On October 8 in Baseball History...

    1904 - Jimmy Barrett becomes the first major leaguer to play 162 games in a season, 57 years before the schedule is expanded from 154 contests to 162. The Tigers outfielder accomplished the unusual feat because Detroit played in ten tie games during the season.

    1908 - In a make-up game necessitated by Fred Merkle's base running blunder on September 23, Three Finger Brown outduels Christy Mathewson, 4-2, as the Cubs win the National League pennant by one game over the Giants in one of the most dramatic pennant races of all time.

    1915 - The Phillies win their first-ever World Series game behind Grover Cleveland Alexander, 3-1. Red Sox rookie Babe Ruth grounds out as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of the opener and will sit out the rest of the Series.

    1919 - Ed Cicotte pitches Game Seven, and the White Sox play like they mean it. Joe Jackson and Happy Felsch drive in two runs each for a 4-1 win to cut the Reds' lead to four games to three in the best-of-nine Series.

    1922 - Behind Art Nehf’s complete game five-hitter, the Giants repeat as World Champions sweeping the Yankees in five games, including one tie. The comeback 5-3 victory is fueled by George Kelly’s RBI single during the three-run eighth inning at the Polo Grounds.

    1924 - Giants rookie third baseman Fred Lindstrom is 4-for-5 with two RBI against Walter Johnson, and New York hurler Jack Bentley (16-5) clouts a two-run homer and earns the 6-2 win. The Giants hold a 3-2 World Series edge heading back to Washington.

    1927 - Facing elimination at Yankee Stadium, the Pirates are tied with the Yankees 3-3 in the last of the ninth. Reliever Johnny Miljus strikes out Lou Gehrig and Bob Meusel with the bases loaded, but a two-strike wild pitch to Tony Lazzeri allows Earle Combs to score the winning run and capture the World Series.

    1929 - In front of 50,000 fans at Wrigley Field, surprise starter Howard Ehmke establishes a new World Series record striking out 13 Cubs en route to a 3-1 A's victory in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. The mark will last for 34 years until Dodger hurler Carl Erskine fans 14 Yankees in 1953.

    1930 - George Earnshaw finishes off the Cardinals 7-1 to win the World Series for the Athletics. He is clearly the pitching star of the World Series with two wins and a 0.72 ERA.

    1939 - In the top of the tenth, Yankee outfielder Joe DiMaggio scores all the way from first base when Reds' catcher Ernie Lombardi lays in a daze at home plate after being run over by 'King Kong' Charlie Keller. The Bronx Bombers score three runs thanks to ‘Lombardi's Swoon’ and will go on to win the game, 7-4, to complete the World Series sweep and become the first club to win four consecutive Fall Classics.

    1940 - With only one day's rest, Bobo Newsom comes back for the Tigers and nearly has enough to win Game Seven. Cincinnati's Paul Derringer gives up seven hits in the first six innings but sets the Tigers down in order in the final three frames for the 2-1 win, giving the Reds the Series.

    1940 - With the Reds' 2-1 victory over the Tigers in Game 7 of the Fall Classic, Bill McKechnie becomes the first manager to win a World Series with two different teams. The 'Deacon' also piloted the Pirates to a World Championship beating Washington in seven games in the 1925 Fall Classic.

    1945 - Stan Hack's double takes a tricky bounce over left fielder Hank Greenberg's shoulder with two outs in the 12th inning to score runner Bill Schuster and give the Chicago Cubs an 8-7 win in Game Six to even the World Series with Detroit.

    1948 - Facing only thirty batters, Indians' rookie hurler Gene Bearden five-hits the Braves for a 2-0 victory in front of 70,000 fans in Cleveland. The Tribe takes a 2-1 World Series game lead.

    1953 - Birmingham bans Jackie Robinson's Negro-White All-Stars from playing in the city. After Robinson gives in and drops the white players from the team, city officials allow the team to play.

    1956 - Don Larsen of the New York Yankees pitched the only perfect game in World Series history for a 2-0 triumph over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Sal Maglie, the opposing pitcher, gave up five hits.

    1958 - The Yankees win the World Series on Moose Skowron's three-run home run off Lew Burdette in the eighth inning of Game Seven that puts the game on ice, 6-2. Eddie Mathews strikes out for the 11th time, a record that will stand until l980 when it is broken by Willie Wilson of Kansas City. This is Casey Stengel's seventh championship, tying him with Joe McCarthy.

    1959 - The Los Angeles Dodgers win 9-3 to take the World Series over the White Sox. Larry Sherry wins in relief of Johnny Podres in Game Six.

    1961 - In Game 4 at Crosley Field, Whitey Ford blanks the Reds for five innings to extend his World Series consecutive scoreless inning streak to 32 breaking Red Sox hurler Babe Ruth's previous record of 29 2/3 innings. Hector Lopez and Clete Boyer provide the offense driving in two runs each in the Yankee 6-0 victory.

    1962 - In Game 4 of the World Series, Chuck Hiller's seventh inning grand slam off Marshall Bridges proves to be the difference in the Giants' 7-3 victory at Yankee Stadium. The infielder's bases-loaded homer, the first by a National Leaguer in the history of the Fall Classic, helps to even the series at two games apiece.

    1966 - The Orioles managed only three hits off Claude Osteen, but Paul Blair's fifth inning 430-foot home run proves to be the difference as Baltimore beats the Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series, 1-0. Wally Bunker throws a six-hitter to get the victory in the first Fall Classic game ever played in Baltimore.

    1972 - After being drilled by a pitch in Game 2 of the ALCS, Bert Campaneris, 3-for-3 on the day, hurls his bat at Tiger pitcher Lerrin LaGrow. Both players are ejected from the game, but the A's shortstop, although permitted to play in the World Series, will be suspended for the rest of this series and five games to start next seasons in addition to being fined $500.

    1973 - Rusty Staub's two home runs powered the New York Mets to a 9-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and a 2-1 lead in the NLCS. Pete Rose of the Reds and Bud Harrelson of the Mets scuffled at second base in the fifth inning after Rose slid hard into the base.


    1977 - In Game 4 of the NLCS played at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium, Dodger hurler Tommy John goes the distance and beats Steve Carlton and the Phillies, 4-1. The Los Angeles right-hander considers this pennant-clinching performance the best game he has ever pitched in the major leagues.

    1983 - In front of 64,494 fans at Veterans Stadium, the Phillies win the NLCS behind the pitching of Steve Carlton and the power of Gary Matthews’ three-run homer, 7-2. Philadelphia will take on the Orioles in the Fall Classic which will be dubbed as the I-95 World Series.

    1986 - Mike Scott equaled a playoff record with 14 strikeouts and threw a five-hitter as the Houston Astros defeated the New York Mets 1-0 in the first game of the NLCS. Glenn Davis opened the second inning with a home run off Dwight Gooden.

    1988 - Dodgers ace reliever Jay Howell is ejected in the eighth inning of Game Three of the NLCS for having pine tar on his glove and the Mets go on to score five times in the inning on the way to an 8-4 win. Howell will be suspended for three days by the NL.

    1989 - Oakland beats Toronto 4-3 in Game Five to advance to the World Series for the second straight year. Rickey Henderson, who hit .400 with eight stolen bases, is named Series MVP.

    1995 - Thanks to a two-run double off Jack McDowell by Edgar Martinez, the Mariners become only the fourth team in major league history to overcome a two-game deficit to win a five-game series when they dramatically come-from-behind to beat the Yankees in 11 innings, 6-5.

    1995 - In the Mariners' dramatic come-from-behind Game 5 extra-inning victory to beat the Yankees and win the ALDS, Ken Griffey Jr. ties a major league record when he hits his fifth home run in the postseason series, an eighth-inning round-tripper off David Cone. Reggie Jackson established the mark in 1977 going deep five times in the World Series against the Dodgers.

    2000 - At Shea Stadium, the Mets blank the Giants, 4-0, to win the NLDS in four games. Bobby Jones, who was sent to the minors earlier in the season to work on his mechanics, retires the side in order eight of the nine innings allowing only a fifth inning double to Jeff Kent. It is only the sixth complete-game one-hitter in postseason history.

    2002 - The Tigers select their former all-star shortstop Alan Trammell (1977-1996) to manage the faltering franchise. The Garden Grove, California native had been a coach with the Padres for the last three seasons.

    2006 - In the inaugural season in their new ballpark, the Cardinals beat the Padres 6-2 at Busch Stadium to take the NLDS playoff three games to one. The Redbirds advance to the championship series for the third consecutive season when Chris Carpenter gets the win earning his second victory in the best-of-five series.

    2007 - With a 6-4 victory at Yankee Stadium, the Indians advance to the ALCS for the first time since 1995. The Tribe's win ends the Bronx Bombers' season, and begins speculation of the impending firing of New York skipper Joe Torre, who was chastised in the press yesterday by owner George Steinbrenner for the team's first round woes.

    2007 - A 6-4 defeat to the Indians in Game 4 of the ALDS at the Stadium proves to be Joe Torre’s final game with the Yankees. The veteran skipper, who during his 12-year tenure with the Bronx Bombers saw the team win 1,173 games and make the postseason every year, will later reject a $5 million, one-year contract to return as manager, a deal many believe to be structured to oust the popular pilot without upsetting the fans.

    2008 - The Cubs exercise Rich Harden’s $7 million option for next year, the day after tests reveal the 26-year-old hurler has a sound pitching shoulder. The hard-throwing right-hander, obtained from the A's in a July deal, compiled a combined record of 10-2 posting a 2.07 ERA in 25 starts for his two teams.

    2009 - A ninth inning error by left fielder Matt Holliday with the bases empty and two-out leads to the Dodgers' stunning 3-2 walk-off victory, and gives LA a commanding 2-0 game advantage in the NLDS. After the crucial miscue on the sinking line drive, Cardinals' closer Ryan Franklin gives up RBI singles to Ronnie Belliard and pinch-hitter Mark Loretta to complete the improbable two-run comeback rally.

    2010 - Although the Astros finish ten games under .500, the team exercises the 2012 option on the contract of their manager Brad Mills and adds a club option for the following season. After a dismal 17-34 start and the loss of veterans Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia and Lance Berkman to New York, the first-year skipper pilots Houston to a 59-52 record after June 1.



    Baseball Birthdays on October 8...

    1849 - Donnelly, Pete
    1857 - Bergh, John
    1858 - Conway, Jim
    1862 - Manlove, Charlie
    1863 - Peoples, Jimmy
    1870 - Colcolough, Tom
    1884 - Lewis, Phil
    1885 - Lush, Johnny
    1886 - Pratt, Larry
    1887 - Bush, Donie
    1887 - Berran, Dennis
    1887 - Crandall, Doc
    1887 - Bodie, Ping
    1889 - Esmond, Jimmy
    1890 - Tappan, Walter
    1891 - Peffer, Monte
    1891 - Neff, Doug
    1892 - Baumgartner, Harry
    1895 - Wingo, Ed
    1896 - Murchison, Tim
    1902 - Schreiber, Paul
    1910 - Moses, Wally
    1913 - Rogers, Lee
    1916 - Cecil, Rex
    1916 - Callahan, Joe
    1917 - Murtaugh, Danny
    1917 - Toenes, Hal
    1918 - Gillespie, Bob
    1920 - Metkovich, Catfish
    1929 - Mabe, Bob
    1934 - Harrington, Mickey
    1942 - Landis, Bill
    1943 - Pepper, Don
    1944 - Kirkpatrick, Ed
    1946 - Gagliano, Ralph
    1946 - Splittorff, Paul
    1946 - Wegener, Mike
    1948 - Williams, Bernie
    1948 - Stelmaszek, Rick
    1949 - Cabell, Enos
    1955 - Reed, Jerry
    1956 - Lahti, Jeff
    1957 - Skube, Bob
    1957 - Chris, Mike
    1959 - Morgan, Mike
    1959 - Little, Bryan
    1959 - Hardy, Jack
    1965 - Kremers, Jimmy
    1966 - Gainer, Jay
    1967 - Bruett, J.T.
    1970 - Doster, David
    1970 - Saenz, Olmedo
    1971 - Ayrault, Joe
    1972 - Adams, Willie
    1975 - Thompson, Andy
    1978 - Reed, Keith
    1983 - Richardson, Antoan
    1985 - Eppley, Cody
    1986 - Chambers, Adron
    1986 - Davis, Erik
    1989 - Featherston, Taylor
    1990 - Erlin, Robbie



    Baseball Deaths on October 8...

    1905 - Sullivan, Bill
    1912 - Heitmuller, Heinie
    1913 - Cleveland, Elmer
    1934 - Snyder, Bill
    1936 - Ames, Red
    1948 - Orth, Al
    1952 - Adams, Joe
    1957 - Russell, Paul
    1962 - Head, Ralph
    1969 - Ramsdell, Willie
    1971 - Wall, Murray
    1973 - Haley, Ray
    1976 - Bottarini, John
    1978 - Gilliam, Jim
    1980 - Johnson, Lloyd
    1981 - Nagel, Bill
    1982 - Meehan, Bill
    1986 - Surkont, Max
    1988 - Fowler, Boob
    1991 - Hanyzewski, Ed
    2002 - Beeler, Jodie
    2004 - Sturm, Johnny
    2004 - Giuliani, Tony
    2005 - Larsen, Swede
    2006 - Murrell, Ivan
    2008 - McCrabb, Les
    2010 - Roberts. Dale
    2013 - Pafko, Andy
    2017 - Lock, Don