December 16, 2003: The Yankees Acquire Javier Vázquez -- the 1st Time

December 16, 2003: The New York Yankees traded Nick Johnson, Randy Choate and Juan Rivera to the Montreal Expos for Javier Vázquez. At first, this didn't look like a bad deal. Rivera was a nothing player. Choate was so bad out of the bullpen, I called him "Randy Choke." And Johnson was constantly injured and unable to live up to his promise. Vázquez went 14-10 for the Yankees in 2004, and made the All-Star Team.

But he gave up home runs. Some people thought he should have started Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS instead of Kevin Brown -- whom the Yankees had acquired 3 days before Vázquez. Torre brought him in to relieve Brown when down 3-0. Instead, Vázquez gave up a grand slam to Johnny Damon that essentially ended the chance at a comeback, the game, the season, and the Curse of the Bambino. After that, he was nicknamed "Home Run Javy."

Before he could appear for the Yankees again, on January 11, 2005, he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks with Dioner Navarro, Brad Halsey and cash for Randy Johnson. Johnson gave the Yankees the 2 most useless 17-win seasons any pitcher has ever had, choking in Game 3 of the AL Division Series in both 2005 and 2006, and then leaving. Navarro and Halsey never amounted to much, but Vázquez settled down a bit, bouncing around, at one point being traded for former Yankee Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez.

On December 22, 2009, the Yankees traded Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn, Arodys Vizcaíno and cash to the Atlanta Braves for Vázquez and Boone Logan. You don't need to consider Dunn or Vizcaíno. Just note that Melky, for all his difficulties (including getting caught using PEDs), would have been a big help to the Yankees from 2010 through 2017, while Logan might have been the worst reliever in Yankee history, and Vázquez went 10-10 with a 5.32 ERA in 2010.

His contract having run out at the end of the season, the Yankees didn't lift a finger to re-sign him, and he pitched 1 more season with the Marlins, and retired. He was 165-160 for his career. He had 4 good seasons, and only 1 really bad one, his rookie year with the Expos, 1998. His other 9 seasons, including his 2 with the Yankees, 2004 and 2010, were mediocre.

But that last trade, giving up the Melkman for Home Run Javy and Logan's Litany of Losing, oy vey.

*

December 16, 2003 was a Tuesday. Baseball was out of season. Football was in midweek. There were 9 games played in the NBA:

* The New York Knicks lost to the Golden State Warriors, 104-86 at Madison Square Garden.

* The Washington Wizards beat the Utah Jazz, 91-87 at the MCI Center (now the Capital One Arena) in Washington. Larry Hughes led all scorers on the night with 38 points.

* The Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks, 97-79 at the American Airlines Arena (now the Kaseya Center) in Miami. Dwyane Wade scored 32 points.

* The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Sacramento Kings, 105-100 at the Great American Pyramid in Memphis.

* The Chicago Bulls beat the Orlando Magic, 102-88 at the United Center in Chicago.

* The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Houston Rockets, 92-75 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

* The Denver Nuggets beat the New Orleans Hornets, 116-94 at the Pepsi Center (now the Ball Arena) in Denver.

* The Phoenix Suns beat the Seattle SuperSonics, 92-91 in overtime at the America West Arena (now the Mortgage Matchup Center) in Phoenix.

* And the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 106-99 at the Rose Garden (now the Moda Center) in Portland.

And there were 4 games in the NHL:

* The New York Rangers beat the San Jose Sharks, 2-1 at Madison Square Garden. Petr Nedvěd scored the winning goal with 2:35 left in overtime.

* The Atlanta Thrashers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 1-0 at the Philips Arena (now the State Farm Arena) in Atlanta.

* The Montreal Canadiens beat the Ottawa Senators, 3-2 at the Corel Centre (now the Canadian Tire Centre) in Ottawa.

* And the Washington Capitals and the Colorado Avalanche played to a 2-2 tie at the Pepsi Center. Yes, it played host to an NBA game and an NHL game on the same day.

December 16, 1976: The Trade That Broke the Big Red Machine

December 16, 1976: The Cincinnati Reds of the 1970s were one of the greatest baseball teams of all time. They included the game's all-time hits leader, Pete Rose; one of its greatest catchers ever, Johnny Bench; and perhaps the best all-around player in the game at the time, Joe Morgan. Between them, those 3 men won the National League Most Valuable Player award 5 times in a span of 7 years.

What few people, including the Reds' organization until it was too late, realized at the time was that none of those men was the most important player on the team.

Those Reds, also known as the Big Red Machine, were one of the most dominant teams in baseball history. Playing their home games on the artificial turf of Riverfront Stadium, they won 5 National League Western Division titles, 4 NL Pennants and 2 World Series in a span of 6 years, with a lineup of Hall of Famers and All-Stars, that became known as "The Great Eight":

3rd Base, Number 14: Pete Rose

2nd Base, Number 8: Joe Morgan

Catcher, Number 5: Johnny Bench

1st Base, Number 24: Tony Pérez

Left Field, Number 15: George Foster

Shortstop, Number 13: Dave Concepción

Right Field, Number 30, Ken Griffey (Sr.)

Center Field, Number 23, César Gerónimo

Pitcher (No Designated Hitter in the National League until 2022)

But after their 2nd World Series win in 1976, they made a trade that changed everything.

Atanasio Pérez Rigal, who had fled Cuba just after the 1959 revolution, had been a cornerstone of the Reds' offense, driving in at least 90 runs every year since 1967. He was also a leader in the clubhouse and a fan favorite, earning the nickname "The Mayor of Riverfront" for his popularity. His teammates called him "Big Doggie."

But, as they did after the 1965 season, when they traded Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles for Milt Pappas, the Reds needed more pitching, and they had a young 1st baseman in Dan Driessen waiting in the wings. So, the Reds' front office decided that Pérez was expendable.

They sent Pérez and relief pitcher Will McEnaney to the Montréal Expos for pitchers Woodie Fryman and Dale Murray. It was supposed to make the Reds stronger over the long haul, but it had the opposite effect. Instead, it broke the heart and the spirit of the team.

And despite the argument in favor of better pitching, it was really over money. The Reds were perennially a cheap organization. Pérez agreed to waive his no-trade clause as a 10-and-5 player (10 years in the major leagues, 5 years with the same team), and accepted a lucrative 3-year contract from the Expos.

Although Driessen was a good hitter and a good 1st baseman, he was not as productive as Pérez. Without his bat in the lineup, they finished 2nd in 1977, 10 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1978, they finished 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers. In 1979, they won the NL West, but were swept in the NL Championship Series by the Pittsburgh Pirates, whom they had beaten in the NLCS in 1970, '72, '74 and '75.

Pérez, meanwhile, thrived in Montreal. In his 3 seasons with the team, his home run totals were 19, 14 and 13, compared to Driessen's 17, 16 and 18; and his RBI totals were 91, 78 and 73, compared to 91, 70 and 75. Based on stats alone, it seems like it wasn't a downgrade. But the Reds' lost Pérez's leadership, which was now mentoring not their young players, but young Expos like Gary Carter and Andre Dawson, which led to them nearly winning the NL Eastern Division in 1980, and winning it in 1981. And both Murray and Fryman were shaky for the Reds. It took them until 1990 to win another Pennant, and that's the only Pennant and World Series they've won since this trade.

Pérez would rejoin his former Reds teammates Rose and Morgan on the Philadelphia Phillies in 1983, and, together with Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton, they won another Pennant. Pérez was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000, joining Bench, Morgan, Schmidt, Carlton, and Reds manager Sparky Anderson. He also would have joined Rose, had Rose not been banned from baseball in 1989. Carter and Dawson were later elected as well.

Murray returned to the Expos in 1979, and in 1981, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. After the 1982 season, he would be involved in another lopsided trade involving a power-hitting 1st baseman: With Don Mattingly waiting in the wings, the New York Yankees sent 1st base prospect Fred McGriff to the Jays for Murray. Murray was a bust for the Yankees, while McGriff went on to hit 493 career home runs.

*

December 16, 1976 was a Thursday. Baseball was out of season. Football was in midweek. There were 3 games in the NBA:

* The New York Nets lost to the Kansas City Kings, 100-90 at the Kemper Arena (now the Hy-Vee Arena) in Kansas City.

* The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Indiana Pacers, 111-105 at The Coliseum in the Cleveland suburb of Richfield, Ohio.

* And the Houston Rockets beat the Atlanta Hawks, 118-107 at The Summit in Houston. Rudy Tomjanovich, later to coach the Rockets to 2 NBA Championships, led all scorers on the night with 36 points. (The arena has since been converted into the Central Campus of the Lakewood Church, Dr. Joel Osteen's "megachurch.")

There were no games in the NHL, but there were 2 in the World Hockey Association. The Minnesota Fighting Saints beat the Indianapolis Racers, 5-3 at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. And the San Diego Mariners beat the Edmonton Oilers, 3-0 at the San Diego Sports Arena (now the Pechanga Arena).

December 10, 1984: The Mets Trade for Gary Carter

December 10, 1984: Having made some awful trades in their history, both before and after this day, the New York Mets make perhaps the best trade in their history.

It was nearly a reverse of their 1977 trade, sending their signature player, pitcher Tom Seaver, to the Cincinnati Reds for 4 players. This one sent 4 players to the Montreal Expos: 3rd baseman Hubie Brooks, catcher Mike Fitzgerald, outfielder Herm Winningham, and pitcher Floyd Youmans.

Brooks was popular among Met fans, and would continue to hit well in Montreal, making 2 All-Star Games. The other players were journeymen at best, basically designed to flesh the trade out, so it looked like the Expos were getting some talent beyond Brooks for Carter.

Carter, whose big smile and infectious enthusiasm got him nicknamed "The Kid" -- and whose propensity for self-promotion had gotten him the nickname "Camera Carter" -- was already considered Johnny Bench's successor as the best catcher in the National League, and only Carlton Fisk was an American League rival to the title of the best catcher in all of Major League Baseball.

The Mets had won the World Series in 1969, and the National League Pennant in 1973. As recently as 1976, they had finished a decent 3rd in the NL Eastern Division. Then they collapsed, due to mismanagement. They were sold in 1980, to Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon, and the rebuilding began.

In 1983, Darryl Strawberry was Rookie of the Year, and they traded for Keith Hernandez. In 1984, they hired Davey Johnson as manager, and they benefited from several young players coming into their own, including Brooks, none more so than pitcher Dwight Gooden. They finished 2nd, and the acquisition of Carter was a huge upgrade at a key position.

On Opening Day of the 1985 season, one day after his 31st birthday, Carter hit a home run -- off Neil Allen, 1 of the 2 pitchers the Mets had traded to get Hernandez -- in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Mets a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, before 46,781 rapturous fans at Shea Stadium. The love affair between the Met fans and the best catcher the franchise has ever had began.

As with Reggie Jackson, across town on the Yankees a few years earlier, he was in New York for only 5 seasons, but no one can say they were dull years. Most significantly, it was Carter's single that kept the Mets alive in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, leading to their 2nd title.

Gary Carter died in 2012. The Mets knew he was ill, and that he had already been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. They elected him to their team Hall of Fame. But they have never retired his Number 8. They gave it to Dave Gallagher in 1992, Carlos Baerga in 1997, and Desi Relaford in 2001, but no player since Relaford left that season. But it has not been officially retired.

*

December 10, 1984 was a Monday. Baseball was out of season. On ABC Monday Night Football, the Los Angeles Raiders beat the Detroit Lions, 24-3 at the Silverdome in the Detroit suburb of Pontiac, Michigan.

There was 1 game played in the NBA: The Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers, 104-98 at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.

And there were 2 games in the NHL. The New York Rangers beat the Los Angeles Kings, 4-2 at Madison Square Garden. And the Detroit Red Wings beat the Minnesota North Stars, 4-3 at the Metropolitan Sports Center in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota.

October 19, 1981: A Dodger Blue Monday

October 19, 1981: Game 5 of the National League Championship Series is played at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Rick Monday hits a solo home run with 2 out in the top of the 9th against Montreal's Steve Rogers, to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Expos, and a trip to the World Series.

The loss becomes known as Blue Monday, due to having been played in bitterly cold conditions in Montreal (the roof hadn't been finished yet), the Dodgers' uniforms being blue, and the day being a very sad (a.k.a. "blue") one for baseball fans in Quebec.

The Expos were within 1 run of reaching the World Series. They would never find that run. In fact, they would never play another postseason game before being moved out of town after the 2004 season. The story of that team is one of dashed hopes and awful losses, including, ultimately, the loss to the fans of the team itself.

In 2019, the Expos franchise beat the Dodgers to win the NL Division Series, and went on to appear in the World Series for the 1st time, and win it. But by this point, they were the Washington Nationals, so it did Montreal no good.

*

October 19, 1981, as I said, was a Monday. The New York Yankees had already clinched the American League Pennant, sweeping the Oakland Athletics in 3 games straight.

On ABC Monday Night Football, the Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears, 48-17 at the Silverdome in the Detroit suburb of Pontiac, Michigan.

The NBA season started 11 days later. There was 1 game played in the NHL: The Quebec Nordiques beat the Vancouver Canucks, 6-3 at the Colisée de Québec.

October 2, 1972: Luis Aparicio Trips

October 2, 1972: The Boston Red Sox begin a 3-game series with the Detroit Tigers at Tiger Stadium, which would decide the American League Eastern Division. Whoever wins 2 out of 3 will win it.

In the top of the 3rd, Carl Yastrzemski doubles off Mickey Lolich. Tommy Harper, who was on 3rd base, scores easily. Luis Aparicio, the legendary shortstop of the Chicago White Sox, was on 1st for the Red Sox and should score easily. And yet…

If you made a list of the Top 10 players in the history of baseball known for baserunning, Aparicio might be on that list. But, this time, he trips rounding 3rd, and has to hold there, and Yaz is thrown out trying to stretch his double to a triple. Reggie Smith then strikes out to end the inning. The game is tied 1-1, but should be at least 2-1 Red Sox.

The Tigers end up winning 4-1, the 22nd win of the season for Mickey Lolich. Carl Yastrzemski doubled home the Red Sox' only run. Al Kaline and Aurelio Rodriguez hit home runs for the Tigers.

The Tigers won the next night, to win the Division. The cancellation of some games in the 1st week of the season, due to Major League Baseball's 1st players' strike, games that were never made up, did not affect the National League, as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs by 11 games to win the Eastern Division, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Houston Astros by 10 1/2. Nor did it effect the AL West, as the Oakland Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox by 5 1/2 games.

But in the AL East, the Tigers finished 86-70, and the Red Sox finished 85-70, winning the title by half a game. By all rights, the Red Sox should have been allowed to make up the missing game. If they'd lost, the Tigers would have won, anyway. If they'd won, that would have forced a Playoff with the Tigers. Then again, given that the Red Sox lost a single-game Playoff in 1948, and would lose another in 1978, maybe they were better off not having one.

The Venezuelan Aparicio, at shortstop, at Nellie Fox, at 2nd base, not only formed a great double-play combination, but their baserunning skills led the team known as the "Go-Go Sox," and they won the Pennant in 1959. In 1966, Aparicio helped the Baltimore Orioles win their 1st Pennant and World Series. He played one more year with Boston after the game in question, and retired.

He made 13 All-Star Games, won 9 Gold Gloves, collected 2,677 hits, and stole 506 bases. In 1984, he became the 1st native of South America led to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

*

October 2, 1972 was a Monday. These other games were played in Major League Baseball that day:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-1 at Yankee Stadium. Ken Brett, brother of future Hall-of-Famer George, outpitched Steve Kline. Bobby Murcer hit a home run.

* A doubleheader was split at Jarry Park in Montreal. The Montreal Expos beat the New York Mets in the opener, 7-0. Bill Stoneman pitched his 2nd career no-hitter. It was far from a perfect game: He walked 7 batters.

The Mets won the 2nd game, 2-1. Dave Schneck singled Ed Kranepool home with the winning run in the top of the 9th inning. Willie Mays did not play in either game.

* The Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

* And the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins, 6-4 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Harmon Killebrew went 1-for-4 with a walk. Rod Carew 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

And on ABC Monday Night Football, the New York Giants beat their arch-rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-12 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

October 1, 1970: The Riotous Finale of Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium

October 1, 1970: Twenty years to the day after the greatest day in Phillies history thus far (and it would remain such for another 10 years), perhaps the darkest day in Phillies history takes place -- and this was in a win.

The Phils play the final game at Connie Mack Stadium, formerly Shibe Park, and the irony of playing the Montreal Expos, a team that only began in 1969, at a stadium that opened in 1909 is felt. The Phillies gave out commemorative seat slats, made of wood, which became not souvenirs, but clubs to hit people over the head.

A surviving slat. That P logo was in use from 1970 to 1991.

The game goes to 10 innings, and Oscar Gamble singles home Tim McCarver with the winning run, as the Phils win, 2-1. Before McCarver can cross the plate, fans are already storming the field, and they tear the stadium apart. The grass is torn up. The scoreboard and the advertising signs are ripped out. Seats are unscrewed. According to a story I read, a man described as "one muscular miscreant" went into the men's room, ripped out a toilet bowl, carried it out of the park, and toted it down Lehigh Avenue and into the Broad Street subway.

Somehow, home plate was saved from the crowd, and was installed the next year before Veterans Stadium opened.

Built in 1909 as Shibe Park, by Ben Shibe, owner of the American League's Philadelphia Athletics, the A's played there until 1954, after which they moved to Kansas City. The National League's Philadelphia Phillies, unable to maintain their nearby ballpark, Baker Bowl, anymore, moved into Shibe Park in the middle of the 1938 season. In 1953, in honor of the man who still owned the A's (at least, for another year) and managed them for 50 years (1901-50), it was renamed Connie Mack Stadium.

Phillies Hall-of-Famer Richie Ashburn once said, "It looked like a ballpark. It smelled like a ballpark. It had a feeling and a heartbeat, a personality that was all baseball." But as North Philadelphia incurred white flight, urban decay, and the 1964 race riot, the demand for a new ballpark intensified. The Vet was supposed to open in 1968, but delays pushed it back to 1971. It lasted until 2003. The following season, the Phillies moved into Citizens Bank Park.

After the Phillies moved out of Connie Mack Stadium, 587 seats were transferred 600 miles south to the Phillies' Class A team in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and installed in Duncan Park before the 1971 Western Carolinas League season. They make up nearly 1/5th of the 3,000 seats at that 3,000-seat ballpark. The Phillies had a farm team there from 1963 to 1994, but it has hosted only amateur baseball since 2005.

A fire gutted Connie Mack Stadium on August 20, 1971, and it sat derelict, as a homeless encampment and a site for drug deals, largely because the responsibility for tearing it down belonged to whoever owned it -- and, with the Phillies having sold it, no one was sure who owned it.

Phillies player Tony Taylor,

surveying what was left of his former home park, 1974.

Incredibly, the scoreboard clock still worked to the end.

Finally, Mayor Frank Rizzo, in his usual bombastic style, hired the Geppert Brothers demolition company, and told them, "Tear the fucking thing down!" They did.

The bell tower at the home plate entrance,

including Connie Mack's old office, was the last part to go.

When I first visited the Shibe site in 1987, it was an empty lot, and the only evidence that baseball had been played there for 62 seasons was a strip mall across 21st Street, with a store called The Phillies Pharmacy. In 1992, the Deliverance Evangelistic Church was built on the site. A historical marker now stands on Lehigh Avenue, telling of the glory days of the A's and the Phils.

Deliverance Evangelistic Church

The Phillies played at Veterans Stadium until 2003. Once again, home plate was moved to the new park, Citizens Bank Park. So it is possible that, in the 2022 season, the Philadelphia Phillies are using the same home plate that the Philadelphia Athletics were using in 1909.

*

October 1, 1970 was a Thursday. These other Major League Baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Mets lost to the Chicago Cubs, 4-1 at Shea Stadium. Ken Singleton hit 2 doubles for the Mets, but those were the only hits that Fergie Jenkins allowed, as he outpitched Jim McAndrew. Ernie Banks did not play. Thus ended the Mets' defense of their World Championship, a far cry from revenge for the Cubs, whom they victimized for the National League Eastern Division title the season before.

* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Washington Nationals, 3-2 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Frank Robinson went 1-for-3 with a home run. Brooks Robinson also went 1-for-3. Davey Johnson singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning, to make a winning pitcher of Jim Hardin, in relief of Jim Palmer.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Atlanta Braves, 4-1 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Pete Rose went 0-for-4. Johnny Bench went 0-for-3 with a walk. Hank Aaron hit his 592th career home run.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians, 1-0 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. John Hiller pitched a 2-hit shutout. Al Kaline did not play.

* The Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals, 4-0 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Jim Kaat pitched 7 innings and hit a home run, while Stan Williams and Ron Perranoski completed the 3-hit shutout. Harmon Killebrew went 0-for-2 before leaving the game. Rod Carew did not play.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-5 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Roberto Clemente did not play. Willie Stargell went 0-for-3. Lou Brock only appeared as a pinch-hitter, but got a hit. Joe Torre went 4-for-4 with 2 RBIs.

* The Houston Astros beat the San Francisco Giants, 5-4 at the Astrodome in Houston. Willie Mays went 2-for-4 with a walk.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres, 7-4 at San Diego Stadium (later Jack Murphy Stadium and Qualcomm Stadium).

* The California Angels beat the Chicago White Sox, 5-4 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). Bill Melton hit a home run for the White Sox in the top of the 13th inning, but un the bottom of the 13th, the Angels got a walk from Mickey Rivers, a game-tying double from Billy Cowan, a walk from Chico Ruiz, and a game-winning single from Mel Queen.

* The Oakland Athletics beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-4 at the Oakland Coliseum. Bobby Brooks won it with a home run in the bottom of the 9th. Reggie Jackson went 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs.

* The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox had ended their seasons against each other the day before, with the Yankees winning, 4-3 at Fenway Park. The Yankees won 93 games, their highest total between 1964 and 1976, but they finished 15 games behind the eventual World Champion Baltimore Orioles.

September 29, 2004: The End of the Montreal Expos

September 29, 2004: Although the announcement that the Montreal Expos were moving to Washington, D.C. to become the Washington Nationals next season was not a surprise, the timing of it was: On the morning of the Expos' last home game ever, turning the season finale into a French-Canadian wake.

The Expos went down quietly, losing 9-1 to, of all teams, the Florida Marlins, the team that Expos owner Jeffrey Loria was allowed to buy, and giving the Expos back to Major League Baseball, having stripped the franchise of pretty much its entire front office, and even its broadcast team, including Hall-of-Famer Dave Van Horne.

To make matters worse still, the winning pitcher for the Marlins was an Ex-Expo, Carl Pavano. The last Expos play was Terrmel Sledge, batting against Rudy Seanez, popping up to 3rd baseman Mike Mordecai. A crowd of 31,395 came to say Au revoir.

Just as the Expos' 1st game, on April 8, 1969, was away to the New York Mets at Shea Stadium, an 11-10 win, so, too, were their last 3 games at Shea, winning the 1st 2, but losing the last, 8-1 on October 3, 2004. The last active former Expos was Bartolo Colón, who pitched in the major leagues until 2018.

The Expos began play at Jarry Park, meant to be a temporary stadium only, in 1969. In 1973, despite a 79-83 record, they were only 3 1/2 games out of 1st place in the National League Eastern Division. They moved to the Olympic Stadium in 1977. They had a close call in 1981, losing the clinching Game 5 of the National League Championship Series by 1 run, and staying in the NL East race until the final weekend in 1979, 1980, 1987 and 1993.

They had the best record in MLB when the Strike of '94 hit. But the inadequacy of the Stadium, the U.S.-Canadian exchange rate, and Canada's taxes led (I won't say, "forced") ownership to trade away good players.

As of the 2022 election, there are 9 players in the Baseball Hall of Fame who played, however long, with the Expos. Lee Smith lasted only 1 season; Tony Pérez, 3. Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Larry Walker and Vladimir Guerrero were traded in their primes; Randy Johnson and Pedro Martínez, just as they were getting into theirs. Only Tim Raines could be called anything like an "Expos Hall-of-Famer," and even he was just 31 when he was let go.

Even in 2002 and 2003, despite the administrative nightmare, they were 83-79. But they couldn't hang on. They were basically a lame-duck team for 5 seasons, 2000 to 2004, awaiting the inevitable. And, while the team, as the Nationals, endured 7 bad seasons, they then had 8 good ones, including 5 trips to the Playoffs, ending that run by winning the 2019 World Series.

The Olympic Stadium has since held preseason games, involving Canada's remaining MLB team, the Toronto Blue Jays. The Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics have struggled in their bids to keep their fans and build new ballparks to replace inadequate stadiums. Still, it is unlikely that a new team -- expansion or moved -- will be placed in Montreal until the City, or the Province of Quebec, is will to spend the money to build a new ballpark there. And that's not going to happen anytime soon.

The Expos had a team Hall of Fame. The inductees were:

From their founding era, 1969 to 1980, but not the 1981 Division title: Manager Gene Mauch, 2nd baseman Ron Hunt, right fielder Daniel "Rusty" Staub, pitchers Claude Raymond (a Quebec native) and Bill Stoneman.

From the 1981 National League Eastern Division title: Founding owner Charles Bronfman, catcher Gary Carter, 1st baseman Warren Cromartie, shortstop Chris Speier, 3rd baseman Larry Parrish, left fielder Tim Raines, center fielder Andre Dawson, right fielder Tim Wallach (later mainly a 3rd baseman); pitchers Steve Rogers, Woodie Fryman, Bill Gullickson, Jeff Reardon; manager Jim Fanning, general manager John McHale; and broadcasters Dave Van Horne, Jean-Pierre Roy and Jacques Doucet.

From after that title: 1980s pitcher Tim Burke. They did not honor any players from their 1994 NL Eastern Division Champions, or from after that.

Bronfman, Raymond, Staub, Carter, Dawson, Raines, Rogers, Wallach, Fanning, McHale, Van Horne, Roy, Doucet have also been elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. So have pitchers Dennis Martínez, Rhéal Cormier and Pedro Martínez; and outfielders Larry Walker, Matt Stairs and Vladimir Guerrero Sr. Cormier, Walker and Stairs were Canadians.

*

September 29, 2004 was a Wednesday. These other Major League Baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Yankees swept a doubleheader from the Minnesota Twins, 5-3 and 5-4 at Yankee Stadium. The Yanks needed a 4-run 7th inning, including a home run by Hideki Matsui, to win the opener, and Paul Quantrill was the winning pitcher, in relief of Mike Mussina. He was followed in the 8th inning by Tom Gordon, and the 9th by Mariano Rivera. Quantrill, Gordon and "Mo" Rivera: This combination became known as "QuanGorMo." Johan Santana started for the Twins, but J.C. Romero was the losing pitcher.

Matsui homered again in the 2nd game, and Alex Rodriguez also homered. Jon Lieber was the winning pitcher. Over the 2 games, Derek Jeter went 4-for-9 with an RBI.

* The New York Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves, 6-3 at Turner Field (now Center Parc Stadium) in Atlanta.

* The Philadelphia Phillies swept a doubleheader from the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-4 and 8-3 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

* The Baltimore Orioles swept a doubleheader from the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-6 and 4-0 at Camden Yards in Baltimore. In the 2nd game, Rick Bauer -- not to be confused with Rich Dauer, an Oriole 2nd baseman of a previous generation -- pitched 6 innings of 3-hit shutout ball. It took 3 relievers to finish a 4-hit shutout.

* The Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the Boston Red Sox, 9-4 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The winning pitcher was Doug Waechter, and the losing pitcher was Pedro Martínez. David Ortiz went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 11-2 at Comerica Park in Detroit.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-3 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Austin Kearns hit a home run to win the game in the top of the 12th inning. Ken Griffey Jr. did not play.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals, 5-2 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

* The Anaheim Angels beat the Texas Rangers, 8-7 at The Ballpark (now Choctaw Stadium) in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. The Angels scored a run in the top of the 9th, then scored 2 runs in the top of the 11th, while the Rangers scored only 1 in the bottom half.

* The Houston Astros beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-4 at Minute Mark Park in Houston. Albert Pujols did not play.

* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-1 at Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field) in Phoenix.

* The San Diego Padres beat the San Francisco Giants, 4-3 at Petco Park in San Diego. Mark Loretta drove Kerry Robinson home with a sacrifice fly to win it in the bottom of the 10th. Barry Bonds went 0-for-3 with a walk.

* The Colorado Rockies the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-1 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

* And the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics, 4-2 at the Oakland Coliseum (then named the McAfee Coliseum).

September 28, 1995: The Switch-Pitcher

September 28, 1995: The Cincinnati Reds beat the Montreal Expos, 9-7 at the Olympic Stadium Montreal. Former Met Pete Schourek is the winning pitcher, Pedro Martínez the loser. But neither has the most notable pitching feat in this game.

Greg Harris, who had debuted with the New York Mets in 1981, reached the postseason with the 1984 San Diego Padres and the 1990 Boston Red Sox, had never been especially remarkable, aside from having pitched in the majors at the same time as a pitcher with the same name. That one tended to be identified as "Greg W. Harris," while the subject of this post was called "Greg A. Harris."

(It could have been worse: At least they were never teammates. In their expansion year of 1962, the New York Mets had 2 pitchers named Bob Miller, and they roomed together. When the phone would ring, whoever picked up would say, "Hello, Bob Miller here.")

On this day, approaching his 40th birthday, Greg A. Harris closed his career with something he'd wanted to try for a while. Naturally a righthanded pitcher, he had a special glove made so that he could switch hands, and try pitching lefthanded. With the Expos out of the race, he was allowed to try.

In the 9th inning, throwing righthanded, he retired Reggie Sanders. Then, lefthanded, he walked Hal Morris, and got Ed Taubensee to ground out. Finally, righthanded, he got Bret Boone to ground back to him. Thus did he become the 1st switch-pitcher in a regular-season game since Tony Mullane in 1894, 101 years earlier. He donated the glove to the Baseball Hall of Fame, which now has it on display.

Greg A. Harris finished with a record of 74-90, 54 saves, and a 3.69 ERA.

*

September 28, 1995 was a Thursday. These 6 other games were played in Major League Baseball:

* The Chicago Cubs beat the Houston Astros, 12-11 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Each team scored a run in the 10th inning. The Astros scored a run in the top of the 11th, but singles by Scott Bullett and Mark Parent won it for the Cubs in the bottom of the 11th.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 11-6 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Roger Clemens was the winning pitcher.

* The Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox, 4-0 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Mark Gubicza pitched a 4-hit shutout.

* The San Franscisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies, 12-4 at Coors Field in Denver. Barry Bonds, Matt Williams and Rich Aurilia hit home runs.

* The Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers, 6-2 at The Ballpark (now Choctaw Stadium) in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. Ken Griffey Jr. hit a grand slam, and Jay Buhner also homered.

* And the California Angels beat the Oakland Athletics, 4-1 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim).

September 27, 1998: McGwire Hits Numbers 69 & 70

September 27, 1998: It is the last day of Major League Baseball's regular season, and it has been one of the greatest regular seasons of all time. The biggest story was the home run record chase, with Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals, Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs, and Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners all pursuing the single-season record of 61, set by Roger Maris of the New York Yankees in 1961.

Griffey did not surpass it, finishing with 56. McGwire and Sosa both did, with Sosa reaching 66 on September 25, but he would get no more. That day, McGwire hit his 66th. On September 26, in the next-to-last game, McGwire hit his 67th and his 68th.

On this day, against the Montreal Expos at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, McGwire came to bat in the bottom of the 3rd, and hit one of his occasional very long drives, for his 69th home run of the season. In the bottom of the 7th, with Joe McEwing on 3rd base and J.D. Drew on 1st, McGwire hit another drive well over the left field fence, for his 70th home runs of the season, finalizing the new record. For 3 years, anyway. The Cardinals won, the game, 6-3.

For years, baseball fans wondered if 62 home runs was possible. A single-season total of 70, or even 66, didn't seem possible. It seemed like science fiction. And, as it turned out, it was both science and fiction.

Seeing the 70th homer, Cardinals broadcast Joe Buck asked, "How much more can you give us, Big Mac?" Eventually, he gave us what we deserved: The truth.

At the time, who knew he was cheating? And of those who knew, who cared? The Missouri legislature named the St. Louis portion of Interstate 70 the Mark McGwire Highway. When he was exposed as a cheat, the legislature renamed it the Mark Twain Highway. At least they only had to change part of the signs.

On the same day, the Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 8-3 at Yankee Stadium. They closed the season with a 7-game winning streak, and a record of 114-48, the most wins in American League history -- but, like McGwire's "record," this record would also be broken in 2001.

As for New York's other team: The New York Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves, 7-2 at Turner Field (now Center Parc Stadium) in Atlanta. While they couldn't catch the Braves for the National League Eastern Division title, the Mets only needed to win 1 of their last 5 games to win the NL's Wild Card berth. They lost all 5, and Sosa's Cubs and the San Francisco Giants finished in a tie for that berth. They would play a Playoff game. A classic Mets choke.

*

September 27, 1998 was a Sunday. These other Major League Baseball games were played:

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles, 6-4 at Fenway Park in Boston. Cal Ripken struck out in his 1st plate appearance, and was then replaced. What the heck, his streak had ended a week earlier.

* A doubleheader was split at Pro Player Stadium (now Hard Rock Stadium) in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Florida Marlins won the opener, 6-5. The Philadelphia Phillies won the nightcap, 7-3.

* The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers, 2-1 at the SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre) in Toronto.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-1 at Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront Stadium) in Cincinnati.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals, 7-6 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

* The Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Indians, 6-2 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

* The Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-3 at the Astrodome in Houston. Richard Hialdo hit a sacrifice fly to score Carl Everett with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning. Sosa went 2-for-5 with an RBI, but did not hit a home run.

* The Colorado Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants, 9-8 at Coors Field in Denver. For the Giants, Joe Carter hit a home run, the 396th of his career. It was the last, as he was retiring. Barry Bonds went 2-for-5 with an RBI, and did not hit a home run, finishing the season with 37. He became jealous of the attention that McGwire, Sosa and Griffey were getting for pursuing the home run record, so he began using steroids.

* The San Diego Padres beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-2 at Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field) in Phoenix. Tony Gwynn went 2-for-4.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 2-1 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

* The Anaheim Angels beat the Oakland Athletics, 4-2 at the Network Associates Coliseum (as the Oakland Coliseum was then known). Rickey Henderson went 0-for-2 before being replaced.

* The Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners, 12-6 at the Kingdome in Seattle. Griffey went 1-for-2 before being replaced.

It was also an NFL Sunday, and these games were played:

* The New York Giants beat the San Diego Chargers, 34-16 at Qualcomm Stadium (formerly San Diego Stadium and Jack Murphy Stadium).

* The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

* The Denver Broncos beat the Washington Redskins, 38-16 at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium (now Northwest Stadium) in the Washington suburb of Landover, Maryland.

* The Baltimore Ravens beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 31-24 at Ravens Stadium (now M&T Bank Stadium) in Baltimore.

* The Green Bay Packers beat the Carolina Panthers, 37-30 at Ericsson Stadium (now Bank of America Stadium) in Charlotte, North Carolina.

* The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Oilers, 27-22 at Vanderbilt Stadium (now FirstBank Stadium) in Nashville.

* The Oakland Raiders beat the Dallas Cowboys, 13-12 at Texas Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas.

* The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks, 13-10 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

* The New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts, 19-13 at the RCA Dome (formerly the Hoosier Dome) in Indianapolis.

* The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears, 31-28 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

* The Arizona Cardinals beat the St. Louis Rams, 20-17 at the Trans World Dome (now The Dome at America’s Center) in St. Louis.

* The San Francisco 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons, 31-20 at 3Com Park (as Candlestick Park was then known) in San Francisco.

* The next night, on ABC Monday Night Football, the Detroit Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-6 at the Silverdome in the Detroit suburb of Pontiac, Michigan.

* And the New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots all had a bye week.

September 25, 1998: Sammy Sosa Is Briefly the Single-Season Home Run Leader

September 25, 1998: The New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 6-1 at Yankee Stadium. Orlando "El Duque" Hernández outpitched former Yankee Dave Eiland. Derek Jeter went 2-for-4. It is the Bronx Bombers' 112th win of the season, a new American League record – which stands for just 3 years.

But that's not the biggest baseball story of the day. Sammy Sosa hits his 66th home run of the season in the Chicago Cubs' 6-2 loss to the Houston Astros at the Astrodome in Houston. Making him the lone all-time single-season record-holder…

For a few minutes. Mark McGwire then hits his 66th at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, providing the margin of victory in the St. Louis Cardinals' 6-5 win over the Montreal Expos. J.D. Drew hit 2 home runs for the Cardinals.

McGwire and Sosa, and also Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners, had been going back and forth as leaders in the home run race, with the threat of breaking the single-season record of 61 set by Roger Maris in 1961. On this night, Griffey hit his 56th, going 2-for-4 with 5 RBIs. The Mariners beat the Texas Rangers, 15-4 at the Kingdome in Seattle, despite 2 homers from Lee Stevens. But 56, which Griffey had also hit the season before, would be his limit.

McGwire hit his 62nd on September 8, while Sosa had 59. Sosa caught McGwire, but couldn't seem to get ahead of him. Until this night, however briefly.

Of course, now we know that any record that either of McGwire or Sosa set was bogus, set because of performance-enhancing drugs. But at the time, either we didn't know... or we didn't care.

*

September 25, 1998 was a Friday. These other Major League Baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves, 6-5 at Turner Field (now Center Parc Stadium) in Atlanta. Dennis Martínez was the winning pitcher, in relief of Bruce Chen. Rick Reed was the losing pitcher. Andruw Jones and Keith Lockhart hit home runs.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles, 8-3 at Fenway Park in Boston. Cal Ripken went 1-for-3.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-5 at the SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre) in Toronto.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-1 at Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront Stadium) in Cincinnati.

* The Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Indians, 5-4 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals, 3-0 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Mike Sirotka had a 4-hit shutout, but Bob Howry had to get the last 2 outs.

* The San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies, 8-6 at Coors Field in Denver. Barry Bonds went 1-for-6 with an RBI. He finished the season with 37 home runs. He thought he was the best player in baseball at the time, and maybe he was. But he was jealous of all the attention given to McGwire, Sosa, and Griffey. So he began to use steroids, enabling him to set new home runs records, both for a single season, 73 in 2001, and in a career, 762.

* The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres, 6-3 at Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field) in Phoenix. Uncharacteristically, Tony Gwynn went 0-for-3, and was replaced in right field by Steve Finley, who got a hit in his only time at bat.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-2 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

* And the Oakland Athletics beat the Anaheim Angels, 7-2 at the Network Associates Coliseum (as the Oakland Coliseum was then known). Kenny Rogers went the distance for the win. No "Coward of the County," he.

And in New Jersey high school football, my Alma Mater, East Brunswick, beat J.P. Stevens of Edison, 7-6 at Jay Doyle Field in East Brunswick.

September 25, 1973: Willie Mays Night

September 25, 1973: Willie Mays Night is held at Shea Stadium. Mays had announced his retirement, although he would play in the postseason.

Starting with the New York Giants in 1951, Mays had become one of the most beloved players in baseball history. The Giants' move to San Francisco after the 1957 season did not diminish the esteem in which New Yorkers held him. When the Giants would come to play the Mets starting in 1962, first at the Polo Grounds, and from 1964 onward at Shea, there would always be a big crowd to cheer him. And when the Mets traded for him early in the 1972 season, it was a joyful occasion.

But in 1973, he was 42. A career that saw him collect 3,283 hits, including 660 home runs, and win 12 Gold Gloves (and he would have won more, but they only started in 1957), was clearly coming to an end. And he didn't get along with Met manager Yogi Berra, himself a legend from a different New York baseball team (the Yankees).

And so, on September 20, Mays announced his retirement on NBC's The Today Show, and later held a press conference at Shea, where he said, "When you're 42 and hitting .211, it's no fun. I just feel that the people of America shouldn't have to see a guy play who can't produce."

The Night was set up. Why they did it on a Tuesday night instead of a weekend afternoon, who knows. It's the Mets: Even in a season when they won the Pennant, the organization wasn't all that smart.

When he was introduced, the crowd applauded him for 6 minutes, as the scoreboard lit up with "SO LONG, YES; GOODBYE, NEVER.:

Mays was presented with numerous gifts. Golf clubs, his-and-hers snowmobiles, lifetime supplies of records, scotch, and champagne, two trips, and enough clothing for him and his wife, Mae, to fill up several closets.

Giants owner Horace Stoneham gave him a Mercedes-Benz. Former Giant teammates Bobby Thomson and Dusty Rhodes came. So did former Brooklyn Dodger rivals Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider. So did Larry Doby and Joe Black, who had barnstormed with Mays early in his career. So did earlier stars Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musial.

"This is a very sad night for me," Mays said. "I may not look it, but in my heart, I'm sad, because I hear you cheering for me, and I am unable to do anything for you. I look at the kids over here, and they are playing, and they are fighting for themselves. Tells me one thing: 'Willie, say goodbye to America.'"

And there was a game, and the Mets beat the Montreal Expos, 2-1. Jerry Koosman outpitched Steve Rogers, and Cleon Jones hit a home run.

Mays would play in the postseason, but looked every bit his 42 years. A shoulder injury to Rusty Staub prompted the Mets to shift Don Hahn to right field, and start Mays in center at the start of the World Series. He stumbled 4 times in the 1st 2 games, including a fielding error in Game 2 that allowed the Oakland Athletics to tie the game and force extra innings. Mays' last hit came later in the same game, an RBI single against Rollie Fingers that snapped a 7–7 tie in the 12th inning of a 10–7 victory.

His final at-bat came in Game 3, on October 16, 1973, where he pinch-hit for Tug McGraw. Batting against Paul Lindblad, he grounded into a force play, shortstop Bert Campaneris to 2nd baseman Dick Green. The Mets lost the Series in 7 games.

Mets team owner Joan Payson said that no Met would ever again wear Mays' Number 24. Previously, it had been given to Bob Miller in 1962, Jerry Hinsley in 1964, Johnny Lewis in 1965, Ed Charles (who switched to 5) and then Ken Boswell (who switched to 12) in 1967, Art Shamsky in 1968, and Jim Beauchamp earlier in 1972.

But in 1990, Mets equipment manager Charlie Samuels made the mistake of giving 24 to Kelvin Torve, a weak-hitting call-up at 1st base. It was bad enough that he was trying to replace the beloved Keith Hernandez at 1st base, but trying it while wearing Willie Mays' number got him mercilessly booed, through no fault of his own. After a few days, Samuels gave Torve Number 39, but he didn't last.

In 1999, the Mets acquired Rickey Henderson, who had worn 24 for most of his career, as a tribute to Mays. He wanted it again. Despite a strong season, he was never popular among his Met teammates and fans, and was released early in 2000. The number remained unworn again until Robinson Canó arrived in 2019, and wore it through 2022.

Finally, on August 27, 2022, at an Old-Timers Day celebrating the Mets' 60th Anniversary, the Mets finally gave Number 24 an official retirement ceremony. Michael Mays read a statement from his ailing father. (UPDATE: Willie Mays died on June 18, 2024. He was 93 years old.)

*

September 25, 1973, as I said, was a Tuesday. These other Major League Baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-2 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Pedro García singled Wilbur Howard home with the winning run off Lindy McDaniel in the bottom of the 13th inning. McDaniel had pitched 4 1/3rd innings, in relief of Fritz Peterson. Ron Blomberg and Mike Hegan each got 3 hits.

In the off-season, the Yankees traded McDaniel to the Kansas City Royals for Lou Piniella, a trade that worked out very well for both teams. Early the next season, they traded Peterson and 3 other pitchers to the Cleveland Indians for Chris Chambliss, Dick Tidrow and Cecil Upshaw, a trade that worked out very well only for the Yankees.

* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers, 8-3 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Brooks Robinson, then 36 years old, went 1-for-2 with a walk before being removed. Al Kaline, then 38, dod not play.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves, 5-1 at Atlanta Stadium (later Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium). Don Sutton outpitched Phil Niekro. Hank Aaron went 0-for-4, and remained at 712 career home runs. He had surpassed Mays for 2nd on the all-time list the season before, and, 3 years younger, was still a major power hitter. He needed 2 more to catch Babe Ruth.

* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-1 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. It was "Win Day," as Steve Carlton was pitching, and he outpitched Jim Rooker. The Phils' runs came on solo home runs by Mike Anderson and future Pirate Bill Robinson. Rookie Mike Schmidt went 0-for-4. Willie Stargell went 1-for-4.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians, 3-2 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Carl Yastrzemski went 1-for-3 with a walk.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the San Diego Padres, 3-2 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Pete Rose went 2-for-4. Johnny Bench did not play. Nor did Padre rookie Dave Winfield.

* The Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox, 6-2 at Comiskey Park in Chicago.

* The Chicago Cubs beat their arch-rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Fergie Jenkins outpitched Alan Foster. Ted Simmons hit a home run, and Lou Brock went 1-for-4.

* The Houston Astros beat the San Francisco Giants, 5-1 at the Astrodome in Houston.

* The Texas Rangers beat the California Angels, 4-1 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim).

* And the Minnesota Twins beat the Oakland Athletics, 9-4 at the Oakland Coliseum. Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva and Mike Adams hit home runs. Rod Carew went 3-for-5. For the A's, Gene Tenace and Sal Bando hit home runs. Reggie Jackson went 0-for-3 with a walk.