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 March 7.
Some highlights from March 7th
- On March 7, 1919 — Christy Mathewson, back from the World War I, rejoins the New York Giants as pitching coach and heir apparent to John McGraw.
- March 7, 1914, George Herman Ruth Jr. hit his first home run as a professional baseball player and gained the nickname “Babe” in Fayetteville.
- March 7, 1940 – Larry MacPhail continues his dealing and gets his catcher. The Dodgers trade for Mickey Owen, giving Gus Mancuso and $85,000 to the Cardinals.
- On March 7 , 1962 – KPRC-AM introduces Gene Elston and Al Helfer as the Colts’ first radio play-by-play team. Loel Passe, a local favorite after his years with the Houston Buffs, is later added to the crew. Although Helfer leaves after the first year, Elston and Passe would be together for the next fourteen seasons. Elston would remain with the club through 1986.
- On March 7, 1979, Slugging outfielder Hack Wilson and longtime executive Warren Giles are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
- On March 7, 1991, Hall of Famer James “Cool Papa” Bell dies at the age of 87. An outfielder with blazing speed, Bell played in the Negro Leagues from 1922 to 1946. Bell entered the Hall of Fame in 1974, joining fellow Negro Leagues stars Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, and Monte Irvin in Cooperstown.
- The Special Veterans Committee elects former major leaguers Richie Ashburn and Vic Willis, former National League president William Hulbert, and former Negro League player Leon Day to the Hall of Fame. Day will die of a heart attack six days from now.
- Born: March 7, 1950 in Vienna, LA . . . Among the most tragic figures in baseball annals is 6’8″ J.R. Richard. With a fastball clocked as high as 100 mph, the Louisianan signed with Houston as their first pick in 1969, passing up 200 basketball scholarship offers. Facing the Giants on September 5, 1971, he fanned 15 batters to tie Karl Spooner’s record for most strikeouts in a major league debut. But he pitched mostly in the minors until 1975
- Born: March 7, 1960 in Oklahoma City, OK, The exclamation point on Carter’s fine career was his three-run, ninth-inning homer off the Phillies’ Mitch Williams that gave the Blue Jays their second straight World Series victory in 1993. After Bill Mazeroski’s blast in 1960, it was only the second Series-ending homer in baseball history. His gleeful romp around the bases amid the Skydome pandemonium capped one of the most dramatic moments of the decade.
- Died: March 7, 1902 in Pittsburgh, PA James “Pud” Galvin, the winningest pitcher to ever suit up for the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise. He joined the team having already won 222 games by the age of 28, and by the time he retired following the 1893 season, he would be the major league leader in wins. That was a record he would hold until he was passed by Cy Young in 1903. Pittsburgh purchased Galvin from the Buffalo Bisons of the National League on July 13, 1885. He went just 3-7 that first year for the Alleghenys and the team went 13-26 from August 1st until the end of the season. The next year Galvin was back in form, winning 29 games and pitching 434 innings. He helped Pittsburgh to a 80-57 record, which in turn helped lead to their invitation to leave the American Association and join the National League the following season
