On This Date in Baseball: May 3

I posted the first one last year, but since it's so significant to the history of the game, it warranted a repeat posting.

1936 - Joe DiMaggio made his major league debut for the New York Yankees and had three hits in a 14 - 5 victory over the St. Louis Browns.

1980 -Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants hit his 521th and final career home run. His shot tied him with Ted Williams on the all-time list. McCovey will enter the Hall of Fame in 1986.

1986 - Chicago Cubs third baseman, Ron Cey, hit his 300th and 301st career home runs and Chicago scores four times in the top of the ninth inning to beat the Giants 6 - 5.

The baby bears may have won that game due to "The Penguin's" two home runs, but they still managed to continue their eternal suckitude. With a record of 70-90, they finished 5th in NL East. Once again they languished in mediocrity behind the Cardinals and missed the postseason.

I wonder if Cubs fans looked like this in 1986 too. Boy, I sure hope so.

On This Date in Baseball: March 17

1886 - The Sporting News, the weekly that will become "The Baseball Paper of the World," publishes its first issue.

1936 -Much-heralded rookie Joe DiMaggio makes his debut with the New York Yankees, collecting four hits including a triple. The day is marred when the St. Louis Cardinals win 8 - 7.

1966 - Pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale play hardball when negotiating with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The duo signs movie contracts showing they are serious about retiring from baseball if their salary demands are not met.
2005 - During more than 11 hours of the Committee on Government Reform hearing concerning major league player use of steroids, Mark McGwire refuses to talk about the past and does not deny taking performance enhancing drugs. Other players testifying included Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, and former big leaguer Jose Canseco, whose recent book prompted the congressional hearing. Palmeiro is later found guilty of steroid usage.

On This Date in Baseball: February 17

1943 - Joe DiMaggio, trades his $43,500 annual salary from the Yankees, when he enlists in the army for $50 a month. DiMaggio, in his customary quiet style, gives no notice to the club. I own the hat he's wearing in this photo, by the way. Ebbets Field Flannels, yo.

1987 - Don Mattingly, one of my favorite players ever, wins a $1.975 million salary in his arbitration case against the Yankees, eclipsing the record $1.85 million set four days earlier. I own nothing of Don Mattingly's except for that rookie card. God bless eBay!

On This Date in Baseball: July 17

1941 - Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak of 56 games was stopped by Al Smith and Jim Bagby of the Indians. The Yankees still won, 4-3.

1974 - Bob Gibson became the second pitcher in Major League history to record 3,000 strikeouts.

On This Date in Baseball: July 16

1941 - Joe DiMaggio extended his hitting streak to 56 games by going 3-for-4 Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 10-3.

On This Date in Baseball: May 15

1941 - Joe DiMaggio gets a single against the Chicago White Sox to start his 56-game hitting streak. His hit goes unnoticed as the Yankees lose 13-1.