On August 30 in Baseball History... 1905 - In his first major league at-bat, 18 year-old center fielder Ty Cobb doubles off Jack Chesbro in the first inning of the Tigers' 5-3 victory over the Highlanders at Detroit's Bennett Park. The two-bagger is the first of the 4,189 hits the 'Georgia Peach' will collect during his 24-year Hall of Fame career.
1906 - After pitching a shutout in his major league debut, right-hander Joe Doyle of the Highlanders becomes the first player to start out with two shutouts when he beats the Nationals, 5-0. Of his 23 lifetime victories, seven will be shutouts. He is nicknamed Slow because of his time-consuming pace on the mound.
1910 - Tom Hughes of the New York Yankees pitched a no-hitter for 9 1/3 innings before giving up a single to Harry Niles of the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees lost 5-0, with Hughes giving up seven hits in 11 innings.
1912 - At Navin Field, Browns' hurler Earl Hamilton no-hits the Tigers, 5-1. Detroit gets on the scoreboard in the fourth inning thanks to a Ty Cobb walk, a two-base error and a fielder's choice, ruining the southpaw's bid for a shutout.
1913 - With the Phillies ahead 8-6, umpire William Brennan forfeits the game to the Giants in the top of the ninth inning when the Baker Bowl fans sitting in the bleachers continue to distract New York batters by waving their handkerchiefs and straw hats. After National League president Thomas Lynch reverses the decision giving Philadelphia the victory, the circuit's board of directors orders the game, which will end with the same score, to be completed in NY on October 2 prior to a scheduled doubleheader between the two clubs at the Polo Grounds.
1916 - At Fenway Park, Boston's Dutch Leonard no-hits the Browns, 4-0. The 24-year old Red Sox southpaw will finish the season 18-12 en route to Boston's World Championship.
1918 - At the Polo Grounds, the Giants beat the Dodgers, 1-0, on an unearned run in the bottom in the ninth in a contest that takes only fifty-six minutes to complete. Pete Compton's base hit off Jack Combs plates Larry Doyle, who had singled to lead off the frame and moved to third on Ollie O'Mara's errant throw on a sacrifice bunt.
1922 - After hitting number 28 in the first inning, Babe Ruth argues too strongly over a called strike on his next at bat, and he is thrown out of the game. He is suspended for the fifth time of the year and is out for three days.
1928 - In his final major league at bat, 40 year-old A's outfielder Tris Speaker is struck out by Red Sox hurler Red Ruffing. The 'Grey Eagle' ends his 22-year Hall of Fame career with a .345 batting average, sixth best in major league history.
1939 - Yankee freshman Atley Donald, who will will win 12 straight games to set an AL record for most consecutive victories thrown by a rookie, throws a recorded pitch at 139 feet per second (94.7 mph) to establish a new record for a fast ball. The velocity of ‘Swampy's’ throw was measured by a speed meter owner by the Indians and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
1950 - When Eddie Stanky gets his fourth base-on-balls off Pirates' southpaw Lefty Chambers in a 4-0 victory at Forbes Field, the Giants' leadoff hitter ties a major league record by drawing a walk in seven consecutive plate appearances. The second baseman, known as the 'Brat', will be the league leader in walks (144) and OBP (.460) this season.
1952 - Nine-time All-Star infielder Arky Vaughn drowns with a friend when their boat capsized while fishing in a volcanic lake near Eagleville, CA. The former shortstop and third baseman, who compiled a .318 batting average and a .406 on-base percentage playing with the Pirates and Dodgers, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.
1953 - During the 19-4 win over the Pirates in the opening game of a twin bill, the Braves stroke a big league record eight home runs, including three from rookie outfielder Jim Pendleton. Boston will add four more homers in the 11-5 night cap victory to also establish the mark for most round-trippers in a doubleheader.
1960 - With two doubles and a single in the 3-2 night cap victory, Pete Runnels collects a total of ten hits in the Red Sox doubleheader sweep of the Tigers at Fenway Park. The 32-year old infielder, who will win the American League batting crown with a .320 average, goes 6-for-7 in the opener which Boston wins in 15 innings, 5-4.
1961 - A computer named Casey is used to predict Roger Maris' chances of passing Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home runs within 154 games. The IBM 1481 believes the Yankee slugger has a 55 percent chance of hitting 61 round trippers to establish a new single season mark for homers.
1965 - Casey Stengel, who is recovering from a fractured hip suffered a month ago, officially announces his retirement as the skipper of the Mets, ending a 56-year career in baseball as a player, coach and manager. At an hour-long press conference held at the Essex House, Casey's N.Y. residence, the "Old Perfessor' shares his disappointment in the team's performance during their first four and half seasons in the National League and praises his interim replacement, Wes Westrum, the club's former pitching coach.
1966 - In his final decision facing the Mets, Sandy Koufax, lasting only two innings, loses to Bob Friend at Shea Stadium, 10-4. The Dodgers' Hall of Fame southpaw compiled a 17-2 record against the lowly expansion team since their inception in 1962.
1972 - On the same night in different games, Pete Rose of the Reds and Pittsburgh's Roberto Clemente both tie their respective club records for hits. With his two hits at Three Rivers Stadium, the Pirates outfielder equals Honus Wagner's club mark of 2,970 career hits, and Cincinnati's 'Charlie Hustle' matches Vida Pinsons' total when he singles at Riverfront Stadium to collect his 1,881st hit
1973 - Thanks to Jose Cruz's tenth inning walk-off single off Tom Seaver, the Mets lose to the Cardinals, 1-0. The Busch Stadium defeat drops the eventual National League champs into last place.
1975 - The Braves replace Clyde King as their manager with scout Connie Ryan, disappointing some of the fan base who had hoped Billy Martin, recently released by the Rangers, would get the nod for the job before he went to the Yankees. The 55-year old former Atlanta skipper will be retained as a special assistant to Eddie Robinson, the team's executive vice president.
1983 - Catcher Carlton Fisk hits a inside-the-park homer in the fifth inning and the White Sox beat the Rangers 5-0 at Comiskey Park. 1984 - In a 9-3 win over the Twins, Red Sox slugger Jim Rice grounds into his 33rd double play of the season to break the major league record set by Jackie Jensen in 1954. By season's end, Rice will extend his new record to 36.
1984 - When Montreal brings back Jim Fanning to be the skipper of the Expos, it marks the second time Bill Virdon is fired during the season and replaced by the manager he succeeded. During 1973 season, the Pirates ask Danny Murtaugh to return to the dugout to also replace the bespectacled skipper, his replacement two seasons earlier.
1986 - Tommy John, 43, and Joe Niekro, 41, pitched a doubleheader for the New York Yankees against Seattle to become the first 40-plus teammate combo to start a doubleheader since Sept. 13, 1933, when the Chicago White Sox's Sam Jones, 41, and Red Faber, 44, pitched against the Philadelphia Athletics. John lost the opener and Niekro won the second game, 3-0.
1986 - New York releases
Let's Go Mets Go!, a music video that features players, coaches and fans, along with a cameo appearance by Joe Piscopo. Shelly Palmer, known professionally as Shelton Leigh Palmer, composed and produced the official team’s theme song, that becomes a Gold Record, as well as directing and producing the accompanying music video, which will go triple platinum.
1987 - Kirby Puckett goes 6-for-6 with two home runs in Minnesota's 10-6 win over Milwaukee, tying the American League record for hits in a nine-inning game. Combined with yesterday's 4-for-5, two-home run performance, Puckett has a major league-record-tying ten hits in two games.
1988 - Kent Tekulve becomes the second pitcher in major league history to appear in 1,000 games by pitching 2 innings in Philadelphia's 7-5 win over San Francisco.
1990 - An inside-the-park grand slam by catcher Ron Karkovice was all the White Sox needed as they beat the Twins 4-3 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minnesota. Karkovice lined a 1-2 pitch just over the glove of leaping Twins shortstop Greg Gagne. The ball rolled to the fence between left fielder Dan Gladden and center fielder John Moses. Moses slipped at the base of fence and tossed the ball to Gladden but Gladden, who was looking towards the infield, missed it and the ball rolled away. White Sox starter Jack McDowell went 8 innings to pick up his 11th win of the season and Bobby Thigpen pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 44th save of the year.
1995 - Detroit teammates Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell play in their 1,914th game together in a 10-7 loss to the White Sox. The pair tie the American League record for most games appeared in together. 1998 - Defeating the Marlins 7-5, the Reds hand Florida its 89th loss, the most ever for a reigning World Series champ. The Reds lost 88 games in 1991 after its Fall Classic sweep of the A's.
1998 - Toms River becomes the first American team since 1993 to win the Little League World Series. Chris Cardone hits home runs in consecutive at-bats, including a game-deciding two-run shot beating Kashima, Japan,12-9.
1998 - The Cardinals honor Jack Buck with a new statue in Buck's likeness. The Hall of Fame broadcaster began announcing Cardinals games in 1954.
1999 - At the Astrodome, Edgardo Alfonzo becomes the first player in the Mets' 38-year history to go 6-for-6 scoring six times and drives in five runs; the second baseman hits three homers, two singles and a double for a team-record 16 total bases as New York routs Houston,17-1.
2000 - On a night when every player in the Astros' starting lineup gets a hit, reserve catcher Tony Eusebio's hitting streak ends at 24 games, a franchise record. The back-up backstop's accomplishment is the fifth longest by a big league catcher since 1900.
2000 - With the exception of hitting his first batter and giving up an opposite field leadoff single in the ninth, Pedro Martinez is nearly perfect in Boston's win over the Devil Rays, 8-0. The brawl-filled contest features five fights with eight Devil Rays (five players, the manager and two coaches) being ejected and Carl Everett needing a single to hit for the cycle but homers for the second time.
2000 - Going 3-for-5 in a 9-4 comeback victory over the Blue Jays, Darin Erstad gets his 200th hit of the season. The Angels' outfielder reaches the 200-hit plateau quicker than any other player since Ducky Medwick accomplished the feat in 131 games playing with the Cardinals in 1935.
2000 - Earning his 1,600th victory, Braves' manager Bobby Cox passes former Dodger skipper Tommy Lasorda on the career list for most managerial victories. His 5-2 victory over the Reds puts him 14th on the all-time list.
2002 - After marathon negotiation sessions to avoid a players' strike just hours away, Bud Selig announces the players union and owners have reached a settlement on a new four-year CBA without the need of a work stoppage. The new agreement, called 'historic' by the commissioner, gives the owners the economic restraints they wanted as the players are assured no teams will be contracted until the 2007 season with a revenue sharing plan will gradually be implemented during the span of the contract.
2004 - Chipper Jones and his wife, Sharon, welcome their second child into the world, a 7 pounds, 14 ounces son. The couple names the boy Shea, as a tribute to the New York ballpark where the Braves' third baseman has enjoyed tremendous success against the Mets.
2005 - In the long tradition of Bronx Bombers, Alex Rodriguez becomes only the second right-handed batter in Yankees history to hit 40 homers in a season. The New York third baseman joins Joe DiMaggio, who hit 46 homers in 1937, making it the only time ‘Joltin’ Joe’ reached the 40 mark.
2006 - In an effort to bolster their starting rotation as they pursue the NL wild card, the Padres obtain home town favorite southpaw David Wells from the Red Sox for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The 43-year old 'Boomer', who had played for San Diego in 2004, posted a 2-3 record with a 4.98 ERA during an injury-plagued (knee) campaign in Beantown.
2006 - In the Mets' 13-0 rout of Washington at RFK Stadium, Julio Franco drives in five runs, tying a career high, to become the major leaguer in history to accomplish the feat. The 48 year-old first baseman, with three hits, falls a triple short of completing the cycle.
2006 - In the first inning of a 7-2 defeat to the A's, Red Sox starter Curt Schilling whiffs Nick Swisher to record his 3000th career strikeout. The Alaskan-born right-hander becomes the 14th pitcher in major league history to reach the milestone.
2006 - Adam LaRoche's nine total bases and three RBIs help the Braves beat the Giants at Turner Field, 5-3. The 26-year old first baseman's offensive output includes three doubles and a triple.
2010 - The Chicago White Sox claimed Manny Ramirez from the Los Angeles Dodgers on waivers. 2011 - With a 9-4 victory over Colorado at Chase Field, the Diamondbacks extend their home winning streak to a franchise record-tying 11 games. The consecutive string of victories in the desert equals the mark set by the 2000 and 2003 teams.
2011 - One day after his 34th birthday, Aaron Rowand makes his last appearance in a major league game when he strikes out as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 7th inning for the San Francisco Giants as they lose to the Cubs 5-2 at AT&T Park. The Giants would release Rowand on September 8th. Rowand ends up signing as a free agent with the Marlins in the off-season but would be released by them at the end of spring training.
2012 - The Chicago White Sox released Gregory Infante.
2014 - The Baltimore Orioles acquired outfielder Alejandro De Aza from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Minor League pitchers Miguel Chalas and Mark Blackmar 2014 - Trevor Hoffman, who spent parts of 16 seasons of his 18 years in the majors with San Diego, retiring as baseball's all-time saves leader with 601, becoming the ninth person inducted into the Padres' Hall of Fame. The closer, known for his devastating changeup, joins Buzzie Bavasi, Nate Colbert, Jerry Coleman, Tony Gwynn, Randy Jones, Ray Kroc, Dick Williams and Dave Winfield to be enshrined by the team.
2015 - The Arizona Diamondbacks traded Addison Reed to the New York Mets in exchange for Matt Koch and Miller Diaz.
2015 - The NL's eventual 2015 Cy Young Award recipient Jake Arrieta, needing just 116 pitches, beats Los Angeles, 2-0, tossing the 12th no-hitter ever thrown at the Chavez Ravine ballpark, and the 13th no-no in Cubs history. The contest marks the second time in ten games the Dodgers has been unable to get a hit, after being held hitless by Astros right-hander Mike Fiers on August 21.
Baseball Birthdays on August 30... 1850 - McVey, Cal
1859 - Powell, Jim
1863 - Rudderham, John
1864 - Weckbecker, Pete
1866 - Pears, Frank
1870 - Thompson, Will
1872 - Dunkle, Davey
1878 - Starr, Charlie
1879 - O'Neill, Peaches
1880 - Armbruster, Charlie
1883 - Brinker, Bill
1883 - Edmonston, Sam
1884 - Sullivan, Andy
1886 - Tooley, Bert
1886 - Smith, Wib
1887 - Seaton, Tom
1891 - Partenheimer, Steve
1892 - Perritt, Pol
1893 - Head, Ralph
1894 - Miller, Bing
1898 - Cuyler, Kiki
1902 - Cote, Pete
1906 - Friedrichs, Bob
1914 - Hancken, Buddy
1916 - Lindell, Johnny
1917 - Embree, Red
1918 - Johnson, Billy
1918 - Williams, Ted
1924 - Sacka, Frank
1925 - Wilson, George
1927 - Goldsberry, Gordon 1935 - Funk, Frank
1941 - Moore, Archie
1943 - Fanzone, Carmen
1944 - McGraw, Tug
1945 - Dean, Tommy
1948 - Simpson, Steve
1950 - Chalk, Dave
1950 - McQueen, Mike
1950 - Merchant, Andy
1955 - Martin, Renie
1956 - Baker, Steve
1956 - Brown, Scott
1956 - Mueller, Willie
1956 - Erickson, Roger
1957 - Smith, Dave
1960 - O'Neal, Randy
1960 - Seilheimer, Ricky 1967 - Cook, Andy
1972 - Herrera, Jose
1974 - Hernandez, Adrian
1974 - Foster, Kris
1976 - Koplove, Mike
1976 - Shackelford, Brian
1977 - Adkins, Jon 1977 - Byrd, Marlon
1978 - Lee, Cliff
1978 - Wellenmeyer, Todd
1979 - Richmond, Scott
1979 - Rivas, Luis
1980 - Adams, Russ
1980 - Hernandez, Roberto
1981 - Wainwright, Adam
1982 - Marshall, Sean
1983 - Ekstrom, Mike
1983 - Getz, Chris 1984 - Wright, Steve
1989 - Burns, Billy
1991 - Carle, Shane
1995 - Reid-Foley, Sean
Baseball Deaths on August 30... 1902 - Chambers, Rome
1915 - Coon, William
1931 - Ginn, Tinsley
1935 - Smith, Leo
1937 - Rees, Stan
1944 - Duggleby, Bill
1952 - Vaughan, Arky
1958 - Demaree, Frank
1964 - Jones, Bob
1965 - Papish, Frank 1969 - Bolen, Stew
1969 - McKeithan, Tim
1978 - Sicking, Ed
1986 - Higdon, Bill 1989 - Collins, Joe
1990 - Garland, Lou 1999 - Huston, Warren
2003 - Passeau, Claude
2005 - Hodkey, Eli
2007 - Jeffcoat, Hal
2009 - Phillips, Jack