Today in Baseball History: September 12th

1984 On September 12, 1984, Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets breaks the major league record for most strikeouts by a rookie. Gooden, who fans 16 Pittsburgh Pirates on the way to a 2-0 victory, surpasses Herb Score's 1955 total of 245 strikeouts.

1979 On September 12, 1979, future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox collects his 3,000th hit against Jim Beattie during a 9-2 win over the rival New York Yankees. Yaz becomes the first American League player to reach 3,000 hits and 400 home runs.

1976 On September 12, 1976, 53-year-old Minnie Minoso becomes the oldest player to record a hit in a regular season game when he plays for the Chicago White Sox. The former Negro Leagues star goes 1-for-3 against California's Frank Tanana. Minoso also becomes a four-decade player....

1974 On September 12, 1974, the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals conclude one of the longest games in history. In the early morning hours, the Cardinals win the 25-inning marathon-which began the previous night-when Bake McBride scores on pitcher Hank Webb's throwing error…

1962 On September 12, 1962, Tom Cheney of the Washington Senators sets a major league record for most strikeouts in an extra-inning game. Cheney fans 21 batters in 16 innings, winning a 2-1 decision against the Baltimore Orioles…

1959 On September 12, 1959, ElRoy "Roy" Face's 22-game winning streak comes to an end. The Pittsburgh Pirates' relief ace allows two runs in the bottom of the ninth to lose a 5-4 decision to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Face had won 17 straight decisions in 1959…

1954 On September 12, 1954, the five-time defending world champion New York Yankees are eliminated from the pennant race. The Cleveland Indians sweep a doubleheader from the Yankees, pushing them eight and a half games out of first place in the American League standings.

1932 On September 12, 1932, Johnny Frederick of the Brooklyn Dodgers sets a major league record by hitting his sixth pinch-hit home run of the season. Frederick's ninth-inning blast gives the Dodgers a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs…

1930 On September 12, 1930, Al Lopez of the Brooklyn Dodgers hits the final "ground rule home run" in major league history. Prior to 1931, a batted ball that bounced over the outfield wall in fair territory was ruled a home run and not a double.