Red Sox starter Brian Denman goes the distance, defeating Dave Righetti at Yankee Stadium, 5-0. The 26 year-old rookie right-hander’s six-hit shutout will be his ninth and last appearance in a major league uniform.
At San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, recording artist Vicki Carr and 43,077 fans sing an enthusiastic rendition of Happy Birthday before the Padres game with Atlanta, helping owner Ray Kroc celebrate his 80th birthday. As part of the fun the San Diego Chicken along with Ronald McDonald pop out of a giant cake.
New York’s once legendary center fielders, Giant Willie Mays, Dodger Duke Snider, and Yankee Mickey Mantle, appear on the Warner Wolfe show. It is the first time all three Hall of Fame outfielders have appeared together on a television show.
On October 2, 1978, In a one game playoff, Bucky Dent’s unlikely home run helps the New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox in a dramatic one-game playoff at Fenway Park. Trailing by two runs in the seventh inning, Dent smacks a three-run shot against pitcher Mike Torrez into the screen above the Green…
When Dusty Baker hits his 30th homer of the season against the Astros’ J.R. Richard, the Dodgers become the first team in major league history to have four players hit 30 or more home runs. He joins with Steve Garvey (33), Reggie Smith (32), and Ron Cey (30) to complete the foursome.
In his final start of the season, rookie right-hander Mark Fidrych earns his 19th victory, beating Milwaukee at County Stadium, 5-1. The five-hit complete game takes only one hour and 46 minutes to play.
Four years before the stroke that ends his career, 26 year-old J.R. Richard becomes a twenty-game winner on the last day of the season when he tosses a complete game in the Astros’ 10-1 victory over San Francisco. James Rodney also enjoys a big day at the plate, going 3-for-4, including a two-run home run.
On October 2, 1974, future Hall of Famer Al Kaline announces his retirement. During a 22-year career with the Detroit Tigers, Kaline compiled 3,007 hits and 399 home runs. He also batted .379 in the 1968 World Series… @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IGp1c3QgY2xpY2sgdGhlIHRhZ3MhICAiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsImxpbmtfdG9fdGVybV9wYWdlIjoib24iLCJzZXBhcmF0b3IiOiIgfCAiLCJjYXRlZ29yeV90eXBlIjoicG9zdF90YWcifX0=@
On the last day of the season in front of a crowd of a few hundred fans, Billy Martin elects not to use a designated hitter, allowing starting pitcher Ferguson Jenkins to bat for himself. Although Fergie, en route to his 25th win of the season, gets a hit in the Texas 2-1 victory over the Twins at Metropolitan Stadium, the Rangers manager’s refusal to use a DH prevents the position from being employed for the entire game, according to the rules.
Hank Aaron, in his final at-bat for the Braves after spending 21 seasons with the team, homers off right-hander Rawly Eastwick in the 13-0 rout of Cincinnati at Atlanta Stadium. The Hammer’s last National League plate appearance yields his 3600th career hit, which is the Brewer-bound outfielder’s career 736th round-tripper.
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