On June 5 in Baseball History... 1900 - Pirates' first baseman Duff Cooley has only two putouts in a 6-5 loss to the Phillies at the Baker Bowl. The left-handed swinging Texan patrols mostly in the outfield, but plays all positions becoming one of baseball's first utility players.
1920 - Citing the abolition of the spitball as the reason for the dramatic increase of home runs, Tom Shibe denies the baseballs are livelier this season. The A's vice president is also a member of the company which makes the baseballs.
1930 - The Indians score nine runs in the first inning en route to a 17-7 victory over Boston. The Tribe bangs out 25 hits with every starter collecting at least two hits with the exception of shortstop Carl Lind, who contributes a single in the League Park contest.
1939 - Tigers right-hander Tommy Bridges limits the Yankees to just four hits blanking the Bronx Bombers, 3-0. It will be the only time New York will be shut out this season.
1948 - In a 6-5 victory at Chicago's Wrigley Field, Phillies' outfielder Richie Ashburn extends his consecutive hitting streak to 23 games tying the major league rookie record. 'Whitey' establishes a 20th-century mark, which will be matched this season by Alvin Dark, an infielder with the Braves.
1949 - The five-year ban placed on players who jumped to the Mexican League is lifted by Commissioner Happy Chandler because with some players planning to sue Major League Baseball on antitrust grounds for reinstatement the owners do not want a courtroom challenge to the reserve clause. Lou Klein, who left the first-place Cardinals two months into the 1946 season to play south of the border with Vera Cruz, will be the first exile to return the major leagues when he singles and and scores as a pinch-hitter in the Redbirds' victory over Brooklyn at Sportman's Park on June 16.
1959 - Pittsburgh's slugging first baseman Dick Stuart hits a 457-foot homer over the Forbes Field center field wall making the blast the longest home run in the 50-year history of the ballpark. Dr. Strangeglove's home run comes in the first inning off Glenn Hobbie in the Pirates' 10-5 loss to Chicago.
1961 - Robin Roberts, who will finish his career playing with three other clubs, wins his last game for the Phillies beating the Giants at Candlestick Park, 3-2. The future Hall of Famer's lone victory this season, a complete-game six-hitter, is his 234th win for Philadelphia, the most by a right-hander in franchise history.
1966 - In the Pirates' 10-5 victory over Houston at Forbes Field, Willie Stargell enjoys a 5-for-5 day that includes two home runs and a double. The Pittsburgh first baseman's performance gives him nine consecutive hits in two days.
1974 - Oakland outfielder Reggie Jackson, tired of being picked on by Billy North, tackles his A's teammate in the Tiger Stadium clubhouse starting a nasty fight which results in some costly injuries. In addition to Jackson injuring his shoulder, Ray Fosse, attempting to separate the brawlers, crushes a disk in the catcher's neck that virtually ends his season.
1977 - The Dodgers retire former manager Walter Alston's uniform, number 24, on Old-Timers Day. Doug Rau then pitches the current Dodgers to a 4-2 win over the Padres.
1979 - Willie Horton becomes the 43rd major league player to hit 300 career home runs. The 36-year old Mariner outfielder will end his 18-year career with 325 round-trippers.
1981 - Houston's Nolan Ryan passes Early Wynn as baseball's all-time walks allowed leader, giving up two walks in a 3-0 win over the Mets to raise his total to 1,777. Ryan also fans ten batters while pitching a five-hitter.
1982 - Cal Ripken's span of 8,243 consecutive innings begins with the Orioles' 3-1 victory over Minnesota at the Metrodome. The infielder's record streak, which will last for 904 games, ends when he is lifted in the eighth inning for a pinch runner during an 18-3 September loss to the Blue Jays in 1987 .
1985 - Retiring the last 16 Angels, Orioles hurler Dennis Martinez tosses a one-hitter beating California at Memorial Stadium, 4-0. Jerry Narron's third inning single spoils the no-hit bid as 'El Presidente' notches his 100th career victory.
1986 - Casey Candaele makes his major league debut pinch-hitting for the Expos in a 7-3 loss to Philadelphia at Olympic Stadium. With this appearance, the versatile utility man and his mom, Helen Callaghan, a former left-handed center fielder in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, become the only mother and son to have both played professional baseball.
1987 - Dwight Gooden returns from drug rehabilitation and allows one run in six and two-thirds innings to earn the win as the Mets beat the Pirates 5-1 at Shea Stadium.
1989 - The Toronto SkyDome opens, but the Blue Jays lose 5-3 to the Brewers. Baseball's newest and most modern stadium features a fully retractable roof, a hotel, the world's largest video display board, and a Hard Rock Cafe.
1989 - Alan Zinter, a product of the University of Arizona, is selected by the Mets in the first round of the amateur draft, 24th pick overall. The colligiate catcher will not play his first major league until 13 years later when he makes his debut with Houston as a 34-year old pinch-hitter in 2002.
1992 - At Three Rivers Stadium, Mets first baseman Eddie Murray drives in two runs passing Yankee legend Mickey Mantle [1,509] as the all-time RBI leader among switch-hitters.
1997 - Seattle shortstop Alex Rodriguez becomes only the second Mariners player ever to hit for the cycle in a 14-6 victory at Detroit. Rodriguez did it the hard way, hitting his triple in the eighth and his double in the ninth. A lucky Mariners fan collected a $1 million prize in a radio promotion due to Rodriguez's feat.
2000 - The Marlins select 16-year-old Adrian Gonzalez as their first overall pick in the first-year player draft. The first baseman, a student at Eastlake High School in Bonita, California, comes to terms with Florida on the same day he is drafted.
2001 - In an 18-inning game that lasts 5 hours, 52 minutes, Manny Ramirez is intentionally walked four times tying an American League record. Yankee outfielder Roger Maris was passed intentionally four times by the Los Angeles Angels in 1962.
2001 - By homering in his team's 57th game, Barry Bonds becomes the fastest player ever to hit 30 home runs. In 1928, it took Babe Ruth 63 games to reach the same mark.
2001 - The Mets draft Hickory High School (Chesapeake, VA) standout in the first round of the amateur draft, the 38th pick overall. The 18 year-old infielder, who will become the face of the franchise, signs with New York a week later.
2002 - The Houston-based fruit-juice subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company renames Astros Field as Minute Maid Park after acquiring the naming rights to the ballpark for 28 years at an estimated price of $170 million. The original name of the stadium, Enron Field, was dropped in February when the team regained the naming rights by making a deal to pay the debtors of the bankrupt energy corporation the sum of $2.1 million.
2002 - Rangers' designated hitter Juan Gonzalez becomes the 34th major leaguer, and the first from Puerto Rico to hit 400 career home runs. The Juan Gone's milestone is hit off Anaheim hurler Jarrod Washburn's first pitch in the second inning during a 7-5 extra inning loss to the Angels.
2002 - Barry Bonds passes Frank Robinson to become fourth on the all-time career home run list when he belts his 587th home run. The historic grand slam, believed to be one of the longest homers ever hit in the 34-year history of the ballpark now called Qualcomm Stadium, puts the Giants' left fielder, the single-season home run record holder with 73, exactly 73 behind Willie Mays' 660 round-trippers for third place.
2003 - In the second game of a double-header loss to the Brewers, Mets southpaw John Franco pitches an inning of relief to become the eighth pitcher to make a thousand career appearances. The last time Milwaukee swept a doubleheader on the road occurred eleven seasons ago when the Brewers of the American League beat the Royals twice on July 5, 2002, 8-7 and 5-3.
2003 - Tony Clark changes his number from 00 to 52. The Mets' reserve player wanted to give the team's mascot, Mr. Met, his identity back as he and the Mascot shared double ought.
2006 - Reds' slugger Ken Griffey Jr. hits a home run in his forty-third ballpark to tie the major league record also held by Fred McGriff. Junior, who has homered in every existing ballpark, goes deep twice in the new Busch Stadium, including a ninth inning three-run game winner off Jason Isringhausen in Cincinnati's 8-7 victory over the Redbirds.
2008 - Joining Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray, Chipper Jones becomes just the third switch-hitter in major league history to hit 400 career home runs. The milestone homer is just one of his four hits the Braves' third baseman contributes to Atlanta's 7-5 comeback win over Florida.
2008 - At Nationals Park, Mark Worrell becomes the eighth player in Cardinals history to hit a home run in his first big league at-bat. The rookie reliever, who also pitched two scoreless innings, hit his monstrous three-run blast on a 3-2 pitch from Washington’s Tim Redding in the sixth inning of a 10-9 St. Louis loss.
2008 - In a televised game at Fenway Park against the Rays, NESN cameras catch Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis fighting in the dugout. The altercation between the Red Sox teammates is a result of Manny's taking exception to Youkilis's demonstrative behavior after the third baseman returns to the bench after striking out.
2008 - At Fenway Park, Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp takes exception to being hit in the hip by Rays' starter James Shields, and the Boston outfielder shows his displeasure by charging the the mound igniting a bench clearing brawl that will result in the ejections of the combatants along with Tampa Bay's Jonny Gomes and the suspension of eight players. In yesterday's game, Rays skipper Joe Maddon accused Crisp of intentionally trying to injure his second baseman Akinori Iwamura on a stolen base attempt.
2008 - With the third pick over-all, the Royals select American Heritage High School (Plantation, FL) senior Eric Hosmer in the first round of the amateur draft. The slugging first baseman, chosen after infielders Tim Beckham (Rays) and Pedro Alvarez (Pirates), will receive a $6 million for signing with Kansas City, the largest bonus given to a draftee in franchise history.
2009 - Twitter reaches a settlement with Tony La Russa, who claimed an unauthorized page on the site that used his name caused emotional distress by mocking his DUI charge and minimizing the loss of two players who had died in recent seasons. The Cardinals' manager drops his lawsuit when the social network agreed to pay legal fees and to make a donation to his Animal Rescue Foundation.
2009 - John Schuerholz publicly apologizes to Tom Glavine for the club’s handling of the southpaw's release. The Braves' president, who chose not to give the 300-game winner a million dollar bonus by adding him to the 25-man roster, doesn't regret the decision, but for "the manner in which it was portrayed and explained" to the veteran pitcher.
2009 - Just hours prior to its scheduled demise, Tiger Stadium is saved from complete demolition when Wayne County Circuit Judge Isidore Torres stops crews from tearing down what’s left of the ballpark at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues. A temporary restraining order, requested by the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy, gives the nonprofit group additional time to raise money for preservation and redevelopment of the historic ballpark.
2009 - Caught on video shouting profanities, Alex Rios apologizes for the incident which occurred when he was leaving a Blue Jays’ charity event. After appearing to ignore a youngster's request for an autograph, the Toronto right fielder shouts an epithet when he hears an older man comment, “The way you played today Alex, you should be lucky somebody wants your autograph”.
2012 - David Wright becomes the Mets all-time run scorer when he crosses the plate for the 736th time after homering in the team's ' 7-6 loss in Washington. New York's 29 year-old third baseman is already the franchise career leader in doubles, total bases, RBIs and extra-base hits.
2012 - The Royals select Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado as the 8th pick in the MLB June Amateur Draft making the 17 years and 114 days old the youngest player to ever be chosen. The 6' 1", 180 pound outfielder/third baseman, a National Honor Society student at the Pendleton School in Florida, is an unexpected selection by Kansas City.
2013 - The White Sox score five times in the top of the 14th inning, but the Mariners knot the score in the bottom of the frame thanks to Kyle Seager's two-out, two-strike bases-loaded round-tripper. The third baseman's homer, the first game-tying, extra-inning grand slam in major league history, isn't enough when Chicago beats Seattle, 7-5, in the 16-inning Safeco Field contest that takes 5 hours 42 minutes to complete. 2015 - Pat Venditte becomes the first full-time switch-pitcher in the modern era when he tosses two scoreless frames in Oakland's 4-2 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The A's ambidextrous reliever faces the minimum six batters in his two innings, allowing a single to Hanley Ramirez before getting an inning-ending double play in the seventh and then proceeds to pitch a perfect eighth.
2015 - The Biloxi Shuckers bat around in a five-run 10th inning, ending their season-long, 54-game road trip with a 6-2 victory over the Barons at Birmingham’s Regions Field. The victory gives the Brewers' Double-A affiliate four consecutive series triumphs heading into their first-ever home series at MGM Park.
Baseball Birthdays on June 5... 1864 - Meister, George
1865 - Andrews, Jim
1869 - Ulrich, George
1870 - Zahner, Fred
1874 - Chesbro, Jack
1874 - Huelsman, Frank 1874 - Yeager, George
1876 - Neal, Offa
1878 - Mitchell, Fred
1878 - Reagan, Rip
1878 - Maloney, Billy
1881 - Lindemann, Bob
1881 - Jacobson, Beany
1887 - Collamore, Allan
1889 - Hannah, Truck
1890 - Douglas, Larry
1890 - Madden, Gene
1893 - Hall, Herb
1895 - Rohwer, Ray
1896 - Lefler, Wade
1900 - Cavanaugh, John
1902 - Gooch, Charlie
1903 - Urbanski, Billy
1905 - Kahn, Owen
1916 - Joost, Eddie
1918 - Odom, Dave
1918 - Javery, Al
1924 - Brissie, Lou
1941 - Sims, Duke
1945 - Coulter, Chip
1948 - Schaeffer, Mark
1951 - Elliott, Randy
1951 - Jones, Darryl
1953 - Siebert, Paul
1954 - Blair, Dennis
1966 - Spiers, Bill
1967 - Lankford, Ray
1970 - Schall, Gene
1972 - Coolbaugh, Mike
1974 - Ortiz, Russ
1975 - Green, Jason
1978 - Chapman, Travis
1979 - Affeldt, Jeremy
1983 - Bray, Bill
1984 - Chirinos, Robinson
1987 - Pina, Manuel
1988 - Petricka, Jake
1988 - Rienzo, Andre 1989 - Nelson, Jimmy
1989 - Somsen, Layne
1991 - Heaney, Andrew
1992 - Rodriguez, Dereck
Baseball Deaths on June 5... 1919 - McCloskey, John
1921 - Rettger, George
1924 - Reynolds, Bill
1924 - Stine, Harry
1924 - Sullivan, John
1925 - Trott, Sam
1930 - Say, Lou
1933 - LaRocque, Sam
1944 - Knell, Phil
1945 - Lewis, Fred
1952 - Haas, Bruno
1957 - Wilson, Pete
1960 - Jordan, Rip 1961 - Smith, Syd
1975 - Rader, Drew
1976 - Lambeth, Otis
1980 - Jones, Johnny
1980 - Keenan, Jimmie
1986 - Winters, Jesse
1986 - Mulligan, Joe
1991 - Suarez, Luis
2000 - Liddle, Don
2017 - Wagner, Hector