On May 24, 1964, Harmon Killebew hit the longest home run in Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. Killebrew’s blast of 471 feet was hit to left centerfield off pitcher Milt Pappas. It was a two-run home run, also scoring Jimmie Hall.
Baltimore beat the Twins that day, 7-6.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-Chris R. Vaccaro
In sticking with our own #PirateMemories campaign, we came up with some of our own favorite moments in team history. There are dozens, but we’ve narrowed it down to five, some obvious, some you may have forgotten about.
Clemente’s final hit: This one is a no-brainer and one of the most memorable moments in baseball history since Roberto Clemente reached the 3,000-hit plateau on Sept. 30, 1972 and died a few months later in a plane crash. The hit, a double in the fourth inning against the New York Mets, was the final one of his career.
Maz wins it all: Bill Mazeroski hit one of the most historic home runs baseball will ever see. His dinger in the bottom of the ninth inning in the seventh game of the 1960 World Series led Pittsburgh to victory over the New York Yankees.
Pirates their first WS: No one remembers 1909 season - if you do, call us - but Pirates fans can hang onto the history as it marked their first World Series title. Beating the Detroit Tigers in Game 7, 8-0, the Pirates were lead by pitcher Babe Adams, who pitched a complete game.
Stargell lifts Pirates: Willie Stargell’s two-run home run in the sixth inning of Game 7 during the 1979 World Series gave the Pirates the go-ahead and eventual game-winning runs. Pittsburgh beat Baltimore that season.
Maddox throws no-no: Another old-school moment from the early 1900s … Nick Maddox threw the first no-hitter in Pirates history on Sept. 20, 1907. The Pirates beat the Brooklyn Superbas, 2-1. Other Pirates no-hitters belong to Cliff Chambers (1951), Bob Moose (1969), Dock Ellis (1970), John Candelaria (1976) and Francisco Cordova/Ricardo Rincon (1997).
Want to win Pirates tickets? Learn more about how you can submit your favorite #PirateMemories to @ToppsPennant on Twitter: Pennant.Topps.com/Pirates.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-Chris R. Vaccaro
On May 11, 1963, Sandy Koufax threw a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants.
This gem was the second of four no-hitters he threw in his career for the Dodgers, who went on to win the World Series later that season.
Los Angeles beat the Giants 8-0 that day and Koufax registered four strikeouts and two walks in the win.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.
-Chris R. Vaccaro
When the Orioles traded reliever Koji Uehara to the Rangers for Chris Davis in 2009, they didnt expect a reliever in return. Davis, normally a designated hitter, started the game in the batter’s box and ended pitching two innings to earn the win against the Red Sox in a 17-inning contest.
Davis didn’t help with his bat, going 0-for-8 with five strikeouts, but he played the hero role in his two innings of scoreless relief from the mound.
According to Elias, since the major leagues began keeping track of strikeouts by batters in 1910, only eight other players struck out five times in a game in which they went into the books as the winning pitcher; the most recent among them was Ted Lilly for the Cubs on June 30, 2008 (at San Francisco). That list includes two Hall of Famers: Lefty Grove for the Philadelphia Athletics (June 10, 1933 vs. the Yankees) and Pittsburgh’s Bert Blyleven (July 27, 1979 at Montreal).
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.
-Chris R. Vaccaro
Today Bob Watson is known as the chief disciplinarian of Major League Baseball, but in the 1970s he was a ball player. On May 4, 1975, he had the honor of scoring the one millionth run in Major League Baseball history.
At Candlestick Park against the Giants, Watson scored when Milt May hit a three-run home rum for the Astros.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.
-Chris R. Vaccaro
In keeping with the no-hitter theme thanks to Jered Weaver’s history on May 2, today’s look back moment for May 3 happens to be Francisco Liriano’s no-hitter from 2011.
Liriano had pitched six years in the majors, but did not throw a complete game until his no-no at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.
Liriano escaped no runs and no hits in the 1-0 win against the White Sox, but also walked six batters, while striking out two in the win.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.
-Chris R. Vaccaro
As if Philip Humber’s perfect game last month wasn’t enough baseball history to start the 2012 season, Jered Weaver went and pitched a gem, recording the 10th no-hitter in Angels history on Wednesday, May 2.
Backed by the support of his team, who put up 15 hits in the victory, Weaver’s only gaff on an otherwise perfect night was a walk to Josh Willingham in the seventh inning.
Weaver did strike out nine batters, and according to the Angels, started ahead on 16 of the hitters he faced.
Here are some things you might not have heard in relation to Weaver’s no-no:
Here’s a look at the complete list of Angels no-hitters (graphic from Angels/MLB):
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.
-Chris R. Vaccaro
On May 2, 1995, former Seton Hall teammates Mo Vaughn and John Valentin hit grand slams in consecutive innings for the Boston Red Sox in an 8-0 victory over the Yankees in the Bronx.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.
-Chris R. Vaccaro
We suspect this will be a lot harder in future months, but we had it made when Philip Humber threw a perfect game.
Each month we’ll highlight a “box score of the month” with either a unique historic or statistical angle.
In honor of Humber’s gem - the 21st perfect game in Major League history - he gets the nod this month.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.
-Chris R. Vaccaro
On April 30, 1997, Mark McGwire took the term home run blast to another level when he hit a monster shot at Jacobs Field in Cleveland.
According to reports, the homer would have traveled 533 feet if it was not impeded by the stadium itself.
Oakland won the game, 11-9, and Jason Giambi scored on the two-run McGwire homer.
To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.
-Chris R. Vaccaro
