August 21
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
Today's August 21 Daily Highlights
August 21 Daily Highlights →
Members get instant access. Not a member yet? Start your free 7-day trial.
August 21, 1977, Baltimore Orioles third baseman and future hall of famer Brooks Robinson retires.
Brooks Robinson: The Human Vacuum Cleaner
Few players in baseball history are as synonymous with a single position as Brooks Robinson is with third base. Over 23 seasons — all with the Baltimore Orioles — Robinson redefined what defense at the hot corner could look like, and he's still widely regarded as the finest defensive third baseman the game has ever seen.
The numbers back it up. Robinson won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves (1960–1975), a mark matched only by pitchers Jim Kaat and Greg Maddux, and he still holds career records for games, assists, putouts, and double plays at third base. He earned his famous nickname, "The Human Vacuum Cleaner," during a jaw-dropping defensive showcase in the 1970 World Series against Cincinnati, a performance so dominant it earned him World Series MVP honors as Baltimore captured the title.
Robinson wasn't just a glove man, either. His best all-around season came in 1964, when he hit .317, led the league with 118 RBI, and captured the AL MVP award — a year that also included career-high marks in on-base and slugging percentage. Add in 15 All-Star selections, a 1966 All-Star Game MVP, and two World Series championships (1966 and 1970), and it's easy to see why he sailed into the Hall of Fame in 1983 with 92% of the vote.
Off the field, Robinson's reputation matched his play. He was regarded as one of the classiest men to ever put on a uniform, so beloved in Baltimore that generations of local kids were named after him — and Royals great George Brett chose to wear #5 specifically as a tribute to him. The Orioles retired that number in 1978, and in 2012 a statue of Robinson went up outside Camden Yards alongside the franchise's other legends.
As Johnny Pesky once put it, "If Robinson could run, he would be the perfect ballplayer." Running speed may have been his one real weakness — but with a glove in his hand, nobody did it better.
TRIVIA Sponsored by Classic Baseball Broadcasts — Start you free trial here.
Todays Trivia . . .
Who was the first player since Johnny Podres to win a league Most Valuable Player Award, an All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award and a World Series Most Valuable Player Award?
Hint: #1 He had more at-bats in the 1960s than any other player.
Hint: #2 The player he replaced and he were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the same day.
Answer in a bit!
Quote of the day:
"I played almost 23 years professionally and I don't think I ever had five games in a row like I had in that World Series. It just happened to be the World Series." - Brooks Robinson on his performance in the 1970 World Series
Game of The Day:
Game of the Day — August 21, 1977 Cincinnati Reds vs New York Mets
In his first appearance at Shea Stadium since being traded, Tom Seaver throws a six-hitter against his former teammates and strikes out 11, helping the Cincinnati Reds defeat the New York Mets, 5-1. In addition to his work on the mound, ‘Tom Terrific’ hits a double and scores two runs.
🎧 Other Classic Broadcasts — August 21
August 21, 1971 Boston Red Sox vs Oakland Athletics
Starting pitchers: Jim Hunter vs Ray Culp Broadcasters: Ned Martin, Johnny Pesky and Ken Coleman
August 21, 1972 Houston Astros vs New York Mets
Todays starting pitchers: Jon Matlack vs Jerry Reuss
Todays broadcasters: Ralph Kiner, Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy
August 21, 1978 San Francisco Giants vs New York Mets
Todays starting pitchers: Kevin Kobel vs Vida Blue
Todays Podcast
August 21 highlights and Historic Days!
August 21, 1915, the Chicago White Sox acquire outfielder Joe Jackson from the Cleveland Indians for outfielders Larry Chappell and Robert Roth, pitcher Ed Klepfer, and over $31,000 in cash. Jackson will become a star for the White Sox but will later be banned from baseball for his alleged involvement in the “Black Sox” scandal of 1919.
August 21, 1926, At Fenway Park, Chicago White Sox righty Ted Lyons pitches a 6-0 no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox . Lyons takes just 67 minutes to pitch his gem, allowing just one walk. Lyons won 260 games in his 21-year Hall of Fame career.
August 21, 1931 — At Sportsman’s Park III, Babe Ruth becomes the first major leaguer to hit 600 career home runs when the New York Yankees defeat the St. Louis Browns, 11-7. The 36 year-old slugger hit the milestone round-tripper off right-hander George Blaeholder.
Rogers Hornsby had the second most career home runs at the time with 293.
August 21, 1947, the first-ever Little League World Series is held in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The hometown Maynard Midgets, based in Williamsport, win the Series with a 16-7 decision.
August 21, 1953 — Major league player representatives Ralph Kiner (National League) and Allie Reynolds (American League) hire labor leader John Norman Lewis at $15,000 per annum to give legal advice to players in their negotiations with the owners.
August 21, 1963 — In the Orioles sweep of the Angels, Orioles SS Luis Aparicio becomes the first major league player since George Case in 1945 to reach 300 career steals. The O’s win, 7 – 4 and 3 – 2.
August 21, 1967, Ken “Hawk” Harrelson of the Kansas City A’s becomes baseball’s first free agent when he is “fired” by team owner Charlie Finley. Harrelson had drawn the wrath of Finley by allegedly referring to him as a “menace” to baseball. Remaining unemployed for only a few days, Harrelson will sign on with the Boston Red Sox, becoming a part of their “Impossible Dream” pennant-winning team.
August 21, 1975, brothers Rick and Paul Reuschel of the Chicago Cubs combine on a 7-0 shutout victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rick pitches 6 1/3 innings before Paul comes on and finishes the game in relief. The game marks the first time that two brothers have combined on a shutout.
August 21, 1982, Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers becomes the first major leaguer to reach 300 career saves. The Brewers needed some clutch relief pitching from Fingers to beat the Seattle Mariners that night, following a three-run 8th-inning explosion that opened up a scoreless game.
Fingers came in to protect the lead in the eighth, and only allowed a single in that frame. In the ninth, he gave up a two-run homer to Dave Revering that cut Milwaukee’s advantage to 3-2 with one out. Fingers forced a pair of fly ball outs to preserve a 3-2 win, and his then-record 300th save.
August 21, 1986 — In the Red Sox’s 24-5 rout the Cleveland Indians, Spike Owen ties a major league mark, becoming the first major leaguer to score six runs in a game since Johnny Pesky, also playing for Boston, accomplished the feat in 1946. The light-hitting shortstop was obtained three days ago, along with center fielder Dave Henderson, from the Mariners in exchange for Rey Quinones and cash.
August 21, 1990 — Billy Hatcher ties a major-league record with four doubles to pace the Reds to an 8 – 1 win over the Cubs. Rick Mahler beats Mike Harkey. The only score for Chicago is Ryne Sandberg’s 29th homer. Reds manager Lou Piniella argues with umpire Dutch Rennert after Barry Larkin is called out at first at the end of the fifth inning. After throwing his hat down, Piniella is ejected; in response, Piniella rips first base out of the ground and throws it twice toward right field.
August 21, 2010 — Matt Stairs sets the career record for pinch-hit home runs when he goes deep off Ernesto Frieri in the eighth inning of a 6-5 loss in Milwaukee. The two-run shot over the Miller Park right field fence, his twenty-first round-tripper coming off the bench, moves the premier pinch-hitter ahead of Cliff Johnson.
Matt stairs is 1 of only 5 Canadian born players to hit 200 homeruns, and he has the record for a position player playing for 12 different teams and 13 franchises. He played for the Expos and Nationals.
His pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of Game 4 in the 2008 National League Championship Series off the Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton was called “one of the most memorable home runs in Phillies history”
News Reels August 21
August 21, 1948 Dizzy Dean Show Dizzy-s Fast Ball
Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Indians (August 21, 1986) “The Sox Trample The Tribe With 2 Dozen Runs”
Michael Jordan Comes Thru With A Big Hit For The Birmingham Barons (August 21, 1994)
Milestones August 21
🎙️ Did you know? Carl Morton compiled an 18-11 record for the Expos in 1970 and was voted NL Rookie of the Year. He began as an outfielder in the Braves' organization, became a success when converted to the mound, and was taken by the Expos in the 1968 expansion draft. After he slipped to 7-13 in 1972, Morton was traded back to Atlanta, where he strung together three winning seasons for mediocre Braves teams. He won only four games in 1976 and finished in the minors. Morton was only 39 when he died of a heart attack after jogging. He pitched his final game on this day.
Birthdays:
Notable: John Stearns
Debuts:
Notable: Dennis Lamp
Final Games:
Highlights: Carl Morton
Passings:
Notable: Dean Stone
New From Around the League!
ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA
TRIVIA ANSWER: BROOKS ROBINSON
- Ans. Brooks was AL MVP in 1964; was the MVP of the 1966 ASG; & the MVP of the 1970 WS.
- #1 Robinson came up to bat an amazing 6,093 times for BAL 1960-1969. Hank Aaron was 2nd with 5,912.
- #2 George Kell had anchored third base for the Orioles in 1955 & 1956, his final years as a big leaguer, playing 3rd base 97 & 80 games respectively. Brooks took over at 3rd in 1958 and only once in the following 19 seasons did he play fewer than 144 games in any season. Both of these sons of Arkansas became Hall of Famers in Cooperstown on 31-Jul-1983, Brooks on his 1st ballot, Kell by the Veterans Committee in his 15th year on the ballot.
Thank you Horsehide Trivia
JOIN CLASSIC BASEBALL BROADCASTS TODAY