Baseball History -- October 20

Complete entry for October 20 at BaseballLibrary.com is HERE.

Highlighted entries:

1993
In one of the wildest games in World Series history, the Blue Jays come out on top in Game four with a 15-14 victory. Toronto's 6-run rally in the 8th inning is capped by Devon White's 2-run triple, while Lenny Dykstra hits a pair of homers for the losers.

This was one of the weirdest World Series games I remember. Here is the box score. Milt Thompson had five RBI for the Phillies. Tony Fernandez had five RBI for the Blue Jays. Mitch Williams got the loss for Philadelphia..

1990
The talk of an Oakland dynasty is proven premature, as Cincinnati beats Oakland 2–1 to complete one of the most stunning sweeps in World Series history. Series MVP Jose Rijo (2-0, 0.59 ERA) retires the last 20 batters he faces to give the Reds their first World Championship since 1976. Not joining the celebration at the end is Eric Davis, who ruptures his kidney diving for a ball during the game and is taken to the hospital. It will take Davis several years to fully recover.

And the manager of that Reds team? Lou Pinella. And now you know the rest of the story. Take heart, Cub fans.

Fall Ball

In the Arizona Fall League, the Javelinas lost 6-0 to Phoenix. Mike Wilson (WI '05) was the only ex-Rattler to play in the game and was 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts for Peoria.

The Waikiki BeachBoys were off on Thursday.

FRIDAY'S SCHEDULE
Peoria at Scottsdale 9:05pm CDT
Waikiki at North Shore 6:30pm Hawaii Time

Baseball History -- October 19

Complete entry for October 19 at BaseballLibrary.com is HERE.

Highlighted entries:

1981
In game five of the NLCS, Rick Monday hits a solo home run with two out in the top of the 9th against Montreal's Steve Rogers to give Los Angeles a 2–1 victory and a trip to the World Series. The loss, played in bitterly cold conditions in Montreal, will be known as Blue Monday.

If the Expos had won that game, would there still be baseball in Montreal? mlb.com has good write up on that game HERE.

Off the field there was this:

1923
Citing the unsavory characters associated with the sport, American League president Ban Johnson persuades AL owners to prohibit boxing matches in their parks. The National League declines to go along with it.

Yep. The AL Owners agreed to that.

Fall Ball

In the Arizona Fall League, the Peoria Javelinas lost 9-6 to Phoenix. Bobby Livingston (WI '03) took the loss by allowing six runs on nine hits over 3-1/3 innings. Stephen Kahn (WI '05) pitched an inning and gave up a run on a hit with three walks.

On offense, Michael Garciaparra (WI '03) went 2-for-4 with two RBI; Mike Wilson (WI '05) was 1-for-5; and Matt Tuiasosopo (WI '05) was 1-for-4 with a run scored?

Out in Hawaii, Waikiki lost 11-6 to West Ohau. Sebastien Boucher (WI '05) was 1-for-3 with a run. Jeff Clement (WI '05) went 0-for-2.

Today's Schedule
Phoenix at Peoria Javelinas 3:05pm CDT
Off day for Hawaii Winter Baseball

Baseball History -- October 18

Complete Entry for 10/18 at BaseballLibrary.com is HERE.

1977

Reggie Jackson becomes "Mr. October." Three home runs in three swings lead the Yankees to an 8–4, Series-clinching victory.

And one of those was a first pitch knuckleball from Charlie Hough. Complete Game Six from 1977 boxscore HERE.

1950

Connie Mack retires after an amazing 50 years as the manager of the Philadelphia Athletics. Jimmy Dykes replaces him. Mack maintains his position as president of the club.

Just once, I would like to see a manager wear a suit on the bench, instead of a uniform.

From BaseballLibrary.com

1908
Four days after the finish of the World Series, the two teams meet again in Chicago for an exhibition game (as noted by historian Al Kermisch). The game outdraws the last series game in Detroit, as 6,864 watch the Tigers win, 7–2. In a pregame field day, Ty Cobb wins all three sprint events: he bunts and runs to 1B in 3.2 seconds, beating Evers, Mordecai Brown, and Del Howard. He circles the bases in 13.8 seconds and, clad in uniform, wins the 100-yard dash in 10.4 seconds, beating Jones and Solly Hofman in the latter. Hofman wins the long throw with a toss of 338 feet, besting Sam Crawford.

Remember when the teams that made the post-season in baseball faced each other on The Superteams on ABC? The outrigger race and the tug-of-war were my favorite events to watch. Could you picture Cobb running the obstacle course? I still can't believe they let the tie stand between the Kansas City Royals and the Dallas Cowboys in 1978.

Fall Ball

In the Arizona Fall League, the Javelinas lost 14-9 to Mesa. Ryan Rowland-Smith (WI '03) was the only former Rattler to appear for the Javelinas. He worked a scorless inning of relief with a strikeout.

In Hawaii Winter Baseball, Waikiki beat Honolulu 6-3. Joe Woerman (WI '05) got the win with a strikeout in a scoreless inning of relief. Sebastien Boucher (WI '05) was the lead off batter for the the BeachBoys and went 1-for-2 with three runs scored.

Today's Schedule
Peoria Javelinas (4-3) at Phoenix (3-4) 3:05pm CDT
West Ohau at Waikiki 7:00pm Hawaii Time

Baseball History -- October 17

Complete Entry at BaseballLibrary.com for October 17 is HERE.

Highlighted Entries:

I don't know what angered me more about this entry. That the Mets won or that they didn't let him round the bases.

1999
The Mets edge the Braves in a 15-inning thriller, 4-3, to move within one game of Atlanta in their NLCS. Robin Ventura's grand slam in the bottom half of the 15th wins it for NY, but his Met teammates mob him before he can reach 2nd base. He never completes his round of the bases and gets credit for a single instead of a grand slam. The Braves leave a postseason-record 19 players on base in the contest. The Mets use nine pitchers in the game, with rookie Octavio Dotel getting the win.

From cnnsi.com

1989

Game Three of the World Series is postponed when an earthquake strikes the San Francisco Bay area a half hour before game time, causing minor damage to Candlestick Park but major damage to the surrounding area. The quake registers 7.1 magnitude, killing 67 people and does $7 billion in damage.

1982

Robin Yount records his 2nd 4-hit game of the Series to lead the Brewers to a 6–4 win in game five and give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead overall. Yount is the first player ever to have two 4-hit games in one World Series.

1960

The National League votes to admit Houston and New York to the League in 1962, the first structural change since 1900, and to go to a 10-team league.

Rattler Fall Ball

Before the game report, some news:

Wilson named AFL Player of the Week

[Michael] Wilson, a 23-year-old Seattle Mariners prospect, hit two grand slams and knocked in 11 runs en route to being named the first Player of the Week of the 2006 Arizona Fall League season. The Tulsa native hit safely and scored a run in all four games he appeared in, but it was on Friday and Saturday that he truly excelled.

Yes, two grand slams will get you recognized.

Peoria Javelinas 11, Mesa 4. Wilson (WI '05) was 1-for-5 with an RBI for Peoria. Matt Tuiasosopo (WI '05) had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI for the Javelinas. On the pitching side of the ledger, Stephen Kahn (WI '05) worked a scorless inning with one strikeout and Craig James (WI '05) pitched a scoreless inning with a hit and two walks.

The Waikiki Beach Boys had a scheduled day off in Hawaii Winter Baseball on Monday. Sunday's earthquake in Hawaii is the top of the news.

The shock waves from Sunday's earthquakes caused at least $40 million in damage to the Big Island, with seven schools alone accounting for $30 million worth of the destruction.

But federal and Big Island officials cautioned yesterday that the assessment will undoubtedly rise as the damage adds up in the days ahead. Big Island Mayor Harry Kim yesterday predicted that the dollar estimates will "grow tremendously."

Today's Schedule
Mesa at Peoria Javelinas 2:05pm CDT
Honolulu at Waikiki 6:30pm Hawaii Time

Baseball History -- October 16

Complete baseball history entry for 10/16 is HERE.

Highlighted entries.

2003
Aaron Boone's walkoff HR on Tim Wakefield's 1st pitch in the bottom half of the 11th inning gives the Yankees a 6-5 come from behind win over the Red Sox and their 39th AL pennant. Boston blows a 4-0 lead as New York comes back to score 3 runs in the 8th off tired starter Pedro Martinez to tie the score. Sox manager Little's decision to stay with Pedro will cost him his job. Jason Giambi hits a pair of HRs for NY‚ while ALCS Most Valuable Player Mariano Rivera hurls 3 innings in relief for the win.

1985
Baseball gets its first intrastate World Series since 1974, as the Royals and Cardinals win their respective playoff series. Kansas City beats Toronto 6–2 in game seven to cap a comeback from a 3-games-to-1 deficit. While in Los Angeles, Jack Clark drills a 3-run home run off Tom Niedenfuer with two outs in the top of the 9th and 1B open to give the Cardinals a 7–5 victory and a 4-2 series win.

Off Days

They had a scheduled off day in the Arizona Fall League.

No box score from the Waikiki - Honolulu game. No story, but I'm pretty sure they did not have a game.

Hawai'i rattles, then loses power statewide

A 6.6-magnitude earthquake centered on the Kona side of the Big Island — the largest to rattle the Islands in 23 years — and a 5.8-magnitude quake that followed disrupted air traffic on all major islands yesterday, sent boulders crashing onto Big Island highways and knocked out power throughout most of the state.

By 10 p.m., a slight majority of Hawaiian Electric Co. Inc.'s 291,000 customers — 157,000 — had power restored.
...

The first quake hit at 7:07 a.m. and was felt as a steady, rumbling shudder that shook houses, cracked buildings, swayed high-rises and knocked artwork from their walls and sent countless chachkas crashing to the ground.

It was located 24 miles below Kiholo Bay on the Big Island, according to the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, and was triggered by tectonic movement, not volcanic activity.

A second quake, of 5.8-magnitude, hit just seven minutes later. It was located 13 miles northwest of Kawaihae.

No fatalaties had been reported.

Today's Schedule
Peoria Javelinas @ Mesa 2:05pm CDT
Waikiki -- Scheduled Off Day

Baseball History -- October 15

Complete entry for October 15 at BaseballLibrary.com is HERE.

Today's highlighted entry has a box score HERE.

1988
In one of the most improbable finishes in World Series history, pinch hitter Kirk Gibson hits a 2-run home run off Dennis Eckersley with two out in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Dodgers a 5–4 win in game one. The injured Gibson was not expected to play in the NLCS, and will not play again in the Series. It is the first World Series game to end on a home run since game six in 1975.

From mlb.com

Rattlers in Fall Ball

In the Arizona Fall League, the Javelinas beat Scottsdale 15-7.

Outfielder Mike Wilson (WI '05) hit a grand slam for the second day in a row for the Javelinas as he went 2-for-5. Third baseman Matt Tuiasosopo (WI '05) was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs. Pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith (WI '03) pitched a pair of scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts in relief.

In Hawaii Winter Baseball, Waikiki beat Honolulu 4-1. No boxscore or story on-line yet.


Today's Schedule:
Peoria Javelinas -- OFF DAY
Honolulu Sharks at Waikiki Beach Boys 3:00pm Hawaii Time

Baseball History -- October 14

Complete Entry for 10/14 at BaseballLibrary.com is HERE.

Plenty of game-winning hits on October 14:

2002
The Giants beat the Cardinals, 2–1, to take the NLCS and move on to the World Series against Anaheim. Kenny Lofton's base hit in the bottom of the 9th scores David Bell with the winning run. Todd Worrell gets the win in relief for SF.

2001
The Diamondbacks advance to the NLCS with a 2-1 victory over the Cardinals. Tony Womack's 2-out single in the bottom half of the 9th plates the winning run and makes a winner out of Curt Schilling.

1992
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 two 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 six strong innings without a decision, is named the series MVP.

I still don't know how in the heck Sid Bream beat that throw to the plate by Barry Bonds. But, he did and Sean McDonough absolutley nailed the call on the TV broadcast. Go HERE and click on 1992 for that highlight.

1986
Breaking out of a 1-for-21 slump, Mets C Gary Carter drives in the winning run of the Mets 2–1 win in the bottom of the 12th, rendering meaningless Nolan Ryan's nine innings of 2-hit, 12-strikeout pitching.

1985
Ozzie Smith homers off Tom Niedenfuer with one out in the bottom of the 9th to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead in the NLCS. It is the switch-hitting Smith's first ML home run while batting lefthanded.

1978
Lou Piniella's 10th-inning single scores Roy White with the winning run as New York evens the Series with a 4–3 win.

1976
In the final LCS game, the Yankees take the early lead only to see the Royals even it up on Brett's 3-run homer in the 8th. Chambliss then connects on a dramatic 9th-inning HR off relief ace Mark Littell to win the game 7-6 and the pennant for the Yankees. By the time Chambliss reaches 2B, he is surrounded by screaming fans who escort him around the bases. After he reaches the dugout he returns with a police escort to make sure he touches 3B and home.

Not a big hit, but a big moment in baseball history.

1908
Before the smallest crowd in World Series history—6,210—the host Tigers are tamed on three hits by Overall, who fans 10 in a 2–0 win. The Cubs win the series in five games.

It's been awhile.

Also from 1908:

Upset over seating arrangements at the World Series, sports reporters form a professional group that will become the Baseball Writers Association of America.

It's a good thing the BWAA wasn't at the 2006 Midwest League All-Start Game.

Rattlers in the Fall

In Hawaii Winter Baseball, Waikiki lost 8-1 to Honolulu. No Rattlers in the batting order.

It was a tough day for David Asher (WI '06), who got the start for the Beach Boys. He went 1-2/3 innings and allowed seven runs on six hits and three walks with a strikeout. Joe Woerman (WI '06) pitched a scoreless inning in relief with a hit and a strikeout.

In Arizona Fall Leauge, Peoria Javelinas bet the Peoria Saguaros 9-8 in ten innings.

It was a good day for Mike Wilson (WI '05) he was 1-for-3 with a grand slam and a total of six RBI. Matt Tuiasosopo (WI '05) went 0-for-5 and Michael Garciaparra (WI '05) was 0-for-4. No ex-Rattler pitchers in the game.

October 14 Schedule
Scottsdale at Peoria Javelinas 3:05pm CDT
Honolulu at Waikiki 7:00pm Hawaii Time

Baseball History -- October 13

Complete Entry for October 13 at BaseballLibrary.com is HERE.

Highlighted entry:

1960
In a 9–9 tie, Bill Mazeroski leads off the last of the 9th and hits what is arguably the most dramatic home run in Series history, off Ralph Terry, to give Pittsburgh a 10–9 win and the World Championship. An oddity in this game: it is the only World Series game this century with no strikeouts recorded. Despite Maz's heroics, Bobby Richardson is the series MVP, as the Yanks outscore the Bucs, 52 to 27.

From SportsEncyclopedia.com

Ex-Rattlers in Action

Out in Hawaii, Waikiki beat West Ohau 6-0.

For the winning Beach Boys, Sebastien Boucher (WI '05) started in left and was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Jeff Clement (WI '05) entered the game as a pinch hitter and was 0-for-1 with a run. Also, Mariner farmhand Reed Eastley went 2-for-3 with an RBI.


In the Arizona Fall League, the Javelinas beat the Saguaros 17-15.

Bobby Livingston (WI '03) started for the Javelinas and had a rough start. He went 2-1/3 innings and allowed seven runs on eight hits. Craig James (WI'05) was next and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in just 2/3 of an inning.

Rattler alums helped out on the offense though:

Mike Wilson (WI '05) -- 1-for-5, 2 runs, RBI
Matt Tuiasosopo (WI'05) -- 1-for-4, run, 3B
Michael Garciaparra (WI '03) -- 3-for-5, three RBI, three runs

Today's Schedule:
Peoria Saguaros at Peoria Javelinas 3:05pm CDT
Honolulu Sharks at Waikiki Beach Boys 7:00pm (Hawaii Time)

Baseball History -- October 12

Complete Entry at BaseballLibrary.com for October 12 is HERE.


Highlighted Entries:

1986
» One loss away from elimination and trailing 5–2 entering the 9th, the Red Sox stage one of the most improbable comebacks in post-season history winning 7–6 over the Angels in 11 innings. After Don Baylor's 9th-inning home run reduces the deficit to 5–4, reserve outfielder Dave Henderson slugs a 2-out, 2-run home run off Donnie Moore to give Boston a 6–5 lead. California ties the score with a run in the bottom of the 9th but Henderson, who had appeared to be the goat when he dropped Bobby Grich's long fly ball over the fence for a home run in the 7th inning, delivers a sacrifice fly in the 11th for the winning run.

1982

Paul Molitor goes 5-for-6 to become the first player ever to collect five hits in a World Series game, and teammate Robin Yount goes 4-for-6 as the Brewers rout the Cardinals 10–0 in game one.

Cory Lidle

Cory Lidle's death was shocking and sad.

MLB.com has a page devoted to the Lidle with links to a story about the accident, his Phillies teammates, the Yankees reaction, and a colum by mlb.com writer Mychael Urban about his friend.

MILB.com has a story about Lidle, his time in the minors, reaction from his managers, and this from a former Timber Rattler front office member:

"He was just a great, great guy," said Mike Birling, Lidle's general manager with the Durham Bulls. "He understood not only the baseball side of it, but how important fans are and how important it is to be a part of Minor League community."

In the story, you will learn that Lidle played part of the 1994 season in Beloit as a member of the Brewer organization.

Rattlers in States 48 & 50

The Javelinas lost 9-2 to Grand Canyon. Ryan Rowland-Smith (WI '03) pitched two innings, allowed one run on one hit with one walk and three strikeouts for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League.

In Hawaii, Waikiki was rained out.

Schedule for today:
Peoria Javelinas at Peoria Saguaros 1:05pm Arizona Time
Waikiki at West Oahu 6:30pm Hawaii Time

Bobby Livingston (WI '03) will be the starter for the Javelinas today.

Ex-Rattler to Japan

No, not to play for a Japanese team.

MLB announced its roster of All-stars for a tour of Japan. Colorado Rockie closer Brian Fuentes, who played for the Timber Rattlers in 1997, will be on the team.

Fuentes was a starter as a member of the Rattlers that season. In 22 starts, he was 6-7 with a 3.56ERA and 153 strikeouts in 118-2/3 innings.

Edit: Triple post (Triple post? How did that happen?) of this item deleted.