Baseball – 1988

Baseball in 1988

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January

January 6Free-agent slugger Jack Clark signs with the New York Yankees‚ while free agent Paul Molitor re-signs with the Brewers.
January 8Faced with a midnight deadline to re-sign with the Yankees‚ pitcher Bill Gullickson agrees to a 2-year contract with Japan’s Tokyo Giants instead.
January 12Former Pirates slugger Willie Stargell is the only player elected this year to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA‚ and becomes the 17th player to be elected in his first year of eligibility. Jim Bunning garners 317 (74.2%)‚ and falls 4 votes shy of the 321 needed for election in his 13th year on the ballot.
January 13Steve Garvey retires. He hit just .211 last season and was not offered a new contract by the Padres.
January 14After playing last season with Japan’s Yakult Swallows‚ Bob Horner signs a one-year contract with the Cardinals‚ who need a power-hitting 1B to replace Jack Clark.
January 22As a result of the Players’ Association’s 1985 collusion suit against the owners‚ arbitrator Thomas Roberts declares 7 players no-risk free agents until March 1st‚ giving them a chance to sign with other clubs despite already having contracts. The 7 are Kirk Gibson‚ Carlton Fisk‚ Donnie Moore‚ Joe Niekro‚ Butch Wynegar‚ Tom Brookens‚ and Juan Beniquez.
January 29Detroit’s Kirk Gibson signs a 3-year contract with the Dodgers. Gibson will be the only one of the 7 no-risk free agents to change clubs.

February

February 9Don Baylor signs a one-year contract with the A’s.
February 12The Padres trade reliever Rich Gossage to the Cubs for IF Keith Moreland in a deal that also includes a pair of minor leaguers.
February 19The Padres sign veteran SS Dickie Thon‚ released by Houston last month.
February 23A committee of Chicago aldermen vote 7-2 to allow the Cubs to install lights and play up to 18 night games a year at Wrigley Field. The Cubs had feared losing the 1990 All-Star Game‚ as well as future playoff and World Series games‚ if lights were not installed.
February 273B Ray Knight is traded from Baltimore to Detroit for P Mark Thurmond.

March

March 1For the first time since 1956 the Special Veterans Committee does not elect anyone to the Hall of Fame. Phil Rizzuto‚ Leo Durocher‚ Joe Gordon‚ and Gil Hodges are among the candidates passed over.
March 11Angels manager Gene Mauch‚ 62‚ takes a leave of absence for health reasons and is replaced by Cookie Rojas. Mauch will announce his retirement on March 27th.
March 17Newly acquired Yankee Jack Clark tears a tendon in his calf while hitting a home run in a spring training game against the Orioles and will miss the start of the regular season.
March 21The Phillies trade 3B Rick Schu and outfielders Jeff Stone and Keith Hughes to the Orioles for OF Mike Young.
March 30Reds OF Eddie Milner is suspended for the 1988 season by Commissioner Ueberroth after suffering a relapse of his cocaine problem. The suspension will be lifted June 19 after Milner completes a drug rehab program.

April

April 4Toronto’s George Bell‚ the defending AL MVP‚ hits 3 home runs as the Blue Jays beat Kansas City 5-3 on Opening Day in Kansas City. Bell will go 5-for-5 in Toronto’s 2nd game of the season.

The Mets set an Opening Day record with 6 home runs in a 10-6 win over the Expos. Darryl Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds each connect twice for New York‚ with Strawberry’s 2nd blast believed to be the longest ever hit at Olympic Stadium (estimated at 525 feet).

Texas knuckler Charlie Hough beats the Indians‚ 4-3‚ in the Rangers home opener. It is his 13th straight win over the Tribe‚ dating back to April 6‚ 1984‚ Hough allows 3 solo HRs‚ and gets an inning of relief from Mitch Williams. O’Brien has a pair of HRs‚ including the game winner in the 8th off Codiroti‚ in relief of Candiotti.
April 5Before 55‚802 at Yankee Stadium‚ the Yankees score 6 runs off Frank Viola in 5 innings to top the Twins‚ 8-0. Rick Rhoden allows 3 hits in 9 innings for the win. Roberto Kelly and Willie Randolph each have three hits‚ while Jim Pagliarulo and Rickey Henderson belt homers.
April 7Reds rookie Chris Sabo ties a ML record with 11 assists at 3B in Cincinnati’s 8-1 win over St. Louis.
April 12After leading his club to an 0-6 start‚ Orioles manager Cal Ripken‚ Sr. is fired and replaced by Frank Robinson. Ripken was 68-101 since taking over for Earl Weaver last season. According to Elais Sports Bureau‚ this is the quickest hook of a manager in a season in this century. The Tigers will match it in 2002.

Rangers pitcher Bobby Witt ties the AL record by committing 4 balks in a 4-1 loss to the Tigers.
April 13Oakland’s Rick Honeycutt becomes the 2nd pitcher in as many days to tie the AL’s 28-year-old balk record by committing 4 balks in 4 innings while saving a 12-7 win over Seattle. A ML-record 924 balks will be called this season after umpires are instructed to interpret the “complete stop” rule more strictly.
April 14The AAA Buffalo Bisons open their new 19‚500 seat Pilot Field‚ named after Pilot Air Freight which paid $1.02 million for the naming rights. The Stadium replaces War Memorial Stadium‚ nicknamed‚ the Rockpile‚ which has been given to Canisius College. In this opener‚ Buffalo tops the Denver Zephyrs‚ 1-0‚ before 19‚500. Buffalo’s attendance will jump from 495‚000 to 1‚147‚651 this year‚ a new minor-league record.
April 15During the Reds 4-2 10-inning victory over the Astros‚ Reds SS Dave Concepcion is ejected from the dugout for blowing kisses at umpire Dave Pallone. The two have had a running feud.

Cleveland edges Baltimore‚ 3-2‚ with the win going to Yett‚ who has yet to lose (2-0). Scott McGregor takes the loss‚ his 10th straight at the hands of the Indians. Joe Carter‘s homer in the 8th ties the game at 2-2 and McGregor puts the winning run on before exiting.

In a California League/ game at Stockton‚ Fresno pitchers Robert Rowen and Atsushi Tagi combine to throw 11 hitless innings. Rowen pitched the first 6 2/3 innings. Fresno wins‚ 3-1.
April 17After 10 consecutive losses the Braves win their first game of the season 3-1 over the Dodgers. Zane Smith is the winner. Atlanta’s 0-10 start is the worst in NL history but not the worst in the major leagues this year.
April 20The Orioles set a ML record for consecutive losses at the start of a season‚ falling to 0-14 with an 8-6 loss to the Brewers. The 1904 Senators and 1920 Tigers each lost their first 13 games of the season. It’s not over yet for the O’s.

Claudell Washington hits the 10‚000th home run in Yankees history and Jack Clark hits his first AL home run in the top of the 10th inning to give New York a 7-6 win over Minnesota. The Yankees are the first ML club to hit 10‚000 homers.
April 22Cory Snyder and Joe Carter hit grand slams to power the Indians to a 11-6 win over the Twins. Twins P Bert Blyleven hits a ML record-tying 4 Cleveland batsmen before departing in the 5th inning.

The Cardinals trade veteran 2B Tom Herr to the Twins for OF Tom Brunansky.
April 26Keith Hernandez hits 2 home runs (one is a grand slam) and drives in 7 runs to reach the 1‚000 career RBI mark as the Mets pound the Braves 13-4.
April 27Nolan Ryan no-hits the Phillies for 81?3 innings before Mike Schmidt singles and Ryan ends up getting no decision in Houston’s eventual 3-2‚ 10-inning win. Ryan will have 5 one-hitters with the lone hit coming in the 9th inning: This is the 3rd.

At Los Angeles‚ veteran Don Sutton shuts out the Cubs‚ 4-0‚ beating Jamie Moyer. It is his last decision versus the Cubs and he closes out his career against Chicago at 18-20. Not bad‚ considering that his first 13 decisions against the Cubs were losses.
April 28The Orioles set an AL record with their 21st consecutive loss‚ 4-2‚ to the Twins‚ breaking the record shared by the 1906 Red Sox and the 1916 and 1943 A’s. Ripken suffers through an 0-for-29‚ not the streak he’s looking for. Mike Boddicker drops to 0-5. Only the ’61 Phils had a longer losing streak‚ 23.
April 29Baltimore pounds Chicago 9-0 for its first win of the season‚ ending its losing streak. Mark Williamson and Dave Schmidt combine on the shutout.
April 30Dave Winfield drives in his 28th and 29th runs of the season in New York’s 15-3 rout of Texas‚ tying the ML record for RBI in April. Don Mattingly scores 5 runs for New York.

During a 6-5 loss to the Mets at Riverfront Stadium‚ Pete Rose is ejected after he shoves ump Dave Pallone with his forearm during an argument. Pallone had accidentally jabbed Rose on the check with his finger. The play started when Pallone hesitated before making a safe call at 1B‚ ruling Esasky pulled his foot off the bag. During the resulting argument‚ Howard Johnson scored from 3B with what proved to be the winning run. After Rose is tossed‚ the fans answer by tossing debris onto the field during a 14-minute delay. Pallone left the field and the game continued with 3 umps.

May

May 2Reds manager Pete Rose is suspended for 30 days by NL president Bart Giamatti‚ the stiffest suspension ever levied against a manager for an on-field incident. On April 30th Rose shoved umpire Dave Pallone in the 9th inning of a 6-5 loss to the Mets‚ inciting a near riot among Cincinnati fans. Giamatti also calls a meeting in NYC with announcers Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall to discuss their “inflammatory and completely irresponsible remarks” during the game.

Reds pitcher Ron Robinson is one out away from a perfect game against the Expos when pinch hitter Wallace Johnson singles on a 2-2 pitch‚ and Tim Raines follows with a home run. John Franco preserves the Reds’ 3-2 victory for fill-in manager Tommy Helms.
May 4Joe Niekro‚ 43‚ is released by the Twins‚ joining Steve Carlton and Tippy Martinez as the 3rd veteran pitcher to be released by the club since Opening Day.
May 8Pittsburgh’s Doug Drabek takes a no-hitter into the 9th before allowing a pinch single to Randy Ready and a home run to Marvell Wynne‚ but wins a 6-2 two-hitter over the Padres.
May 9Jerry Reuss picks up his 200th career victory with 71?3 shutout innings in Chicago’s 3-0 win over Baltimore.

Oakland beats Detroit 3-1 to extend its club-record winning streak to 14 consecutive games‚ the longest in the majors since 1977. The A’s will finally lose tomorrow 8-2 to the Tigers after starting the skein on April 23rd. Oakland leads by 8 games in the AL West.

The Reds Danny Jackson (5-1) beats the Phillies‚ 2-0‚ one of his NL-high 15 complete games this year. David Palmer takes the loss‚ the 10th straight time he has lost to the Reds.
May 10Mark Langston strikes out a 16 batters in a 4-2 win over Toronto‚ equaling the 1988 ML high set yesterday by Boston’s Roger Clemens in a 2-0 three-hitter over the Royals.
May 11Six games go into extra innings‚ tying the one-day ML record. The Mets beat the Astros 9-8 in 10; the Pirates beat the Dodgers 2-1 in 11; the Phillies beat the Reds 4-3 in 11; the Cubs beat the Padres 1-0 on Vance Law‘s 10th-inning squeeze bunt; the Giants beat the Cardinals 5-4 on Kevin Mitchell‘s home run in the 16th; and the Indians beat the Angels 4-3 on Bryan Harvey‘s 13th-inning balk.
May 13Barry Bonds hits a leadoff homer for the 2nd day in a row and the Pirates edge the Reds‚ 6-5. Barry’s father accomplished the same feat in 1973.

At Fenway‚ 9 homers are hit by the two teams‚ 2 by Mike Greenwell‚ as Boston outslugs the Mariners‚ 14-8. Oil Can Boyd is kicked around by emerges with the win.
May 14IF Jose Oquendo becomes the first nonpitcher in 20 years to get a ML decision in the Cardinals’ 7-5‚ 19-inning loss to the Braves. St. Louis had used 7 pitchers when Oquendo comes in to pitch the 16th inning. He shuts out the Braves for 3 innings before surrendering the game-winning 2 runs.
May 18In Oakland’s 39th game of the season‚ pitcher Dave Stewart breaks the ML record with his 12th balk in a 4-1 loss to the Red Sox. Stewart will finish the season with 16 balks.

In a deal made possible by the emergence of rookie 1B Mark Grace‚ the Cubs deal veteran 1B Leon Durham to the Reds for reliever Pat Perry.
May 19Greg Swindell tosses a 2-hitter against Chicago and wins‚ 1-0‚ when Cory Snyder hits a game-ending HR in the 9th for Cleveland off Bobby Thigpen.
May 20Mike Schmidt hits his 535th career home run to move past Jimmie Foxx into 8th place on the all-time list‚ but the Phillies lose to San Diego 4-3.
May 22Pedro Guerrero throws his bat at David Cone after being hit by a pitch in the Dodgers’ 5-2 loss to the Mets and will be suspended for 4 games by NL president Bart Giamatti.
May 23Braves manager Chuck Tanner is fired and replaced by Russ Nixon. The Braves were 12-27 under Tanner‚ last in the NL West.

Danny Tartabull‚ who hit an IPHR against Bert Blyleven last October‚ does it again in the Metrodome. The Twins hang on for a 7-5 win over KC. Bert also served up a pair of IPHR to Dick Allen in the dome in 1972‚ his only other IPHRs at Minnesota.
May 27Boston’s Dwight Evans collects his 2‚000th career hit‚ in a 3-2 Red Sox loss to Oakland.
May 28The Padres fire manager Larry Bowa and replace him with Jack McKeon‚ who is also the club’s vice president of baseball operations. McKeon’s son-in-law‚ Greg Booker‚ has pitched in 17 of the first 46 Padre games‚ but will appear in just 17 games the rest of the year.

Seattle’s infield records 22 assists in a 6-1 win over the Yankees‚ a ML record. Alvin Davis at 1B has a record tying 22 putouts. Yankee 1B Don Mattingly last season had 22 putouts‚ the most since 1906.

In his first start since 1981‚ Milwaukee’s Odell Jones no-hits the Indians for 81?3 innings before allowing a pinch single to Ron Washington. Dan Plesac saves the 2-0 victory.
May 31Jeff Pico throws a 4-hit shutout against the Reds to win his ML debut with the Cubs 4-0. He is the first Cubs pitcher to debut with a shut out since Bill Lee in 1934.

Yankee starter Al Leiter makes one pitch before leaving the game. Oakland leadoff hitter Carney Lansford hits the first pitch off Leiter for a hit‚ and Leiter is replaced by reliever Neil Allen. Allen gives up just 3 hits in 9 innings to record a 5-0 shutout for New York Allen will have a shutout and no starts this year. Pagliarulo hits a 2-run HR off Ontiveros to supply Allen with all the runs he needs.

June

June 1On the first day of the amateur draft‚ the Padres use the top pick to take Evansville P Andy Benes. The Indians follow with Ohio prep SS Mark Lewis. The Braves select high schooler Steve Avery with the 3rd pick: Highly touted Greg Olson goes to the Orioles on the 4th pick; he’ll be the first of this crop to make the majors‚ the only one doing so this year. Picking 5th‚ the Dodgers go for Bill Bene (5-6 at Fresno State‚ 51 walks in 50 IP)‚ a Steve Dalkowski reincarnate. He’ll walk 101 in his first 92 pro innings and go 1-14 in his first 2 years in the low minors. The Angels get Jim Abbott with the 8th pick‚ and the Cubs take Pan Am Games star Ty Griffin at #9‚ skipping Robin Ventura‚ who goes to the White Sox on the #10. The Giants take hi schooler Royce Clayton with the 17th pick; The Indians get Charles Nagy at #19; the Blue Jays catch Ed Sprague with the 25th; the Tigers pick Rico Brogna at #27. The Expos take Marquis Grissom in round 3. The Yankees take football all American Deion Sanders on the 30th round. The Orioles pick Pee Rose‚ Jr. on the 12th‚ and the Twins pick Pedro Oliva‚ Tony’s son‚ in the 40th. Houston takes Arizona basketball guard Kenny Lofton on the 17th round.
June 3The Royals trade P Bud Black to Cleveland for versatile Pat Tabler.
June 4Rickey Henderson steals 2 bases in New York’s 7-6‚ 14-inning loss to the Orioles‚ giving him a club-record 249 as a Yankee.
June 6Dick Williams is fired as manager of the Mariners and replaced on an interim basis by 1B coach Jimmy Snyder. Seattle was 23-33 under Williams‚ 6th in the AL West.

The Reds Tom Browning has a perfect no-hitter against the Padres for 81?3 innings before allowing a single to Tony Gwynn. Gwynn hits a 3-0 pitch from Browning‚ who finishes with an easy 12-0 one-hitter.
June 8Paul O’Neill has 5 hits to pace the Reds to a 7-1 win over the host Padres.

In a pair of trades‚ the Giants send OF Jeff Leonard to the Brewers for IF Ernest Riles‚ and the Reds deal P Dennis Rasmussen to the Padres for reliever Candy Sierra. Jose Rijo will replace Rasmussen in the Reds’ starting rotation.
June 10Dodgers OF John Shelby goes 0-for-4 in a 4-3 loss to the Padres‚ ending his hitting streak at 24 consecutive games.
June 11Batting seventh as the Yankees DH‚ ahead of Rafael Santana and Joel Skinner‚ pitcher Rick Rhoden hits a sacrifice ?y in New York’s 8-6 win over Baltimore. He is the first pitcher to start a game as a DH since the rule was adopted in 1973. Later‚ Jose Cruz replaces Rhoden as the DH.
June 12Robin Yount hits for the cycle‚ leading Milwaukee to a 16-2 rout of the White Sox.

Houston’s Mike Scott is one out away from his 2nd career no-hitter when Ken Oberkfell singles‚ and Scott settles for a 5-0 one-hitter against the Braves.
June 13In a 12-6 loss to the Yankees‚ Jim Rice hits his 200th Fenway HR‚ joining Ted and Yaz as the only 3 to do it.
June 15Indianapolis (Triple A) lefty Randy Johnson‚ about to be recalled by the Expos‚ is forced to leave a game against Richmond after knocking down a line drive with his pitching hand. Angry at himself‚ Johnson reaches the dugout and punches the bat rack with his right hand. His left hand is okay‚ but his right hand is broken‚ delaying his recall.
June 19Bert Blyleven wins his 250th career game as Minnesota beats Seattle 3-1. Jeff Reardon picks up his 20th save of the season‚ giving him 7 straight 20-save seasons.
June 20In a 5-4 triumph over Milwaukee‚ Oakland’s Mark McGwire hits a triple. His next and last ML triple will come in 1999 with the Cards.
June 21With 2 outs in the 9th inning‚ Tiger SS Allan Trammel blasts 3-2 pitch from Cecillio Guante for a game-ending grand slam to give the Bengals a 7-6 win over the Yankees. The Tigers enter the 9th down 6-1‚ but Dave Righetti walks in two runs before Guante relieves.

Buddy Bell‚ acquired three days ago from the Reds for Carl Grovom‚ hits an RBI double in Houston’s 3-run 7th as the Astros down the Reds‚ 3-1.
June 23George Steinbrenner fires Billy Martin for the 5th time‚ replacing him with Lou Piniella. In 1985‚ Piniella was fired and replaced by Martin. In 1985‚ Martin was fired and replaced by Piniella. New York’s 40-28 record is the 4th best in the big leagues‚ but the Yankees had just completed a 2-7 road trip.

Despite lead off HRs by Baltimore’s Ken Gearhart and Fred Lynn‚ off Jim Clancy‚ Toronto wins‚ 5-2. This is the 2nd time in his career Clancy has started a game this way.
June 24Cleveland’s Doug Jones celebrates his 31st birthday by saving his 14th game in 14 appearances‚ breaking the ML record for consecutive saves set last season by Steve Bedrosian. Jones retires all 7 batters he faces to close out the Indians’ 7-5 win over the Yankees.
June 25Cal Ripken‚ Jr. plays in his 1‚000th consecutive game‚ a 10-3 loss to Boston. Ripken’s streak is the 6th longest in ML history.

Expos P Floyd Youmans‚ who underwent alcohol rehabilitation last fall‚ is suspended indefinitely by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth for failing to comply with his drug-testing program.

California opens today’s game with just two outfielders-CF Devon White is in the clubhouse finishing a phone call when the game starts. RF Chili Davis tries to alert the umps but no one notices him. California still wins over Milwaukee‚ 7-3.
June 28Alan Trammell hits a game-ending 9th inning grand slam off Yankee reliever Cecelio Guante to give the Tigers‚ a 7-6 win.

The Cubs hold a telephone lottery for 13‚000 seats for the first night game schedule for August 8. More than 1.5 million fans try to buy seats.
June 30Alarmed by the White Sox’ threatened move to St. Petersburg‚ Florida‚ Illinois lawmakers grant state subsidies for a new stadium to replace venerable but decaying Comiskey Park.

July

July 3Oakland’s P Gene Nelson steals a base while pinch running for Don Baylor in a 9-8‚ 16-inning win over Toronto‚ becoming the first AL pitcher to steal a base since John “Blue Moon” Odom in 1973. Jose Canseco‘s 3 HRs are not quite enough‚ and the game is not decided until Mark McGwire connects in the 16th inning to end it. McGwire will hit another 16th-inning HR tomorrow.
July 4Kansas City releases pitcher Dan Quisenberry‚ whose 238 saves are the 4th most in ML history. He will sign with St. Louis next week.

Rangers P Charlie Hough strikes out 4 batters in the first inning of a 13-2 loss to the Yankees.

Deja vu all over again. As he did yesterday‚ Mark McGwire belts a 16th inning homer to give the A’s a 4-2 win over Cleveland. Doug Jones pitches 3 shutout innings for Cleveland‚ but gets no decision‚ ending his ML-record streak of 15 consecutive saves.

NL umpire Lee Weyer‚ 51‚ dies of a heart attack after working the Cubs 3-2 win over San Francisco. In a 1987 Sports Illustrated poll of NL catchers‚ the 6’6″ Weyer was rates the best.
July 8In game with the Angels‚ Cleveland’s Bud Black hits Jack Howell‚ Devon White‚ and Johnny Ray with pitches in the 4th inning of a 10-6 loss‚ tying the ML record. Bert Blyleven will match him in September.
July 9Chris Speier hits for the cycle and Ernest Riles hits the 10‚000th home run in Giants history to lead San Francisco to a 21-2 rout of the Cardinals. The 21 runs are a San Francisco record. Speier also cycled as an Expo in 1978‚ just the 4th major leaguer to do so for two teams. He joins Joe Cronin (Washington‚ 1929; Red Sox‚ 1940)‚ Babe Herman (Dodgers‚ 1931; Cubs‚ 1933)‚ and Bob Watson (Astros‚ 1977; Boston‚ 1979).

Nolan Ryan wins his 100th game as an Astro 6-3 over the Mets‚ and becomes the 7th pitcher in ML history to win 100 for 2 different clubs. Ryan won 138 games for the Angels in the 1970s.
July 12After being maligned by the press as an unworthy All-Star starter‚ A’s catcher Terry Steinbach hits a solo home run and a sacrifice ?y to lead the AL to a 2-1 victory at Riverfront Stadium‚ and is named the game’s MVP.
July 13The Red Sox fire manager John McNamara and replace him with 3B coach Joe Morgan. Boston was 43-42 under McNamara.

The Reds trade Tracy Jones and Pat Pacillo to the Expos for Jeff Reed‚ Herm Winningham‚ and Randy St. Claire.
July 14Ken Griffey singles for his 2‚000th career hit in Atlanta’s 9-8 loss to the Mets.

Mike Schmidt hits his 537th career home run in Philadelphia’s 7-5 loss to Houston‚ moving past Mickey Mantle into 7th place all-time.

Pittsburgh beats the Giants‚ 9-2. Pirate INF Rafael Belliard goes 8-for-16 since July 8‚ and all 8 hits are infield singles.
July 15Roger Clemens strikes out 16 Royals for the 2nd time this season‚ sparking the Red Sox to a doubleheader sweep‚ 3-1 and 7-4‚ in Joe Morgan’s managerial debut.

California’s Bob Boone catches his 2‚000th ML game as the Angels beat Detroit 6-4.
July 17Philadelphia’s Ricky Jordan homers in his first ML at bat and the Phillies go on to beat Houston 10-4.

The Giants beat the Pirates‚ 5-4 with Robby Thompson hitting the 10‚000th home run in Giants franchise history.
July 18Seattle’s Gene Walter balks 4 times in 2 1?3 innings in a 12-3 loss to Detroit. He is the 3rd AL pitcher to tie the ML record this season.
July 19In the top of the 9th at Wrigley Field‚ Cubs pitcher Rick Sutcliffe picks Brett Butler off 1B unassisted. With Jose Uribe at 2B‚ Butler wanders too far off the bag and the Cubs pitcher nabs him for the out. But Sutcliffe loses‚ 3-1‚ to Rick Reuschel.
July 21Where’s Seinfeld. In a pair of trades‚ Seattle sends DH Ken Phelps to the Yankees for OF Jay Buhner and 1B-DH Steve Balboni‚ and deals OF Glenn Wilson to the Pirates for IF-OF Darnell Coles.

Red Sox veteran Jim Rice is suspended for 3 games by the club for shoving manager Joe Morgan. Rice was angered when Morgan replaced him with pinch hitter Spike Owen in the 8th inning of Boston’s eventual 9-7 win over Minnesota.
July 25The Cubs hold practice under the lights for the first time. On hand are 5‚000 fans‚ each of whom paid $100 to attend.
July 26In Montreal‚ Mike Fitzgerald hits a pinch grna d slam off the Cubs Jeff Pico to give Montreal an 8-4 victory over Chicago.

Jim Rice homers to give the Red Sox an 8-7 lead over Texas‚ but Ruben Sierra answers with a 2-run homer in the 7th and Texas emerges with a 9-8 victory. The loss snaps the Red Sox 12-game winning streak.
July 27Tommy John achieves what is believed to be a ML first by committing 3 errors on one play in the Yankees’ 16-3 rout of the Brewers. The feat ties the ML record for errors in one inning by a pitcher.
July 29Not bad. Baltimore trades veteran pitcher Mike Boddicker to the Red Sox for minor leaguers Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling.

In the Cubs’ 8-3 win over the Kevin Gross and the host Phillies‚ Rick Sutcliffe swipes home‚ the first pitcher since Pascual Perez in 1984 to steal home. It comes on the front end of a double steal with Mitch Webster when the pitcher fakes a throw to 3B and throws to first‚ where Jordan makes an error. Sutcliffe is the first Cubs pitcher to steal home since Hippo Vaughn in 1919.
July 30John Franco saves his 13th game of July in Cincinnati’s 2-0 win over San Diego‚ setting a ML record for saves in one month.
July 31Jose Canseco belts 2 home runs in the A’s 6-2 win over Seattle to become the first player to hit 30 or more home runs in each of his first 3 ML seasons.

The Maddux brothers face each‚ with Greg (15-5) losing to Mike (3-1) to even their record against each at one apiece. The Phillies score 6 runs in 6 innings off Mike‚ while Mike Maddux allows 3 Cubs runs in 7 innings. Mike also adds an RBI single.

August

August 4Seattle John Rabb is suspended indefinitely for “failing to comply with the ML drug testing program.”
August 6Pirates reliever Jim Gott balks 3 times in the 8th inning to force in the winning run in a 5-3 loss to the Mets.

Rich Gossage becomes the 2nd pitcher in ML history to record 300 saves by retiring one batter in the Cubs 7-4 win over Philadelphia. Reliever Pat Perry‚ in his only plate appearance for the Cubs this year‚ belts his only ML HR‚ a 2-run HR off Mike Maddux. Perry was traded for Bull Durham and in one at bat matches Durham’s output for the Reds.
August 7Darnell Coles‚ Alvin Davis‚ Jim Presley‚ Jay Buhner‚ and Rey Quinones all hit sacrifice flies in a 12-7 win over Oakland‚ giving the Mariners a AL record.
August 8The Cubs and Phillies attempt to play the first night game ever at Wrigley Field‚ but are rained out in the 4th inning with Chicago leading 3-1. Sandberg’s HR off Kevin Gross is erased and the first Cub homer in a night game at home won’t occur till Damon Berryhill hits one on August 22.
August 9The Cubs and Mets play the first official night game at Wrigley Field‚ a 6-4 Chicago victory. New York’s Lenny Dykstra hits the first night home run‚ supplanting Phil Bradley‚ whose leadoff home run last night was washed out. Reliever Frank DiPino is the winner over Mets’ starter Sid Fernandez.
August 10The Dodgers release Don Sutton‚ the 12th-winningest pitcher in ML history and the club’s all-time victory leader.
August 11After going 225 at bats‚ Gary Carter finally hits his 300th career home run as the Mets beat the Cubs 9-6.
August 12The Red Sox beat the Tigers 9-4 for their 23rd consecutive win at home‚ breaking the AL record held by the 1931 A’s. Boston has not lost at Fenway Park since June 24th.
August 13Behind Dewey Evans 7 RBIs‚ the Red Sox defeat the Tigers‚ 16-4. The Sox collect 19 hits in winning their 24th straight at home‚ an AL record.
August 14Detroit pounds Boston 18-6 at Fenway Park to end the Red Sox’ AL-record home winning streak at 24 games‚ 2 shy of the ML record held by the 1916 Giants. Roger Clemens gives up 8 runs in 11?3 innings as the temperature hits 97 degrees
August 16The Dodgers trade Pedro Guerrero to the Cardinals for pitcher John Tudor‚ whose 2.29 ERA is leading the NL.
August 20Forty-year-old Dave Concepcion steals home to help the Reds defeat the Cardinals 6-2.
August 27Tommy Lasorda wins his 1‚000th game as a manager as Los Angeles tops Philadelphia 4-2.
August 30Kent Tekulve becomes the 2nd pitcher in ML history to appear in 1‚000 games by pitching 2 innings in Philadelphia’s 7-5 win over San Francisco.

At Chicago‚ the Pirates nip the Cubs‚ 10-9‚ in 10 innings. Scott Medvin is the winner over Rich Gossage.
August 31Arbitrator George Nicolau rules against the ML owners in the “Collusion II” case‚ agreeing with the players’ contention that the owners had conspired to fix the free-agent market after the 1986 season. Twelve players will be granted no-risk free agency after the season.

The first-place Tigers try for pennant insurance: Ted Power from Kansas City and Fred Lynn from Baltimore for players to be named later.

September

September 3Dennis Eckersley sets an A’s record with his 37th save of the season in Oakland’s 5-4 win over New York. Eckersley will save 45 games this season‚ one shy of Dave Righetti‘s ML record.
September 4Cincinnati’s Danny Jackson becomes the NL’s first 20-game winner by shutting out the Cubs on 6 hits as the Reds romp 17-0. Calvin Schiraldi is the loser.
September 6Kal Daniels has a pair of homers and scores 5 runs to lead the Reds to a 10-3 win over the host Astros.
September 8NL president Bart Giamatti is unanimously elected baseball’s 7th commissioner‚ and will succeed Peter Ueberroth next season.
September 9Bruce Sutter joins Rollie Fingers and Rich Gossage as the only pitchers to save 300 games as Atlanta beats San Diego 5-4 in 11 innings.

Dave Stewart lasts 5+ innings‚ good enough for his 18th win‚ as Oakland beats the Royals‚ 14-6. Each team has 15 hits as Luis Polonia is 5-for-5 with 5 runs scores for the A’s.
September 10Orel Hershiser shuts out the Reds 5-0 to become a 20-game winner for the first time. It is his 2nd straight shutout.
September 11The Yankees edge the Tigers‚ 5-4 in 18 innings. Steve Shields gets the win in relief when Claudell Washington homers. Rickey Henderson ties a 1948 AL record for extra innings with 12 putouts in LF.
September 12Baltimore’s Eddie Murray collects his 2‚000th career hit in a 6-1 loss to Boston‚ and Atlanta’s Dale Murphy drives in his 1‚000th career run in a 5-4 loss to Los Angeles.
September 14Mike Greenwell hits for the cycle to help Mike Boddicker earn a victory in his first game against his former club‚ a 4-3 Boston win over the Orioles. Lee Smith notches his 26th save.

Led by 2 rookies and a 9 run 4th inning‚ off Dave Stewart‚ Texas beats the A’s‚ 9-1. Kevin Brown is the winning pitcher while his batterymate Chad Kreuter ties a ML record in his debut with 2 hits in the 4th inning. One hit is a 3-run HR. Kreuter is the 3rd rookie (Billy Martin‚ Russ Morman) to have 2 hits in one inning. Brown‚ who won in his debut in 1986‚ improves his career mark to 2-0.
September 15In a 10-3 Twins win‚ Kirby Puckett collects his 1‚000th hit‚ a double off Chi Shawn Hillegas. He is the 4th ever to get 1‚000 hits in first 5 seasons (Joe Medwick‚ Paul Waner, and Earle Combs). He’ll end with 1062‚ two hits short of Medwick’s record of 1064.
September 16Cincinnati’s Tom Browning pitches the 14th perfect game in ML history‚ striking out 7 in a 1-0 win over the Dodgers. Tracy Woodson strikes out to end the only no-hitter in the major leagues this season.
September 17Pitching in the 9th inning‚ Jeff Reardon saves his 40th game of the season in Minnesota’s 3-1 win over Chicago‚ becoming the first pitcher ever to save 40 games in a season in each league. Reardon saved 41 for the Expos in 1985.
September 18Baltimore’s Bob Milacki allows one hit over 8 innings in his ML debut and Tom Niedenfuer pitches the 9th to complete a 2-0 one-hitter against the Tigers.
September 19Oakland clinches the AL West title with a 5-3 win over the 2nd-place Twins.
September 20Wade Boggs goes 3-for-3 with 2 walks in Boston’s 13-2 rout of Toronto to become the first player this century to collect 200 hits in 6 consecutive seasons. Willie Keeler had 8 straight 200-hit seasons from 1894-1901. Boggs also joins Lou Gehrig as the only players to collect 200 hits and 100 walks in 3 consecutive seasons.

The A’s knock Frank Viola (22-7) out of the box in the 4th inning enroute to a 12-3 win over Minnesota. In the 5-run 8th inning Mike Gallego makes all 3 outs‚ grounding out and grounding into a DP. Davis (16-5) is the winner.

Darrell Evans hits his 400th career home run off John Farrell in the 5th inning‚ and Chet Lemon hits his 200th career home run off Scott Bailes in the bottom of the 9th to lead Detroit to a 3-1 win over Cleveland.
September 22The Mets clinch their 2nd NL East title in 3 years with a 3-1 win over Philadelphia.
September 23The Angels fire manager Cookie Rojas and the Phillies fire manager Lee Elia. 3B coach Moose Stubing (California) and John Vukovich (Philadelphia) will manage the clubs for the remainder of this season. Stubing will return to the coaching box after going 0-8.

Oakland’s Jose Canseco becomes the founder of baseball’s 40-HR‚ 40-SB club by stealing two bases in a 9-8‚ 14-inning win over Milwaukee. He also hits his 41st home run. McGwire hits his 29th and Rob Deer his 23rd. Felix Jose singles in the 14th‚ is bunted to 2B‚ steals 3rd‚ and scores on a sac fly.

At Candlestick Park‚ the Dodgers win 3-0‚ behind Orel Hershiser (23-8) who pitches a complete game shutout to extend his record-vying streak to 49 consecutive shutout innings. Mickey Hatcher‘s 2-out 3-run homer in the 8th off starter Atlee Hammaker is all the scoring.
September 24Toronto’s Dave Stieb is one out away from a no-hitter when Julio Franco‘s apparent game-ending grounder takes a bad hop over 2B Manny Lee‘s head and Stieb is forced to settle for a 1-0 one-hitter. It is the 7th no-hitter broken up in the 9th inning this season.

Dave Stewart wins his 20th game of the season and the A’s win their 100th‚ 5-2‚ over Milwaukee. Mark McGwire hits his 30th HR.
September 26The Dodgers beat the Padres 3-2 to clinch the NL West title and earn a playoff date with the Mets‚ who won 10 of their 11 meetings this season.
September 28In his last start of the regular season‚ Orel Hershiser pitches 10 shutout innings to extend his consecutive-scoreless-inning streak to 59‚ breaking Dodger Don Drysdale‘s ML record by one. San Diego’s Andy Hawkins also pitches 10 shutout innings and the Padres eventually win 2-1 on Mark Parent’s home run in the bottom of the 16th. Hershiser’s streak gets some help when umpire Paul Runge makes an interference call at 2B on a run-scoring double play. Hershiser ends the month with a 5-0 record and an ERA of 0.00. His streak started on August 30th with 4 shutout innings against Montreal.

In a 5-2 loss to Oakland‚ Minnesota’s Bert Blyleven plunks 3 batters in the 2nd inning to tie a ML record.
September 29Better late than never. The Cubs trade veteran C Jody Davis to the Braves for pitchers Kevin Coffman and Kevin Blankenship. Davis‚ an Atlanta native‚ would have been released at the end of the season and the Cubs make the trade as a favor.

Baltimore trades well-traveled vet Jim Dwyer to the Twins for a player to be named later. That turns out to be P Doug Cline‚ acquired in 2 weeks.
September 30The Red Sox lose to Cleveland 3-2 but clinch the AL East title anyway when 2nd-place Milwaukee loses to Oakland 7-1.

Dave Stieb is one out away from a no-hitter for the 2nd consecutive game‚ but falls short again when Jim Traber bloops a single over the head of 1B Fred McGriff. Stieb finishes with his 2nd straight one-hitter 4-0 over the Orioles.

New York’s Mark Baldwin surrenders only 3 hits‚ but is out dueled by Ed Stein‚ who pitches his 2nd one-hitter of the season to lead Brooklyn to a 3-0 victory.

President Ronald Reagan joins another old sportscaster when he visits Harry Caray in the broadcast booth during the Cubs game. It’s a wild one with the Cubs losing 10-9 to Pittsburgh.

October

October 1Boston’s Jeff Sellers no-hits the Indians for 71?3 innings before Luis Medina homers and Cleveland goes on to win 1-0. John Farrell wins his 14th for Cleveland.
October 2Minnesota’s season-ending 3-2 win over the Angels is watched by 35‚952 fans‚ making the Twins the first AL club ever to break 3 million in season attendance.

In Cleveland‚ Boston’s Wade Boggs collects his 200th hit for the 6th straight season. Wade’s mark breaks the record of 5 he shared with Chuck Klein (1929-33) and Charlie Gehringer (1933-37).
October 3After 2 disappointing seasons in Philadelphia‚ C Lance Parrish is traded to California for a minor leaguer.

Astros manager Hal Lanier is fired after leading the club to an 82-80 record.

Cardinals coach Nick Leyva becomes the Phillies 3rd manager in 3 years‚ replacing Lee Elia‚ who was fired in September.
October 4Dwight Gooden and Orel Hershiser start but neither get the decision. New York rallies for three 9th-inning runs to win the opening NLCS game over the Dodgers 3-2.

After a three year run‚ the Pirates fire GM Syd Thrift.
October 5Tim Belcher strikes outs 10 Mets to give the Dodgers a 6-3 win in game 2.

Oakland wins the ALCS opener 2-1 over Boston.
October 6Canseco’s 2-run HR in the 7th ties the game and Oakland goes on to win 4-3.
October 7Lou Piniella is fired as manager of the Yankees for the 2nd time‚ and Jim Fregosi is fired as manager of the White Sox. Dallas Green replaces Piniella‚ while Yankee coach Jeff Torborg will eventually replace Fregosi on November 3rd.
October 8Dodgers ace reliever Jay Howell is ejected in the 8th inning of game 3 of the NLCS for having pine tar on his glove‚ and the Mets go on to score 5 times in the inning on the way to an 8-4 win. Howell will be suspended for 3 games by the NL, but it will be reduced to two games on appeal.

Down 5-0‚ Oakland cracks 4 HRs to beat Boston 10-6 for their 3rd win.
October 9Oakland beats Boston 4-1 to complete a 4-game sweep of the ALCS. Dennis Eckersley saves all 4 games and is named series MVP.

Mike Scioscia‘s 9th-inning 2-run HR ties the game‚ and Kirk Gibson‘s game-winner in the 12th gives the Dodgers a 5-4 win.
October 10The Dodgers take a 6-0 lead and hold on to beat the Mets 7-4.
October 11David Cone’s 5-hitter evens the NLCS at 3 apiece. New York wins 5-1.
October 12Series MVP Orel Hershiser shuts out New York on 5 hits to win game 7 of the NLCS 6-0 and put the Dodgers into the World Series for the first time since 1981.
October 15In one of the most improbable finishes in World Series history‚ pinch hitter Kirk Gibson hits a 2-run home run off Dennis Eckersley with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Dodgers a 5-4 win in game one. The injured Gibson was not expected to play in the NLCS‚ and will not play again in the Series. It is the first World Series game to end on a home run since game 6 in 1975.
October 16Orel Hershiser gives up 3 hits and hits 3 himself to beat Oakland 6-0.
October 18Mark McGwire’s home run off Jay Howell in the bottom of the 9th gives Oakland a 2-1 win in game 3 of the World Series.
October 19The Dodgers win 4-3‚ taking advantage of Oakland errors to beat Dave Stewart.
October 20Series MVP Orel Hershiser ends his dream season with a 5-2 four-hitter over the A’s in game 5 of the World Series. Mickey Hatcher starts the Dodger scoring with a 2-run HR in the 1st off Storm Davis‚ Hatcher’s 2nd HR of the Series. The win gives the Dodgers their first World Championship since 1981. Los Angeles is the only team to win more than one World Series in the 1980s.
October 24Less than a year after signing him as a free agent‚ the Yankees trade 1B-DH Jack Clark to the Padres with P Pat Clements for pitchers Lance McCullers‚ Jimmy Jones‚ and OF Stan Jefferson.

The Phillies trade P Shane Rawley to Minnesota for 2B Tom Herr‚ OF Eric Bullock‚ and C Tom Nieto.
October 28The Tigers trade P Walt Terrell to San Diego for versatile Keith Moreland and 3B Chris Brown.

November

November 1Chris Sabo‚ who hit .271 with 11 home runs and 46 stolen bases as the Reds 3B‚ wins the NL Rookie of the Year award. Chicago’s Mark Grace is runner-up.
November 2Oakland SS Walt Weiss becomes the 3rd consecutive A’s player to win the AL Rookie of the Year award‚ joining sluggers Jose Canseco (1986) and Mark McGwire (1987).
November 3Veteran pitcher Bert Blyleven changes clubs for the 5th time‚ going from the Twins to the Angels for a package of minor leaguers.
November 7Art Howe‚ who played for Houston from 1976-83‚ is named manager of the Astros‚ while Jim Lefebvre is named manager of the Mariners.
November 10Orel Hershiser (23-8) is a unanimous choice as NL Cy Young Award winner.

The Orioles hire the popular Roland Hemond as General Manager. He’ll last 7 years.
November 14Doug Rader‚ who piloted the Rangers from 1982-85‚ is named manager of the California Angels.
November 15Dodgers OF Kirk Gibson wins the NL MVP Award‚ edging Darryl Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds, both of the Mets. Gibson hit .290 with 25 home runs and just 76 RBI.
November 16Jose Canseco becomes the first unanimous AL MVP since Reggie Jackson in 1973.
November 23Free-agent 2B Steve Sax leaves the World Champion Dodgers and signs a 3-year contract with the Yankees.
November 28Mike Moore‚ 9-15 last season for Seattle‚ signs as a free agent with the AL champion A’s.

The Red Sox sign Rich Gedman to a one-year‚ $1.2 million contract that makes him the highest-paid catcher in the AL. He will hit .212 in 1989.
November 30The Royals sign veteran catcher Bob Boone‚ who hit a career-high .295 last season.

December

December 3Two free-agent pitchers sign 3-year contracts‚ Jesse Orosco with Cleveland and Dave LaPoint with the Yankees.
December 4The Orioles trade veteran 1B Eddie Murray to the Dodgers for pitchers Ken Howell and Brian Holton and infield prospect Juan Bell.
December 5Not the best trade the Cubs have ever made. The Cubs and Rangers complete a 9-player swap‚ with Chicago giving up OF Rafael Palmeiro‚ P Jamie Moyer‚ and P Drew Hall in exchange for IF Curtis Wilkerson and Ps Mitch Williams‚ Paul Kilgus‚ and Steve Wilson‚ and a pair of minor leaguers to be named.
December 6The Rangers complete their 2nd major trade in as many days‚ sending 1B Pete O’Brien‚ OF Oddibe McDowell‚ and 2B Jerry Browne to Cleveland for 2B Julio Franco. The Expos and Phillies also complete a trade‚ P Kevin Gross to Montreal for pitchers Jeff Parrett and Floyd Youmans.

The A’s sign free agent pitcher Mike Moore from the Mariners. Seattle receives the A’s first round pick as compensation‚ and will use it to select P Scott Burrell.
December 7The Rangers sign free-agent pitcher Nolan Ryan to a one-year contract.
December 8Pitcher Bruce Hurst‚ considered the cream of this year’s free-agent crop‚ signs a 3-year contract with the Padres.

The Expos make two trades, sending P John Dopson and SS Luis Rivera to Boston for SS Spike Owen‚ and OF Tracy Jones to San Francisco for OF-1B Mike Aldrete.

The Yankees sign free-agent pitcher Andy Hawkins.
December 10Free-agent Willie Randolph signs with the Dodgers. He will replace Steve Sax in the lineup‚ who earlier this month signed with Randolph’s former club‚ the Yankees.
December 13The Red Sox trade 1B-OF Todd Benzinger‚ P Jeff Sellers‚ and a player to be named later to the Reds for 1B Nick Esasky and P Rob Murphy.