This Day In Baseball May 28

Willie Mays

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 May 28 in baseball history.

 

Notable Events and Chronology for May 28

A man is arrested for trying to bribe John Clapp of the Cleveland Blues to throw a game

Chicago notches its most lopsided shut out victory ever‚ a 20-0 whitewash of Washington. Only two of the runs are earned against Cannonball Crane. After the 3rd inning‚ Chicago P Jim McCormick switches positions with RF John Flynn‚ who tosses the last 5 frames.

Jimmy Ryan collects five walks, helping the Chicago Colts defeat Amos Rusie and the New York Giants, 10 – 4.

Fire at League Park - 1900

Fire at League Park – 1900

Behind the shutout pitching of Jack Powell, the St. Louis Cardinals defeat Christy Mathewson and the New York Giants, 1 - 0. For Mathewson, it is his first loss of the season. His lone base on balls, in the 2nd inning, results in the game's only run.

Behind the shutout pitching of Jack Powell, the St. Louis Cardinals defeat Christy Mathewson and the New York Giants, 1 – 0. For Mathewson, it is his first loss of the season. His lone base on balls, in the 2nd inning, results in the game’s only run.

Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants scatters 10 hits and defeats the Philadelphia Phillies, 3 – 2, at the Baker Bowl. Fred Snodgrass hits a two-run double off Jim Moroney in the 5th inning to give the Giants the edge.

Bullet Joe Bush hurls a one-hitter against the White Sox and also drives in the game’s lone run in the Red Sox’ victory at Fenway Park. The only Chicago hit off the Boston right-hander is the result of Happy Felsch throwing his bat at the ball on a hit-and-run play.

In his first starting assignment for the Yankees, Wilcy Moore loses a heartbreaker to the Senators, 3 - 2, in the nitecap of a doubleheader. Lou Gehrig is spiked at first base by Bucky Harris as Firpo Marberry scores the winning run. The Yankees win the opener, 8 - 2, as Babe Ruth hits his 12th home run of the year, a three-run shot. Tris Speaker plays most of Game One for the Senators despite fracturing his left thumb in batting practice.

In his first starting assignment for the Yankees, Wilcy Moore loses a heartbreaker to the Senators, 3 – 2, in the nitecap of a doubleheader. Lou Gehrig is spiked at first base by Bucky Harris as Firpo Marberry scores the winning run. The Yankees win the opener, 8 – 2, as Babe Ruth hits his 12th home run of the year, a three-run shot. Tris Speaker plays most of Game One for the Senators despite fracturing his left thumb in batting practice.

Pete Alexander makes his final appearance

Pete Alexander makes his final appearance

Over two successive games, George Selkirk hits four homers in four at-bats against the same pitcher. The Yankee outfielder victimized A’s starter Robert Joyce with two homers yesterday and continued the assault against him today with two more round-trippers when the right-hander comes into the game in relief.

The New York Yankees defeat the Washington Senators, 6 - 5, in the first night game played at Griffith Stadium.

The New York Yankees defeat the Washington Senators, 6 – 5, in the first night game played at Griffith Stadium.

New York Yankees and the Washington Senators play the first night game in the storied history of Yankee Stadium.

New York Yankees and the Washington Senators play the first night game in the storied history of Yankee Stadium.

New York Giants rookie Willie Mays collects his first major league hit - Homerun

New York Giants rookie Willie Mays collects his first major league hit – Homerun

Dale Long sets the homerun record by connecting in his 8th straight game

Dale Long sets the homerun record by connecting in his 8th straight game

With a unanimous vote, National League owners grant permission to both the Dodgers and Giants to relocate their clubs to the West Coast if they so desire.

With a unanimous vote, National League owners grant permission to both the Dodgers and Giants to relocate their clubs to the West Coast if they so desire.

The Pirates trade minor leaguer Julian Javier, along with right-hander Ed Bauta, to the Cardinals for infielder Dick Gray and southpaw Vinegar Bend Mizell, who will play a key role in the Bucs’ eventual world championship when he posts a 13-5 record this season for his new team. The Redbirds’ rookie acquisition will immediately become the club’s starting second baseman, a position the 23 year-old Dominican will hold for a dozen campaigns.

Former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe signs with the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Central League, becoming one of the first and most prominent Americans with Major League Baseball experience to play in Japan. Numerous Americans have participated in Japanese baseball in the prior three decades, including several star players of the 1950s.

Former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe signs with the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Central League, becoming one of the first and most prominent Americans with Major League Baseball experience to play in Japan. Numerous Americans have participated in Japanese baseball in the prior three decades, including several star players of the 1950s.

5/28/1962: Bobby Del Greco homered off Yankee Bud Daley in Kansas City but lost it to rain. The drive came in the first inning with one out and no one on base.

Houston outfielder Howie Goss, whose first major league start — on April 29, 1962 — had come about thanks to the benching of then-teammate Roberto Clemente, has the biggest day by far of his relatively brief big league career vs. St. Louis in a performance eerily prescient of Clemente’s titanic but famously futile effort of May 15, 1967. With his walk, triple and two home runs in 4 at-bats, Goss drives in all but one of Houston’s runs in a game that ultimately evolves — precisely as will Clemente’s — into a 10th-inning, walk-off 8 – 7 defeat.

American League owners agree to divide the circuit into two divisions and reduce its schedule to 156 games. The following divisional alignment is set for the 1969 season: Eastern Division: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Washington Senators. Western Division: California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Pilots.

5/28/1969 – For the second time in their new life, the Seattle Pilots were involved in a batting out of order situation. This time, the Pilots were the ones that were confused. The Orioles were in town and Pilots’ skipper Joe Schultz changed the lineup after submitting it to the umpires. The revised lineup had differences in the second through sixth spots, including one player substitution. When Dick Simpson went to center field in the top of the first inning, he was considered an unannounced substitution for Don Mincher according to Rule 3.08(a)(3) and legally in the game. Therefore, Simpson was placed into the fourth spot in the batting order (the umpire does not care about fielding positions). The Pilots batted in the revised, incorrect order into the fifth inning. In the bottom of the first, Dick Simpson walked and stole second but was left stranded there by Wayne Comer and Tommy Davis. In the second inning, Gus Gil struck out and Mike Hegan grounded out. Jerry McNertney singled and scored when Ray Oyler homered. McNertney was out of order but Oyler was not so the homer could not be protested and the score was now 4-2 Orioles. In the third, after Tommy Harper walked, the next three batters all made outs. In the fourth inning, the only damage was another single by McNertney. In the fifth, the Pilots had runners on first and second and no one out. It was time for the second place hitter to bat. Simpson (out of order) struck out and then Comer flew out (in the correct spot after Simpson). Davis, the third-place hitter now batting in the sixth spot following Comer, doubled in both runners and Earl Weaver protested that Davis was out of order. Baltimore was ahead 9-2 at the time. Gil was the proper batter at the time but the umpires declared Simpson the proper batter and called him out for the second time in the inning and the second time in three batters. The official order was followed to the end of the game, which was won by the Orioles, 9-5.

The day after he becomes a father, Randy Hundley hits a grand slam and a double, driving in five runs in Chicago’s 9-8 victory over San Francisco at Candlestick Park. The eight-pound, four-ounce baby boy named Todd will follow in his dad’s footsteps, becoming a major league catcher, receiving for the Mets, Dodgers, and the Cubs.

1969 – Doug Rader delivers the game-winner again in a 7-6, ten-inning triumph over the Phillies that ties a club-record ten-game winning streak. This time it’s a bases-loaded single off Gary Wagner that sends the crowd home happy. Afterwards, Rader apologizes for not slugging another grand slam.

Jerry Kidman sets the Mets strikeout record

Jerry Kidman sets the Mets strikeout record

Clete Boyer, involved in a dispute with Atlanta Braves general manager Paul Richards and manager Lum Harris is released and retires

C:\Users\Tom Hannon\Desktop\Chicago_White_Sox_hurler_Wilbur_Wood_picks_up_his_12th_and_13th_wins_of_the_season.png

Chicago White Sox hurler Wilbur Wood picks up his 12th and 13th wins of the season

Ron LeFlore’s 31-game hitting streak comes to an end when Ed Figueroa and Tippy Martinez hold him hitless in four at-bats in Detroit’s 9-5 loss to the Yankees. The Tiger outfielder’s span of consecutive games with at least one hit, the longest American League hitting streak in 27 years, began on the final day of last season.

5/28/1977: Butch Hobson lost a homer off Marty Pattin because of a ruling by umpire Terry Cooney. Hobson’s hit in the seventh inning went into the screen over Fenway Park’s left field wall. Unfortunately, it bounced off a light tower and came back onto the field and was ruled in play.

Jim Palmer

Jim Palmer records the 200th victory of his career

1980 – Enos Cabell singles home Jose Cruz in the second inning and Nolan Ryan makes it stand up for a 1-0 shutout over San Diego. Ryan fires a two-hitter, striking out seven. 

1982 – Nolan Ryan fans eleven Mets in 5-2/3rds innings during an 8-3 victory. Mike LaCoss and Dave Smith strike out three each to total 17 Ks, one short of Don Wilson’s club record. Dave Kingman whiffs five times, once with the bases loaded. Terry Puhl socks a home run and Phil Garner drives in three to pace the offense. 

Chicago White Sox pitcher Joe Cowley sets a major league record by striking out the first seven Texas Rangers batters he faces, but still surrenders six runs in 4 1/3 innings and loses, 6 – 3. Cowley’s record will be broken by Jim Deshaies of the Houston Astros before season’s end.

Mike Young becomes only the fifth major leaguer to hit two extra-inning home runs in the same game when he goes deep in the 10th and 12th frames. The Orioles DH’s second overtime round-tripper gives the Birds an 8-7 walk-off victory over the Halos at Memorial Stadium.

George Bell hits a walk off to end the Blue Jays stay at Exhibition Stadium

George Bell hits a walk off to end the Blue Jays stay at Exhibition Stadium

5/28/1990: In the bottom of the third inning at Wrigley Field, Ryne Sandberg hit a two-run home run just inside the left field pole that third base umpire Bill Hohn ruled a fair ball. However, Giants manager Roger Craig came out and argued the call. After a discussion by the umpires, crew chief (and first base arbiter) Harry Wendelstedt overruled Hohn and called it a foul ball. Television replays clearly showed it to be a fair ball and a homer. Cubs manager Don Zimmer was ejected because of the changed call. Sandberg singled but the Cubs did not score in the frame but eventually won the game, 5-1.

Dave Winfield of the Minnesota Twins hits his 3,054th major league league career hit to surpass former Twin Rod Carew into 15th place on the all-time list.

The White Sox and Tigers combine to establish a major league record, blasting 12 home runs in Chicago’s 14-12 victory in Detroit. The two teams also set an American League record by banging out 21 extra-base hits during the Motor City slugfest.

In the Orioles’ 12-8 win over Seattle at the Kingdome, Cal Ripken blasts a grand slam and two two-run round-trippers, giving him a career-high eight RBIs. The Baltimore shortstop’s younger brother, Billy, also goes deep for the Birds, making it the second time the siblings have both homered in the same game.

barry bonds contract

1998 – Barry Bonds Intentionally Walked with Bases Loaded

Homering in their 15th straight game, the Houston Astros set a team record in a 4 – 3 victory over the Braves, with Ken Caminiti and Lance Berkman helping Houston to establish the mark.

For the first time in franchise history, the Angels hit four home runs in one inning, with Darin Erstad, Mo Vaughn, Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson supplying the fireworks.

The Diamondbacks’ team record 11-game home winning streak is halted by the Brewers. Marquis Grissom’s RBI single in the 11th inning is the difference in the 4-3 loss to Milwaukee.

2000 – Lance Berkman and Ken Caminiti go deep off Rudy Seanez in the bottom of the eighth to shock the Braves, 4-3. Marc Valdes is the surprise winner in relief. The blasts ruin a fine effort by Kevin Millwood that comes eight months too late for Astros fans. 

In an 11-inning slugfest with Colorado, LA catcher Paul Lo Duca goes 6-for-6 in the team’s 11-10 victory at Dodger Stadium. The backstop’s five singles and a three-run homer tie a National League record for hits in an extra-inning game.

When Rafael Furcal, Mark DeRosa, and Gary Sheffield all go deep off the Reds’ Jeff Austin in the bottom of the first inning, the Braves become only the second team in big league history to begin a game with three consecutive home runs. In San Diego’s home opener in 1987, the Padres wasted no time making up a two-run first inning deficit as each of the first three batters, Marvell Wynn, Tony Gwynn, and John Kruk, all went yard in the bottom of the first inning off Giant starter Roger Mason.

Mariano Rivera posts his 300th career save in a Yankees’ 7 – 5 victory over Tampa Bay. He also becomes the first Yankee and 17th reliever in major league history to reach the milestone.

Matt Clement becomes the 21st big league pitcher and the first Chicago Cubs pitcher in over a century to hit with pitches three batters in one inning to tie a major league record. The victims plucked in the 5th inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the Pirates are Bobby Hill, Jason Kendall and Craig Wilson.

In the eighth inning of the Red Sox’ 17-1 rout over the Yankees in New York, the largest margin of victory the team has ever enjoyed against their rivals, the stadium scoreboard goes blank for a few moments when the operator cannot keep up with the Boston barrage. The team’s 27 hits, which is one shy of a Bronx Bomber record for hits allowed, are the most collected by the club since tying the franchise record of 28 in June of 2003, ironically in a game also started by Carl Pavano as the opposing pitcher, but in a Marlin uniform.

At Great American Ball Park, the number 10 joins 5 (Bench), 8 (Morgan), 24 (Perez), 20 (F. Robinson), 1 (Hutchinson), and 18 (Kluszewski) on the facade of the press box, when the Reds retire Sparky Anderson’s uniform number. As the skipper of the ‘Big Red Machine’, George Lee Anderson became the franchise’s winningest manager (863-586) and captured four NL pennants (1970, 1972, 1975-76) and two World Championships (1975-76).

With three remaining games in May, the Padres surpass the previous club record for the most wins for any one month. The 5-3 win over the Giants marked the team’s 19th victory since May 1.

Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits the 715th home run of his 21-year major league career to surpass Babe Ruth for sole possession of second place on the all-time list. Hank Aaron is the all-time leader with 755 home runs. Bonds connects on a 90-mph 3-2 fastball in the bottom of the 4th inning off Byung-Hyun Kim of the Colorado Rockiesbefore a near-capacity crowed at AT&T Park. Colorado wins the game, 6 – 3, as Kim becomes the 421st pitcher to surrender a home run to the 41-year-old slugger.

2006 – Having lost five straight, as well as an 18-inning affair the night before, and trailing 4-0 in the ninth, the Astros get off the mat and stun the Pirates at PNC Park, 5-4, in ten innings. Houston takes advantage of two bases-loaded walks before Preston Wilsonsingles home Morgan Ensberg in the tenth for the game-winner. 

In a rare big-name match-up in A ball, the Vero Beach Devil Rays beat the St. Lucie Mets, 2 – 0. Pedro Martinez, a three-time Cy Young Award winner on a rehab start, allows two runs in six innings to take the loss. The win goes to David Price, the top pick of the 2008 amateur draft, making his second pro start. Price allows two hits and no walks in six shutout frames, fanning nine. Martinez says: “He’s amazing, that kid.” The two will be pitching in the World Series at the end of the year.

Corey Hart hits a two-run homer in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 2 – 0 win over the New York Mets at Miller Park. The homer ends a string of 35 consecutive scoreless innings by Mets pitching.

Matt Cain of the Giants pitches a one-hitter in defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5 – 0. The only hit is a 2nd-inning double by Mark Reynolds.

The Tigers fail to take advantage of a three-home run performance by Miguel Cabrera, falling, 5 – 4, to Ben Sheets and the Oakland Athletics. Reliever Ryan Perry is the loser. The A’s get some bad news after the game, as they announce that two-time All-Star pitcher Justin Duchscherer, who has made only 5 starts this year, needs to undergo surgery on a bothersome hip and will be out for the rest of the season.

The Angels’ Jered Weaver is still winless since notching a 6-0 record in April, but not for lack of trying. Today, he pitches 9 scoreless innings, but ends up with a no-decision as the Twins’ Anthony Swarzak gives up only a one hit – an 8th-inning double by Peter Bourjos – and the Twins win, 1 – 0, on Danny Valencia’s bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th. Swarzak is filling in for a sore-armed Francisco Liriano but still manages to turn a 75-pitch pitch count limit into 8 innings of brilliant work on the mound.

In his 23rd season in the majors, 44-year-old Omar Vizquel gets to play first base for the first time. His untested defensive skills are called for in the 11th inning, after Carlos Quentin comes in as a pinch-hitter for the White Sox, and manager Ozzie Guillen must shuffle his remaining players to accommodate him. The Sox still lose to the Blue Jays, 9 – 8, on Corey Patterson’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the 14th inning. Earlier in the game, the Jays’ Jose Bautista hit a three-run homer to become the first 20-home run hitter in the majors this year.

The Cubs end a 12-game losing streak, their longest since 1997, with an 11 – 7 win over the Padres at Wrigley Field. Alfonso Soriano goes 3 for 4 with a homer and 3 RBI, his 7th-inning homer putting the Cubs ahead to stay against Alex Hinshaw; Ian Stewart, Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney also homer for Chicago, while David DeJesus hits a pair of triples. For their part, the Padres hit four long balls on a day when the wind is blowing towards the fences, with Chase Headley connecting twice, and Everth Cabrera and Will Venable once each.

The Angels lose their ace, Jered Weaver, after only 12 pitches when he is forced to leave his start against the Yankees with a back injury in the 1st inning, but they hold on for a hard-fought 9 – 8 win, capped by Mark Trumbo’s walk-off home run. The win puts the Angels at .500 for the first time since April 9th. Howie Kendrick and Kendry Morales drive in 3 runs each and Mike Trout homers to lead the offense. Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira homer for New York, and Russell Martin hits a two-run double in the 7th to tie the game at 8-all, but Trumbo’s 9th-inning homer off Cory Wade ends it, giving struggling closer Jordan Walden his first win of the year.

The Mets honor Yankees great Mariano Rivera, who has announced his retirement at the end of the year, by having him throw the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the two teams from the Big Apple at Citi Field, with retired Mets closer John Franco acting as his catcher for the occasion. However, the night doesn’t end so well for Mo, as Daniel Murphy leads off the bottom of the 9th with a double and David Wright and Lucas Duda follow RBI singles to turn a 1 – 0 deficit into a 2 – 1 win. It is the first time of Mariano’s illustrious career that he blows a save without retiring a single batter; it is also his first blown save of the year.

Hyun-Jin Ryu tosses a two-hitter for his first career shutout as the Dodgers defeat the Angels, 3 – 0. Luis Cruz hits his first homer of the year in support of the Korean’s great pitching effort.

5/28/2013: The White Sox were hosting the Cubs in an Interleague contest. Welington Castillo hit a two-run homer in the top of the second inning that was later rained out. The four-bagger was surrendered by Chris Sale.

The Blue Jays are the hottest team in the majors after winning their 9th straight and 14th of 16th, 3 – 2 against the Rays. Tampa Bay hits starter Liam Hendriks hard, but a number of defensive gems by the Jays keep the score close, until the bottom of the 9th when Dioner Navarro leads off with a single off Juan Carlos Oviedo. Anthony Gose then lays a perfect bunt down the first base line, and Oviedo’s throw goes into right field, allowing pinch-runner Kevin Pillar to race all the way home with the winning run.

In the 3rd inning of a game against the Dodgers, Mets P Noah Syndergaard is ejected for throwing at Chase Utley, in apparent retaliation for Utley’s aggressive slide which injured Mets SS Ruben Tejada in last year’s NLDS. Umpire Adam Hamari also tosses Mets manager Terry Collins for arguing his decision, then Utley gets his revenge when he opens the score with a solo homer off Logan Verrett in the 6th and adds a grand slam off Hansel Robles in the 7th. The Dodgers hit five homers in total as they win the game, 9 – 1.

The Royals stage the biggest 9th-inning comeback in their history when they score 7 runs to defeat the White Sox, 8 – 7. With a 7 – 1 league, White Sox closer David Robertson seems to be cruising along when he strikes out Paulo Orlando to start off the bottom of the 9th, but Cheslor Cuthbert singles and Brett Eibner follows with a double. After the Royals have batted around, Eibner ends the game with a single off Tommy Kahnle, driving in Drew Butera with the winning run. One of the key hits of the rally is a two-run single by Whit Merrifield, and the win goes to Chien-Ming Wang, as players who barely contributed to last season’s World Series win do most of the damage for the Royals.

Derek Dietrich continues his unlikely homer binge as he hits three, all two-run shots, in leading the Reds to an 11 – 6 win over the Pirates. With 17 homers this year, he has already topped his career high, and 12 of his last 17 hits have gone over the fence. For the Pirates, rookie Kevin Newman hits his first career homer, a grand slam off Lucas Sims.

Todays Major League Birthdays On May 28

Todays Major League Debuts On  May 28

Todays Major League Final Games May 28

Major League Baseball Deaths On May 28 

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