HOVG REWIND: May 19, 2016

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY courtesy of National Pastime

1994 – The first ‘Jay Buhner Buzz Cut Night’, which will become a very popular recurring promotion, is held at the Kingdome. Mariners fans, willing to have their heads shaved to emulate the team’s right fielder, who plays an active role by encouraging fans to participate and giving a few haircuts himself, receive free admission to seats in right field to cheer on ‘Bone’.

2002 – Cubs first baseman Fred McGriff’s two-run homer at Miller Park ties Ellis Burks’ record of homering in 40 different major league parks. The ‘Crime Dog’s’ eighth inning blast knots the score 3-3 in an eventual 4-3, 11-inning victory over the Brewers, snapping Chicago’s nine-game losing streak.

2004 – Breaking his own record set two weeks ago, Julio Franco becomes the oldest player to hit a pinch-hit home run. The Braves first baseman is 45 years, 269 days old when he accomplishes the feat.

And finally…in 2010, Mets center fielder Angel Pagan initiates the tenth triple play in franchise history when he snags Cristian Guzman’s sinking liner with first and second base occupied. After making the stunning catch that surprises both of Washington’s base runners, the outfielder overthrows the infield, but catcher Henry Blanco takes the errant toss and throws the ball to Jose Reyes at second base to double off Livan Hernandez, and then the shortstop relays the ball to first baseman Ike Davis to triple up Nyjer Morgan, making it the first 9-2-6-3 triple killing in major league history.

STAT OF THE DAY provided by @HighHeatStats

Five years ago today, Jason Giambi supplanted Reggie Jackson as the second-oldest player with a three-homer game. Amazingly, it was the first and only three-dinger game for Giambi, who had been mainly a bench player for the Rockies.

PLAYERS BORN TODAY

Ed Whitson (1955), Eric Show (1956), Turk Wendell (1967) and Brandon Inge (1977)