1912: Pitcher Earns 19 Consecutive Win
Rube Marquard, a 25-year-old New York Giants pitcher at the time, records his 19th consecutive win on the season. This one came at the Polo Grounds against the Brooklyn Dodgers where the Giants won 2-1. Marquard finished the season with 26 wins, three more than his teammate Christy Mathewson had. The Hall of Fame committee voted Marquard into the Hall in 1971.
1947 and 1994: Larry Doby History
In 1947, the Cleveland Indians purchased Larry Doby from the Newark Eagles. This is a great accomplishment for baseball because Doby became the first black man to play in the American League. Two days later, the 22-year-old rookie made his debut by pinch-hitting against Chicago.
In 1994, the Cleveland Indians retired Doby’s no. 14 jersey. The ceremony is held exactly 47 years after the Indians purchased Doby in 1947. In 1998, Larry Doby was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
2002 and 2010: Jim Thome
In 2002, Jim Thome played in an 11-8 loss against the New York Yankees. However, Thome took David Wells deep in the seventh inning for his seventh consecutive game with a homer. This streak is just one shy of the major league record set three different times, one coming from Ken Griffey Jr.
Eight years later in 2010, Jim Thome tied then passed Harmon Killebrew for tenth all-time on the home run list by hitting home runs in back-to-back at-bats. He hit home runs no. 573 and 574 that game. The Twins made an awesome gesture by playing a recorded message from Killebrew to Thome congratulating him on the accomplishment.
2016: First MLB Game in North Carolina
ESPN broadcasted the game played between the Marlins and Braves on Sunday Night Baseball. This is historic because the teams played at a military installation in Fort Bragg for about 12,500 spectators. The MLB purposefully scheduled the game to be played near July 4 to show thanks to America’s Armed Forces. The Marlins took home the win in this very memorable game, 5-4.
Feature image courtesy of Bleacher Report.
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