Baseball – 1992

Baseball in 1992

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January

January 2The Red Sox sign free agent P Frank Viola.
January 6The Yankees sign free agent OF Danny Tartabull to a 5-year contract.
January 7P Tom Seaver and Rollie Fingers are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Seaver finishes with a record 98.8% of the votes cast. Pete Rose‚ ineligible because of his ban from baseball‚ receives 41 write-in votes.
January 9Former Yankee Joe Pepitone is charged with assault after a scuffle at a hotel in Kiamesha Lake‚ NY. The fight started when Pepitone was called a “has-been.”
January 10The Yankees trade 2B Steve Sax to the White Sox in exchange for P Melido Perez‚ Domingo Jean and Bob Wickman.
January 22The Mets trade OF Mark Carreon and P Tony Castillo to the Tigers in exchange for P Paul Gibson and Randy Marshall.
January 23A group calling itself The Baseball Club of Seattle announces that it will attempt to buy the Mariners for $100 million. Some $75 million of the money will come from Hiroshi Yamauchi‚ president of Nintendo Co.‚ Ltd.‚ of Osaka‚ Japan.
January 28Tigers 1B Cecil Fielder avoids arbitration by agreeing to a $4.5 million contract‚ for the largest single-season deal in history.
January 31The Pirates sign OF Barry Bonds to a one-year contract worth $4.7 million‚ the largest-ever one-year deal.

February

February 5The Pirates name former catcher Ted Simmons as general manager.
February 13Oakland outfielder Jose Canseco rams his wife’s car‚ causing $10‚000 in damage‚ following an argument with his wife‚ Esther.
February 22Red Sox 1B Carlos Quintana breaks his left arm and right toe in an automobile accident in Caracas‚ Venezuela.
February 26Boston Red Sox majority owner Jean Yawkey dies at age 83.

March

March 2Cubs 2B Ryne Sandberg becomes the highest paid player in baseball history when he agrees to a 4-year contract extension worth $28.4 million.
March 6Yankees P Pascual Perez is suspended for one year for violation of baseball’s drug policy.
March 10Pirates get OF Kirk Gibson from the Royals in exchange for P Neal Heaton.
March 12Yankees VP and chief administrative officer Joseph Molloy‚ son-in-law of principal owner George Steinbrenner‚ is elected as new managing general partner of the club.
March 16Angels P Matt Keough is hit in the head by a batted ball during an exhibition game in Scottsdale‚ Arizona. He is taken to the hospital and undergoes emergency surgery to remove a blood clot.

The Pirates trade P John Smiley to the Twins in exchange for P Denny Neagle and OF Midre Cummings.
March 17Pitcher Hal Newhouser and umpire Bill McGowan are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
March 18Georgina Thompson of Wellington‚ Kansas‚ is jailed on a charge of contracting a hit man to murder her common-law husband. She used her husband’s baseball card collection as a down payment to the hit man.

Negotiations between players and management produce an agreement ending the owners’ lockout.
March 27The Brewers trade IF Gary Sheffield and P Geoff Kellogg to the Padres in exchange for P Ricky Bones‚ SS Jose Valentin and OF Matt Mieske.

A lawsuit is filed against Mets P David Cone by 3 women charges him with exposing himself to them while in the bullpen at Shea Stadium.
March 30The Cubs trade OF George Bell to the White Sox in exchange for OF Sammy Sosa and P Ken Patterson.

April

April 2The Phillies trade P Jason Grimsley (1-7 in 1991) to the Astros in exchange for P Curt Schilling.
April 3The Red Sox conclude 27 years of spring training at Winter Haven‚ Florida‚ by beating the Tigers‚ 14-4.
April 4Chicago White Sox OF Bo Jackson undergoes hip-replacement surgery. He suffered the injury in an NFL game in January of 1991.
April 6The Seattle Mariners lose to the Texas Rangers‚ 12-10‚ on Opening Day‚ allowing Texas to score 9 runs with 2 outs in the 8th inning. The game draws 55‚918 to the Kingdome.

A crowd of 44‚568 sees the Orioles defeat the Indians‚ 2-0‚ as they play the 1st game ever in Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Rick Sutcliffe hurls the shutout for Baltimore.

Toronto’s Jack Morris sets a record with his 13th consecutive Opening Day start‚ as he goes all the way in defeating the Tigers‚ 4-2.

Mets reliever Jeff Innis is credited with the win over the Cardinals in NY’s 4-2 Opening Day victory. In 1991‚ Innis became the only pitcher in baseball history to appear in at least 60 games with neither a win nor a save.
April 7At Opening Day in Philadelphia‚ Greg Maddux holds the Phils to 6 hits in 7 innings and the Cubs win‚ 4-3.
April 9On the 1st pitch of the Mets-Cardinals game‚ Vince Coleman and Donovan Osborne are both injured when Coleman beats out a bunt for a hit. Coleman sustains a strained left hamstring while running and Osborne sprains his left ankle while covering on the play in his major league debut. Both players are eventually forced to leave the game.

Prosecutors drop rape charges against Mets P Dwight Gooden and OF Vince Coleman and Daryl Boston. On March 3‚ a 31-year-old woman had accused the players of raping her on March 30‚ 1991.
April 10San Diego’s Dave Eiland becomes the 9th pitcher in history to homer in his 1st major league at bat. He connects against Bob Ojeda of the Dodgers in an 8-3 Padre win. Eiland does enter the trivia books as also he serves up a homer to the first batter he faces. Rookie pitcher Jim Bullinger will also homer on his 1st ML at bat this year. The winless Eiland will end the year on another trivia record note: he joins Buster Narum and Ed Hobaugh‚ both in 1963‚ as pitchers with more homers than wins in a year.
April 11Cleveland 2B Carlos Baerga is 6-for-9 in the Indians 7-5‚ 19-inning loss to the Red Sox.

Montreal’s Archi Cianfrocco gets the most from his first ML hit‚ collecting 3 ribbies on a single. The runners were off with the pitch with two out and a 3-2 count and Spike Owen scores from 1B. The Expos beat the Mets‚ 9-2.
April 12Red Sox P Matt Young does not give up a hit in hurling an 8-inning‚ complete game against the Indians. He loses‚ however‚ by a score of 2-1‚ in the 1st game of a twinbill. In the 2nd contest‚ Boston’s Roger Clemens hurls a 2-hit shutout over Cleveland‚ winning by a score of 3-0. The Indians’ 2 hits in the twinbill sets a major league record‚ breaking the old mark of 3 held by 4 teams.

The Angels trade SS Dick Schofield to the Mets in exchange for P Julio Valera and a player to be named later.
April 13The Yankees (5-0) and Blue Jays (6-0)‚ meet‚ marking only the 3rd time this century that 2 unbeaten teams had met so late in the season. The Yankees win by a score of 5-2.
April 16Seattle manager Bill Plummer mistakenly fills out a lineup card with 2 first baseman and no DH. It doesn’t help as the Mariners go on to lose the game to the White Sox‚ 5-4.
April 17Phillies SS Kim Batiste commits 4 errors in a 7-4 loss to Pittsburgh.
April 20The Cubs Greg Maddux beats the Phillies again‚ this time at Wrigley‚ 8-3. He also clouts a long HR onto Waveland Avenue.
April 24Former 14-year major leaguer Derrel Thomas is arrested on drug charges in Los Angeles.

Former Yankees vice president Leonard Kleinman drops his $30 million lawsuit against baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent. The suit had been one of the obstacles standing in the way of George Steinbrenner‘s reinstatement with the Yankees.
April 25In the Pirates 1-0 win over the host Cubs‚ the Bucs are helped by a helmet. With Kirk Gibson on first‚ Jay Bell hits a grounder that strikes Gibson’s helmet‚ which had flown off. The ball rebounds to Sandberg who throws to Walker and the relay to Salazar nabs Gibson. As Andy Van Slyke notes‚ the play goes “7 1/2 to 4 to 5 to 6.” Bell reaches on an infield single and Van Slyke follows with a double for the only run. Tomlin (4-0) is the winner over Greg Maddux (3-1).
April 30The Dodgers-Phillies game in Los Angeles is postponed as a result of riots prompted by the Rodney King verdict.

May

May 1Oakland OF Rickey Henderson steals the 1‚000th base of his career in the 1st inning of the A’s 7-6 win over Detroit. Mark McGwire adds a homer and Mike Parrett (4-0) picks up the win when the A’s score a run in the 8th.

Seattle’s Randy Johnson hands out 10 walks in just 4 1/3 innings in a 15-1 swamping by the Orioles. The Big Unit allows 8 earned runs. Mike Devereaux has a pair of homers‚ one a grand slam‚ and drives in 6 runs. 6′ 7″ McDonald (3-0) pitches the complete-game win.
May 2Yankee P Scott Sanderson becomes the 12th pitcher in history to surrender 4 HRs in a single inning. He is rocked in the 5th inning of the game against Minnesota by Shane Mack‚ Kirby Puckett‚ Kent Hrbek‚ and Randy Bush. The Twins need all the dingers as they win‚ 7-6.
May 3Eddie Murray of the Mets hits his 400th career HR in NY’s 7-0 win over the Braves. David Cone hurls the 5-hit shutout.

Philadelphia 2B Mariano Duncan strokes 5 hits and scores 5 runs in the Phillies 12-3 win over San Francisco.

In a 6-3 loss to the California Angels, Cleveland Indians outfielder Alex Cole goes 4-for-4 with 5 stolen bases.
May 4The Pirates score 11 runs in the 6th inning of their 12-5 win over Cincinnati. Buc reliever Dennis Lamp‚ who pitches only the top of the 6th‚ is the happy recipient of the outburst.

White Sox P Alex Fernandez hurls a 1-hit shutout over the Brewers‚ winning 7-0.

During KC’s 11-6 win over Cleveland‚ Indians OF Albert Belle charges the mound after 2 of P Neal Heaton‘s pitches sail behind him. In the bullpen‚ Indian P Ted Power gets up from his chair to join the fight at the mound‚ and suffers a strained right calf muscle. He is forced to go on the DL with the injury.
May 5Expos OF Larry Walker hits a HR off a speaker hanging from the roof of Olympic Stadium in Montreal’s 5-2 victory over San Diego.
May 7The Indians commit around-the-horn errors in a 8-7 victory over the Rangers. 1B Paul Sorrento boots a ground ball‚ 2B Carlos Baerga misses a pop-up‚ SS Mark Lewis drops a throw and 3B Brook Jacoby boots another grounder.
May 8Astros P Butch Henry gets his 1st major league hit-a 3-run‚ inside-the-park homer-but its not enough as Houston loses 6-3 to Pittsburgh. It will be Henry’s only ML homer.
May 12KC Royals president Joe Burke dies of cancer at age 68.
May 13The Pirates blow an 8-run lead‚ but manage to hold on for an 11-10 victory over the Braves. Pittsburgh led‚ 10-2‚ in the 4th inning.
May 15The Mets newly acquired Bret Saberhagen (3-2) pitches 5 innings before leaving with tendinitis in his pitching hand that will effectively sideline him for the rest of the year. He will not win another game following today’s 4-1 over the Dodgers.
May 17With a 3-2 loss to Seattle‚ the Blue Jays pass the 1 million mark in attendance‚ the earliest this has been accomplished. It took the Jays just 21 dates to do it. The previous mark was shared by the 1991 Blue Jays and the 1981 Dodgers.

In Boston’s 3-1 loss to California‚ Wade Boggs has hit # 2‚000‚ the 6th Red Sox to reach mark (Yaz‚ Williams‚ Rice‚ Evans‚ Doerr). Mark Langston is the winner.
May 18San Diego P Bruce Hurst hurls a one-hit shutout over the Mets‚ defeating Dwight Gooden by a score of 3-0. The only hit is a single by the recently acquired Chico Walker. Hurst does it without Tony Gwynn‚ who breaks the tip of his right middle finger by slamming it in the door of his Porsche on the way to the bank. Gwynn is hitting .369.
May 19Bobby Rose hits an 8th inning homer off New York’s Steve Howe to give California a 4-3 lead‚ but New York wins 5-4 in 10 innings. For the young Rose‚ it is his last at bat in the majors.
May 20North Carolina Little League coach Richard Blackwell is arrested after slashing the throat of a rival coach during an argument over a game of a few days earlier. On June 8‚ Blackwell will be banned from participating in Little League for 2 years‚ but will not be given jail time after pleading guilty to a reduced sentence.
May 21Four members of the California Angels‚ including manager Buck Rodgers‚ are hospitalized after the bus carrying the team swerves into a row of trees off the New Jersey Turnpike. Rodgers‚ the most seriously injured‚ incurs a broke right rib‚ left knee and right elbow. John Wathan takes over the team as interim manager.
May 22The Expos fire manager Tom Runnels and replaced him with Felipe Alou.
May 24The Braves John Smoltz sets a franchise record by striking out 15 batters in a 2-1 win over the Expos. He walks 2 in beating Gardner.
May 25El Paso Diablos public address announcer Derrick Grubbs is ejected from the team’s game against Jackson because of music he played during the contest.
May 26The Tigers’ Bill Gullickson becomes just the 1st Detroit P since 1954 to hurl a complete game victory without issuing a walk or strikeout. He defeats the Royals‚ 8-1.
May 30By beating the Milwaukee Brewers‚ 8-1‚ Scott Sanderson of the Yankees becomes the 9th pitcher to beat all 26 major league teams in his career. He joins Nolan Ryan‚ Tommy John‚ Don Sutton‚ Mike Torrez‚ Rick Wise‚ Gaylord Perry‚ Doyle Alexander and Rich Gossage as the only pitchers to accomplish the feat.

June

June 1Toronto OF Devon White becomes just the 6th player in history to hit both a leadoff HR and an extra-inning four-bagger in the same game. He does so in the Blue Jays 5-3 win over Minnesota. He also becomes the 56th player in history to homer from both sides of the plate in the same game.

The Astros select Cal State-Fullerton 3B Phil Nevin with the 1st pick in the amateur draft‚ and sign him for $700‚000. Picking 6th‚ the Yanks take Derek Jeter‚ who will reject a University of Michigan offer to sign with New York. The Marlins will use their 1st pick on catcher Charles Johnson. The A’s take Jason Giambi (2nd round) and the Cards get T.J. Mathews on the 36th. The Giants snag Marvin Bernard on the 50th round. The Brewers take Ken Felder on the 1st round but he will prove a flop: their best pick is Scott Karl (6th round). Marvin Benard goes to the Giants on the 50th round.
June 4San Jose voters say no to the Giants by rejecting a plan to build a new stadium in their city. The Astros show they like the old stadium as they bang the Giants‚ 12-6‚ before a sparse crowd of 8‚850.

Carl Stotz‚ creator of Little League baseball‚ dies at age 82 in Williamsport‚ Pennsylvania.
June 6Eddie Murray drives home 2 runs in the Mets 15-1 win over the Pirates. It gives him 1‚510 career RBIs‚ the most ever by a switch-hitter‚ passing Mickey Mantle (1‚509).
June 7OF Juan Gonzalez of the Rangers hits 3 HRs‚ including a 2-run homer in the 8th‚ against the Twins. Texas needs them all winning‚ 5-4. Witt is the winner.

Against the Astros‚ SF’s Trevor Wilson allows just 2 hits and finishes with a flourish‚ striking out the side in the 9th on 9 pitches. The Giants win‚ 3-0.

Pepperdine defeats Cal State-Fullerton‚ 3-2‚ to win the College World Series.
June 8Chicago Cubs rookie pitcher Jim Bullinger becomes the 10th pitcher in history to hit a HR in his 1st major league at bat‚ doing so on the 1st pitch thrown to him by Rheal Cormier of the Cardinals. The Cubs win the game‚ 5-2.

Montreal P Ken Hill hurls a one-hitter over the Mets‚ and drives in a run in the 6-0 shutout. The only Met hit is an infield single by P Anthony Young.

Yankees P Steve Howe is suspended from baseball indefinitely after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempting to buy cocaine. It is Howe’s 7th suspension.
June 9The Dodgers Orel Hershiser scatters 4 hits in 8 innings to beat the Braves‚ 3-2. Kal Daniels 2-out HR in the 8th‚ off reliever Mike Stanton‚ is the diffrence. For Hershiser‚ it is his 12th straight win over Atlanta going back to September 13‚ 1987.

The Yankees trade P Lee Guetterman to the Mets in exchange for P Tim Burke.
June 10At Milwaukee‚ Mark McGwire hits his 22nd homer of the year and his career 200th. It comes in his 2‚852nd at bat‚ and he is the 5th quickest to reach 200. The fastest was Ralph Kiner (2‚537)‚ then Ruth (2‚580) Killebrew (2‚584) and Eddie Mathews (2‚811). Winning for first-place Oakland is Ron Darling (6-3).
June 11Baseball owners vote 25-1 to allow the purchase of the Seattle Mariners by a group headed by Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi of Japan. It signals the first non-North American ownership of a major league team.
June 13Detroit takes a 7-0 lead over the Orioles into the 8th inning‚ then score 8 times. Dan Gladden makes all 3 outs in the frame against reliever Mike Flanagan‚ grounding out then grounding into a DP. The Birds score in the 9th at Detroit to avoid the shutout‚ losing‚ 15-1.
June 15Red Sox P Jeff Reardon moves into first place on the all-time save list with number 342. It comes in Boston’s 1-0 win over the Yankees. Dopson is the winner over Sanderson. Plantier’s homer is the only score.

Jeff King of the Pirates becomes the 5th player in major league history to be caught stealing twice in an inning. In the 5th inning of Pittsburgh’s game against Philadelphia‚ King leads off with a single. He’s trapped off base‚ but collides with Phillies P Terry Mulholland as he tries to get back. Mulholland is called for interference‚ and King is charged with a caught stealing‚ even though he remained on base. Later that inning‚ he is thrown out attempting to steal 3B. The Phillies win the game by a score of 4-1.
June 16Cardinals OF Brian Jordan signs a $2.4 million‚ 3-year contract with St. Louis‚ ending his 2-sport career. He had also been a defensive back with the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.
June 22Mariners OF Dave Cochrane ties a club record for most assists by an OF in a game with 2‚ and sets a club mark for most errors in a game with 3. The Athletics defeat the Mariners‚ 7-2.
June 23Led by Harold Baines‚ who has a double and a homer‚ Oakland scores 10 runs in the 3rd inning enroute to a 12-2 win over Seattle. Canseco also homers to make it an easy win for Slusarski.
June 24Yankees P Steve Howe is permanently banned from baseball by Commissioner Fay Vincent after having pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempting to purchase a gram of cocaine. It is Howe’s 7th ban from the game‚ as he becomes the 1st player ever permanently banned from baseball because of drugs.

The Mets‚ behind Doc Gooden‚ defeat the Cubs‚ 3-2 at New York. Jackson takes the loss. Gooden has now beaten the Cubs 12 straight times (according to historian Ed Hartig). Before his loss in August‚ 1987‚ he had another streak of 10 straight wins over the Cubs.
June 25Chicago’s Greg Maddux and New York’s Vince Coleman almost get into a fight‚ but Maddux takes it out on the Mets by striking out 10 in a 3-1 Chicago win.
June 26The Padres top the Giants‚ 6-2‚ scoring 4 runs in the 4th. The Pads might’ve scored more but Tony Fernandez is thrown out twice in the inning‚ matching the ML record. Fernandez will attempt to steal 40 times this season‚ and be successful on just half; this is the worst percentage for anyone with 20 steals since Jack Fournier in 1923.
June 27The Mets edge the Cards with all the runs coming on homers: Gallagher and Jones match dingers‚ and Howard Johnson’s homer in the bottom of the 9th makes John Franco (6-0) a winner. It is Johnson’s last homer of the year.

The Dodgers trade OF Kal Daniels to the Cubs in exchange for a player to be named.
June 28Minnesota rumbles by Oakland for the 3rd straight game‚ 10-2‚ to leave the two teams tied in the AL West at 43-31. Erickson wins over Campbell. Kirby Puckett and Greg Gagne homer for the Twins.
June 29Pittsfield Mets P James Popoff fans 19 Batavia Clippers in a 5-3 victory in the NY-Penn League. It is Popoff’s 1st professional victory.

July

July 1White Sox SS Craig Grebeck gets 5 hits in Chicago’s 8-5 win over the Indians. Bobby Thigpen saves it for Kirk McCaskill‚ the winner over Jack Armstrong (2-10).
July 3Dodgers P Pedro Astacio makes an impressive major league debut with a 3-hit‚ 2-0 shutout over the Phillies in the 2nd game of a DH. Astacio fans 10 Phils while walking 4. The Dodgers also take the opener‚ 5-1‚ with Bob Ojeda topping Curt Schilling.

Cleveland sends washout speedster Alex Cole (.206 with 9 stolen bases) to the Pirates for Tony Mitchell and John Carter. For Cole‚ it is his 4th team in 3 years. He’ll vacate Pittsburgh for the Rockies after the season.
July 4In Atlanta’s 4-2 win over the Cubs‚ Brave SS Jeff Blauser hits a 2-run HR in the 1st inning to start the scoring. It is the 1‚776th big league homer hit on the holiday. Brian Hunter adds a solo shot to back Charlie Leibrandt (7-3).

Montreal OF Larry Walker throws out Padre SS Tony Fernandez at 1B on a 1-hopper to right in the 1st inning of the Expos 3-2 win over SD. Fred McGriff has a solo HR off starter Chris Nabholtz‚ with John Wetteland picking up his 1st win of the year.
July 5Umpire Bill Hohn ejects an Atlanta Braves fan from the Braves-Cubs game for making obscene gestures. The gestures might have been meant for the Braves‚ who are shut out 8-0. Greg Maddux goes 7 innings for the win over John Smoltz‚ giving up 3 runs. The other 5 come off Juan Berenguer‚ who lasts 1/3 of an inning. Chicago gets homers from Kal Daniels‚ Dawson‚ Sandberg‚ and Grace.
July 6The Cardinals-Padres game at Jack Murphy Stadium is held up for 4 minutes when a wild skunk wanders out onto the field. The Cardinals eventually win the game by a score of 4-0 on Mark Clark’s 4-hitter.

Commissioner Fay Vincent orders realignment of the NL for the 1993 season‚ forcing the Cubs and Cardinals into the Western Division.
July 7Pittsburgh’s Andy Van Slyke becomes the first OF in nearly 18 years to record an unassisted double play‚ in the Pirates 5-3 win over the Astros. Van Slyke raced in from center field to catch a fly ball‚ then continues in to double up Ken Caminiti‚ who was running from 2nd base on the play.
July 9Baltimore’s Brady Anderson and Mike Devereaux lead off the game against the Twins Scott Erickson with back-to-back homers. The Orioles go on to a 4-2 victory.

The Red Sox trade P Tom Bolton to the Reds in exchange for OF Billy Hatcher.

Bobby Valentine is fired as manager of the Texas Rangers. At the time‚ he had managed the team for 1‚186 games‚ the most in major league history with one club without winning a division or league title. Toby Harrah replaces Valentine on an interim basis.
July 10The Pirates trade 3B Steve Buechele to the Cubs in exchange for P Danny Jackson. The swap opens up the Bucs 3B spot for Jeff King.
July 11Atlanta 2B Jeff Blauser hits 3 HRs in a 7-4 win over the Cubs. Blauser had hit only 39 round-trippers in the previous 6 seasons. He becomes only the 4th SS ever to hit 3 homers in a game‚ joining Ernie Banks‚ Barry Larkin‚ and Fred Patek.
July 14The AL pounds out a record 19 hits in defeating the NL by a score of 13-6 in the All-Star Game. It’s the AL’s 5th straight win. Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr.‚ who stroked a single‚ double‚ and HR is named the game’s MVP‚ 12 years after his dad wins the same honor.
July 16At a press conference in Pittsburgh‚ Greg Maddux announces that he has broken off negotiations with the Cubs management and would become a free agent after the season. Maddux is playing on a one-year contract. “I’ve given them two opportunities to sign me. I really think it should have been taken care of.” Tomorrow‚ Maddux will beat the first-place Pirates.
July 17Baltimore P Mike Mussina tosses a one-hitter against the Texas Rangers‚ striking out 10 as the Orioles win by a score of 8-0. Reimer has the lone hit‚ a double. Kevin Brown (14-5) takes the loss.

David Cone throws 166 pitches (tied for 3rd highest in the 1990s) as the Mets edge the Giants‚ 1-0. Bill Swift is the loser. Cone walks 4 and strikes out 13 in shutting out San Francisco for the 2nd time this year. He beat them on May 24th‚ striking out 10.

Behind Greg Maddux‚ the Cubs beat first-place Pittsburgh‚ 2-1. Buc CF Andy Van Slyke has 2 hits and makes an unassisted DP.
July 21Royals rookie P Hipolito Pichardo hurls a one-hitter against the Red Sox‚ defeating Boston by a score of 8-0. Luis Rivera’s double in the 6th inning is the only safety.

Randy Johnson (5-11) strikes out 13 batters in 6 innings‚ but gives up 6 runs-3 earned-in losing to Detroit‚ 6-2. Frank Tanana is the winner. It is Johnson’s 8th loss in a row‚ the longest losing streak for an AL starter this year.

Former NL Cy Young Award winner Mark Davis is traded by the Royals to the Braves in exchange for P Juan Berenguer.
July 23White Sox C Carlton Fisk hits a triple in Chicago’s 6-2 win over the Brewers. He becomes the oldest player to hit a triple‚ at age 44‚ since Pete Rose hit 2 in 1986 at age 45.
July 24Minnesota P Scott Erickson hurls a 1-hit‚ 5-0 victory over the Red Sox in the 1st game of a DH. Tom Brunansky‘s single is the only hit. Clemens takes the loss. Boston wins the nitecap‚ 5-4‚ scoring a run with one out in the 9th.

Commissioner Fay Vincent announces that George Steinbrenner can resume active control of the Yankees on March 1‚ 1993.
July 25Angels’ rookie P Scott Fortugno defeats the Tigers‚ 3-0‚ becoming‚ at age 30‚ the oldest pitcher to win his 1st major league game since Tony Fossas of the Brewers did so at age 31 in 1989.

The Braves defeat the Pirates‚ 1-0‚ despite getting only one hit. The one safety is a 2nd-inning homer by OF David Justice off Jackson. Charlie Leibrandt goes 8 innings for the win.
July 26Nolan Ryan strikes out his 100th batter‚ reaching that mark for a record 23rd year in a row. . He subdues the Orioles 6-2 and passes Phil Niekro as number 12 on the all-time win list with 319. Juan Gonzalez helps with a 450 foot homer to CF-the longest yet at Camden Yards.

California’s Von Hayes collects 3 ribbies on bases-loaded single. Rene Gonzales from 1B on the 2-out single as the Angels beat the Tigers‚ 4-3. Hayes’ is the 3rd 3-run single this year (Cianfrocco on April 24 and Belle on May 1).
July 27Sammy Sosa‚ disabled since June 13 after being hit on the right hand by Dennis Martinez and breaking a bone‚ bats leadoff and has 3 hits. He homers on the first pitch from Doug Drabek. In his first start at Wrigley since his announcement that he’s leaving‚ Greg Maddux beats the Pirates‚ 3-2. In the 8th inning the Wrigley faithful give the ace pitcher a standing ovation.

Houston starts its club record 26 game road trip with a grand slam by Eric Anthony. The Astros marathon journey is necessitated by the Republican Convention taking over the Astrodome.
July 28In the Mets 8-6 win over the Phils‚ Howard Johnson suffers a hairline fracture of his wrist. He’ll go on the DL August 3 and miss the rest of the season.
July 30The Blue Jays trade C Greg Myers and OF Rob Ducey to the Angels in exchange for P Mark Eichhorn.

August

August 2Rollie Fingers‚ Bill McGowan‚ Hal Newhouser and Tom Seaver are inducted in baseball’s Hall of Fame.
August 3Tigers president Bo Schembechler and team chairman Jim Campbell are both fired.
August 4An unidentified buyer purchases a toothpick once used by Mets Hall of Fame P Tom Seaver at a memorabilia auction in New York for $400. At the same auction‚ actor Charlie Sheen pays $85‚000 for the ball hit by Mookie Wilson which went through Bill Buckner’s legs to end Game Six of the 1986 WS.
August 5Oakland OF Jose Canseco ties an AL record (Billy Rogell‚ Detroit‚ in 1938) as he walks in 7 consecutive at bats after receiving free passes his 1st 2 times up against the Rangers in Oakland’s 4-3 victory. He walked 5 times in yesterday’s game.
August 6Padres Gary Sheffield and Fred McGriff become the 1st Padre teammates to swat back-to-back HRs twice in the same game. The Padres win the game over the Astros‚ 7-5.

Texas P Nolan Ryan is ejected from a game for the 1st time in his 26-year career‚ getting tossed after engaging in a shouting match with Oakland’s Willie Wilson with 2 outs in the 9th inning. The Athletics win‚ 2-0.
August 7The Giants announce that the team has been sold to a group of Tampa Bay investors for a reported $110 million an the team will move to St. Petersburg for 1993. The move will be blocked by other investors.

Boston slugger Jack Clark files for bankruptcy‚ listing debts of $11‚459‚305.97 and assets of $4‚781‚780. Clark is in the middle of a 3-year contract worth $8.7 million. Among other things‚ Clark owns 18 automobiles.

As of today‚ the No. 1 hitters in the AL and NL‚ Edgar Martinez and John Kruk‚ are both hitting .341. The No. 2 hitters in each league‚ Kirby Puckett and Andy Van Slyke‚ are both hitting .331. The No. 3 hitters in each league‚ Shane Mack and Gary Sheffield‚ are both hitting .329.

The Mets obtain OF Kevin Bass from the Giants for a player to be named.
August 8Cleveland P Charles Nagy hurls a one-hitter against the Orioles‚ defeating Baltimore by a score of 6-0. Glenn Davis gets the only Baltimore safety.
August 9Yankees rookie P Sam Militello allows just 1 hit in 7 innings as he defeats the Red Sox‚ 6-0‚ in his major league debut.
August 10The Mets Vince Coleman will end the season with just 27 walks‚ but he picks up 5 today against the Pirates to tie the 20th century mark. Pittsburgh breaks a 1-1 tie against the host Mets‚ scoring 3 runs in the 16th inning to win‚ 4-2. Reliever Dennis Cooke wins as the Bucs Andy Van and the Mets Bill Pecota homer. Franco pitches his 2nd of 4 straight games‚ a season-high effort that puts him back on the disabled list.
August 14Atlanta OF Lonnie Smith gets 5 hits‚ and drives home 6 runs‚ in the Braves’ 15-0 whitewashing of the Pirates. Brian Hunter and Otis Nixon each have 4 hits. Tommy Glavine coasts to his 18th win and his league leading 5th shutout. Starter Zane Smith allows 4 runs in a third of an inning to lose.
August 15Expos P Mark Gardner becomes the 1st NL pitcher since 1954 to hit 3 batters in a single inning‚ as he hits the Cardinals’ Ray Lankford‚ Andres Galarraga and Luis Alicea. The Cardinals win‚ 6-4.

Texas P Bobby Witt walks 10 Tigers in 4 2/3 innings‚ as Detroit strolls past the Rangers‚ 10-3. No one has walked this many in this few innings: Randy Johnson walked 10 on May 1 of this year and Witt passed 10 on September 1‚ 1990.
August 16Greg Maddux allows 4 hits as the Cubs beat Houston‚ 1-0. Maddux goes the route‚ winning his 15th‚ beating Brian Williams.
August 17Dodgers P Kevin Gross tosses a no-hitter in defeating the Giants by a score of 2-0. It is the 8th no-hitter in LA Dodgers history. Gross throws 99 pitches‚ 71 for strikes. The only threat was an 8th inning liner by Robby Thompson that SS Jose Offerman snares. Eric Karros hits his 17 HR to provide the margin.
August 18In a 7-6 loss to the Astros‚ the Cardinals make 2 errors‚ by Lankford and Woodson (1st inning)‚ the first St. Louis errors in 17 games. The 16 straight errorless games (7/30 – 8/16) sets a ML record.
August 19Mariners 2B Bret Boone makes his major league debut against the Orioles. By doing so‚ he becomes the first 3rd-generation player in the major leagues‚ following in the footsteps of his grandfather Ray‚ and his father Bob. Boone goes 1-for-4 and drives in a run in Seattle’s 10-8 victory.

Tommy Glavine (19-3) wins his 13th in a row‚ stopping the Expos‚ 4-2. Mike Stanton gets the last 2 outs. Jeff Blauser‘s 2-run homer of starter Chris Nabholtz is the big blow.
August 20At Milwaukee‚ Blue Jays P David Wells allows 13 runs‚ all earned‚ in 4 1/3 innings in Toronto’s 16-3 loss to the Brewers. Boomer allows 11 hits‚ walks 4 and hits 2.

Chicago’s Charlie Hough allows 5 runs in losing to Ron Darling and the A’s‚ 5-3. For Hough it is his 20th appearance‚ the 20th year he’s been in that many games. The only other pitchers to make 20 appearances in 20 years were Eppa Rixey and Cy Young. The knuckleballer will make 20+ appearances in each of the next two seasons to set a ML record.
August 22Led by rookie John Valentin’s 1st ML homer-a grand slam off Mike Schooler-the Red Sox gaff the visiting Marlins‚ 10-8. The Sox score 7 runs in their last 3 innings to win.
August 23In his last outing as a Met‚ David Cone (13-7) gives up 4 runs in 7 innings in losing to the Padres‚ 4-3. Cone gives up just 3 hits. Mets Bobby Bonilla homers in his 4th consecutive game‚ tying the club mark.

Despite an unassisted DP by CF Brian McRae‚ the Royals lose to the White Sox‚ 3-1. Jack McDowell pitches the complete game for his 17th win as Brett and Ventura match homers.

With the help of Jose Canseco‘s 4 ribbies‚ Mike Moore wins his 13th‚ 7-3‚ over Baltimore. Dennis Eckersley gets the last out for his 40th save: he is the first closer to notch 40 saves in 4 different seasons.

In a Class A Florida State League game‚ Andy Carter of the Clearwater Phillies defeats Scott Bakkum of the Winter Haven Red Sox‚ 1-0. Neither team gets a hit in what is believed to be the first double no-hitter in the minors in 40 years.
August 25Recalled earlier in the day from Tucson (AAA)‚ Houston’s Andujar Cedeno hits for the cycle against the Cards‚ the first Astro to cycle since Bob Watson in 1977. The Cards win‚ though‚ 5-3.

Chicago P Mike Harkey makes it into the boxscore of the Cubs’ game against the Padres‚ but doesn’t throw a pitch. While warming up‚ he strains a groin muscle and has to be replaced by Jeff Robinson. The Padres defeat the Cubs‚ 7-4.

The Expos score 5 runs-3 earned-off Tommy Glavine in 4 2/3 inning and win 6-0‚ stopping Glavine’s win streak at 13 games. Chris Nabholtz‚ who lost his last outing to Glavine‚ goes 7 1/3 inning for the win. Glavine will start another wining streak of 13 games-all against the Expos-and will not lose again to Montreal until June 27‚ 2000.
August 26Pittsburgh rookie P Tim Wakefield defeats Tom Candiotti of the Dodgers‚ 2-0‚ in the first matchup of knuckleballers in the NL since 1982. Candiotti gives up 9 hits in 6 innings‚ while Wakefield (4-1) allows 6 hits in 9 frames.

Brian Harper hits a game-ending homerun in the 9th to give the Twins a 1-0 win voer the Tigers. John Kiely is the losing pitcher.
August 27The Mets trade P David Cone to the front runner Blue Jays in exchange for IF Jeff Kent and OF Ryan Thompson. Cone will miss leading the NL in strikeouts by one as John Smoltz registers a K on the final day of the season. Cone‚ who led the NL in strikeouts the past two seasons‚ would have been the first NL pitcher in 50 years to lead in strikeouts for three consecutive years.
August 28The 3rd place Brewers set an AL record with 31 hits in their 22-2 rout of the Blue Jays at the Skydome. It is the most hits in a game by a major league team in 91 years‚ and this time there were no fans on the field to add to help the hit total. The 26 singles sets a new AL mark. Kevin Seitzer and Scott Fletcher each get 5 hits‚ combine for 8 RBIs and 7 runs. The Brewers also tie the AL mark of 4 players with 4 or more hits. Last accomplished by Boston on June 8‚ 1950 against the Browns. Milwaukee fails to score in just one inning as they record their first win on the road in 11 games.

The Padres outslug the Pirates‚ 11-6‚ with Fred McGriff collecting 3 hits and providing the longest HR in the majors this season at 473 feet. It is Fred’s 30th. Gary Sheffield adds his 28th.
August 29After striking out his 1‚000th career batter in Atlanta’s 7-6 win over Philadelphia‚ Braves P Charlie Leibrandt rolls the ball into the Atlanta dugout to keep as a souvenir. Unfortunately‚ he forgets to call time‚ and the runner Ricky Jordan on base is allowed to advance on the error.
August 30Cubs rookie P Jim Bullinger tosses a one-hitter against the Giants in his 3rd big league start‚ defeating SF‚ 3-1. The only hit he allows is Kirk Manwaring’s HR in the 8th inning.

Boston 1B Scott Cooper records 5 hits in the Red Sox 4-2‚ 10-inning win over the Angels.

Trailing 3-1 to the Reds in the 9th‚ Bobby Bonilla hits a dramatic 3-run homer off Ron Dibble to give the Mets a 4-3 win.

The Red Sox send P Jeff Reardon to the Braves in exchange for minor leaguers Nate Minchey and Sean Ross.
August 31The A’s trade OF Jose Canseco to the Rangers in exchange for OF Ruben Sierra and P Jeff Russell and Bobby Witt.

The Padres trade P Craig Lefferts to the Orioles in exchange for minor league P Erik Schullstrom and a player to be named.

Minnesota sends pitcher Bill Krueger to Montreal for Darren Reid. It is the 3rd season that Krueger has split between the AL and the NL: only Sal Maglie has done it more often.

September

September 2Phillies P Terry Mulholland sets a major league record with his 14th pickoff of the season‚ as he catches Pete Incaviglia of the Astros off base in the 6th inning. But Houston wins the game‚ 3-2.
September 3Toronto gets 10 consecutive hits‚ to tie an AL record‚ in the 2nd inning of its 16-5 win over Minnesota.

Baseball owners vote 18-9‚ with one abstention‚ calling for the resignation of Commissioner Fay Vincent.
September 4Yankees OF Roberto Kelly ties a major league record by reaching base on catcher’s interference for the 7th time this year. Pittsburgh’s Dale Berra set the mark in 1983. Texas C Ivan Rodriguez is the latest victim of Kelly in New York’s 6-3 victory.

Toronto stays a half game ahead of Baltimore in the AL East by bombing the Twins‚ 16-5. Toronto scores 8 runs in the 2nd to make David Cone‘s first win for Toronto an easy one. Cone strikes out 6 in his 6 innings. John Olerud and Devon White each have 4 hits for the Jays‚ as does Chile Davis for the Twins. Joe Carter hits his 30th homer and Candy Moldonado his 19th.
September 5The first-place Braves score 4 in the 9th to edge the Phillies 6-5. Sid Bream hits a 2 run homer in the 9th and after Mitch Williams comes on Brian Hunter hits a 2-run pinch-hit walk-off homer to hand the Wild Thing the loss.
September 6Seattle P Mike Schooler gives up a 12-inning‚ 2-out grand slam to Cleveland’s Carlos Martinez to give the Indians a 12-9 win. It is the 4th grand slam hit off Schooler this year to tie the major league record. Indians OF Albert Belle hits 3 HRs in the contest.
September 7Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent resigns three days after failing to receive a vote of confidence from the owners at a meeting in Rosemont‚ Illinois.

In a battle of future Hall of Famers, Boston Red Sox ace Roger “Rocket” Clemens beats Texas Rangers flamethrower Nolan Ryan, 3-0. The Rocket strikes out 9, including 7 Texas batters in a row.

In a battle of future Hall of Famers, Boston Red Sox ace Roger “Rocket” Clemens beats Texas Rangers flamethrower Nolan Ryan, 3-0. The Rocket strikes out 9, including 7 Texas batters in a row.
September 8Yankees OF Danny Tartabull goes 5-for-5 with 2 homers and a double‚ and drives in 9 runs as New York defeats Baltimore‚ 16-4. Scott Sanderson is the winner.

The Blue Jays top the visiting Royals‚ 5-0‚ behind Jimmy Key‘s complete game shutout. Following the game‚ Toronto rookie C Mike Maksudian wins $800 from his teammates‚ who bet that he wouldn’t eat a live locust. Maksudian‚ who claims to have eaten moths‚ grasshoppers‚ frogs‚ lizards‚ roaches and aquarium fish‚ swallowed the 1 1/2 inch long insect‚ but declined an offer of $2‚000 to swallow a rat.
September 9Milwaukee OF Robin Yount gets the 3‚000th hit of his career in his team’s 5-4 loss to the Indians. He also becomes only the 2nd player in history to record 200 HRs‚ 200 SBs and 100 triples‚ duplicating Willie Mays‘ feat.

Philadelphia P Chuck Schilling tosses a 1-hit‚ 2-1 victory over the Mets. The lone hit is a HR by Bobby Bonilla in the 5th inning.

At Royals Stadium‚ David Cone (2-1) shuts out the Royals to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 win. Kevin Appier (15-8) allows one run in two innings‚ and takes the loss.

The Braves score 7 runs in the first inning and Tom Glavine coasts to a 12-7 victory over the Reds. Leadoff batter Otis Nixon walks twice in the 1st‚ and Lonnie Smith hits a 3-run HR in the frame. Bream and Pendleton add later homers. Nixon is the 3rd Brave to walk twice in an inning.

Milwaukee owner Bud Selig is chosen as chairman of the major league’s executive council‚ effectively becoming the interim baseball commissioner. Tomorrow he is appointed acting commissioner.
September 10The Reds’ Glenn Braggs closes out his career by clouting a homer in his last at bat‚ off Steve Avery. Braggs tears cartilage in his right knee on the swing‚ and is forced to leave the game. Atlanta eventually wins‚ 3-2.
September 11The O’s Mike Mussina (15-5) bests the Brewers Bill Wegman‚ 3-2 as both pitchers go the distance. Cal Ripken twists his ankle running out a 2B‚ but stays in the game. The O’s will recall SS Manny Alexander‚ but Ripken keeps the streak going.
September 12Tim Leary gives up 4 runs in 3+ innings to take the loss‚ 5-4‚ as the Oakland A’s edge Seattle. For Leary‚ it is his 10th straight loss to Oakland stretching back to 1986. Moore is the winner as Eckersley strikes out 3 of the 4 batters he faces for his 45th save.
September 13Cleveland’s Kenny Lofton steals his 53rd and 54th bases breaking the AL rookie record of 53 set by Donie Bush in 1909. Lofton will swipe a league-high 66 bases‚ 12 ahead of another rookie Pat Listach‚ and lead AL center fielders with 14 assists. He scores both runs today‚ including the winner in the 9th‚ to beat the White Sox‚ 2-1. Eric Plunk is the winner with Steve Olin picking up his 25th save.
September 15Houston 1B Jeff Bagwell gets 5 hits in the Astros’ 9-6 victory over the Giants. His 3-run homer in the 11th inning is the deciding blow.

At St. Louis‚ the Pirates edge the Cards‚ 4-2 behind homers by Jeff King‚ Barry Bonds‚ and Andy Van Slyke. Mark Clark (3-10) is the loser. Bucs RF Alex Cole helps with a 9-3 putout in the 2nd inning to nip Clark.
September 16White Sox 1B Frank Thomas gets 5 hits‚ all singles‚ in Chicago’s 9-6 win over the Yankees. Rookie Sterling Hitchcock loses his 1st ML decision.

The Cubs blow out the Phils 14-9 to give Greg Maddux his 18th win. Maddux gives up 3 earned runs in 6 innings. Led by Andre Dawson‘s 4 hits‚ the first 4 hitters collect 11 hits and 11 ribbies for the Cubs. Dave Hollins homers for the Phils‚ while Dawson‚ Sandberg and Rick Wilkins go deep for Chicago. Mark Grace makes his an error‚ ending his streak of 102 errorless games at 1B; his streak began after 2 errors on May 18 vs. the Dodgers.
September 17The Philippine team is stripped of its Little League World Series title‚ as Little League authorities say the Asians used ineligible players. The team from Long Beach‚ California‚ is awarded the title.
September 18Pittsburgh’s Barry Bonds hits his 30th HR of the season off Philadelphia’s Terry Mulholland in the Pirates’ 5-2 win over the Phillies. Bonds thus becomes the 5th player in history to have a pair of 30-HR‚ 30-stolen bases seasons. The others include his father‚ Willie Mays‚ Howard Johnson‚ and Ron Gant.
September 20Phillies 2B Mickey Morandini becomes the 9th player in history to turn an unassisted triple play in Philadelphia’s 13 inning 3-2 loss to the Pirates. With runners on 1st and 2nd in the 6th inning‚ Morandini catches Jeff King’s line drive‚ steps on 2nd to double up Andy Van Slyke‚ and tags out Barry Bonds‚ who is running from 1st.

The Cubs Shawn Boskie gives up 6 hits and 6 runs in the 1st and departs with no outs. He also loses as the Cards coast to a 16-4 win. St. Louis 3B Stan Royer has 4 hits‚ 4 runs‚ and 4 RBIs.
September 21Oakland P Dennis Eckersley becomes the 2nd pitcher in history to record 50 saves in a season as he preserves the Athletics’ 6-5 win over Chicago. The White Sox’ Bobby Thigpen had 57 saves in 1990.
September 23Cincinnati OF Bip Roberts ties an NL record with his 10th consecutive hit‚ in a 3-0 win over the Dodgers. He becomes the 8th player to achieve the feat. He finishes the day 1-for-4. Pugh‚ with an inning from Dibble‚ is the winner.

The Padres celebrate “Unemployment Night” by firing manager Greg Riddoch. He is replaced by Jim Riggleman. It doesn’t help as the Astros beat San Diego‚ 7-6. Anthony and Bagwell each hit their 17th HR for Houston‚ while Guillermo Velasquez pinch hits a 2-run homer for the Pads.

For the 2nd time in 8 days‚ the Pirates witness a 9-3 putout; this time it is Montreal RF Larry Walker gunning out Tim Wakefield at 1B in the 6th. It is the 2nd time this season that Walker has thrown out a runner at 1B. Moises Alou‚ who enters the game as a pinch runner‚ hits a grand slam in the bottom of the 14th to win it for Montreal‚ 5-1.

Bernice Gera‚ professional baseball’s 1st female umpire‚ dies at age 61.
September 24Toronto’s Dave Winfield becomes the first 40-year-old in major league history to drive in 100 runs in a season when he strokes a 2-run double off Baltimore’s Ben McDonald. The Blue Jays defeat the Orioles‚ 8-2.

Baseball’s executive council rescinds the NL realignment announced by Fay Vincent earlier this year. Vincent has since resigned from his post.
September 25The Mariners and Rangers use a major league-record 54 players‚ 29 by the Mariners‚ in Seattle’s 4-3 win in 16 innings. The previous mark was 53 set in 1986. Seattle also goes into the record books by using 11 different pitchers; the previous mark was 10. The first sub was pitcher Rich DeLucia‚ who did not enter until the 7th inning. and issues the first walk. The frustrated Rangers strand 20 runners‚ helped by a club record of 18 strikeouts. After Omar Visquel drives home the winning run‚ Brian Fisher picks up the save‚ his first since 1989 and the last of his career.
September 26The Mets lose to the Pirates‚ 19-2 as the Bucs collect 20 hits‚ including homers by Bonds and Van Slyke. Van Slyke adds a triple and McLendon has a homer and 4 RBIs. IF Bill Pecota pinch hits and pitches the last inning for NY‚ becoming the first position player ever to hurl an inning for the Mets. He gives up one hit and one run.

Greg Vaughn’s HR in the 6th is the difference in the Brewers 2-1 win over the A’s. Milwaukee’s Pat Listach draws a walk after taking 17 pitches from A’s starter Ron Darling. He’s cut down stealing. Reliever Jesse Orosco is the winner over his former Met teammate.

Richard Seitz‚ creator of the APBA baseball game‚ dies at the age of 77.
September 27Mariners P Randy Johnson ties an AL record for lefthanders by striking out 18 Texas Rangers in a 3-2 Mariners’ loss. Ron Guidry of the Yankees set the mark against California on June 17‚ 1978.

At Yankee Stadium‚ Jack Morris wins his 20th of the year‚ going 6 innings in a 12-2 blowout over the 4th place Yanks. Toronto scores 9 runs off Scott Sanderson‚ who leaves in the 2nd inning. Joe Carter paces the 19-hit attack with 4 hits. The Jays maintain a 2 1/2 game lead in the East over Milwaukee.
September 29Royals P Dennis Rasmussen (4-0) hurls a one-hit‚ 2-0 shutout over the Angels. Damion Easley’s leadoff single in the 4th inning is the only California hit. Bert Blyleven takes the loss‚ serving up a 2-run gopher to MacFarlane.
September 30George Brett of the Royals gets the 3‚000th hit of his career‚ stroking 4 safeties in Kansas City’s 4-0 win over California. Moments later‚ Brett is picked off base by Tim Fortugno. Reed is the winner‚ firing the 2nd successive shutout for the Royals.

Greg Maddux blanks the Pirates‚ 6-0‚ to become the Cubs first 20-game winner in 15 years. He will tie Tom Glavine for the NL lead in wins.

October

October 2The Braves beat the Padres‚ 7-2‚ behind Pete Smith’s 6+ innings. Smith ends his one winning ML season (out of 9) at a perfect 7-0‚ after a 7-4 stint at Richmond.
October 3In a battle of also-rans at Fenway Park‚ the Red Sox trip the Yankees‚ 7-5‚ with the win going to Gardner‚ who throws 6 2/3 innings of relief. Cooper and Plantier hits HRs for the Sox‚ who end the season’s power outage with 84 home runs. Except for the strike year of ’94‚ this is the only season since 1945 the Sox have not reached 100 dingers. Slugger Jack Clark drops from 28 to 5 road homers this year.

At Milwaukee‚ the A’s knock the 2nd place Brewers out of the race‚ beating them‚ 10-3. The A’s‚ first in the AL West‚ knock 4 homers including Mark McGwire‘s 42nd. Ricky Bones lasts just 1 1/3 innings and takes the loss. Mike Moore wins his 17th.
October 4Juan Gonzales has 3 hits‚ including his AL-high 43rd homer‚ one better than McGwire‚ to pace the Rangers to 9-5 win over California. Dean Palmer also homers‚ both coming off Bert Blyleven‚ to help Kevin Brown win his 21st.

Greg Litton‚ hitting in the 13th for Dave Righetti‚ hits a pinch grand slam to give the Giants a 6-2 win over the visiting Reds. It is the latest pinch slam in ML history.

The Pirates top the Mets‚ 2-0‚ behind rookie Tim Wakefield (8-1).
October 6The Braves win the opening game of the NLCS with a 5-1 victory over the Pirates. John Smoltz gets the win and Jeff Blauser homers for Atlanta. Ron Gant of the Braves sets a major league record by successfully stealing his 9th consecutive post season base.

The Reds accept the resignation of manager Lou Piniella. He will be replaced by Tony Perez on October 30th.
October 7The A’s win the opening game of the ALCS with a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays. All but 1 of the game’s runs are scored by homers‚ as Mark McGwire‚ Terry Steinbach and Harold Baines connect for Oakland‚ and Dave Winfield and Pat Borders for Toronto.

The Braves take a 2-0 lead in the NLCS with a 13-5 pounding of the Pirates. Ron Gant hit a grand slam for Atlanta‚ the 1st of his big league career.
October 8The Blue Jays even the ALCS at 1 game apiece with a 3-1 win over the A’s. Kelly Gruber‘s 2-run HR in the 5th inning is the decisive blow‚ as David Cone records the victory.
October 9Rookie Tim Wakefield hurls Pittsburgh to a 3-2 victory over the Braves‚ giving the Pirates their 1st win in the NLCS. He is the 1st rookie to start an NL playoff game since Philadelphia’s Charles Hudson in 1983. Ron Gant homers for the Braves‚ but Andy Van Slyke’s sac fly in the 7th provides the margin of victory.
October 10The Blue Jays defeat the A’s‚ 7-5‚ behind the pitching of Juan Guzman and HRs by Kelly Gruber and Candy Maldonado. Toronto takes the lead in the ALCS by a 2-1 margin.

The Braves take a 3-1 lead in the NLCS‚ defeating the Pirates‚ 6-4‚ behind the hitting‚ baserunning and pitching of John Smoltz. Smoltz‚ who had 2 singles and a stolen base‚ becomes the 1st NL pitcher to win his 1st 4 playoff starts.

Mike Ilitch of Little Caesar’s Pizza buys the Detroit Tigers from Tom Monaghan of Domino’s Pizza.
October 11The Blue Jays win their 3rd game in a row‚ defeating the A’s‚ 7-6‚ in 11 innings after trailing 6-1 through 8. Roberto Alomar‘s 2-run HR ties the game in the 9th‚ and John Olerud has 4 hits for Toronto.

Pittsburgh P Bob Walk stops the Braves on 3 hits to give the Pirates a 7-1 win in Game 5 of the NLCS. Braves P Steve Avery fails to make it past the 1st inning‚ marking the quickest exit by a hurler in the NL playoffs since Pittsburgh’s Bob Moose in 1972.
October 12Dave Stewart stops Toronto on 8 hits‚ and reserve IF Jerry Browne strokes 4 himself‚ as the A’s avoid elimination with a 6-2 win in Game 5 of the ALCS. Ruben Sierra and Dave Winfield homer in the contest.
October 13The Pirates even the NLCS at 3 games apiece with a 13-4 rout of the Braves. Tim Wakefield wins his 2nd game of the series. Bobby Bonds and Lloyd McClendon each have 2 hits in Pittsburgh’s 8-run 2nd inning to tie a playoff record.

The Mariners fire manager Bill Plummer.
October 14The Blue Jays win the ALCS with a 9-2 victory over Oakland‚ becoming the 1st Canadian team to advance to the WS. Joe Carter and Candy Maldonado bash HRs for Toronto while Juan Guzman gets the win.

The Braves come from behind to defeat the Pirates‚ 3-2‚ to win the NLCS. Down 2-0 to Doug Drabek entering the 9th‚ The decisive blow comes with 2 outs‚ as seldom-used 3rd-string C Francisco Cabrera drives in the tying and winning runs with a pinch-hit single. John Smoltz‚ who works 6 strong innings without a decision‚ is named the series MVP.
October 16Groundbreaking ceremonies are held in Denver for Coors Field‚ the future home of the Colorado Rockies.
October 17C Damon Berryhill hits a 3-run HR in the 6th inning to give the Braves a 3-1 victory in Game 1 of the WS. The pitching matchup of Tom Glavine and Jack Morris is the 1st time that a pair of 20-game winners starts the opening game of a WS since 1969. Glavine goes all the way for the win‚ while Joe Carter homers for the only Toronto run.
October 18The Blue Jays even the WS with a 5-4 win over the Braves. Pinch-hitter Ed Sprague’s 2-run HR in the top of the 9th proves to be the margin of victory‚ marking just the 2nd time in WS history that a 9th-inning HR turns a losing margin into a winning one. The other was Kirk Gibson‘s homer in the 1988 Series.
October 20The Blue Jays take the WS lead with a 3-2 win over Atlanta on Candy Maldonado‘s bases-loaded single in the 9th inning. Duane Ward gets credit for the victory in relief of Juan Guzman‚ and Joe Carter and Kelly Gruber homer for Toronto. In the 4th inning‚ Blue Jays’ OF Devon White‘s sensational catch nearly results in a triple play. Atlanta OF Deion Sanders was ruled safe on the play‚ but replays show he should have been the 3rd out. Braves manager is ejected from the game in the 9th‚ becoming the 1st manager to be thrown out of a Series game since 1985. By starting in RF‚ Toronto’s Joe Carter becomes the 1st player to start the 1st 3 games of a WS at 3 different positions. He started Game 1 at 1B and Game 2 in LF.
October 21Toronto takes a 3-1 lead in the Series with a 2-1 victory in Game 4. Jimmy Key gets the victory and Pat Borders homers for the Blue Jays. It marks a record 10 straight post season games in which Toronto has hit a HR.
October 22The Braves cut the Blue Jays’ lead to 3-2 with a 7-2 win in Game 5. John Smoltz gets the win‚ with Lonnie Smith‘s 5th-inning grand slam being the big blow for Atlanta.

Former Dodger and Yankee broadcaster Red Barber dies at age 84 in Florida of pneumonia and other complications following emergency surgery to remove an intestinal blockage.
October 23Florida hires Rene Lachemann as the team’s 1st manager.
October 24The Blue Jays clinch their 1st WS championship with a 4-3 win over Atlanta in Game 6. Dave Winfield‘s 2-out‚ 2-run double in the top of the 11th gives Toronto a 4-2 lead. The Braves score 1 run in the bottom half of the inning and have the tying run on 3rd when the final out is made. Jimmy Key wins the game in relief‚ and Candy Maldonado homers for the Blue Jays. Toronto C Pat Borders‚ with a .450 BA‚ is named Series MVP.
October 26The Rangers hire Kevin Kennedy as manager.

The Mets trade P Wally Whitehurst‚ OF D.J. Dozier‚ and a player to be named to the Padres in exchange for SS Tony Fernandez.
October 27The Rockies hire Don Baylor as the team’s 1st manager.

November

November 3The Yankees trade OF Roberto Kelly and minor league 1B Joe DeBerry to the Reds in exchange for OF Paul O’Neill.
November 5Former Pirate‚ Yankee and Mariner P Rod Scurry dies of cardiopulmonary arrest at age 36.
November 9Lou Piniella is named manager of the Seattle Mariners.

Drayton McLane Jr. officially becomes owner of the Houston Astros‚ purchasing the team from John McMullen for $115 million.
November 10Baseball owners refuse to grant permission for the SF Giants to move to St. Petersburg‚ Florida.
November 12Arbitrator George Nicolau overturns the suspension of Yankees P Steve Howe for being too severe. The pitcher is resigned by the Yankees.
November 13Former Reds marketing director Charles Levy‚ in a deposition in support of fired Controller Tom Sabo’s suit against the Reds‚ says Marge Schott referred to former Reds Eric Davis and Dave Parker as “million-dollar niggers.” He also says she had a swastika arm band at home. Roger Blaemire‚ a former veep‚ testifies that he also heard her use racial slurs.
November 14Marge Schott issues a statement saying. “I am not a racist.” On the 20th she will issue a statement saying her use of the word “nigger” and owning the Nazi arm band were not meant to offend.
November 16The Rockies sign free agent 1B Andres Galarraga who rejoins Don Baylor‚ his hitting coach with the Cards. Galarraga is coming off his second injury-plagued year‚ having missed 44 days of the season after being hit on the wrist by a Wally Whitehurst pitch in the 3rd game of the season
November 17Baseball holds the expansion draft to stock the rosters of the NL’s two new teams‚ the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies. A total of 72 players are chosen. P David Nied is the 1st pick of the Rockies‚ while OF Nigel Wilson is selected 1st by the Marlins. The Fish take Jose Martinez with #2‚ while the Rocks pick vet Charlie Hayes. The best picks for Florida are #4 Trevor Hoffman‚ eventually packaged for Gary Sheffield; #11 Jeff Conine‚ who will hit 81 homers in 4 years; and #18 Cris Carpenter‚ later dealt to Texas for Robb Nen. As for Colorado‚ they will find gold with #6 Eric Young‚ #10 Joe Girardi‚ #16 Vinny Castilla‚ and #18 Armando Reynoso. Picks #13 and #14 are good ones-Andy Ashby‚ Brad Ausmus and Doug Bochtler-but they’ll all go to the Padres in 1993 in an ill-fated deal for pricey vet pitchers Bruce Hurst and Greg Harris.

The Reds trade P Norm Charlton to the Mariners in exchange for OF Kevin Mitchell.

The Cubs trade SS Alex Arias and 3B Gary Scott to the Marlins for P Greg Hibbard.

The Athletics trade SS Walt Weiss to the Marlins for C Eric Helfand and a player to be named.

The Rockies make their first trade a good one‚ sending OF Kevin Reimer to the Brewers for OF Dante Bichette. Bichette hit .287 for Milwaukee‚ but just .246 in the 2nd half of the year.

The Dodgers trade P Rudy Seanez to the Rockies in exchange for Jody Reed.
November 19The Pirates trade 2B Jose Lind to the Royals for Ps Dennis Moeller and Joel Johnston.

Eric Karros is named the NL’s Rookie of the Year. The Dodgers 1B hit .257 with 20 homers‚ and was the first Dodger rookie to reach 20 HRs since Frank Howard in 1960.
November 22The AL names Milwaukee SS Pat Listach the Rookie of the Year. Listach was recalled on April 7 to replace the injured Bill Spiers and hit .290. He was the first Brewer to steal 50 bases in a season.
November 27The Blue Jays sign free agent IF-OF Darnell Coles.
November 29Marge Schott is quoted in today’s NY Times as saying‚ that Adolph Hitler was initially good for Germany‚ that her references to “niggers” was in jest‚ and she couldn’t understand why the word “Jap” was offensive. The ML will appoint a 4-man committee to investigate Schott.
November 30The Reds sign free agent P John Smiley to a 4-year contract.

December

December 1The Astros sign free agent P Doug Drabek to a 4-year contract worth $19.5 million.

The Cubs sign free agent P Juan Guzman to a 4-year contract. Guzman is coming off his best ML season‚ going 16-11 with the Rangers.
December 3The Mariners sign free agent P Chris Bosio to a 4-year contract.
December 4The Yankees sign free agent SS Spike Owen to a 3-year contract.

The Astros new owner Drayton McLane‚ Jr. signs free agent P Greg Swindell to a 4-year contract worth $17 million.
December 5The Twins trade P David West to the Phillies in exchange for P Mike Hartley.

The Dodgers sign free agent OF Cory Snyder to a 2-year contract.
December 6The Yankees trade 1B J.T. Snow and Ps Russ Springer and Jerry Nielsen to the Angels in exchange for P Jim Abbott.
December 7Owners vote to reopen the collective bargaining agreement with the players.

The Blue Jays sign free agent DH-1B Paul Molitor.

The Reds sign free agent OF Roberto Kelly to a 3-year contract.
December 8It’s signing day as the Giants ink free agent OF Barry Bonds and make him baseball’s highest-paid player‚ with a 6-year contract worth $43.75 million.

The Royals sign free agent P David Cone and free agent SS Greg Gagne to 3-year contracts.

The Blue Jays sign free agent P Dave Stewart.

The White Sox sign free agent P Dave Stieb.

The Indians sign free agent P Bob Ojeda.

The Red Sox sign free agent P Scott Bankhead to a 2-year contract.

The Twins sign free agent P Jim Deshaies.

The Athletics sign free agent P Storm Davis to a 2-year contract.

The Angels trade IF Luis Sojo to the Blue Jays in exchange for 3B Kelly Gruber.

The Cubs sign free agent P Dan Plesac to a 2-year contract.

The Marlins sign free agents Dave Magadan‚ Charlie Hough‚ and Geronimo Berroa.

The Phillies sign free agent outfielder Pete Incaviglia and Milt Thompson to 2-year contracts.
December 9Marge Schott appears at the major league baseball winter meetings in Louisville and apologizes for insensitive remarks.

Florida Marlins president Carl Barger dies from a heart attack at age 62. Despite the pall cast over the gathering by the death‚ the players’ agents scoop up $228 million dollars worth of contracts in the five days of the winter meeting. Pirates GM Ted Simmons selects lefty Dave Otto from the Indians in the Rule 5 draft‚ neglecting to notice that Otto had a $500‚000 guaranteed contract. Because of the auction-like atmosphere‚ the owners will terminate the winter meetings for the next six years.

The Red Sox sign free agent OF Andre Dawson to a 2-year contract.

The Braves sign free agent Cy Young and Gold Glove winner Greg Maddux to a 5-year contract‚ and then trade pitchers Charlie Leibrandt and Pat Gomez to the Rangers in exchange for 3B Jose Oliva. Leibrandt (15-7) saw his star fall in Atlanta when he gave up 11th-inning extra base hits in the 1992 WS and the 1991 NLCS. Maddux‚ who turned down a $28.5 million contract extension in mid-season with the Cubs‚ signs for $28 million‚ $6 million less than the Yankees offered.

The Cubs sign free agent P Randy Myers to a 3-year contract. Myers had lost his closer role with San Diego for a month after giving up a game tying HR to Andre Dawson on June 2.

The Dodgers sign free agent P Todd Worrell to a 3-year contract.

The Giants sign free agent OF Dave Martinez to a 2-year contract.
December 10The Yankees sign free agent P Jimmy Key to a 4-year contract.
December 11The Orioles sign free agent 2B Harold Reynolds.

The Angels sign free agent OF Chili Davis to a 2-year contract.

The Tigers sign free agent P Bill Krueger to a 2-year contract.

The Cubs sign free agent OF Candy Maldonado to a 2-year contract.
December 15The Yankees sign free agent 3B Wade Boggs to a 3-year contract.

The Rangers sign free agent reliever Tom Henke to a 2-year $8 million contract. Henke‚ who started his career with Texas‚ had 34 saves in 37 tries with Toronto.
December 16The Giants name Dusty Baker as manager to replace Roger Craig.

The Marlins sign free agent C Benito Santiago to a 2-year contract. Santiago‚ who went 272 games with the Padres without a passed ball‚ will have 11 this year trying to catch Charlie Hough.
December 17The Twins sign home-grown free agent DH-OF Dave Winfield to a 2-year contract.
December 18The Cubs sign free agent OF Willie Wilson to a 2-year contract.

The Mets sign free agent OF Joe Orsulak.
December 21The Rockies sign free agent OF Daryl Boston.
December 23The Mariners sign free agent C Mackey Sasser to a 2-year contract.
December 24The Expos trade 3B Tim Wallach to the Dodgers in exchange for minor league SS Tim Barker.