June 28, 1969: Dodgers teach Padres pitcher that spring training does matter
It was June 28, 1969. The San Diego Padres were about halfway…
June 29, 1969: Fergie Jenkins outduels Bob Gibson on Billy Williams Day as Cubs star ties NL consecutive-games mark
On a day “ball players dream about,” wrote Bill Gleason of…
June 29, 1969: Tony Oliva’s 5-for-5 and two home runs lead Twins to doubleheader split
“There is no prettier sight in baseball than watching Oliva,…
July 4, 1969: Fergie Jenkins tosses extra-inning gem to beat Bob Gibson, Cardinals
“You won’t see two better pitchers in your whole life than…
July 4, 1969: Early fireworks doom A’s in big series opener vs. Twins
It was a hot, humid Independence Day in Bloomington, Minnesota.…
July 6, 1969: Harmon Killebrew does it again with game-winning homer to defeat A’s, 7-6
Harmon “Killer” Killebrew lived up to his name on this Fourth…
July 6, 1969: Don’t blink: Gary Waslewski’s 1-hitter sets record for shortest Expos game
The Montreal Expos achieved all kinds of distinctions in their…
July 9, 1969: Tom Seaver’s near-perfect game
The atmosphere was positively electric at Shea Stadium on the…
July 11, 1969: Royals come back three times to defeat White Sox
Two teams with losing records and subpar pitching staffs slugged…
July 14, 1969: Private First Class Bill Stoneman shuts out Pirates at Jarry Park
At 6:30 A.M. on July 14, 1969, Bill Stoneman was a private first…
July 14, 1969: ‘What a Baseball Manager Does’: Nats’ Joe Coleman shuts out Tigers
The summer of 1969 was a loud summer, but the loudest blast was…
July 15, 1969: May Day: Lee May hits four home runs in doubleheader
There was bad blood between the second-place Atlanta Braves (51-39)…
July 16, 1969: Willie Stargell’s 495-foot blast triggers Pirates’ comeback, christens ‘La Piscine de Willie’
On the morning of July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft was…
July 19, 1969: Ain’t no mountain high enough: Reds overcome 9-run deficit to beat Astros
Of the Cincinnati Reds’ 18 extra-inning games in 1969, none…
July 19, 1969: Jim Bouton ‘creamed’ in only start for the Seattle Pilots, as Minnesota Twins win in 18 innings
As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Jim Bouton…
July 20, 1969: Yankees win an ordinary game on an ordinary day on Planet Earth
Astronaut Neil Armstrong sets foot on the surface of the moon…
July 23, 1969: Willie McCovey’s two homers power National League to All-Star win
“But the first time Howard came to bat … he hit a ball that…
July 25, 1969: Maine gets a glimpse of Mets’ ‘miracle’
It was an unusual news story in a summer full of them. In the…
July 27, 1969: Orioles blast White Sox, setting team hits, total bases, and runs records
Frank Robinson’s solo home run in the first inning was all…
July 27, 1969: Eighteen pitchers see duty during 20-inning Red Sox-Pilots battle
In their one-season history (1969) as an American League expansion…
July 28, 1969: Cubs earn improbable victory over Juan Marichal and Giants
A small crowd headed to Wrigley Field in Chicago on Monday, July…
July 30, 1969: Astros’ Menke, Wynn hit grand slams in same inning
A paid crowd1 of 28,922 settled in to watch a scheduled doubleheader…
August 3, 1969: Reese pinch-hit slam ends McNally’s streak
Rich Reese had a .322 batting average in 1969 for the Minnesota…
August 3, 1969: The birth of the Big Red Machine
The Philadelphia Phillies could not have picked a better day…