TODAY IN BASEBALL: August 31

august 31

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TODAY IN BASEBALL courtesy of National Pastime

1990 – Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey Jr. become the first father and son to play in the same Major League lineup. The 40 year-old left fielder and his 20 year-old offspring both score a run in the Mariners’ 5-2 victory over the Royals at the Kingdome.

1997 – In front of a crowd of 55,707, Don Mattingly’s uniform number 23 is added to the list of retired numbers on the wall at Monument Park. The former Bronx Bomber first baseman, who served as captain of the team from 1991 to 1995, is the first Yankee to have his uniform number retired without having reached a World Series.

2010 – Aroldis Chapman makes his much-anticipated Major League debut, tossing a perfect inning in the Reds’ 8-4 victory over Milwaukee. The 22 year-old Cuban defector lives up to the hype, throwing four pitches at a speed of 100 mph or better.

And finally…in 2012, Bob Uecker, known for his humor on and off the diamond, is honored by the Brewers in a light-hearted dedication ceremony outside Miller Park that unveils a seven-foot bronze statue of the team’s popular broadcaster. The sculpture, depicting the smiling “Mr. Baseball” with his hands in his pockets, joins the likenesses of Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, and Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig in front of of the ballpark.

PLAYERS BORN TODAY

Eddie Plank (1875), Frank Robinson (1935), Tom Candiotti (1957) and Hideo Nomo (1968)

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