On this weeks podcast – August 5, 1979, Willie Mays is inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Mays slugged 660 homers, batted .302, and collected 3,283 hits in his 22-year career. Known for his all-around play, Mays won 12 Gold Glove Awards for his defense in center field. Former…
The Red Sox complete a four-game sweep of the Yankees thanks a stunning 9th-inning comeback against closer Aroldis Chapman who allows three runs by walking the bases loaded with two outs, then allows a two-run single to J.D. Martinez and sees the tying run score on an error by 3B Miguel Andujar. Andrew Benintendi then gives Boston a 5 – 4 win with a run-scoring single in the 10th. Boston now has a lead of 9 1/2 games after the two teams were neck-and-neck until late June.
The Indians unveil a bronze statue honoring Lou Boudreau, who managed the team to their last World Series title in 1948 while also being the Tribe’s starting shortstop. The seven-time All-Star is placed outside the main entrance of Progressive Field near two fellow Hall of Famers and former teammates, Bob Feller and Larry Doby.
Highly touted prospect Javier Baez homers in his major league debut for the Cubs, leading off the 12th inning against Boone Logan of the Rockies, to lead his team to a 6 – 5 win.
Major League Baseball releases the names of 13 players who have been suspended for their involvement with performance-enhancing substances supplied by the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic. Thirty-eight year-old Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez receives the harshest of the punishments when he is told that he will be sidelined without pay for 211 regular-season games, much more than the 50-game suspensions given to most players implicated in the announcement.
Minnie Forbes, the 81 year-old former owner of the Negro League Detroit Stars from 1956 to 1958, and about a dozen former baseball players meet with Barack Obama at the White House. The country’s first black president honors the group for their contributions to athletics and civil rights.
Darwin Barney becomes the Cubs’ all-time leader for second basemen when he plays in his 91st consecutive game in a single season without committing an error. The 26 year-old Chicago infielder, en route to setting the National League mark with a 127 straight errorless-game streak, surpasses Ryne Sandberg’s team record that the Hall of Famer established in 1989.
The Tigers rally for 5 runs with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to pull out a 10 – 8 win over the Indians. Cleveland leads, 8 – 5, with two outs and nobody on in the 10th when Chris Perez opens the floodgates by walking Alex Avila and Andy Dirks. Austin Jackson doubles in a run and Omar Infante follows with a two-run single that ties the game. Miguel Cabrera then hits his 27th homer to cap the wild win. Darin Downs earns his first major league victory.
A.J. Pierzynski hits a home run for the 5th consecutive game, belting a pinch-hit two-run shot off Jason Isringhausen in the 7th inning to put the White Sox ahead, and Chicago defeats the Angels, 4 – 2.
The Twins celebrate the 20th year anniversary of the 1991 controversial play when Kent Hrbek and Ron Gant becoming entangled at first base in Game 2 of the World Series with a bobblehead doll depicting one of the worst of all-time decisions by an umpire. Drew Coble called Gant out when it appeared first baseman Kent Hrbek had lifted him off the bag.