Baseball – 1977

Baseball in 1977

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January

January 1Brewers P Danny Frisella‚ 30‚ is killed in a dune buggy accident near Phoenix‚ Arizona.
January 2Commissioner Kuhn suspends Braves owner Ted Turner for one year as a result of tampering charges in the Gary Matthews free-agency signing‚ but the Braves are permitted to keep the outfielder.
January 3The Royals release P Lindy McDaniel‚ ending his 21-year career. He appeared in 987 games‚ 2nd only to Hoyt Wilhelm‘s 1‚070.
January 4Mary Shane is hired by the Chicago White Sox as the first woman TV play-by-play announcer.
January 6Angels reserve SS Mike Miley‚ 23‚ is killed in an auto crash in Baton Rouge‚ LA. Miley had been a star football player at LSU and was chosen twice in the first round of the June free-agent draft.
January 11In a five-player swap‚ the Cubs send OF Rick Monday to the Dodgers for 1B-OF Bill Buckner and SS Ivan DeJesus. Buckner‚ will hit .300 for the Cubs over the next seven seasons.
January 17Kansas City releases Tommy Davis‚ ending an 18-year career spent with 10 different teams.
January 19The BBWAA elects Ernie Banks to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
January 20The Yankees obtain outfielder Paul Blair from Baltimore for outfielders Elliot Maddox and Rick Bladt. Blair will prove a fine defensive addition to the Yankees.
January 27Boston sports writers honor Luis Tiant as the Red Sox most valuable pitcher. This is the fifth year in a row that El Tiante has won, a record streak for this honor which was first awarded in 1952.
January 30Edward W. Stack is elected president of the Hall of Fame succeeding the retiring Paul Kerr.
January 31The Special Veterans Committee selects Joe Sewell‚ Amos Rusie‚ and Al Lopez for the Hall of Fame.

February

February 3The Hall of Fame’s Special Committee on the Negro Leagues picks Martin Dihigo‚ the versatile Cuban star‚ and SS John Lloyd for induction. The committee then dissolves‚ its functions being taken over by the veterans committee.
February 11The Cubs trade 3B Bill Madlock‚ the NL batting champ the past two seasons‚ and 2B Rod Sperring to the Giants for OF Bobby Murcer‚ IF Steve Ontiveros‚ and a minor league pitcher. Madlock leaves Chicago having hit .336 for them‚ which ties him with Riggs Stephenson for the top Cub career average.
February 19The A’s sell P Paul Lindblad to the Rangers for $400‚000‚ calling into question Bowie Kuhn‘s policy on player sales. Kuhn had previously voided an Oakland sale of players (6/18/76) as “not being in the best interest of baseball‚” but had not specified the amount allowable in a player sale.

March

March 7The Braves file suit against Commissioner Kuhn‚ challenging the severity of the penalty for tampering charges.
March 15The Pirates trade outfielders Tony Armas and Mitchell Page‚ and four pitchers‚ including Rick Langford‚ to the A’s for 2B Phil Garner‚ IF Tommy Helms‚ and P Chris Batton.
March 17Federal Judge Frank McGarr rules in favor of Kuhn‚ saying that the commissioner acted within his authority in voiding the 1976 player sales engineered by A’s owner Charlie Finley.
March 21Mark Fidrych‚ the 1976 Rookie of the Year‚ rips the cartilage in his left knee and will undergo surgery in ten days . The injury will effectively end the fabled career of the Bird.
March 26The Athletics trade former All-Star OF Claudell Washington to the Rangers for P Jim Umbarger‚ infielder Rodney Scott‚ and cash.
March 28The Rangers Lenny Randle‚ angry for having been benched during spring training‚ attacks 50-year-old manager Frank Lucchesi‚ sending him to the hospital with a shattered cheekbone. Lucchesi helped precipitate the incident by calling the good-natured Randle “a punk.” Randle’s days are numbered.

The Reds swap Joel Youngblood to the Cardinals for P Bill Caudill. Tomorrow‚ they’ll send Pat Darcy to the Cards for Mike Caldwell.

April

April 4The Angels trade Mike Easler to the Pirates for P Randy Sealy. Easler will continue to bounce between the majors and minors‚ before sticking for good in 1980.
April 5The White Sox trade SS Bucky Dent to the Yankees for OF Oscar Gamble‚ and minor league pitchers LaMarr Hoyt and Bob Polinsky‚ and an estimated $200‚000. Gamble will have a fine season in Chicago and Hoyt will blossom into the ace of the White Sox staff in the early 1980’s.
April 6The Seattle Mariners make their debut‚ losing to Frank Tanana and the Angels 7-0. Joe Rudi is 3-for-4 with a homer and 4 RBIs. The loser for the M’s is Diego Segui‚ who pitched for the Seattle Pilots Opener in 1969‚ a 4-3 loss at Anaheim. Segui is the only player to appear for both the Pilots and the Mariners.

Despite a snowfall of 4 inches this morning‚ the Reds open against the Padres‚ winning 5-3. The snow‚ which stops falling at 11:30 is cleared out of the stadium a half hour before the game’s start.
April 7On snowy day‚ American League baseball makes its debut in Toronto at a football field called Exhibition Stadium. Doug Ault hits two home runs in a 9-5 win over the Chicago White Sox. The first baseman tags Ken Brett for a solo shot in the first and then hits a two-run homer in the third off Brett before 44‚649 freezing fans. Al Woods hits a pinch HR on the first pitch in his first ML at bat‚ just the 11th player in ML history to do so.

Before 43‚785 in the Opener at Yankee Stadium‚ Catfish Hunter holds the Brewers to five hits‚ three by Von Joshua‚ as the Yankees win 3-0. Von’s last hit strikes Catfish in the instep and he leaves after 7 innings of work. Sparky Lyle pitches the last two innings. Jim Wynn has two hits for New York‚ including a homer in his first Yankee at-bat. Reggie Jackson‚ in his first start as a Yankee‚ also has two hits and two runs‚ one on a suicide squeeze by Willie Randolph. With the recent addition of Bucky Dent to the lineup‚ the Yankees start an all-star at every position (Catfish Hunter‚ Thurman Munson‚ Chris Chambliss‚ Willie Randolph‚ Dent‚ Graig Nettles‚ Roy White‚ Mickey Rivers‚ Reggie Jackson and Jimmy Wynn). They will duplicate this on Opening Day 2005.

In the Dodgers opener in Los Angeles‚ Giants leadoff hitter Gary Thomasson apparently doesn’t get the word that the first pitch is to be handed over to the umps and sent to Cooperstown. Instead‚ he cranks the Don Sutton lollipop for a home run. But it is all the scoring the Giants can muster‚ and they lose‚ 5-1.
April 9Thanks to a 9-run 3rd inning‚ the Royals take a 16-0 lead against the host Tigers enroute to a 16-2 win. Most of the KC regulars sit out the 2nd half of the game.
April 10The Indians (13) and Red Sox (6) combine for 19 runs in the 8th inning to set a modern ML record. Cleveland wins‚ 19-9. Jim Norris has 4 hits including his 1st ML HR‚ in the 4th inning. It is the only homer of the game.
April 12The Tigers send popular veteran DH-OF Willie Horton to Texas for P Steve Foucault. Both players will move on after one season.

Phillip K. Wrigley‚ owner of the Chicago Cubs‚ dies at the age of 82. He had just started his 42nd season with the Cubs. William Wrigley succeeds his father as chairman of the executive committee of the team.
April 15The Expos play their first game in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium before a crowd of 57‚592. The Phillies win 7-2.
April 16Regulations force Oakland P Vida Blue to discard his old‚ discolored “lucky” cap because it is no longer “identical in color‚ trim and style” to those of his teammates.

In Milwaukee‚ Cecil Cooper hits a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 9th off Sparky Lyle to tie the Yankees 3-3‚ then a Sal Bando triple and single by Steve Brye wins it.
April 17In Atlanta‚ the umpiring crew walks off the field to protest a controversial play being shown on the large instant replay screen. The 4th inning play involved the Astros Bob Watson scoring on a close play at the plate. Braves’ executive Bill Lucas persuaded the umps to return‚ assuring them that no more close plays would be shown. The Braves won‚ 5-4.
April 19Brooks Robinson makes his last home run a dramatic one. Pinch hitting for Larry Harlow‚ he hits a three run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning off Dave LaRoche to beat the Indians 6-5. Brooks will go to bat just 47 times this year‚ finishing his career with 268 homers. In yesterday’s game against Cleveland‚ O’s rookie Eddie Murray hits his first ML homer‚ off former Oriole Pat Dobson.

Kansas City whips the Twins‚ 11-3‚ as Frank White paces the KC offense with a double and homer in one inning.
April 21Detroit’s Dave Rozema shuts down Boston 8-0 for his first ML win.

Yankee manager Billy Martin‚ faced with a 2-8 slump in the past 10 games‚ draws his lineup out of a hat. Chambliss batting 8th drives in 5 runs on 2 doubles and a homer and New York beats Toronto‚ 8-6. Ken Holtzman is the winner.
April 24Fergie Jenkins fires the first shutout ever in Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium‚ as the Red Sox defeat the Blue Jays‚ 9-0.
April 25The Reds score a record-tying 12 runs in the 5th inning off 3 Braves pitchers (Phil Niekro‚ Jamie Easterly‚ and Mike Beard)‚ and 23 in the game‚ in crushing the Braves‚ 23-9. George Foster clouts 2 homers‚ a double and single‚ scores 5 runs and drives home 7 to lead Cincy. The previous time 12 runs scored in an inning was September 3‚ 1926‚ also allowed by the Braves.

Boston’s Fergy Jenkins allows 3 hits and shuts out the Blue Jays 9-0 in the first ever shutout in Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium.
April 26The Rangers trade Lenny Randle to the Mets for Rick Auerbach and cash.

Dan Driessen has 2 homers and 6 RBIs to pace the Reds to a 9-1 win over the Braves in Atlanta.
April 27The Cardinals drive by the Cubs‚ 21-3‚ collecting 19 hits. Mike Anderson‚ who did not start the game‚ has the only Birds homer‚ hitting a 2 run shot in the 7th. Garry Templeton scores 5 runs for the Cards to make it easy for John Denny (5-0).

The Yankees obtain P Mike Torrez from the A’s in exchange for P Dock Ellis‚ infielder Marty Perez‚ and OF Larry Murray. Torrez will have a fine season in New York before signing with Boston as a free agent.
April 29Ron Guidry makes his a first start of the year and blanks the Mariners‚ 3-0‚ with relief help from Lyle. Thurman Munson belts a 3 run homer for New York‚ which moves into 2nd place.
April 30Ron Cey cracks a 7th-inning HR in a 6-4 Dodger win over the Expos. Cey finishes the month with a ML record for April of 29 RBI to lead the Dodgers to a 17-3 start under new manager Tommy Lasorda.

May

May 6Angels P Nolan Ryan strikes out 15 in beating the Red Sox‚ 8-4.
May 7In a 12-10 losing slugfest with the Pirates‚ Pete Rose has 2 hits to run his hitting streak to 20 games. Pete will go hitless tomorrow‚ then rack up another 20-game hit streak later in the season.
May 10The Braves lose a doubleheader to the Pirates‚ 3-0 and 2-1‚ to run their loss streak to 16. Jim Rooker is the winner in game 1‚ with Larry Demery the victor in game 2. Dave Parker‘s two-run triple in game 2 helps extend the Bucs’ win streak to 10 games.

Milwaukee drops a pair to Cleveland‚ losing 1-0 and 7-4. Jim Bibby is the winner in the first game when Larvell Blanks hits a game-ending homer in the 9th off Jim Slaton.
May 11Braves owner Ted Turner gives manager Dave Bristol a 10-day paid leave and takes over as field manager‚ wearing #27 on his uniform. After the Braves lose again-for the 17th straight-to the Pirates 2-1‚ with Phil Niekro going to 0-7‚ Turner is relieved of his new job by NL president Chub Feeney. A league rule prohibits a manager from owning a financial interest in his club. Turner then makes a public plea claiming harassment‚ but names 3B coach Vern Benson the manager for the May 12th game.

Frank Tanana applies the calcimine in California’s 6-0 win over Baltimore and teammates Bobby Bonds‚ Don Baylor‚ and Ron Jackson provide the offense with consecutive homers in the 2nd inning.
May 12With Benson as manager‚ the Braves win-finally-beating the Pirates in Pittsburgh‚ 6-1. Tomorrow‚ the team will return home and Benson will return to coaching 3B. Dave Bristol will cut short his 10 day leave and once again take the helm. The team will resume their play under Bristol with a shutout loss to the Cardinals.
May 13Ed Figueroa pitches his 4th straight complete game‚ and Thurman Munson cracks a 7th inning homer to lead New York to a 3-0 win over the Angels.
May 14Jim Colborn hurls a no-hit game as Kansas City beats Texas‚ 6-0. It is the first no-hitter at Royals Stadium by a KC hurler. Darrell Porter‚ who came to the Royals in the trade with Colborn‚ has a double and triple to back his batterymate. Poquette has a pair of hits a pair of sparkling catches.

Jim Spencer ties the club mark of 8 RBI as the White Sox scalp the Indians 18-2 at Comiskey Park. Four come home on a grand slam‚

Don Gullett outduels Nolan Ryan to give New York a 4-1 victory over California.
May 17The Cubs hit 7 home runs and wallop the Padres 23-6. Three of the HRs are consecutive shots in the 5th by Larry Biittner‚ Jerry Morales‚ and Bobby Murcer. With a lead of 22-2‚ starter Bill Bonham is yanked after six frames and Ramon Hernandez finishes‚ allowing up four earned runs in 3 innings. But he ‘earns’ his first and only save as a Cub. He goes from Cubman to Hubman in 11 days when Chicago swaps him for Boston’s Bobby Darwin.

Sparky Lyle‚ in relief of Ron Guidry‚ pitches 6 scoreless innings and the Yanks push across 3 runs in the 15th to defeat Oakland‚ 5-2.
May 20Eight homers‚ 4 by each team‚ are hit in the Brewers 15-7 win over the Red Sox. Jerry Augustine goes the distance for his 5th win.
May 21Merv Rettenmund hits a 3-run HR in the 21st inning to give the Padres an 11-8 win over the Expos. The two teams combine for a ML-record 9 intentional passes (Mtl 5‚ SD 4) in an effort to end the game earlier‚ but to no avail.

The Reds trade P Santo Alcala‚ 11-4 in his rookie year last season‚ to the Expos for 2 minor leaguers‚ Shane Rawley and Angel Torres.
May 22The Red Sox split a doubleheader with the Brewers‚ winning the opener 14-10. The 2 teams tie a ML record in game one when they combine for 11 HRs‚ 6 by Boston. Dwight Evans clocks one of the homers over the new upper section of the CF wall‚ about 20 feet to the right of the flagpole‚ one of the longest homers hit at Fenway. Also in the 7-run 8th‚ George Scott booms a grand slam. In the past 3 games‚ the two teams hit 23 homers. Eddie Rodriguez stops the slugging in game 2‚ allowing 2 Boston hits to win‚ 6-0. Milwaukee has 18 hits and 16 LOB. Fergie Jenkins gives up all the runs in 6+ innings.

In Seattle’s 6-2 win over Oakland‚ Mariner’s catcher Skip Jutze is twice caught stealing home‚ likely tying a ML record. Jutze will end his ML career with one steal and 6 CS. The battery of Vida Blue and Eddie Williams catch 3 runners trying to steal home‚ 2 in the 4th.

Ron Guidry stops a 3-game Yankee losing streak with a 4-hitter to defeat the Orioles‚ 8-2.
May 24Carlos May and Graig Nettles hit back-to-back homers in the 6th as the Yankees come from behind to defeat the Red Sox‚ 6-5.
May 25CF Lyman Bostock has 12 putouts in the 2nd game of a doubleheader‚ tying the ML mark‚ as the Twins sweep the Red Sox‚ 13-5 and 94. Bostock is only the 3rd big leaguer to do it in 9 innings and just the 2nd CF in this century. His 17 putouts in the twinbill is also an AL record. Carlton Fisk and George Scott hit back-to-back homers for Boston‚ the 5th time this year the Red Sox have done it.
May 26Rickey Henderson of the Modesto A’s (California League) steals 7 bases to tie the minor league record. Henderson will steal 95 in 134 games.
May 27At Boston, the Boston Red Sox outslug the Kansas City Royals to win, 17–12. Jim Rice has a HR and 5 RBIs, while Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Dwight Evans and George Scott also homer. For the Royals Hal MacRae contributes a double, triple, and homer to drive in 4 runs. MacRae will end the year as just the 4th player this century to top 50 doubles (54), 10 triples (11), and 20 homers (21) in a season. Only Lou Gehrig (1927), Chuck Klein (1932), and Joe Medwick (1937) have previously reached those levels. In 2006 Grady Sizemore of the Cleveland Indians will become the first player in the 21st Century to attain those marks.
May 28Alvin Dark replaces John McNamara as the Padres manager.

A Stadium crowd of 54‚881‚ on hand for Jacket Day‚ watch as the White Sox cuff Ron Guidry for 16 hits‚ enroute to a 9-4 win over the Yankees.

The Red Sox swap Danny Darwin to the Cubs for P Ramon Hernandez and sell P Tom House to the Mariners.

The Cubs move into first place‚ beating the Pirates‚ 6-3. Bruce Sutter earns the save with three scoreless innings.
May 29Johnny Bench’s 1st-inning grand slam off Rick Rhoden jump starts the Reds to a 8-1 win over the Dodgers.

Larry Parish is 5-for-5‚ including 3 homers‚ with 5 RBIs and 5 runs scored to lead the Expos to a 14-4 win over the Cardinals. Del Unser also homers for Montreal.
May 30Twenty-two-year-old Dennis Eckersley (5-3) fires a no-hitter as the Indians top the Angels‚ 1-0. Eck walks 1 and strikes out 12. Frank Tanana (8-2) with 3 shutouts in his last 4 games‚ takes the loss. The only run comes in the 1st inning when Duane Kuipper lines a ball to CF Gil Flores that skips under his glove for a triple. Jim Norris ten squeezes Kuipper home.

The Padres sweep a doubleheader from the Giants 12-8 and 9-8. San Diego’s Mike Ivie ties an NL record with 5 doubles‚ while his club ties the ML mark by using 41 players‚ including 13 pitchers‚ in the twin bill.

Reggie Jackson and Graig Nettles hit back-to-back homers in the 2nd to lead New York to a 5-4 win against Boston.
May 31The Mets fire manager Joe Frazier‚ replacing him with 3B Joe Torre.

June

June 3The Reds Fred Norman pitches a 2-hit shutout to beat the Astros‚ 4-0. Norman walks 8 and uses 153 pitches in the win.
June 5The Dodgers retire former manager Walt Alston’s uniform‚ number 24‚ on Old-Timer’s Day. Doug Rau then pitches the current Dodgers to a 4-2 win over the Padres.

The Yankees hit 6 home runs‚ their most in three years‚ and barely edge the White Sox‚ 8-6. Bucky Dent‚ Reggie Jackson‚ Thurman Munson‚ Carlos May‚ Graig Nettles and rookie George Zeber connect. Zeber’s clout‚ his first ML homer‚ comes off Dave Hamilton‚ and is the game winner.

Johnny Bench clouts 2 homers and drives in 5 runs as the Reds rout the visiting Astros‚ 14-4.
June 6The first place Cubs beat the Dodgers‚ 3-1‚ behind Rick Reuschel‘s brilliant 6 1/3 innings. Reuschel retires 17 batters in a row.

Luis Tiant wins his 100th game as a Red Sox‚ defeating Kansas City‚ 1-0. Boston’s other 100+ winners include Cy Young (193)‚ Mel Parnell (123)‚ Joe Wood (112)‚ Joe Dobson (106)‚ and Lefty Grove (105) (Roger Clemens will join the group with 192). Yaz walks in the game‚ his 1‚452nd‚ tying him for 10th on the all time list with Jimmie Foxx.
June 7The White Sox select Harold Baines with the number-one pick in the draft. Bill Veeck had first seen Baines play Little League ball and had followed his career. P Bill Gullickson is taken with the 2nd pick by the Expos‚ and Milwaukee takes University of Minnesota infielder Paul Molitor with the 3rd pick. Danny Ainge‚ a potential pro basketball player‚ is picked in the 15th round. The Reds come up empty with the 8th pick in round 1‚ picking prep 3B Ted Venger. The Expos pick Tim Raines on the 5th round.
June 8Nolan Ryan notches his 4th career 19-strikeout game‚ hurling the first 10 innings of a game against Toronto. Ryan has struck out 11 or more in five straight games‚ and will notch 10 and 14 in his next two starts‚ a record of 10+ strikeouts in seven straight games. For the record (as noted by Scott Flatow): May 19 vs. Minnesota-12 K in 9 innings; May 24 vs. Detroit-12 K in 9 innings; May 29 vs. Toronto-12K in 9 innings; June 6 vs. Detroit-11 K in 7.2 innings; June 8 vs. Toronto-19 K in 10 innings; June 12 vs. Cleveland-10K in 6.2 innings; June 16 vs. Minnesota-14K in 8.2 innings.

On the strength of a 9-2 victory by Mike Torrez over the Brewers‚ the Yankees move into first place.
June 10The A’s fire manager Jack McKeon‚ replacing him with Bobby Winkles.

Ron Guidry‚ with relief help‚ stops the Twins‚ to give New York a 4-1 win. Willie Randolph‘s two-run double is the key blow.

Rick Reuschel scatters 4 hits and strikes out 7 to give the Cubs a 3-1 win over the Giants. Bob Knepper loses‚ his first decision of the year.

Tony Perez makes his first return to Cincinnati wearing an Expo uniform‚ but the Reds prevail over Montreal‚ 13-1. Fred Norman is the winner.
June 11Phillies’ slugger Greg Luzinski smacks a grand slam and a 3-run double to drive in 7 runs at Atlanta. The Phils top the Braves 13-10.
June 12The Red Sox sweep their first doubleheader in two years‚ beating Texas 3-2 and 2-0‚ behind Reggie Cleveland and Luis Tiant. The two were the winners of the last twinbill sweep‚ on September 26‚ 1975‚ when Boston clinched a tie for the Eastern title.
June 13At Fenway‚ pitcher Boston Fergie Jenkins strikes out his 2‚397th batter to move ahead of Sandy Koufax on the all-time list. Boston edges the White Sox‚ 5-4‚ in 10 innings.
June 15New York fans are in shock as the Mets trade ace P Tom Seaver to the Reds. In return they get P Pat Zachry‚ IF Doug Flynn‚ and minor leaguers Steve Henderson and Dan Norman. The Mets also trade slugger Dave Kingman to the Padres for utility player Bobby Valentine and a minor league pitcher.

The Reds keep trading today‚ sending P Gary Nolan to the Angels for INF Craig Henderson. Cincy also swaps P Rawly Eastwick to the Cardinals for P Doug Capilla. Then‚ a fine trade for the Brewers‚ Milwaukee snag P Mike Caldwell from the Reds for P Dick O’Keeffe and infielder Garry Pyka. Caldwell has had trouble regaining his form following arm surgery‚ but in 1978 he will be the AL’s comeback player of the year. In a final deal‚ the Reds acquire infielder Rick Auerbach from the Texas Rangers.

The Phillies swap batteries with Montreal sending P Wayne Twichell and C Tim Blackwell for C Barry Foote and P Dan Warthen. Then Philadelphia ships P Tom Underwood‚ OF Rick Bosetti and 1B Dane Iorg to the Cardinals for Bake McBride and Steve Waterbury. McBride will hit .339 after arriving in Philley.

The Astros beat the trade deadline and send 1B Cliff Johnson to the Yankees for minor leaguers Mike Fischlin and Randy Niemann‚ and a player to be named (Dave Bergman).
June 16The Yankees Ron Guidry throws his first complete game‚ a 7-0 win over the Royals. Mickey Rivers has 3 hits‚ including a HR‚ and scores 3.

In a 7-3 loss to the White Sox‚ Boston’s Fred Lynn goes hitless to end his consecutive game hit streak at 20 games. Boston outhits Chicago‚ 13-12.
June 17At Boston‚ the Sox jump on Yankee starter Catfish Hunter for 4 first-inning homers as Rick Burleson and Fred Lynn hit leadoff homers and Carlton Fisk‚ and George Scott follow suit later in the inning. Boston adds another homer enroute to an 11-1 win to take over 1st place in the AL East.
June 18New York’s Reggie Jackson loafs after a Jim Rice bloop double during a 10-4 loss to Boston and is taken out by manager Billy Martin right after the manager removes starter Mike Torrez. Jackson and Martin nearly come to blows in the dugout as national television cameras watch. Boston connects for 5 homers in the game‚ 2 each by Yaz and Bernie Carbo. Fenway Park sees the largest Saturday afternoon crowd (34‚603) in 20 years.

In his debut in a Reds uniform‚ Tom Seaver fires a 3-hit shutout as the Reds beat the Expos‚ 6-0.
June 19The Indians fire manager Frank Robinson‚ replacing him with Jeff Torborg.

At Fenway‚ Yankee pitchers help put the Red Sox in the record books when they serve up 5 gopher balls (Doyle‚ Carbo‚ Rice‚ Yaz‚ Scott) in an 11-1 pasting for the 3rd loss in a row. Yastrzemski’s homer‚ served up by Dick Tidrow‚ is a towering drive down the RF line off the RF facade (to the right of the retired #’s) the only player to ever reach that height. No one else has ever come close to duplicating that feat. The Bosox hit a record 16 homers in three victories over the Yankees (six on the 17th; five on the 18th). It wasn’t the wind‚ as New York goes homerless in the series.
June 20Rick Wise shuts out the O’s‚ striking out 10 batters and allowing two hits‚ to win‚ 4-0. Butch Hobson homers for Boston‚ their 22nd HR in 6 games.
June 21Behind Luis Tiant’s 2-hitter‚ the Red Sox pummel the O’s‚ 7-0. Jim Rice and George Scott bang homers. The Sox also sign Tommy Helms‚ released by the Pirates‚ and waive Doug Griffin.

Reds pitcher Paul Moskau homers on his 2nd ML at bat‚ but gives up 4 runs in 4+ innings. The Reds prevail over the Phillies‚ 10-5‚ at Veterans Stadium.
June 22It’s not a good year for Texas manager Frank Lucchesi‚ as Eddie Stanky takes over‚ leading the club to a 10-8 triumph over the Twins. The next day‚ the “homesick” Stanky will resign.

It’s not easy but the Yankees stop their 5-game losing streak with a 12-11 win over Detroit. The Yankees are led by Graig Nettles‚ with a 3 run homer‚ and Reggie Jackson‚ who belts a 2-run triple.

The Red Sox bang 5 homers (Scott‚ Rice‚ Fisk 2‚ Hobson)‚ all off Jim Palmer‚ to beat Baltimore‚ 5-4. The Sox have now won 12 of their last 13 games and set homer records for 8 games (29)‚ 7 games (26)‚ and 6 games (24). The Sox reach 100 homers‚ the earliest they ever have.

The Phillies outslug the Reds‚ 15-9‚ at Vets Stadium. Joel Hoerner makes his debut with the Reds‚ handing out an intentional walk and then a grand slam to Larry Bowa.
June 23At Baltimore‚ Boston wins their 7th game in a row‚ defeating the Orioles‚ 7-3. Butch Hobson‘s homer gives the Sox a ML record 30 homers in 9 games.
June 24Before 54‚940 at Yankee Stadium‚ Roy White launches a dramatic 2-out 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th to give the Yanks a 5-5 tie with the Red Sox‚ and New York scores in the next inning on Reggie Jackson bases-loaded single to win‚ 6-5. White’s key hit comes after Bill Campbell retires the first 2 Yankees in the 9th and then Willie Randolph triples to bring up Murcer. Sparky Lyle picks up the win‚ handing Boston their 1st loss in 8 games. With homers from Yaz‚ Hobson and George Scott‚ the Sox set a ML record of 33 homers in 10 games.

At Minnesota‚ Chicago’s Ralph Garr hits a three-run homer in the 3rd‚ but Jim Essian‚ the base runner on 1B‚ watches the ball to see if it will be caught and Garr passes him. Garr gets a single and 2 RBIs. Minnesota still wins‚ 7-6.

Bob Watson hits for the cycle to lead Houston to a 6-5 win over the SF Giants. Joe Sambito is the winning pitcher.
June 25Mike Torrez outduels Luis Tiant to give the Yankees a 5-1 win over the Red Sox. Greg Nettles 3-run homer is the big blow. New York now trails the Sox by 3 games.

At Old-Timers Day in Chicago‚ the Cubs score 4 in the 9th inning to edge the Mets‚ 5-4. Larry Biittner doubles in 2 runs‚ and Bill Buckner‘s wind-blown fly eludes 2 outfielders for a 3rd double in the frame. With the sack full‚ Manny Trillo‘s hits a grounder to 3B and beats out the attempted DP for the winner.
June 26On Jersey Day in Minnesota‚ every fan receives a jersey with #29 on it‚ Rod Carew‘s number. Rod Carew responds by going 4-for-5‚ scoring 4 runs‚ and raising his average to .403. one of the hits is a grand slam and he will hit another slam on July 4. Teammate Glenn Adams drives in eight as the Twins beat the White Sox 19-12.

In front of 55‚039 fans‚ the Yankees complete a 3-game sweep of the Red Sox‚ avenging the three losses last week to the Sox at Fenway. New York takes 4-1 lead into the 9th‚ but the Sox tie the game. In the bottom of the 9th‚ Paul Blair bounces a bases-loaded ball over the head of Butch Hobson at 3B to pin the loss on reliever Bill Campbell.

In a sweep of Texas‚ both by 4-3 scores‚ Angels 2B Jerry Remy has 26 chances‚ an AL record (4PO‚ 12A in 11 inning‚ game 1: 5 PO‚ 5A in g2). This comes 2 days after 2B Don Money ties the AL mark with 12 assists.
June 27The Giants Willie McCovey smashes 2 HRs‚ one a grand slam‚ in the 6th inning to pace a 14-9 victory over the Reds. McCovey becomes the first player to twice hit 2 HRs in one inning (4/12/73)‚ and also becomes the all-time NL leader with 17 career grand slams. Andre Dawson‚ in 1978 and 1986‚ will clout 2 round trippers in an inning. Reliever Joe Hoerner helps as he enters the 6th with 2 outs‚ the sacks full‚ and the Reds holding a 7-6 lead. He hits 2 batters‚ then serves up the slam to McCovey.

The Cubs edge the Expos‚ 4-3 as Sutter shuts down Montreal for two innings to earn his 20th save. Sutter’s ERA is now a minuscule 0.69.
June 28Ken Reitz knocks in 8 runs-half on a grand slam-in a 13-3 St. Louis win over Pittsburgh.

Billy Hunter becomes the Rangers’ 4th manager in 6 days. Connie Ryan had filled in after Eddie Stanky‘s departure.
June 29In a 9-1 win‚ Willie Stargell hits his 400th career HR‚ this one coming off Eric Rasmussen of the Cardinals. Bruce Kison is the winning pitcher.
June 30Cliff Johnson becomes the 2nd player in 3 days to hit a pair of homers in an inning. He hits 3 consecutive home runs‚ including 2 in the 8th inning‚ as the Yankees rout the Blue Jays 11-5. New York (42-33) is a half-game behind the Red Sox.

The host Reds beat the Giants‚ 11-5‚ as Joe Morgan paces the scoring with 5 runs and 2 stolen bases‚ despite going 0-for-2 at the plate. Max Carey‚ on July 25‚ 1913‚ scored 5 runs on no hits. .

July

July 2The White Sox Jim Spencer clubs 2 HRs-one a grand slam-against the Twins and ties the club record of 8 RBI. Spencer also had 8 RBI on May 14th. Chicago wins‚ 13-8.
July 3On his 24th birthday‚ Angel Frank Tanana records his 14th straight complete game in beating the A’s 6-4‚ and raising his record to 12-5. His overworked arm would plague him for the rest of the season‚ and he would wind up 15-9.

Ron Guidry scatters 6 hits and tosses his 2nd consecutive shutout‚ a 2-0 Yankee win over Detroit. Roy White breaks the scoreless game with a double in the 8th inning.

In an 11-7 win over the Padres‚ Phillies 3B Mike Schmidt hits an inside-the-park homer‚ the 2nd of his career. He’ll hit one more‚ in 1982.
July 4The Boston Red Sox end their 9 game losing streak by walloping a ML-record-tying and since topped‚ 8 HRs‚ in beating Toronto 9-6 at Fenway. Seven of the homers are solo shots‚ another ML record. Four HRs (Lynn‚ Rice‚ Yaz‚ Scott) come in the 8th inning. Only Scott’s is not consecutive. Lynn and Scott each have 2‚ while Rice‚ Yaz‚ Hobson and Carbo have one apiece. The Sox previous high for homers was 6 and they won’t top that number until 1999.

After 8 straight hits‚ Ron Cey is called out on strikes in the 9th in a 4-0 Dodger win over San Francisco. Cey had 5 hits the day before and 3 straight today.

In the first game of a doubleheader‚ Chicago outfielder Larry Biittner pitches the last 1 1/3 innings for the Cubs‚ striking out 3. That’s the good news. The bad news is he allows 6 earned runs on 5 hits and a walk as the Expos crush the Cubs‚ 19-3. Two of the three K’s are of the opposing pitcher‚ Jackie Brown‚ and the last is Larry Parrish‚ who had homered on a 1-2 pitch from Biittner. Biittner also serves up homers to Valentine and Dawson‚ each of whom have five ribbies. Biittner is later fined $50 by the NL for throwing a “brush-back” pitch after surrendering the three home runs‚ but a collection is taken up to pay for his shave. Further bad news for the Cubs is that Bruce Sutter is knocked out for the first time this year‚ and a massive knot beneath his right shoulder will keep him out of the All-star game. The Cubs lose game 2‚ 7-6.

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.
July 6In Atlanta‚ the Reds outlast the Braves‚ winning 15-13. The Braves spot the Reds 6 runs‚ then tie it up with a 6-run 4th inning. The Braves tie in the 7th at 9 apiece‚ but the Reds score 6 in the 8th inning‚ 4 on a grand slam by Dave Concepcion. Atlanta scores 1 in the 8th and 3 in the 9th to complete a wild game.

The Expos top the Cubs‚ 8-6‚ as pitcher Dave Stanhouse helps the offense with a grand slam‚ off Bill Bonham. It is Stanhouse’s only ML homer.
July 7New York completes a 3-game sweep of Cleveland behind the 4 hit pitching of Catfish Hunter. New York wins‚ 8-2.

Chicago’ Rick Reuschel shuts out the Cardinals to run his record to 12-2. Reuschel has not given up an earned run‚ except a homer‚ since June 1.
July 8The Yankees‚ led by home runs off the bats of Munson and Nettles. beat the Orioles‚ 7-5. Don Gullett wins his 7th of the year.
July 9Lenny Randle cracks a 2-out 2-run homer in the bottom of the 17th to give the Mets a 7-5 win over the Expos.

Rafael Garcia of Juarez (Mexican League) hurls his 2nd no-hitter of the season in beating Durango‚ 3-1. He throttled Nuevo Laredo without a hit on April 16th.
July 10The Orioles stop the Yankees‚ 5-0‚ to drop New York into 2nd place behind the Red Sox.

In the first of a twinbill with the Brewers‚ the Red Sox strand a ML-record tying 20 runners‚ but still win‚ 8-5.
July 11The Angels fire manager Norm Sherry. Dave Garcia takes over.
July 12Willie Randolph hits the game-winning homer and Don Gullett pitches the Yankees to a 5-2 win over the Brewers. The win stops the Yanks loss streak at 3 games.

Steve Henderson hits a game-winning HR‚ off Bruce Sutter‚ to give the Mets a 4-2 victory over the Cubs. After the game the Cubs relief ace admits his arm is bothering him‚ and asks to be excused from the All-Star game. Bleeding will be found in Sutter’s arm and he will get the week off after the All-Star break to rest it.
July 14The Red Sox beat Cleveland 7-4. Carl Yastrzemski‘s 5th inning single gives him a career total of 2‚655 hits‚ moving him ahead of Williams as Boston’s all-time hit leader.

In Cincinnati‚ George Foster cracks 3 home runs to drive in 5 runs against the Reds 7-1 whipping of the Braves. Tom Seaver pitches a 2 hitter for the win‚ and doesn’t give up a hit until the 7th inning when Willie Montanez doubles.
July 17The Yankees lose‚ 8-4‚ for their 3rd straight loss to the Royals. New York has now lost 7 of their last 9 games and are 3 games in back of the leading Orioles.

At Shea Stadium‚ Lenny Randle comes to bat in the 6th against the Cubs Paul Burris‚ when New York City is hit by a power blackout at 9:34. Randle will finally ground out‚ but it won’t be until the game is completed on September 16. The Cubs win‚ 5-1.
July 19At Yankee Stadium‚ the NL scores 4 times in the opening inning off Jim Palmer‚ en route to a 7-5 All-Star Game victory. Don Sutton‚ hurling 3 scoreless innings‚ is named the game’s MVP.

While pursuing Hank Aaron‘s HR record‚ Sadaharu Oh breaks one held by Babe Ruth when he draws his 2‚057th base on balls.
July 21Catfish Hunter tosses a 7-0 shut out against the Brewers to snap the Yankees 3-game loss streak. Milwaukee comes back in the nitecap to win‚ 5-4‚ in 10 innings.
July 22Rick Reuschel allows just 4 hits as the Cubs beat the Braves‚ 1-0.
July 23Paul Blair hits a 9th inning 3-run homer to give the Yankees Ron Guidry a 3-1 victory over the Brewers.
July 24Seattle’s John Montague pitches 6 2?3 innings of perfect relief against California‚ giving him 33 consecutive batsmen retired over 2 games to tie the AL record. But California wins‚ 3-1.
July 25Pete Rose singles in the 4th inning of the Reds 9-8 loss to the Cardinals. It is Rose’s 2‚881st career hit‚ enabling him to surpass Frankie Frisch as the all-time leader among switch-hitters. His hit comes off Pete Falcone.
July 26Padres rookie Gene Richards ties the NL record with 6 hits in an extra-inning contest.

The Yankees open their final series with Baltimore by tying the O’s at 4-4 on a Cliff Johnson two-run pinch homer in the 9th. Reggie Jackson then leads off the 10th with a solo HR to win.
July 27The Cubs Rick Reuschel tosses his 2nd shutout in a row‚ beating the Reds‚ 3-0 on a 5-hitter.
July 28In a wild one at Wrigley‚ the first-place Cubs (6) and Reds (5) combine for 11 HRs to tie the ML record. The first-place Cubs come back 4 times to win 16-15 in 13 innings in a contest that goes 4 hours and 50 minutes. Dave Rosello‘s RBI single wins it. The Reds lead 6-0 to start‚ beginning with Rose’s leadoff HR as the 2 teams combine for 5 homers in the first inning‚ tying a ML mark. The Reds lead 15-14 near the finish‚ but Dave Rosello‘s RBI single off Jack Billingham wins the game. Going deep are Buckner (2)‚ Murcer‚ Mitterwald (2‚ including one in the 12th inning)‚ and Morales for Chicago: Rose‚ Bench‚ Griffey‚ Lum and Geronimo homer for the Reds. Rick Reuschel (15-3)‚ who shut out the Reds 2 days earlier‚ is the winner with 2/3 of an inning.

In New York‚ a Thursday crowd of 40‚918 cheer as New York unleashes a 15 hit attack to down the Orioles‚ 14-2. The Yankee barrage includes homers by Nettles‚ Munson and Roy White.

Toronto peppers Gaylord Perry for 11 hits‚ but the Texas hurler still shuts them out‚ 3-0.
July 29Phil Niekro picks up his 10th win of the year‚ beating the Pirates 5-3 for the Braves. But he has to strike out 4 Bucs in the 6th inning to do it. He strikes out Dave Parker and Bill Robinson‚ but after Al Oliver doubles‚ Rennie Stennett whiffs and reaches 1st when the ball eludes the catcher. Omar Moreno then makes the 4th K in the inning.
July 30Yankee pitcher Don Gullett picks up his 10th win of the year‚ a 9-3 victory over the A’s. But it will prove to be his final win of the year when he injures his shoulder in the 7th inning and leaves the game.
July 31Greg Nettles scores 3 runs to lead the Yankees to a 9-2 win over the A’s‚ the 8th win in 9 games for New York. The Yankees are a half game out of first.

August

August 1Willie McCovey hits 2 HRs‚ including his 18th career grand slam‚ as the Giants beat Montreal‚ 9-2.
August 3Baltimore rookie 1B Eddie Murray homers from both sides of the plate in a 10-inning 8-6 win over Oakland.

The Cubs place Bruce Sutter and his injured arm on the 21-day disables list.

Dennis Leonard pitches the Royals to a 12-2 win over the White Sox. John Mayberry leads the offense by hitting for the cycle.
August 5The visiting Pirates swamp the Reds in a doubleheader before 50‚000‚ winning 12-1 and 10-6. In game 1‚ Cincinnati native Dave Parker becomes the first player to reach the RF red seats at Riverfront with a home run‚ off Fred Norman. In the second game‚ Frank Tavaras hits an inside-the-park grand slam in the 2nd inning and Bill Robinson adds a 3-run homer in the 6th for Pittsburgh. The Reds get a pair of homers from George Foster and a solo from Johnny Bench. Tavaras’ slam is the last inside the par for the Bucs this century.
August 6The Phils nip the Dodgers‚ 1-0‚ as Gene Garber picks up his 2nd win in 2 days over the Dodgers.
August 7Mike Torrez snaps a 3-game Yankee losing streak with his 3rd straight victory. The Yankees will win 20 of their next 23 games over Western Division opponents.

At Oakland‚ the Red Sox win their 9th straight on the road‚ beating the A’s‚ 5-2. It is Boston’s 10th win in a row.
August 9The White Sox hit 6 HRs against the Mariners to tie the club mark at Comiskey Park. Eric Soderholm has 2‚ with Chet Lemon‚ Oscar Gamble‚ Jim Essian‚ and Royle Stillman contributing.

Reds pitchers Doug Capilla and Pedro Borbon combine on a one-hitter‚ stopping the Dodgers‚ 4-0. The only LA hit is Ron Cey‘s infield single to SS with 2 out in the 7th. Cey is called safe on a close and disputed play at 1B. Capilla is lifted with 2 on in the 8th.
August 10Billy Martin installs Reggie Jackson as the Yankees’ regular clean-up hitter. The Yanks beat the A’s 6-3‚ as Guidry outpitches Vida Blue. Greg Nettles belts his 26th homer of the season. New York will win 40 of final 53 games‚ with Jackson contributing 13 HRs and 49 RBIs.

For the 2nd times in two years a doubleheader at the Vet goes past 3 a.m. The Phils top the Expos in game one‚ 6-1‚ in a game that starts an hour late because of the rain. A 2:27 delay in the 3rd takes its toll on the 46‚664 fans in attendance. The 2nd game gets underway at 11:50 p.m. and lasts until 3:23 a.m. with the same results as game one. Lonborg and Christianson are the winners.

The Red Sox score 3 in the 8th-two on a pinch homer by Bernie Carbo-in beating the Angels‚ 11-10 at home. It is Boston’s 11th win in a row‚ their longest streak since 1950. Jim Willoughby (4-0)‚ recovering from a broken ankle‚ is the winner.

The Pirates edge the Cubs‚ 2-1‚ in 18 innings as Ed Ott drives in the winning run with a sac fly. The Cubs only score is a homer by Jerry Morales in the 6th as they strand 15. Pirates 2B Phil Garner sets a ML record for 2B for the longest game with no putouts‚ but he does make 2 errors.

The Dodgers Rick Rhoden allows 2 hits-both by Dave Concepcion-in beating the Reds‚ 1-0. Fred Norman is the loser‚ though he gives up no earned runs.
August 11Two losses at Fenway today. The Red Sox lose to the Angels‚ 7-3‚ snapping their 11-game win streak‚ and the Bristol Red Sox lose‚ 5-3‚ to the Eastern League All-Stars.
August 12For the 2nd straight day‚ Oakland’s Manny Sanguillen foils a no-hit bid. Today’s single is off the Orioles Jim Palmer‚ who settles for a 2-hit 6-0 victory. Yesterday’s hit was off the Yankees Mike Torrez‚ who finished with a 3-0 two-hitter.

The Pirates win twice over the Mets 3-2 and 6-5. In the 2nd game‚ Mets 2B Felix Millan suffers a broken collarbone in a brawl with catcher Ed Ott‚ ending Millan’s 12-year ML career.
August 13Against visiting Seattle‚ the Red Sox have two outs in the 6th inning‚ and then unload back-to-back-to-back homers by George Scott‚ Butch Hobson and Dwight Evans. The Red Sox win‚ 13-6.
August 14The Yankees collect 15 hits‚ including homers by Rivers and Nettles‚ to swamp the Angels. 15-3. Dick Tidrow allows just 2 hits in 6 innings for the win.

Texas spots the White Sox 6 runs in the first inning and then rallies for a 12-9 victory. The Rangers get a leadoff HR from Mike Hargrove-his 2nd in two games-in scoring 3 in the first‚ then match that with a 3-run HR in the 2nd by Claudell Washington.

Yaz leads the Red Sox to an 11-1 pasting of Seattle by collecting his 506th career double. This moves Yaz past Babe Ruth on the all time list. Boston has now defeated Seattle 10 straight times.

After taking the opener‚ 12-5‚ the Indians light up Milwaukee’s Bill Travers for 18 hits and 14 runs to win‚ 14-5. It will be 21 years before another pitcher-Mike Oquist on August 3‚ 1998 versus the Yankees-allows 14 runs.
August 15Mike Torrez throws his 5th straight complete game‚ a 6-2 win over the White Sox. New York is now just 4 1/2 games in back of Boston.

In a 2-1 win over Kansas City‚ Boston’s Jim Rice hits a 3rd inning double and becomes the first Boston player since Ted Williams in 1939 to hit 20 homers‚ 20 doubles and 10 triples in a season. Between Williams and Rice‚ only Charlie Keller (1946)‚ DiMaggio (1948‚ ’50)‚ Mantle (1955) and Minoso (1956) had reached those levels.
August 16At Yankee Stadium‚ New York blows a 9-4 lead in the top of the 9th when Chicago scores six runs‚ but a two-run homer by Chris Chambliss in the bottom of the inning gives the Yankees an 11-10 win.

At Montreal‚ the Phillies win their 13th straight a 20th century club record‚ beating the Expos‚ 7-5. Warren Brusstar is the winner over Kerrigan.
August 17Records fall as the Mexican League concludes its season. Ironman hurler Aurelio Lopez of the Mexico City Reds racks up his 30th save to go with a record 19 victories in relief. Veteran Tampico 1B Hector Espino hits only 14 HRs‚ but raises his career total to 435‚ a new minor league record. Thirty-eight-year-old Vic Davalillo‚ the league’s top hitter at .384‚ is purchased by the Dodgers.

Montreal ends the Phillies’ 13-game win streak with a bang‚ winning 13-0. Stan Bahnsen is the winner over Steve Carlton. The 13 games is a club record for this century: three times in the 19th C the club won 16 straight.
August 18Dodger P Don Sutton throws his 5th one-hitter‚ tying the NL record‚ as he blanks the Giants‚ 7-0. The lone hit is Marc Hill‘s two-out single in the 8th.
August 19Backed by homers from Reggie Jackson and Bucky Dent‚ Mike Torrez hurls his 6th complete game in a row and New York beats Texas‚ 8-1. The Yanks are now 2 1/2 games in back of Boston.
August 21Pittsburgh’s Rennie Stennett‚ batting .336 for the season‚ breaks his right leg sliding into 2B during a 5-4 loss to San Francisco. He will be out for the year‚ falling 12 plate appearances short of qualifying for the batting title‚ won by teammate Dave Parker at .338. His leg problems will flare up again next season and Stennett will never again hit higher than .244.

Graig Nettles‘ HR and double account for both Yankee runs in a 2-1 win over Texas. Ron Guidry picks up his 10th win of the year and Yankees cut the Red Sox lead to one-half game.

Tom Seaver makes his first appearance in Shea Stadium as a member of the Reds‚ and pitches a 6 hitter to beat the Mets‚ 5-1. Tom Terrific strikes out 11‚ has a double at the plate and scores twice.

Rick Dempsey returns to active duty after breaking his finger‚ and Brooks Robinson goes on the voluntary retired list.
August 22Both the Red Sox and Yankees lose today. The White Sox top the Yankees‚ 5-3‚ and snap the pinstripers’ 8-game win skein‚ while Minnesota tops the Sox‚ 5-4.
August 23Behind Mickey Rivers‘ 5-for-5 and Torrez’s 7th straight CG contributing to an 8-3 whipping of the White Sox‚ the Yanks take over first place in the AL East. With the Red Sox losing‚ the Yankees go ahead by a half game and will stay in first place to the end.

Dave Goltz one-hits the Red Sox to give the Twins a 7-0 win. Jim Rice hits a single in the 4th for the only safety.
August 24Catfish Hunter notches his final win of the year‚ an 11-1 four-hit victory over the Twins. New York supports Hunter with homers outages by Roy White‚ Mickey Rivers‚ Chambliss and Dent.
August 25The Twins blow a 4-2 lead over the Yankees when Mickey Rivers hits a 2-run single in the 7th inning and Reggie Jackson drives home a run in the next inning.
August 26New York wins its 12th in 13 games when Graig Nettles triples home two runs in the 9th inning to give the Bombers a 6-5 win over Texas. With the Red Sox losing‚ the Yankees move in front by 2 games.
August 27Rangers Toby Harrah and Bump Wills hit back-to-back inside-the-park HRs on consecutive pitches off Ken Clay‚ highlighting an 8-2 win over the Yankees‚ only the 2nd loss for New York in 14 games. It ties the ML mark and it is the first time since 1946 that two batters have connected consecutively on IPHRs.

Dan Driessen and Johnny Bench hit back-to-back homers in the 9th inning to give the Reds a 5-4 win over the Phils. Tug McGraw serves up both. Driessen’s homer is a line drive that hits the CF wall at Riverfront and rebounds back over Jerry Martin‘s head all the way to the infield for an IPHR. Bench follows with one over the LF wall.

Continuing the theme of the day‚ Boston DH Tommy Helms and 3B Butch Hobson hit back-to-back HRs in a 7-5 win over the Twins. It is the 15th time this year that Sox hitters have homered consecutively‚ tying a ML record. Montgomery and Scott also homer for the Hubmen.
August 28Steve Garvey has a career game with 5 extra-base hits‚ 5 runs scored‚ and 5 RBI‚ as the Dodgers blast the Cardinals 11-0. Garvey’s barrage includes 3 doubles and 2 HRs.

Ron Guidry fires his 3rd shut out of the year‚ a 1-0 whitewash of the Rangers. Guidry faces just 28 batters‚ allowing 2 hits. Graig Nettles scores the winning run after belting as triple.
August 29The Cardinals Lou Brock steals two bases in a 4-3 loss to the Padres. It is career steal 893 for Brock‚ breaking Ty Cobb‘s modern record.

In the 9-2 victory over the White Sox‚ the Indians hit 4 homers‚ two by Andre Thornton. After going to bat 1381 times without a homer‚ SS Duane Kuiper clubs a Steve Stone pitch into the RF stands in the first inning. Kuiper will hang his glove and his .271 average up in 1985‚ and will have gone to bat 3379 times with just this one HR. When the Indians trade Kuiper they will give him the seat where his homer landed.

The Yankees top the Royals 5-3 on a 3-run pinch homer in the 8th inning by Chris Chambliss.

At Fenway‚ Jim Rice clubs 3 homers-in the 2nd‚ 3rd‚ and 6th inning-but Boston loses to the Oakland A’s‚ 8-7. Rice added a single in the 4th. He is the first Bosox player to hit the hat trick since Norm Zauchin on May 27‚ 1955.
August 30Against the Yankees‚ the Mariners tie the score‚ 5-5‚ in the 8th inning‚ then lose in the 11th‚ 6-5‚ when Mickey Rivers leads off the inning with a home run.
August 31Hank Aaron’s mark of 755 career HRs is tied by Sadaharu Oh.

Yankee reliever Sparky Lyle records his 3rd win in three games‚ all won on late-inning homers by New York. Graig Nettles‘ 2nd homer of the game gives New York a 5-4 win over Seattle.

September

September 3Sadaharu Oh hits the 756th HR of his career to surpass Hank Aaron‘s total and make him the most prolific HR hitter in professional baseball history.
September 6California acquires Dave Kingman for cash. Nine days later the Yankees will buy Kingman‚ making him the first player to wear 4 uniforms in 4 divisions in the same year. His 26 HRs will be the most by a player with more than 2 teams.
September 7In California’s 4-1 win over visiting Milwaukee‚ Bobby Bonds swipes 2B and then 3B in the 6th inning. The throw from C Charlie Moore to 3B hits Bonds in the helmet causing a slight concussion and sending him to the hospital. The ball ricochets out of play. Bonds is lifted and pinch runner Gary Nolan scores the run.
September 8At Wrigley, Cubs reliever Bruce Sutter strikes out the first 6 men he faces, including three batters (Ellis Valentine, Gary Carter, and Larry Parrish) on 9 pitches in the 9th inning. He uses 16 pitches in the 8th inning to fan Warren Cromartie, Andre Dawson and Tony Perez. The Cubs score in the 10th against Montreal’s Joe Kerrigan, and Sutter picks up the win, 3–2.

At Toronto‚ Red Sox sluggers Carlton Fisk and George Scott club back-to-back homers in the 2nd inning‚ setting a record. It is the 16th time this season that Sox hitters have hit back-to-back homers‚ breaking the record of 15 set by the 1964 Twins. Boston wins‚ 7-2.
September 9In the second game of a doubleheader loss in Boston‚ Tiger rookies Lou Whitaker and Allan Trammell debut together. They will hold down the 2B and SS jobs in Detroit for a record 19 years. Boston prevails today‚ 5-1 and 8-6.
September 10Toronto’s Roy Howell knocks in 9 runs with a single‚ 2 doubles‚ and 2 HRs‚ as the Blue Jays crush the Yankees 19-3. Catfish Hunter takes the loss to finish the season at 9-9. He will not pitch again till the World Series.

White Sox knuckleballer Wilbur Wood hits 3 batters in the first inning on the way to a 6-1 loss to the Angels. All of Wilbur’s plunks are consecutive‚ tying a ML record set by Dock Ellis 3 years ago.
September 11In Atlanta‚ the Braves pull off a triple steal in beating the Padres‚ 7-3. The thieves are Gary Mathews‚ Biff Pocaroba‚ and Pat Rockett.
September 13The Dodgers Dusty Baker drives in a team-record 5 runs in one inning‚ the 2nd‚ as Los Angeles whips the Padres 18-4. LA leads the West by 13 1?2 games.
September 14In an 8-5 Milwaukee win‚ veteran Ken McMullen hits a pinch homer for the Brewers in the 8th inning against Seattle’s Tom House. The homer‚ McMullen’s 156th‚ comes on his last ML at bat. He’ll be released in December and retire.
September 15The Orioles forfeit to the Blue Jays when manager Earl Weaver pulls his team off the field in the 5th inning citing a hazardous condition-a small tarpaulin held down by bricks on the bullpen mound. The Jays are ahead 4-0 when the forfeit is called. The O’s will end the season tied with the Red Sox at 97-64.

The Reds come back from an 8-3 deficit to beat the Dodgers‚ 9-8. Cincy scores 4 in the 8th and 2 more in the 9th on Ken Griffey’s homer.

The Kansas City Royals sweep their 2nd doubleheader in 2 days to run their win streak to 16 games‚ the 6th longest win streak this century. Oakland again falls‚ 7-6 and 5-4. The Royals now lead by 10 1/2 games.

The Yankees purchase Dave Kingman from the Angels. It’s Kingman’s 4th team this year: he started the season with the Mets‚ was traded to San Diego in June‚ and to the Angels for cash on September 6. King Kong will hit 4 homers for the Yankees‚ giving him 26‚ a since-broken record for most homers in 2 leagues in one season (Deron Johnson hit 20 in 1973).
September 16Seattle and Doc Medich beat Kansas City 4-1 to end the Royals’ winning streak at 16 games-the longest in the majors in 24 years.
September 17The Pirates top Montreal 6-3 as Frank Tavaras steals his 64th base of the season to become the Bucs’ all-time base stealer. Max Carey had been the Pirates’ theft leader.
September 18Spoiling Brooks Robinson Night in Baltimore‚ Boston’s Ted Cox goes 4-for-4 in his first ML game‚ a 10-4 win over the Orioles. Cox will get 2 more hits tomorrow before making an out against the Yankees‚ setting a ML record for straight hits at the start of a career.

After losing 5 of his last 6 decisions‚ Chicago’s Rick Reuschel notches his 20th victory beating the Mets‚ 6-5. Reuschel leaves after 6 innings because of a blister‚ but racks up two hits and three ribbies at the plate.
September 19Former catcher Paddy Livingston dies at age 97‚ in Cleveland‚ OH. He was the last surviving player from the AL’s first season (1901).
September 20The Dodgers clinch the NL Western Division title with a 3-1 win over the Giants.

In San Diego‚ Tom Seaver pitches a 2 hitter as the Reds win‚ 4-0.
September 22Bert Blyleven pitches a no-hitter as the Rangers beat the Angels 6-0. Blyleven (14-12) walks one. Blyleven‚ who grew up two miles from the Angels Anaheim Stadium and owns a restaurant nearby‚ fans seven including the side in the 7th inning. Paul Hartzell gives up 12 hits in losing.
September 23George Foster belts home run #50‚ off Buzz Capra‚ as the Reds beat the Braves‚ 5-1. Foster is the first Reds player to reach 50 homers: Kluszewski held the Reds record with 49 homers in 1954.
September 24Jack Brohamer becomes the first White Sox player since Ray Schalk in 1922 to hit for the cycle as Chicago whips the Mariners‚ 8-3. Brohamer also adds a double.
September 25Detroit pounds out 18 hits against Boston’s Reggie Cleveland‚ but they still lose 12-5. Fisk‚ Hobson and Yaz all homer for Boston‚ giving the Sox a total of 210.
September 26In a 9-5 win at St. Louis‚ the Expos run in a record four pinch-runners in the 9th inning.

October

October 1The Yankees clinch the AL East title as the Red Sox lose to the Orioles 8-7.
October 2Dusty Baker homers in his final AB of the season during a 6-3 loss to the Astros. It is Baker’s 30th HR of the year‚ enabling him to join teammates Garvey (33)‚ Reggie Smith (32)‚ and Ron Cey (30) in making the Dodgers the first team ever to boast four 30-HR hitters in one season. When he crosses the plate he is greeted by on-deck batter Glenn Burke‚ who raises his hands and Baker matches him‚ allegedly the first high five in history.
October 4The Phillies score twice in the 9th inning on singles by Bake McBride‚ Larry Bowa‚ and Mike Schmidt off Elias Sosa‚ to beat the Dodgers 7-5 in the opening game of the NL Championship Series. Ron Cey blasts a grand slam for Los Angeles in the 7th‚ and Greg Luzinski homers for the Phils.
October 5In game 2 of the NLCS‚ Dusty Baker’s grand slam‚ off Jim Lonborg‚ leads the Dodgers to a 7-1 win over the Phillies as Don Sutton goes the distance for LA. Bake McBride‘s homer in the 3rd is the only score for Philley.

In the opener of the AL Series‚ HRs by Hal McRae‚ John Mayberry‚ and Al Cowens lead the Royals to a 7-2 triumph over the Yankees.
October 6Ron Guidry’s 3-hitter gives the Yanks a series-evening 6-2 win over the Royals. Paul Splittorff works into the 9th for the win.
October 7Down 5-3 with 2 outs in the 9th inning‚ the Dodgers catch lightning in a bottle. Pinch hitter Vic Davalillo beats out a 2-strike drag bunt and pinch hitter Manny Mota follows with a long double off Luzinski’s glove. Mota reaches 3rd on a throw that Ted Sizemore mishandles. Lopes’ grounder hits a seam in the carpet and caroms off Schmidt’s knee to Larry Bowa‚ and the shortstop’s throw is ruled late. Los Angeles pulls out a 6-5 victory.

Kansas City earns a 6-2 win over New York as Hal McRae doubles and scores twice and Dennis Leonard hurls a 4-hitter.
October 8Mickey Rivers collects 4 hits as the Yankees even the ALCS‚ beat the Royals‚ 6-4. Sparky Lyle contributes with 52?3 scoreless relief innings.

The Dodgers clinch the NL flag with a 4-1 win in front of an LCS-record crowd of 64‚924 at Philadelphia. Dusty Baker‚ the playoff’s MVP‚ hits a 2-run homer and scores twice as Tommy John allows 7 hits in 9 innings of work.
October 9For the 2nd year in succession‚ the Yanks score in the 9th inning of the 5th game to beat the Royals in the LCS. Mickey Rivers gets the game-winning hit. The final score is New York 5‚ Kansas City 3.
October 11The Yankees win the opening game of the WS 4-3 in 12 innings as Willie Randolph doubles and scores the winning run on a single by Paul Blair.
October 12HRs by Ron Cey‚ Steve Yeager‚ Reggie Smith‚ and Steve Garvey lead the Dodgers to a 6-1 win in game 2 of the WS. Burt Hooton goes the distance‚ allowing just 5 hits.
October 14Mike Torrez is the winning pitcher as New York prevails in game 3‚ 5-3. Mickey Rivers slugs 3 hits‚ including 2 doubles.
October 15The Yankees win 4-2 to take a 3-1 advantage in the WS. Jackson doubles and homers‚ and Guidry notches a 4-hitter‚ striking out 7.
October 16LA stays alive with a 10-4 victory in game 5. Yeager and Reggie Smith homer as Don Sutton pitches a complete game.
October 18Reggie Jackson becomes “Mr. October.” Three HRs in 3 swings lead the Yankees to an 8-4‚ Series-clinching victory.
October 21Free agent Rick Miller signs with the Angels.
October 24The Braves fire manager Dave Bristol‚ replacing him with Bobby Cox.
October 25The Cards get Frank Riccelli from the Giants. To complete the deal‚ St. Louis will sell Jim Dwyer‚ who led the American Association in hitting and runs in 1977‚ to the Giants on June 15‚ 1978.
October 26Sparky Lyle becomes the first AL reliever to win the Cy Young Award. Lyle led the league with 72 appearances‚ posting a 13-5 record with 26 saves and a 2.17 ERA.
October 31The Reds trade pitchers Woody Fryman and Bill Caudill to the Cubs for P Bill Bonham.

November

November 2The Phillies Steve Carlton outpoints the Dodgers Tommy John to win his 2nd Cy Young Award. Carlton led the NL with 23 wins‚ losing 10‚ and posting a 2.64 ERA.
November 4The 2nd reentry free-agent draft is held at New York’s Plaza Hotel. Big names include Lyman Bostock‚ Goose Gossage‚ Larry Hisle‚ Mike Torrez‚ and Oscar Gamble.
November 8Free agent Richie Zisk‚ formerly of the White Sox‚ signs a 10-year $2.3 million contract with the Rangers.
November 9The Reds George Foster wins the NL MVP Award. Foster batted .320 and led the league in HRs (52)‚ RBI (149)‚ runs (124)‚ total bases (388)‚ and slugging (.631).
November 16Rod Carew wins the AL MVP award. The Twins 1B led the league in runs (128)‚ hits (239)‚ triples (16)‚ and batting (.388).
November 21The Orioles Eddie Murray is named AL Rookie of the Year. Murray garners 12 1/2 points to beat out runner-up Mitchell Page of Oakland‚ who polled 9 1/2 votes.
November 22Montreal’s Andre Dawson wins the NL Rookie of the Year Award by one vote over New York’s Steve Henderson.

December

December 5The White Sox trade C Brian Downing and Ps Chris Knapp and Dave Frost to the Angels for OFs Bobby Bonds and Thad Bosley‚ and minor league P Rich Dotson.
December 7In a swap that helps Baltimore‚ the Orioles trade Ps Rudy May‚ Randy Miller‚ and Bryn Smith to the Expos for Ps Don Stanhouse‚ Joe Kerrigan‚ and OF Gary Roenicke.
December 8The Rangers engineer a series of deals with the Braves‚ Mets‚ and Pirates‚ unloading a total of 6 players and getting 3 in return. Among those involved are 1B Willie Montanez (to New York)‚ Bert Blyleven (Pittsburgh)‚ and Al Oliver (Texas).

The Red Sox acquire Jerry Remy from the California Angels for pitcher Don Aase and cash.
December 9The Brewers trade pitchers Jim Slaton and Rich Folkers to the Tigers for OF Ben Oglivie. The Mariners trade OF Dave Collins to the Reds for P Shane Rawley.

The A’s and Reds announce a deal that will send P Vida Blue to Cincinnati for OF Dave Revering and $1.75 million cash. Commissioner Kuhn will invalidate the deal on January 30‚ contending that too much money is involved and there would be a competitive imbalance created. He later sets a limit of $400‚000 as the maximum that can be exchanged between teams.
December 14The Red Sox trade P Ferguson Jenkins to the Rangers for P John Poloni and cash. Jenkins‚ who supposedly had to be awakened in the bullpen on September 17 and never pitched after that‚ will partially regain his form in Texas‚ averaging 15 wins a year for the next 3 seasons.
December 21Free Agent Orioles pitcher Ross Grimsley signs with the Expos. Grimsley will reward Montreal with a 20 win season in 1978.