On October 16 in Baseball History... 1909 - The Pirates, behind the complete-game shutout thrown by Babe Adams, beat the Tigers, 8-0, in the seventh and deciding game of the World Series. With the help of their rookie phenom, who also won Games 1 and 5, Pittsburgh wins its second Fall Classic in franchise history.
1910 - Ban Johnson, American League president, declares Tigers' outfielder Ty Cobb the league's batting champ after questioning Nap Lajoie's suspicious eight-hit performance in a doubleheader against the Browns.
1912 - Fred Snodgrass' 10th inning two-base error of pinch-hitter Clyde Engle's routine pop fly in center field sets up the tying run en route to the 3-2 Red Sox victory over the Giants and a World Championship for Boston. The play, which will be infamously become known as "Snodgrass' Muff", is followed by his spectacular catch of a long drive hit by Tris Speaker, but the 20-year old outfielder will always be remembered as a goat in the Fall Classic.
1936 - Lou Gehrig, who hit 49 home runs, scored 167 runs, knocked in 152, and batted .354, is voted AL MVP.
1949 - Brooklyn does not renew Branch Rickey's contract as president of the Dodgers. The 'Mahatma' will join the Pirates as the team's executive vice president and general manager, with his son, Branch Jr., assuming the post of Pittsburgh's vice president and farm system director.
1950 - After five seasons at the helm, Eddie Dyer resigns as the manager of the Cardinals and will be eventually replaced by Marty Marion. The former St. Louis skipper, who won a World Championship as a rookie pilot with the Redbirds in 1946, never had a losing season, compiling an outstanding 446-325 (.578) record during his post-war tenure with the club.
1957 - Bill Rigney, the club's current skipper and an Alameda native, is named to be the first manager of the San Francisco Giants, when his contract is extended for two more seasons. The former franchise infielder replaced Leo Durocher in 1956 while the team still played in New York.
1960 - The NL votes to admit Houston and New York to the league, the first structural change since 1900.
1961 - The Yankees purchase Robin Roberts from the Philadelphia. The right-hander, who compiled a 234-199 record in 14 seasons with the Phillies, will be released in May without having appeared in a regular-season game for the Bronx Bombers.
1962 - With the tying and winning runs in scoring position at Candlestick Park, Willie McCovey's hard line drive is snagged by second baseman Bobby Richardson for the final out of the World Series. The Yankees win Game 7, beating the Giants, 1-0, capturing the franchise's 20th World Championship.
1964 - The Indians' Board of Directors, after deliberating for four hours, decide to keep the team in the Forest City after exploring options to possibly shift the franchise to Seattle, Oakland, or Dallas. The Tribe signs a ten-year lease to use Cleveland Stadium at a reduced rent which includes an escape clause for the city and the club after any season.
1969 - Thanks to Ron Swoboda's double and two Oriole errors in the eighth inning, the Mets win their fourth straight World Series game to become World Champions. Jerry Koosman tosses a five-hitter beating Baltimore 5-3 in Game 5, a contest which will best remembered for manager Gil Hodges winning the 'shoe polish' argument.
1971 - Brooks Robinson drives in Frank Robinson in the tenth inning of Game Six to give Baltimore a Series-tying 3-2 win.
1973 - The A's win Game Three of the World Series in 11 innings as Bert Campaneris gets the winning RBI in a 3-2 victory over the Mets. In a private clubhouse meeting, Dick Williams tells A's players he will resign after the Series.
1974 - Ken Holtzman, who hadn't batted all season, belts a third-inning home run in Game Four and gets the 5-2 win. Rollie Fingers holds the Dodgers in relief and Oakland takes a 3-1 Series lead.
1975 - Tony Perez broke an 0-for-15 slump with two home runs to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 5 of the World Series.
1976 - In Game 1 of the World Series against the Yankees, Dan Driessen, batting fifth in the Reds line-up, becomes the first National League player to be used as a designated hitter. The DH was not employed prior to this year's Fall Classic, although the concept had been adopted and used in the American League since 1973.
1976 - Don Gullett and Pedro Borbon combine on a five-hitter as the Reds win the first game of the World Series over the Yankees 5-1. Three hits by Tony Perez, the first World Series designated hitter, and a Joe Morgan homer supply the offense.
1977 - The Dodgers stay alive with a 10-4 victory in Game Five against the Yankees. Steve Yeager and Reggie Smith homer, and Don Sutton pitches a complete game.
1979 - John Candelaria and Kent Tekulve combine on a 4-0 shutout as the Pirates send the World Series to its seventh game.
1982 - Four Cardinals pitchers are helpless to stop the Brewers from rallying for a 7-5 win to even the World Series after four games.
1983 - The Orioles win their fourth straight contest against the Phillies and take the World Series in five games. In the 5-0 victory at Veterans Stadium, Scott McGregor pitches a five-hit complete-game, and Eddie Murray hits two home runs.
1985 - In Game 6 of the NLCS, Cardinal first baseman Jack Clark's dramatic come-from-behind two-out, three-run home run in the ninth inning stuns a sold-out Dodger Stadium. St. Louis wins the game, 7-5, and captures the National League flag.
1985 - Coming back from a 3 to 1 game deficit, the Royals capture their first American League pennant beating the Blue Jays in Game 7 of the ALCS, 6-2. Dick Howser's squad will go on to beat the Cardinals to win the franchise's first World Series championship.
1988 - At Dodger Stadium, Don Baylor becomes the first player to participate in three consecutive World Series for three different teams when he pinch-hits in the eighth inning of the A's 6-0 loss to L.A. in the second game of the Fall Classic. The 39 year-old veteran played with the pennant-winning Red Sox in 1986 and the World Champion Twins in 1987.
1990 - The A's ten-game postseason winning streak ends when the Reds win Game 1 of the World Series, 7-0. Reds' outfielder Eric Davis becomes the 22nd player to hit a homer in his first Fall Classic at-bat.
1991 - The Braves win the third 1-0 game of the NLCS to force a seventh game in Pittsburgh. Greg Olson doubles home the only run of the game in the ninth inning.
1993 - The Blue Jays put the game away with a three-run rally in the seventh inning at the SkyDome in Game One of the World Series. Reliever Al Leiter gets the 8-5 victory against the Phillies.
1999 - In a game slated to be a battle between the respective ace of each team, the Red Sox crush the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS, 13-1. The dream pitching duel between Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens at Fenway Park doesn't materialize when the 'Rocket' fails to get out of the third inning giving up five earned runs on six hits.
2000 - Mike Hampton throws a complete-game three-hitter and the Mets win the NLCS beating the Cardinals, 7-0. Bobby Valentine's team joins the 1997 Marlins as the only wild-card teams to go to the World Series.
2003 - In Game 7 of the ALCS, thanks to Aaron Boone's 11th inning home run at the 'stadium', the Yankees capture their 39th American League pennant beating the Red Sox, 6-5. The defensive replacement becomes the fifth player to end a postseason series with a homer joining Bill Mazeroski ('60 Pirates, WS Game 7 vs. Yankees), Chris Chambliss ('76 Yankees, ALCS Game 5 vs. Royals), Joe Carter ('93 Blue Jays, WS Game 6 vs. Phillies) and Todd Pratt ('99 Mets, NLDS Game 4 vs. Diamondbacks).
2005 - After a 46-year absence from the Fall Classic, the White Sox will represent the American League in the World Series. The Pale Hose's starting rotation threw four consecutive complete-game victories against the Angels to capture the ALCS in five games to earn an opportunity to participate in the Fall Classic for the first time since 1959. 2006 - Former Manager of the Year (1995 and 2001 Mariners) Lou Piniella inks a three-year contract worth approximately $10 million which has an option for a fourth year to manage the Cubs. The 64-year old fiery skipper, who is replacing Dusty Baker (66-96), has a record of 1,519-1,420 during his 18-year managerial tenure with the Yankees, Reds, Mariners and Devil Rays.
2006 - After finishing 93-69 to win the AL West and sweeping the Twins in the ALDS, Ken Macha is fired when the A's are eliminated from the postseason by the Tigers. GM Billy Beane cites a lack of communication between the players and the manager, who compiled a 368-280 record and brought the team to the playoffs twice in his four-year tenure in the dugout.
2007 - Bill Stoneman, citing he wants to spend more time with his wife, retires as the general manager of the Angels, a post he has held since the end of 1999. The 63-year old former GM, who was at the helm for the team's only World Championship (2002), will remain with the club as a senior advisor.
2008 - The first pitch of a potential Game 6 of the World Series will begin eight minutes later to accommodate Democratic Party presidential candidate Barack Obama's desire to purchase the 8-8:30 p.m. slot on the Fox network, the same air time the campaign has secured on CBS and NBC. The Tropicana Field game is now scheduled to start at 8:35 p.m.
2008 - Behind 7-0 in the bottom of seventh, the Red Sox score eight runs in the three last frames to beat the Rays in Game 5 of the ALCS at Fenway Park, 8-7. Boston's comeback victory is the biggest postseason rally since the 1929 A's tallied ten times in the seventh inning to wipe out an eight-run deficit against the Cubs in their 10-8 victory in Game 4 of the World Series.
2010 - The Rangers record their first playoff win at home in the 50-year history of the franchise when they take Game 2 of the ALDS, defeating the Yankees, 7-2. The Rangers Ballpark victory ends a ten-game postseason losing streak against New York, that includes yesterday's heartbreaking loss in which Texas had an early 5-0 lead over the Bronx Bombers.
2011 - The Cardinals capture their 18th pennant with a 12-6 victory over the Brewers at Miller Park in Game 6 of the NLCS. The Redbird relievers toss 28 2-3 innings, accounting for three of the wins while compiling a 1.88 ERA.
Baseball Birthdays on October 16... 1856 - Strief, George
1866 - Lake, Fred
1879 - Devlin, Art
1881 - Manuel, Moxie 1883 - Mullin, Jim
1883 - Groh, Lew
1885 - Howley, Dan
1886 - Fanwell, Harry
1888 - Kafora, Jake
1890 - Allison, Milo
1894 - Menosky, Mike
1895 - Skiff, Bill
1896 - Brock, John
1897 - Buckeye, Garland
1900 - Goslin, Goose
1900 - Cullop, Nick
1901 - Yeargin, Al
1904 - Beck, Boom-Boom
1907 - Breckinridge, Bill
1909 - Hill, Oliver
1915 - Masterson, Paul
1919 - Bahr, Ed
1921 - Batts, Matt
1924 - Cain, Bob 1928 - Yochim, Len
1931 - Sisler, Dave
1935 - Montejo, Manny
1936 - Baldschun, Jack
1940 - DeBusschere, Dave 1941 - McCarver, Tim
1942 - Lovrich, Pete
1949 - Hood, Don
1949 - Yancy, Hugh 1950 - Terpko, Jeff
1953 - Scott, Rodney
1954 - Dimmel, Mike
1955 - Bourjos, Chris
1955 - Seibert, Kurt
1956 - Firova, Dan
1959 - Harper, Brian
1959 - McReynolds, Kevin
1961 - Stapleton, Dave
1961 - Taylor, Billy
1965 - Reed, Darren
1967 - Manzanillo, Josias
1969 - Ruebel, Matt
1970 - Davison, Scott
1971 - Mitchell, Larry
1981 - Reyes, Anthony
1985 - Del Rosario, Enerio
1990 - Lloyd, Kyle
1991 - Santana, Edgar
1992 - Harper, Bryce
1992 - Herrera, Rosell
Baseball Deaths on October 16... 1894 - Conley, Ed
1895 - Summers, Kid
1901 - Duncan, Jim
1904 - Slattery, Mike
1916 - Killeen, Henry
1926 - Levis, Charlie
1934 - Wilson, Highball
1935 - Vadeboncoeur, Gene
1936 - Fitzgerald, Dennis
1937 - Hatter, Clyde
1938 - Knight, Joe
1939 - Allen, Nick
1945 - Eibel, Hack
1949 - Ryan, Jack
1954 - Davenport, Dave
1959 - Allen, Sled
1959 - Bradley, Herb
1959 - Okrie, Frank
1962 - Whitted, Possum
1962 - Powell, Ray
1968 - Kinder, Ellis 1969 - Boerner, Larry
1972 - Rawlings, Johnny
1993 - DeShong, Jimmy
1995 - Szekely, Joe
1998 - Carswell, Frank
2006 - Curry, Tony
2010 - Thomas, Valmy
2011 - Williams, Don
2012 - Yost, Eddie