TODAY IN BASEBALL courtesy of National Pastime
1979 – After a delay of an hour and 16 minutes, the White Sox are forced to forfeit the second game of a twi-night doubleheader against the Tigers when over 5000 adolescent fans refuse to leave the field during Disco Demolition Night. Mike Veeck’s promotion involves admitting fans for 98 cents with a disco record, collecting the vinyl and then literally blowing up the LPs and .45s in center field.
1993 – Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. becomes the first and only major leaguer to hit Baltimore’s B&O Warehouse on the fly. The estimated 460-foot shot is launched during the All-Star Game home-run hitting contest at Camden Yards in 1993.
1998 – Mark McGwire becomes the second player to hit 40 home runs in both leagues. The Cardinals’ first baseman, who accomplished the feat three times with the A’s, joins Darrell Evans, who hit 41 with the Braves (1973) and 40 with the Tigers (1985).
And finally…in 2005, at the Home Run Derby in Detroit, Bobby Abreu shatters the records for a single round, the championship round, and the grand total for all three rounds of the derby by hitting 41 dingers into every part of Comerica Park. The Phillies outfielder, who was representing Venezuela in the event’s new international format, goes deep 24 times in the first round, tacks on six more in the second round, and finishes with 11 more in the championship round.
PLAYERS BORN TODAY
Ron Fairly (1938), Mario Soto (1956), Tom Gorzelanny (1982) and Howie Kendrick (1983)
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