For the fourth consecutive season, Garret Anderson reaches 100 RBIs mark to become the first player in team history to do so. The Angels’ outfielder was also the first to have three straight 100-RBI seasons.
Miguel Tejada starts his 559th consecutive game to establish a team record. The A’s shortstop, who has longest active streak in the majors, last missed a game on May 1, 2000.
Much to the delight of the 34,844 fans at Fenway Park and the embarrassment of the team’s first baseman, the “Rally Karaoke Guy” makes his debut as a video of Kevin Millar as a Los Angeles City College freshman doing an impersonation of Bruce Springsteen singing “Born in the USA,” is shown on the scoreboard prior to the start of the 6th inning. The video, which was played at a clubhouse meeting in Texas as a prank by a college friend of Millar’s who is now a FBI agent, appears to be Boston’s answer to the Rally Monkey of Anaheim as the Red Sox win their first game in a week, beating the A’s, 14 – 5.
At Dodger Stadium, Vladimir Guerrero hits his 226th career home run breaking Andre Dawson’s club record. The Expos right fielder hits his milestone round-tripper off Odalis Perez, a 454 feet shot over the left field wall.
2003 – Jeff Kent smashes a home run and drives in six to pace a 12-8 slugfest over the Chicago Cubs in Houston. His shot off Matt Clement snaps a 5-5 tie. Lance Berkman also delivers three hits. The victory keeps Houston a game in front of St. Louis for the division lead while the Cubs lurk just 1-1/2 games behind.
2003 – A major brawl breaks out in a California League game between the Lancaster JetHawks and Inland Empire 66ers. In the 15th inning of the game, Josh Kranawetter hits Evel Bastida with a pitch. Bastida charges the mound and smashes Kranawetter in the back with his bat. He is charged with felony assault and suspended for the rest of the year. 16 players and a coach get three-game suspensions for the ensuing fight.
Peanuts character Charlie Brown joins late broadcaster Bob Prince, Negro League star Josh Gibson, former catcher Manny Sanguillen, and current shortstop Jack Wilson when he is honored by the Pirates with a bobblehead doll give-away day. Almost ten percent of the nearly 18,000 Peanuts strips created by Charles Schulz focused on baseball.
The Rally Monkey, the Angels’ unofficial mascot, is honored for its contribution to last season’s world championship with its own bobblehead doll promotion. The Rally Monkey Bobble Belly joins other dolls given to fans this year, paying tribute to Troy Glaus (2002 World Series MVP), Adam Kennedy (ALCS MVP), and Mike Scioscia (AL Manager of the Year) and will wear an Anaheim jersey with a name of an honored player on the back.
On August 16, 2003, Anaheim rookie outfielder Adam Riggs takes the field at home against the Detroit Tigers wearing a jersey that reads “ANGEES” instead of “ANGELS.” The manufacturer’s mistake is not noticed by the Angels until after the top of the first inning.
8/16/2003 – The Yankees were playing at Camden Yards in Baltimore. In the bottom of the first inning, the Orioles had runners on second and third with one out. It was Jay Gibbons turn to bat but Tony Batista came to the plate and hit a sacrifice fly. Gibbons then grounded out to end the inning. Since the Yankees said nothing about the batting out of turn, the second inning should have started with Batista hitting again. However, Brook Fordyce popped out to start the inning. The Orioles batted correctly for the rest of the game. With that run in the first, the teams ended the ninth inning tied and the Yankees won in 12 innings, 5-4.
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