The history of sports is both vast and rich, thanks to the existence of so many different events and the longevity associated with them. With so much history to cull through, We offer the opportunity to look back and see what memorable things happened or milestones were reached on This Day In Baseball August 31.

This Day In Baseball August 31 highlights:

• August 31, 1990, the Houston Astros make one of their best trades ever, acquiring minor league infielder Jeff Bagwell from the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Larry Andersen. Refusing to part with Triple-A third baseman Scott Cooper to get Larry Andersen from the Astros for the stretch run, Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman trades the Eastern League’s MVP Jeff Bagwell for the right-handed relief pitcher.The University of Hartford standout will go on to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1991 and we will win the National League’s MVP Award in 1994 and become one of the greatest players in Astros franchise history. Anderson was a key member of the Red Sox bullpen down the stretch and helped Boston capture the the AL East Title. What is also lost is the Red Sox had a future MVP themselves in Mo Vaughn at firstbase who became on of the top offensive players in team history.
• August 31, 1990, Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr. become the first father and son combination to play together in a major league game. The elder Griffey plays left field and bats second, while the younger Griffey bats third and plays center field. They each pick up one hit in four at-bats.
• August 31, 1950, Gil Hodges of the Brooklyn Dodgers ties a major league record by piling up 17 total bases in a game against the Boston Braves. Hodges hits four home runs and a single in leading the Dodgers to a 19-3 win at Ebbets Field.
• August 31, 1917, 22-year old Red Sox lefty Babe Ruth won his 20th game of the season, defeating the Athletics, 5-3. Ruth won 24 games that season, the second straight year he had reached the 20-win mark. Ruth posted a career 94-46 mark as a pitcher, but earned his fame as a slugger

Notable Events and Chronology for This Day In Baseball August 31

Sort bySearch Days, Events, Players Title (A - Z)Date (Newest)

August 31, 1871

The Forest City of Rockford club defeats the Mutuals‚ 14-4‚ in an exhibition game at the Union Grounds before just 300 spectators. Most of the public refuses to pay fifty cents unless the game is a meaningful “match” game.

August 31, 1875

Eddie Plank is born in Gettysburgh PA

August 31, 1900

1900 – Brickyard Kennedy, en route to his 4th 20-win season for the Superbas, walks six Phillies in a row in the 2nd inning of a 9 – 4 loss.

August 31, 1902

1902 – In Fort Wayne, IN, a Sunday crowd of 3,500 watch a match-up of Cleveland’s Addie Joss and Boston’s Cy Young. Boston pushes over two runs in the 11th to win, 3 – 1.

August 31, 1903

1903 – Joe McGinnity wins his 3rd doubleheader this month, stopping the Phils twice, 4 – 1 and 9 – 2 and handing losses to Chick Fraser and Bill Duggleby. Iron Joe strikes out nine batters in the opener to win. The two games total three hours and three minutes,

August 31, 1904

1904 – In a rowdy 3 – 2, 11-inning Giants win in Cincinnati, the high point comes in the 6th when New York catcher Frank Bowerman slugs a fan, a music teacher named Albert Hartzell, who has been heckling him. Police escort the catcher from the field. Bowerman will be released from custody tomorrow when the fan drops the charges. The Giants win the second game as well, 4 – 1, in seven innings, with the game shortened to allow the Giants to catch a train for New York. The Giants leave Cincinnati with a 15-game lead over Chicago in the National League.

August 31, 1906

In the great tradition of his late brother Ed, Frank Delahanty of New York hits two home runs, a triple, and single, and knocks in seven runs in a 20 – 5 rout of Washington.

August 31, 1906

Beset by injuries, the Tigers call 46-year-old Sam Thompson out of retirement; he drives in two runs in a 5 – 1 win over the Browns. Thompson, who last played in the majors in 1898, appears in eight games and bats .226.

August 31, 1909

1909 – The A.J. Reach Company is granted a patent for its cork-centered baseball, which will replace the hard rubber-cored one. This change will be particularly apparent in the National League in 1910 and 1911.

August 31, 1912

1912 – The Red Sox run their record to 87-37 with a 2 – 1 win over the A’s. Following the game, Connie Mack says he never realized how strong the Sox were, and concedes the pennant to them. There are 30 games left for Boston.

August 31, 1914

1914 – Walter Johnson relieves in the 8th inning with his Senators holding a 3 – 2 lead over the White Sox. On the first pitch, Jack Fournier hits a home run to tie the game. Fournier’s next at bat up comes in the 10th and he homers again to give the Sox a 4 – 3 win. This is the first time Johnson has been reached for two home runs in a game by the same batter (Lou Gehrig will match it August 13, 1926). Last night the Sox beat Johnson 2 – 1 and Fournier was 3-for-3 with two triples against the “Big Train.”

August 31, 1915

In the first game of a doubleheader at the Polo Grounds, Cubs’ right-hander Jimmy Lavender no-hits the hometown Giants, 2-0. Next season, the 31 year-old knuckleballer will stymie New York once again, tossing a one-hitter, allowing only an infield safety to Benny Kauff.

August 31, 1915

Art Nehf and Tom Hughes are both 2 – 0 winners as the Braves sweep two from the Reds.

August 31, 1916

1916 – The Browns beat the Red Sox and Babe Ruth, 2 – 1. Ruth makes two hits and scores the lone run but pops out to end the game.

August 31, 1917

Red Sox lefty Babe Ruth wins his 20th game of the season

August 31, 1918

The Red Sox clinch the pennant, winning the first of a twin bill from the A’s 6 – 1, as Babe Ruth wins his ninth game in his last 11 starts.

August 31, 1920

8/31/1920 – The Giants played in Pittsburgh and had one batter at the plate at the wrong time. Larry Doyle, batting in the seventh spot in the lineup, ended the seventh inning. In the bottom half of that frame the Pirates scored six times to pull ahead of New York, 6-5, for the eventual winning margin. The last two runs scored on a dropped fly ball. In the top of the eighth inning, fifth-place batter George Kelly started the inning with a single. The Bucs pointed out the fact that he was not the proper batter and Earl Smith was declared out.

August 31, 1921

1921 – In the Reds’ 7 – 3 win over the Braves, the two infields accept 28 chances, tying the major league record.

August 31, 1923

Giants owner Charles Stoneham is indicted by a federal grand jury for perjury. He will also be indicted for mail fraud. He had denied any ownership in two bucket-shop operations that had been found guilty of stock frauds; creditors of the two firms claimed he retained financial interests in both. Other National League owners are rumored to be forming a pool to buy him out, but Stoneham stays out of jail and in the NL.

August 31, 1926

Bill Sherdel and Allen Sothoron pitch the Cards back into first place with 6 – 1 and 2 – 1 wins over the Pirates.

August 31, 1926

White Sox IF Ray Morehart gets 9 hits in 10 at bats in a doubleheader, a record that has been matched but never broken.

August 31, 1927

1927 – The Yankees open a home stand by beating the Red Sox, 10 – 3. Babe Ruth hits home run number 43 and leads Lou Gehrig by 2. With an 89-37 record, the Bronx Bombers now lead the second-place A’s by 17 games.

August 31, 1930

1930 – At Ebbets Field, the Robins roll up a football-like score when they tally 23 hits, including round trippers by Babe Herman, Glenn Wright, and Rube Bressler, to stomp the Phils, 14 – 3.

August 31, 1930

Bill Hallahan, on the way to becoming the National League strikeout leader, fans 12 as the Cards beat the Cubs 8 – 3.

August 31, 1930

With a chance to pick up a game and a half on the leading Cubs, the Giants edge the Braves, 4 – 3, in the opener a doubleheader before 40,000 fans at the Polo Grounds. In the second game, Mel Ott hits a double and three consecutive home runs to drive in six runs, but the Braves counter with a homer by George Sisler and two by slugging rookie Wally Berger among their 18 hits. Ott is the 4th major leaguer to hit three straight homers, joining Goose Goslin (August 19, 1930), Carl Reynolds (July 2, 1930), George Kelly(September 17, 1923), and Cap Anson (August 6, 1884). The final score is Boston 14, New York, 10.

August 31, 1931

Wes Ferrell of Cleveland hits two home runs, as he beats the White Sox, 13 – 5, at Chicago. He will end his career with a record 37 home runs as a hurler, plus one as a pinch hitter.

August 31, 1931

Against the Senators’ Lloyd Brown, Lou Gehrig belts his second grand slam homer in three days, but the Senators hang onto 2nd place by beating the Yankees, 6 – 5.

August 31, 1931

In his attempt to break Walter Johnson’s consecutive game winning streak of 17 games, Lefty Grove loses as Browns hurler Dick Coffman throws a three-hit shutout against the A’s. Reserve Jimmy Moore, playing in place of the absent Al Simmons, misjudges a fly ball which leads to the decisive run and subsequently to Lefty’s meltdown in the locker room.

August 31, 1932

1932 – Detroit P Chief Hogsett hits two homers, as the Tigers end Tony Freitas’ winning streak at 10 with a 5 – 4 victory over the A’s.

August 31, 1932

The Cubs beat the Giants at Wrigley Field in a ten-inning game that witnessed an eclipse

August 31, 1932

Solar eclipse darkens Fenway Park for 20 minutes

August 31, 1933

1933 – The Giants lose 3B Johnny Vergez for the season due to an appendectomy. Travis Jackson, who has been filling in at SS, shifts to 3B.

August 31, 1935

In addition to stroking a three-run triple, 28 year-old White Sox Vern Kennedy becomes the sixth rookie to throw a no-hitter. The right-hander’s 5-0 gem against the Indians is the first hitless game thrown in Comiskey Park.

August 31, 1936

1936 – Yankees manager Joe McCarthy consents to Dixie Walker as a temporary substitute while the White Sox patch up Mike Kreevich, who is spiked on a play. Walker runs for Kreevich but does not replace him in the outfield.

August 31, 1937

Rudy York belts his 17th and 18th homers of the month, establishing a major league record that will not be broken until 1998, when Sammy Sosa hits 19 in June. The rookie catcher’s round-trippers help the Tigers maul the Senators at Navin Field, 12-3.

August 31, 1942

1942 – Larry MacPhail seeks insurance for the Dodger pennant run by buying Bobo Newsom from the Senators for $25,000. The purchase had been rumored for weeks. The veteran will respond by shutting out Cincinnati, 2 – 0 in three days.

August 31, 1943

1943 – Detroit’s Rudy York hits two home runs to bring his August home run total to 17, one less than his 1937 record for home runs in a single month, which he also set in August.

August 31, 1945

The Senators again muff a chance to go into first place, dropping a pair to the Yankees, 3 – 2 and 3 – 1. In between games, Nats pitcher Bert Shepard receives the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in World War II. Shepard lost his leg in battle.

August 31, 1946

With two singles in the Red Sox’ 4-2 victory over Philadelphia, Johnny Pesky collects a total of 53 hits in August, the highest monthly total in franchise history. The shortstop’s team mark will be tied in 1950, also accomplished in the month August, by his close friend, Dom DiMaggio.

August 31, 1946

1946 – Luke Sewell quits as manager of the Browns; Zack Taylor will finish the season.

August 31, 1947

The Cubs overcome Ralph Kiner’s 39th homer of the season to defeat the Pirates, 6 – 3, in Chicago. Doyle Lade goes the distance. Kiner’s homer, with one aboard, gives him 101 RBIs for the year.

July 31, 1948

Enos Slaughter Night

August 31, 1948

The Red Sox keep their precarious hold on 1st place with an 8 – 4 win over the Tigers. Mel Parnell is the complete game winner. Ted Williams has two hits, scores two runs and steals a base.

August 31, 1948

At Yankee Stadium, the Yanks score four runs in the 8th but the Browns come back with five in the 9th off Joe Page to make it close. But New York prevails, 10 – 9. 1B Tommy Henrich has a home run and an unassisted double play to help Allie Reynolds to the win. The Yanks remain a game behind the Red Sox.

August 31, 1948

Before 45,531 at Wrigley Field, the last-place Cubs beat the first-place Dodgers, 3 – 0 and 7 – 2. Hank Borowy stops Brooklyn on one hit in the opener – a single by Gene Hermanski – and faces just 27 batters. He hurls 100 pitches, while Bob Scheffing drives in all three runs. Doyle Lade wins the nitecap. The loss slices Brooklyn’s lead to two points over the Braves, 3 – 1 winners at Cincinnati, while the Cards and Pirates move just two games back.

August 31, 1948

Negro League legend Satchel Paige makes his first major league start, hurling seven innings to lead the Indians over the Senators, 5-3. Prior to today’s game, the future Hall of Famer made eight appearances in relief, compiling a 1-1 record for the Tribe.

August 31, 1950

Gil Hodges of the Brooklyn Dodgers ties a major league record by piling up 17 total bases in a game

August 31, 1952

1952 – The Montreal Royals clinch the International League pennant behind the stellar pitching of lefty Tommy Lasorda.

August 31, 1954

Closing in on the professional home run record of 69, established by Joe Hauser (Minneapolis-1938) and equaled by Bob Crues (Amarillo-1948), Joe Bauman blasts four home runs in the Roswell Rockets’ 15-9 victory over the Wichita Falls/Sweetwater Spudders to bring his total to 68. The 32 year-old slugging first baseman will finish the season with 72 homers, a record which will last until Barry Bonds surpasses the mark with by one round-tripper in 2001. -This entry was inspired by Ron Skrabacz, who was born on this date. His dad was a teammate of Joe’s in 1949 on the Elk City Elks.

August 31, 1954

1954 – The Indians beat the Yanks, 6 – 1, to record their 26th win of the month, tying the 1931 Athletics.

August 31, 1955

1955 – Lefty Bill Wight of the Orioles gives up five runs in the 1st and then no-hits his former Indian teammates for eight innings. He loses, 5 – 1.

August 31, 1956

1956 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower is in attendance as Jim Lemon of the Senators slugs three consecutive home runs in a night game against the Yankees, but New York still wins, 6 – 4.

August 31, 1957

Gus Triandos, considered one of the slowest baserunners in baseball history, hits an inside-the-park home run in the Orioles’ 4-1 victory against Boston at Memorial Stadium. The Baltimore backstop circles the bases when his vicious line drive off the outfield wall caroms 100 feet past left fielder Ted Williams, allowing the 27 year-old catcher to complete his improbable round-tripper standing up.

August 31, 1957

Oriole minor league fireballer Steve Dalkowski strikes out 24 Bluefield players, but issues 18 walks, hits four batters, and uncorks six wild pitches. The New Britain, Connecticut native’s wildness costs him the game when Kingsport loses in an Appalachian League contest, 9-8.

August 31, 1957

Dodgers beat the Giants 7 – 5 At Ebbets Full Radio Broadcast

August 31, 1959

Sandy Koufax fans 18 Giants to set a National League mark in a 5 – 2 Dodger win

August 31, 1960

1960 – The World Series-bound Pirates come from behind yet again, trumping the Giants, 7 – 4. Roberto Clemente hits a two-out, two-run homer and Roy Face closes the game. For the Giants, Willie Mays does his best with a single, double and near-homer his first time up, but falls victim to Face in his final at-bat, a 7th-inning strikeout, representing the tying run at the plate. Later, Les Biederman will elicit Willie’s post-game prognosis: “The Pirates sure are impressive. Nothing seems to bother them. You’re behind 3 – 0, then a couple of hits, a couple of errors and boom! They have confidence and they show it. It’s a good team and should go all the way without too much trouble. Everybody carries the load. No one man is doing it all alone. They can hit up and down the lineup.”

August 31, 1963

In the bottom of the ninth with two outs at Wrigley Field, Ellis Burton hits a walk-off grand slam off Houston hurler Hal Woodeshick, giving the Cubs a dramatic 6-5 victory. Chicago had been trailing 5-2 before the switch-hitting center fielder hit the most memorable of his 17 career round-trippers.

August 31, 1964

1964 – Ground is broken for Anaheim Stadium, future home of next year’s California Angels.

August 31, 1965

Boston’s backstop Russ Nixon ties a major league mark when he hits three run-scoring sacrifice flies. The catcher’s three fly ball outs prove to be the difference in the Red Sox’s 8-5 victory over the Senators at D.C. Stadium.

August 31, 1965

1965 – Frank Thomas drills two home runs and drives in five during a doubleheader sweep of the Mets, 4-3 and 3-2. He is then traded to Milwaukee for a minor leaguer. Thomas accounts for all four runs in the opener while Robin Roberts wins his fourth game of the month. Bob Bruce spins a four-hitter in the nightcap while Rusty Staub goes deep. But all of Gotham buzzes instead about the sudden retirement of 75-year-old Met skipper Casey Stengel.

August 31, 1966

1966 – Yankees 2B Bobby Richardson, 31, announces his retirement.

August 31, 1968

Elroy Face ties Senators’ legend Walter Johnson’s major league mark for appearances with one team when he enters a game for the 802nd time for the Pirates, replacing Steve Blass, who remains in the contest in left field. After the reliever retires one batter to equal the record, Blass returns to the mound, and an announcement will be made before the final out is recorded in Pittsburgh’s 8-0 victory over Atlanta that the Bucs’ right-handed veteran has been sold to the Tigers.

August 31, 1968

Steve Blass gets the first out against the Braves, and then moves to LF as Roy Face relieves. Face retires Felix Millan and ties Walter Johnson’s major-league record of 802 pitching appearances with one club. Blass comes back to pitch and the Pirates go on to win, 8 – 0. Blass will not get credit for the shutout but will still lead the National League in shutouts with 7. Late in the game, the Pirates announce the sale of Face to the Detroit Tigers.

August 31, 1968

It is a tough month for Mets P Jim McAndrew, as he takes his National League-tying 5th shutout loss. Steve Carlton wins for the Cards, 2 – 0. McAndrew gave up just six runs in the four losses, losing 2 – 0 to Bob Gibson on July 21, and to the Dodgers and Mike Kekich, 2 – 0, on August 4. On August 10 and 17th, he narrowed the margin to 1 – 0 losses, to the Giants and Houston respectively. The four losses are McAndrew’s first major league decisions.

August 31, 1968

Baltimore’s Dave McNally wins his 10th straight, topping the first-place Tigers, 5 – 1. Paul Blair homers and triples in the win.

August 31, 1969

Morganna, a well-endowed fan dressed in a mini dress, jumps onto the Atlanta Stadium field and kisses the batter Clete Boyer on the cheek. The Braves’ third baseman then promptly ends a 1-for-17 slump with an RBI single and goes on an 8-for-15 tear.

August 31, 1969

In their second trade with Seattle within a week, Houston acquires OF Tommy Davis for outfielders Sandy Valdespino and Danny Walton.

August 31, 1971

1971 – The A’s trade Frank Fernandez, along with Adrian Garrett, to the Cubs for Bill McNulty. Fernandez will drive in four runs for the Cubs in September, all on solo homers.

August 31, 1972

1972 – Another insurance purchase for the Tigers: they buy slugging 1B/OF Frank Howard from Texas.

August 31, 1974

In a Class A minor league contest, Mavericks’ manager Frank Peters rotates his starting nine allowing each player to take a different position on the field for every inning. The innovative strategy works as Portland posts an 8-7 victory over the Tri-Cities Ports, their Northwest League opponents.

August 31, 1974

Johnny Bench drives in seven runs with a bases-loaded double and grand slam to lead the Reds to a 10 – 3 win over Montreal.

August 31, 1977

Yankee reliever Sparky Lyle records his third win in three games, all won on late-inning homers by New York. Graig Nettles’ second homer of the game gives New York a 5 – 4 win over Seattle.

August 31, 1977

Hank Aaron’s mark of 755 career home runs is tied by Sadaharu Oh of the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Pro Baseball.

August 31, 1979

The Angels regain 1st place in the AL West by beating the Indians, 9 – 8. California scores five runs in the 8th on three homers, then watches as Cleveland scores four to tie.

August 31, 1979

The Phillies fire Danny Ozark, senior manager (since 1973) in the National League. Farm director Dallas Green takes over as interim manager. The Phils will remove the “interim” on [[October 18 and Green will lead the team to its first World Championship in 1980.

August 31, 1980

1980 – In Cleveland, reliever Ed Farmer picks up two saves as the White Sox sweep a doubleheader from the Indians. Chicago rallies for eight runs in the last two innings of the opener to win, 10 – 8, then does it again in the nitecap as it scores four in the last two innings to win, 8 – 7.

August 31, 1981

1981 – Royals manager Jim Frey is fired and replaced by Dick Howser, whose Yankees lost to Frey’s Royals in last season’s American League Championship Series. Kansas City is 10-10 in the 2nd half of the season, 30-40 overall.

August 31, 1982

Nolan Ryan takes a no-hitter against the Mets into the eighth inning, eventually winning a two-hit shutout, 4-0.

August 31, 1984

Trailing by five runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Rangers score six times to beat the Brewers, 7-6. With two runs in and two out, Milwaukee shortstop Robin Yount’s error on Gary Ward’s ground ball loads the bases, setting the stage for Buddy Bell’s ‘sayonara slam’ over the left field wall off Pete Ladd.

August 31, 1985

The Pirates trade former batting champion Bill Madlock to the Dodgers for prospects R.J. Reynolds, Cecil Espy, and Sid Bream.

August 31, 1985

San Francisco’s Jim Gott and Mark Davis combine to beat the Mets, 3 – 2, ending Dwight Gooden’s personal 14-game winning streak.

August 31, 1987

Williamsport Bills (Eastern League) catcher Dave Bresnahan introduces a new wrinkle to baseball – the hidden potato. With a Reading runner‚ Rick Rudblad‚ on third base‚ Bresnahan returns from a time out with a shaved potato hidden in his mitt. On the next pitch he throws the potato wildly on a pickoff attempt. When the runner trots home‚ Bresnahan tags him out with the real ball. The umpire‚ unamused‚ rules the runner safe‚ gives the catcher an error‚ and fines him $50. Bresnahan replies‚ “I thought it’d be a do-over.”

August 31, 1988

Arbitrator George Nicolau rules against the Major League owners in the “Collusion II” case, agreeing with the players’ contention that the owners conspired to fix the free agent market after the 1986 season. Twelve players will be granted no-risk free agency after the season, as well as monetary compensation.

August 31, 1988

The first-place Tigers try for pennant insurance: they acquire Ted Power from Kansas City and Fred Lynn from Baltimore for players to be named later.

August 31, 1989

Minutes before the postseason rosters must be filed, the Cubs obtain 3B Luis Salazar and OF Marvell Wynne from San Diego in exchange for P Calvin Schiraldi, OF Darrin Jackson and 1B Phil Stephenson. Salazar will play a key role in the Cubs’ title run, while of the three new Pad people, only Jackson will perform decently.

August 31, 1990

Jeff Bagwell Trade

August 31, 1990

Mariano Rivera, usually used in relief, is allowed to start a game of a doubleheader on the final day of the season for the Gulf Coast Yankees, giving him the opportunity to throw enough innings to qualify for GCL’s ERA title, an accomplishment that carries a contractual bonus. The Sandman responds by hurling a seven-inning no-hitter against Bradenton to finish the season with a 0.17 ERA, 0.46 WHIP, 58 strikeouts in 52 innings, and $500 richer.

August 31, 1990

Dennis Eckersley saves his 40th game of the season in Oakland’s 4 – 2 win over Texas to join Dan Quisenberry and Jeff Reardon as the only pitchers to save 40 games twice.

August 31, 1990

1990 – With nobody on and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Astros come alive for three runs to stun the Pirates, 3-2. They must be living right. On the same day, they acquire a minor-league third baseman, Jeff Bagwell, from Boston for reliever Larry Andersen. 

August 31, 1990

Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr. become the first father and son combination to play together in a major league game

August 31, 1991

1991 – The Twins’ Chuck Knoblauch hits his first major league homer, off the Orioles’ Mike Mussina, and it puts the Twins ahead in the 6th. It is Knoblauch’s only homer this year. The Twins win, 5 – 2, with the win going to Kevin Tapani.

August 31, 1992

Oakland A’s and Texas Rangers announce a blockbuster trade

August 31, 1992

The Padres trade P Craig Lefferts to the Orioles in exchange for minor league P Erik Schullstrom and a player to be named.

August 31, 1992

Minnesota sends pitcher Bill Krueger to Montreal for OF Darren Reed. It is the third season that Krueger has split between the two leagues: only Sal Maglie has done it more often.

August 31, 1993

3B Gary Gaetti of the Royals hits the 239th home run of his career in Kansas City’s 6 – 5 win over Milwaukee. By doing so, he becomes the all-time home run leader for players who homered in their first big league at bat, moving past Hall of Famer Earl Averill.

August 31, 1993

In a flurry of deadline trades, the Reds sent pitchers Johnny Ruffin and Jim Pierce to the White Sox in exchange for P Tim Belcher, the Dodgers trade OF Eric Davis to the Tigers in exchange for P John DeSilva, and the Cardinals trade P Lee Smith to the Yankees in exchange for P Rich Batchelor.

August 31, 1993

The Minnesota Twins defeat the Indians in 22 innings by a score of 5 – 4.

August 31, 1993

8/31/1993 – In the bottom of the first inning, the Rockies reversed the third and fourth hitters in the lineup. Andres Galarraga batted instead of Dante Bichette and grounded out to end the inning. Bichette then led off the second with an infield single and eventually scored the first Rockies run. The Expos did not protest and eventually won the game 14-3. Bichette had four hits in four at bats in the game while Galarraga went zero for four.

August 31, 1994

Minnesota OF-DH Dave Winfield is sold to the Indians. Because of the strike, Winfield won’t play for his new team until 1995.

August 31, 1994

Three-and-a-half hours of negotiations with federal mediators produces no progress in the strike, and no further talks are scheduled as the strike goes into its 4th week.

August 31, 1995

The Blue Jays trade OF Candy Maldonado to the Rangers in exchange for a player to be named.

August 31, 1995

Yankees OF Paul O’Neill homers in his first three at bats and drives home eight runs in leading the New Yorkers to an 11 – 6 win over California.

August 31, 1996

Florida scores five runs in the top of the 1st inning to jump out to a quick lead over Cincinnati, but the Reds bounce back with seven runs in the 2nd, and don’t look back. They score four more in the 5th, two in the 6th, six in the 7th, and three in the 8th to defeat the Marlins, 22 – 8. Kevin Mitchell leads the way with six runs batted in for the Reds.

August 31, 1996

The Indians obtain IF Kevin Seitzer from the Brewers in exchange for OF Jeromy Burnitz.

August 31, 1997

Andruw Jones’s grand slam is the Braves’ tenth of the season, breaking the National League mark for bases-full home runs for a team in single season. Ironically, the record is broken in an American League park as Atlanta defeats the Red Sox at Fenway.

August 31, 1997

In front of a crowd of 55,707, Don Mattingly’s uniform number 23 is added to the list of retired numbers on the wall at Monument Park

August 31, 1997

The Brewers obtain P Pete Harnisch from the Mets in exchange for OF Donny Moore.

August 31, 1997

The Cubs trade vet SS Shawon Dunston to the Pirates in exchange for a player to be named.

August 31, 1997

The Indians acquire IF-OF Bip Roberts from the Royals in exchange for P Roland de la Maza.

August 31, 1998

Texas defeats Detroit, 13 – 2, as OF Juan Gonzalez gets four long hits, including two doubles, a triple and a homer, and drives home seven runs. Gonzalez now has 143 ribbies on the year.

August 31, 1998

Oakland OF Rickey Henderson scores the 2,000th run of his career in the Athletics’ 15 – 6 loss to Cleveland. He joins Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Pete Rose, and Willie Mays as the only players to reach the milestone.

August 31, 1998

Richie Sexson hits a 2-run single in Cleveland’s 10-run first inning, as the Tribe scalps Oakland, 15 – 6. Sexson hits his 4th homer in three days, and Manny Ramirez hits his 34th homer and knocks in five runs for starter Dave Burba. Joey Cora, acquired hours before the game from Seattle for David Bell, scores two runs and drives in 2.

August 31, 1998

Cubs OF Sammy Sosa ties Mark McGwire by hitting his 55th home run in Chicago’s 5 – 4 win over Cincinnati. Sosa has hit 30 of his homers at Wrigley Field, three short of Hack Wilson’s Cub record and tying him with Ernie Banks.

August 31, 1999

In three pennant insurance moves, the Astros obtain veteran Stan Javier from the Giants for P Joe Messman; the Diamondbacks get IF-OF Lenny Harris from the Rockies in exchange for IF Belvani Martinez; and the Indians pick up the once highly-touted Tyler Houston from the Cubs for P Richard Negrette. Houston will prove valuable at 3B.

August 31, 1999

Down 12 – 4, the Indians rally for 10 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to defeat the Angels, 14 – 12. 1B Richie Sexson gets four hits and drives home five runs for the Tribe. This is the third time this season that the Indians have rallied from an 8-run deficit to win, a major league record.

August 31, 1999

The Tigers break a 6 – 6 tie by scoring eight runs in the 7th inning to defeat the Rangers, 14 – 6.

August 31, 1999

The Red Sox obtain beefy closer Rod Beck from the Cubs for P Mark Guthrie and a player to be named.

August 31, 2000

The Red Sox trade two minor league pitchers to the Reds for Dante Bichette. The 36 year-old veteran outfielder will be the designated hitter for his new team.

August 31, 2000

The Rangers defeat the Indians, 14 – 7, as OF Rusty Greer gets five hits and drives home four runs. 2B Luis Alicea scores five runs for Texas.

August 31, 2001

Former major league catcher Crash Davis, whose name was the inspiration for the main character of the 1988 hit movie Bull Durham, dies at the age of 82 after a yearlong bout with cancer. In the movie, which was ranked #1 as the greatest sports film of all time by Sports Illustrated, Kevin Costner portrays “Crash” as the veteran backstop of the Durham Bulls brought in to help a rookie pitcher reach the big leagues by sharing his experiences on and off the field.

August 31, 2001

The Braves acquire vet Julio Franco from the Mexico City Tigers. Franco, 40, who led the Mexican League with a .437 average, has been out of the majors since 1997. In a separate deal, the Braves pick up P Rudy Seanezfrom the Padres for a player to be named later.

August 31, 2001

The Reds rout the Pirates, 11 – 3, behind the slugging of rookie Robin Jennings. Jennings hits his first major league homer, a grand slam, in the 7-run 4th and adds a bases-loaded triple for seven RBIs.

August 31, 2001

Upon learning Danny Almonte, star pitcher of the LLWS, is 14 years old, not 12 as required by the organization’s rules, the Little League strips the Rolando Paulino All-Stars of all its wins. The team, which had captured the heart of the community, finished third in Williamsport and was given a parade in New York and honored in a pregame ceremony at Yankee Stadium.

August 31, 2002

Losing their 13th consecutive game at Shea Stadium, the Mets complete the worst month at home in National League history. With the 1-0 loss to Randy Wolf and the Phillies, the Amazins’ join the Seattle Pilots (August-1969) and the Tigers (September-1996) as teams that have not won a home game in a calendar month with at least ten games.

August 31, 2002

The Astros acquire free agent-to-be Mark Loretta from the Brewers for cash and a player to be named. In two days, the player turns out to be Keith Ginter, hitting .264 at New Orleans.

August 31, 2002

The Mets are shut out by the Phillies, 1 – 0, to mark their 13th consecutive home defeat. In doing so, they become the first National League team to lose all their home games over the course of a month.

August 31, 2004

Omar Vizquel becomes the first player in the 81-year history of Yankee Stadium to collect six hits in a game. The Indians shortstop’s 6-for-7 performance helps pace the Tribe’s 22-0 dismantling of the Bronx Bombers.

August 31, 2004

Equaling the largest shutout margin of a victory in baseball history, the Indians rout the Yankees, 22-0. The biggest defeat in the 101-year history of the Bronx Bombers matches the 1975 Pirates’ record-setting performance against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

August 31, 2004

2004 – Given up for dead, the Astros win their fifth straight to creep back within three games of the National League wild card lead. The home run bats go to work in an 8-0 triumph over Cincinnati as Jeff Kent goes deep twice while Carlos Beltran, Jeff Bagwelland Lance Berkman go back-to-back-to-back in the fourth off Aaron Harang. Brandon Backe gets the shutout with help from three relievers. Houston still needs to overtake four other teams in order to get back to the postseason. 

August 31, 2005

On the third pitch he sees in the bigs, Jeremy Hermida becomes only the second player to hit a grand slam in his first major-league at-bat. The Marlin rookie pinch-hitter joins Phillies hurler Bill Duggleby, who accomplished the same feat in 1898.

August 31, 2006

With his major league-leading 49th home run, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard establishes a new club record for home runs in a single season. Last year’s Rookie of the Year’s fourth-inning long ball at RFK Stadium puts him ahead of Hall Famer Michael Schmidt, who hit 48 dingers in 1980.

August 31, 2006

A.J. Pierzynski’s sixth-inning blast makes the White Sox the first club in major league history to hit at least 200 home runs for seven consecutive seasons. The catcher’s two-run homer isn’t enough as Chicago loses to the Devil Rays at Comiskey Park, 5-3.

August 31, 2007

Tony La Russa becomes the winningest manager in franchise history when the Cardinals defeat Cincinnati at Busch Stadium, 8-5. The Redbird skipper surpasses Red Schoendienst, who compiled a 1,041-955 managerial record with St. Louis.

August 31, 2007

After walking the leadoff hitter John Buck in the ninth to spoil his perfect game, Scott Baker gets an out, then yields a single to pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney two outs shy of a no-hitter. The Twins’ 25 year-old right-hander from Shreveport settles for a one-hitter, blanking the Royals at the Metrodome, 5-0.

August 31, 2007

The Monterrey Sultans top the Yucatan Lions in 7 games in the Mexican League finals. Monterrey wins the finale, 2 – 1, behind the pitching of Walter Silva. Karim Garcia scores both of the Sultans’ runs.

August 31, 2007

The Chicago Cubs reacquire former hurler Steve Trachsel for the stretch run. They send Scott Moore and Rocky Cherry to the Baltimore Orioles in return for the veteran.

August 31, 2008

David Eckstein is traded by the Blue Jays to the Diamondbacks for minor league pitching prospect Chad Beck. The 33 year-old infielder, who played a pivotal role for the 2002 World Champions Angels and was named the 2006 World Series MVP playing for the Cardinals, is obtained by Arizona to provide postseason leadership and experience.

August 31, 2008

CC Sabathia improves to 9-0 with a 1.43 ERA since joining the Brewers, with a one-hitter against the Pirates. The lone hit is a grounder back to the mound by Andy LaRoche which Sabathia bobbles. Brewer manager Ned Yost and LF Ryan Braun both say it was undoubtedly an error and that Sabathia had a no-hitter; an appeal is filed over the ruling. Milwaukee wins, 7 – 0; it is Pittsburgh’s 10th loss in a row.

August 31, 2008

Trying to hold on to their lead in the NL West, the Diamondbacks acquire 2006 World Series MVP David Eckstein from the Blue Jays for Chad Beck.

August 31, 2008

Greg Dobbs breaks the Phillies’ 95 year-old club record for pinch hits in a season. The Californian’s seventh-inning pinch-hit game-tying double, his 21st hit off the bench breaks the mark established by Doc Miller in 1913.

August 31, 2009

Andy Pettitte of the Yankees retires the first 20 Baltimore batters he faces before an error and a hit spoil his bid for immortality. New York wins easily, 5 – 1.

August 31, 2009

Toronto takes an 11 – 0 lead over Texas in the first five innings, then nearly blows it as the Rangers score 10 unanswered runs. Another offensive barrage of 7 runs in the 9th gives the Blue Jays an 18 – 10 victory. Adam Lindhits two homers, including a grand slam, and drives in a career-high 8 runs.

August 31, 2009

Los Angeles makes a push for the World Series by acquiring two veterans just before the limit for them to be eligible for the postseason roster. The two are White Sox DH Jim Thome and Arizona SP Jon Garland. The Dodgers give up minor leaguer Justin Fuller for Thome, and a player to be named later for Garland.

August 31, 2010

Jeff Francoeur is traded to the Rangers by the Mets in exchange for infielder Joaquin Arias. The rifle-armed right fielder will be a right-handed bat off the bench and defensive replacement for the playoff-bound Texas team.

August 31, 2010

The Dodgers trade a player to be named (infielder Tony Abreu) to the Diamondbacks in exchange for starter Jon Garland. The 31 year-old right-hander will post a 3-2 record with a 2.72 ERA in his six late-season starts for the Dodgers, before signing as a free agent with San Diego.

August 31, 2010

Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman makes his major league debut. Pitching for the Reds, he hits 102 mph on the radar gun during an inning of relief work as Cincinnati defeats Milwaukee, 8 – 4. Joey Votto drives in three runs with a pair of doubles as Sam LeCure wins in relief of Aaron Harang.

August 31, 2010

For the first time this season, the Padres are struggling. They lose their sixth in a row, 7 – 4, to Arizona. The D-Backs chase starter Kevin Correia with 5 runs in the 5th inning.

August 31, 2010

The Texas Rangers acquire OF Jeff Francoeur from the Mets for IF Joaquin Arias. Hitting .236 with 11 homers and 53 RBI, Francoeur has been made redundant by the return to health of Carlos Beltran.

August 31, 2011

Craig Kimbrel sets a rookie record with his 41st save when he retires the side in order in the Braves’ 3-1 victory over Washington at Turner Field. The 23 year-old Atlanta closer, who will finish the season with 46, surpasses Neftali Feliz’s saves record established last season with the Rangers.

August 31, 2011

In a stretch-run trade with Pittsburgh, the Braves acquired Matt Diaz for a player to be named and cash considerations. The 33 year-old outfielder, who played with Atlanta for five years, left the organization after the 2010 season when he inked a two-year, $4.25 million free-agent deal with the Pirates.

August 31, 2011

The Diamondbacks set a team record with their 12th consecutive victory at home when they beat Colorado at Chase Field, 4-2. The streak surpasses the mark established by the 2000 and 2003 clubs.

August 31, 2011

It’s a day of milestones for the Braves. 39-year-old 3B Chipper Jones hits the 450th homer of his career, off Nationals starter John Lannan in the 2nd inning, then P Derek Lowe, only a year younger than Jones at 38, launches his first in the 3rd inning as Atlanta wins, 3 – 1. Craig Kimbrel picks up the save, his 41st of the season, for a new rookie record.

August 31, 2011

The biblical plague of midges is back in Cleveland. Four years after famously disrupting a postseason game in 2007, the pesky insects show up during today’s 16-inning context between the Indians and Athletics, which the Tribe wins, 4 – 3, on Jack Hannahan’s single. Oakland pitchers Rich Harden and Grant Balfour have an especially difficult time with the tiny winged pests who show up uninvited in the 7th inning.

August 31, 2011

The Cardinals hand the Brewers a rare defeat at Miller Park, 8 – 3, thanks to a grand slam by pitcher Jake Westbrook in the 4th. Brewers LF Ryan Braun has a couple of embarrassing moments, being caught stealing third base to end the 1st inning, then takes a spectacular tumble in the 3rd when trying to turn a triple into his first career inside-the-park home run, ending up caught in no man’s land between third base and home for an easy out.

August 31, 2011

Clubs headed for the postseason tweak their rosters on the last day when they can add players and still have them be eligible for postseason play. The Giants, who are falling ever further behind the red-hot Diamondbacks, designate veterans Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada for assignment, eating about $15 million in salary in the process; they use the freed-up spots to activate OF Pat Burrell from the disabled list and call up IF Brett Pillfrom the minor leagues in a bid to wake up their slumbering offense. For their part the Rangers repatriate C Matt Treanor from Kansas City and bring in P Mike Gonzalez from Baltimore, and the Red Sox bring in OF/1B Conor Jackson from Oakland as they receive news that the injured J.D. Drew may be done for the season. The Braves also repatriate a former player in OF Matt Diaz, brought back from the Pirates.

August 31, 2011

Craig Kimbrel sets a rookie record with his 41st save when he retires the side in order in the Braves’ 3-1 victory over Washington at Turner Field. The 23 year-old Atlanta closer, who will finish the season with 46, surpasses Neftali Feliz’s saves record established last season with the Rangers.

August 31, 2012

Bob Uecker, known for his humor on and off the diamond, is honored by the Brewers in a light-hearted dedication ceremony outside Miller Park that unveils a seven-foot bronze statue of the team’s popular broadcaster. The sculpture, depicting the smiling “Mr. Baseball” with his hands in his pockets, joins the likenesses of Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, and Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig in front of the ballpark.

August 31, 2012

A pair of National League pitchers pick up their 17th wins of the year with shutouts. The Nationals’ Gio Gonzalez throws his first career whitewash in defeating the Cardinals, 10 – 0; Adam Wainwright is the loser after going 5-0 in his previous August starts. In Miami, it is R.A. Dickey of the Mets who wins his 17th with a 3 – 0 shutout. The two pitchers catch up with Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto for the major league lead in wins.

August 31, 2012

Rookie Miguel Gonzalez holds the Yankees to 4 hits over 6 innings as the Orioles win, 6 – 1, and move within two games of the AL East leaders. Mark Reynolds hits two homers for Baltimore.

August 31, 2012

Bob Uecker, known for his humor on and off the diamond, is honored by the Brewers in a light-hearted dedication ceremony outside Miller Park that unveils a seven-foot bronze statue of the team’s popular broadcaster. The sculpture, depicting the smiling “Mr. Baseball” with his hands in his pockets, joins the likenesses of Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, and Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig in front of the ballpark.

August 31, 2013

The Pirates pull off a second big trade in a week, acquiring 1B Justin Morneau from Minnesota for OF Alex Presley. They then go out and defeat the Cardinals, 7 – 1, to retake the lead in the NL Central. A.J. Burnett is the winner, Russell Martin hits a three-run homer and Neil Walker has three hits; Morneau rushes over to join his new team from Texas, and arrives in mid-game, but is not required.

August 31, 2013

Ivan Nova throws a complete game three-hit shutout to defeat the Orioles, 2 – 0, and puts the Yankees past the Birds in the Wild Card race. Scott Feldman allows only a 1st-inning run in 7 innings, but is the unlucky loser as Robinson Cano drives in both runs with a double and a solo homer.

August 31, 2014

The Angels trounce the Athletics, 8 – 1, to complete a four-game sweep that increases Los Angeles’s lead in the AL West to 5 games. Mike Trout hits a homer and drives in 3 runs and Chris Iannetta has a homer among his three hits to back up rookie Matt Shoemaker’s 14th win of the year.

August 31, 2014

At the waiver deadline, the White Sox trade Adam Dunn to the A’s for 23 year-old minor-league pitcher Nolan Sanburn, who is 3-1 with a 3.28 ERA along with 73 strikeouts in 71.1 innings hurling for Class A Stockton. Oakland hopes their new slugger, a 34 year-old two-time All-Star with 460 career homers, can provide some offensive punch for the contending team, which recently has been slumping.

August 31, 2015

2015 – On the last day on which trades can be made and the players involved still be eligible for postseason play, a number of deals get done. The Cubs acquire CF Austin Jackson from Seattle for a player to be named later, the Dodgers receive OF Justin Ruggiano, also from Seattle for a player to be named, the Giants get OF Alejandro De Aza from the Red Sox for minor leaguer Luis Ysla and the Royals get Jonny Gomes from Atlanta for SS Luis Valenzuela.

August 31, 2017

In a flurry of deals to beat the September 1 deadline for postseason eligibility, the Tigers trade All-Star OF Justin Upton to the Angels in return for Grayson Long and a player to be named later, and then send ace P Justin Verlander to Houston for three prospects. Houston also claims OF Cameron Maybin off waivers from the Angels, while the Halos also 2B Brandon Phillips, acquired from Atlanta for Tony Sanchez. Finally, the Rangers get P Miguel Gonzalez from the White Sox.

August 31, 2017

2017 – In a trade that beat the waiver deadline by seconds, the Astros acquired former Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander from Detroit for three minor league prospects. The Tigers also agreed to pay $8 million per season for the remaining years on Verlander’s contract. Behind Verlander’s 5-0 record and 1.06 ERA over the final month, Houston closed the year on a 20-8 run to post a 101-61 mark, one shy of the 102 wins of the 1998 squad and winning the American League West for the first time. 

August 31, 2018

A number of big names change teams on the final day to be eligible for the postseason. The Yankees acquire OF Andrew McCutchen from the Giants and SS Adeiny Hechavarria from Pittsburgh; the Dodgers acquire a couple of veterans with World Series experience in RP Ryan Madson and 3B/1B David Freese; the Indians bet that currently injured 3B Josh Donaldson will be healthy enough to contribute in the postseason by getting him from the Blue Jays; and the Brewers add three players in P Gio Gonzalez, OF Curtis Granderson and P Xavier Cedeno.

Todays Major League Birthdays This Day In Baseball August 31

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Ray Dandridge Biography

Buzz Dozier Stats & Facts

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Todays Major League Debuts This Day In Baseball August 31

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Nomar Garciaparra Stats & Facts

Todays Major League Final Games This Day In Baseball August 31

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Andre Thornton Stats & Facts

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Major League Baseball Deaths This Day In Baseball August 31

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Tom Seaver Biography

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