1. materials characteristic of baseball and the culture of baseball; 2. collectible baseball Americana
1986
Bo Jackson, college football’s Heisman Trophy winner in 1985 and the first pick (by Tampa Bay) in the NFL draft, stuns pundits and observers nationwide by signing with the Kansas City Royals instead.
1979
In New York, 36,211 fans show up to witness the return of Billy Martin as Yankees manager, but the Yanks lose to the Blue Jays 5-4. Martin had been named to replace Bob Lemon the previous day, beginning his second stint as Yankee skipper a season earlier than previously announced.
1938
Jimmie Foxx is walked a record six consecutive times by St. Louis Browns pitchers as the Boston Red Sox win 12-8.
1992
Ozzie Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals breaks Roy McMillan’s National League mark by taking part in his 1,305th career double play. “The Wizard” will be elected to the Hall of Fame in 2002.
1979
The Detroit Tigers fire manager Les Moss, hiring Sparky Anderson. The former Big Red Machine skipper will lead Motown to a World Championship in 1984 as part of his Hall of Fame career.
1959
Rocky Colavito hits four consecutive home runs in Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium to lead the Indians to an 11-8 win over the Orioles. Colavito joins Lou Gehrig and Bobby Lowe as the only major-league players to hit four consecutive four-baggers.
1968
Dodgers Don Drysdale works 4 scoreless innings against the Phillies before finally allowing a run, after 58 2/3 shutout innings, on Howie Bedell’s sac fly. Bedell has no other RBI in 1968. Drysdale breaks the MLB mark of 56 consecutive scoreless innings set by Walter Johnson in 1913.
1971
Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants strokes a 12th-inning home run off Joe Hoerner of the Philadelphia Phillies in the second game of a doubleheader, his 22nd — and last — career extra-inning homer, a major-league mark.
1990
Ramon Martinez, 22, strikes out 18 Atlanta Braves in a 2-0 Los Angeles Dodgers win. He ties Sandy Koufax’s club record and is one short of the N.L. mark. Interestingly, he struck out no one in the ninth inning.