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…
2018 – Mookie Betts of the Red Sox hits the first cycle in the majors this season, completing the feat with a solo homer in the 9th, but it’s in vain as Toronto hands Boston a rare defeat, 8 – 5.
2017 – Shortly after losing All-Star OF Michael Brantley to an ankle injury, the Indians acquire Jay Bruce from the Mets.
2016 – Eight days after having been acquired by the Athletics at the trading deadline, Jharel Cotton makes a bid to throw only the fourth perfect game in Pacific Coast League history. After striking out Kyle Kubitza for out number 26, he gives up a triple to Doug Bernier with two outs in the 9th to spoil his attempt. He then strikes out the next batter to complete a one-hit shutout as Nashville defeats Round Rock, 3 – 0.
The Blue Jays complete a three-game sweep of the Yankees with a 2 – 0 shutout at New Yankee Stadium, to move within 1 1/2 game of first place in the AL East. Marco Estrada pitches 6 1/3 innings while Josh Donaldsonand Jose Bautista hit solo homers off Masahiro Tanaka. The Yankees score one run over the three games, and are shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since May 12-13, 1999, ending a major league record streak of 2,665 games between the two instances.
The Reds attempt to revisit Merkle’s Boner, unsuccessfully. In the 10th inning of a 3 – 3 game, the Diamondbacks load the bases, then PH Chris Owings hits a ball over CF Billy Hamilton’s head, driving in the winning run. But, while Arizona is celebrating its walk-off win, the Reds notice that neither the runner on first base nor the one on second have touched the next base, and tag both bases, appealing to the umpires to declare them out on an inning-ending double play. However, while the Reds are right about the runners not touching their base, the umpires rule that it does not matter, as with one out, only the fact that the runner touched home and the batter made it to first base are relevant. In 1908, Fred Merkle had been called out for failing to touch second base on a similar play, upsetting a close pennant race, but the rules pertaining to such a situation have been clarified since.
Bill Lee, who threw a complete-game victory two seasons ago for the San Rafael Pacifics, breaks his own record as the oldest player ever to win a professional baseball game when he hurls 5.2 innings in the Sonoma Stompers’ 6-3 victory at Arnold Field. The 67 year-old former major league hurler, a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame, gives up six hits and three runs to the visiting Pittsburg Mettle of the independent Pacific Association.
The Dodgers continue to add pitchers, today acquiring starter Kevin Correia from the Twins for a player to be named later.
The Rangers acquire OF Alex Rios from the White Sox in return for a player to be named later. Rios is slated to replace Nelson Cruz, suspended for the remainder of the season for his role in the Biogenesis affair.
Josh Reddick hits three homers and teammates Jed Lowrie and Yoenis Cespedes also go deep as the Athletics defeat the Blue Jays, 14 – 6.