TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

September 14, 1968, Detroit’s Denny McLain started the morning with his usual routine—eggs, sausage, and a Pepsi. By afternoon, he was chasing history. No pitcher had reached 30 wins since Dizzy Dean in 1934, and the entire nation was watching on NBC’s “Game of the Week.”

Tiger Stadium was packed with 33,688 fans, including Dean himself, cowboy hat and all. McLain, already 29–5, joked with reporters before the game. He knew the stakes. Oakland, a middle-of-the-pack team, was in town, but they had a budding star in 22-year-old Reggie Jackson.

Jackson quickly made sure the day wouldn’t be easy. He homered in the fourth and again in the sixth, driving in three runs. By the ninth, McLain’s Tigers trailed 4–3. Win No. 30 looked out of reach.

Then came the comeback. Al Kaline worked a leadoff walk. Mickey Stanley singled him to third. Jim Northrup chopped a slow roller to first, and a wild throw home allowed Kaline to score the tying run. The old ballpark shook.

Willie Horton then ended it. With the outfield drawn in, he ripped a line drive over left fielder Jim Gosger’s head. Stanley crossed the plate with the winning run, and Tiger Stadium erupted in bedlam. One writer compared it to “V-J Day all over again.”

McLain finished with nine innings pitched, six hits allowed, four runs, and 10 strikeouts. Jackson, despite his two homers, was left fuming. “All for nothing,” he said. Dizzy Dean, by contrast, was thrilled. “One of the greatest games I ever saw.”

As fans roared, McLain stood in awe. “Look at those people! I can’t believe it!” he shouted. When asked how he’d celebrate, his answer was classic McLain: “Drink more Pepsi. A whole lot of Pepsi.”

Todays Podcast

September 14, 1923: Red Sox first baseman George Burns completes an unassisted triple play against the Indians as he gathers in a Frank Brower line drive, tags Rube Lutzke coming from first, and beats Riggs Stephenson back to second.

September 14, 1980, in a 10 – 7 win over the Cubs, Lee Mazzilli homers to break a drought
for Mets. It is the team’s first homer in 175 2/3 innings, going back to August 26 when Claudell Washington homered. This would be the longest drought for the rest of the century.

September 14, 1990 Seattle’s Ken Griffey and his son, Ken Griffey Jr., become the first father and son to hit homers in the same major league game. Angels pitcher Kirk McCaskill gives up the back-to-back homers in the first inning in California’s eventual 7-5 win over the Mariners. When Griffey Sr. signed with the Mariners (Griffey Jr.’s team at the time), no father and son had ever even played together on the same team. The exceptionally talented family pair played together for just 2 seasons, in 1990 and 1991, as Senior’s career was winding down and Junior’s path to the Hall of Fame was beginning. The Angels Dave Winfield told The Sporting News, ““I don’t like seeing it done against us, but it was nice to see. It’s like keeping up with the Joneses, but now it’s keeping up with Griffeys. It’s great for baseball and great for Seattle.” At the time of the game, Griffey Jr., 20 years old, was the youngest player in the majors while Griffey Sr., 40 years old, was the 7th oldest

September 14, 1994 – The remainder of the baseball season is canceled by acting commissioner Bud Selig after 34 days of the players’ strike. The last 50 games of the season and post season were cancelled due to the strike called by the Players Association and their leader Don Fehr. The World Series would not be played for the first time in 90 years. The strike was finally ended by a ruling from future Chief Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

September 14, 2002, Derek Lowe wins his 20th game as the Red Sox beat the Orioles, 6 – 4.
Lowe becomes the first pitcher in history to win 20 games the season after saving 20. He is also the first to record at least 40 saves and later win 20 games. Dennis Eckersley and John Smoltz did it the other way around.

 ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA

TRIVIA ANSWER: BILL FREEHAN

Thank you Horsehide Trivia

JOIN CLASSIC BASEBALL BROADCASTS TODAY