On September 23 in Baseball History... 1901 - Against Cincinnati, the Dodgers score a total 25 runs breaking a team record.
1905 - Tigers' rookie Ty Cobb hits his first career home run, an inside-the parker, but Washington beats Detroit, 8-5.
1908 - Fred Merkle of the New York Giants failed to touch second base as the apparent winning run crossed home plate in a crucial game with the Chicago Cubs. The ensuing dispute resulted in the game being declared a tie and played over on Oct. 8 when the Cubs and Giants ended the season in a tie.
1916 - Allowing only just one walk during a twin bill with the Cincinnati Reds, Grover Alexander of the Phillies wins both ends of a doubleheader (7-3 and 4-0) to establish a National League record. The future Hall of Famer will repeat the feat on September 3, 1917 against the Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers) at Ebbets Field.
1925 - Washington shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh, a .294 hitter, is named the American League Most Valuable Player with 45 points; A's outfielder Al Simmons is second with forty-one.
1930 - In a slugfest played at Philadelphia's Baker Bowl, the Cardinals set a franchise record collecting 26 hits in a 19-16 victory over the Phillies. It will be another seventy-eight years before the Redbirds have an equal amount of hits in a game.
1936 - Carl Hubbell notches his sixteenth consecutive victory, his 26th of the year. King Carl beats the Phils, 5-4. He resumes the streak next year to reach a record 24 wins in a row.
1939 - In the first game of a twin bill, Brooklyn's third baseman Cookie Lavagetto reaches base seven consecutive times as the Dodgers rout the Phillies, 22-4. The 26-run Shibe Park contest takes only two hours and five minutes to complete.
1949 - Before the game, Cleveland owner Bill Veeck and a few players hold funeral services to bury the 1948 pennant in center field. Yesterday, the Tribe was mathematically eliminated from the American League pennant race.
1952 - The Brooklyn Dodgers clinched the National League pennant, the first time since 1948 that the pennant wasn't decided in the season's final game.
1955 - The Yankees clinch their 21st American League pennant by beating Boston in the nightcap at Fenway Park, 3-2. The team, who will lose the World Series to Brooklyn in seven games, will finish the season three games in front of Cleveland.
1956 - Ozzie Virgil becomes the first Dominican to reach the majors. The 23-year old Monte Cristi native, who will also see his son catch in the big leagues, plays third base for the Giants.
1956 - With the Dodgers leading the Pirates 8-3, the largest crowd in Forbes Field's history watches the game be postponed with two outs in the ninth inning as the curfew is enforced.
1957 - Hank Aaron's eleventh-inning homer gave the Milwaukee Braves a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals and the National League pennant. It was the first time since 1950 that a New York team hadn't finished first.
1961 - Ernie Banks voluntarily takes the bench as a sore knee brings his 717 consecutive-games-played streak to an end.
1962 - A 12-2 Dodgers' loss at St. Louis is enlivened by Maury Wills, who ties Ty Cobb's long-standing Major League single-season record of 96 steals by swiping second base after singling in the third, and breaks it with a repeat performance in the seventh.
1969 - In his last major league at-bat, John Miller homers making the Dodger the only player in history to have hit a home run in his first and last plate appearance in the major leagues. In 1966, as a Yankee, he went deep in the first of only 61 big league career at-bats in which he would collect only 10 hits, including the two memorable round-trippers to start and end his 32-game career.
1969 - In an 8-3 win over the Yankees at Fenway Park, Red Sox first baseman Carl Yastrzemski hits his 200th career home. Yaz, who will hit 452 homers during his 23-year tenure in the major leagues, blasts a third-inning pitch off starter Mel Stottlemyre to reach the milestone, and then adds #201 in the eighth off Lindy McDaniel.
1969 - Exactly one year after their manager suffered a heart attack in the dugout during a game against Atlanta, the Mets give Gil Hodges a reason to breathe a bit easier when the team clinches a tie for the NL East flag by beating the Cardinals, 3-2, on an 11th inning walk-off single stroked by Bud Harrelson off Bob Gibson. Prior to the Shea Stadium victory, Linton H. Bishop, Jr., the skipper's cardiologist, had sent him a telegram that read, "Happy to see you're No. 1. Hope your team does as well as your heart."
1978 - The Angels' 27-year-old outfielder Lyman Bostock, a .311 lifetime hitter, is killed by a shotgun blast while riding in a car in Gary, Indiana. The shot was meant for one of the other passengers in the car.
1979 - In a ten-inning 7-4 Cardinal victory over New York, Lou Brock steals his 938th and final base to surpass Billy Hamilton's mark established last century. In 1977, the St. Louis outfielder broke Ty Cobb's modern major league record of 892 thefts.
1983 - With a 6-2 win over the team which traded him, Phillies' southpaw Steve Carlton records his 300th victory beating the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Redbirds traded the future Hall of Fame left-hander to Philadelphia for Rick Wise.
1984 - The Tigers defeat the Yankees, 4-1, making Sparky Anderson the first manager ever to win 100 games in a season in each league. As skipper of the 'Big Red Machine', his team won 108 games in 1975 and 102 in 1976.
1984 - Tiger closer Willie Hernandez establishes a franchise record when he converts his 32nd consecutive save opportunity, holding New York to one run over two innings in the team's 4-1 victory in Detroit. The mark will last for 27 years until it is broken in 2011 by Jose Valverde.
1986 - Rookie left-hander Jim Deshaies set a Major League record by striking out eight to start the game and finished with a two-hitter and 10 strikeouts to lead the Houston Astros past the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0.
1987 - In a 5-4 victory over the Astros, Albert Hall becomes the first Braves' player to hit for the cycle since 1910.
1988 - Jose Canseco of the A's becomes baseball's first 40-40 player when he swipes his 39th and 40th base in a 14-inning victory over the Brewers, 9-8. Canseco also hits his 41st home run.The Oakland slugger, who will finish the season with 42 homers and 40 stolen bases, will never have a 30-30 season in his 17 years in the major leagues.
1992 - Bip Roberts tied the National League record with his 10th consecutive hit, then grounded out against Pedro Astacio to end his streak in the Cincinnati Reds' game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
1997 - With a 6-3 victory over the Expos at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, the Marlins clinch their first-ever postseason berth. Florida, which reaches the play-offs in just their fifth year in existence, will become the youngest franchise to ever win a World Championship.
1997 - The Mariners break the record for most home run by a major league team when Jay Buhner goes deep for the club's 258th round-tripper of the season in the first inning of the 4-3 victory over Anaheim at the Kingdome. The eventual AL Division Champs, who will have six players hit at least 20 homers, break the record established last year by the Orioles, and will extend the mark to 264 round-trippers by season's end.
1997 - It's clinching day in Major League baseball. The Indians clinch their third consecutive American League Central title, the Mariners secure their second American League West crown in three years, and the Marlins are in the playoffs for the first time ever.
1998 - Houston's Craig Biggio became only the second player this century to have 50 steals and 50 doubles in a season, joining Hall of Famer Tris Speaker. Biggio, with 51 doubles, singled for his second hit of the game and easily stole his 50th base with two outs in the sixth.
1998 - In Chicago's 8-7 loss at Milwaukee, Cubs' outfielder Sammy Sosa hits his 64th and 65th homers tying Mark McGwire's record.
1998 - With an 8-4 victory over the Indians, the 1998 Yankees tie the 1927 team for the most wins in franchise history. The Bronx Bombers' 110 victories pull them within one game of the American League record of 111 victories by the 1954 Indians.
1998 - With his team ahead 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases full of Brewers and two outs, Cubs' outfielder Brant Brown drops Geoff Jenkins's routine long fly ball to left field allowing three runs to score giving Milwaukee an 8-7 walk-off win at County Stadium. The infamous error became will be immortalized by Ron Santo's radio call when the broadcaster mournfully exclaims, "Nooooooooo!!!!!" as the ball rolls toward the ivy-covered wall.
1999 - With a crowd of 27,549 fans, the Yankees break the New York City season attendance record with a total of 3,072,009. The Mets had previously held the record when 3,047,724 turned the turnstiles in 1988.
1999 - In a 12-4 Orioles victory over the A’s at Camden Yards, Albert Belle becomes only the third player in baseball history to hit four doubles in one game twice during his career, and the first one to do so in one season. Along with the Baltimore designated hitter, Gavvy Cravath and Bill Werber are the two other major leaguers to accomplish the feat.
2000 - Joining Frank Robinson, Devil Rays' Fred McGriff becomes only the second player in major league history to hit 200 homers in both the American and National League.
2000 - Breaking the major league team record held by the 1997 Braves and the 1999 Indians for grand slams in a season, Ben Grieve's 7th inning bases-loaded home run gives the A's a record breaking 13 grand slams.
2000 - Rafael Palmeiro becomes the 32nd major leaguer to hit 400 career homers as he hits a three-run shot in the fifth inning of a 15-4 defeat to the Angels at the Ballpark in Arlington, Texas.
2001 - Sammy Sosa sets a major league record with his third three-homer game of the season hitting #'s 56, 57, and 58 off Astros' rookie Tim Redding. Slammin' Sammy also accomplished the feat against the Rockies (August 9) and the Brewers (August 22).
2001 - Alex Rodriguez' 48th home run breaks Ernie Banks' major league record for most in a season by a shortstop which 'Mr. Cub' established in 1957. The homer also ties the Rangers' infielder with Frank Howard (1969 as a Senator) for the franchise record for home runs in a season.
2001 - At Camden Yards, Yankee closer Marino Rivera establishes a franchise single-season record when he saves his 47th game, a 5-4 victory over Baltimore in 10-innings. The previous record was held by Dave Righetti who set the mark in 1986.
2001 - Barry Bonds ties Sammy Sosa for the second-most home runs in a season hitting his 66th round tripper off rookie Jason Middlebrow. The Giants' left fielder also sets a major league record with 34 road homers passing Babe Ruth (1927) and Mark McGwire (1998) , who both had 32 dingers away from home.
2002 - In the last public event in 32-year old Cinergy Field, over 40,000 fans attend a softball game featuring Reds greats of the 'Big Red Machine' against an all-star team of players made up from the same era. Because the game is not affiliated with major league baseball, Pete Rose is allowed to play and he receives a tremendous ovation from the Cincinnati fans.
2005 - Jimmy Rollins' first-inning single makes the shortstop’s 28-game hitting streak the longest by a Phillies player in over one hundred years. Ed Delahanty got at least one hit in 31 consecutive contests for the Philadelphia’s National League franchise during the 1899 season.
2005 - As a result of the merger of Bank One and JP Morgan Chase & Co. the Diamondbacks' home field, Bank One Ballpark, is renamed Chase Field. Arizona fans, who have affectionately come to call the stadium ‘Bob’, will be comforted to know the team will continue to employ D. Baxter Bobcat as the team’s mascot.
2006 - In Milwaukee's Miller Park, Barry Bonds hits his 734th career homer surpassing Hank Aaron and establishes a new all-time National League home run mark. The historic long ball hit by the unpopular 42-year old Giants slugger receives little fanfare in the city in which 'Hammerin' Hank', a former player for the Braves and Brewers, is a local legend.
2006 - With one home game left on the schedule, the Dodgers break their single-season attendance record established in 1982 as the team sells 3,708,723 tickets to its games played in Chavez Ravine. The previous record of 3,608,881 was determined by former National League rules which counted fans by turnstile count.
2006 - At Camden Yards, Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons hits a foul ball straight back over the screen that hits a fan in the rib cage. The injured patron is the batter’s wife, Laura. `
2007 - The 41-year old RFK Stadium, one-time home to the NFL Redskins and American League Senators, hosts its last major league baseball game when Washington beats the Phillies in the home finale, 5-3. When the District's new expansion team moved to Texas in 1972, the 56,000-seat facility lost baseball until the Montreal Expos arrived in D.C. to become the Nationals in 2005.
2007 - Milton Bradley's anterior cruciate ligament is torn when his manager Bud Black spins him to the ground to keep him from going after umpire Mike Winters in the eighth inning of a 7-3 loss to the Rockies. The Padres' left fielder will miss the rest of the season due to the injury, and the first base ump will be suspended for the remainder of the season without pay for his actions during the confrontation.
2007 - At Petco Park, the Rockies beat the Padres, 7-3, for their 84th win of the season to break a club record. Jeff Francis, who gives up seven hits and two runs in his eight innings of work, ties Kevin Ritz (1996) and Pedro Astacio (1999) for club victories and establishes a new franchise mark for left-handers winning his 17th game of the campaign.
2007 - Mike Mussina becomes the 45th pitcher in major league history to win 250 games when the Yankees beat the Blue Jays in the Bronx, 7-5. ‘Moose’ insists that the game ball go to Joba Chamberlain, the rookie phenom who picks up his first career save.
2008 - With a 5-4 victory over the Indians at Fenway Park, the Red Sox earn at least a wild card play-off berth. Boston's win eliminates the Yankees, who had appeared in 13 consecutive postseasons, spanning Derek Jeter's entire career.
2008 - Blanked for the 13th time this season, the Tigers lose to Kansas City, 5-0, and fall into last place in the American League Central Division. Detroit, after making significant moves in the off season, had been favored to be one of the best teams in baseball.
2008 - For the third consecutive season, the Marlins have established a new franchise record for home runs. Josh Willingham's second inning round tripper, the club's 202nd, sets the new mark in Florida's 9-4 loss to the Nationals.
2008 - Tim Lincecum sets the Giants' single-season record with 252 strikeouts. The San Francisco right-hander whiffs nine Colorado batters in 4.1 innings to surpass Jason Schmidt, who had 251 K's in 2004.
2008 - Jose Reyes collects his 200th hit of the season with a bases-loaded triple in a much-needed Mets 6-2 victory over the Cubs at Shea Stadium. The 25-year old shortstop joins Lance Johnson (1996) as one of the only two players in franchise history to reach the esteemed plateau.
2009 - Trailing 8-0 at Dodger Stadium, the Giants take the lead scoring nine runs into the top of the seventh inning. Although L.A. will come back twice to tie the score with clutch two-out hits in the eighth and ninth, San Francisco tallies four runs in the top of the tenth frame for the 14-10 victory.
2009 - After signing him to a one-year contract extension for 2010, the Braves announce Bobby Cox will retire as the manager of the Braves after next season. The 68-year old skipper has led the team to a string of 14 consecutive postseason appearances and a world championship during his 24-year tenure in Atlanta.
2010 - The lone run in the Blue Jays' 1-0 victory over Seattle at the Rogers Centre scores in the first inning when Jose Bautista hits his 50th home run of the season, making the right-fielder the 26th player to reach the coveted plateau. The milestone had not been accomplished since 2007 when Prince Fielder and Alex Rodriguez hit 50 and 54 home runs, respectively.
2010 - Ichiro Suzuki, with his fifth-inning single off Toronto's Shawn Hill, becomes the first major leaguer to compile ten consecutive 200-hit seasons, breaking the record he shared with Willie Keeler. The Mariner outfielder now has more 200-hit seasons than any player in AL history, surpassing Ty Cobb, and joins Pete Rose as the only other player with ten seasons with 200 or more hits.
2011 - Starlin Castro becomes the youngest Cubs player to collect 200 hits in a season when he singles off Chris Carpenter leading off the game in St. Louis. The Cubs' 21-year-old shortstop accomplishes the feat at an age two years younger than Billy Herman (1932) and Augie Galan (1935), who were both 23 at the time.
2011 - The Brewers win their first division title in 29 years when they beat Florida 4-1. Ryan Braun's three-run home run in the eighth inning, breaking the 1-1 deadlock, is the decisive blow in the Miller Park clincher.
2011 - The Rangers' 5-3 victory over Seattle, coupled with a Halos' loss, clinches the AL West division. The title is the second in a row for Texas and the fifth in the history of the franchise.
2011 - The Diamondbacks beat San Francisco, 3-1, to win the NL West division for the first time in four years. Arizona, who finished 65-97 last season, clinched their worst-to-first title with an eighth-inning rally much to the delight of the cheering fans at Chase Field.
2013 - With their 2-1 win over Chicago thanks to Starling Marte's ninth-inning homer, along with Washington's defeat in St. Louis, the Pirates will appear in the postseason for the first time since 1992. The victory assures the Bucs one of the two wildcard berths with a division title still within reach.
2014 - Arizona names Dave Stewart as the team’s fourth general manager in franchise history. The former All-Star big league pitcher, a 20-game winner for four consecutive seasons beginning in 1987, will report to the Diamondbacks' chief baseball officer Tony La Russa, who was his manager when he posted a 119-78 record (.604) during his eight seasons with the A’s.
Baseball Birthdays on September 23... 1875 - DeMontreville, Lee
1880 - Wagner, Heinie
1880 - Neighbors, Cy
1886 - Kelly, Joe
1886 - Higgins, Bob
1887 - Martin, Doc
1889 - Schaller, George "Biff" 1895 - Mokan, Johnny
1897 - Irwin, Walt
1898 - Lisenbee, Hod
1898 - Murray, George 1900 - Stewart, Lefty
1909 - Mahon, Al
1913 - Sivess, Pete
1914 - Stewart, Mack
1920 - Pieretti, Marino 1922 - Donoso, Lino
1924 - Restelli, Dino
1942 - Woodward, Woody
1942 - Rooker, Jim
1943 - Lopez, Marcelino
1943 - Llenas, Winston
1944 - Zamora, Oscar
1952 - Lamp, Dennis
1952 - Morrison, Jim 1952 - Scanlon, Pat
1953 - Asselstine, Brian
1957 - Fossas, Tony
1959 - Winn, Jim 1963 - McGriff, Terry
1966 - Harnisch, Pete
1968 - Bolton, Rodney 1969 - Cirillo, Jeff
1971 - Greene, Willie
1972 - Harris, Pep
1974 - Knott, Eric
1975 - Elder, Dave
1977 - Abernathy, Brent
1980 - Gosling, Mike
1984 - Kemp, Matt
1985 - Chamberlain, Joba
1986 - Gonzalez, Miguel
1986 - Volstad, Chris
1987 - Germen, Gonzalez
1987 - Scruggs, Xavier
1988 - Gyorko, Jedd
1989 - May, Trevor
Baseball Deaths on September 23... 1896 - Crowley, John
1901 - McJames, Doc
1907 - Buffinton, Charlie
1915 - Kennedy, Brickyard
1916 - Cline, Monk
1920 - Curley, Doc
1922 - Rementer, Butch
1924 - McFarlan, Dan
1941 - Morrissey, Tom
1942 - Thomas, Tom
1948 - Durning, Rich
1951 - Gear, Dale
1954 - Wilson, John
1955 - Fortune, Gary
1958 - Mundy, Bill
1960 - Hinson, Paul
1961 - Jourdan, Ted 1962 - Sullivan, Tom
1964 - Barger, Cy
1973 - Fowler, Jesse
1982 - Mills, Lefty
2000 - Rodriguez, Aurelio
2010 - Shaw, Bob 2011 - Litwhiler, Danny
2012 - Rodriguez, Roberto