TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

August 20, 1978 Pitcher Don Sutton and first baseman Steve Garvey of the Los Angeles Dodgers staged a pre-game locker-room fight yesterday apparently over a recent newspaper story in The Washington Post in which Sutton bad-mouthed Garvey.

Neither player won the fight, but the Dodgers beat the New York Mets, 5-4.

Several days ago the pitching ace of the Dodgers was quoted as saying that Garvey was more interested in his off-the-field image than in his performance) and that right fielder Reggie Smoth, not Garvey, was the team leader and should have been named the team's Most Valuable Player last year.

Part of the story, written by Thomas Boswell, quoted Sutton as saying. "All you hear about on our team is Steve Garvey the All-American boy. But Reggie Smith was the real MVP. We all know it . . . (Smith) has carried us the last two years.He is not a facade. He does not have the Madison Avenue image."

The fireworks between Sutton and Garvey took place directly in front of Sutton's locker after Garvey came over to speak to the Dodger right-hander. They conversed in low tones for two minutes and seemed to be getting the matter settled. Suddenly Sutton leaped at Garvey and flung him against a row of lockers along the opposit wall.

The two players went down heavily and were clawing at one another, trying ineffectively to land punches. Immediately, a number of the other Dodgers, including Smith, Rick Monday, Davey Lopes and Bill Russell, tried to pry them apart.

It took more than two minutes before they were able to pry the combatants apart, after which Dodgers coach Preston Gomez and General Manager Al Campanis, who had witnessed the entire affair, led Garvey into the trainer's room. Sutton walked off to the other end of the clubhouse.

Garvey appeared groggy after the episode.

"I don't think these things should come out like this in the public. If someone has something to say, they should say it to my face Garvey. "I'm only human. I have always tried to set an example for the Dodgers both on and off the field but when someone says something about my family . . . that's pushing me too far. This is the first time in my career something like this has happened."

Gavey went on to say that he confronted Sutton about the story and its validity andthat the pitcher admitted his quotes were true. Then, Sutton apparently made a reference to Garvey's family and the two went at it. After the game , Garvey sported numerous scratches and cuts on his face and a bloodshot eye. Sutton had a large bruise on his cheek.

Todays Podcast

August 20th, 1923 – A four-piece bat used by Babe Ruth is banned by American League president Ban Johnson because of the glue used on it. Johnson rules that all bats must be one piece with nothing added except tape extending to 18 inches up the handle.

August 20, 1931 — At St. Louis, Lou Gehrig hits his 33rd homer in the 4th to tie Babe Ruth for the major league lead, but the Babe answers in the 9th with his 34th, a grand slam over the RF roof, to give the Yanks a 7 – 3 win over the Browns. Lefty Gomez almost has New York’s first shutout of the season, but he weakens in the 9th.

August 20, 1946, At Griffith Stadium prior to the start of the game against the Senators in Washington, using the U.S. Army’s Sky Screen Chronograph, Bob Feller‘s fastball is clocked at 98.6 miles-per-hour, breaking Yankee hurler Atley Donald‘s 1939 speed record of 94.7 mph.

August 20, 1960 — Ted Williams draws the 2,000th walk of his career in the Red Sox’s split of a twi-night doubleheader with Baltimore. Williams joins Babe Ruth as the only batters to collect 2,000 walks. The Splendid Splinter also clouts home runs number 514 and 515 in the first game, an 8 – 6 Boston win. The O’s win the nightcap, 6 – 0, but drop into 3rd place, two games behind the 1st-place Yankees.

August 20, 1964 — Due to a misunderstanding caused by Mickey Mantle misinforming his teammate that their manager Yogi Berra had asked for the harmonica to be played louder, Phil Linz was playing Mary Had a Little Lamb” a confrontation occurs on the back of the team bus between the skipper, who had actually asked for the music to stop.

As told by Mel Stottlemyre – “Yogi told Phil he was going to shove the harmonica up his ass if he kept playing — plus a few other things. I don’t know if it scared Phil but he tossed the harmonica toward Yogi, who slapped it out of the air and whacked it off Joe Pepitone’s knee.

Linz apologized the next day and he was fined $200,

With a bus full of reports the event was well well-publicized Linz apologized the next day and he was fined $200. Some say that seeing that side of Berra fired up the third-place team, who had just lost four consecutive games to the White Sox in Chicago, to a successful pennant run, but may have reinforced the perception Berra had lost control of the team with so much dissension on the club, leading to his dismissal after Game 7 of the World Series.

August 20th, 1965, Eddie Mathews hits his 28th home run as the Braves win 4-3 at Pittsburgh. The Braves duo of Mathews and Hank Aaron, from ‘54 to ‘65, becomes the top home run duo in major league history, passing the Ruth-Gehrig total of 772 home runs while they were Yankee teammates.

August 20, 1971 — Ferguson Jenkins wins his 20th, beating Houston, 3 – 2. The win pulls the Cubs to 4 1/2 behind Pittsburgh. But following two losses to Houston, Leo Durocher and the players will square off in a clubhouse meeting on the 23rd. Durocher accuses Ron Santo of demanding that the team give him a day, and the third sacker has to be restrained from going after Leo. Leo will finally lip an “I quit,” but stay on through the season in a frosty relationship with the team.

August 20, 1974, Nolan Ryan fans 19 Detroit Tigers in an 11-inning loss to Detroit at Anaheim Stadium. Ryan whiffs every Tiger batter at least once, victimizing Ron LeFlore four times. The 19 K’s tie a major league record, held by Steve Carlton. Despite Ryan’s efforts for the Angels, Mickey Lolich goes the distance to win the game, 1-0.

It is the third time the “Ryan Express” has struck out 19 batters in one game this season. Ryan throws a ball clocked at 100.9 miles per hour, making it the fastest pitch ever thrown in major league baseball.

August 20th, 1989, Howard Johnson hits his 30th home run of the season in the Mets’ 5 – 4 loss to the Dodgers and joins Barry Bonds and Willie Mays as the only players to compile 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in two different seasons.

August 20th, 1998, Cardinal first baseman Mark McGwire becomes the first player in major league history to hit 50 home runs in three consecutive seasons with a seventh-inning solo shot. The Cards beat the Mets, 2-0.

 ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA

TRIVIA ANSWER: LEO DUROCHER 

- Ans. [Translation in Latin then French of his name]

- #1 Durocher was the Dodgers’ manager for 9 seasons from 1939-1948 (suspended in 1947), winning 738 games & 1 pennant (1941). In 5 of those years, he was a player/manager. He was the skipper for the Giants from 1948-1955, winning 637 games, 2 pennants (1951,1954) & 1 World Series (1954). He ran the Cubs from the dugout for 7 years (1966-1972) & won 535 games.

Thank you Horsehide Trivia

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