HOVG REWIND: May 2, 2016

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY courtesy of National Pastime

1939 – Prior to a game with the Tigers in Detroit, Lou Gehrig tells his manager, Joe McCarthy, that he is benching himself “for the good of the team”. The Yankee legend’s record streak, which began in 1925, ends at 2,130 consecutive games.

1999 – Nike’s ‘Chicks Dig the Long Ball’ commercial, starring Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, airs for the first time. The television ad depicts the Braves hurlers, both who have won multiple Cy Young Awards, as pitchers-who-want-to-become-worshipped-home-run-heroes after becoming frustrated over the attention being shown to Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire by Heather Locklear and a friend.

2002 – Just missing hitting his fifth homer in the 15-4 victory over the White Sox, Mariners outfielder Mike Cameron becomes the 13th major leaguer to hit four homers in one game. The first two dingers were followed by round trippers by second baseman Bret Boone, making it the first time the same two teammates have hit back-to-back homers twice in one inning.

And finally…in 2003, the players’ association agrees to a two-year experiment in which the winning league of the All-Star Game will have home-field advantage during the World Series. Other changes include a roster increase by 2 to 32 players, a separate ballot of managers, coaches and players to be done during the week prior to the game to name the additional nine position players, and eight pitchers for each team.

STAT OF THE DAY provided by @HighHeatStats

15 years ago today, Greg Maddux threw a two-hit shutout and reached his career game-high in strikeouts with 14. This was the last time Maddux had more than 11 strikeouts in a game.

PLAYERS BORN TODAY

Eddie Collins (1887), Keith Moreland (1954), Felix Jose (1965) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1985).