Baseball – 1987

Baseball in 1987

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January

January 8Ten free agents (Tim Raines‚ Lance Parrish‚ Bob Horner‚ Andre Dawson‚ Rich Gedman‚ Ron Guidry‚ Bob Boone‚ Doyle Alexander‚ Toby Harrah‚ and Gary Roenicke) fail to meet a midnight deadline and thus will not be allowed to re-sign with their former clubs until May 1st if they are not offered contracts by new teams. The general lack of interest in the players will become the focus of the Players’ Association’s first anti-collusion suit against the owners.
January 14Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams are elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA.
January 21Free agent Vida Blue signs with the Oakland A’s.

Free agent Gary Roenicke‚ who spent last season with the Yankees after 8 years with the Orioles‚ signs with the Atlanta Braves.
January 29Red Sox Wade Boggs avoids going to salary arbitration for the 3rd consecutive year by signing a 3-year contract worth over $5 million.
January 30The Cubs trade veteran 3B Ron Cey to the A’s for IF Luis Quinones.

February

February 2Three-time 20-game winner Dennis Leonard‚ who returned to the majors last season after a 3-year absence due to a knee injury‚ announces his retirement. Leonard was 8-13 with a 4.44 ERA for the Royals in 1986.

The Blue Jays trade 2B Damaso Garcia and P Luis Leal to the Braves for P Craig McMurtry.
February 3The Expos trade ace reliever Jeff Reardon and C Tom Nieto to the Twins for P Neal Heaton‚ C Jeff Reed‚ and a pair of minor leaguers.
February 7Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser becomes only the 2nd player ever forced to accept a pay cut through salary arbitration when he is awarded $800‚000 for the 1987 season‚ a 20 percent cut (the maximum allowed by the Basic Agreement) from his 1986 salary. Hershiser was 14-14 with a 3.85 ERA in 1986.
February 11Free-agent 3B Ray Knight‚ who earlier had rejected an $800‚000 one-year contract offer from the Mets‚ signs with the Orioles for $475‚000 plus incentives and an option for a 2nd year.
February 13Tigers Jack Morris is awarded a $1.85 million salary by arbitrator Richard Bloch‚ the highest amount awarded to date through that process.
February 17Don Mattingly wins a $1.975 million salary in his arbitration case against the Yankees‚ eclipsing Jack Morris‘s record amount of just 4 days ago.
February 19Less than one month after signing with the club as a free agent‚ pitcher Vida Blue stuns the A’s by announcing his retirement.
February 23Just 3 days after training camp opens‚ an extremely frail Dick Howser abandons his attempt to come back from a brain tumor and gives up his position as Royals manager. Billy Gardner is named his successor.
February 25In the wake of 3 drug-related incidents over the past 12 months‚ LaMarr Hoyt is banished from baseball for the 1987 season by Commissioner Ueberroth. On June 16th an arbitrator will reduce Hoyt’s suspension to 60 days and order the Padres to reinstate him.

March

March 3Ray Dandridge‚ a legendary 3B from the Negro Leagues‚ is the only player elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee.
March 6Free agent Andre Dawson signs a one-year contract with the Cubs for the bargain-basement price of $650‚000. Dawson‚ who had offered to sign a contract with the dollar amount left blank just so he could play on the natural grass at Wrigley Field and save his fragile knees‚ will hit 49 home runs and win the NL MVP Award this season.
March 26The Phillies trade OF Gary Redus to the White Sox for pitcher Joe Cowley.
March 27In what will turn out to be an extremely lopsided trade‚ the Mets send C Ed Hearn and minor leaguers Rick Anderson and Mauro Gozzo to the Royals in exchange for David Cone and minor leaguer Chris Jelic. Cone will blossom into one of the NL’s better starters‚ posting a 20-3 record for the Mets in 1988.
March 30The Kansas City Royals swap C Jim Sundberg to the Cubs for OF Thad Bosley and P Dave Gumpert.

April

April 1After testing positive for cocaine during spring training‚ Mets ace Dwight Gooden avoids suspension by agreeing to enter a drug rehabilitation program.

St. Louis sends highly regarded youngsters OF Andy Van Slyke‚ C Mike LaValliere‚ and P Mike Dunne to Pittsburgh in exchange for All-Star catcher Tony Pena.
April 3The Cubs trade veteran pitcher Dennis Eckersley (6-11) and minor leaguer Dan Rohn to the A’s for 3 minor leaguers. Eckersley made his only relief appearance of the year on June 24th‚ and his first out of the bullpen after 301 starts. For the A’s‚ Eckersley will perform brilliantly as a full-time reliever.

At Tiger Stadium‚ Jack Morris makes his 8th straight start for Detroit and is booed by the 51‚315 for his attempts to leave the Tigers over the winter. The Yankees and Tigers each score one run in 9 innings before New York scores in the 10th to beat Morris‚ 2-1. Dave Righetti‚ in relief of Dennis Rasmussen‚ is the winner.
April 7Atlanta’s Rick Mahler ties the NL record with his 3rd Opening Day shutout‚ a 6-0 three-hitter over the Phillies.
April 8Faced with a storm of public criticism‚ the Dodgers fire vice president Al Campanis for racially insensitive remarks he made on the April 6th telecast of ABC-TV’s Nightline news show. Campanis had said that blacks may lack “some of the necessities to be‚ let’s say‚ a field manager or general manager.”

Pitchers Phil Niekro and Steve Carlton of the Indians team up to beat the Blue Jays‚ 14-3 Niekro wins his 312th and Carlton tosses 4 innings of relief. It is the first time two 300-game winners have pitched in the same game as teammates.
April 9Gary Carter drives in his 1‚000th career run with an 8th-inning single that scores Len Dykstra as the Mets defeat Pittsburgh 4-2.
April 12Atlanta’s Dion James gets a double the hard way when he knocks a fly ball to Mets CF Kevin McReynolds. On its way down the ball hits and kills a pigeon. Atlanta wins the game as well‚ 12-4‚ over the Mets‚ helped by 2 homers and a double from Dale Murphy.
April 13San Diego sets a ML record when its first 3 batters of the game-Marvell Wynne‚ Tony Gwynn‚ and John Kruk-all homer off the Giants Roger Mason. But the Giants come back to win 13-6. It will be matched in 2003.

Free-agent 3B Bob Horner‚ unable to find a ML club interested in his services‚ signs a one-year contract with Japan’s Yakult Swallows.
April 15Twenty-two-year-old Juan Nieves throws the first no-hitter in Brewers history 7-0 at Baltimore‚ and Milwaukee runs its record to 9-0.

Kirk McCaskill allows 4 hits in pitching a shutout over Seattle‚ 4-0. For the 2nd game in a row‚ Brian Downing hits a leadoff homer for all the runs Kirk needs.
April 18Mike Schmidt hits his 500th career home run‚ a 3-run shot off Pittsburgh’s Don Robinson in the top of the 9th inning to give the Phillies an 8-6 win. Schmidt is the 15th ML player to reach the 500-HR plateau.

In a wild game in St. Louis‚ the Cards come back from a one-run deficit in the 9th to tie at 7-7 on Ozzie Smith‘s steal of 3B and score on a wild throw by the Mets’ Carter. The Mets score in the 10th on a wild pitch to move ahead 8-7. Jesse Orosco‚ who gave up the unearned run in the 9th‚ gives up three singles to knot the score at 8 apiece. With the sacks full‚ Jesse serves Tommy Herr a game-winning grand slam for St. Louis. Howard Johnson has a 3-run homer and 4 RBI for the Mets.

In Oakland’s 7-5 win over Seattle‚ Reggie Jackson steals home on the front end of a double steal with Jose Canseco.

The Brewers tie the AL record for wins to start the season when they beat Texas for the 5th times this year. Milwaukee is now 11-0.
April 19Rob Deer’s 3-run homer and Dale Sveum‘s 2-run shot off Greg Harris caps a 5-run rally in the bottom of the 9th inning and gives the Brewers a 6-4 win over Texas and a 12-0 record‚ breaking the 1981 A’s record for the best start in AL history.

Cardinals ace John Tudor suffers a broken leg when Mets catcher Barry Lyons crashes into the St. Louis dugout while chasing a foul pop. Tudor‚ who was not pitching in the 4-2 Cardinals win‚ will be sidelined until August 1st.
April 21The White Sox beat the Brewers 7-1‚ ending their season-opening winning streak at 13 games. Milwaukee’s 13-0 start tied the ML record set by the 1982 Braves.
April 27Boston’s Don Baylor collects his 2‚000th ML hit‚ a single off Curt Young in a 5-2 loss to the A’s.
April 28Mike Boddicker pitches a one-hitter as Baltimore beats the Royals‚ 3-0. The lone hit is Willie Wilson‘s single in the 6th. It is Boddicker’s 2nd career one-hitter.
April 29Andre Dawson goes 5-for-5 while hitting for the cycle to lead the Cubs to an 8-4 win over the Giants at Wrigley Field.
April 30Reggie Jackson hits his 522nd home run and Oakland beats the Brewers‚ 4-1. The loss gives Milwaukee an 18-3 record for the month‚ just behind the April record of 18-2 by the 1984 Tigers.

May

May 1Free-agents Ron Guidry (Yankees)‚ Rich Gedman (Red Sox)‚ Bob Boone (Angels)‚ and Tim Raines (Expos) all re-sign with their former clubs on the first day that they are allowed to do so. Doyle Alexander will re-sign with the Braves on May 5th.
May 2After having missed spring training‚ Montreal’s Tim Raines debuts with a 10th-inning grand slam. His 4-for-5 leads the Expos to an 11-7 win over the Mets.

Graig Nettles and Dion James each hit grand slams to lead the Braves to a 12-4 rout of the Astros. It is the first time since July 3‚ 1966 (when pitcher Tony Cloninger did it by himself)‚ that the Braves have hit 2 grand slams in one game.
May 3Eric Davis belts 3 consecutive home runs‚ including a grand slam‚ to lead Cincinnati to a 9-6 win at Philadelphia. Davis was the last NL player to clock three homers in a game-September 10th of last year‚ also on the road.
May 4Candy Maldonado hits for the cycle to lead San Francisco’s 21-hit attack in a 10-7 win over St. Louis.

Tim Wallach hits 3 home runs and drives in 6 runs‚ but Montreal loses at Atlanta‚ 10-7.
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May 7In a PCL game at Colorado Springs, the altitude and a 41-MPH wind help as the two teams combine for 13 homers. Luis Medina and Ron Tingley hit two apiece as the home team totals eight, while Charlie Hayes hits two for visiting Phoenix.
May 9Eddie Murray homers from each side of the plate for the 2nd consecutive game‚ a ML first. Murray’s 4 home runs in 2 days help the Orioles to 7-6 and 15-6 wins over the White Sox. Yesterday‚ Murray took righty Jose DeLeon and lefty Ray Searage deep; today it is Joel McKeon (LHP) and Bob James (RHP).

After going 15 years without one‚ Chris Speier hits his 2nd grand slam in a week to lead San Francisco to a 9-4 win over Pittsburgh. Speier also connected for a grand slam against the Cardinals on May 5th.
May 16After starting off with an 18-2 record‚ the Brewers drop their 10th in a row‚ losing 13-0 to Kansas City. The Brew Crew’s only hit off Charlie Leibrandt is a bunt single.
May 17Terry Kennedy hits Baltimore’s only home run in a 3-2 win over the Angels‚ ending the Orioles’ streak of 9 consecutive games with at least 2 home runs. The Orioles will go on to hit HRs in 14 consecutive games.
May 19Despite getting a club-record 13 strikeouts from pitcher Ted Higuera‚ Milwaukee loses its 12th straight game 5-1 to the White Sox. The Brewers‚ who started the season 13-0‚ are now 20-15 and in 3rd place in the AL East.

Bill Buckner raps his 2‚500th career hit‚ a single off Bret Saberhagen in Boston’s 4-1 loss to Kansas City. Saberhagen is now 7-1.
May 23At Wrigley‚ the Cubs outlast the Braves to win‚ 7-6‚ in 16 innings. Ryne Sandburg greets new reliever Acker with a single and Jerry Mumphry doubles him home. Dale Murphy is 2-for-3 and is walked 5 times for the 2nd time in his career. Teammate Ozzie Virgil strikes out 5 times. The Braves garner 14 walks-6 off winning pitcher Jamie Moyer‚ who allows no runs in 4.1 innings-and strand 17 runners.
May 27Greg Gross joins 1987’s record-setting HR parade with his first home run since 1978‚ a 2-run shot in the top of the 8th that sparks the Phillies to a 6-4 win over San Diego. An all-time record 4‚458 home runs will be hit in the major leagues this season.
May 28Cleveland’s Joe Carter hits 3 home runs in a game in Boston’s Fenway Park for the 2nd time in his career‚ but the Indians fall to the Red Sox 12-8.

Baltimore’s Mike Young ties a ML record by hitting a pair of extra inning home runs‚ connecting consecutively in the 10th and 12th innings off DeWayne Buise. He’s just the 5th major leaguer to do it and the first since Ralph Garr‚ in 1971. The Orioles edge the Angels‚ 8-7.
May 29Pete O’Brien drives in 4 runs and scores 5 runs to lead the Texas Rangers to a 16-5 win over Kansas City. Bo Jackson has a pair of homers for the losers.

In the Tigers 15-7 win over the Twins‚ the two teams combine for 8 homers. Tom Brookens has a grand slam for the winners while Mark Salas‚ who enters the game in the 7th has 5 RBIs on two homers for the Twins.
May 30The Reds Eric Davis ties a ML record by hitting his 3rd grand slam of the month in a 6-2 win over the Pirates. He ends the month’s tear with a record 19 homers.

June

June 1Phil Niekro wins his 314th career game as Cleveland beats Detroit 9-6‚ moving the Niekro brothers (Phil and Joe) past Gaylord and Jim Perry into first place on the all-time brothers’ victory list. The Niekros have now combined for 530 career wins.

Dwight Evans hits his 300th career home run in Boston’s 9-5 loss to the Twins‚ joining teammates Jim Rice and Don Baylor in the 300-HR club.
June 2The Mariners select Cincinnati high schooler Ken Griffey‚ Jr.‚ the son of Braves OF Ken Griffey‚ with the first pick overall in the free-agent draft. Picking 2nd‚ the Pirates take Mark Merchant‚ while the Twins take another high schooler Willie Banks with the 3rd pick. The Cubs pick Mike Harkey and the White Sox pick Jack McDowell with the 6th selection. McDowell will be the first of this class to reach the majors‚ Picking 9th‚ the Royals take Kevin Appier and on the 58th round‚ take UCLA’s Jeff Conine. With the 22nd pick‚ the Astros take Seton Hall’s Craig Biggio‚ who will be the first non-pitcher from the draft to make the majors. Picking 6th in the first round‚ the Braves select Derek Lillliquist‚ and on the 13th round take Mike Stanton. Because of his expected high price tag‚ Mike Mussina is selected in the 13th round. Albert Belle‚ suspended by LSU’s coach after chasing a fan‚ goes to the Indians in round 2. Robb Nen goes in the 32nd round.
June 3The Chicago Cubs rout the Houston Astros, 22–7, at Wrigley Field in a game that features a ML-record-tying 3 grand slams. Keith Moreland and Brian Dayett hit grand slams for Chicago and Billy Hatcher connects for the Astros to equal the record set by the Orioles and the Rangers last August 6th. Jody Davis scores 5 runs for Chicago.
June 4In a CWS matchup between Stanford and Oklahoma‚ OSU pitcher Jack McDowell retires Robin Ventura three times to put the Stanford sophomore’s 58-game batting streak in jeopardy. Facing reliever Al Osuna in the 9th‚ Ventura hits a sharp grounder that is bobbled twice by the 2B allowing Ventura to reach second. It is ruled an error ending the streak. OSU wins‚ 6-2‚ but on the June 7‚ Stanford will beat McDowell 9-5 wo win its 2nd national championship.
June 5Dwight Gooden returns from drug rehabilitation and allows one run in 6 2?3 innings to earn the win as the Mets beat the Pirates 5-1 at Shea Stadium.
June 6Needing a replacement for the injured Mattingly‚ the Yankees reluctantly trade knuckleballer Joe Niekro to the Twins for C Mark Salas. Salas‚ not knowing that he’s been traded‚ pinch hits a homer in the 9th to tie the game with the Rangers. He stays in‚ adds a single in the 11th‚ and the Twins win 3-2 in the 13th when Lombardozzi’s 2-out single scores Brunansky from 1B.
June 9At Des Moines‚ Iowa (AA) outslugs Louisville‚ 18-12. Cubs DH hitter Wade Rowdon is 4-for-4 with 4 homers‚ 6 RBIs and 5 runs. Rowdon clouts 2 dingers in the Cubs 9-run‚ 2nd inning. In his only plate appearance without a HR‚ Rowdon is walked intentionally‚ then Damon Berryhill homers.
June 10At Baltimore‚ the Red Sox clip the Orioles‚ 15-4. Ellis Burks and Marty Barrett lead the 18-hit attack with grand slams.
June 11Having traded for him last December‚ the Phillies deal Mike Easler back to the Yankees for a pair of minor leaguers.
June 12The first-place Blue Jays set a club record with their 10th straight victory 8-5 over the Orioles. Toronto leads New York by 3 games in the AL East and will win 11 in a row before bowing to Baltimore on June 14th.
June 14Mike Schmidt hits 3 home runs in a game for the 3rd time in his career to lead the Phillies to an 11-6 win over the Expos. His 2nd home run is also his 2‚000th career hit‚ and his 3rd gives him 511 career homers‚ tying him with Mel Ott on the all-time list.
June 15In Pittsburgh’s 3-1 win over the Cardinals‚ Pirate base runner Jim sets a ML record by getting caught stealing home twice in the 8th inning. The first time he makes it back to 3B on an error‚ but it goes as a caught steal. Undaunted‚ he tries to steal again on reliever Horton and is out at home.
June 17Dick Howser dies at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City. He led the Royals to their first World Championship in 1985‚ but was forced to give up managing during the 1986 season because of a brain tumor. His uniform number‚ 10‚ will be retired by the club on July 3rd.
June 18With his club in 5th place in the NL East‚ Phillies manager John Felske is fired and replaced by 3B coach Lee Elia.
June 22Tom Seaver abandons his comeback attempt with the injury-riddled Mets and retires with a career W-L record of 311-205‚ an ERA of 2.86‚ 3‚640 strikeouts (3rd on the all-time list behind Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton)‚ and 61 shutouts (7th).
June 25Dwight Gooden (4-1) and the Mets top the Cubs‚ 8-2. For Doc‚ it is his 10th straight win over Chicago. He’ll lose his next decision to them on August 9‚ then roll off another 12 straight wins.
June 26Wade Boggs has his hitting streak snapped at 25 consecutive games and the Rocket sputters as Clemens fails to hold a 9-0‚ 2nd-inning lead. Boston loses to New York 12-11 in 10 innings. The 9-run comeback ties a Yankee team record: Boston‚ alas‚ has blown bigger leads.

You gotta give him credit for trying. Paul Noce of the Cubs ties a ML record (tied 11 days ago) in the 3rd inning by twice being thrown out trying to steal. A dropped ball leaves him safe at 2B after he is caught‚ then he is thrown out trying to steal 3B. Pittsburgh beats Greg Maddux and the Cubs‚ 5-2. Maddux will finish 6-14‚ his last losing season
June 27Tony Gwynn goes 3-for-4 in San Diego’s 8-4 win over Atlanta to raise his batting average to .387. Gwynn will finish the season at .370 to win his 2nd NL batting title.

Darrell Evans slugs a 2-run home run in the first inning off Mike Boddicker for his 2‚000th career hit‚ but his Tigers lose to Baltimore 4-2.
June 28One day after hitting 3 home runs in Oakland’s 13-3 rout of the Indians‚ A’s rookie 1B Mark McGwire hits 2 more in a 10-0 Oakland romp to tie the ML record of 5 homers in 2 games. McGwire’s 9 runs in 2 games ties an AL record set in 1937.

Don Baylor moves ahead of Ron Hunt on the all-time hit-by-pitch list when the Yankees Rick Rhoden plunks him during a 6-2 loss to the Red Sox. It is the 244th time that Baylor has been hit by the pitch. He’ll end with 267‚ putting him 3rd on the list behind turn-of-the-century star Hughie Jennings.

In California’s 13-3 rout of the White Sox‚ Geroge Hendrick pinch hits and homers‚ then goes out to play LF. Ruppert Jones then pinch hits for Hendrick and homers‚ then plays LF. The two pinch homers ties the ML mark. Wally Joyner adds a pair of homers for the Haloes.

Pinch hitter Greg Gross breaks up Ron Darling‘s no-hitter with a leadoff triple in the 8th inning and 2 Philley rallies beat the Mets 5-4.
June 29In the first game-a 6-5 win‚ of Philadelphia’s doubleheader sweep of Pittsburgh‚ Steve Bedrosian records his 12th consecutive save (in 12 appearances) to break the ML record set by Sparky Lyle in 1975. The Quakers take the nitecap‚ 11-3.

Eight homers are hit in Toronto as the Yankees outlast the Blue Jays‚ 15-14. Mattingly leads the power outage with a pair‚ one a grand slam‚ and Dave Winfield also hits a grand slam. Dave Righetti gets the win.

July

July 2Houston’s Glenn Davis ends Steve Bedrosian‘s record-setting streak of 13 consecutive saves by belting a 3-run home run in the top of the 9th inning to give the Astros a 7-6 win over the Phillies.

Jim Eisenreich‚ making a comeback after being forced out of the major leagues by a nervous disorder in 1984‚ hits his first ML home run since 1982 to lead the Royals to a 10-3 win over his former club‚ the Twins.
July 3Despite striking out 7 straight batters, the Chicago Cubs Jamie Moyer loses to the San Francisco Giants, 3-1.

Hitting just .212 Astros SS Dickie Thon bolts from the team. Thon has never recovered from a 1984 beaning that left him with blurred vision. An angry Astros GM Dick Wagner will put Thon on the “disqualified” list and he will not play for the rest of the year. Thon will become a free agent in November.
July 4In a 7-player swap‚ the Padres trade pitchers Dave Dravecky and Craig Lefferts and OF Kevin Mitchell to the Giants for 3B Chris Brown and pitchers Keith Comstock‚ Mark Davis‚ and Mark Grant. In 1989‚ Mitchell will win the MVP Award for the Giants‚ and Davis will win the Cy Young for the Padres.
July 5The knuck is not knuckling and Chicago hands Cleveland’s Phil Niekro (3 IP‚ 8 runs) a 17-0 pasting as 8 Sox players have 2 or more hits. Scott Nielsen is the complete-game winner.
July 6Cleveland starts three days of contentious baseball with Kansas City by beating the Royals‚ 9-7. Snyder drives in 6 runs with 2 homers‚ the 2nd a grand slam off Farr‚ in relief of Saberhagen (14-3) in the 8th. Winning pitcher Sammy Stewart hits Jamie Quirk with a pitch‚ breaking his hand‚ and Frank White is also decked. Tomorrow‚ Willie Wilson will be decked by Ken Schrom and will lead a benches-clearing brawl with a charge to the mound. The Tribe will come back to win that one as well‚ as Joe Carter hits a 2-run HR off Quissenberry in the 9th.
July 7At Chicago‚ the Cubs outhit the Padres to win 7-5. Andre Dawson hits a first inning HR off Eric Show and then pays the price when Show hits him with a pitch in the 3rd‚ knocking both players out of the game. Show gets the loss‚ while Dawson will need 22 stitches. When Cubs starter Greg Maddux hits Benito Santiago in the 4th‚ he gets tossed.
July 8Floyd Youmans pitches a one-hitter to beat the Astros and Nolan Ryan 1-0. Houston’s lone hit is an 8th-inning single by Kevin Bass. Youmans will throw a 3-hit shutout in his next outing.

Facing Tribe leadoff hitter Brett Butler in the bottom of the 1st‚ Kansas City P Danny Jackson fires the first pitch behind the batter‚ then the next one over his head‚ causing Butler to charge the mound. Both players are tossed‚ and Mel Hall replaces Butler‚ drawing a walk from Bob Stoddard. Carter hits another 2-run HR‚ in the 7th‚ and Snyder hits a 2-run double in the 9th‚ off Quissenberry‚ to give the Indians their 3rd straight win‚ 9-8. Sammy Stewart is the winner.
July 9Mike Schmidt hits his 513th career home run off Atlanta’s Zane Smith to move past Eddie Mathews and Ernie Banks into 10th place on the all-time list‚ but the Phillies lose to the Braves 11-6.
July 10At Yankee Stadium‚ Don Mattingly greets White Sox reliever Joel McKeon with a grand slam to pace the Yankees to a 9-5 win over Chicago.
July 11Billy Ripken‚ 22‚ joins his brother Cal in the Orioles starting lineup in Baltimore’s 2-1 loss to the Twins. Orioles manager Cal Ripken‚ Sr. is the first to manage 2 sons in the majors.
July 12The Yankees trade P Bob Tewksbury and 2 minor league pitchers to the Cubs for Steve Trout‚ who has just pitched back-to-back shutouts.
July 14Tim Raines caps a 3-for-3 performance in the All-Star Game with a 2-run triple in the top of the 13th inning‚ giving the NL a 2-0 victory.

The BBWAA votes to rename the Rookie of the Year Award in honor of Jackie Robinson‚ who broke baseball’s color barrier on the way to winning the first Rookie of the Year Award in 1947.
July 15The Indians fire manager Pat Corrales‚ replacing him with bullpen coach Doc Edwards. Cleveland is in last place in the AL East‚ 23 games behind‚ after finishing 84-78 in 1986.
July 16Cory Snyder hits his 6th homer in 8 games to help give Indians manager Doc Edwards a win over the White Sox‚ 4-3.

Don Mattingly bangs two homers‚ one a second inning grand slam‚ to pace the Yankees to a 12-3 win over host Texas. Mattingly now has 7 homers in 6 games. His 2nd inning grand slam‚ his 4th of the year‚ off Charlie Hough‚ followed a bases-loaded walk to Mike Pagliarulo. Hough had 8 strikeouts but his knuckleball was too much for little-used catch Mike Stanley‚ who sets an AL record with 5 passed balls. His teammate Geno Petralli will tie then break the record next month with 6 passed balls.

Houston rookie Ken Caminiti debuts with a bang. He hits a triple in the 5th inning‚ a homer in the 7th‚ and scores the winning run in the 9th following a walk. The Astros beat the Phillies‚ 2-1. Caminiti is just the 4th major leaguer to debut with a homer and triple.
July 18Don Mattingly hits a home run in his 8th consecutive game‚ tying the ML record set by Dale Long in 1956‚ but the Yankees lose to Texas 7-2. His streak will end tomorrow when he goes 2-for-4 but no homers.
July 19Texas wins a 20-3 laugher over the Yankees. Steve Buechele has 2 homers to pace the offense. In the 9th inning‚ catcher Rick Cerone takes the mound and walks one but allows no runs.
July 20Don Mattingly ties another ML record‚ this time in the field‚ as he makes 22 putouts in the Yankees 7-1 win over the Twins. The feat was last accomplished in the AL by Hal Chase in 1906.
July 23The Red Sox waive Bill Buckner‚ the goat of last season’s World Series‚ and promote slugger Sam Horn from Pawtucket. The Angels will sign Buckner and he will hit .306 in 57 games.
July 26Catfish Hunter‚ Billy Williams‚ and Ray Dandridge are inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown‚ New York.

Paul Molitor ties a ML record by stealing 2B‚ 3B‚ and home in the first inning of Milwaukee’s 7-4 win over the A’s. Molitor is hitting .348.
July 27In Cleveland‚ Mark McGwire hits 3 homeruns‚ scores 5 runs‚ and drives in 5 as the A’s trim the Indians‚ 13-3.

The Salt Lake City Trappers lose 7-5 to the Billings Mustangs‚ ending their professional-record winning streak at 29 consecutive games. The Trappers‚ who hadn’t lost since June 24th‚ broke the old record of 27 straight wins with a 13-3 rout of the Pocatello Giants on July 25th.
July 28Montreal’s Jeff Reed makes 3 errors in the 7th inning of an 8-3 loss to the Cubs‚ tying the ML record for catchers.
July 29The Royals trade SS Buddy Biancalana to the Astros for pitching prospect Mel Stottlemyre‚ Jr.
July 30The Pirates trade P Don Robinson to the Giants for minor league catcher Mackey Sasser and cash. The Indians trade fading veteran Steve Carlton to the Twins for a player to be named later.
July 31Eddie Murray hits his 299th and 300th career home runs to lead Baltimore to an 8-4 win over Texas.

August

August 1Andre Dawson hits 3 home runs‚ his 29th‚ 30th and 31st‚ and drives in all 5 Chicago runs as the Cubs beat the Phillies 5-3.
August 2Eric Davis becomes the 7th player in ML history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in one season by drilling his 30th homer in the bottom of the 11th to give the Reds a 5-4 win over the Giants.

Royals rookie 3B Kevin Seitzer goes 6-for-6 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs in a 13-5 rout of the Red Sox‚ tying the AL record for hits in a 9-inning game. Seitzer will add 2 hits tomorrow‚ and 4 on the 4th: his total of 12 in 3 games is the 3rd highest in AL history.

Rangers pitcher Bobby Witt ties the ML record by striking out 4 consecutive Orioles in the 2nd inning of a 5-2 win. Witt finishes the game with 11 strikeouts.
August 3Twins Joe Niekro is caught with a file on the mound and is ejected during the 4th inning of Minnesota’s 11-3 win over California. He will be suspended for 10 games by AL president Bobby Brown‚ who doesn’t buy Niekro’s story that he had been filing his nails on the bench and stuck the file in his back pocket when the inning started.

Jack Morris ties the AL record with 5 wild pitches in a 4-2‚ 10-inning loss to the Royals. Morris will scatter 24 wild pitches this season to set a new ML record. Juan Guzman will top it with 26‚ in 1993.

Tom Candiotti tosses a one hitter as the Indians beat the Yankees‚ 2-0. Mike Easler‘s leadoff single in the 8th is the only hit.
August 6Rich Gossage earns his 287th career save in San Diego’s 7-4 win over Atlanta to move past Bruce Sutter into 2nd place on the all-time list.
August 8Tom Condiotti goes the distance as the Indians top the Blue Jays‚ 3-1. Toronto’s only run is George Bell’s 35th homer and extends Bell’s hitting streak versus Cleveland to 34 games (as noted by Retrosheet: streak started June 1‚ 1985). Bell’s sits out tomorrow’s game and will go hitless in the firtst encounter with Cleveland in 1988.
August 9With help from Lee Smith‚ Scott Sanderson beats the Mets‚ 6-3‚ at Shea Stadium. The loser is Doc Gooden‚ who snaps his 10-game winning streak against the Cubs. He’ll start another streak of 12 wins.

In a 15-4 Tiger mauling of the Yankees‚ New York catcher Rick Cerone takes the mound. Again‚ he walks one batter and allows no runs‚ the second time in 3 weeks he’s caught and pitched in the same game.
August 10Phillies pitcher Kevin Gross becomes the 2nd pitcher in 8 days to be ejected for scuffing the baseball when umpires discover sandpaper in his glove during the 5th inning of a 4-2 win over the Cubs. Like Joe Niekro‚ Gross will be suspended for 10 games‚ and won’t get his glove returned until August‚ 1991.

Cardinals 1B Jack Clark sets an NL record by drawing a walk in his 16th consecutive game‚ a 6-0 win over Pittsburgh.

Paul Molitor singles in the 3rd inning against the Rangers to run his hit streak to 25 games. The Brewers win in the 12th 4-3.

At Seattle‚ Oakland’s super rookie Mark McGwire belts his 38th homer‚ a solo shot off Mike Moore‚ to tie the ML rookie record for homers in a season.
August 12The Braves send veteran pitcher Doyle Alexander to the Tigers in exchange for minor leaguer John Smoltz. Alexander will help lead the Tigers to the AL East title by posting a perfect 9-0 record‚ while Smoltz will anchor the Braves for the 1990s.
August 13The Cardinals outfield sets a ML record by failing to record a single putout in a 4-2‚ 13-inning win over the Phillies. The previous mark was held by the 1905 St. Louis Browns‚ who played an 11-inning game with no outfield putouts.

Molitor keeps his hit streak alive at 28 games when he homers with 2 out in the 9th inning against the O’s. Baltimore still wins 5-4.

Barry Bonds hits a leadoff HR in Pittsburgh’s 5-run first inning‚ but Montreal rallies to win‚ 9-7. Tim Raines has a homer and scores 5 runs.
August 14Oakland’s Mark McGwire slugs his 39th home run of the season‚ off Don Sutton in the 6th inning‚ in a 12-inning 7-6 win over California‚ breaking the ML record for rookies shared by Wally Berger and Frank Robinson. McGwire will finish the season with a whopping 49 homers.
August 15At the Pan American games in Indianapolis‚ the U.S.A. and Cuba are tied with 2 outs in the 9th when Ty Griffin hits a 2-run HR to win it. For Cuba it is their first loss in 20 years of Pan Am competition.
August 16Tim Raines goes 5-for-5 and hits for the cycle to lead the Expos to a 10-7 win over Pittsburgh.

The wind is blowing out at Wrigley as the Mets pound the Cubs 23-10 at Wrigley Field‚ setting a club record for runs scored in a game. They score 3 runs in each of 5 innings and 7 in another. Darryl Strawberry leads the way with a pair of doubles and a homer‚ off Greg Maddux‚ and scores 5 runs. Ron Darling lasts 6 innings to earn the win.
August 17A 3rd inning bunt single gives Molitor the longest hit streak of the 1980s at 32 games. Milwaukee defeats Cleveland 5-3.
August 19Molitor collects 4 hits to extend his hit streak to 34 games and tie Dom DiMaggio for 11th spot on the all-time list. The Brewers beat Cleveland 13-2. Rob Deer has a grand slam for the Brewers‚ and tomorrow will hit another-just the 11th player in history to hit grand slams in consecutive games.
August 20Pittsburgh unloads another veteran pitcher‚ trading Rick Reuschel to the Giants for pitchers Jeff Robinson and Scott Medvin.
August 21Dale Murphy hits his 300th career home run as Atlanta beats Pittsburgh‚ 5-4. He stroked his 1500th hit on August 5th.

Andre Dawson belts his 39th and 40th home runs of the season and Lee Smith picks up his 30th save in Chicago’s 7-5 win over the Astros.
August 26Paul Molitor goes 0-for-4 in Milwaukee’s 1-0‚ 10-inning win over the Indians‚ ending his hitting streak at 39 consecutive games. His streak was the 7th longest in ML history and the longest in the AL since Joe DiMaggio‘s 56-game streak in 1941. Molitor faces rookie John Farrell all 4 times‚ and is on deck when Rick Manning ends the game with a run-scoring pinch single in the bottom of the 10th.

The Yankees and Reds exchange starting pitchers‚ with Dennis Rasmussen going to Cincinnati for Bill Gullickson.
August 27The Royals fire manager Billy Gardner‚ who replaced Dick Howser in spring training‚ and replace him with John Wathan‚ the former Kansas City catcher who was managing the club’s Triple A Omaha affiliate. In Wathan’s ML managerial debut‚ the Royals win 3-2 on George Brett‘s 10th-inning home run to move within 3 games of first-place Minnesota.
August 28Mike Schmidt continues to climb baseball’s all-time home run list‚ passing both Ted Williams and Willie McCovey with the 522nd of his career in an 8-1 win over San Diego.
August 29Nolan Ryan passes the 200-strikeout barrier for a ML-record 11th time‚ fanning 7 Pirates in 6 innings of an 8-2 Astros loss.

Two AL West contenders attempt to bolster their rosters for the stretch run. The Angels trade 2 minor leaguers for Pittsburgh 2B Johnny Ray‚ and the A’s send minor leaguer P Tim Belcher to the Dodgers for P Rick Honeycutt. Honeycutt (2-12)‚ loser of his last 11 games with the Dodgers‚ will drop 2 more with the A’s before beating the Indians on September 22.
August 30Kirby Puckett goes 6-for-6 with 2 home runs in Minnesota’s 10-6 win over Milwaukee‚ tying the AL record for hits in a 9-inning game. Combined with yesterday’s 4-for-5‚ two-HR performance‚ Puckett has a ML-record-tying 10 hits in 2 games.

With knuckleballer Charlie Hough on the mound‚ Rangers catcher Geno Petralli ties the ML record by allowing 6 passed balls in a 7-0 loss to Detroit. The 6 passed balls is an AL record for one team (the record was set by teammate Mike Stanley with 5 last month)‚ and combined with Detroit’s zero passed balls‚ is a record for 2 teams. Eight days earlier Petralli had 5 passed balls in an 8-6 win over Chicago‚ also with Hough pitching. As noted by historian Tom Ruane‚ Hough’s catchers will allow an incredible 65 passed ball this season.

The A’s get P Storm Davis from the Padres for 2 players to be named later (1B Rob Nelson and P Dave Leiper).
August 31The Blue Jays trade minor leaguer Oswaldo Peraza and a player to be named later to the Orioles for veteran lefthander Mike Flanagan‚ then release Phil Niekro to make room for Flanagan on the roster.

September

September 1Williamsport (Eastern League) Bills catcher Dave Bresnahan introduces a new wrinkle to baseball-the hidden potato. With a Reading runner‚ Rick Rudblad‚ on 3B‚ Bresnahan returns from a time out with a shaved potato hidden in his mitt. On the next pitch he throws the potato wildly on a pickoff attempt. When the runner trots home‚ Bresnahan tags him out with the real ball. The umpire‚ unamused‚ rules the runner safe‚ gives the catcher an error‚ and fines him $50. Bresnahan replied‚ “I thought it’d be a do-over.”

The Red Sox trade 2 heroes from their 1986 AL Championship team‚ sending DH Don Baylor to the Twins and OF Dave Henderson to the Giants for players to be named later.

In a 3-2 loss to the Cubs‚ Houston’s Billy Hatcher becomes the first player this season to be ejected for using an illegal corked bat‚ and will eventually be suspended for 10 games by NL president Bart Giamatti. Hatcher claims he borrowed the bat from P Dave Smith and only used it in batting practice. Baseball has seen a rash of protests regarding allegedly doctored bats this season‚ partly in response to the record number of home runs being hit.
September 2The parent Phillies don’t find Bresnahan’s potato gag yesterday funny either‚ and release him. Bresnahan‚ hitting .149‚ explains‚ “We were 27 games out‚ what the hell?” Tomorrow night‚ their last game of the season‚ the Williamsport Bills will admit any fan for a $1 and a potato. On each potato‚ Bresnahan autographs‚ “this spuds for you.”

Tom Candiotti pitches his 2nd one-hitter of the season‚ but also walks 7 batters and makes an error as the Indians lose to Detroit 2-1. Matt Nokes‘ single with 2 out in the 8th is the Tigers’ only hit. Feller‚ in 1954‚ is the last Tribe hurler to lose a one-hitter.

For the second time this season‚ Houston’s Kevin Bass drills homers from each side of the plate. He totals 3 homers for the 2nd time in a month as the Astros drub the Cubs‚ 10-1.
September 5Carlton Fisk clubs his 300th career home run off Danny Jackson‚ but the White Sox lose to the Royals 4-2.
September 6The Dodgers beat the Mets 3-2 in 16 innings to end their losing streak at 9 games‚ the club’s worst since 1973.

Milwaukee’s Teddy Higuera hurls his 3rd straight shutout‚ beating the Twins‚ 6-0‚ on 2 hits. Braggs‚ Deer‚ and Bill Schroeder homer to back Teddy.
September 7That’s spells relief. In for Brian Fisher‚ Pirate closer Jeff Robinson strikes out 3 Cubs on 9 pitches‚ in the 8th inning. The Pirates win‚ 3-2. Both Cubs runs come on homers‚ by Durham and Moreland.
September 8With the Cubs in 5th place in the NL East (68-68‚ 13 games behind)‚ the club fires manager Gene Michael and replaces him with Frank Lucchesi.
September 9Nolan Ryan strikes out 16 Giants in 8 innings during Houston’s 4-2 victory to take over the ML strikeout lead with 226. Ryan will finish the season with 270 strikeouts‚ tops in the major leagues.
September 11Howard Johnson steals his 30th base of the season in the Mets 6-4‚ 10-inning loss to the Cardinals‚ becoming the 8th player ever to hit 30 HRs and steal 30 bases in a season. Mets starter Ron Darling tears ligaments in his thumb while fielding a Vince Coleman bunt during the game and will miss the rest of the season.

Detroit’s Tom Brooken’s homers in the 5th off Ted Higuera‚ snapping the Brewer pitchers’ scoreless streak of 32 innings. Higuera’s mark tops Ray Searage‘s team record of 30 innings (August 26‚ 1984 – April 19‚ 1985). The Brewers rally for 4 runs in the 8th to top the Tigers.

At County Stadium, the Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-1. In the 9th the umps check Ranger reliever Dale Mohorcic but can find no evidence of sandpaper that he is using to scuff balls. Tomorrow Mohorcic will go on the 15 day DL with gastrointestinal bleeding caused by the item he swallowed before the umpire’s inspection.
September 13Chicago’s Floyd Bannister faces the minimum 27 batters in a 2-0 one-hitter against Seattle‚ striking out 10 while walking none. Hard-luck loser Mark Langston pitches a 2-hitter for the Mariners.
September 14In an 18-3 rout of the Orioles‚ the Blue Jays erupt for a ML-record 10 home runs. Ernie Whitt leads the parade with 3 round trippers‚ Rance Mulliniks and George Bell hit 2‚ and Lloyd Moseby‚ Rob Ducey‚ and Fred McGriff each add one. Mike Hart hits one for Baltimore to tie the 2-team ML record of 11; it has now been accomplished 7 times. In the 7th inning‚ the Jays PH Kelly Gruber makes all 3 outs out hitting into a DP and ending the frame with a strikeout. In between there are 5 singles and 2 homers. Ripken’s streak of 8‚243 consecutive innings (908 games) is broken when he is lifted in the 8th for pinch runner Earl Washington. His game streak is at 827.
September 15Mets 1B Keith Hernandez collects his 2‚000th ML hit as New York pounds Chicago 12-4. Earlier in the day the 2nd-place Mets obtained pitcher John Candelaria from the Angels for a pair of minor leaguers.
September 16In a 6-4 win‚ California’s Bob Boone catches his 1‚919th ML game to break the record held by Hall of Famer Al Lopez.

Cleveland’s Joe Carter joins the 30-30 club‚ stealing his 30th base of the season in a 5-3 loss to Seattle.
September 18In Detroit’s 7-6 win over the Brewers‚ Darrell Evans belts his 40th homer of the year. He is the first 40-year-old to hit 40 homers.
September 21Darryl Strawberry joins Howard Johnson as the first teammates ever to achieve 30 homers and 30 steals in the same season‚ stealing 2 bases in the Mets 7-1 win at Chicago. Strawberry is only the 10th member of the 30-30 club‚ but the 4th to accomplish the feat this season. The sinning pitcher is Doc Gooden‚ who had his 10-game win streak over Chicago snapped in August; however‚ today’s win will start him on another 12-game win streak over the Cubs.
September 22Wade Boggs goes 2-for-4 in Boston’s 8-5 loss to Detroit‚ reaching the 200-hit plateau for an AL-record tying 5th consecutive year. Al Simmons and Charlie Gehringer are the only other AL players to do so.

Teddy Higuera wins his 7th straight as the Brewers down the Yankees‚ 7-2 in the first of 2 games. Robin Yount drives in 4 runs with a homer and double. Yount drives home another 5 in game 2‚ including his 20th homer of the season‚ but it is not enough as New York wins‚ 10-8.

The Cubs send P Dickie Noles to the Tigers for a player to be named. Noles is the player to be named later‚ coming back to Chicago on October 23.
September 23Bill Madlock collects his 2‚000th career hit as the Tigers beat Boston 4-0 on Doyle Alexander‘s 2-hitter.

Albert Hall hits for the cycle in Atlanta’s 5-4 win over Houston‚ becoming the first Brave to do so since Bill Collins in 1910.
September 25In the Padres 5-3 loss to the Dodgers‚ Padres catcher Benito Santiago hits in his 27th straight game to tie the ML record for rookies.
September 26Benito Santiago extends his hitting streak to 28 games in a 3-1 loss to the Dodgers‚ setting a new ML record for rookies. Pittsburgh’s Jimmy Williams had held the record with a 27-game streak in 1899.
September 27Phil Niekro makes his final ML appearance and is pounded for 5 runs in 3 innings in Atlanta’s 15-6 loss to the Giants. Niekro‚ who had been released earlier in the season by Toronto‚ agreed to pitch one last game for the Braves‚ the team he spent his first 19 ML seasons with.

Shea Stadium is packed with 48‚588 fans to see the Mets clobber the Pirates 12-3‚ making the Mets the 2nd franchise in ML history to break the 3 million barrier in season attendance. St. Louis will also draw 3 million fans this season.

In his final plate appearance of the year at Wrigley‚ Andre Dawson crashes his 47th HR to lead the Cubs to a 7-3 win over the Cardinals. Dawson will finish with 49 round trippers on his way to the MVP. He also draws just 32 walks.
September 28The Giants and Twins win their divisions‚ ending 16- and 17-year championship droughts‚ respectively. San Francisco clinches its first NL West title since 1971 with a 5-4 win at San Diego‚ behind pinch homers by Jeffrey Leonard and Chili Davis. Minnesota clinches its first AL West title since 1970 with a 5-3 win at Texas. The Twins duplicate the feat of the 1984 Royals by finishing first and scoring fewer runs than their opponents. They are the 3rd AL team to finish above .500 and score fewer runs than the opposition.

Kevin Seitzer goes 2-for-4 in Kansas City’s 5-1 loss to Seattle to become the first rookie since Tony Oliva and Dick Allen in 1964 to collect 200 hits.
September 29Don Mattingly hits his ML-record 6th grand slam of the season off Boston’s Bruce Hurst in a 6-0 Yankees victory‚ eclipsing the mark shared by Ernie Banks (1955) and Jim Gentile (1961). Mattingly’s record grand slam is the last of his career.
September 30Oakland’s Dave Stewart becomes the major leagues’ first 20-game winner this season as the A’s beat the Indians 4-3.

October

October 1Danny Cox pitches a 5-hitter and the Cardinals beat the Expos 8-2 to clinch the NL East championship.

Dave Collins scores 5 runs in the Reds‚ 12-7 win over the Astros. Between October 1 and October 3 Collins will reach base 12 straight times.
October 3Benito Santiago goes 0-for-3 against Orel Hershiser in San Diego’s 1-0 win over Los Angeles‚ ending his ML-rookie-record hitting streak at 34 consecutive games. Santiago’s streak is also the longest ever by a catcher. The win snaps the Padres’ 9-game losing streak.
October 4On the last day of the regular season‚ Detroit beats 2nd-place Toronto 1-0 at Tiger Stadium to win the AL East title. The Tigers were one game behind the Blue Jays entering their 3-game season-ending showdown‚ and won each game by a single run (4-3‚ 3-2‚ and 1-0). Frank Tanana outduels Jimmy Key in the finale‚ and Larry Herndon‘s 2nd-inning home run provides the game’s only run.

Boston’s Roger Clemens closes out his season with a 2-hit‚ 12-strikeout‚ 4-0 win over the Brewers‚ improving his record to 20-9. Chris Bosio is the loser.
October 6St. Louis takes the NLCS opener 5-3 over the Giants behind the hitting and pitching of Greg Mathews.
October 7San Francisco’s Dave Dravecky shuts out St. Louis 5-0 to even the NL series.

In the ALCS opener‚ Gary Gaetti‘s 2 HRs are the difference in Minnesota’s 8-5 win over Detroit at home.
October 8Minnesota wins again as Bert Blyleven beats the Bengals ace Jack Morris 6-3.
October 9Trailing 4-0‚ the Cardinals rally to down the Giants 6-5 at Candlestick.
October 10Jeffrey Leonard sets a playoff record with a home run in his 4th consecutive game‚ sparking the Giants to a 4-2 win over the Cardinals that evens the NLCS at 2 games apiece. Leonard’s 4 home runs tie the record for most home runs in one LCS shared by Bob Robertson and Steve Garvey.

Leading 5-0‚ the Tigers rally to beat the Twins 7-6.
October 11Minnesota takes a 3-1 edge with a 5-3 win at Detroit.

The Giants take a 3-2 lead in the series‚ defeating the Cards 6-3.
October 12Minnesota beats Detroit 9-5 in game 5 of the ALCS to wrap up its first AL championship since 1965. 3B Gary Gaetti is named MVP.
October 13John Tudor and 2 relievers shut down the Giants 1-0 to even the NLCS at 3-3.
October 14Danny Cox pitches the Cardinals’ 2nd consecutive shutout 6-0 over the Giants in game 7 of the NLCS‚ to send St. Louis to the World Series for the 3rd time in the 1980s. Giants OF Jeffrey Leonard (.417‚ 4 HRs) is named series MVP.
October 17In the first indoor World Series game ever (at Minnesota’s Metrodome)‚ Dan Gladden‘s grand slam caps a 7-run 4th inning and leads the Twins to a 10-1 win over St. Louis in game one. It is the first World Series grand slam since 1970.
October 18The Twins win their 2nd straight WS game 8-4‚ tallying 7 runs in the 4th inning. Bush’s bases loaded double is the inning’s big blow to back Bert Blyleven’s 7 innings of solid pitching.
October 19Billy Martin is named manager of the Yankees for a bizarre 5th time‚ replacing Lou Piniella‚ who replaced Martin‚ and who is “promoted” to general manager. Piniella led the Yankees to an 89-73 record in 1987‚ 4th in the AL East.
October 20The Cards get all their runs in the 7th off reliever Juan Berenguer to win 3-1 in game 3.
October 21With the help of a 3-run HR by the unlikely Tom Lawless-2 hits all season‚ St. Louis wins 7-2 to even the WS. The Cards score 6 in the 4th inning.
October 22Danny Cox gives the Redbirds a 4-2 victory in game 5. Ford singles off Blyleven with the sacks full in the 6th to break a scoreless tie.

Sachio Kinugasa‚ the Ironman of Japanese baseball‚ plays the final game of his 23-year career. Kinugasa never missed a game from October 19‚ 1970 through today’s game‚ a streak of 2215 consecutive games played. He broke in with the Hiroshima Carp in 1965.
October 24In the 6th frame‚ Kent Hrbek belts the Twins 2nd grand slam of the World Series to lead a comeback from a 5-2 deficit‚ and the Twins win game 6‚ 11-5 to even the series at 3 games apiece. The home team has won all 6 games‚ with game 7 to be played in Minnesota tomorrow. Today’s match is a last day game in the WS.
October 25Series MVP Frank Viola and reliever Jeff Reardon hold the Cardinals to 6 hits as the Twins capture game seven 4-2 to win their first World Championship in Minnesota. The franchise’s last World Championship came in 1924 as the Washington Senators.
October 28Saying “I’ve needed a baseball man at my side” Phils president Bill Giles hires Woody Woodward. Giles had acted as GM.
October 29Dallas Green unexpectedly resigns as president and general manager of the Cubs‚ citing “philosophical differences” with the Tribune Company‚ which owns the club.

November

November 3Oakland 1B Mark McGwire wins the AL Rookie of the Year Award‚ now called the Jackie Robinson Award‚ joining Carlton Fisk (1972) as the only player to win that league’s award unanimously. McGwire set a rookie record with 49 homers and was the first rookie to lead the majors in homers since Al Rosen in 1950.
November 4Padres catcher Benito Santiago is a unanimous selection as the NL Rookie of the Year‚ now called the Jackie Robinson Award‚ while Pirates pitcher Mike Dunne is the second choice on 22 of 24 ballots.
November 6The Royals trade pitcher Danny Jackson and SS Angel Salazar to the Reds for pitcher Ted Power and SS Kurt Stillwell.
November 10In the closest vote in the award’s history‚ Steve Bedrosian edges Rick Sutcliffe 57-55 to win the NL Cy Young Award. Bedrosian is the 3rd reliever ever to win the award in the NL.
November 11Roger Clemens becomes the first P since Jim Palmer in 1975-76 to win consecutive Cy Young Awards‚ collecting 21 of 28 first-place votes to easily beat runner-up Jimmy Key.
November 13Jim Frey‚ who managed the Cubs to the 1984 NL East title and spent last season as a broadcaster for the club‚ is named the club’s director of baseball operations. His first major move will be to hire longtime friend Don Zimmer as manager on November 20th.
November 17George Bell becomes the first Blue Jays ever to win the AL MVP Award‚ edging Detroit’s Alan Trammell 332-311. Bell hit .308 last season with 47 home runs and a league-leading 134 RBI.
November 18Cubs OF Andre Dawson becomes the first player from a last-place club ever to win an MVP Award‚ taking NL honors for his .287-49-137 season.

December

December 1Free-agent OF Brett Butler signs a 2-year contract with the Giants. He hit .295 with 33 SBs for Cleveland in 1987.
December 5The Tigers swap pitcher Dan Petry to the Angels for center fielder Gary Pettis.
December 7Free-agent OF Bob Dernier‚ who hit a career-high .317 with 31 stolen bases for the Cubs last season‚ signs a one-year contract with his original ML club‚ the Phillies.
December 8Cincinnati trades OF Dave Parker to the A’s for pitchers Jose Rijo and Tim Birtsas.

In the day’s biggest (and most lopsided) deal‚ the Cubs send dominating reliever Lee Smith to the Red Sox for pitchers Al Nipper and Calvin Schiraldi.

The Braves trade SS Rafael Ramirez to the Astros for a pair of minor leaguer.
December 10The White Sox trade ace lefthander Floyd Bannister (16-11 last season) and Dave Cochrane to the Royals for John Davis‚ Melido Perez‚ Greg Hibbard‚ and Chuck Mount.
December 11In a 3-team trade‚ the Dodgers acquire relief pitcher Jesse Orosco from the Mets and relief pitcher Jay Howell and SS Alfredo Griffin from the A’s‚ and send pitchers Bob Welch and Matt Young to Oakland and minor leaguer Jack Savage to New York. The Mets receive two A’s minor leaguers to complete the deal‚ pitchers Kevin Tapani and Wally Whitehurst.

In the first trade ever between the Yankees and Mets that involves a ML player‚ the Mets send SS Rafael Santana and a minor leaguer to the Bronx for C Phil Lombardi and minor leaguers Darren Reed‚ and Steve Frey.
December 21The A’s sign free agent Dave Henderson‚ who played this past season with the San Francisco Giants.
December 22The Yankees send P Steve Trout and OF Henry Cotto to Seattle for pitchers Lee Guetterman and Clay Parker and minor leaguer Wade Taylor.