This Day In Baseball May 6

Gaylord_Perry

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 6 in baseball history.

 

Subscribe to our Podcast

on Apples Podcast | Spotify  | Google | Stitcher

And connect with us wherever else you listen to Podcast.

Notable Events and Chronology for May 6

May 6 – Future Hall of Famer Cap Anson makes his professional debut with the Rockford Forest Citys.

At Pittsburgh’s Exposition Park, the Pirates become the first team to cover the grass to prevent it from getting wet during a rain storm. A canvas tarp is used to keep the infield dry for tomorrow’s contest against the Cubs.

Babe Ruth - Red Sox

Boston Red Sox rookie Babe Ruth hits his first major league home run

For the second consecutive day, a Browns' hurler throws a no-hitter when Bob Groom keeps the White Sox hitless

For the second consecutive day, a Browns’ hurler throws a no-hitter when Bob Groom keeps the White Sox hitless

Everett Scott’s streak of 1,307 games played comes to an end

Everett Scott’s streak of 1,307 games played comes to an end

Ty Cobb hits his fifth home run in two games, tying 1884 Cap Anson's record.

Ty Cobb hits his fifth home run in two games, tying 1884 Cap Anson’s record.

Mickey Cochrane hits his 1st homerun

Mickey Cochrane hits his 1st homerun

The American League announces it will discontinue the league’s MVP award. In 1931, the Junior Circuit will resume the honor, naming A’s southpaw Lefty Grove (31-4, 2.06) as its most valuable player.

Willie Mays

Furtue Hall of Famer Willie Mays is Born

Carl Reynolds, Moose Solters, Rick Ferrell and Bucky Walters hit four consecutive triples for the Boston Red Sox en route to a 14 - 4 win over the Detroit Tigers.

Carl Reynolds, Moose Solters, Rick Ferrell and Bucky Walters hit four consecutive triples for the Boston Red Sox en route to a 14 – 4 win over the Detroit Tigers.

billy herman

Brooklyn Dodgers acquire future Hall of Fame second baseman Billy Herman from the Chicago Cubs

Jackie Robinson debuts with Kansas city

Jackie Robinson debuts with Kansas city

In his second appearance, A’s rookie Bobby Shantz is sensational, tossing nine hitless innings of relief in a 13-inning, 5-4 win over Detroit at Briggs Field. The 23 year-old southpaw, who made his major league debut five days ago pitching 2/3 of an inning against Washington, gives up two hits and a run in his tenth inning of work but gets the victory because Wally Moses had a two-run home run in the top of the frame.

Cliff Chambers

Cliff Chambers second Pirate to pitch a no hitter despite 8 walks

Bobo Holloman no hitter

Bobo Holloman becomes 3rd player to twirl no hitter in debut

Roberto Clemente crashes Willie Mays’s birthday party in his second visit to the Polo Grounds, by banging a 430-foot triple over the birthday boy’s head in the midst of a decisive rally in a 3 – 2 Pirate win over the Giants. Jesse Abramson of the New York Herald Tribune reports: “Roberto Clemente tripled so far over Mays’ head that even Willie on his charger, shedding the cap, couldn’t catch it…”

Cincinnati Redlegs outfielder Gus Bell hits home runs off Bob Miller in both ends of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies at Crosley Field. Cincinnati wins, 10 – 2 and 11 – 9.

Commemorating the three-year anniversary of his party-crashing heroics, Roberto Clemente again disrupts Willie Mays’s birthday celebration, if not quite so dramatically. Bob Stevens of the San Francisco Chronicle reports: “Only a spectacular catch by Clemente on a 400-foot blast by Mays in the 6th with the bases loaded and George Witt on the mound prevented San Francisco from making a genuine rout of the thing.” Circus catch notwithstanding, the Bucs’ bats fail to ignite as they suffer a 7 – 0 whitewashing.

As fate would have it, Roberto Clemente’s first visit to the newly-opened Candlestick Park coincides with the 29th birthday of his one-time mentor Willie Mays, and once again Mays’ student steals the spotlight. While all three Willies – i.e. Mays, McCovey and Kirkland – go deep to power San Francisco’s 5 – 1 win over Pittsburgh, it’s Clemente who gets the crowd’s attention with a shot to left center into the teeth of a vicious wind. Arnold Hano, California-based biographer of both Mays and Clemente, witnesses this moment: “Clemente’s bat hit the ball, and the result absolutely clubbed the crowd into awed silence for a long moment. Right into that wet whipping wind the ball carried. Right on through, hit 120 feet high in a long soaring majestic parabola that came down finally over 450 feet away. There is just no way of telling how far Clemente’s home run blast would have traveled had it not been for that wind. Suffice it to say partisan Giant fans suddenly broke their shell-shocked silence and let loose a gigantic roar. For two innings the stadium buzzed. For days the Giants talked about it. Even today if you slip up behind a Giant pitcher and suddenly whisper in his ear: ‘Remember the home run Clemente hit?’ he’s likely to jump as high as if he’d been caught putting spit on baseballs.”

5/6/1961: The Senators were rained out in Cleveland in the bottom of the second inning. In the first frame, the Tribe’s Woodie Held smashed a grand slam over the right field fence off Hal Woodeshick. The blow came with no one out. The Nats scored an unearned run in the second, leaving the score 4-1 at the time of the postponement.

Jim Bouton fires shutout in just his second apparence in MLB

Jim Bouton fires shutout in just his second apparence in MLB

Dave Nicholson hits a tape measure home run that lands on the back of the left field roof before bouncing out of Comiskey Park

Dave Nicholson hits a tape measure home run that lands on the back of the left field roof before bouncing out of Comiskey Park

1968 – Judge Roy Hofheinz gives San Francisco’s Willie Mays a 569-lb. cake for his 37th birthday. Rusty Staub serves the dessert with six RBIs in a 10-2 Houston win.

Willie Mays gets a 569 Pound birthday cake

Willie Mays gets a 569 Pound birthday cake

Ted Williams and JOE DiMaggio May 6, 1969 - Oakland Coliseum.

Ted Williams and JOE DiMaggio May 6, 1969 – Oakland Coliseum.

The Angels make quick work of Milwaukee, beating the visitors at Anaheim Stadium, 2-0. Andy Messersmith’s two-hit masterpiece takes only one-hour and thirty-one minutes to complete, making the contest the quickest nine-inning game in franchise history.

Willie Mays 41st Birthday Cake

Willie Mays birthday 1972

A’s pitcher Paul Lindblad’s major league streak of 385 consecutive errorless games ends when he makes an errant pick-off throw in the first inning of a 6-3 loss to the Orioles. The southpaw will make only six errors during his 14 years in the major leagues, a span that covers over 1200 innings on the mound.

1980 – Cold, damp Olympic Stadium is where the Astros must wait through a rain delay of three hours and 50 minutes to complete an 8-4 victory. Jose Cruz has four RBIs to lead the Astros while Joe Niekro survives the weather and the Expos for a complete-game win. 

Maury Wills is fired as the manager of the Mariners and will be replaced by Rene Lachemann. The former skipper, who reportedly is dealing with personal issues, compiled a 6-18 record, making it the worst start in the team’s five-year year history.

In Rene Lachemann’s first game as manager, the Mariners maul Milwaukee 12-1. The victory stops right-hander Mike Parrott’s personal 18-game losing streak, one loss shy of the AL record.

Cleveland's Bert Blyleven holds Toronto hitless for 8 innings before Lloyd Moseby doubles to lead off the 9th

Cleveland’s Bert Blyleven holds Toronto hitless for 8 innings before Lloyd Moseby doubles to lead off the 9th

Gaylord_Perry

Gaylord Perry wins 300th

At Tiger Stadium, the California Angels defeat Detroit, 4 – 2, as Rod Carew goes 3 for 4 to raise his batting average to .500 (48 for 96). The Angels’ first baseman will finish the season at .339, second best in the American League as Wade Boggs of the Red Sox leads the league with a .361 pace.

Daryl Strawberry makes his debut

Daryl Strawberry makes his debut

Cal Ripken becomes the second Oriole player to hit for the cycle, joining Brooks Robinson, who accomplished the feat in 1960. The Baltimore shortstop completes the rare event with a ninth-inning home run off Dave Tobik in the team’s 6-1 victory over Texas at Arlington Stadium.

1984 – Astros club 19-year-old phenom Dwight Gooden with eight runs in the third on their way to a 10-1 drubbing of the Mets. Nolan Ryan, almost twice Gooden’s age, scatters six hits for the victory. Ryan contributes a bunt hit over Gooden’s head in the rally while Mark Bailey drives home the first and last runs of the frame. 

The Cubs’ 10-1 victory over the Pirates ends Anthony Young’s 27-game losing streak as a starter and snaps Chicago’s record 14-game drought at home. The hard-luck pitcher, who set a major league record with 27 consecutive losses while pitching for the Mets, 14 in a starting role and 13 as a reliever, had also made 27 consecutive starts without a win, despite 13 quality starts among those game in which his teams posted a 4-23 record.

Chicago Cubs rookie Kerry Wood ties a major league record by striking out 20 batters

Chicago Cubs rookie Kerry Wood ties a major league record by striking out 20 batters

2001 – Jeff Bagwell hits a grand slam and drives in five while Julio Lugo goes five-for-five during a 13-7 spanking in Montreal. Richard Hidalgo adds a three-run shot. Six runs in the sixth break open a 3-3 tie. 

Preserving a 6 – 5 win over the Cardinals, Trevor Hoffman becomes the third pitcher in major league history to save 400 games. The Padres reliever joins Lee Smith (478) and John Franco (424) as the other bullpen artists to have also reached this milestone.

Hideki Matsui doubles to left in an at-bat against Jarrod Washburn. It is his 2,000th hit between Major League Baseball and Nippon Pro Baseball and makes him the 46th member of the meikyukai.

With a dramatic seventh-inning announcement from the owner’s box, the fans are informed Roger Clemens is once again a Yankee. The 44 year-old right-hander agrees to a one-year, $28-million contract, the highest single-season salary ever paid to a major-league player, to come out of retirement again and pitch in pinstripes for the remainder of the season.

Gavin Floyd loses no hitter for second time in a month

Gavin Floyd loses no hitter for second time in a month

Joe Mauer’s double with one out in the ninth inning breaks up Gavin Floyd’s bid for a no-hitter. The White Sox right-hander leaves the contest to a standing ovation from the U.S. Cellular Field crowd with Bobby Jenks getting the last two outs in Chicago’s 7-1 victory over the Twins.

Former All-Star pitcher Bronson Arroyo of the Reds has one of the worst starts of his career as the Brewers rock him for five runs in the 1st inning, highlighted by a three-run homer by J.J. Hardy, and a grand slam off the bat of Ryan Braun which sends him to the showers before he can retire a batter in the 2nd. The Brew Crew adds five runs off infielder Paul Janish in the 9th for a final score of 15 – 3. Manny Parra picks up his first win of the year after four losses.

Robin Roberts dies at age 83 at his home in Temple Terrace, FL. He began his career in 1948 with the Philadelphia Phillies, with whom he had his best seasons. He was named to 7 All-Star teams and went 286-245 in a career that stretched until 1966. He led the National League in wins 4 times, won 20 or more games during 6 consecutive seasons, but also gave up a major league record 505 home runs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976.

Scott Olsen of the Washington Nationals, who started the year in the minors after undergoing shoulder surgery the previous July, retires 22 of the first 23 Braves batters he faces, until David Ross breaks up his no-hit bid with a one-out single in the 8th. The Braves then proceed to tie the score at 2-all, but the Nats score a run in the bottom of the 9th on a pinch-hit single by Willie Harris with the bases loaded and none out. Tyler Clippard is credited with the 3 – 2 win.

The Texas Rangers manage to blow an 8 – 0 lead to the Royals, but come back in dramatic fashion for a wild 13 – 12 win. Texas scores the tying and winning runs on back-to-back solo homers by Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero off Royals closer Joakim Soria with two outs in the bottom of the 8th.

Wade McGilberry wins a million dollars playing the video game, Major League Baseball 2K10. The 23 year-old Mobile, Alabamian becomes the first gamer to pitch a perfect game in the Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.’s product, accomplishing the feat in just an hour and a half.

From 7 a.m. till past midnight, more than 10,000 Tigers fans, some who wait more than eight hours in line at Comerica Park, pay their respect to the beloved broadcaster Ernie Harwell. The open casket is placed near the ballpark’s life-sized statue of the Hall of Famer, depicting the announcer with a microphone in his hand, along with the inscription, “The Tigers’ broadcasting legend and masterful storyteller for 42 seasons.”

Jaime Garcia of the Cardinals has a perfect game until the 8th inning before issuing a one-out walk and then settling for a two-hit shutout of the Brewers. Yuniesky Betancourt hits a single on the first pitch following the walk to Casey McGehee to break up the no-hit bid. Albert Pujols drives in three runs in the 6 – 0 win.

The Braves’ Derek Lowe also flirts with a no-hitter in a 5 – 0 win over the Phillies and Cliff Lee, who strikes out a career-high 16 batters in 7 innings in taking the loss. Lowe is bothered by a blister on his foot starting in the 3rd inning, but keeps the Phillies hitless until the 7th, when he allows a lead-off single to Shane Victorino and a double to Placido Polanco. Lowe departs in favor of Eric O’Flaherty, who also has awesome stuff on the night, striking out Ryan Howard, Ben Francisco and Raul Ibanez in the span of 15 pitches to preserve the shutout.

The Royals sell ten thousand walk-up tickets on the day Royals’ rookie Eric Hosmer makes his much-anticipated major league debut at Kauffman Stadium. The 21 year-old first baseman, who received the largest signing bonus in franchise history, goes hitless in his two official at-bats in a 3-2 loss to the A’s, but he is walked twice and steals a base.

Albert Pujols finally hits his first American League homer, breaking the longest homerless drought of his career, when he connects off the Blue Jays’ Drew Hutchison with a runner on in the 5th inning of the Angels’ 4 – 3 win. Pujols was being regularly booed for his lack of offensive production after signing a huge contract to join the Halos as a free agent in the off-season.

Both teams end up having to use position players on the mound when a game between the Orioles and Red Sox goes deep into extra innings. O’s manager Buck Showalter turns to DH Chris Davis to take the mound in the 16th inning with the score tied at 6 – 6. Davis gives him a pair of scoreless innings, somewhat compensating for a brutal 0-for-8 game at the plate. The Sox face the same quandary in the top of the 17th, and turn to OF Darnell McDonald. Things don’t go so well, however, as he surrenders a three-run homer to Adam Jones; he then grounds into a double play against Davis to end the game in the bottom of the frame. Davis is the winner in the 9 – 6 Baltimore win, and McDonald the loser; it is the first time both teams use position players to pitch in the same game since October 4, 1925, when future Hall of Famers George Sisler and Ty Cobb both got to pitch on the last day of the season.

The Phillies defeat the Nationals, 9 - 3, as Hunter Pence hits a pair of two-run homers in support of Cole Hamels' pitching. Washington's sole highlight comes in the the 1st, when rookie Bryce Harper pulls off a steal of home on a pick-off throw to first; Harper had reached base on a hit-by-pitch which Hamels later admits was a deliberate gesture aimed at the phenom's cocky attitude after barely a week in the bigs; he will be suspended for five games as a result. In the 6th inning, RF Jayson Werth breaks his wrist in attempting a sliding catch in the outfield and will be out until August, a tough break for the Nats who have managed to stay in first place in spite of the absence of two other key players, Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse, who are both injured.

The Phillies defeat the Nationals, 9 – 3, as Hunter Pence hits a pair of two-run homers in support of Cole Hamels’ pitching. Washington’s sole highlight comes in the the 1st, when rookie Bryce Harper pulls off a steal of home on a pick-off throw to first; Harper had reached base on a hit-by-pitch which Hamels later admits was a deliberate gesture aimed at the phenom’s cocky attitude after barely a week in the bigs; he will be suspended for five games as a result. In the 6th inning, RF Jayson Werth breaks his wrist in attempting a sliding catch in the outfield and will be out until August, a tough break for the Nats who have managed to stay in first place in spite of the absence of two other key players, Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse, who are both injured.

A performance of the Harvard baseball team lip-synching with choreographed dance moves to Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit song “Call Me Maybe” is posted on YouTube. The video, made for their own entertainment to fight the boredom during road trips, will quickly go viral in few days, bringing national attention to the players of the Crimson squad.

The struggling Blue Jays manage a rare comeback win against Tampa Bay. Mark Buehrle is the latest Toronto starter to get beat up, giving up 7 runs in the 3rd, but he hangs on and shuts down the Rays for the next three innings, while three relievers add a scoreless frame each. Colby Rasmus starts the comeback with a two-run homer in the 4th, and J.P. Arencibia, who started the game on the bench, hits another two-run shot off closer Fernando Rodney with two outs on the top of the 9th for an 8 – 7 win.

The Pirates record a walk-off win of an unprecedented type, as they need to wait for the result of a video review to begin celebrating. With two outs and the score tied 1 – 1 in the bottom of the 9th against the Giants at PNC Park, Starling Marte bangs a drive off the right field wall. When 2B Ehire Adrianza’s relay skips through 3B Pablo Sandoval’s legs, Marte races for home, but umpire Quinn Wolcott calls him out. Manager Clint Hurdleimmediately asks for a review, and one minute and 15 seconds later, crew chief Gerry Davis gives the safe sign, validating the run and ending the game.

“People who are listening to the ballgame, I know what you’re thinking. He’s ready for the home. He’s cooked. It’s finally happened. He’s seeing ladders and doors without handles.” – BOB UECKER, explaining being trapped for several innings by a broken lock on the radio broadcast booth’s door.Bob Uecker, along with fellow broadcasters Joe Block and Jeff Levering, longtime engineer Kent Sommerfeld, and his assistant, Mary Burns, become trapped for several innings as the result of a broken lock on the Miller Park’s radio broadcast booth door. A crew of workmen, using a ladder positioned on the loge level, climbed into the booth to remove the door from its hinges, while the announcers’ play-by-play continued to detail the action of Brewers and Dodgers game on the field.

Bryce Harper becomes the youngest player to hit to three homers in one game

3B Jung Ho Kang makes a successful return to the majors for the Pirates in his first game since suffering a serious leg injury in September of last year. Kang homers twice, off Tyler Lyons and Kevin Siegrist, to lead Pittsburgh to a 4 – 2 win. Francisco Liriano is the winner over Carlos Martinez, who has to leave early due to fatigue.

The Yankees are on fire as they record their 15th win in their last 16 games, 7 – 4 over the Indians, thanks to a three-run walk-off homer by rookie Gleyber Torres off Dan Otero. Domingo German, making his first major league start in place of an injured Jordan Montgomery, begins things with six hitless innings for New York, before being removed for having reached his pitch count limit.

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Lindy McDaniel sets a National League record playing his 225th consecutive game without committing an error. The streak includes 108 chances handled successfully since June 16, 1964.

Oakland Athletics pitcher Paul Lindblad’s major league streak of 385 consecutive games without committing an error comes to an end when he makes an errant throw in a 6 – 3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

The Red Sox top the Tigers, 5 – 0. The game is historic in that it features a combined shutout by two pitchers over age 40, the first such contest in over a century. Tim Wakefield allows two hits in 8 innings and Mike Timlin finishes the game.

Todays Major League Birthdays On May 6 

Todays Major League Debuts On  May 6

Major League Baseball Debuts – To see all the Famous Debuts in baseball history check out the famous debut page

 

 

Todays Major League Final Games May 6

Major League Baseball – Famous LASTS! Check them all out here!

Major League Baseball Deaths On May 6

Major League Baseball Birthdays, Debuts, Final Games and Deaths, on **DATE** 

Todays Birthdays  – – – Check out all the famous Birthdays HERE

 

Major League Baseball Debuts – To see all the Famous Debuts in baseball history check out the famous debut page

 

Major League Baseball – Famous LASTS! Check them all out here!

 

Todays Passings  – – – Check out all the passing here!

Daily Rewind - Baseball History delivered daily

* indicates required

Baseball is the only game you can watch on the radio. Join the community today and listen to hundreds of broadcasts from baseball’s golden age.

Lets go! Start listening!

Start Listening today!
Share the Post:

Related Posts

Load More
Start Listieng to Classic Baseball Broadcasts (1934 - 1973)

Start Listieng to Classic Baseball Broadcasts (1934 - 1973)

Enjoy our free trial and start listening to games, interviews and shows! Ruth, Mantle, Aaron, and Seaver!

$9.99/month
$99/year
class="wp-singular post-template-default single single-post postid-1593 single-format-standard wp-custom-logo wp-embed-responsive wp-theme-kadence wp-child-theme-kadence-child logged-out footer-on-bottom hide-focus-outline link-style-standard content-title-style-normal content-width-normal content-style-unboxed content-vertical-padding-show non-transparent-header mobile-non-transparent-header kadence-elementor-colors elementor-default elementor-kit-193430 elementor-page-193959"