Baseball
If anybody is up for an exciting Sunday Baseball Matinee look no further than the May 17th, 1979 matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies & Chicago Cubs. It won’t disappoint. The two teams combined for 45 runs on 50 hits. Eleven players had at least 3 hits, Including Mr. Dave ‘Kong’ Kingman who went deep 3 times that day at windy Wrigley. YouTube Link is below. Check it Out!!
On May 14th, 1989 Benny Distefano of the Pittsburgh Pirates switched positions from 1B to Catcher for the top of the ninth inning of a 5-2 Buccos loss to the Atlanta Braves. The change was significant because Benny became the 1st left hander to get behind the plate since Mike Squires, a White Sox first basemen, caught a couple of innings back in 1980. Benny caught six innings for the Pirates during that 1989 season, and is currently the last lefty to play catcher in the big leagues.
Ol’ Kirby Puckett sure was lights out back on May 13th, 1989 when he recorded 4 doubles in a Minnesota Twins 10-8 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Kirby became the 35th major leaguer to accomplish the feat. Kirby won the AL Batting Title that season, hitting .339, & finished 2nd in doubles and 1st in hits. R.I.P.
Happy Birthday Lou Whitaker! Sweet Lou maned 2nd base for the Detroit Tigers from 1978 until he retired in 1995. The 5x All-Star teamed with Shortstop Alan Trammell to form the longest running Double Play Duo in Baseball. Who out there remembers when they both played themselves in an episode of Magnum P.I. back in 1983?
Did you know that it was Moises’ walk off double in the bottom of the 10th inning that won the 1994 MLB All-Star Game for the National League? The shot to the left center gap scored Tony Gwynn all the way from first base giving them an 8-7 victory. The win broke the NL’s 6 year losing streak in All-Star Games.
On May 9th, 1987 Eddie Murray became the first player in MLB History to hit Homers both left handed & right handed in two straight games. Eddie went 7 for 14 with 4 HR, 7 RBI, & 2 doubles in the Orioles 3 game sweep of the Chicago White Sox that Mother’s Day Weekend.
Gaylord Perry earned his 300th career victory on May 6th, 1982 while hurling spitballs for the Seattle Mariners during a 7-3 victory over the New York Yankees. It was also one of his 303 career complete games as well. Sail on Ancient Mariner.
On April, 29th 1988 the Baltimore Orioles shut out the Chicago White Sox 9-0 at Comiskey Park. The victory snapped a 0-21 start to the season for the Birds. The worst start in AL History. They went on to finish 1988 with a 54-107 record.
Get your Blaze On!! Chuck Carr led the National League with 58 steals in 1993 for the expansion Florida Marlins.
Eddie Murray hit the 1st of his 504 career Home Runs back on April 18th, 1977 in a 4-3 Baltimore victory over the Cleveland Indians. The 6th Inning solo shot came off ex-Orioles 20 game winner Pat Dobson. Eddie would finish out his first year in majors with 26 more round trippers.
It was back on September 15th, 1988 when Randy Johnson made his Major League debut for the Montreal Expos. The ‘Big Unit’ earned his first win in a 9-4 Expos victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. There was one Bucco though who got the best of Johnson. Right Fielder Glenn Wilson took Johnson deep not once but twice with solo homeruns.
Shawon Dunston was the Chicago Cubs Opening Day starter at Shortstop for 8 straight seasons. (‘85-’92) The 2X All-Star was the first overall selection in the 1982 MLB Draft out of Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, NY. Happy Birthday Shawon
