Sunday, August 21, 2016

8/21 Games: Rennie Breaks His Leg, Jerry Sets Pinch Hit Mark, Pitchers Pitching...

  • 1902 - Sam Leever outdueled Christy Mathewson 2-0 in the opener of a doubleheader at Exposition Park; Leever surrendered three hits and Matty six. The NY Giant bats woke up in the second game as NY earned a split with an 8-1 victory.
  • 1908 - The Pittsburg Press wrote that “Nick Maddox was pretty nearly the whole show at Exposition Park...” and it was right. Maddox tossed a seven-hit complete game, had three hits and drove in both Bucco runs in a 2-1 win over the Brooklyn Superbas.
Nick Maddox 1908 (photo Bain News Service/Library of Congress)
  • 1953 - After 13 straight wins‚ the first place Dodgers finally lost‚ going down to birthday boy Murry Dickson and the last-place Pirates 7-1 at Forbes Field. Frank Thomas had a homer and four RBI in the victory.
  • 1963 - Jerry Lynch set an MLB record for pinch-hit home runs when he hit his 15th to best George Crowe’s mark, a ninth-inning blast off Lindy McDaniel. He drilled a 3-1 fastball that gave the Pirates a 7-6 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Lynch retired in 1966 with 18 pinch-hit homers, the record until Cliff Johnson broke it in 1984. Matt Stairs now holds the MLB record.
  • 1977 - Rennie Stennett broke his right leg sliding into second against the Giants at TRS. Stennett never recovered fully, and his best BA after the accident was just .244. To rub some salt into the wound, the Bucs lost the game 5-4. And Stennett, who was leading the league in batting, fell 12 at-bats short of qualifying for the title, though his .336 BA would have been nosed out by the eventual winner, teammate Dave Parker, who hit .338. 
Rennie Stennett 1978 Topps

No comments: