October 21

The following are the events that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball.

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1900s-1960sEdit

• 1925 - Marv Goodwin, a former pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals who joined the Cincinnati Reds at the end of the season, is killed in a plane he was piloting. At age 34, Goodwin is the first active player to die from injuries sustained in an airplane crash. Goodwin was one of the original spitballers who was "grandfathered."

• 1934 - An All-Star team led by Babe Ruth and Connie Mack sails on tour to Hawaii and Japan. Players with wives include Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Charlie Gehringer, Lefty Gómez, Earl Averill and Lefty O'Doul.

• 1957:
  • The Giants purchase the Class-A Phoenix Seals team and will convince the Pacific Coast League to accept Phoenix as a location for the Seals.
  • The Washington Senators reject the initial overtures of Minneapolis-St. Paul cities to move the team there.

• 1958 - Pitcher Kazuhisa Inao posts his fourth consecutive win in the Japan Series to bring the Nishitetsu Lions to a dramatic victory after losing the first three games to the Yomiuri Giants.

• 1959:
  • The Players Association approves two All-Star Games in 1960, to be held at Kansas City Municipal Stadium and New York Yankee Stadium. The players would like to have them within four days of each other.
  • Branch Rickey launched another effort to form a third major league, the Continental League. Rickey says that Buffalo, Montreal, Atlanta and Dallas-Ft. Worth are still in the running for the remaining two franchises.

• 1964 - After just 11 years in Milwaukee, the Braves Board of Directors votes to ask the National League for permission to move to Atlanta. Milwaukee County officials sue to block the move.

• 1968:
  • The Montreal Expos purchase third baseman Bob Bailey from the Dodgers.
  • After two seasons with the Boston Red Sox, All-Star catcher Elston Howard announces his retirement.

1970sEdit

• 1972 - The Cincinnati Reds send the World Series to its seventh game with an 8–1 victory over the Oakland Athletics in Game Six – the only one of the Series decided by more than one run. Johnny Bench has a home run and Bobby Tolan and César Gerónimo each drive in two runs.

• 1973 - Bert Campaneris and Reggie Jackson hit two-run home runs in the third inning as the Oakland Athletics defeated the New York Mets, 5–2, in Game Seven of the World Series, for their second straight World Championship .

• 1975 - Carlton Fisk broke up one of the best games in World Series history with a home run in the 12th inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 7–6 victory against the Cincinnati Reds, forcing a seventh game.

• 1976 - With a 7–2 victory, the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series completing a four-game sweep of the Yankees. It was the Reds' second straight World Championship. Johnny Bench hit two home runs for five RBI. He finished with a .533 batting average and was named Series MVP. Yankees catcher Thurman Munson had six straight singles to tie a WS mark. Cincinnati also became the first team ever to go through an entire LCS and WS without a defeat.

1980sEdit

• 1980 - The Philadelphia Phillies became World Series champions for the first time in their 98-year history with a 4–1 triumph over the Kansas City Royals in Game Six.

• 1981 - At Yankee Stadium, New York shuts out the Dodgers in the World Series. Starter Tommy John and closer Goose Gossage gets the credit for the four-hit 3–0 victory as New York lead the Series 2-0.

• 1986 - After losing the first two World Series games at home, the New York Mets beat the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, 7–1, as pitcher Bob Ojeda beat his old team. Lenny Dykstra's first inning home run marks the third time in history in which the Mets lead off hitter has homered in the initial inning of Game Three of the World Series. The feat was also accomplished by Tommie Agee (1969) and Wayne Garrett (1973).

• 1987 - With the help of a three-run home run by the unlikely Tom Lawless, the St. Louis Cardinals evens the World Series with a 7–2 win over the Minnesota Twins in Game Four.

1990sEdit

• 1992 - In Game Four, the Toronto Blue Jays takes a 3-1 lead in the World Series with a 2–1 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Pitcher Jimmy Key gets the victory and catcher Pat Borders hit a home run. It marks a record 10 straight post season games in which Toronto has hit a home run.

• 1993 - The night after Toronto wins a 15-14 slugfest, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling outduels Juan Guzmán, 2–0, in Game Five to send the World Series back to Toronto. Schilling also becomes the first Phillies pitcher to throws a shutout in the Series.

• 1995 - Atlanta beat Cleveland, 3–2, in Game One of the World Series behind star pitcher Greg Maddux. Fred McGriff homers for Atlanta, while Kenny Lofton of Cleveland becomes the first player since 1921 to steal two bases in one inning of a Series game. The two teams combine for only five hits, tying a WS record for fewest hits by both clubs.

• 1996 - Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves holds the New York Yankees to six hits in eight innings and Fred McGriff drives in three runs in a 4–0 win in Game Two of the World Series.

• 1997 - In a slugfest, the Florida Marlins plate seven runs in the ninth inning to outscore the Cleveland Indians, 14–11, and take Game Three of the World Series. Gary Sheffield has five RBI for Florida on three hits, including a double and home run. Darren Daulton and Jim Eisenreich also homer for the Marlins, while Jim Thome connects for Cleveland.

• 1998 - The New York Yankees closed out their historic season with 3–0 victory against the San Diego Padres, sweeping San Diego in four games to win their record 24th World Series championship. Andy Pettitte gets the victory, and Scott Brosius is named Series MVP. The Game Four victory gave the Yankees 125 wins against 50 losses for a .714 winning percentage, the best in the majors since their Murderers' Row club of 1927, as their American League record of 114 regular-season victories were the most ever for a major league champion team.

2000sEdit

• 2000 - The Yankees defeat the Mets 4–3, in 12 innings, in Game One of the World Series. The longest game in World Series history (4 hours, 51 minutes) is ended on José Vizcaíno' single which drives home Tino Martinez. It is Vizcaíno's fourth hit of the night. The Mets lead, 3-2, going into the ninth, but reliever Armando Benítez surrenders the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Chuck Knoblauch. The victory is the Yankees 13th in a row in Series play for a new record. Todd Pratt of the Mets ties a Series record by being hit by pitches two times.

• 2001:
  • Randy Johnson and the Arizona Diamondbacks defeat the Atlanta Braves, 3–2, to win the National League Championship Series and reach the World Series for the first time in their history. Arizona get to the Series faster than any expansion team in history, doing so in the fourth year of their existence. Erubiel Durazo's pinch-hit two-run home run is the key blow. Craig Counsell is named the NLCS MVP.
  • The New York Yankees take a 3-1 lead in their American League Championship Series matchup with the Seattle Mariners, defeating Seattle by a score of 3–1. Bret Boone's eighth inning home run broke a scoreless tie, but Bernie Williams hits a home run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the score. New York wins on Alfonso Soriano's two-run homer in the ninth and Mariano Rivera gets the victory in relief.

• 2003 - At Pro Player Stadium, the New York Yankees defeat the Florida Marlins 6–1 in Game Three of the World Series. Bret Boone and Bernie Williams hits home runs for the Yankees as Mike Mussina is the winning pitcher with help of Mariano Rivera in relief. Josh Beckett is the loser. The Yankees lead the Series 2-1.

BirthsEdit

• 1909 - Big Bill Lee, All-Star pitcher (d. 1997)
• 1926 - Whitey Ford, Hall of Fame pitcher
• 1933 - Johnny Goryl, player and manager
• 1948 - Bill Russell, All-Star infielder and manager
• 1959 - George Bell, All-Star outfielder
• 1960 - Franklin Stubbs, infielder
• 1967 - John Flaherty, catcher
• 1975 - Toby Hall, catcher
• 1979 - Khalil Greene, infielder
• 1979 - Gabe Gross, outfielder
• 1983 - Zack Greinke, pitcher

DeathsEdit

• 1891 - Ed Daily, pitcher and outfielder pioneer (b. 1862)
• 1925 - Marv Goodwin, pitcher (b. 1891)
• 1995 - Vada Pinson, All-Star outfielder (b. 1938)
• 1997 - Dolph Camilli, All-Star infielder (b. 1907)