TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

May 19, 1956, Pittsburgh Pirates slugger  Dale Long's eighth-inning Forbes Field's two-run homerun against Chicago cubs reliver Jim Davis is the first in a string of eight consecutive games in which the Pirates' first baseman will homer. The Adam, MA native's major league mark will also be accomplished by Don Mattingly (Yankees, 1987) and Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners, 1993).

Dale Long: Power, Perseverance, and a Place in Baseball History

Dale Long’s path to the majors was anything but conventional. Born in Springfield, Missouri, and raised in Adams, Massachusetts, he turned down an offer to play football for the Green Bay Packers, instead pursuing a baseball career that spanned over two decades. His professional journey began in 1944 with a wartime appearance for the Milwaukee Brewers, but it would take six more years and five different organizations before he made his MLB debut in 1951.

A left-handed first baseman with surprising versatility, Long’s early years were a grind. He even tried catching during spring training at the urging of Branch Rickey—an experiment that briefly resurfaced in 1958 when Long became the first lefty to catch in a major league game since 1902. But his real breakthrough came in 1955 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he hit .291 with 79 RBIs and led the league with 13 triples.

Long etched his name into the record books in 1956 by hitting home runs in eight consecutive games—a feat unmatched in the National League to this day. That All-Star season saw him post career highs in homers (27) and RBIs (91). He later played for the Cubs, Giants, Yankees, and Senators, collecting 132 home runs and earning a World Series ring with the 1962 Yankees.

His final MLB appearance came in 1963, followed by a brief stint as a minor league umpire. Dale Long’s career was defined by perseverance and historic moments, capped by his legendary home run streak and contributions to championship teams. A .267 lifetime hitter, he remains one of baseball’s most unique and underrated sluggers.

Features over 17+ games with Long and overall 176 Pirates broadcasts

Interview vault includes:

83+ highlights and interviews, and hundreds of games he broadcasted

May 19, 1918 Babe and wife Helen spent the day in the sun at Revere Beach, north of Boston. It was a happy day of eating picnic sandwiches, drinking beer and swimming on a full stomach. That night Babe developed a terrible fever of 104, complaining of aches, chills, and a painful throat. Along with millions of Americans that Spring, he had caught the flu. Babe showed up at Fenway the next day expecting to play but was wisely sent home. His symptoms worsened due to his doctor’s mistreatment of his throat and he wound up in Massachusetts General for several days. Rumors spread that Babe was on his deathbed. He recovered and was well enough to hit 11 home runs in May and June. In October, Babe was back home in Baltimore only to once again contract the Spanish Flu which he defeated with less incident than his case from earlier in the year.

May 19, 1933 — For the first time in major league history, brothers on opposite teams hit home runs in the same game. Boston Red Sox catcher Rick Ferrell homers off his brother Wes Ferrell in the 2nd inning, but the Cleveland Indians pitcher returns the favor as he homers in the 3rd on a pitch called by his sibling. It is the only time that the Ferrell brothers homer in the same game.

May 19, 1956, Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Dale Long’s eighth-inning Forbes Field’s two-run homerun against Chicago cubs reliver Jim Davis is the first in a string of eight consecutive games in which the Pirates’ first baseman will homer. The Adam, MA native’s major league mark will also be accomplished by Don Mattingly (Yankees, 1987) and Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners, 1993).

May 19, 1959, At Memorial Stadium, pitcher Billy O’Dell of the Baltimore Orioles hits a 120-foot home run against Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox. O’Dell’s “drive” hits the foul line and bounces over the head of right fielder Al Smith, allowing O’Dell to circle the bases. Thanks to O’Dell’s two-run, inside-the-park home run, the Orioles win the game, 2-1.

May 19, 1962, At dodger Stadium, Stan Musial broke Honus Wagner’s record for most hits in National League history. The St. Louis Cardinals’ legend singles against Ron Perranoski of the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking the 3,431st hit of his Hall of Fame career.

May 19, 1968, Frank Howard’s home run streak comes to an end. The Washington Senators’ slugger had hit 10 home runs over the last six games, establishing a new major league record.

May 19, 1970, the lawsuit filed by former St. Louis Cardinals star Curt Flood against Major League Baseball begins its hearing in federal court. Judge Irving Ben Cooper presides over the case, which will result in the upholding of baseball’s reserve clause.

May 19, 1976 — At Tiger Stadium, Carl Yastrzemski passes Boston legend Ted Williams for the most games played in a Red Sox uniform. Yaz makes the historic day memorable by going 4-for-4, including three home runs, in the team’s 9-2 victory in the Motor City.

May 19, 1981, Pittsburgh Pirates starter Jim Bibby narrowly misses pitching his second career no-hitter when he fires a one-hitter against the Atlanta Braves. The massive right-hander allows a leadoff single to Terry Harper before retiring the next 27 batters in a row. Bibby helps himself by hitting two doubles with one run and one RBI. Phil Niekro is the loser. In 1973, Bibby pitched a no-hitter for the Texas Rangers against the Oakland Athletics.

May 19, 1984 At Busch Stadium Joining the club in St. Louis, Reds’ rookie Eric Davis makes his major league debut, grounding out to short as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning of the Reds’ 9-1 loss to the Cardinals vs Joaquin Andujar. When Cincinnati forgets to pack an extra road uniform, the 22 year-old rookie needs to wear a numberless jersey.

May 19, 2008, Jon Lester of the Boston Red Sox hurls a no-hitter in his 7-0 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. Lester became only the third lefty in franchise history to throw a no-no at Fenway Park. It was the first complete game of Lester’s career. Lester, who was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma two seasons ago.

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