bats .292 and averages 24 homers and 100 RBIs during his two seasons in Houston (2003,2004). He also provides one of the most memorable homers in Astros playoff history to win Game 5 of the 2004 N.L.C.S. 

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Walt Bond, who led the Colt .45s in home runs and RBIs three years earlier, dies of leukemia at Methodist Hospital. He was 29 years old.

ByTom

1967 – Walt Bond, who led the Colt .45s in home runs and RBIs three years earlier, dies of leukemia at Methodist Hospital. He was 29 years old.

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1Jim Wynn cracks his 37th homer of the season in an 11-10 squeaker over the Cubs.

ByTom

1967 – Jim Wynn cracks his 37th homer of the season in an 11-10 squeaker over the Cubs. The home run mark would stand for 27 years. Houston uses nine pitchers in the victory, including catcher Ron Brand in the eighth when it looked like the Astros had control.

Jim Wynn smashes two home runs becomes the first Astro in franchise history to reach 100 RBIs
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Jim Wynn smashes two home runs becomes the first Astro in franchise history to reach 100 RBIs

ByThis Day in Baseball

 1967 – Jim Wynn smashes two home runs, his 34th and 35th of the year, to drop the Dodgers, 5-3. Wynn becomes the first in franchise history to reach 100 RBIs. Mike Cuellar wins his 14th of the year.

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1967 – Jim Wynn cracks his 30th home run of the season during a 9-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Clay Carroll is the victim. Wynn is the first Houston player to reach that plateau and no other Astro would join him until Glenn Davis in 1986. 

ByThis Day in Baseball

1967 – Jim Wynn cracks his 30th home run of the season during a 9-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Clay Carroll is the victim. Wynn is the first Houston player to reach that plateau and no other Astro would join him until Glenn Davis in 1986.