4/19/1981: Pitcher Frank Pastore of the Reds homered in the bottom of the third inning off the Cardinals’ Silvio Martinez. There was no one on base and one out. The game was rained out.
1980 – J.R. Richard one-hits Los Angeles in a 12-strikeout performance, his 13th straight win over the Dodgers. The only hit allowed is an infield single by Reggie Smith in the fourth inning.
1979 – Rich Gossage and Cliff Johnson of the New York Yankees brawl in the clubhouse after a 6 – 3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Gossage suffers a sprained ligament in his thumb, which will keep him out of action until July 12th. As “punishment” for injuring the team’s ace reliever, the Yankees will trade Johnson to the Cleveland Indians later in the summer.
The Mets trade Tim Foli, along with minor league prospect Greg Field, to the Pirates in exchange for second baseman Frank Taveras. Foli, appearing in 133 games, will play a major role in the club’s world championship this season, batting .291 and providing solid defense at shortstop for the Bucs.
Sparky Lyle becomes the first reliever to come into a game with a signature entrance song when the Yankee Stadium PA system plays Pomp and Circumstance as the closer approaches the mound. Although the southpaw secures the last out of the team’s 3-2�victory over�Milwaukee,�the�New York�relief pitcher feels�the song, selected by PR man Marty Appel to signify the end of the game much as the Edward Elgar’s march signals the end of an�academic accomplishment, adds more pressure to his closer role and asks the public relations department to put the tradition on hold.
1971 – Legendary broadcaster Russ Hodges dies from a heart attack in Mill Valley, California, at the age of 61. Hodges announced the Giants games in New York and San Francisco for 22 seasons, after working for four other teams. Hodges was best known for his famed “The Giants win the pennant!” call of Bobby Thomson’s home run in 1951. Hodges will be the fourth recipient of the Ford Frick Award, posthumously, in 1980.
1970 – Tom Griffin tosses a one-hitter in a 5-1 victory over the Padres. A double by Cito Gaston in the seventh is the lone safety although Jim Wynn robbed Gaston of a similar hit earlier . Houston also pulls off a triple steal when John Mayberry, Doug Rader and Johnny Edwards run on a failed squeeze play.
April 19, 1969: Ken Harrelson is Traded by the Boston Red Sox with Dick Ellsworth and Juan Pizarro to the Cleveland Indians for Joe Azcue, Vicente Romo and Sonny Siebert. The move was not popular with the fans. @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@ Other Resources & Links [et_pb_signup provider=”getresponse” getresponse_list=”Thomas Hannon|zs45L” success_action=”redirect” success_redirect_url=”https://thisdayinbaseball.com/join-the-community/” success_redirect_query=”on|off|off|off|off”…
Special Memory or Event? Want to have some fun? Advertise your business? Dedicate this page On April 19, 1968, Frank Coggins in one of his lone highlights, he became the first man to sock a triple at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Washington Senators’ second baseman’s gap shot came off Jim Nash, Coggin’s was…
1966 – The California Angels play their first game at Anaheim Stadium. Rick Reichardt of the Angels hits the first home run in the new ballpark, but California loses the game, 3 – 1, to the Chicago White Sox.
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