1. materials characteristic of baseball and the culture of baseball; 2. collectible baseball Americana
1947
Ralph Kiner hits three successive home runs for the Pittsburgh Pirates, for a 12-7 win over the Cardinals in a game in which the two clubs bang out 10 homers. Kiner matches the major league marks of seven home runs in four games, six in three games, five in two games, and four in consecutive at bats.
Continue readingOn This Day: August 16
1989
In just his second start since returning to the major leagues after cancer treatment, Giants southpaw Dave Dravecky breaks his pitching arm while throwing to Tim Raines in the sixth inning of a 3-2 San Francisco win. Dravecky will not pitch again in the major leagues, but will use his story to inspire thousands.
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Continue readingOn This Day: August 15
1958
Vic Power of the Cleveland Indians stole home twice in the same game. That is a remarkable feat in and of itself. What made the episode even more astonishing is that he had only three steals all year!
1945
Branch Rickey becomes the principal stockholder of the Dodgers. He and associates Walter O’Malley and John Smith acquire the 50 percent interest of the Ebbets estate for a reported price of $750,000. Two years later he and Jackie Robinson would break the color barrier in the major leagues as Jackie played for Brooklyn.
1986
Don Baylor (who passed away last week) of the Boston Red Sox set an American League record when he was hit by a pitch for the 25th time for the season, breaking the record he had shared with Bill Freehan (1968) and Kid Elberfeld (1911). He would finish the season with 35 HBP’s.
1951 
Robin Roberts of the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Giants, 4-0, dropping the Giants 13 1/2 games behind the first-place Brooklyn Dodgers. This will be the Giants low point before beginning their improbable comeback that results in a one game playoff with the Dodgers. That playoff will be won in walk-off fashion by Bobby Thomson’s “shot heard round…
Continue readingOn This Day: August 11
1995
Ball Night at Dodger Stadium turned into the first forfeit in MLB in 16 years. Los Angeles forfeited the game to the #Cardinals after “fans” threw souvenir baseballs onto the field three times. The game was called with one out in the bottom of the ninth. The forfeit loss cost the Dodgers a chance to move into a first-place…
Continue readingOn This Day: August 10
1981
Baseball returned from a labor-strife induced strike by hosting the All-Star Game in Cleveland before a crowd of 72,086. Gary Carter of the Montreal Expos hit two home runs in the contest to give the National League a 5-4 triumph over the American League. Vida Blue became the first pitcher to win an All-Star game for both leagues. His…
Continue readingOn This Day: August 9
1973
In the first year using the Designated hitter rule in the American League, Orlando Cepeda hit four doubles during the game on this date as the DH for the Boston Red Sox as they post a 9-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Cepeda will end his Hall of fFame career the next season with the Royals.
Continue readingOn This Day: August 8
1992
The San Francisco Giants announce that the team has been sold to a group of Tampa Bay investors for a reported $110 million and the team will move to St. Petersburg for the 1993 season. Other owners will block the move in November, but the announcement causes the 1992 season finale to become the first sellout at Candlestick Park…
Continue readingOn This Day: August 7