TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

June 17, 1978, Ron Guidry of the New York Yankees sets an American League record for most strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher in a single game. Guidry strikes out 18 California Angels in picking up a 4-0 win-his 11th consecutive victory without a loss.

The Angels’ Bobby Grich led off the game with a double to center field. But third base was as far as he would advance as Guidry bore down with two strikeouts to get out of the inning. New York put a dent in the scoreboard first on consecutive singles by Roy White, Thurman Munson, and Gary Thomasson.

New York extended its lead in the bottom of the third inning. Munson led off with a single to right field and came home on a triple to left by Thomasson. Reggie Jackson singled to left field to plate Thomasson. After a wild pitch by Hartzell, Jackson took second base. Chris Chambliss popped out to short, then Graig Nettles singled home Jackson and the Yankees led 4-0. Fregosi brought in Ken Brett to relieve Hartzell, but the damage had been done. Neither team scored again.

The story of the game though, was Guidry. Though the Angels were getting men on base, Guidry was keeping them off the board. After he struck out Ike Hampton and Grich to lead off the third inning, Rick Miller and Dave Chalk hit singles. But Guidry reached back for something extra, and struck out Joe Rudi. The crowd was getting into it. A constant “clap, clap, clap” grew in volume around the ballpark when Guidry got two strikes on a batter. As the game wore on, the more consistent and louder the clapping became.

Guidry struck out the side in the fourth and sixth innings to give him 14 K’s. Sportswriters and broadcasters were scrambling for their media guides to see what the record was for the most strikeouts in game by a Yankees pitcher. The answer was 15 by Bob Shawkey against the Philadelphia Athletics on September 27, 1919.

Guidry tied Shawkey when he struck out Brian Downing in the seventh inning. He surpassed Shawkey by striking out Hampton in the eighth and added two more for a total of 18 strikeouts. He came up one strikeout shy of the record of 19, held Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and Steve Carlton. Ryan was in the Angels dugout watching the exhibition put on by Guidry. “That kid was overpowering,” said Ryan. “Anytime somebody can break that record, I’m all for it. It’s just a matter of time. It’s going to happen.”

“I didn’t know I had that many strikeouts,” said Guidry after the game. “I knew I had several, but I didn’t think I was up that high. I was just concentrating on the next batter. When I went out to mound in the eighth, they put up on the scoreboard that I had the most strikeouts in Yankee History for a single game and was 3 away from tying Nolan Ryan. I thought I had eight or nine.” he added "I didn't try to strike anybody out in that game until the ninth inning. I told Thurman that I didn't realize I was that close. And Thurman said, 'IF YOU GET CLOSE, YOU WILL GO FOR IT, OR I'LL PERSONALLY BREAK YOUR ANKLES BEFORE YOU GET BACK TO THE DUGOUT.' The 17th and 18th batters were the only guys I tried to strike out in that game.''

Guidry added two more, fanning Dave Chalk and Joe Rudi to start the 9th for a total of 18 strikeouts. Don Baylor singled and Ron Jackson never let him get close grounding out on the last pitch of the game. He came up one strikeout shy of the record of 19, held by Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and Steve Carlton. Ryan was in the Angels dugout watching the exhibition put on by Guidry. “That kid was overpowering,” said Ryan. “Anytime somebody can break that record, I’m all for it. It’s just a matter of time. It’s going to happen.”

Guidry praised the Yankee fans among the 33,162 who were in attendance. “When they start hollering and screaming, you just get pumped up that much higher,” he said. “I felt I disappointed them when a guy hit the ball with two strikes. I thought I made a mistake.”

The performance will help coin a new nickname for Guidry as the team's announcer, Phil Rizzuto, begins to refer to him as "Louisiana Lightning", inspiring a new Yankees tradition as the fans begin to clap rhythmically each time there are two strikes on the batter.

June 17, 1936, Charles “Red” Ruffing of the New York Yankees sets an American League record for pitchers by piling up 10 total bases. Ruffing hits two home runs as part of a four-hit day, helping the Yankees to a 15 – 4 crushing of the Cleveland Indians.

June 17 1941 – Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees is credited with a hit in his 30th consecutive game when an easy grounder to shortstop Luke Appling bounces up and hits him on the shoulder. The Chicago White Sox beat the Yankees, 8 – 7. The ‘Yankee Clipper’s’ fortunate hit also breaks the team’s record for hits in consecutive games, previously held by Roger Peckinpaugh (1919) and Earle Combs (1931), who both had 29.

June 17, 1942 — During the second game of a twin bill in Boston, Paul Waner, standing on first base, gestures to the official scorer, Jerry Moore of the Boston Globe, not to credit him with a hit on the ground ball in the hole that was knocked down by Reds shortstop Eddie Joost. ‘Big Poison’ doesn’t want a questionable roller to be his historic 3000th hit, which the Braves right-fielder will collect with a clean single after tomorrow’s off day.

June 17, 1943, At Fenway Park Boston Red Sox player-manager Joe Cronin inserts himself as a pinch-hitter in both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A’s. The future Hall of Famer hits three-run home runs each time to the plate. The Red Sox win the first game, 5-4, Cronin hit is 3 run shot in the 7th to tie the game off the A’s starter Russ Christopher, with 2 outs. The Red Sox will win the game in the bottom of 9th on an error by A’s first baseman Norm Siebern. In the second game, Cronin’s 3 run shot came in the bottom of the 8th off A’s starter Don Black, his homerun brought the Red Sox to within a run, but the Red Sox failed to scrap across another run to tie the game in the 8-7 loss of the nightcap. Cronin will pinch-hit 42 times this year with 18 hits, including an American League record five pinch-hit homers.

June 17, 1956 — Joe Adcock’s ninth-inning home run off Brooklyn right-hander Ed Roebuck, his second round-tripper of the game, proves to be the game-winner in the Braves’ 5-4 victory over the Dodgers. The blast to left field, which clears an 83-foot wall at the 350-foot mark, is believed to the only homer ever to land on the roof at Ebbets Field. 11-year-old Fred Gordon of Brooklyn recovered Joe Adcock’s mammoth shot over the left field roof. The youngster returned the ball to Joe and received two new balls and the Milwaukee cap he’s wearing. Adcock will go on to hit 13 career home runs at Ebbets Field, more than any other visiting player.

June 17 1958 — Ozzie Virgil, who became the first black man to play for the Detroit Tigers 11 days earlier, goes 5 for 5 in his first home game at Briggs Stadium. The Dominican’s performance helps Detroit beat the Washington Senators, 9 – 2.

June 17, 1960, at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ted Williams becomes the fourth major league player to hit his 500th home run, joining Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Mel Ott. Williams’ two-run shot off the Tribe’s Wayne Hawkins. helps the Boston Red Sox to a 3-1 win over the Cleveland Indians.

June 17, 1962, At the Polo Grounds, during the first inning of the first game of a twin bill Chicago Cubs outfielder Lou Brock hits a 460-foot home run into the right-field bleachers off Al Jackson. Known more for his speed than power, Brock becomes only the second player to reach that section of seats at the Polo Grounds. Joe Adcock was the first. The Cubs will sweep the New York Mets, 8 – 7 and 4 – 3.

June 17 1970 — At Candlestick Park, Giants legend Willie Mays (615) and Ernie Banks of the Cubs (504) both hit home runs making it the first time two big leaguers with 500 home runs do it in the same game.

June 17, 1976 — At Shea Stadium, Dave Kingman hits a walk-off homer to give the Mets a 1-0 victory over the Dodgers. Sky King’s game-ending blast comes off Charlie Hough in the 14th inning.

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