On August 25 in Baseball History... 1891 - The Boston National League club shocks the baseball world by announcing the signing of King Kelly away from the rival Boston American Association club, thereby wrecking peace talks between the leagues. Kelly signs through the 1892 season for a total of $25,000, a figure that will not be topped by any player until the Federal League war of 1914 and 1915.
1913 - Carl Weilman become the first major leaguer to strike out six consecutive times in a single game. The Browns hurler accomplishes the dubious feat as the losing pitcher in a 3-0 defeat to the A’s at Sportsman's Park.
1922 - After a building 25-6 early lead, thanks to scoring ten runs in the second inning and another 14 in the fourth, the Cubs need to hold on to defeat Philadelphia 26-23. The slugfest, which sets the major league mark for most tallies scored in one game and the most hits with a combined total of 51, ends with the Phillies leaving the bases loaded in the ninth.
1934 - Schoolboy Rowe wins his 16th consecutive game defeating the Senators, 4-2, to tie the American League record shared by Smoky Joe Wood, Walter Johnson and Lefty Grove. The 24 year-old right-hander from Waco, Texas native, who goes 3-for-4 in the contest, singles home the eventual winning run in the ninth inning in the team's 4-2 victory over the Senators at Griffith Stadium.
1936 - The Braves establish a new major league record hitting seven doubles in one inning. The two-bagger barrage occurs in the first frame of a 20-3 rout of the Cardinals at Sportsman's Park.
1946 - The Yankees become the first major league team to draw over two million paying patrons at home when 42,908 fans show up at the Bronx ballpark to watch the Bombers drop a 7-2 decision to Detroit's Hal Newhouse. Today's crowd brings the season total to 2,027,087, three-quarters of a million more than the previous American League record also set by New York when the team played at the Polo Grounds in 1920.
1952 - In a 1-0 win over the Yankees, Virgil Trucks of the Tigers pitches his second no-hitter of the season. The no-hitter is in doubt for three innings when a play made by shortstop Johnny Pesky in the third inning is under debate. Phil Rizzuto's grounder is ruled an error, then a hit, before it is switched back to an error.
1956 - Prior to the Old Timers' Game at Yankee Stadium, shortstop Phil Rizzuto is asked to consult with general manager George Weiss and manager Casey Stengel concerning a player move necessitated by reacquiring Enos Slaughter off waivers from the A's. After making several suggestions about who should be cut from the squad, the veteran infielder is told by Weiss he is the player about to be let go. Through the instigation of Ballantine Beer, Rizzuto will be in the announcing booth next year, replacing Jim Woods.
1959 - The White Sox trade minor league infielder Bob Sagers and outfielder Harry Simpson to the Pirates in exchange for first baseman Ted Kluszewski. The 34 year-old 'Big Klu', who is obtained for the team's stretch run, will hit .391 and drive in 10 runs during the World Series for the AL champs. 1967 - Dean Chance throws his second no-hitter of the month defeating the Indians 2-1 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. On August 5th, the Twins' 26-year old right-hander hurled five perfect innings in an abbreviated game against the Red Sox.
1968 - Rocky Colavito, giving up just one hit in two and a third innings of relief, is credited with a win when the Yankees beat Detroit, 6-5. The Yankees outfielder, who also homers in the game, will be the last position player to notch a major league victory until Colorado catcher Brent Mayne accomplishes the feat in 2000.
1979 - In a Hollywood Stars vs. the Media game played at Dodger Stadium, Robin Williams, the star of the hit television series, Mork and Mindy, a show in which he plays an alien, runs the bases backwards. The comedian explains circling the bags clockwise is very common on the Planet Ork, his character’s home in the universe.
1983 - The Louisville Redbirds become the first minor league team to draw more than a million fans. A total of 1,052,438 people will watch the St. Louis AAA farm team play their American Association rivals at Cardinal Stadium, formerly know as Fairgrounds Stadium.
1985 - New York's Dwight Gooden became the youngest to win 20 games with a 9-3 victory over the San Diego Padres. Gooden at 20 years, nine months, and nine days was one month younger that Bob Feller, who won 20 games for Cleveland in 1939.
1986 - Oakland A's third baseman Mark McGwire hits his first major league home run, a 450-foot blast to center field off Walt Terrell, as Oakland beats Detroit 8-4 at Tiger Stadium.
1991 - Doug Dascenzo commits his first career error after 242 games, an National League record, in Cubs' 12-9 loss to the Padres.
1991 - At Busch Stadium, Lee Smith becomes the fifth major leaguer to record his 300th save when he pitches a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the Cardinals' 5-2 victory over L.A. The Louisiana native will retire with the most saves in major league history with 478, compiled during 18 seasons with eight different teams
1992 - After posting a 12-14 record during the longest scheduled road trip in big league history, the Astros return to Houston to play a home game. The twenty-six game journey to eight cities is made necessary because of the Republican National Convention being held at the Astrodome.
1995 - At Veterans Stadium, Gregg Jefferies hits for the cycle when Philadelphia crushes the Dodgers, 17-4. The Phillies' first baseman, who has four RBIs and scores four runs, collects all of his extra-base hits of off LA starting pitcher, Hideo Nomo.
1996 - Brian Lesher becomes the first person born in Belgium to appear in a major league game. The 25-year old from Wilrij starts in right-field and enjoys a 1-for-3 day at the plate, including a run-scoring single in the sixth inning off Andy Pettitte in the A's 6-4 victory at Yankee Stadium.
1996 - Joining Miller Huggins‚ Babe Ruth‚ and Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, who died of liver cancer last year, is honored with a monument in center field at Yankee Stadium. It is the first new monument to be dedicated by the team in 47 years.
1997 - Boston's Nomar Garciaparra singles twice to extend his hitting streak to 27 games, breaking the American League rookie record set by Guy Curtright of the Chicago White Sox in 1943. The Red Sox come back to beat the Mariners 9-8. Garciaparra's streak will extend to thirty games. 2000 - The Giants tie a franchise record by hitting eight doubles (Bill Mueller (2), Jeff Kent, Marvin Benard, J.T. Snow, Rich Aurilia, Felipe Crespo, and Ramon Martinez) en route to a 16-3 rout of the Phillies at Veterans Stadium. With the exception of Bobby Estalella, every San Francisco starter takes part of the 21-hit attack, including pitcher Russ Ortiz, who goes 3-for-3.
2001 - Bengie Molina sets a team record by stroking nine consecutive hits. The Angel catcher is the first Anaheim player to have consecutive four-hit games since Tim Salmon accomplished the feat in 1994.
2002 - Participating in a minor-league baseball promotion, a 28-year old woman collapsed and dies after running from the outfield fence to the infield in quest of a hidden diamond. She was one of approximately 250 women hoping to find a small box containing the treasure after the game between the Orlando Rays and Jacksonville Suns.
2005 - With the 6-3 Cardinals win over the Pirates at PNC Park, skipper Tony LaRussa with his 2,195th career triumph moves past Sparky Anderson for third place for most victories by a big league manager. Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) are first and second on the all-time managerial list for the number of major league wins.
2007 - Padres rookie Craig Stansberry makes his big league debut with a seventh-inning pinch-hit single in San Diego’s 4-3 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The 25-year old, who moved to the United States when he was an infant, is the first person born in Saudi Arabia to participate in a major league game.
2008 - After being swept in a four-game series earlier in the month in L.A., the Phillies return the favor beating the Dodgers, 5-0 to complete its own four-game sweep. It is the first time in franchise history that Philadelphia has swept the Dodgers in a four-game series at home.
2008 - The Twins get 37-year-old Eddie Guardado, their former reliever from 1993-2003, from the Rangers in exchange for 21-year-old right-hander Mark Hamburger. The veteran “Everyday Eddie” will assume the setup role for Minnesota during the stretch run.
2008 - Hitting a home run to lead off the game, Grady Sizemore becomes the second Indian and 14th American League member of the 30-30 club. The Cleveland outfielder joins Joe Carter (1987) as the only players in franchise history to accomplished the feat.
2008 - Mike Pelfrey becomes the first Mets hurler with back-to-back complete-game victories since Bret Saberhagen accomplished the feat in 1995. With the help of a pair of Carlos Delgado three-run home runs, the 24-year old right-hander beats the Astros, 9-1.
2009 - With a 5-4 win in ten innings over the Dodgers, the Rockies move 18 games over .500 for the first time in franchise history. The wild-card leader, winning 52 of their 74 games, the latest on a Troy Tulowitzki bases-loaded single, has cut LA's Western Division lead from 15.5 games on June 3 to just two games.
2010 - The Reds blow a nine-run lead over San Francisco, but manage to tie the game in the ninth on Paul Janish’s single and get a 12-11 victory on Joey Votto’s two-out, tie-breaking hit in the 12th inning. Earlier in the day, the Braves squander the same size lead at Coors Field, but lose the game, 12-10, to the Rockies, who match their largest comeback in franchise history.
2010 - Felix Hernandez collects his 1000th strikeout when he fans David Ortiz in the sixth inning of the Mariners' 4-2 victory over Boston at Safeco Field. The 24-year old Seattle starter, the fourth youngest ever to reach the milestone, joins Randy Johnson (2,162), Jamie Moyer (1,239) and Mark Langston (1,078) as the fourth pitcher in franchise history to accomplish the feat.
2011 - In a 22-9 annhilation of the A's, the Yankees become the first team to hit three grand slams in one game. Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson all go deep with the bases loaded at the Bronx ball yard.
2011 - The Minnesota Twins sold Jim Thome to the Cleveland Indians.
2012 - In nine-player blockbuster trade, the Dodgers obtain Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Nick Punto and cash considerations for James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Jr. and two players to be named later (Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands). The deal gives the new Dodgers ownership an opportunity to show their fans they are serious about making a run for the postseason while giving an under-performing Boston team more financial flexibility in the offseason.
2013 - For the first time in nearly six decades, a player homers to support his brother's effort on the mound when Jordan Danks goes deep in the fourth inning in the White Sox' 5-2 win over Texas, with his sibling, John, throwing six innings to earn the U.S. Cellular Field victory. In 1955, A's catcher Billy Shantz also homered in a game in which his battery mate was his brother Bobby. 2013 - When he goes deep off KC's Ervin Santana, Bryce Harper becomes the third player in baseball history to hit 40 homers before his 21st birthday. The Washington outfielder joins Mel Ott and Tony Conigliaro, who hit 61 and 56 round-trippers, respectively, for the Giants and Red Sox, before reaching their age of majority.
2015 - Calling his tweet completely unacceptable, ESPN pulls analyst Curt Schilling from the network's Little League World Series broadcasts. The former major league pitcher's post, which was quickly deleted, connected Muslim extremism to Nazi Germany.
Baseball Birthdays on August 25... 1858 - Jones, Frank
1859 - Stockwell, Len
1862 - Simon, Hank
1869 - McFetridge, Jack
1881 - Pettigrew, Ned
1882 - McGeehan, Conny
1884 - Catterson, Tom
1884 - Reilley, Duke
1886 - Kroh, Rube
1887 - Rudolph, Dick
1889 - Stevens, Jim
1889 - Graff, Fred
1892 - Jones, Johnny
1892 - Boeckel, Tony
1893 - Gandy, Bob
1894 - Wetzel, Buzz
1895 - Roberts, Ray
1907 - Meadows, Rufus
1911 - Frink, Fred
1912 - Cisar, George
1913 - Snyder, Bernie
1913 - Narron, Sam
1916 - Gantenbein, Joe
1918 - Busby, Paul
1921 - Jurisich, Al
1922 - Devlin, Jim
1926 - Suchecki, Jim
1926 - Milliken, Bob
1928 - Johnson, Darrell
1928 - Wooldridge, Floyd
1934 - Mauriello, Ralph
1937 - Coleman, Choo Choo
1939 - Womack, Dooley
1940 - Wallace, Don
1942 - Fitzmaurice, Shaun
1944 - Smith, Dick
1946 - Fingers, Rollie
1949 - Babc0ck, Bob
1950 - Heaverlo, Dave
1950 - Perzanowski, Stan 1953 - Lacey, Bob
1954 - Redfern, Pete
1960 - Meacham, Bob
1962 - McDowell, Oddibe
1966 - Belle, Albert 1970 - Brumley, Duff
1970 - Glanville, Doug
1972 - Welch, Mike
1972 - Abad, Andy
1973 - Powell, Dante
1974 - Matthews, Jr., Gary
1974 - Ozuna, Pablo 1976 - Feliciano, Pedro
1976 - Rose, Mike
1980 - Musser, Neal
1987 - Morrison, Logan
1987 - Upton, Justin
1987 - Warren, Adam
1990 - Marksberry, Matt
1990 - Marrero, Deven
1990 - Muncy, Max
Baseball Deaths on August 25... 1891 - Sweeney, Jerry
1894 - Robinson, Yank
1913 - Donahue, Red
1927 - Cheek, Harry
1928 - Wiltse, Snake
1929 - Maher, Tom
1943 - Hughes, Bill
1949 - Watson, Mule
1950 - Disch, George
1952 - Maupin, Harry
1953 - Maisel, Charlie
1955 - Hudgens, Jimmy
1957 - Griffin, Ivy
1960 - Crolius, Fred
1962 - Friday, Skipper
1965 - Graham, Moonlight
1966 - Rolling, Ray
1966 - Zoldak, Sam
1967 - Nelson, Emmett
1970 - Moon, Leo
1972 - Chelini, Italo
1972 - Crouch, Jack
1980 - Lee, Cliff
1982 - Steineder, Ray
1984 - Scalzi, Skeeter
1984 - Hoyt, Waite
1989 - Brideweser, Jim 1993 - Bolton, Cecil
1994 - Garrison, Cliff
2004 - Epps, Hal
2016 - Dade, Paul