Baseball History -- April 12

Complete entry for April 12 is at BaseballLibrary.com HERE.

Highlighted entries:

1996
Reds fans are again able to get out of town scores at Riverfront Stadium. In a cost-cutting move‚ owner Marge Schott had canceled the score-reporting service to save the month fee of $350.

Hey, $350 was a lot of money back then.

1980
In his first game in the NL since 1971‚ Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan hits his first career home run‚ a 3-run shot off the Dodgers Don Sutton. Ryan leaves the game with a 5-4 lead‚ but Los Angeles wins 6-5 in 17 innings.

I won't be posting that Ryan Express video from the Oak Ridge Boys again.

Also from 1980

Milwaukee bombs the Red Sox‚ 18-1‚ as they score 9 runs in the second inning. Eight of the runs come on two grand slams‚ Cecil Cooper's knocking out starter Mike Torrez and Don Money ringing his up against Chuck Rainey. This is the 4th time in ML history that 2 grand slams have been hit in one inning.

Bambi's Bombers....AWAY!

1974
Robin Yount‚ 18‚ collects his first ML hit for the Brewers during a 5-3 loss to the Orioles. Tomorrow‚ Yount will get his 2nd hit against the O's-a game-winning home run.

Rockin' Robin begins.

1877
Playing for Harvard College‚ Alex Tyng wear a catcher's mask in a game against semi-pro Live Oaks in Lynn‚ MA. Suppposedly the invention of Fred Thayer‚ the team manager‚ the mask is manufactured by Peck & Snyder of New York City (In the June 2004 Harvard Magazine‚ historian Stephen Eisenbach writes that Tyng had a local tinsmith make the mask). Thayer will receive a patent for his invention next year. A February 1‚ 1903 Washington Post account says oldtimers credit Billy McGunnity of Falls River with using the first catcher's mitt in 1875.

Foul tips must not have hurt before then.