On August 31 in Baseball History...

    1906 - Beset by injuries, the Tigers call 46-year-old Sam Thompson out of retirement. He drives in two runs in a 5-1 win over the Browns. Thompson last played in the majors in 1898. He appears in eight games and bats .226.

    1909 - The A. J. Reach Company is granted a patent for a cork-centered baseball, which will replace the hard rubber-cored one. This change will be particularly apparent in the NL in 1910-11.

    1915 - In the first game of a doubleheader at the Polo Grounds, Cubs' right-hander Jimmy Lavender no-hits the hometown Giants, 2-0. Next season, the 31-year old knuckleballer will stymie New York once again tossing a one-hitter, allowing only an infield safety to Benny Kauff.

    1935 - Vern Kennedy of the Chicago White Sox pitched a no-hitter to beat Cleveland 5-0. Kennedy also had a bases-loaded triple.

    1937 - Detroit's rookie Rudy York sets a new record for home runs in a month, hitting his 17th and 18th to eclipse Babe Ruth's mark set in September 1927. Sammy Sosa will break that mark in 1998.

    1946 - With two singles in the Red Sox 4-2 victory over Philadelphia, Johnny Pesky collects a total of 53 hits in August, the highest monthly total in franchise history. The shortstop's team mark will be tied in 1950, also accomplished in the month August, by his close friend, Dom DiMaggio.

    1950 - In front of 14,226 fans at Ebbets Field, Gil Hodges becomes the fourth major leaguer in the century to hit four home runs in one game as Brooklyn routs the Braves, 19-3. The Dodger first baseman also ties the major league record for total bases with 17.

    1954 - The Indians beat the Yanks 6-1 to record their 26th win of the month, tying the 1931 Philadelphia A's.

    1954 - Closing in on the professional home run record of 69, established by Joe Hauser (Minneapolis-1938) and equaled by Bob Crues (Amarillo-1948), Joe Bauman blasts four home runs in the Roswell Rockets' 15-9 victory over the Wichita Falls/Sweetwater Spudders to bring his total to 68. The 32-year old slugging first baseman will finish the season with 72 homers, a record which will last until Barry Bonds surpasses the mark with by one round-tripper in 2001. -This entry was inspired by Ron Skrabacz, who was born on this date. His dad was a teammate of Joe's in 1949 on the Elk City Elks.

    1957 - Oriole minor league fireballer Steve Dalkowski strikes out 24 Bluefield players, but issues 18 walks, hits four batters and uncorks six wild pitches. The New Britain, Connecticut native's wildness costs him the game when Kingsport loses in an Appalachian League contest, 9-8.

    1959 - Sandy Koufax breaks Dizzy Dean's National League mark and ties Bob Feller's major league record of 18 strikeouts in a game against the Giants as 82,974 fans watch. He also totals 31 strikeouts for two consecutive games to set a new major league mark. (The major league record for strikeouts in a game is now shared by Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood, while Wood holds the record with 33 strikeouts over two games.)

    1963 - In the bottom of the ninth with two outs at Wrigley Field, Ellis Burton hits a walk-off grand slam off Houston hurler Hal Woodeshick giving the Cubs a dramatic 6-5 victory. Chicago had been trailing 5-2 before the switch-hitting center fielder hit the most memorable of his 17 career round-trippers.

    1964 - Ground is broken for Anaheim Stadium, future home of next year's Angels.

    1968 - Elroy Face ties Senators' legend Walter Johnson's major league mark for appearances with one team when he enters a game for the 802nd time for the Pirates, replacing Steve Blass, who remains in the contest in left field. After the reliever retires one batter to equal the record, Blass returns to the mound, and an announcement will be made before the final out is recorded in Pittsburgh's 8-0 victory over Atlanta that the Bucs' right-handed veteran has been sold to the Tigers

    1969 - Morganna, a well-endowed fan dressed in a mini dress, jumps onto the Atlanta Stadium field and kisses the batter Clete Boyer on the cheek. The Braves' third baseman then promptly ends a 1-for-17 slump with a RBI single and goes on an 8-for-15 tear.

    1974 - In a Class A minor league contest, Mavericks' manager Frank Peters rotates his starting nine so each player takes a different position on the field for every inning. The innovative strategy works as Portland posts an 8-7 victory over the Tri-Cities Ports, their Northwest League opponents. .

    1979 - The Phillies fire Danny Ozark, the club's skipper since 1973. Farm director Dallas Green takes over.

    1981 - Royals manager Jim Frey is fired and replaced by Dick Howser, whose Yankees lost to Frey's Royals in last season's American League Championship Series.

    1984 - Trailing by five runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Rangers score six times to beat the Brewers, 7-6. With two runs in and two out, Milwaukee shortstop Robin Yount's error on Gary Ward's ground ball loads the bases setting the stage for Buddy Bell's 'sayonara slam' over the left field wall off Pete Ladd.

    1989 - Arbitrator Thomas Roberts orders the major league owners to pay $10.5 million in damages as a result of their collusion against free agents after the 1985 season.

    1990 - Refusing to part with Triple-A third baseman Scott Cooper to get Larry Andersen from the Astros for the stretch run, Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman trades the Eastern League's MVP Jeff Bagwell for the right-handed relief pitcher. The University of Hartford standout will go on to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award (1991) and will become the league's MVP the same year Andersen, who hurled only 15 innings during his time in Boston, retires from the Phillies (1994) .

    1990 - The Ken Griffeys, Griffey, Jr. in center field and Ken (Sr.) in left field, become the first father-and-son combination in major league history to play as teammates, and they each go 1-for-4 in Seattle's 5-2 win over the Royals. The Mariners had signed the elder Griffey after he was waived by the Reds.

    1992 - The A's trade Jose Canseco to the Rangers for Ruben Sierra, Bobby Witt and Jeff Russell and an undisclosed amount of money. Baseball's bad boy will hit 45 home runs and bat .269 during his three-year tenure in Texas.

    1997 - Andruw Jones's grand slam is the Braves' tenth of the season breaking the National League mark for bases-full home runs for a team in single season. Ironically the record is broken in an American League park as Atlanta defeats the Red Sox at Fenway.

    1997 - In front of a crowd of 55,707, Don Mattingly's uniform number 23 is added to the list of retired numbers on the wall at Monument Park. The former Bronx Bomber first basemen, who served as captain of the team from 1991 to 1995, is the first Yankee to have his uniform number retired without having reached a World Series.

    1999 - Paul Byrd of the Phillies plunks Braves catcher Eddie Perez on the back precipitating a bench-clearing brawl between the two already unfriendly ball clubs. As the battle rages on, the two instigators are discovered praying together when the pitcher's prayer for forgiveness is overheard by the angry batter.

    2000 - The Red Sox trade two minor league pitchers to the Reds for Dante Bichette. The 36-year-old veteran outfielder will be the designated hitter for his new team.

    2001 - Upon learning Danny Almonte, star pitcher of the LLWS, is 14-years old, not 12 as required by the organization's rules, the Little League strips the Raulindo Paulino All-Stars of all its wins. The team, which had captured the heart of the community, finished third in Williamsport and was given a parade in New York and honored in a pregame ceremony at Yankee Stadium.

    2001 - Former major league league catcher Crash Davis, whose name was the inspiration for the main character of the 1988 hit movie Bull Durham, dies at the age of 82 after a yearlong bout with cancer. In the movie, which was ranked #1 as the greatest sports film of all time by Sports IIlustrated Kevin Costner portrays "Crash" as the veteran backstop of the Durham Bull brought in to help a rookie pitcher reach the big leagues by sharing his experiences on and off the field.


    2002 - Losing their 13th consecutive game at Shea Stadium, the Mets complete the worst month at home in National League history. With the 1-0 loss to Randy Wolf and the Phillies, the Amazins' join the Seattle Pilots (August-1969) and the Tigers (September-1996) as teams that have not won a home game in a calendar month with at least ten games.

    2004 - Equaling the largest shutout margin of a victory in baseball history, the Indians rout the Yankees, 22-0. The biggest defeat in the 101-year history of the Bronx Bombers matches the 1975 Pirates' record-setting performance against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

    2004 - Omar Vizquel becomes the first player in the 81-year history of Yankee Stadium to collect six hits in a game. The Indians shortstop's 6-for-7 performance helps pace the Tribe’s 22-0 dismantling of the Bronx Bombers.

    2005 - On the third pitch he sees in the bigs, Jeremy Hermida becomes only the second player to hit a grand slam in his first major-league at-bat. The Marlin rookie pinch hitter joins Phillies hurler Bill Duggleby who accomplished the same feat in 1898.

    2006 - With his major league leading 49th home run, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard establishes a new club record for home runs in a single season. Last year's Rookie of the Year's fourth inning long ball at RFK Stadium puts him ahead of Hall Famer Michael Schmidt who hit 48 dingers in 1980.

    2006 - A.J. Pierzynski’s sixth inning blast makes the White Sox the first club in major league history to hit at least 200 home runs for seven consecutive seasons. The catcher's two-run homer isn't enough as Chicago loses to the Devil Rays at Comiskey Park, 5-3.

    2007 - After walking the lead-off hitter John Buck in the ninth to spoil his perfect game, Scott Baker gets an out then yields a single to pinch hitter Mike Sweeney two outs shy of a no-hitter. The Twins' 25-year-old right-hander from Shreveport, LA settles with a one-hitter blanking the Royals at the Metrodome, 5-0.

    2007 - Tony La Russa becomes the winingest manager in franchise history when the Cardinals defeat Cincinnati at Busch Stadium, 8–5. The Redbird skipper surpasses Red Schoendienst, who compiled a 1,041–955 managerial record with St. Louis.

    2008 - David Eckstein is traded by the Blue Jays to the Diamondbacks for minor league pitching prospect Chad Beck. The 33-year old infielder, who played a pivotal role for the 2002 World Champions Angels and was named the 2006 World Series MVP playing for the Cardinals, is obtained by Arizona to provide postseason leadership and experience.

    2008 - Greg Dobbs breaks the Phillies' 95 year-old club record for pinch hits in a season. The Californian's seventh inning pinch-hit game-tying double, his 21st hit off the bench, breaks the mark established by Doc Miller in 1913.

    2009 - The Chicago White Sox traded Jim Thome and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Justin Fuller.

    2009 - The Chicago White Sox traded Jose Contreras and cash to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Brandon Hynick.

    2010 - Jeff Francoeur is traded to the Rangers by the Mets in exchange for infielder Joaquin Arias. The rifle-armed right fielder will be a right-handed bat off the bench and defensive replacement for the play-off bound Texas team.

    2010 - Aroldis Chapman makes his much-anticipated major league debut tossing a perfect inning in the Reds' 8-4 victory over Milwaukee. The 22-year old Cuban defector lives up to the hype throwing four pitches at a speed of 100 mph or better.

    2010 - The Dodgers trade a player to be named (infielder Tony Abreu) to the Diamondbacks in exchange for starter Jon Garland. The 31-year old right-hander will post a 3-2 record with a 2.72 ERA in his six late-season starts for the Dodgers, before signing as a free agent with San Diego.

    2011 - The Diamondbacks set a team record with their 12th consecutive victory at home when they beat Colorado at Chase Field, 4-2. The streak surpasses the mark established by the 2000 and 2003 clubs.

    2011 - Craig Kimbrel sets a rookie record with his 41st save when he retires the side in order in the Braves' 3-1 victory over Washington at Turner Field. The 23-year old Atlanta closer, who will finish the season with 46, surpasses Neftali Feliz's saves record established last season with the Rangers.

    2011 - In a stretch-run trade with Pittsburgh, the Braves acquired Matt Diaz for a player to be named and cash considerations. The 33-year old outfielder, who played with Atlanta for five years, left the organization after the 2010 season when he inked a two-year, $4.25 million free-agent deal with the Pirates.

    2012 - Bob Uecker, known for his humor on and off the diamond, is honored by the Brewers in a light-hearted dedication ceremony outside Miller Park that unveils a seven-foot bronze statue of the team's popular broadcaster. The sculpture, depicting the smiling "Mr. Baseball" with his hands in his pockets, joins the likenesses of Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Robin Yount and Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig in front of of the ballpark.

    2014 - At the waiver deadline, the White Sox trade Adam Dunn to the A's for 23 year-old minor-league pitcher Nolan Sanburn, who is 3-1 with a 3.28 ERA along with 73 strikeouts in 71.1 innings hurling for Class A Stockton. Oakland hopes their new slugger, a 34 year-old two-time All-Star with 460 career homers, can provide some offensive punch for the contending team, which recently has been slumping.

    2014 - In the semifinals of the Japanese National High School Rubber Baseball Tournament, Chukyo High School finally breaks the scoreless tie that had captured the attention of a nation, tallying three runs in the 50th inning to beat Sotoku High School. Both starting pitchers, Chukyo's Taiga Matsui and Jukiya Ishioka of Sotoku, go the distance, throwing 709 and 689 pitches, respectively, in the contest that takes four days to compete.

    2015 - The Boston Red Sox traded Alejandro de Aza to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Luis Ysla.



    Baseball Birthdays on August 31...

    1850 - Kimball, Gene
    1866 - Clarkson, Dad
    1866 - Farrell, Duke
    1868 - Ehret, Red
    1869 - Cross, Monte
    1874 - Bruyette, Ed
    1875 - Chambers, Rome
    1875 - Plank, Eddie
    1880 - Fitzgerald, Matty
    1881 - Brown, Buster
    1883 - Smith, Syd
    1885 - Gaiser, Fred
    1888 - Rehg, Wally
    1893 - Currie, Murphy
    1898 - Connally, Sarge
    1905 - Pearce, Frank
    1905 - White, Jack
    1907 - Berres, Ray
    1907 - Burns, Jack
    1910 - Hutchinson, Ira
    1913 - Copeland, Mays
    1916 - Mack, Ray
    1916 - Litwhiler, Danny
    1917 - Dasso, Frank
    1919 - Wallaesa, Jack
    1922 - Andrews, Hub
    1925 - Hinrichs, Paul
    1927 - Dozier, Buzz
    1935 - Robinson, Frank
    1937 - Stallard, Tracy
    1940 - James, Cleo
    1940 - Hernandez, Ramon
    1942 - Dukes, Tom
    1942 - Webster, Ray
    1947 - Day, Boots
    1953 - Bernhardt, Juan
    1953 - Nahorodny, Bill
    1954 - Perconte, Jack
    1954 - Washington, Claudell
    1957 - Candiotti, Tom
    1958 - Hayes, Von
    1960 - Madden, Morris
    1961 - Hartley, Mike
    1962 - Tubbs, Greg
    1966 - Frye, Jeff
    1967 - Royer, Stan
    1968 - Howell, Pat
    1968 - Nomo, Hideo
    1969 - Minchey, Nate
    1975 - Kapler, Gabe
    1976 - Gilfillan, Jason
    1978 - Drew, Tim
    1979 - Hensley, Clay
    1979 - Raines, Jr., Tim
    1979 - Santiago, Ramon
    1981 - Dove, Dennis
    1981 - Ramirez, Ramon
    1982 - Kroeger, Josh
    1983 - Gabino, Armando
    1986 - Nicasio, Juan
    1987 - Cardullo, Stephen
    1987 - Johnson, Steve
    1988 - Adams, Matt
    1988 - Gindl, Caleb
    1989 - Hicks, John
    1989 - Pruitt, Austin
    1991 - Gonzalez, Erik
    1992 - Rodriguez, Ricatdo



    Baseball Deaths on August 31...

    1906 - Voss, Alex
    1910 - Esper, Duke
    1911 - White, Will
    1920 - Ricks, John
    1937 - Connell, Gene
    1938 - Moore, Gene
    1956 - Watt, Frank
    1958 - Quellich, George
    1962 - Wilson, Mutt
    1968 - Kirke, Jay
    1970 - Odom, Heinie
    1972 - Shiver, Ivey
    1981 - Parmelee, Roy
    1983 - Mills, Frank
    1985 - Smoll, Lefty
    1988 - Daley, John
    1989 - Newsome, Skeeter
    1993 - Hill, Jesse
    1994 - Garbark, Mike
    1996 - English, Gil
    2001 - Davis, Crash
    2005 - Hodkey, Eli
    2006 - Wagner, Charlie