Baseball History.......On this Date

A lot of stuff has happened on this day, May 24th.........Thanks to the good folks at nationalpastime.com for compiling this info:

This Day in Baseball History

May 24

"Hitters are like snowflakes. No two of them are alike." -TONY TORCHIA, Red Sox coach (1985)

1909 After beating the Cardinals a record 24 consecutive times, Giants' legend Christy Mathewson finally loses to the Redbirds, 3-1. The winning streak spanned five seasons starting in May of 1904.

1935 At Crosley Field, the era of night time baseball begins as 20,000 fans watch the Reds beat the Phillies 2-1 in the first major league game ever played under the lights. During the pre-game ceremonies, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pushes a button at the White House to illuminate the field.

1941 'Big Poison' Paul Waner is signed by the Braves after being released by Brooklyn. The former Dodger joins his brother 'Little Poison' Lloyd on the Boston roster.


1950 Nat Clifton’s Harlem Globetrotter contract is purchased by the New York Knicks making the talented athlete the first black to sign a deal to play in the National Basketball Association. Prior to his career in the NBA, 'Sweetwater' played first base for the Chicago American Giants in the Negro Leagues.

1956 Mickey Mantle goes 5-for-5 with an intentional walk in an 11-5 victory over the Tigers.

1964 The major league mark for shut-outs in one day is broken as seven teams do not cross home plate.

1967 Tommy McCraw drives in eight runs, including three home runs, to help the first-place White Sox beat the Twins, 14-1.

1978 In an inning which last over an hour, 15 runs score before the first out is recorded as the Florida State League's Tampa Tarpons beat Daytona Beach,18-2.

1984 The Tigers tie a major league mark set by the 1916 Giants as Detroit defeat the Angels, 5-1 for their 17th consecutive road victory.

1994 At Busch Stadium, the Cardinals set a major league record as they leave16 men stranded on the bases. The Phillies take advantage of the Redbirds lack of timely hitting and beats St. Louis, 4-0.

1994 In a game against Milwaukee, Cal Ripken hits his 300th career home run.

2000 Shawn Estes pitches a seven-hitter and becomes the first Giants pitcher in 51 years (Monte Kennedy-1949) to hit a grand slam en route to handing the Expos their worst defeat in franchise history, 18-0. The San Bernardino native just misses joining Tony Cloninger as the only major league pitcher to hit two slams in a game.

2000 Mark McGwire becomes the fastest player to hit 20 home runs in one season reaching the mark in 35 games, six less than Mickey Mantle (1956) and his own record (1998).

2000 Sixteen Dodger players and three coaches are suspended by the commissioner's office for going into the stands during the Wrigley Field scuffle with fans on May 16. The suspensions totaling 60 games for players and 24 games for coaches is the harshest penalty ever handed down by major league baseball.

2001 Cincinnati is finally shut out as Cubs' starter Jon Lieber one-hits the Reds, 3-0. The span of 208 of games without being blanked establishes a new National League record with the 1931-33 Yankees (308) and the 1978-79 Milwaukee Brewers (212) being the only teams with longer streaks.

2001 Lana Blefary, the wife of former Oriole outfielder Curt Blefary, scatters the ashes of husband's remains at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. Although little of the stadium remains as the site is being demolished, she is still able to fulfill her husband's last wishes.

2002 After a container is seen being dropped from low-flying plane hitting and bouncing off the stadium roof onto the street, Seattle hazardous materials crews close off the roads around Safeco Field for about an hour. The object turns outs to be the remains a unidentified man's cremated ashes.

2006 Helping the Devil Rays to beat the Blue Jays, 10-8, Carl Crawford goes 5-for-5, to tie the franchise record for hits in a game. The Tampa Bay left fielder collects five hits including a home run, scores five runs and steals four bases in his career night at the Rogers Centre.

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