TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

July 5, 1997 — Prior to their game with Atlanta at Olympic Stadium, the Montreal Expos retire Andre Dawson’s uniform number 10. During his 11-year tenure with Montreal, the future Hall of Fame outfielder once set the single-season club records for home runs (32), RBIs (113), extra base hits (78), and sacrifice flies (18). Braves defeat Montreal, 5 – 3, with Chipper Jones’ 3rd-inning grand slam the big blow.

More on the Hawk

The 1987 National League Most Valuable Player, stoic Andre Dawson clubbed 49 homers and drove in 137 runs for the last-place Chicago Cubs, becoming the first player on a cellar-dweller to earn the award. He hit 174 homers in a Cubs' uniform, but that was just the second act in his fine career. Earlier, "The Hawk" starred as a five-tool center fielder for the Expos, hitting 225 homers and stealing 253 bases for Montreal in ten full seasons. With Ellis Valentine and Warren Cromartie, and later Tim Raines, he formed one of the most talented outfields of the era. He finished his career with two seasons for his hometown Florida Marlins

Best Season, 1987
Though Dawson was a more well-rounded player from 1979-1983, he was a monster in '87. I can't agree with his selection as Most Valuable Player, but he had a fabulous season for a very mediocre team. — Dan Holmes

Several sources claim Dawson signed a blank major league contract with the Chicago Cubs in 1987. This is not completely true. Dawson was one of several free agents that off-season who did not receive any offers from teams. Lance Parrish, Tim Raines, Bob Boone, Bob Horner and Rich Gedman were a few of the others. These free agents were later awarded compensation because it was found owners' had agreed to ignore high-price free agents in an effort to drive down the price of players. Dawson eventually signed with the Cubs, his first choice because he had always had success at Wrigley Field. In his years with Montreal he had hit .346 (122-for-353) with 16 homers and a .598 slugging percentage in Wrigley. Dawson originally told the Cubs he would sign a blank contract and allow the team to fill in any salary they saw fit, just so he could get to play 81 games in Chicago. The Cubs refused and settled on a $650,000 contract - still far less than Dawson would have commanded in a "collusion-free" fair market. After his MVP campaign in 1987, the Cubs tore up the contract and re-signed him for $1.8 million.

Todays Podcast

July 5 1924 Babe Ruth unconscious at Griffith Stadium in Washington during a game against the Senators. The Babe was out for 5 minutes after colliding with the wall going for a ball. Once he came to, Miller Huggins wanted to take him out, but Ruth wouldn’t hear of it. He finished playing and had 2 more hits.

July 5, 1929, at the Polo Grounds, the New York Giants become the first team to use a public address system.

July 5, 1934, Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees hits an inside-the-park grand slam at Yankee Stadium in an 8-3 win over the Washington Senators. It’s the 17th grand slam of Gehrig’s career, Gehrig and Babe Ruth’s had shared the record at 16. Gehrig finishes the game with two home runs and seven RBIs. The “Blast” came off Senators starter Lefty Stewart and scoring on the play just ahead of Gehrig ironically was Ruth. Gehrig will eventually set a career record of 23 grand slams. Gehrig now has 321 career home runs to Ruth’s 698.

July 5 1947 – Larry Doby becomes the first black to appear in the American League. Striking out as a pinch hitter in an Indian 6 – 5 loss to the White Sox, the 22-year old and The former Newark Eagles standout will play in the major leagues for 13 years, amassing 1,515 hits, just three less than Jackie Robinson.

July 5, 1951 At Ebbets Field, Gil Hodges hits his 27th homer of the year to lead the Dodgers to a 8 – 4 win over the Giants. Andy Pafko also homers, off Larry Jansen. Don Newcombe notches his 12th win, giving up seven hits. After sweeping the Giants in the 3-game series, Dodger manager Chuck Dressen declares, “We knocked ’em out. They won’t bother us anymore.” The Dodgers now lead the Giants by 7 1/2 games but will be surpassed by season’s end.

July 5, 1953 Blanking the Pirates at Forbes Field, 2 – 0, Robin Roberts hurls his 28th consecutive complete game. The Phillies right-hander has finished every game he started since beating the Cardinals on August 28, 1952.

July 5, 1970 At Fenway Park, Boston’s John Kennedy makes his first at bat for the BoSox a memorable one when he pinch hits an inside-the-park homer. Kennedy bats for Pitcher Mike Nagy in the 5th inning of the 8 – 4 Boston win over the Cleveland Indians.

July 5, 1985 At Wrigley Field, the first three hitters in the Cubs’ announced batting order are Billy Hatcher, Davey Lopes and Ryne Sandberg. After Hatcher walks, Lopes takes a strike before someone in the Cubs’ dugout sees that the lineup card submitted to the umpire has Sandberg listed second and Lopes third. Sandberg then finishes the at-bat (during which Hatcher is picked off) and singles. Lopes, hitting in his proper turn, doubles Sandberg home. All for naught as the Giants beat them, 12 – 6.

July 5, 1987, Mark McGwire of the Oakland A’s becomes the first rookie to hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break. McGwire’s latest long ball helps the A’s to a 6-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. McGwire’s teammate, Jose Canseco, adds a pair of home runs. The Oakland infielder will finish the season with 49 round-trippers, establishing a new freshman mark previously shared by Wally Berger and Frank Robinson with 39.

July 5, 1989, Barry Bonds of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a home run in a 6-4 loss to the Giants, making him and his father, Bobby, the all-time father-son home run duo. Barry and Bobby break the record held by Yogi and Dale Berra, and Gus and Buddy Bell, who had shared the mark with 407 home runs.

July 5, 1989 At Veterans Stadium in the bottom of the 9th in a tie game a frustrated Paul O’Neill, mishandled a Lenny Dykstra single thinking the game is over, kicks the ball to first baseman Todd Benziniger holding Steve Jeltz at third base. Jeltz will score on a wild pitch and the Phillies will walkoff with a 3-2 victory.

July 5, 1997 — Prior to their game with Atlanta at Olympic Stadium, the Montreal Expos retire Andre Dawson’s uniform number 10. During his 11-year tenure with Montreal, the future Hall of Fame outfielder once set the single-season club records for home runs (32), RBIs (113), extra base hits (78), and sacrifice flies (18). Braves defeat Montreal, 5 – 3, with Chipper Jones’ 3rd-inning grand slam the big blow.

July 5, 2000 — Mets right-handed reliever Eric Cammack triples in his only major league at-bat, joining Charlie Lindstrom (1958), Eduardo Rodriguez (1973), and Scott Munninghoff (1980) as the only players to accomplish this unlikely feat. The 24 year-old Nederland, Texas native, who will appear in only eight big league games, all with the Amazins’, legs out his three-bagger off Ron Mahay in the top of the ninth inning during the team’s 11-2 loss to the Marlins at Pro Player Stadium.

July 5, 2002, Hall of Famer Ted Williams, the last major league player to hit .400 in a single season, dies at the age of 83. Williams, who had suffered a series of strokes in recent years, was taken to Citrus County Memorial Hospital in Crystal River, Florida, where he passed away. One of baseball’s greatest hitters, Williams combined keen vision with quick wrists and a scientific approach to hitting and set numerous batting records. His accomplishments included a .406 season in 1941, two Triple Crowns, two MVPs, six American League batting championships, 521 home runs, and a lifetime average of .344. At his 1966 Induction speech, Williams called for the election of Negro league greats to the Hall of Fame

 ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA

TRIVIA ANSWER: Jim Dwyer

Dwyer’s solo HR in the 1st inning of G #1 was the Orioles’ only run in their only loss in that WS.

- #1 He was traded from STL to MON 25-Jul-1975. He was NL POW the week ending 03-Aug-1975 with a slash line of .478/.480/.826.

- #2 Dwyer shared uniforms with these Hall of Famers…

… Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Mgr. Red Schoendienst, Ted Simmons & Joe Torre on STL in 1973 to ’75;

… Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Coach Larry Doby, Randy Johnson, Duke Snider & Larry Walker on MON in 1975-76, 77-78, 1989;

… Tom Seaver, Joe Torre (again) & Coach Willie Mays on NYM in 1976;

… Willie McCovey on SFG in 1978;

… Dennis Eckersley, Carlton Fisk, Tony Perez, Jim Rice & Carl Yastrzemski on BOS in 1979-80; and

… Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Cal Ripken, Coach/Mgr. Frank Robinson & Mgr. Earl Weaver 1981-88;

… Bert Blyleven, Steve Carlton, Coach Tony Oliva & Kirby Puckett on MIN in 1988-90.

Thank you Horsehide Trivia

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