TODAY IN BASEBALL courtesy of National Pastime
2003 – Stealing second base at Pacific Bell Park in the 11th inning, Barry Bonds becomes the first player to hit 500 homers and steal 500 bases in his career. The Giants left fielder may not only be the charter member of the 500-500 club, many believe, including him, he will most likely be only member, as no one else may ever reach this plateau.
2005 – Making his professional debut, Yakima Bears hurler Ryan Doherty pitches a perfect sixth and seventh, striking out three of the six batters he faces, during a 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canadians. At 7’1”, the right-hander from Toms River, New Jersey, who signed a free-agent contract with the Diamondbacks after pitching for Notre Dame, becomes the tallest pitcher in professional baseball history, surpassing Jon Rauch, who stands a mere 6 feet-11 inches.
2007 – During a Class AA Southern League contest against the Montgomery Biscuits, Mobile BayBears right-hander Matt Elliott is unable to return to the mound to pitch the ninth inning when he locks himself inside a Riverwalk Stadium bathroom. The relief pitcher, who apparently broke the lock after he angrily slammed the door, upset about giving up the tying run on a sac fly in the previous inning, will be stuck in the restroom for 47 minutes, missing the rest of the game.
And finally…in 2012, Jim Thome sets a Major League mark with his 13th career walk-off home run, a solo shot over the left-field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Phillies a dramatic 7-6 victory over Tampa Bay. Before today’s historic round-tripper at Citizens Bank Park, the 41 year-old five-time All-Star Thome had shared the record with five Hall of Famers: Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, and Frank Robinson.
PLAYERS BORN TODAY
George Weiss (1894), Marty Barrett (1958). Jim Deshaies (1960) and John Rabb (1960)
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