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August 15
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
Today's Daily Highlights
In 1916, a young Babe Ruth outdueled the legendary Walter Johnson 1-0 in a marathon 13-inning battle at Fenway Park — a genuine clash of titans before Ruth ever became a full-time slugger. Also: Mickey Mantle homered from both sides of the plate in the same game for just the second time in his career in 1955, and in a truly harrowing moment, cancer-survivor Dave Dravecky's arm snapped mid-pitch in 1989, an injury so severe the crack was audible throughout the ballpark. 7 classic broadcasts today, pulled from our library of 3,100 games and 1,000 interviews, and today's Vintage Commercial: Palmolive Soap.
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August 15th, 1971 – Vida Blue raised his record to 22-4 as the A’s beat the Yankees, 6 – 4. Blue masterfully scattered 10 hits and scored the tie breaking run on a wild pitch. He would finish the season at 24-8, with a 1.82 ERA earning him not only the American League Cy Young Award, but also the American League MVP.
Vida Blue . . .
Blue signed with the Athletics at age 19 instead of accepting one of numerous scholarship offers to become a major-college quarterback. He had his first wrangle with A's owner Charles O. Finley right away, when Finley wanted Blue to change his first name to "True."
He was called up to the A's late in 1970. On September 21, 1970, he no-hit the Twins, who narrowly edged the Athletics for the division title. As a sophomore, Blue won 17 games by the All-Star break, then was the winning pitcher in the only All-Star game won by the American League between 1962 and 1983, when the NL was 19-1. Blue finished 1971 at 24-8, with 301 strikeouts in 312 innings. Though bombed in the ALCS by Baltimore, he was named both MVP and Cy Young Award winner.
Blue's prolonged holdout in 1972 was only resolved through the intervention of baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Blue slumped to 6-10. Rumors flew that he'd hurt his arm by pitching without spring training and reporting overweight. Blue denied serious arm pain, but his strikeout record was never as spectacular the rest of his career as it was in 1971. Much later, he acknowledged that his drug problems had begun in 1972. As the Athletics won their first of their three straight World Championships, Blue contributed four shutout innings in relief of Blue Moon Odom to save the fifth and final playoff game.
He rebounded with 20-9 in 1973, when the Athletics had three 20-game winners, and was 17-15 in 1974, 22-11 in 1975, and 18-13 in 1976, as the Athletics chased the Royals to the wire in the last year the nucleus of their dynasty remained together. Already Finley had attempted to sell Blue to the Yankees in mid-season, for $1.5 million. Kuhn vetoed that deal. While most of the other Oakland stars departed through free agency, Finley tried to send Blue to the Reds for $1.75 million plus Dave Revering. Kuhn vetoed that, too. After suffering through a 14-19 season FJ x x in 1977, Blue was finally traded to the Giants for eight players and $390,000. He gave the Giants an 18-10 season, becoming the first pitcher ever to start an All-Star game for each league, and earning NL Pitcher of the Year honors from TSN. Erratic pitching over the next few years continued after he was traded to the Royals after 1981. Drug rumors concerning Blue were confirmed in 1983. Blue was one of five members of the Kansas City Royals who eventually served prison time plus a suspension from baseball (a year in Blue's case) for cocaine use.
Given another chance by the Giants in the Bay Area where he remained popular, Blue was 18-18 in 1985-1986. The Athletics signed Blue for 1987, promoting a reunion with slugger Reggie Jackson, who also rejoined the club after 11 years away. However, Blue flunked a urine test to detect cocaine use, and retired rather than face further scandal.
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Todays Trivia . . .
Which one-time Kansas City Royals player is the only non-Yankee switch-hitter ever voted Most Valuable Player in the American League?
Hint: #1 He helped take down the Big Red Machine.
Hint: #2 He is the first player at his position to start the All-Star Game for both leagues.
Answer in a bit!
Quote of the day:
"I would go down to the bullpen in 1971 and watch Vida warm up. Then I'd walk down to the dugout and say, 'Game's over, boys. Shutout.'" - Rollie Fingers
Game of The Day:
Game of the Day — August 15, 1989 San Francisco Giants vs Montreal Expos
August 15, 1989 — At Olympic Stadium, In his second start after coming back from cancer surgery, Giant Dave Dravecky suffers a broken arm beating the Expos, 3 – 2. The Youngstown, Ohio native collapses to the ground and clutches his left arm in severe pain after throwing a wild pitch to Tim Raines.
The 33 year-old Youngstown, Ohio native, who will be credited with the win, collapses to the ground, clutching his left arm in severe pain after the humerus bone snaps midway between his shoulder and elbow, with the sound of the bone breaking clearly audible throughout the ballpark. The bone will heal but Dravecky will break it again during the Giants on-field celebration when they clinch the pennant later that season. Dravecky will not pitch again in the major leagues
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🎧 Classic Broadcasts — August 15
August 15,1970 Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox
August 15, 1972 Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers
August 15, 1976 New York Yankees vs Minnesota Twins
August 15, 1982 New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox
August 15, 1983 Montreal Expos vs St Louis Cardinals
August 15, 1990 San Francisco Giants vs Philadelphia Phillies
Todays Podcast
August 15 highlights and Historic Days!
August 15th, 1916 – At Fenway Park in a battle of titans, Boston’s Babe Ruth outduels Nationals’ ace Walter Johnson, winning 1-0 in 13 innings. Ruth is now 3-0 in his meetings with Johnson.
August 15th, 1955, Mickey Mantle homers from both sides of the plate in the same game for the second time in his career, tying the major-league mark. The Yanks beat the Orioles 12 – 6 in game two and sweep the doubleheader to move back into first.
August 15th, 1962 – Pinch-hit home runs by the Mets’ Choo Choo Coleman in the 6th and Jim Hickman in the 8th tie the major-league record for pinch home runs by one club in one game. The Mets still lose to the Phils, 8 – 7. Three years later to the day, Max Alvis and Leon Wagner also hit pinch hit homers for Cleveland in a 6-4 win over Minnesota.
August 15th, 1971 – Vida Blue raised his record to 22-4 as the A’s beat the Yankees, 6 – 4. Blue masterfully scattered 10 hits and scored the tie breaking run on a wild pitch. He would finish the season at 24-8, with a 1.82 ERA earning him not only the American League Cy Young Award, but also the American League MVP.
August 15th, 1977 In a 2 – 1 win over Kansas City, Boston’s Jim Rice hits a 3rd-inning double and became the first Boston player since Ted Williams in 1939 to hit 20 homers, 20 doubles and 10 triples in a season. Between Williams and Rice, only Charlie “King Kong” Keller in 1946, DiMaggio twice in ’48 and 50, and Mickey Mantle accomplished the feat.
August 15th, 1996 Frank Thomas hits three homers for the White Sox, becoming the ChiSox career home run leader, but Boston wins 9-8. Thomas hits his first two off Tim Wakefield, giving him 214 bombs to pass Carlton Fisk who caught for both the White and Red Sox during his career.
News Reels August 15
August 15, 1980 Dave Smith gets the final out to finish a 20-inning marathon at San Diego
Atlanta Braves vs Pittsburgh Pirates (August 15, 1992) “Jim Leyland Has Had Enough”
Double Play Leo Durocher with Bob Lemon
Milestones August 15
🎙️ Did you know? Final Games today - Roy Face - "Considered by many to be the best relief pitcher in history, [Face] confronted all types of jams in his career," wrote Edward Kiersh. "Relying mainly on a forkball, he squelched so many rallies in 1959, en route to his record winning percentage of .947, that manager Danny Murtaugh tagged him Sam Spade." The shy, gutsy, 5'8" righthander was twice drafted by Branch Rickey, first for the Dodgers, then, in 1952, for Pittsburgh. Face recorded 96 career relief wins (fifth all-time), 193 saves (sixth), and holds the ML mark for most relief wins in a season, 18 (17 consecutive for another record). He owns the NL career records for most games finished (574) and most games pitched for one club (802, for Pittsburgh). Face led the NL three times each in saves and relief losses, and twice in appearances. He saved three games of the 1960 World Series.
Birthdays:
Notable: Chris Singleton
Debuts:
Notable: Bill Dickey
Final Games:
Highlights: Roy Face
Passings:
Notable: Jerry Lumpe
New From Around the League!
ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA
TRIVIA ANSWER: VIDA BLUE
- Ans. BBTL Blue was AL MVP in 1971. Played for KCR in 1982-83.
- #1 Blue & his OAK teammates won the WS in 1972, 4-3 over CIN. The CIN team dominance in the 1970s earned them the “Big Red Machine” nickname.
- #2 He was the starting pitcher for the AL in 1971 & 1975 pitching for OAK. Playing for SFG, he started for the NL in 1978. The NL won all 3 of his ASG starts.
Thank you Horsehide Trivia
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